Roll call (SystemWork)

There are different ways to “check in“ with yourselves, but the shortest one is probably the roll call.

Roll calls are usually done with the military or police. Everyone get in a line, is called up by name and responds by giving the information asked for. It is an organized and structured way to check attendance as well as get the most important information for the situation in the shortest amount of time possible. You might imagine your inner team line up for this.

It helps to stick to a certain order when calling up names. Start with the same part every time and follow your inner list. You might want to start with the oldest or the youngest or maybe there is another natural structure in your system you can use. It helps to sort parts by groups e.g start will all the adults, then move to all the teens…

 

The morning roll call

It is a good idea to do a short roll call in the morning. Usually it’s the host who calls out the first name “A?“ A responds with her current mood.

Then you can either have A call out “B?“ and B call out “C?“ or let the host do the calling. It will give you a pretty good idea what to do or not to do that day, where there might be greater vulnerability and who needs special attention.

(Some clinics actually do this with their patients. It is a pretty good predictor for the day.)

We try to include as many of us as possible in the roll call, but sometimes parts are not available. That’s absolutely ok, it is just a different kind of information you are getting.

 

Maybe mood is not the information you are looking for. You can choose other topics for your roll call. This is especially useful in difficult situations when you don’t know what is going wrong. Leave long-term discussions for another kind of team meeting, this is military style, short info only.

You might ask for:

• information that needs to be shared to master the current situation
• information about important incidents that happened
• information about dangers
• changes that have been made
• responsibilities and re-organizing tasks (who is front, who entertains Littles, …)
• current needs
• current arousal levels (if you don’t have a gauge room)
• a vote
• …

 

This is more organized than just speaking through and hoping for a response. Someone who was called up by name might respond when they wouldn’t have done so otherwise. The silent ones will get heard too.

 

The evening roll call

A quick roll call before going to bed can improve your sleep. Sometimes you might not be able to find rest because a need is unmet or a word unheard.

It can also create an inner sense of safety, especially for the Littles, to hear that they are not alone and protected.

 

Make it a habit. Do it whenever there is a short break, when waiting for the elevator or for your tea water to boil. You should do at least one roll call a day, asking about feelings and needs. This will give you the information you need to manage the system well. Many difficult situations could be avoided if the problem was noticed earlier. It will also support your sense of belonging together and being a team.

 

Roll calls do not replace team meetings where you talk about long-term goals and ongoing problems in depth. Those should take place regularly, but doing them daily would be too much. The roll call is your perfect little tool for every day.