5 Ways to Amplify Your Voice at Work

Cathie Leimbach • May 9, 2023

When is the last time you spoke up at work? Do you share your ideas for improving communication in your department, respond to your manager’s email asking what training you would be interested in this year, or drop a possible solution to a frustrating workplace situation in the staff suggestion box? 

Workplace dissatisfaction is common. Employee morale is falling. Employee turnover is high. Many people share workplace frustrations and potential solutions with their family and friends. Yet, they don’t use their voice at work. Instead, they put up with workplace drudgery or change jobs again in search of a rewarding experience. 

Often, leaders who ask employees for their input and offer opportunities for team problem solving get few responses. If you wish to be heard and valued at work, amplify your voice.  

Here are 5 ways you could speak up to improve the workplace experience for your colleagues, yourself, and the organization.

  1. Speak up during meetings: Whenever there is a meeting, make sure to contribute your ideas and opinions.
  2. Use communication tools: Utilize email, instant messaging, or project management software to share your ideas and feedback with your team. This can help you reach out to others even when you're not in the same physical location.
  3. Seek out one-on-one conversations: If you feel uncomfortable sharing your ideas or feedback in a group setting, try to have one-on-one conversations with your supervisor or other colleagues you feel comfortable with. This can help you build a rapport with your colleagues and foster more productive discussions.
  4. Provide written feedback: Sometimes, it can be difficult to express your thoughts and ideas verbally. Provide written feedback, such as in an email or memo, to share your perspective with your team.
  5. Participate in employee surveys: If your organization conducts employee surveys, take the time to fill out these surveys and provide detailed responses to help shape the company's direction and improve the workplace.

 

You have valuable ideas for improving the workplace experience and/or productivity in your organization.  Which of the above ways will you use to put these ideas forward for consideration? What will you do this week to amplify your voice?

4 Leadership Behaviors That Drive Trust, Performance, and Accountability

By Cathie Leimbach • March 31, 2026
Most leaders don’t struggle because they lack knowledge. They struggle because leadership opportunities show up in daily conversations —and those moments are easy to miss. The difference between average and high-performing teams often comes down to four leadership behaviors: 1. Build Trust Through Everyday Conversations Trust is built in small moments. Listen to concerns Ask thoughtful questions Follow through Address issues quickly and respectfully 🤝 Trust grows through consistent, everyday conversations. 2. Reinforce What Good Looks Like People repeat what gets recognized. Be specific: “I appreciated how you handled that client issue quickly—that made a difference.” 🔒 Clarity + recognition = stronger performance. 3. Address Problems Early—Kindly and Clearly Avoiding issues creates bigger ones. Keep it simple: What was expected? What happened? What needs to change? 👥 Clear, timely conversations reduce drama and improve results. 4. Support People So They Can Succeed Your role is to help your team succeed. Clarify priorities Remove obstacles Provide resources Coach progress 🔍 When people have clarity and support, performance follows. The Real Lever: Conversations None of this requires new systems. It happens in everyday interactions— 1:1s, quick check-ins, and follow-ups. Better conversations → better results. Quick Reflection Which one would make the biggest difference for you right now? Build trust Reinforce performance Address problems early Support success 👉 Join our next 60-minute Leadership Conversation – Inspiring Employee Performance on Monday, April 6, at 3:00 pm ET. Not a webinar. A working session with other leaders looking at what’s actually happening on their teams—and how small shifts in daily conversations change performance fast. If you're curious what even a 10% shift in consistency could look like for your team… this is a good place to start.

Three Small Shifts That Change Everything

By Cathie Leimbach • March 24, 2026
You don’t need to make big changes in your leadership practices to get better results. Often, it’s small shifts in everyday leadership conversations that quietly change how work gets done. Here are three that work:  1. Make priorities clear Start meetings by stating current priorities. That creates focus right away and helps conversations stay on topic. 2. Ask instead of solve Instead of answering an employee’s questions, ask, “What are your suggestions?” Such questions encourage employee thinking and stronger follow-through. 3. Hold short monthly one-on-one check-ins Meeting with each employee one-on-one allows the regular review of goals, progress, and obstacles. These short conversations surface issues early and keep everyone aligned. These small habits keep teams steady and focused. Your challenge this month: Pick one shift and try it. Notice what changes in clarity, buy-in, or accountability. Sometimes the difference between teams that struggle and teams that move smoothly comes down to a few simple leadership conversations happening consistently. 👉 Join our 60-minute Leadership Conversation on March 30th at 3:00 PM to see how small shifts in everyday leadership conversations can quickly improve clarity, ownership, and results.