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.

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.

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.