In the Loop

Have you ever filled out an employee survey and wondered what happened to it? Katherine tackles a problem she sees leaders miss constantly: when people give feedback, they aren't just waiting for action, they're waiting to know something happened because they spoke. When that follow-up never comes, employees stop believing their input matters, even when leadership actually did act on it.

Katherine breaks down why invisible action looks like no action, and walks through three habits for closing that loop: making the return part of the ask up front, reporting back on themes rather than responding to every comment individually, and explaining the no when a request isn't going to happen. She ties it together with a simple framework called the return rule, four things every leader should communicate back after asking for input: we heard you, here's what we learned, here's what we're doing, and here's what we're not doing and why.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Katherine Coble on LinkedIn

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Key Takeaways:

• Invisible action looks like no action. Employees disengage not because leaders failed to act, but because leaders failed to communicate that they acted.
• Make the return part of the ask: tell people when and how they'll hear back before they even give feedback.
• Report back on themes, not every comment. People want to know what patterns you heard, not a response to each individual note.
• Explain the no. A thoughtful no builds more trust than silence ever will.
• The return rule: we heard you, here's what we learned, here's what we're doing, and here's what we're not doing and why.

Mitch Frazier is the president of IBJ Media, the parent company of the Indianapolis Business Journal, Inside Indiana Business, the Indiana Lawyer, and the IBJ Podcast Network. His path there runs through the U.S. Army in Iraq, a marketing role at Exact Target through its acquisition by Salesforce, and CEO roles at Reynolds Farm Equipment and Agribusiness nonprofit AgriNovus, before reconnecting with a twenty-year colleague to join IBJ Media a little over a year ago.

In this conversation, Mitch and Katherine dig into what it actually takes to lead through communication. Mitch shares the origin of his "Friday note" habit, a weekly practice he picked up from a general he worked under and has carried into every organization he's led since, and why the discipline behind it matters as much as the note itself. They talk about the difference between informing and communicating, why leaders don't need all the answers so much as the ability to ask good questions, and how humility and consistency build the kind of trust that lets a team move fast without losing each other.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Mitch Frazier on LinkedIn

Learn more about IBJ Media

Connect with Katherine Coble on LinkedIn

Learn more about Borshoff

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Key Takeaways:

• Mitch's "Friday note" habit, borrowed from a general he served under, became a weekly discipline he's used to keep distributed teams connected at every company he's led.
• Communication isn't just informing people, it's creating a two-way channel where people feel safe to reply, ask questions, and push back.
• Leaders don't need all the answers. They need the discipline to ask good questions and listen to the people closest to the problem.
• Katherine's one-on-ones with every employee, done twice a year, surface nuances she'd never catch from the top of the org chart.
• Trust gets built through clarity and humility together: being honest about what didn't work, and being clear about where the team is headed next.

Speaking to your team is never just about delivering information. It's an opportunity to build trust, create clarity, and move people forward.

Katherine breaks down how leaders can become more confident, compelling communicators without relying on theatrics or trying to become someone they're not. From knowing your purpose and understanding your audience to simplifying complex ideas, eliminating filler words, and creating genuine emotional connection, Katherine shares practical ways to make every presentation more impactful.

Because when employees hear from a leader, they're listening for more than competence. They're asking whether they can trust you. Lead with warmth, communicate with intention, and your words can inspire

Additional Resources:

Listen to Amy Cuddy's TED Talk

Connect with Katherine Coble on LinkedIn

Learn more about Borshoff

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Key Takeaways:

• Start every presentation by getting clear on your purpose.
• Know your audience before deciding how to communicate.
• Simplify complex ideas instead of overwhelming employees with details.
• Use stories and vulnerability to create emotional connection.
• Lead with warmth first, then demonstrate your competence.

Have you ever explained something to your team that seemed perfectly clear to you, only to realize they didn't understand it at all? Katherine breaks down the "context gap," the space between what a leader knows and what their team has had time to absorb. Drawing on a recent conversation with change management expert Rebecca Ellis and the behavioral science concept known as the curse of knowledge, Katherine explains why the longer you've sat with a decision, the more obvious its logic feels to you, even though your team is often hearing it for the first time. She shares three habits for closing that gap: checking your head start, explaining the "because" behind a decision, and testing your message from the outside. She also walks through a simple three question framework, the context check, that leaders can run before any important communication.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Katherine Coble on LinkedIn

Learn more about Borshoff

Listen to the episode: Rethinking Redesign: Clarity Through Communication

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

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Key Takeaways:

• The context gap is the space between what a leader knows and what their team has had time to absorb.
• The longer you've worked on an issue, the more obvious its logic feels to you, even though your team hasn't had that time.
• Check your head start: go back to what you needed to understand on day one, not what you know now.
• Explain the "because," not just the "what," so people can see how you got from problem to decision.
• Run the context check before any important message: what do I know, what do they need, what matters now.

Randy Brown has spent over a decade as an executive career mentor at Butler University's Lacey School of Business, walking alongside students through the full arc from self-discovery to career launch. Before that, he spent 12 years in human resources at Anthem, navigating 10 acquisitions and learning firsthand what it takes to lead people through constant change. In this conversation with Katherine, Randy shares the leadership philosophy that has guided him through both worlds: get to know the whole person, lead with curiosity before judgment, and take the time to truly connect. He reflects on why today's generation of students is more resilient and capable than they often get credit for, how a CEO who recorded his messages nine times taught him the value of tone, and why communicating about how you're going to communicate is the most overlooked first step in any major change.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Randy Brown on LinkedIn

Connect with Katherine Coble on LinkedIn

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Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

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Key Takeaways:

• You can't help someone grow until you've earned their trust and taken the time to know them as a whole person.
• Curiosity before judgment helps leaders pause, reconsider assumptions, and reach better answers.
• The best communicators think not just about what they're saying but about how it will sound to the listener.
• In times of major change, the first thing people need to hear is how and when you'll answer their unanswered questions.
• Today's generation responds powerfully to caring, and leaders who show genuine interest get that care right back.

Leadership is part strategy, part stamina, and part knowing when to repeat the same message until it finally becomes shared belief.

Katherine sits down with Dr. Sue Ellspermann, President of Ivy Tech Community College, to explore what it really takes to communicate with clarity across a large, complex organization. From her engineering background to public service to leading one of the nation's largest community college systems, Sue shares how facilitation, transparency, strategic thinking, and a little "thick skin with a soft heart" have shaped her leadership style.

Together, Katherine and Sue unpack the power of shared vision, consistent messaging, employee buy-in, and courageous leadership. This conversation is a practical reminder that people-first communication is not about saying more, it is about saying what matters, clearly, consistently, and with purpose.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Katherine Coble on LinkedIn

Learn more about Borshoff

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

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Key Takeaways:

• Shared vision creates stronger organizational alignment.
• Consistency turns strategy into everyday action.
• Leaders need thick skin and soft hearts.
• Clear metrics help teams see progress.
• Trust capable people and invest in them.

Why do we remember song lyrics from decades ago but forget a company strategy announced last week? Katherine Coble explores the connection between music and leadership communication, starting with a real example of a well-meaning leader whose reactive updates left his team feeling like they only heard from him when something went wrong. She breaks down three lessons from the power of song that leaders can apply right away: repeat your most important messages so they stick, connect with emotion so people remember why it matters, and simplify so your team can carry the message forward.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Katherine Coble on LinkedIn

Learn more about Borshoff

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

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Key Takeaways:

• Leaders who only communicate when there's a problem train their teams to dread hearing from them.
• Repetition creates retention: if a message is important enough to remember, it's important enough to repeat.
• Wrapping your message in a story or a moment of vulnerability makes it far more likely to stick.
• If your team can't repeat your message after hearing it once or twice, it's probably too complex.
• The best communication, like the best songs, is simple, emotional, and repeated.

Facts might inform people, but stories are what move them.

In this episode of "In the Loop" featured on "Gut + Science", Katherine explores why storytelling is one of the most powerful tools a leader can use to connect, inspire, and drive action. From brain science and oxytocin to Spider-Man, workplace mistakes, and a deeply personal career-shaping story, Katherine shows how stories help leaders humanize themselves and make messages more memorable.

You'll learn how to craft stories with intention, use vulnerability to build trust, and keep your message brief, clear, and meaningful. For people-first leaders who want to communicate with more empathy and impact, this episode is a reminder that your best leadership story may already be hiding in plain sight.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Katherine Coble on LinkedIn

Learn more about Borshoff

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

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Key Takeaways:

• Stories help leaders connect emotionally and rationally.
• Personal stories humanize leaders and build trust.
• Great stories need tension and truth.
• Brief, clear language makes stories more memorable.
• Leaders should collect stories before they need them.

Ever feel like no one's really listening to you as a leader? Like your message isn't landing, even though your intentions are solid?

That's not just frustrating. It's a credibility problem.

In this episode of "In the Loop" featured on "Gut + Science", Katherine sits down with communications powerhouse Jenni Field, author of "Nobody Believes You: Become a Leader People Will Follow." Together, they dive into why great leadership isn't just about charisma or good intentions, it's about credibility, and yes, that can be learned.

With 20+ years in global comms roles and now leading her consultancy, Redefining Communications, Jenni breaks down her signature 8 practices of leadership credibility. From integrity to visionary thinking, she shares real-world stories, laugh-out-loud insights, and tips leaders can implement tomorrow.

If you've ever wondered why your team isn't "getting it," or felt like you're doing all the right things but still not moving the needle, this episode's for you.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Katherine Coble on LinkedIn

Learn more about Borshoff

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Good intentions aren't enough. Leaders must be aware of their impact.
• Credibility is built through eight practical leadership behaviors.
• Vulnerability is about connection, not oversharing.
• Leadership gaps often cause deeper organizational issues.
• Visionary leadership starts with clear, short-term direction.

What if the most powerful leadership skill isn't what you say, but what you don't?

In this episode of "In the Loop" featured on "Gut + Science", Katherine shares a surprising truth: she struggles with listening, and she knows she's not alone. As leaders, we often think communication is about what we say, but the real power lies in what we hear. 💬

Katherine explores why listening is so hard (even for well-intentioned leaders), the hidden costs of distraction, and how our brains deceive us into thinking we're better at it than we are. Most importantly, she breaks down five practical shifts that will help you listen deeper, lead better, and connect more authentically.

If you want to build credibility, foster trust, and truly hear your people, start here.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Katherine Coble on LinkedIn

Learn more about Borshoff

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Listening is a leadership skill, not just a courtesy.
• Distractions kill connection. Eliminate them intentionally.
• Interrupting signals your words matter more than theirs.
• Validation shows you hear both words and emotion.
• Empathy builds trust. Focus on others, not yourself.