How to Keep the Spirit of Thanksgiving Alive at Work Every Day

Cathie Leimbach • November 25, 2020

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Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks and express gratitude. For many Americans, Thanksgiving is the biggest holiday of the year. Families and friends celebrate together, sharing great conversation and wonderful food. While the celebration may look different this year, I suspect it might be one of the busiest days for Zoom as families gather virtually. 


Even the greeting card industry gets into the act giving us a way to let people know we appreciate them. We reach out to friends and family to express our love, say how thankful we are to have them in our life, and show our support when they are facing challenges.


However, the spirit of thanksgiving is sorely lacking in the workplace. The numbers show a clear picture.  Only 17% of people say they feel valued at work. 85% of people say that feeling appreciated and valued at work is the biggest contributor to them liking their job. When people are thanked at work, their productivity increases 50%. Yet, 65% of people say they haven’t felt appreciated at work even once in the past year.


Organizations are failing to optimize their bottom line because managers are not expressing thanks to their staff. How can you keep the spirit of appreciation and acknowledgement alive in your organization?


1.      Catch people doing something right, and tell them how much you value their regular attendance, quality work, problem solving, or great new ideas.


2.      When an employee drops by your office with a question about the work you asked them to focus on this week, stop scanning your email. Lift your hands off the keyboard, make eye contact with your employee, and give them a thoughtful answer so they can complete the task effectively.


3.      Schedule frequent one-on-one coffee breaks or office drop-ins with each staff member. Ask how their daughter is enjoying her music lessons. Praise them for a recent personal or workplace accomplishment. Ask how you can help them be more effective this week. Individuals who have one-on-one time with their supervisor at least once per week are more engaged and productive.


Thanksgiving is the start of the holiday season. Say thanks. Ensure your employees feel joy throughout the month of December. Create raving fan employees who know that you see them as a valued member of the team.


Want help in creating your own culture of gratitude? Take advantage of a free consultation so that we can brain storm how to turn your employees into raving fans.

What Changes When People Actually Feel Engaged?

By Cathie Leimbach • April 7, 2026
Most leaders don’t struggle because they don’t care. They struggle because engagement feels hard to influence. But when people are engaged, the impact is hard to ignore: 18% higher sales 23% higher profitability 70% higher wellbeing These differences come from comparing the 25% of organizations with the strongest employee engagement to those in the bottom 25% (Gallup). And the stakes are bigger than most realize— disengaged employees cost U.S. organizations nearly $2 trillion in lost productivity each year (Gallup). This isn’t about perks or programs. It’s about how people are led every day. Engaged teams are clearer on expectations. They feel supported. They know their work matters. And most importantly—those conditions don’t happen by accident. They’re created in conversations: Clarifying priorities Reinforcing what good looks like Checking for understanding Following through consistently Small leadership habits drive big business outcomes. A question to consider: Where could stronger day-to-day leadership conversations improve results in your team? 👉 Join our next 60-minute Leadership Conversation: Inspiring High Performance — Monday, April 13 th at 3:00 PM ET (this is not a webinar) It’s a small-group discussion with other leaders looking at a simple question: What’s actually driving engagement—and what’s quietly holding it back? If a shift in leadership could impact sales, profitability, and wellbeing… it’s worth exploring what that might look like in your world.

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.