Mid-Year Check-Ins: Celebrate, Realign, and for the Love of Leadership, Be Clear

Some leaders treat mid-year check-ins like a dentist appointment—you know you should, but you secretly hope it gets rescheduled. Here's your reminder: Don't phone it in.

The halfway point is your golden opportunity to:
✅ Celebrate the wins (even the weird little ones—progress is progress)
✅ Realign priorities and performance (before the wheels fall off)
✅ Reconnect with your people in a way that actually sticks

And please, for the love of Brene Brown: Clear is kind.

Too many leaders skate by with fuzzy feedback. If a team member is missing the mark, being vague isn't saving their feelings—it's delaying their growth. Being clear is the ultimate kindness (and frankly, it’s just good leadership hygiene).

Quick Tips for Meaningful Mid-Year Check-Ins:

• Ask your team what they’re proud of—not just what they’ve achieved.

• Get curious about where they feel stuck.

• Be specific about what’s working and what isn’t—no one grows in the fog.

• Recommit to the shared goals—or realign if they’ve changed.

• And yes, celebrate like you mean it. Even clingy customers love a good party.

❓ What’s one clear, kind conversation you’ve been putting off? What’s one win you’ve glossed over? You’ve still got runway this year—go make it count.