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Providing Employees with Frequent Feedback

Cathie Leimbach • Mar 05, 2024

When employees receive regular feedback on their performance, their productivity and morale, as well as the organization’s retention and bottom line, improve. Once leaders have set and communicated clear expectations and monitored employee progress and results, it is important to let them know how well they are performing.


When you catch employees doing something right, tell them so they know which tasks they are doing correctly. Their stress level falls because they know they are on the right track. This gives them more confidence in their work.

When you see that an employee is not meeting expectations, it is important to have a conversation with them, identify the bottleneck, and determine a corrective action. Employees may lack appropriate equipment and tools, not fully understand expectations, or need more training.


Nobody likes negative feedback, so few people underperform intentionally. Many are afraid of being fired if they approach their manager to ask for help.  Studies show that most employees are very thankful for negative feedback if it is followed by a plan to correct their performance, helping them be successful. So, it is important that leaders have the courage to address underperformance in a calm manner which helps the team member become a valued employee.



The frequency of praise and corrective feedback varies with the employee’s competence and confidence. When an individual is new to a task, it is appropriate to provide feedback every few minutes initially, dropping back to hourly, and then daily. As people become more familiar with a task, positive and corrective feedback can become less frequent. However, to build and maintain an engaged and productive workforce, it is important that managers acknowledge even highly competent individuals at least weekly. 

Clarity of Vision, Goals, and Boundaries

By Cathie Leimbach • 23 Apr, 2024
A crystal-clear vision, coupled with well-defined goals and boundaries, forms the cornerstone of a thriving workplace. A compelling vision acts as a guiding light, inspiring employees and aligning their efforts toward a common purpose. However, without specific goals, this vision risks being irrelevant words. By setting three or four key goals, leaders can direct focus onto the vital 20% of tasks that yield 80% of desired outcomes. When goals are communicated clearly, ensuring that all team members fully understand expectations, having a clear vision and goals fosters efficiency and prevents wasted effort on non-essential activities. However, as Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges point out in their book, Lead Like Jesus, leaders often conclude that “they have been “perfectly clear” in their initial instructions about what they want, and then they hold their listeners accountable for perfect comprehension and perfect retention.” In reality, being a leader who helps employees and the organization succeed requires two-way conversations to check for understanding and frequent repetition of the goals to keep everyone focused on priorities. Additionally, establishing clear boundaries provides employees with a framework within which to operate, empowering them to make decisions confidently and autonomously. These boundaries serve as guardrails, ensuring that actions remain aligned with organizational objectives while allowing room for creativity and innovation. Blanchard and Hodges explain that “Boundaries channel energy in a certain direction. It’s like a river. If you take away the banks, it wouldn’t be a river anymore; it would be a large puddle, devoid of momentum and direction. What keeps the river flowing are its banks.” Together, clarity of vision, goals, and boundaries creates a roadmap for success, guiding both individual and collective efforts towards organizational success. Leaders have the responsibility to ensure that vision, goals, and boundaries are established, frequently communicated, and fully understood and followed by all team members.

Overcoming Workplace Drama

By Cathie Leimbach • 23 Apr, 2024
Workplace drama can be like a dark cloud looming over an otherwise sunny organization. Cy Wakeman, a renowned expert, describes workplace drama as emotional waste—a drain on energy that could be better spent on positive endeavors. It’s that negativity that pulls focus away from productivity and towards unproductive mental processes. Instead of fostering a harmonious work environment, drama can disrupt workflows and hinder progress. To tackle workplace drama, it’s vital to question our initial thoughts and stick to the facts. Drama often arises from misunderstandings or assumptions, so taking a moment to reassess can prevent unnecessary conflict. Instead of jumping to conclusions or engaging in gossip, seek out factual information and consider different viewpoints. Clear communication with all involved parties can help gather accurate perspectives. Distinguishing between facts and opinions is key. While opinions may differ, facts provide solid ground for decision-making and conflict resolution. By focusing on facts rather than emotions, we can prevent drama from escalating. Creating a positive work environment also involves addressing issues promptly and directly. Ignoring problems allows them to worsen, leading to more drama in the long run. Encouraging transparency and accountability among team members fosters mutual respect and understanding, reducing the likelihood of drama.  Ultimately, combating workplace drama requires a collective effort. By questioning assumptions, sticking to facts, and fostering open communication, teams can create a more harmonious and productive workplace were drama takes a backseat to collaboration and success.
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