The habits of highly-effective employers

Being partial to a bit of food now and again it's fair to say I have the numbers of more than a few restaurants safely hidden within the secure confines of my speed dial. My most favourite of all is a little Thai restaurant conveniently located several dozen kilometres from my front door.
The décor of this particular establishment is less than salubrious, the food less than mediocre and the service - for the most part - significantly less than third-rate.
The most positive thing I can say about the bathrooms of said noshery is that the proprietors have worked extremely hard at ensuring the brown rings lining the toilet bowl match the water rings marking the wallpaper. Equally, the most polite comment I can think to make about the entrance way is that it also aids my exit.
So why then am I drawn to spend my hard-earned dosh at such a place time and again?
The answer is simple - it is down to one man. Or more specifically, one waiter with one apron and one corkscrew who clearly enjoys his job.
Said man is a stickler for detail. To him no problem is too tiny nor request too big. He never forgets a face, never forgets an order and never forgets what he is employed to do.
No matter how hard his day, how ignorant his customers or how cranky his chefs, he has the knack of making everyone who walks into his environ believe they are the centre of his universe. In short, he takes so much pride in his place of work you'd be forgiven for thinking it was actually his name above the door.
Somehow, in between overlooking the basic fundamentals of running a good restaurant, the owners have managed to stumble upon the holy grail of any successful business - staff buy-in.
I have no idea if he works solely for tips, solely for salary or a combination of both. It is of little consequence.
What does matter is the fact this particular member of staff feels his effort is appreciated and his opinion valued. And for this reason alone, this loyal little man will continue to give all he has to his role. And customers such as myself will continue to go out of our way to see him.
We repeatedly hear TCF business owners bemoan the struggle they have to retain good staff - assuming of course they are lucky enough to find some in the first place. But if taken from the opposite approach, it can often be hard to find a good employer to keep.
By offering employees the chance to buy in to what ever it is employers are seeking to achieve - whether it be through assigning tasks, tapping growth potential or just general problem solving - it is far easier for both sides to remain committed to the cause.
It seems that sometimes getting employers and employees singing off the same song sheet when it comes to aims, purpose and values may just be the hardest job of them all.