Actionable Books

It’s Not About the Coffee

Published by Portfolio

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The product being offered is hardly ever as important as the people (both clients and employees) involved.  Coffee (in the case of Starbucks) is just the tangible revenue mechanism, not the guiding reason for success.  Learn how to apply the Starbucks paradigm shift – from coffee to people – to your business.

This workshop address the value of purpose in your business. It enables you and your team to explore various ways to share that purpose and build customer loyalty.

Exercise Overview

1 Lecture (10 minutes)   |   “The Proper Blend”

A recap of the article, as well as a brief discussion on the power of passion in an organization and why the passion does not have to be the product.

2 Solo Exercise (20 minutes)  |  “Now Serving #001″

A deep and comprehensive look at the people we interact with and how we might better serve them.  We discuss the benefits of “servant leadership” and how they play a role in your organization.

3 Group Exercise (10 minutes)   |   “Venti Sized Life”

An exercise and discussion on the power of saying “Yes” by default, rather than saying “No”.  Using Starbucks as a case study, we identify areas in our lives and work where we could start saying “Yes” (and the advantages of doing so).

4 Wrap Up (5 minutes)   |  “Profit through Compassion”

A brief discussion on the idea of “community”.  Again, using Starbucks as the example, we reflect on how a product can really be secondary if the experience for the consumer is exceptional.

Key Deliverables

Staff members completing this workshop will be able to clearly define their “customers”; the people in their lives (personally and professionally) who rely on them to provide value.  They will also have compiled a list of ways they can provide more value moving forward, and developed an understanding of why it’s beneficial to do so.

This 45 minute workshop requires no additional materials beyond the standard Pen, Paper, Whiteboard and Markers.  This is a stand alone workshop, and no additional followup work is required.