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For many organizations, recruiting is almost an afterthought. When someone resigns, the hiring process starts up. In this kind of labor market, the companies that will be successful finding employees are the ones who market for employees the way they market for clients, meaning they devote ample time to develop strategies with ample resources to do the job.

The Business Story Starbucks speaks volumes about how one chain revolutionized a stagnant restaurant and hospitality industry that was mired in the past. The company did not seek to steal customers away from those individuals who get their morning coffee at the local convenience store or donut shop.

The company’s plan to was to buy only the top tier (highest quality) coffee beans and charge a premium price for a new type of customer willing to pay for radically better quality coffee, served by highly engaged employees, in an upscale environment.

From that, an entire industry has been transformed and the competition has been trying to keep up ever since. What Starbucks has created is the direct result of having people throughout the company learn and adapt. The company is constantly evolving and refuses to remain stagnant.

Growth means different things for different companies, but Starbucks is a solid example of an organization that many can learn from. If you don’t believe me, go to the nearest Starbucks and spend an hour observing.

What is the impact, morale-wise, on other employees who see that those that quit on the job are still being paid a salary and that this behavior is tolerated and hence, encouraged, because nothing is being done to address it?

Quitting on the job begins when the manager does not make expectations clear. It doesn’t matter if it is a “small thing” like being on time to work, or a “big thing” like not completing a critical report when it is expected.

Solving this problem starts when managers make expectations clear. Every employee needs to know what is expected of and from them. This is doubly important if the employee is a manager of others.

If a manager is not well managed, you can bet that those that report to him or her will not be well managed. The organization killing virus of “hazy expectations” will cascade to every single person in the department. Some will escape from it by leaving the company, and some will fight it because of who they are, but many will stay because it is easier to be expected to do nothing and be paid for it than to buck the system and try to change it.

If expectations are clear and understood, those expectations have to be managed. If I am made clear as to what is expected of me, my manager has to make 100 percent certain that I have the needed tools, skills and other resources to complete the assignment.

Just because I have the tenure, seniority, age, education, background or you like me does not make me capable. Just because I told you I am capable does not make me so. The sooner you find out I am capable (or not) the better for you and the company.

When expectations are clear, and the task has been assigned to someone that is capable, the final step in the process is that the manager has to hold the individual accountable for getting things done to a certain quality level by a certain deadline.

This thing called accountability is not punishment nor is it micromanaging. Accountability is not yelling, screaming, pounding desks or making people feel bad. It is simply a process that an organization uses to make progress towards goals.

It is the responsibility and obligation of every manager and every level to hire the right people, make expectations clear and to hold people accountable. To do less than that is an insult to those who come to work to accomplish what was asked of them.

Every organization should strive to delight its customers, yet there seems to be an epidemic of terrible customer service around the nation.

There are far too many stories about the unpleasant experiences people have encountered in organizations both large and small.

Unfortunately, the threat of employee layoffs or even business extinction is not a deterrent to most companies. In an attempt to discover why customer service is so bad in today’s economy, Fast Company ran a great article of their findings.

The article disclosed that 80 percent of our economy is service based. Yet most organizations somehow believe that they are immune to providing good customer service on a daily basis.

Good service is a must for any business to stay afloat. It does not matter the size of the business or whether it is a non-profit, the fact still remains that the organization will not survive without meeting the needs of their customers.

Most organizations do not view themselves as service organizations. They see themselves in an industry, such as “food” or “non-profit”. However, what these organizations actually do is immaterial to the service they provide.

Good customer service requires people who are trained, empathetic, smart, and able to resolve problems. Most organizations simply do not want to make that kind of investment in people, and they choose to settle on offering a minimal amount of service to their customers.

In today’s economy, customer service is a slow, dissatisfying tangled web of telephones, computers, web sites, e-mail, and poorly trained and managed people who waste time and money as if it were water in the ocean.

This version of customer service produces far more anger and aggravation than anything else. Most of the time, it leaves everyone feeling dissatisfied and filled with rage.

Consider a telephone call to a typical service organization. A customer calls the 24-hour, toll-free number to hear this phrase: “We are experiencing higher than usual call volumes…” If you, the service provider, know this, then why haven’t you “staffed up” for it?

Another example involves going to the bank at lunchtime. The line is almost always long and tends to move slowly.

The book “What Really Works: The 4+2 Formula for Sustained Business Success” is a great read, and it is highly recommended to anyone looking to improve the focus and direction of their organization. The book is based on scientific research, but for those interested in what truly works in business based on observational research, don’t pick up the book, simply read on…

People need to know what is expected of them at work. The mere existence of goals increases performance on an individual basis. The best way to make sure that people know what their goals are and how they are performing related to those goals is to spend the necessary time with them on a regularly scheduled basis and perform a performance evaluation. During a performance evaluation, coaching and counseling need to take place to make certain that those responsible for achieving specific goals have the tools, education and support they need.

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On a larger scale, something that unites the entire organization is essential. This combines the efforts of the individuals into something that propels the moves the business forward. In order for the team to stay focused, do the most important things and ignore the rest, on a consistent and long term basis, a mission is essential. Everyone needs to know what the mission is, and it needs to be emphasized and reemphasized as a mantra so that people at every level are clear about why they are on the payroll and what they need to be doing everyday.