Wonder why your employees are more eager leaving work than they are when they come in to work? Wish more employees would go the extra mile or provide solutions to problems? Get excuses for missed deadlines rather than action to meet deadlines? Do you wonder why some people in your organization do not seem to “get it?”

Many managers answer with a resounding “yes” to each question. If you are like them, then consider this: The problem is managers use methods and tactics that assume people are “vessels to be filled,” and miss the basic truth that employees are “fires to be kindled.”

That “the mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled” was recognized as long ago at the turn of the first millennium as reflected in this quote from the Greek sage, Plutarch. We find his statement is particularly relevant today because human nature has not changed over the nearly 2,000 years.

However, treating employees as empty headed ignores the simple and age old truth that most people want to do meaningful work, are capable of initiative and creativity, seek to contribute and achieve and prefer to be part of a winning team. An organization’s ultimate success or failure rests on the quality of its people. Those having a sense of purpose enable the organization to flourish and succeed but if and only if leadership provides a clearly articulated organizational reason or collective purpose while also providing the parameters to implement it at all levels, top to bottom, in the organization.

Organizational purpose motivates, provides direction and meaning and guides decisions and behavior. A clear collective purpose answers the questions “Why are we here?” and “What do we need to accomplish?” These answers provide reason, meaning and a challenge and together serve as the powerful match that lights the fire of employees. An organization that has no stated purpose or a collective purpose focused solely on maximizing gain in the short-term is a wet match that is not effective.

In short, the organization that flourishes has leaders committed to a process of providing and updating a framework consisting of the purpose of the organization, followed by long-term plans and strategy and short-term structure and targets as a basis for people “getting it;” then the teamwork and accountability follow. The results are astounding excellence.

Dr. Mark Frohman is the owner of Frohman Consulting Corp. and a counselor with SCORE, a nonprofit business-consulting group.