Opening the Lines of Communication

Cathie Leimbach • September 3, 2020

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Effective communication is transparent two-way communication. However, since our society tends to value accomplishing tasks efficiently more than strengthening interpersonal relationships, it is common for leaders to frequently tell their staff what they want done and assume the message was heard, was understood, and will spur the desired action.


Staff often 'hear' and feel' that they will appear stupid if they ask questions and incompetent if they share the problems they are having doing the task. They don't feel it is safe for them to speak up with uninvited comments.


A more effective leadership strategy is to ask a staff member questions to clarify their understanding and help them overcome barriers to success. Managers could ask experienced employees what their priorities are for the day or the week. If their response is in line with expectations, there is no need for the manager to restate what the employee already knows. The employee now feels trusted by their manager.


If the manager then asks what support they need to meet their goals, the door is open for the staff member to share that they are having blue screen problems or their broken webcam prevents them from video conferencing with customers.


Because the manager took time to ask questions, the employee feels more valued, is more willing to be open and honest with their manager, and the manager is aware of productivity-limiting realities that need to be addressed. This improved communication will lead to a stronger bottom line.


Do you spend more time 'telling' your staff or listening to their responses to your open-ended questions? If you 'tell' a lot, what could you do to encourage more two-way conversation?

The Power of Strategic Choice: Making Room for What Matters

By Cathie Leimbach • November 10, 2025
In most organizations, the instinct is to add —more goals, more projects, more meetings. But as Juliet Funt, founder of the Juliet Funt Group, teaches in her Strategic Choice process, real leadership strength lies in deciding what to stop doing . Strategic Choice is the intentional narrowing of priorities—cutting away the clutter so teams can focus on what truly drives results. It’s a disciplined act of letting go: saying no to good ideas so there’s room for the great ones. Funt’s approach challenges leaders to pause, think, and create the mental and operational space their people need to perform at their best. By removing unnecessary tasks and misplaced effort, leaders make room for precision, innovation, and real thinking time. This isn’t about doing less—it’s about doing what matters most. When businesses adopt this mindset, they replace overwhelm with clarity and regain control of their time, energy, and outcomes. For small to mid-sized companies, embracing Strategic Choice can transform busyness into focus—and that focus is where sustainable growth begins. Want a quick visual overview? View Strategic Choice: Making Room for What Matters to see how this process helps leaders focus on what truly drives results.

Unlock Your Team's Potential: Fix Dysfunction, Boost the Bottom Line!

By Cathie Leimbach • November 4, 2025
Hey team leaders! Ever wonder why some companies soar while others stumble? Patrick Lencioni's bestseller, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team , nails it: workplace dysfunctions such as no trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoiding accountability, and ignoring results lead to mediocre performance at best. But here's the good news—smart leadership development changes the game! Start with building trust . Train leaders to open up and be vulnerable. Teams bond, ideas flow, and costly mistakes drop. Next, embrace healthy conflict . Teach team leaders to make it safe for team members to share the pros and cons of current or new ways of doing things. This helps everyone understand different perspectives. Then, drive commitment . Leaders who clarify goals, ask everyone to share their level of buy-in, and address their concerns get everyone bought in. People focus on high value work and get more done. . Hold folks accountable through coaching. Leaders learn to give kind, direct feedback by praising good work and calmly providing more training as needed. Turnover plummets and the quality and quantity of work improves. Finally, focus on results . Be clear on expectations. Keep score by monitoring progress weekly or daily. Acknowledge team wins when the goals are met. Winning sports teams pay attention to these Five Behaviors of a Team. How would a World Series winner have been determined this week without trust among the players and coaches, openness to tough coaching, the whole team working together, players focusing on their specific positions, and getting players around the bases to get the top score? Every workplace can benefit from these team behaviors as well. Lencioni's research proves it: Companies who prepare their leaders to overcome these 5 common workplace dysfunctions, improve the culture and see huge financial gains. Invest in your leaders today. Your bottom line will thank you! Click here to learn more about the painful cost of team dysfunction.