Every now and then I need to be whacked upside the head with a leadership reality check and this week was one of those times. Late last week I was on the telephone with Annie (who runs the office) and she very kindly said, "Do you think we could schedule some time next week? It's been a long time since we have just sat down and talked." She's right, we see one another often... our desks are not even 10 feet from one another, but I have been busy with projects, plus I've been working from our remote office several days a week. I'm afraid to think about how long it had been since we sat down without a specific agenda and just shared ideas. On Monday we did just that and Annie shared a wealth of ideas. Ideas that she didn't want to "bug" me with because I had been so busy.

I realize that in sharing this some of you may be thinking, "And she teaches other leaders about this stuff?!" It just goes to show that no matter how much we know about leadership, we all need a gentle reminder sometimes. Give it some thought. When was the last time you sat down with employees (especially on an individual basis) and chatted about whatever was on their minds? If you have a large team to lead, consider meeting with small groups for these "checking-in" sessions. You might be surprised at what you learn.

Checking-in with employees to find out what's on their minds is an important leadership responsibility. It will increase employee satisfaction with their jobs AND provide a forum for employees to share valuable ideas. Here are some tips for making this work:

• Don't leave these sessions to chance. Schedule them monthly or bi-monthly and treat them like every other important meeting that can't be cancelled.
• If possible, do individual meetings with employees at least bi-monthly. You may even want to consider alternating between small team "open forums" and individual chat sessions. The personal sessions offer employees an opportunity to discuss items they may consider somewhat personal. It also shows them how much you really care.
• Let the employees know at least a week in advance about the upcoming session or sessions. This gives them an opportunity to be thinking about what's important to them.
• Don't allow these sessions to become negative, gripe sessions. Make note of contentious issues that will need significant time to address and reschedule separate meetings for those topics.

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