If you feel like you’re the last person to know when something is going wrong, or if your "How are you?" is met with a standard "Fine," then this episode is for you. Building a culture of open, honest communication isn't about one-off meetings or corporate surveys that nobody fills in; it’s about the hard graft of making honesty feel safe and rewarding for your team.

One Step at a Time: The Actionable Tip

Swap the "everything okay?" check-in for a specific, open question. Closed questions invite "yes" or "no" answers that shut down conversations before they start. This week, try asking one person: "What is one thing frustrating you or getting in your way this week?". It shifts the focus from a personal check-in to a practical look at the work, making it much easier for staff to speak up without feeling like they are "risking it all".

What We Cover:

• The "W" Rule: Using who, what, why, when, where, and how to invite a real conversation rather than a polite brush-off.
• Rewarding Honesty: How to ensure that when someone takes the risk to be honest with you, they are respected rather than punished.
• The Work is the Challenge: Ensuring your environment is a safe space so that your team can focus their energy on the task at hand, not on second-guessing their colleagues.
• Don't Ask if You Won't Act: Why the quickest way to disengage a team is to ask for their opinion and then do absolutely nothing with it.
• Active Listening: Moving beyond "glazey-eyed" nodding to actually paying attention, paraphrasing, and reserving judgment until you’ve truly understood the message.
• The Whiteboard Strategy: A practical example of how a simple visual tool can turn a loyal, effective team into a powerhouse of improvement.

Communication is the immune system of your business. When it’s working, you can spot a PMT (Predatory, Manipulative, Toxic) influence before they cause real damage. When it fails, the "whispers" take over, and your best people start looking for the exit.

Good leadership starts with one good question. Try one this week and see what you find.

Enjoyed the episode?

Most people problems weren't caused today.

They've usually been building quietly through decisions, assumptions, overlooked signals, and behaviours that seemed easier to ignore than address.

If this episode gave you something to think about, here are a few ways to continue the conversation:

Visit thepeoplenavigator.com

Book a 1:1 conversation

One Step at a Time

Programmes and resources

We Are Legacy Weavers

I'm Cathy Doherty, The People Navigator®, based in Northern Ireland.

I help leaders avoid hiring and holding on to horrible people so they can build workplaces people genuinely want to be part of.

Connect with me on LinkedIn and YouTube.

This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal, HR, or professional advice. Always seek advice appropriate to your circumstances and jurisdiction.

Nearly seven in ten employees say they’d work harder if their efforts were truly appreciated, yet most leaders dread the "feedback conversation" . We often worry about damaging team morale or causing resentment, but when done correctly, feedback isn't about "fixing" a person—it’s about helping them be more successful so the business can thrive.

In this episode, we look at how to deliver honest, respectful steerage that encourages growth rather than raising defences .

Ditch the "Praise Sandwich." . Many of us are taught to sandwich a criticism between two slices of praise to avoid confrontation, but it backfires . People either skip over the important issue or walk away only remembering the final bit of encouragement . Instead, be clear and direct about the issue you are addressing . Your team can tell when you are sugarcoating things, and it erodes the trust you are trying to build .

• The Timing Trap: Why giving feedback in a highly stressful, emotional moment is a reaction, not a response .

• The Privacy Rule: Never give negative feedback in front of others; humiliation is not a leadership tool .

• Lead with Curiosity: How to open a conversation with questions rather than accusations to keep ears open .

• Facts over Feelings: Why you must focus on specific behaviours (like being late three times) rather than character attacks (like calling someone "unreliable") .

• The "Bigger Why": Helping your team understand the impact of their actions on their colleagues and the business .

• The Essential Follow-Up: Why the conversation isn't "done" until you’ve scheduled a check-in to support their progress .

Building a communicative culture means instilling reflection in your team so that feedback becomes a natural part of business as usual.

Enjoyed the episode?

Most people problems weren't caused today.

They've usually been building quietly through decisions, assumptions, overlooked signals, and behaviours that seemed easier to ignore than address.

If this episode gave you something to think about, here are a few ways to continue the conversation:

Visit thepeoplenavigator.com

Book a 1:1 conversation

One Step at a Time

Programmes and resources

We Are Legacy Weavers

I'm Cathy Doherty, The People Navigator®, based in Northern Ireland.

I help leaders avoid hiring and holding on to horrible people so they can build workplaces people genuinely want to be part of.

Connect with me on LinkedIn and YouTube.

This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal, HR, or professional advice. Always seek advice appropriate to your circumstances and jurisdiction.

Whether you’ve planned it or not, your business already has a culture. It is essentially your organisation's personality, and a good way to test its health is to ask yourself: would you be comfortable introducing that personality to your mother or the matriarch in your life?

In this episode, we move past the guff of posters and mission statements to address the hard graft of building a team that behaves correctly even when the "cat is away". For SME leaders, culture isn’t an "add-on"—it is the immune system that protects your business from the rot of poor behaviour.

One Step at a Time: The Actionable Tip

Leaders cast a long shadow. Your team is constantly watching to see if your stated values are real or just words. If you enter the office and catapult the door open in a foul mood, you are signalling to everyone that a hostile environment is the "normal" way of doing things. Before you try to fix the team, ensure you aren't the one setting a ratty or inconsistent tone.

What We Cover:

• Defining Values: We move beyond vague terms like "integrity" to explain how people should actually interact with clients and each other.
• Modelling the Tone: Why your own behaviour is the single most powerful leadership tool you possess.
• Recognising the Good: Handing out praise isn't about "participation medals"; it’s the human fuel that signals which behaviours you want to see repeated.
• The PMT Filter: Why you cannot tolerate PMT (Predatory, Manipulative, Toxic) employees who sour the entire bunch. If you don't condemn poor behaviour, you are essentially condoning it.
• Cultural Routines: How to create rituals and patterns that turn your values into "second nature" habits for the whole team.

Ignoring culture doesn't just lead to a "bad vibe"—it erodes trust and is usually the beginning of the end for staff retention. By trying even one of the ideas in this episode, you are already strengthening your legacy.

P.S.

• Join We Are Legacy Weavers: Stop navigating these people challenges in isolation. Join our Craft Circle and build a culture that lasts.
• Explore self-paced programmes: Shape your team with intention using programmes and free downloads.
• Book a 1:1 call: If a PMT hire is currently causing havoc in your office, let’s navigate the exit strategy together.

Enjoyed the episode?

Most people problems weren't caused today.

They've usually been building quietly through decisions, assumptions, overlooked signals, and behaviours that seemed easier to ignore than address.

If this episode gave you something to think about, here are a few ways to continue the conversation:

Visit thepeoplenavigator.com

Book a 1:1 conversation

One Step at a Time

Programmes and resources

We Are Legacy Weavers

I'm Cathy Doherty, The People Navigator®, based in Northern Ireland.

I help leaders avoid hiring and holding on to horrible people so they can build workplaces people genuinely want to be part of.

Connect with me on LinkedIn and YouTube.

This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal, HR, or professional advice. Always seek advice appropriate to your circumstances and jurisdiction.