Page 185 - The Starbucks Experience

PRINCIPLE 5

call the partner who spots opportunities a ‘community lead.’
In every district, there’s a store manager who’s very engaged
in the community on behalf of the district. They’re identify-
ing possible community programs in which the district
can engage.”
Starbucks district manager Renny Freet describes one
activity in his community that has become an annual tradi-
tion. “Each year we go down to the post office, and we get
all the Santa letters. We read through the letters, and we
choose the most challenging ones, like, ‘My father is out of
a job and we have no Christmas.’ We then fulfill the requests
made in the letters! Around Christmas Eve, we go out as a
group and deliver the presents. If the person in the letter
wants a bicycle or a bed or anything like that, we deliver it.”
Renny says that as an added benefit, this volunteer activ-
170 ity has created connections in the region. “What’s great is
how it has spread out from Starbucks to other local busi-
nesses. Those businesses often make large donations of items,
and we get to partner with them in building a community of
giving. If only you could see the eyes of those who receive the
gifts. We are businesses, sure, but we are people who want
more from our lives than just doing a job. We want to give
something special to people. We can, and do, offer ourselves
on behalf of others.”
Volunteerism also helps employees set ambitious goals and
develop the management skills to realize those goals. The
components necessary to achieve success in volunteer initia-
tives are frequently the same as those required of leaders in
business projects. Team goal setting, strategic thinking,
progress charting, and course correction abilities can all be
developed and enhanced in a volunteer setting—to the indi-
rect benefit of the workplace.