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?

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.

From Firefighting to Predictable Performance

By Cathie Leimbach • March 10, 2026
Most leaders don’t struggle because they don’t care. They struggle because every day feels reactive. One issue gets fixed, and another one pops up right away. What separates high-performing teams from constant firefighting is simple: predictable leadership . When leaders are consistent, teams become consistent. People know what “good” looks like. They know how decisions are made. They know when feedback will happen. That removes stress and guesswork. Teams quickly learn what leaders reinforce and what they let slide. When expectations, follow-up, and accountability happen the same way every time, focus goes up and chaos goes down. This is how leaders move from reacting to leading. Regular check-ins replace urgent interruptions. Clear ownership replaces confusion. Small problems get handled early instead of turning into big ones. Much of this predictability is built through simple leadership conversations that clarify expectations, reinforce priorities, and address small issues before they grow. The result? Fewer surprises. More trust. Better momentum. 👉 If leadership sometimes feels more reactive than predictable, join our Leadership Conversation on March 17 at 3:00 PM to explore a few small shifts that can stabilize performance.