Learning from Starbucks

Learning from Starbucks

Whether you like or dislike the Starbucks product you have to be impressed with what the company has achieved in a relatively short period of time. And so I ask “How did they do that? What is their secret?”

I recently read where Dave Pace, the Executive Vice President of Partner Resources (the company’s term for Human Resources), said "It sounds clichéd, but we do it by taking our mission statement seriously. Almost all companies have a mission statement, but at Starbucks, we use it as our guiding principle and hold it up as a filter for decision-making."

“Providing a great work environment and treating employees with respect is number one on Starbucks’ six-point mission statement. The list also includes a commitment to diversity; excellence in purchasing, roasting and delivering coffee; keeping customers satisfied; contributing to communities and the environment; and, of course, achieving profitability.”

"People come to Starbucks to socialize and interact, so our partners (Starbucks term for Staff ) do much more than just make coffee." Pace said. "They are the ones who create that environment in our stores and make them places people feel good about. Our ‘partners’ feel empowered and know they are making a contribution. This is a company where we look out for each other and look out for the community. And when people see us responding to them, they feel like this company really ‘gets it.’"

I wish you a LFO week. (Learning From Others)

Max Hitchins - The Hospitality Doctor - with Secrets, Tips, Tonics and Remedies to fill your Rooms, Restaurants and Bars - http://www.HospitalityDoctor.com

PS. I’ve not written for several week as (a) I’ve been incredibly busy and (b) as we all receive incredible amounts of useless e-mails you can be sure I won’t be writing unless I have something special to share with you.