Here’s a guide for what you can say to the three most common reasons we hear that hold employees back from contributing and what we’ve found successful, without crossing the line of giving advice.

I'm totally blessed with awesome clients who walk their walk and talk their talk when it comes to their mission statements and creating fabulous workplaces. This past Sunday I got to hang out with one of them during their annual benefits fair. I say "benefits fair," but that sounds like a room full of booths with employees begrudgingly being ushered through to get a free stress ball and water bottle to make the HR manager happy. I normally despise these things because it's a bunch of standing around for hours on end hoping employees will show up. (I've considered dressing up in costume or having a karaoke machine to make it more fun amongst all the other things we do to make our booth attractive and fun.)