If you’re like everyone else, the new year is the time for you to set resolutions like I’m going to start eating healthy or I want to start exercising more. At your workplace, it might be, We’re going to increase our sales or We’re going to start communicating with each other more.
Everyone loves a fresh start, a chance to wipe the slate clean. But just because it’s the new year with new goals and a fresh start in 2026, doesn’t mean that it magically fixes the workplace issues that lurked in the background of your 2025. Problems like a lack of communication and recognition, a company culture that runs on autopilot, and work-life imbalance lead to issues such as low productivity, burnout, and strained relationships among your team.
Don’t wait until issues are “big enough” to address. If you want a healthier team, commit to this one resolution: Talk to people early, and often.
Workplace issues don’t show up out of the blue. They start small. The missed project deadline that starts with confusion about project expectations, or the employee burnout that begins with silence. Employee turnover often begins with a disconnect between company culture and employee expectations.
Employees may not always start these conversations with you, and managers may try to avoid them at all costs. In 2025, it was reported that less than half of employees feel comfortable discussing issues that impact their work, and only one-third of managers feel comfortable talking to their employees, which means employers need to be proactive and initiate conversations rather than wait for issues to surface.
Before you get the urge to hover over your employees’ shoulders, throw a barrage of questions at them, or schedule more meetings, pause. This is not about adding more to everyone’s plate or calendar.
It is about:
These are consistent habits you can work into your routine. The first step in addressing disengagement is to get a clear picture of where your team is currently, which requires employers and managers to initiate conversations instead of waiting for problems to surface on their own.
Managers worry about saying the wrong thing, opening a door they cannot close, or hearing feedback they do not have the authority or support to act on. At the same time, employees may hold back because they have shared concerns before and haven’t seen meaningful follow-through.
When these patterns exist, silence becomes a learned behavior. Talking only works when leadership creates clear expectations around listening, follow-up, and accountability.
And consistency is more important more than perfection. When leaders support managers, reinforce that these conversations are expected, and demonstrate that feedback leads to action or honest explanation, trust grows. When conversations stall, people stop engaging.
If you don’t know where to begin, start with your 1-on-1s. If you don’t have regular employee check-ins, there’s no better time to start than now.
At those check-ins, consider starting the conversation with questions like:
Choose one of those conversation starters to try this month. See where it takes you or what doors it opens. You might be surprised.
Start with a simple framework: listen first, clarify what you’re hearing, then determine next steps together. This prevents conversations from turning into defensiveness, over-explaining, or rushed problem-solving.
Employers are responsible for setting this expectation. Without guidance, managers either avoid these conversations or attempt to fix everything immediately. With support and clear guardrails, managers can approach discussions with confidence and consistency.
Talking only works if something happens after the conversation. When feedback stops with the manager, employees assume nothing will change, and managers are left to figure it out alone. Employers must establish what happens next. This includes identifying patterns across teams and communicating what can be addressed, what will take time, and what is not possible.
Burnout, workload concerns, and role clarity cannot be acknowledged once and ignored. Following up, even when the answer is not immediate, signals that speaking up is worthwhile.
If you are looking for one resolution that sticks, make it this one. Stop waiting for problems to surface on their own and start creating space for conversations before they are urgent.
Talk sooner, ask better questions, and listen without jumping to immediate solutions. Support managers so they are not left to wing it, and be clear about what happens after feedback is shared.
That is a resolution worth keeping.
Content originally published by Q4intelligence
Photo by Studio Romantic