The Myth of Being Fully Staffed

Oct 1, 2026

Staffing is bigger than just hiring the “right people”.

Not long ago, staffing was under a microscope. Starting around March-April 2020, a global event turned the workplace upside down – COVID. Protocols like 2-weeks away to slow the spread, shelter in place, essential versus non-essential workplaces, the six-foot rule, and, in some instances, no mask and no vaccine meant no job. Federal, state, and local mandates structured how businesses should run – and those that were customer-facing came under very specific guidelines.

Staffing got disrupted accordingly. What became more interesting to observe was how employees and their employers responded to the nature of the job and how both looked at employment.

The Great Resignation

The Great Resignation was an economic trend coined by Texas A&M University professor Anthony Klotz beginning in early 2021. Here’s the boiled-down backstory:

• Millions of workers quit their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic to find higher pay, better benefits, and more flexible work. People began to reflect on what they were doing, why, and whether the proverbial grass was greener somewhere else.
• The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics tracked record quit rates, peaking at 4.5 million quits in November 2021. In total, over 40 million U.S. workers quit their jobs across 2021, a record later surpassed in 2022.
• Hardest-hit sectors with the highest turnover were hospitality (food service), healthcare, retail, and education.
• Employers sought to figure out how best to keep the staff they had. In response, many firms offered large bonuses and high salaries to attract new staff during the abnormally tight labor market.

Something happened shortly after – from 2022 to 2023. Many job-hoppers realized their new roles were not what they expected or anticipated, leading to the Great Regret where a large percentage wished they had never left their old jobs. In fact, surveys show that up to 80 percent of workers who switched jobs had some level of regret, and about 70 percent of those unhappy job-hoppers tried to get their old jobs back.

This suggests it’s not just one thing that drives employment numbers up or down, and staffing is more than a result of “good” company culture. It will always be a balance of employees knowing what they want and employers providing what they have. Staffing, or the managerial process of finding, choosing, and hiring the right people for the right jobs in an organization, is what happens when all the elements successfully come together.

So, are we ever fully staffed?

No, not really. Even with a full headcount for the number of team members needed at the location, there is always a need for recruitment, hiring, and staffing. We are always looking for talent. More on that another time. Another reality is that we are always one resignation away from “short-staffed again” – compounding the difficulty of executing company initiatives and meeting every customer, every time.

I contend “fully staffed”, while certainly a good thing and desired outcome, isn’t truly attainable. Yet in a state of being “partially staffed”, focus shifts to leveraging coverage and scheduling to support the needs of the business. At such times, leadership may need to step in, or key people may have to shift to support another location. We pivot resources to ensure the best possible customer experience. This becomes mission-critical in select times of the year.

Staffing is pivotable.

All of this to say: we are coming into a season for selling where staffing is key. Fourth Quarter or Holiday Selling is where a majority of businesses enjoy their most profitable part of the year with the increase of customer traffic. The scale and speed of business ramp up during this time, and terms like “all-hands-on-deck” become a rally call to drive operational efficiencies, customer interactions, and sales performance.

We prepare for the “busyness” by making sure we have enough people to cover all the needs of the business. Knowing we are going to be in the whirlwind from about Thanksgiving through the end of the year, right now, in October, represents the best time to get a staffing plan squared away.

Here’s the catch. Staffing is not just about having enough people to fulfill the desired schedule. We have to consider the full process, the bookends – recruiting and hiring on one end, onboarding on the other.  I have found the more important target in “fully staffed” is ultimately about quality, not quantity. How are we ensuring we have enough candidates and, once hired, enough “fully trained up and equipped” team members?

We may have a target to have hired and staffed enough people by Halloween for the Holiday Season. Where are we finding them and then what about their skills, abilities, and knowledge to do the job well? I have certainly seen my fair share of businesses that have enough bodies on the floor. But a pulse does not guarantee performance.

Our Take-Away

People are our greatest asset in business, and having enough of them is one thing. Yes, we need people on the schedule to support the needs of the business. But this is what the Great Resignation taught us: As employers, we need to (1) ensure the applicants know what they are getting into and (2) demonstrate a culture where people are valued – where hiring turns into an open door of opportunity in the onboarding process. Employees who make up our staff expect and deserve to be seen, heard, and appreciated.

We also owe it to the customer to have team members who can suit up, show up, and successfully deliver on expectations of the job, regardless of the time of year. Having staffing squared away now makes it easier to provide the best customer experience when the chaos of the season takes center stage.

It’s October. Are you fully staffed and fully squared away, or is this the first you’ve thought about it?

#RussellCellular #Perspectives #LeadershipMatters #StaffingBeyondHeadcount #OpportunityValueTeam #HolidayHiring

Read other insightful leadership articles at the RC Blog and RC Connections.

How Do You Feel About Change?

Sep 1, 2026

“People don’t resist change. They resist being changed!”

This call-out comes from Peter Senge, American systems scientist, senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and founder of the Society for Organizational Learning. In this quote, Senge highlights the presence of resistance in change. Not in actual change. We naturally embrace transformation, growth, and new experiences, and, specifically, when we choose change, we’re good. Resistance seems to be triggered by a feeling of lack of control or loss of autonomy. When leadership or external forces impose decisions on us without our input, it can trigger a defensive reaction.

That’s not all; those feelings can be tempered by a lack of context or no clear “why.” It might be the ubiquitous fear of the unknown and uncertainty. It might be something lingering from a past change with past negative experiences creating skepticism. Maybe the “the way we’ve always done it” is being replaced by an unfamiliar new normal and we’re uncomfortable. It could be a lack of confidence fueling a fear of failure or being judged during change. It’s not the change. It’s what the change requires, especially if it wasn’t our idea.

Change is not really the goal.

It’s not the change; that’s just what we’re going through. It’s the stuff that makes it happen that’s important. Change provokes a process to be navigated. We embrace the change. We acknowledge and accept it, and then we set goals. Is having goals enough? I contend “no.” While it is essential we know the vision and mission behind the goal (our why), we must devote time and energy into all of the essential, elemental steps (our how) that get us to success.

First off, goals will naturally expose projects and tasks that make up the goal. Then, secondly, tools, resources, and systems need to be identified that will help with the projects and tasks. And lastly, the key ingredient that I believe to be the most critical – clarifying the daily habits. These are the specific behaviors that we execute every day. Some are mindset, some are skill set. All require a focused dedication and relentless pursuit. In a way, when change is required and goals are set, we identify the specifics for each one – top down. Goal…Tasks…Resources…Habits.

If that makes sense, consider some questions. The answers may very well help to provide the way forward. Into and through change. What’s the goal (vision, mission, reason)? What are the projects and tasks associated with that goal (sub-goals, strategies, objectives)? What are the tools, resources, and systems available to support (apps, checklists, people with experience)? What are the daily habits that drive execution and success (behaviors, routines, standards)?

Then, simply identify the answers and work back up. Execute the daily habits flawlessly and resolutely. Use the tools and resources in hand, while engaging in the various projects and tasks, in pursuit of achieving the desired goal. If it were that simple, everyone would do it, right?

But, what if it’s all a big “NO”?

The plan is in place and what if we don’t want to change? What if someone we lead pushes back?

I have found that resistance and pushback during change is a normal human threat response to uncertainty and a perceived lack of control. How that threat response is demonstrated… well, that seems to be the hard part to navigate. It’s one thing to fear change or what it entails, it is quite another to say “no.” While it might not necessarily be stubborn resistance, it could be behavioral resistance, or maybe a skill issue. Based on experience, when I encounter pushback, I use the lens of “skill or will.”

I have found it’s that tension that creates a challenge in managing and leading through change. To help with this, I designed seven questions in logical sequence that can illuminate potential reasons for behavioral resistance or pushback.

As it pertains to the change and expected behavior(s), have I…

1. Clearly defined?
2. Trained?
3. Followed up to check understanding?
4. Observed and Coached?
5. Followed up to check performance?
6. Made follow through part of an ongoing development plan?
7. Removed obstacles?

So, consider the questions. And then ensure the answers. Because where there is “no,” this is a skill issue. You’ll see it and work on that; like clarify expectations. Train and do a knowledge check. Observe and coach behaviors. Be consistent with ongoing observation, coaching, and follow-up. Eliminate the obstacles and clear the way to success.

However, if all are ‘yes,” it’s a will issue and comes down to a choice: are we or is the individual willing to engage in this change and deliver the expected behavior? If it’s still “no,” change is not the issue, and it becomes a different conversation.

Our Take-Away

Bottom line, there’s going to be something you and I need to change or figure out in change. It’s natural and inevitable. Our day-to-day has big and little change wrapped into every action item. Will we push back, or will we step into the uncertainty knowing that growth is available on the other side? Even if we’re a little resistant, will we be honest, curious, and open enough to pursue our opportunities? If it is required, will we challenge and question respectfully to seek understanding? If others are involved, will we support them in their adoption and adaptation? And at the end of the day, will we own our responsibility?

It begs a final question: are we willing to engage this change and deliver the expected behavior?

Read other insightful leadership articles at the RC Blog and RC Connections.

#RussellCellular #Perspectives #Leadership #ChangeManagement #EmployeeEngagement #GrowthMindset

Intention and the Aftermath

Aug 3, 2026

What’s the frequency, Kenneth?!

That’s the title of a song by the rock band R.E.M., and, oddly enough, it had pop-culture influence beyond music. It originated from the 1986 assault and battery on CBS news anchor Dan Rather in New York City, during which the two assailants repeatedly screamed this question. “Kenneth, what is the frequency?” The incident baffled police and the public for years (it was later learned one of the attackers was delusional), and the question immediately became a catchphrase for being confused, out of one’s depth, or out of the loop.

Things can be confusing.

Not just in retail, everything around us can seem confusing or chaotic. So many balls being juggled, never-ending expectations and fire drills, and the constant reflection of inputs and outputs. Figuring out intention and creating intention when it’s busy can be challenging. It can be equally challenging, if not more so, when we assess our outcomes as being won or lost or a complete success or utter failure. It leaves us questioning intention and the aftermath of everything that has happened as good or bad.

When I started as a manager, I quickly realized “I did not know what I didn’t know.” In fact, I wasn’t sure I didn’t know it until it was required. With time and experience, as well as a lot of good, bad, won, lost, and all success and failure, there was one piece of wisdom that revealed itself. It is something I currently share with all those young leaders.

“Our outcomes represent neither absolute success nor absolute failure. They are a sum total of varying degrees of both.”

Which begs the question, can two seemingly diametrically opposed truths be held by the same person about the same situation and outcome, and at the same time? Yes.

Life doesn’t happen to us; it happens for us.

I believe good and bad can co-exist. That one thing can be both. Take social media. Kaylor Betts, a Canadian podcaster offered two perspectives. He posed “Is it toxic and can it act like a poison? Absolutely.” If it’s being viewed unconsciously in some kind of death scroll, then yes. Then he captured my complete interest when he said,

“If people use it with intention and calculation, it can be a powerful tool.”

That phrase, “with intention and calculation,” resonated in me. To say it another way, with purpose and a plan. I started thinking about how this could impact how I see and set up my day. After a little contemplation, I took Betts’s statement and added a third. Each element supports the other like a three-legged stool.

Intention, Calculation, and Action

Intention gives us a clear purpose. It’s our “why.” It answers the question: What do I want to start/stop/continue and why? Calculation gives us a clear path. It’s our “how.” It answers the question: What specific steps and behaviors do I need to get there? Action gives us perspective. It’s our “what now?” While in the midst of our action, what things do we need to flex, adapt, improvise, or change in our engagement to fulfill the intention? The challenge won’t be the intention or calculation. It will most certainly be the change that will be required in the action.

You see, the intention doesn’t really change. Calculation will probably only indicate change is needed. Action in the pursuit of achieving our desired outcome almost always changes. The Why and How gives us the plan. Does that mean everything goes to plan? Heck no. The plan only gives us a lane to start in. That’s it. Life is unscripted. It’s full of variables – good and bad. Action reveals our response.

We aim with intention, assess with calculation, and then act with determination and self-efficacy. What happens in the aftermath and how do we see the quantity and quality of our efforts? This takes us back to our original question…was the outcome “good” or “bad” and what was the influence?

We’ll See

There is an old parable about a Chinese farmer. Goes like this…

Once upon a time, there was an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years.

One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. “Such bad luck,” they said sympathetically, “you must be so sad.”

“We’ll see,” the farmer replied.

The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it two other wild horses.

“How wonderful,” the neighbors exclaimed!  “Not only did your horse return, but you received two more.  What great fortune you have!”

“We’ll see,” answered the farmer.

The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.  “Now your son cannot help you with your farming,” they said.  “What terrible luck you have!”

“We’ll see,” replied the old farmer.

The following week, military officials came to the village to conscript young men into the army. Seeing that the son’s leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out. “Such great news. You must be so happy!”

The man smiled to himself and said once again.

“We’ll see.”

Our Take-Away

Creating intention and processing calculation are both formulaic and relatively easy to manufacture. The harder part comes in the aftermath. When action shapes a new context and we respond to the circumstance in hopes of maintaining our purpose and objective.

The Chinese farmer parable teaches us that it is problematic to judge a circumstance as strictly good or bad when it happens. Rather than trying to control every outcome, it encourages patience and the understanding that “good luck” and “bad luck” are both part of our journey.

A “We’ll see” intentionality is not passive. It’s not resignation. It’s a controlled response from a disciplined mindset. It’s the ability to live without overreacting to every swing of the pendulum. To stay grounded when things go well. To stay open when things fall apart. To resist the urge to declare the final meaning of a moment we are given too soon. To be careful what we call “good” or “bad.” It depends, because we are standing inside a story that isn’t finished yet. That’s the frequency, Kenneth.

Read more great leadership perspectives in the RC blog.