Business Insider reports that Starbucks announced that “it would start holding meetings with store employees billed as ‘connection’ sessions.
“The two-hour meetings will include coffee tastings, group activities, and games, the company said. They will kick off with a video message from Laxman Narasimhan, the company’s new CEO.
“The meetings are not intended to address operational matters, and the company said it has previously held employee forums focused on business and culture. The new initiatives focus on connection and Starbucks’ role in bringing people together, the company said.
“The moves come amid heightened tensions between some baristas and executives. Over 300 stores have voted to unionize, and the company has been accused of targeting union organizers.”
KC’s View:
Let’s see how this goes. It is possible that Narasimhan will hit all the right notes and manage to gain some internal traction, but it also is possible that he could be tone deaf to the realities of what store employees deal with every day.
I’ve sat through my share of CEO meetings – though not for a long, long time, thank goodness – and I’m having trouble remembering ever being inspired to do anything other than get my resume together.
Forgive my cynicism. But I do think that it is critical for CEOs to understand how critical it is to a) find the right words, and b) back them up with the right actions.
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