Over the course of the last two weeks I have picked up coffee at two different Starbucks locations in Saint Louis, Missouri. On one occasion I sipped my freshly poured coffee and listened to a Barista belittle management over a time clock issue. It quickly struck me that there was a total ill regard for those who were in ear shot of the conversation. It was as if the customers in the room were deaf to her words, somehow shielded by an invisible sound deadening shroud.
No less than three days later I sipped coffee and listened as three Barista’s took turns making fun of various customers that had made their way in over the course of the day. As each story ended and the next began, the Baristas seemed to take on an almost perversive sense of pride in their topping of one another. It ended only when a customer entered the door and made their way to the counter to make an order. It really took me aback and in the same respect, it gave me recall to times when I sat on-site and poked fun at residents. Many times with frustration over events that just transpired.
The worst instance happened while working in San Francisco back in the early 2000’s. It was right around the time that the dot.com bubble burst. The fall out drove two bedroom apartment rents from $4100 a month to $1750 nearly overnight. It was mayhem. My days consisted of back to back one to two hour meetings with existing lease holders who were locked in to twelve month leases paying top market rate. All looking to negotiate a rate reflective of the street. Or, in many cases looking to get out altogether. Somewhere in month three I encountered a resident who not only tested my every nerve with personal jabs and barbs but managed to get me over the edge. I stood my ground, prevailed and puffed my chest as she stormed out of the office in defeat. I turned to make my way back to my office and piped up with “that resident in 205 is a real…,” – the about the time I was going to drop the adjective of all adjectives, I hear [in a voice so familiar it make the hair on the back of my neck stand to attention] – “careful.”
It was the resident. She made her way back into the office to, of all things, apologize for her behavior. I will say, if not by her grace or the one who governs the universe, I would have been toast that day. And, these were the days prior to Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin…
Takeaway: Influence has a new name: Always On! Be Mindful of your surroundings as you are always influencing [Starbucks Barista’s – if I didn’t like the coffee so much, I would move to Panera] – if you would not want it repeated as front page news – it’s likely best left unsaid.
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Well done sir. I was even pondering over this thought when constructing an email about a situation we are dealing with. Our emotions can get the better of us but wisdom dictates self control. It’s unfortunate that a major brand like Starbucks would have representation on that level. There are many folks who deliberately do their best to test our patience. Great analogy and comparison points in this post. Have a phenomenal Monday Mr Mike.
J
Thank you for taking the time to add to the discussion. I think you hit the nail on the head with the line on emotions. I think it critical that organizations train behavior strategies that are applicable for emotionally loaded conversations, i.e. handing it off to a co-worker or asking to stop and revisit when cooler heads can prevail. With the advent of social platforms it is more paramount than ever to get this piece right. Perception and the subsequent statements made by influential users can be full of impact for a business.
You have a crazy great day as well.
M
What a great reminder for everyone! We all get frustrated with people whether it be residents, customers, co-workers, supervisors or the guy in front of us on the road…the important takeaway here is that we are all human and it’s important to remember that we have no idea what the other person is dealing with in their life. When I was on site managing a large community, I would tell my associates to come into my office close the door and vent to me! I understood the need to vent, but to do so within potential earshot of other residents was not productive, not to mention the negetive element that filters out to the rest of the team. Thanks for sharing Mike!
Becky
Thank you for taking the time to add to the conversation. Very good points on getting team members behind closed doors. It speaks volumes of your style of leadership. People need to vent and good leaders give them the appropriate time and space to do so.
Have a great day!
M