038: The Leadership Hack That Eliminates 80% of Check-Ins

Check-ins are killing your calendar. In this episode, Erik breaks down why endless reminders are actually a symptom of low confidence and poor expectation-setting—and he teaches a simple leadership “play” that flips the script. Instead of you chasing progress updates, your team will push you the information you need—freeing up your time, building accountability, and strengthening trust.

❓ The Big Question

What if you could eliminate 80% of your check-ins and still have full confidence that the work is getting done?

💡 Key Takeaways

• Most check-ins are rooted in lack of confidence—either yours or theirs.
• Telling someone what to do creates dependence; having them tell you creates accountability.
• Check-ins aren’t about progress—they’re about reassurance.
• The right system flips responsibility back onto the person doing the work.
• When leaders stop chasing updates, they reclaim time and build trust.

🧠 Concepts, Curves, and Frameworks

• Confidence vs. Check-Ins → Your need to check in is usually a sign of shaky confidence.
• Expectation-Setting Game → Don’t tell; ask them to articulate their plan and timeline.
• Push vs. Pull Communication → Move from chasing updates (pull) to receiving them automatically (push).
• Calendar Hack → Put the expectation in their calendar—and yours—as a self-triggered accountability system.

🔁 Real-Life Reflections

• The “reminder monster” in your calendar probably has a name—what if you flipped that relationship?
• This approach has been tested with thousands of leaders and eliminates ~80% of check-ins.
• When people state their own commitments and log them, they are psychologically more likely to follow through.

🧰 Put This Into Practice

1. Identify one person who dominates your check-in calendar.
2. Next time, don’t set a check-in—have them set the reminder in both of your calendars.
3. Ask: What progress should you expect to have made by then?
4. Have them block time in their calendar with the title: “[Name] to update [Leader] on [specific milestone].”
5. Watch as updates come to you—without you ever having to chase.

🗣️ Favorite Quotes

“Confidence and the check-in are two sides of the same coin.”

“The game isn’t telling them what to do—it’s getting them to tell you.”

“Stop pulling for updates. Build a system where they push you the information.”

“This one hack eliminates about 80% of reminders and check-ins.”

“Everybody wins when you run this play: you gain time, they gain trust, and the work gets done.”