Many of us walk around the office believing we are the hero of the story. We hit our numbers, we answer our emails, and we "support" the team. We assume that because we are busy, we are helpful.
But if you actually asked the people who rely on you—your direct reports, your cross-functional peers, your internal customers—they might tell a different story. They might tell you that your "support" feels like micromanagement. Or that your "responsiveness" is actually creating noise that distracts them from deep work.
When we operate with an inward mindset, we measure our value by our intent. But in business, intent doesn't pay the bills. Impact does.
To close the gap between what you intend to do and what people actually experience, you need to stop guessing.
The Impact Check-In is a tactical framework designed to solicit the kind of feedback that actually improves operations. It isn't a "wellness check" or a vague "how are you feeling?" conversation.
It is a specific, cadence-based meeting where you ask the people you affect: Am I helping you succeed, or am I getting in your way?.
By taking the lead on this conversation, you signal that you care more about the collective result than your own ego. That’s how you break down silos.
Do not walk into this meeting empty-handed. This tool requires you to do the heavy lifting before you ask for feedback.
Before you schedule the meeting, sit down with the tool and fill out the preparation columns.
Identify the Person: Pick someone whose work depends on yours. It could be a direct report, a peer in another department, or a customer.
List "Ways I Haven’t Been Helpful": This is the hard part. Look at your recent interactions. Have you been a bottleneck on approvals? Have you changed priorities last minute? Identify ways you may have made their job harder or failed to make it easier when you could have.
List "Possible Adjustments": Come with solutions, not just problems. What specific changes can you make to remove that friction?.
Once you’ve done your homework, schedule a brief, focused meeting (15–20 minutes).
Meet and Share: Start by sharing your list. "Look, I've been reflecting on our workflow, and I realized I might be slowing you down by [X]. I was thinking of changing [Y] to help. What do you think?".
Get Feedback: This is where you listen. Ask them to validate your list or add to it. "Is there anything else I’m doing that makes your job harder?".
Agree on Action: Don’t leave it abstract. Agree on a plan of action and, crucially, set a date for the next check-in to see if the adjustment worked.
If you are already using the 3 Questions tool to align objectives, you’re ahead of the game. Question 3 of that tool ("How will we measure success?") naturally establishes a cadence for these check-ins. Use the Impact Check-In as the agenda for those recurring meetings to ensure you never drift back into misalignment.
This isn't just about "being nice." It's about operational velocity. When leaders use the Impact Check-In, we see three things happen:
Speed increases: You identify and remove bottlenecks that were invisible to you.
Trust deepens: Vulnerability (admitting you aren't perfect) builds more trust than competence ever will.
Accountability shifts: You model what it looks like to take total ownership of your impact, which gives you the moral authority to ask the same of your team.
Stop assuming. Start checking in.
Q: Can I use this with my boss?
A: Absolutely. In fact, it’s a power move. Approaching your leader with, "I’ve been looking at how I support your goals, and I think I could be more effective by doing X—what do you think?" shows strategic maturity and an outward mindset.
Q: How often should we do this?
A: The tool suggests establishing an "agreed-upon cadence". For direct reports, this might be monthly. For cross-functional peers, quarterly might be enough. Consistency matters more than frequency.
Q: What if they don't have any feedback?
A: If they say "No, you're great," don't let yourself off the hook. Dig deeper. "I appreciate that, but if there was one thing I could change that would make your Tuesday mornings easier, what would it be?"