The Mattering Cards
The Mattering Cards
A simple, powerful way to make people feel seen, valued, and essential.
The Mattering Cards are a ready-to-use leadership tool designed to help leaders, coaches, and educators make mattering visible—one moment at a time. Grounded in the Noticed–Affirmed–Needed (N-A-N) framework, each card includes intentional sentence stems that guide short, authentic messages of appreciation and connection Mattering Cards_2025.
Rather than generic praise, the cards prompt leaders to notice specific actions, affirm strengths and character, and name how each person’s contributions truly matter. Used consistently, these small moments create a powerful ripple effect—strengthening trust, morale, and belonging across teams
Why Mattering Cards Work
They make appreciation specific, timely, and genuine
They support psychological safety and trust
They help leaders build culture through everyday interactions, not big initiatives
They reinforce that each person is seen, valued, and needed
What’s Included
Printable cards featuring sentence stems aligned to:
Noticed – “I see you.”
Affirmed – “You matter for who you are.”
Needed – “You are essential to our work.”
Ripple – “Your actions create impact.” Mattering Cards_2025
Easy-to-print format (four cards per page) designed for quick use in real workdays Mattering Cards_2025
How They’re Used
During walkthroughs and classroom visits
Before or after staff meetings
As part of coaching and reflective supervision
In mailboxes, on clipboards, or desks
Peer-to-peer or leader-to-staff recognition
To extend mattering to families and children
Mattering Cards don’t require more time—just more intention.
They help leaders turn everyday moments into meaningful connections that shape the emotional blueprint of a thriving, human-centered culture