Small Practices, Big Impact: Check-Ins That Build Trust

You’re reading another installment of Small Practices, Big Impact: Ripple Leadership in Action — a series exploring the simple, intentional actions that create powerful ripples in leadership and culture.

INSPIRE

The Foundation of Safety

Creating psychological safety on a team isn’t a one-and-done event… it’s a constant, quiet commitment with authenticity and genuine care at the core.

Our brains are subconsciously scanning our environment multiple times a second, asking:

• Am I safe?
• Am I valued?
• Am I supported?

As a leader, your role in answering those questions, including “Do you care about me?”, is essential. (See 5 Unspoken Questions Every Team Is Asking Their Leader) When safety and care are consistently reinforced, trust grows. And trust becomes the soil where creativity, collaboration, and courage take root.

Regular check-ins are one of the simplest ways to nurture that kind of safety. They send a clear message: Your well-being matters here. You, as the beautiful, messy human you are, matter here. They remind your team that you see them as people first, not just as positions… and that you value both their work and their wholeness.

ACTIVATE

Four Simple Ways to Check In and Build Trust

I didn’t need another meeting on my calendar. I needed ways to stay connected to our people. These simple check-ins were regular reminders saying, “YOU matter.”

Over time, checking in turned into one of my favorite leadership rhythms… small, intentional moments that quietly built trust and connection.

1️⃣ The Weekly Check-In Form

Each week, I embedded a short Google Form in my staff email, an open invitation, never a requirement. The first question asked, “How are you right now?” and the last offered space for “What do you need?”

The middle questions were gentle reminders of things we can control that help us stay well and be our best selves. They varied throughout the years but often included clarity of goals, movement, rest, engagement, and relationships.

The responses were strictly confidential but always reviewed. I followed up in person when someone needed a life raft and sometimes when they just wanted to share a celebration.

Even though not everyone filled it out each week, its consistency mattered. It was a standing reminder: If you need me, I’m here.

(You can check out one example of a check-in Google Form I’ve used here. Feel free to tweak and use with your team.)

2️⃣ The Two-Word Check-In
We kicked off each meeting (and I still do this when I work with teams) with an opportunity to connect. One of my favorite go-tos is the Two-Word Check In.

It is super simple: we go around and share two words that describe how we are feeling. No elaboration, no judgment… just two words.

It’s amazing what this tiny practice can do. It honors that we all walk into a room as whole humans, sometimes energized, sometimes exhausted, sometimes both.

And for leaders, it provides a quick peek into how team members are really doing. If someone says “overwhelmed and hopeful,” that tells you more than a spreadsheet ever could. It’s efficient, human, and surprisingly profound. It creates empathy in the room before the agenda turns to business.

3️⃣ The Face-to-Face Moments
Forms and rituals matter, but nothing replaces looking someone in the eye. Every morning, I made time to walk the halls and connect in person.

Some days I came with a question ready like “What’s a recent win?” or “What’s on your mind these days?”, but most days it was simply, “How are you?”

These daily touchpoints build the kind of culture where people felt seen and supported. Because no Google Form will ever replace genuine, face-to-face connection. And no digital effort will ever work without those in-the-moment, organic touchpoints.

4️⃣ The Morning Huddles

Beyond one-on-one check-ins, our team had another powerful rhythm that kept us connected — our morning huddles, affectionately known as M@M’s (Meetings at the Mailbox).

Three mornings a week, about ten minutes before the official start of the school day, staff from every corner of the building made their way to the center of our school, gathering, quite literally, around the old blue metal mailbox that had become our hub.

These quick, focused huddles were our way of saying: Before we pour into our students, let’s pour into each other.

No slides, no agenda, just connection.

Some mornings were light and fun, swapping weekend stories, celebrating small wins, or sharing a laugh to start the day. Other times we used that space for gratitude: writing positive postcards, offering quick shout-outs, or simply pausing to thank a colleague. Occasionally, we shared something inspiring, a short video clip, a story, or a quote that tied back to our core values and reminded us why we do what we do.

These moments were short by design — ten minutes at most — but mighty in impact. They became one of our strongest anchors for communication, culture, and care. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder, we strengthened not just collaboration, we were building community.

(You can read more about how these huddles worked in my post, “Want to Inspire and Connect Your Team? Huddle Up.”)

AMPLIFY

Your Turn to Check In

As you lead this week, ask yourself:

• How am I signaling care and safety to my team?
• What rhythms of connection can I create or revive?
• How might I show our people that their whole selves are welcome here?

Whether it’s a form, a two-word check-in, a hallway hello, or a quick team huddle, your consistent check-ins build the kind of culture where people exhale and say, “I’m safe here. Now, let’s do this.”

Because when people feel safe, they know they’re on a team with high ceilings and soft landings.

And that’s the kind of culture that creates remarkable impact.

Every small practice creates a ripple. 🌀

---

Did this post resonate with you? Join us in The 5-Minute Mentor community!
Each week, I share a quick dose of inspiration, learning, and reflection… practical leadership wisdom you can read, and then use, in five minutes or less.

It’s free and can land in your inbox each week.

🔥 Activate your genius in 5,4,3,2,1…