Catch People Doing Things Right

Cathie Leimbach • October 9, 2018

Effective leaders have a heart for helping their followers succeed. They truly care about the people on their team. They believe that all staff members are essential to achievement of the organization’s goals. However, many employees do not feel cared about. This hurts business productivity and the employees’ workplace engagement, personal health, and quality of life.

Let’s consider some facts about the human element at work:

  • The #1 contributor to employee job satisfaction is feeling valued and appreciated at work.
  • One of Pat Lencioni’s 3 Signs of a Miserable Job is feeling anonymous, invisible, or generic.
  • 83% of employees report that they do NOT feel valued or appreciated at work.
  • 65% of employees have left a job to get away from a toxic boss.

We can help others feel visible and appreciated at work by letting them know they are doing some things right. This requires that we:

  1. Pay attention to what our staff are doing.
  2. Notice what they are doing right.
  3. Communicate to them sincerely, clearly, and specifically what they are doing right.

During a new employee’s first day on the job, you can hopefully praise them for being on time, or early, for being appropriately dressed, and for promptly and legibly completing the new hire documents. Of course, you aren’t going to announce these expected things over the PA system, but let your new hires know you noticed and value their positive actions. “Thank you for arriving on time. We value the habit of being ready to start work at 8:00.” Or, “Thank you for bringing all the information you needed to complete the new hire process. We like to get new employee files completed on your first day.”

With experienced employees, you can praise them for a positive attitude, for getting the McGill project report sent out two days before it was due, or for taking time to help Bob fix the formula problem with the analysis spreadsheet.

Every staff member must be doing something right. If you can honestly say that some staff are not doing anything right, why are they on your payroll? If they were a right hire, train them; if not, dismiss them. Everyone worth paying deserves to be regularly caught doing some things right and hearing about it so they know they are noticed and valued. This creates a win/win for the individual’s quality of life and the organization’s bottom line.

From Performance Problems to Possibilities

By Cathie Leimbach • March 17, 2026
Most leaders can list what’s wrong fast: missed deadlines, uneven effort, or teams that seem capable of more. The bigger shift happens when leaders stop asking, “What’s broken?” and start asking, “What’s possible if we lead differently?” Limits like time, budget, and pressure are common. The resulting overwhelm is reduced when leaders get clear about what really matters. Strong leaders respond to these limits by focusing on priorities, simplifying decisions, and actively guiding their teams. Often, the shift begins with better leadership conversations. The right conversations clarify expectations, surface issues early, and help people take ownership before small problems grow into bigger ones. When leaders create space for clear, honest dialogue, teams stop guessing and start moving forward. Performance improves when leaders: Get clear instead of assuming Address issues early through direct conversations Set priorities people can follow Notice and praise progress, don’t comment only on mistakes These small, steady choices create momentum. We often hear questions like: “How do we stop reacting?” “What if our team is capable but inconsistent?” “How do we improve without burning people out?” Those questions point to opportunities for growth. Don’t think of them as failure. 👉 Where might your team be guessing instead of knowing? Identify one gap—and use your next conversation to close it.

From Firefighting to Predictable Performance

By Cathie Leimbach • March 10, 2026
Most leaders don’t struggle because they don’t care. They struggle because every day feels reactive. One issue gets fixed, and another one pops up right away. What separates high-performing teams from constant firefighting is simple: predictable leadership . When leaders are consistent, teams become consistent. People know what “good” looks like. They know how decisions are made. They know when feedback will happen. That removes stress and guesswork. Teams quickly learn what leaders reinforce and what they let slide. When expectations, follow-up, and accountability happen the same way every time, focus goes up and chaos goes down. This is how leaders move from reacting to leading. Regular check-ins replace urgent interruptions. Clear ownership replaces confusion. Small problems get handled early instead of turning into big ones. Much of this predictability is built through simple leadership conversations that clarify expectations, reinforce priorities, and address small issues before they grow. The result? Fewer surprises. More trust. Better momentum. 👉 If leadership sometimes feels more reactive than predictable, join our Leadership Conversation on March 17 at 3:00 PM to explore a few small shifts that can stabilize performance.