Page 52 - The Starbucks Experience

Make It Your Own

service, customers rely on knowledgeable people to help
them, and they remember those people and businesses when
they have additional needs. While difficult to measure, the
power of knowledge makes training a well-placed investment
for Starbucks and its customers.

Be Involved
From the perspective of Starbucks leadership, being involved
means active participation “in the store, in the company, and
in the community.” In today’s lightning-paced world, busi-
nesses have dismal futures when their employees try to get
away with doing the bare minimum. Successful businesses
thrive on the sweat and tears of colleagues who know how
to grasp the right opportunities. Leaders encourage employ-
ees to go beyond just doing their day-to-day job, and instead 37
invest attentive, creative, and passionate energy.
By being attentive, front-line partners observe the evolv-
ing wants and needs of the customers. This, in turn, encour-
ages a “yes, I will” attitude—where breakthrough products
and service are created. Sadly, many people are either afraid
or unwilling to fully immerse themselves in the possibilities
that surround them at work—or, for that matter, in life. They
do what is expected, and that’s all.
The leadership of a business can also suffer from a “do the
minimum” mentality. Some view the company as an island
unto itself, separate from the community and society as a
whole. Starbucks and many other businesses understand that
an organization, no matter how large or how small, can
become an asset to the community it serves.
Starbucks leaders capture the passion and vitality of their
people by encouraging the 100,000-plus partners to take an