Develop a Culture that Invites Employee Input

Cathie Leimbach • March 13, 2022

I hear it often. Employees have concerns at work and ideas for solving problems, but they don’t speak up. They don’t share their thoughts or needs with their manager. Yet, their managers tell me they wish employees would show more initiative. Why the lack of communication?


The root of the disconnect is employees’ perception of the managers’ interest in their ideas and their poor experiences with change. In the rare situations where employees say their workplace communicates and handles change very well, 77% of employees are engaged. However, when employees rate communication and change management as poor, only 1% are engaged. More intentional leadership practices are essential to improve workplace satisfaction, engagement, and productivity.


Let’s look at 3 ways managers can improve the employee experience and impact the organization’s bottom line.

  1. Initiate frequent relaxed and casual conversations with staff.  
  2. When an employee arrives at work, or you see one of your direct reports in the break room, ask them about the evening before or their weekend.
  3. Begin weekly one-on-one meetings by asking what they’d like to talk about. Address your work-related agenda items after hearing what is on their mind, whether it be their family, a hobby, or a workplace challenge.
  4. Ask your employees what is going well in their job and what suggestions they have for doing things better.   
  5. Consider their suggestions.  Listen to them and clarify your understanding.
  6. Ask them to think of 3 or 4 solutions to their concerns. Have them share the pros and cons of each.
  7. Support the adoption of helpful, viable changes.
  8. When a problem isn’t resolved or a suggestion isn’t implemented, share the reasons for maintaining the status quo.
  9. Explain the reasons for company-wide and top-down changes.
  10. Communicate how the changes will contribute to the company’s future success.


When there is open, two-way communication between employees who happen to be manager and employee, workers are better informed, feel valued, and become more engaged. When managers are intentional about serving their employees, they create a win/win environment, increasing morale, retention, and productivity.


What is your next step towards creating a workplace culture that encourages employee input? 

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.