As a consultant I was often faced with the challenge of determining what is missing. Why isn’t a particular business successful when their location was great, the product was well prepared, the facility was attractive and clean, and pricing was competitive and acceptable for the market? Restaurants typically focus on these points of importance but often fail to invest in the most important factor that determines success: how well the staff are engaged in life.

My reflections began yesterday when I was food shopping for the week. Since starting my consulting business and now semi-retirement this has been one of my household responsibilities. For a half dozen years, this was a task that I looked forward to. Yes, I enjoy connecting with food and planning what to cook at home but honestly, the process of shopping can be boring and frustrating when you swipe your credit card at the end. So, what was different for those half-dozen years? Joan. Joan was a cashier; I think maybe the lead cashier. This was not her career, but rather something she chose to do at the end of her career. Joan was “all in” and treated her position with an attitude of importance. She may have been paid to ring up groceries and accept payment, but to her, the job was to be engaged in life and pass it on. Joan knew all the regulars (me included) and interacted with us on a whole different level than any other cashier there or anywhere else. She had an incredible sense of humor, loved light sarcasm, did her job with a focus on excellence (yes, excellence as a cashier), and was sincerely concerned about everyone who passed through her line. I honestly looked forward to food shopping every week, planned the day I would shop on her schedule, would wait if there was another open line while Joan’s was backed up, and welcomed her sometimes sarcastic humor that lit up people’s day. Joan would grab the store microphone to sing happy birthday to an employee or customer, was methodical about packing groceries (she insisted on doing that for everyone passing through her line), and was the mentor for every other employee in the store. She retired a few years ago and I still shop, but it is again a rote process with little joy and literally no interaction with staff (except my brother-in-law who is a baker and a glimmer of light in a mundane activity). Joan embraced life and was the experience of food shopping. I had no reason to or desire to shop anywhere else when she was there.

The same can be said for a checklist of exceptional, caring, professional employees that I hold close. Charlie at the local hardware store who again new everyone by name, always had a sincere greeting, and who could help you solve a repair problem in your home with words of wisdom and hints on the best approach. The crew of baristas at my local coffee shop who smiled each day when I stepped in line, knew how I wanted my cappuccino, drew custom images on the coffee crema, and showed real interest in my presence. Clara, Sasha, Iris, Jecinda, and a handful of others were(are) the reason why I stopped there for my $5 cup of Joe. The coffee was good, but the people are great. They are fully engaged in life.

The list goes on: Tina who runs the service department at my car dealership; Julie, the manager of the bank that holds my money; Terry, the semi-retired golf club host who treats me like a long lost friend, and Cheryl who was the office manager where I worked for 26 years, the person who kept me sane with her positive approach and bright “good morning” and “see you tomorrow” bookends that seemed to wash away the challenges in-between.

What is missing in any business are people engaged in life. Those who face the challenges with a determination to find the bright spot and pass it on. These individuals understand what their real job is – to be a positive influence on a moment in time, work through their own challenges, and help the next person feel needed and important. It is what we should look for in new hires. This characteristic is what we must respect as most important – the magic touch that separates successful businesses, happy employees, positive work environments, and a level of success that can’t be found through ambience, product, or location.

I get it, finding help is harder than ever, finding anyone who will show up has taken over as the most important trait in the next employee, and training seems like a waste of time because they may be gone in a matter of weeks. But…THIS IS THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS! We all need to invest much more time in finding those with an attitude of service. This is the key that unlocks the door. Oh…but it doesn’t end there – find them, invest in them with constructive employee reviews, great training programs, trust and empowerment, fair wages with performance incentives, respectable benefit packages, and plenty of celebration and recognition. This is YOUR PRIMARY JOB as a manager or owner. Invest in people who relish life and want to spend their days passing it on. This is hospitality – the business we are in.

PLAN BETTER – HIRE HAPPY PEOPLE – TRAIN HARDER – CELEBRATE

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