One-on-One Meetings Reduce Employee Quitting

Cathie Leimbach • July 18, 2023

The role of a people manager or supervisor is to achieve organizational goals through the work of other people.  The leaders' success is usually measured by the results achieved by their team. With this in mind, highly successful leaders proactively support each of their team members to be successful. They tend to hold regular one-on-one meetings with each employee, increasing both productivity and retention.


Because team members have differing experiences, responsibilities, strengths, weaknesses, and personalities, the best way to support their unique contributions and needs is to have regular one-on-one meetings.  When employees have quality weekly one-on-ones with their manager, they are more likely to be clear on what is expected of them, share where they are struggling, get answers to their important but not urgent questions, and receive relevant training to enhance their skills.  This increases the individual's and the organization's productivity and morale. 


During one-on-one meetings the manager can learn something about the employee's personal life, give specific praise for areas of employee success, and provide constructive support in areas of uncertainty or underperformance.  This helps the employee feel valued and respected, reducing employee quitting and improving their work quality and quantity.


Ideally, most of the one-on-one meeting is spent on the employee's agenda.  Rapport is built when the first few minutes is used for  personal updates or interests.  Then, the manager can ask, "What would you like to talk about during out time together?" Now, the employee has the floor for whatever is on their mind.  The employee may provide a progress report, clarify expectations, or get help overcoming a stumbling block.  Sometimes, they may share a family challenge that is interfering with their focus at work. Another important question for the manager to ask is, "How can I help you be successful this week?"  This gives an employee permission to ask their leader to remove an obstacle whether it is bureaucracy, information, or time. 


Many organizations find that 30-minute one-on-ones provide the most effective balance of having enough time for meaningful discussion and not taking too much time away from revenue-generating activities.  If that seems far too long for you, even 10-minute employee-focused one-on-ones can yield great results. 


One-on-ones don't waste time.  They are so effective at increasing morale and productivity that they may generate the highest rate of return on your payroll dollars.  


When could you start having weekly one-on-ones with each of your employees to reduce turnover and improve productivity?  Register for - and attend - our free 45-minute webinar “3 Tips to Reduce Employee Quitting”.   

When Leadership Feels “Fine”… But Results Tell a Different Story

By Cathie Leimbach • January 13, 2026
Many leaders feel things are mostly on track. Goals are set. Meetings happen. People stay busy. On the surface, it all looks fine . But underneath, small cracks often tell a different story. You may notice work getting redone, decisions slowing down, or people quietly avoiding ownership. These aren’t just workflow problems. They’re leadership signals — and they’re easy to miss when everyone is moving fast. Leaders often believe they’ve been clear. They think people know what’s expected and who owns what. And they assume that if something was wrong, someone would speak up. But in real life, expectations get interpreted in different ways. Ownership can feel risky. And many people stay silent just to keep the peace. That gap between what leaders intend and what teams experience is where performance starts to slip. A few simple questions can help reveal what’s really going on: · Where is work quality lacking? · What decisions keep getting stuck? · Where do leaders step in instead of letting others own it? Start noticing those patterns. They point to exactly where stronger leadership can make the biggest difference. 👉 See what a 10–15% leadership shift could mean for your bottom line. View the Leadership ROI Chart .

Why Leadership Skills Matter More Than Ever in 2026

By Cathie Leimbach • January 6, 2026
People are essential to your business success—yet many organizations underestimate the return on leadership development. Payroll and benefits alone account for 15 to 60% of operating expenses for most companies. In industries with lower payroll percentages, the trade-off is often expensive equipment—but without well-trained people, even the best tools underperform. The truth is simple: mediocre employee skills produce mediocre business results. What’s often overlooked is where performance and engagement are truly shaped. Employees themselves only control about 30% of the factors that drive engagement and high performance. Leaders control the other 70%. Despite this, only 18% of organizations say their leaders are very effective at achieving business goals, even though 71% offer leadership training. Why the gap? Much of that training focuses on strategy or systems—not on people leadership skills that directly improve performance. When leaders do build those skills, the impact is powerful. Employees who feel supported give 57% more effort and are 87% less likely to leave. Organizations can see earnings increase by as much as 147%. In fact, leadership training delivers a $7 return for every $1 invested—more than double the return on technology investments. Since leadership capability is being touted as the most critical factor for organizational success in 2026, it’s worth asking: Which people leadership best practices have your managers truly adopted? What currently weak areas are the most important to strengthen this year? A short leadership quiz can surface strengths and growth areas that aren’t always obvious—especially when you take time to talk through what it reveals.