Listening to Your Employees?

Cathie Leimbach • February 28, 2023

With our current workforce reality, it is particularly important that we listen to our employees and act on their input. Millennials and Gen Z, which make up the majority of our workforce, are quite willing to speak up with both suggestions and concerns about their career experience. With the high number of open positions in most communities, they are willing to look around rather than stay in a poor or mediocre environment.  Paying attention to their input will reduce turnover and increase morale, positively impacting the bottom line.  

Let’s look at 4 common ways managers listen to and act on employee feedback. 

  1. Conduct a large-scale survey a few times per year and share the information with HR and the executive team.
  2. Conduct a survey or conversations around specific topics within the organization and share the findings will most leaders.
  3. Use a strategic listening approach using at least 2 different feedback methods and quickly act on suggestions and concerns.
  4. Various listening approaches are used throughout the year to get feedback on matters that impact business goals and their achievement. All levels of the organizations take responsibility for acting on improvements and all executives champion the process.

Organizations that regularly use multiple approaches for listening to and acting on employee input are 3 times as likely to meet or exceed financial targets and 10 times as likely to have high levels of customer satisfaction and retention.

What is one way you can enhance your employee listening?

Accountability Without Drama

By Cathie Leimbach • March 3, 2026
Accountability doesn’t have to feel tense or awkward. When done well, it’s calm, clear, and supportive. Most leaders avoid it because they don’t want conflict. But avoiding it creates something worse — inconsistency, frustration, and missed results. Strong accountability is simple: What was expected? What actually happened? What needs to happen next? When leaders address issues early and clearly, drama fades. People know where they stand. Follow through improves. Common mistakes: Waiting too long B Being inconsistent Attacking the person’s character These patterns can change. With the right habits, accountability becomes predictable instead of stressful — and work gets better fast. 👉Download our Accountability Without Drama Checklist to practice these conversations with confidence. 

Communication Gaps

By Cathie Leimbach • February 24, 2026
Most communication problems don’t happen because people aren’t listening. They happen because leaders assume clarity instead of checking for it. “I think they get it” isn’t the same as “they really do.” When people don’t clearly understand what’s expected of them, they make their own assumptions to fill in the gaps. That’s when rework, missed deadlines, and frustration show up. Strong leaders ask better questions: What do you see as the top priority? What does success look like to you? What could get in the way? These don’t slow work down — they prevent costly resets later. Try a simple weekly habit: Think about one key conversation. What did I mean? What did they hear? Where was the gap? Small awareness leads to big gains. 👉 You’re invited to a Leadership Conversation with other leaders to discuss common leadership gaps and how they quietly influence results.