Want a 350% ROI?

Cathie Leimbach • November 11, 2020

I’ve got the investment for you! And, it’s not too good to be true. It really does yield a 350% ROI! And, it’s legal!


This investment is training!! On average, one dollar invested in training increases the bottom line by $4.53, yielding a 353% return.


What is the catch? To yield a strong return the training has to be relevant to your organization’s needs. It must meet 3 criteria:

  •  result in trainees learning new knowledge and developing new skills,
  •  have job impact, be relevant and be used at work after training,
  • improve the organization’s bottom line.


What is limiting your bottom line? Which of your current challenges would be reduced if your employees interacted, behaved, or worked differently? Training could be the solution. 


Many of the 385,000 open job positions in manufacturing are paying new hires $40,000 per year. These positions remain unfilled because job seekers lack skills in manufacturing fundamentals or robotics. Vocational schools and community colleges offer such training but enrolment is low.


Many small businesses are always short-handed. Their staff are getting burned out. Managers are reluctant to hire job applicants who are weak in workplace fundamentals. Personal Leadership Effectiveness™ training is available to help individuals become more reliable, positive, and productive so they add value at work.


Most people are doing the best job they can with their current knowledge and skills, but due to their lack of know-how they may be achieving less than half of their potential. Their supervisors are too busy with other responsibilities to coach them. The HR department is prioritizing administration above training. The company could increase its bottom line by $3,500 for every $1,000 invested in relevant training.


90% of managers lack effective leadership skills. Most staff who leave a company do so to escape one of these bad managers. Effective management training leads to enhanced employee engagement and can increase the organization’s bottom line by 50% or more. The Conversational Management™ program can generate such an impact. 


Would you like to improve your company’s bottom line by meeting the needs of more customers and helping all employees add value? Then, first, it’s time to identify the gaps in staff knowledge, skills, and behaviors. And, second, invest in training that will produce win/win results for staff members and the organization.



Contact Cathie Leimbach to discuss needs assessment strategies and effective ways to enhance leadership, team player, and soft skills competence within your organization so employees are equipped to achieve profit and impact goals.

Everyone Noticed. No One Said Anything.

By Cathie Leimbach • October 27, 2026
“The same production line’s data is late again,” someone said. “Are we just supposed to keep begging for it?” Maya looked up. Two employees had stopped their own work to help track down the data missing from the weekly report to headquarters. She knew there had been delays. She hadn’t paid attention to how often or what happened when the data came in late. Each Friday, John sent the report out, and Maya moved on. Her team hadn’t moved on. They were tired of disrupting their own work to address the same problem week after week. The Symptom Late work. Repeated mistakes. People asking why they should bother when others don’t do their part. When there is a pattern of leaders letting missed deadlines slide, employees notice. Silence can leave people thinking that missed commitments are acceptable, even when that isn’t what the leader intends. Monitoring performance gives leaders a clearer picture of what is happening—and something specific to discuss with those involved. The Tip Here are three steps to noticing problems and sharing your performance concerns. Track the data. Look at information tied to the work, such as deadlines and errors. Maya could track how often data for the weekly reports arrived late. Walk around. Spend time where the work happens. Notice what people are doing and how one person’s work affects another’s. Maya saw two employees put their work aside to finish someone else’s task. Share what you find. Bring the facts and your observations to the attention of the person involved. Maya could say: “Your weekly production data was submitted late three of the last four weeks. Today, I saw Lee and Sam stop their work to get the raw data and do the analysis.” That makes it clear to the employee that submitting data late is not acceptable. Conversation is Where Leadership Happens™ Is there a pattern at your workplace that you’ve noticed but haven’t addressed? Join our Workplace Conversations Clinic on November 16 to discuss addressing performance concerns. Bring a situation you’ve been letting slide. Reserve your place HERE

The Deadline Only You Knew About

By Cathie Leimbach • October 20, 2026
"When you get a chance." Kelly meant Wednesday. Alex heard next week. The report needed fixing. Alex had said he'd take care of it. So, when she opened the file before Thursday's meeting, she expected to see the changes. They weren't there. "I thought you meant next week," Alex said. "And I wasn't sure which sections you wanted changed." Kelly was frustrated. This wasn't the first time something had slipped. But as she replayed their conversation, she remembered what she'd actually said: "Can you tidy this up when you get a chance?" She had a deadline in mind. She knew exactly what needed changing. She hadn't told Alex either one. The Symptom Missed deadlines. Quiet resentment. The thought, "This isn't the first time." It's hard to hold someone accountable for an expectation that was never stated. Too often, when a leader’s expectation isn’t met, they think, "my team members just don't follow through" or "I shouldn't have to chase people." Yet, the problem is often that the leader didn’t communicate clearly. Requests like "Keep me updated," "Make this a priority", and "Be more proactive" may feel clear in your mind when you say it. But others may leave the conversation with a very different picture in their mind. Then, leaders are frustrated when the result doesn't match their intention. The Tip Healthy accountability starts with a shared understanding of what needs to happen. It continues when you follow up on what was agreed to. Before you finish your next conversation about a task, make sure you've settled four things: What needs doing What the desired result includes Who will do it When it is to be done by After you have clearly stated your expectations, ask the other person to state the specifics of the assignment. Give them an opportunity to raise questions or discuss competing demands. Kelly could have said: "Alex, please update the sales figures and add a short summary of what's changed since last month. I need it by Wednesday, October 28, at 3:00 pm so I can review it before Thursday's meeting. To be sure I explained the task well enough, please state what I asked you to do.” “What challenges might get in the way?" Then agree on what happens if a problem comes up: "If that timing looks too tight, let me know by Tuesday so we can work out the next step." Now there's a commitment you can both refer to. If Wednesday comes and the report isn't ready, Kelly can address it directly: "We agreed it would be ready by 3:00 today, and I haven't received it. What happened?" Clarity won't prevent every missed deadline. But it increases the chances that everyone is on the same page – and that your expectations will be met. When leaders make expectations clear and are open to employee questions and concerns, accountability becomes part of how the team works. Quality results become the norm. Conversation is Where Leadership Happens™ Do you wonder how to make your expectations clearer or how to avoid frustration when holding others accountable? Join Us on November 16  Join our Workplace Conversations Clinic on November 16 to practice setting clear expectations and following up when things slip. You could also have a chance to practice difficult conversations within your team. Reserve your place → HERE