Developing Team Members

Cathie Leimbach • July 5, 2022

An owner of an employee placement agency once told me that the most difficult businesses for him to work with were small family businesses with 1 or 2 employees.  Every day the owner/manager worked along side employees.  When one task was completed they told employees what to do next and how to do it.  The employees simply did as they were told week after week.


And then, when the owners' families went on vacation, employees were left alone to staff the ship without daily instructions.    Inevitably, when the owners came back to work they were disappointed with how many tasks weren't done in the preferred way and how many poor or mediocre decisions the employees had made.  The owners of these small businesses made all the big and small decisions every day they were at work, yet, in their absence, expected employees to make the same quality of decisions they would have made.


This absence of employee development is not limited to family operated businesses.  It is the way many supervisors in several departments of most companies lead - or fail to lead.  They tell new employees something about what is expected on the job.  Some leaders share a little while others provide a mentor for the first week, month, or quarter.  And then, once the employee 'should' be able to handle their work independently, they leave them alone to get their work done.  And when errors are discovered by the supervisor, the employee is again told what to do and left alone to implement improved practices.


However, employees don't become competent and confident from being told and then left alone.  It is much more effective when supervisors ask employees how they suggest today's tasks should be done.  Leaders help employees think when they let employees work independently and then check in every hour or two to answer questions or redirect and retrain.


How well do you support your employees to gradually learn to think on their own?  How often do you check in with new hires to be available to help them increase their work quality?  How could you enhance your employee leadership practices?   

The Self-Discipline of a Growth Mindset

By Cathie Leimbach • April 15, 2025
A growth mindset means believing you can get smarter and develop new skills through hard work and practice. People with a growth mindset see challenges as opportunities to grow. On the other hand, a fixed mindset means thinking your talents and abilities cannot change much, no matter how hard you try. People with a growth mindset are more likely to exercise self-discipline to learn new behaviors. This helps us adapt to new opportunities. When we push ourselves to try different approaches, we open doors that would otherwise remain closed. This takes courage and commitment, especially at first when new ways of doing things feel uncomfortable or difficult. Our brains have amazing potential to change throughout our lives. When we repeatedly practice new skills or ways of thinking, our brain creates new pathways that make these actions easier over time. What once felt impossible can gradually become second nature.  The hard part is sticking with new behaviors long enough for them to become normal. This is where self-discipline comes in . By consistently practicing different approaches, what once required enormous effort eventually feels natural. This ability to adapt keeps us growing, helps us keep up with our changing world, and unlocks possibilities we might never have imagined.

Why Master Open-Ended Questions

By Cathie Leimbach • April 8, 2025
In today's busy workplace, asking good questions can make you better at your job. Open-ended questions—ones that need more than just "yes" or "no" answers—help you learn more and have better conversations with others. Research shows these questions really work. Gallup found that managers who use open-ended questions have 27% less employee turnover and 18% better productivity. These questions make team members feel safe to share their ideas. Harvard Business Review says that when bosses ask at least four open-ended questions in meetings, teams come up with 42% more creative solutions. By asking instead of telling, leaders get more ideas from everyone. McKinsey discovered that managers who are good at asking open-ended questions find 34% more opportunities for process improvement. These questions help spot problems and challenge old ways of thinking. These benefits go beyond just team conversations. The Journal of Applied Psychology found that salespeople who use open-ended questions with customers make 23% more sales. By better understanding what customers need, they can offer better solutions.  Learning to ask open-ended questions isn't just about talking better—it's a skill that helps you succeed in all parts of work. Click here for more information.
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