Improving Team Productivity by 50%

Cathie Leimbach • October 1, 2020

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A leadership coach friend of mine, recently helped a client increase his department's productivity by 50%. The process was simple.


The department supervisor needed an urgent solution. Since his two staff members had started working remotely, their productivity had slipped a lot. They weren't keeping up with client needs. Their output had to be turned around, and now!


My coaching friend advised the supervisor that employee productivity is based on skill, will, and capacity. If their skills and capacity support strong performance, the bottleneck is likely their will, their interest in doing the job.


When we enjoy our workplace tasks we are self-motivated to get them done and do them well. However, we have a limited amount of will power. We can only push ourselves for long to do work that doesn't inspire us, even if we have the skills and the capacity for excellence. We cannot simply suck it up and move forward.



The supervisor asked his staff to share which parts of the department's work they would they like to be doing. Both indicated a preference for many of the tasks the other was assigned. When the supervisor reassigned their responsibilities, productivity promptly increased by 50%.


A serious problem was solved by the supervisor having collaborative conversations with his staff. Poor productivity wasn't a training problem nor a wrong-hire problem. It was an emotional problem. Once the employees were responsible for tasks they liked doing, their productivity skyrocketed.


The clients are now being served well and the company's bottom line has improved.


The supervisor had caused the bottleneck by not knowing what made his employees tick. What is frustrating you at work? How might a collaborative conversation with your downline or your upline be a valuable tool towards enhancing your workplace satisfaction and productivity?

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