Encouraging Employees to Solve Problems (Part 1)

Cathie Leimbach • March 29, 2022

When employees solve many of the day-to-day problems they encounter at work there are several benefits:

  • They feel good about themselves and their abilities.
  • They can get through the problem and on with their next task even when their supervisor or a colleague isn’t available to help them.
  • Their supervisor has time to help other employees and work on more strategic tasks.
  • Employee self-esteem, satisfaction, and morale increase.
  • Productivity and bottom-line results increase, improving the mission impact and the sustainability of the organization.

 

Despite these benefits, in many organizations the managers solve more problems than do the employees.  There are two primary factors that underlie this inefficient and often ineffective reality. Firstly, managers may believe their job is to be the star decision-maker and the primary source of information and ideas, so, they, consciously or unconsciously, make it uncomfortable for employees to solve problems. Or, secondly, employees may not have the knowledge or skills needed to solve problems. This Part 1 article focuses on how the manager can create a workplace environment that encourages employee decision making. Part 2 shares how managers can help employees develop the ability and confidence to solve problems.

 

5 Ways Leaders Can Encourage Employees to Solve Problems

 

1.     Be Approachable

Smile. Say hi to your staff every day. Be friendly in the break room. When an employee comes to you for help, quickly set aside what you are working on and given them your full attention. If you are in the middle of an urgent task, set a slightly later time for your conversation.

 

2.     Create a Mistake-Friendly Environment

We learn through our mistakes. When employees do something wrong, ask them what they were trying to achieve, what result they got, what they learned from this experience, and what they could do better. Make mistakes a healthy learning experience.

 

3.     Share Insights and Information

Be generous with your information. When you learn something that adds value for their workplace responsibilities, share it. Give them tips to do their work even better.

 

4.     Have Weekly Team Meetings and/or Employee One-on-Ones

Meet individually with each employee every week, even if it is only for 15 minutes. Ask how they are doing. Inquire about their hobbies or families. Confirm your workplace expectations. Ask how you can help them achieve their workplace goals.  Meet with your team weekly so everyone receives helpful updates and to encourage collaboration among employees.

 

5.     Let Your Employees Educate You

Your employees are doing the bulk of the day-to-day tasks. Ask them what is going well and what challenges they are having. Ask for their ideas on how to schedule their day or overcome a setback.

 

Creating an environment where employees feel it is safe to try solving their own problems is a key leadership responsibility. 

What Changes When People Actually Feel Engaged?

By Cathie Leimbach • April 7, 2026
Most leaders don’t struggle because they don’t care. They struggle because engagement feels hard to influence. But when people are engaged, the impact is hard to ignore: 18% higher sales 23% higher profitability 70% higher wellbeing These differences come from comparing the 25% of organizations with the strongest employee engagement to those in the bottom 25% (Gallup). And the stakes are bigger than most realize— disengaged employees cost U.S. organizations nearly $2 trillion in lost productivity each year (Gallup). This isn’t about perks or programs. It’s about how people are led every day. Engaged teams are clearer on expectations. They feel supported. They know their work matters. And most importantly—those conditions don’t happen by accident. They’re created in conversations: Clarifying priorities Reinforcing what good looks like Checking for understanding Following through consistently Small leadership habits drive big business outcomes. A question to consider: Where could stronger day-to-day leadership conversations improve results in your team? 👉 Join our next 60-minute Leadership Conversation: Inspiring High Performance — Monday, April 13 th at 3:00 PM ET (this is not a webinar) It’s a small-group discussion with other leaders looking at a simple question: What’s actually driving engagement—and what’s quietly holding it back? If a shift in leadership could impact sales, profitability, and wellbeing… it’s worth exploring what that might look like in your world.

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.