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Progress check-in agreement

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Summary

  • Agree in advance on a check-in time and action with a willing partner. Report actual progress, not just the goal.
  • Check in even if unfinished. Discuss obstacles and adjust the next step; the partner supports action, not punishment.

Ways to apply

  1. On your own

    Free, no special equipment to buy

    1. Find a willing partner to follow your progress and help identify obstacles when needed.
    2. Agree together when to report: e.g., Friday, whether an application was submitted, not approved.
    3. Use paper or a note to briefly record what you actually did and where you are stuck.
    4. Share the record at the agreed time, even if unfinished. You need not post it publicly.
    5. For unmet agreements, find obstacles and adapt together; renegotiate promptly if feeling controlled.

Report actual progress, not just the goal

Research-backed

Check-ins report what has happened, rather than repeat an intention to finish. Harkin and colleagues’ meta-analysis of general goal research found that interventions promoting progress monitoring helped people reach goals. Studies involving written progress records or reports to others generally found larger effects(Harkin et al., 2016).

Reporting in these studies also included telling just one person; public social media posts are unnecessary(Harkin et al., 2016).

Agree on check-ins in advance, without surprise questioning

Proposed in research

In their proposed support model for digital health interventions, Mohr and colleagues recommend jointly agreeing on check-in expectations. This includes when to report, what to report, and the supporter’s role(Mohr et al., 2011).

Applied to everyday partner check-ins, the agreement could specify “send a progress note on Friday; the partner helps identify obstacles.” With the communication agreed in advance, the partner need not ask unplanned questions.

Agree on controllable actions, not uncontrollable outcomes

Proposed in research

Mohr and colleagues’ model recommends agreements focused on specific actions to carry out, rather than final outcomes that must be achieved(Mohr et al., 2011). For example, a check-in can report whether an application was submitted. Approval depends on others and falls outside personal control, so it is unsuitable as the completion requirement for this check-in.

The central question an agreement clarifies is which action will be reported. If the action is unclear, task breakdown can help identify concrete steps before the check-in content is agreed.

Find obstacles after missed actions, without adding punishment

Proposed in research

Mohr and colleagues’ model proposes that progress tracking should provide feedback and help people reflect. It recommends understanding missed actions with goodwill, and avoiding supervision through pressure or threats(Mohr et al., 2011).

Applied to everyday check-ins, this means recording how far the action got and where it stalled, even when unfinished. The partners can then discuss what help is needed or how to adjust the agreement.

Evidence

References (2)
  1. Meta-analysisDoes monitoring goal progress promote goal attainment? A meta-analysis of the experimental evidenceHarkin B, Webb TL, Chang BPI, Prestwich A, Conner M, Kellar I, Benn Y, Sheeran P (2016). Psychological Bulletin
  2. TheorySupportive Accountability: A Model for Providing Human Support to Enhance Adherence to eHealth InterventionsMohr DC, Cuijpers P, Lehman K (2011). Journal of Medical Internet Research