Providing Growth Opportunities

Cathie Leimbach • May 3, 2022

87% of millennials strongly prefer jobs that offer them opportunities to grow, yet only 40% of employees indicate their workplace has offered them opportunities to learn and grow in the past year. They want to get better at their current job, prepare for their next workplace position, and equip themselves to be successful in all aspects of life in our fast-changing world. If you don’t provide opportunities for employees to be lifelong learners, they will be less passionate and engaged at work, reducing the organization’s success.


And, don’t think you are saving money by not investing in employee development. 65% of currently employed people are looking for another job. 25% of employees changed jobs last year. 30% of new hires quit within 90 days. Once someone is working within a company, they experience its culture and growth mindset, or lack thereof. When the environment doesn’t feel like a right-fit for them, they are on the lookout for potentially better opportunities.


Many people are looking for diverse growth opportunities, not just formal training programs, so continuing education doesn’t have to be a big budget concern. Here are some possibilities:

  • Formal group training
  • Coaching to support the implementation of training content
  • Mentoring by a more experienced person in their role
  • Mentoring by someone in another role in the company
  • Job shadowing someone in another part of the company
  • Working on a group project for the company
  • Working on a community service project with others within the company or beyond the company
  • One-week job exchange or transfer to experience another position within the company for which they have most of the necessary skills


To determine which opportunities are most appropriate for an employee, ask them what knowledge or skills they would like to learn. Suggest 2 or 3 possible options and let them choose, or simply ask them how they think they might be able to fulfill that desire.


At performance review time, ask employees to set a personal growth goal and help them get access to the necessary resources.

The world around us is changing quickly. You and your employees need to change to keep up. Help your employees fulfill their desire for growth opportunities and your company will be a winner.

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.