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.

The Leadership Problem Most Companies Don’t Address

By Cathie Leimbach • May 19, 2026
Many organizations assume their biggest challenges are rapidly changing technology, customer retention, and employee initiative. But quite often, the root cause is people leadership problems. That’s one reason The Imperfect CEO by Jim Brown is so timely. Releasing today, May 19, the book explores how leaders build healthier organizations not by pretending to have all the answers, but by creating cultures grounded in trust, clarity, accountability, and meaningful conversations. Brian Besanceney, Chair, Board of Orlando Health, Inc., described the book this way: “Through vivid stories, real-world examples, and a model grounded in collaborative culture, Jim Brown gives leaders permission to wrestle honestly with the generational divides, misaligned targets, and cultural fractures that can too often sabotage high-potential organizations.” Greg Apple, CEO of Amgine.ai, connected the book to leadership beyond business alone: “In a fast-moving company, culture is everything. Jim Brown’s principles have helped our team lead with greater clarity and alignment. The Imperfect CEO distills those lessons brilliantly. Every leader should read it.” What stands out to me is how closely this book aligns with the principles behind Conversational Management. Healthy cultures are rarely built through policies alone. They are built through the quality of everyday leadership conversations — how expectations are clarified, how accountability is handled, how feedback is delivered, and how trust is strengthened over time. That’s why leadership development cannot stay theoretical. Culture changes conversation by conversation.  The Imperfect CEO is an easy-to-read business fable that illustrates common people leadership challenges and provides suggestions for overcoming them. Order your copy today and start building healthier leadership conversations inside your organization.

Why Some Companies Attract More Job Applicants Than They Need

By Cathie Leimbach • May 12, 2026
Chick-fil-A restaurants often receive far more job applications than they have openings. This is not luck. It is leadership. People apply where they believe they will be treated well. At Chick-fil-A, employees experience respectful communication, clear expectations, and leaders who support their success. That reputation spreads quickly through word of mouth. Leaders in these restaurants do simple things well. They ask questions before they assume. They listen to employees. They provide encouragement and clear direction. They notice good work and address problems in a helpful way. As a result, employees feel valued. They enjoy coming to work. They tell others. That is what attracts more applicants. Many organizations focus only on hiring. Strong organizations focus on how people are treated after they are hired. When leaders create a workplace where people feel respected, supported, and clear on what success looks like, something powerful happens: People stay. People perform. And more people want to join. This is what leadership really is. Would you like to see several leadership and culture practices Chick-fil-A uses to attract and keep quality employees? Click here to view: How Chick-fil-A Attracts Quality Applicants