You may know that, as a rule, I alternate my reading selections between fiction and non-fiction. You may also know that my daughter works at Starbucks. Those two bits of trivia dictated my decision to read Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul. I assure you, this book was never on my Amazon Wish List, so here’s how it happened:
When Onward was released, Starbucks gave a "Special Partner Edition” to each employee. In turn, my Blessed-Precious gifted it to me. Having just finished Steve Martin’s Shopgirl (fiction), it was time for a non. And there sat Onward on my bookshelf, one of only two unread non-fictions. The other was a mountain climbing story, and since I’d read Three Cups of Tea not terribly long ago, I wasn’t up for another high-altitude adventure.
I admit that I approached Onward with a decided dearth of enthusiasm. First of all, I’m ambivalent at best about coffee, and big business doesn’t make the short list of things I care deeply about. Nevertheless, here’s the gist:
Howard Schultz is the founder and ceo of Starbucks. (The executives don’t capitalize their titles - a gesture of humility, I suppose.) When he stepped back from that role in 2000 for several years, taking on a chairmanship instead, he was initially pleased with the continued health and growth of his company under the new leaders. Then came the Great Recession. Starbucks’ stock value declined alarmingly, but Schultz was convinced that the company’s woes did not strictly result from the economic downturn. He observed several disconcerting operational and leadership issues, and in order to redirect the company, he returned as ceo in 2008. This book details how Schultz stepped away from company growth strategies and focused instead on improving the product, the company image, and the customer experience in order to make Starbucks profitable again.
Schultz’s timbre is that of a parent and a pastor. Starbucks is his baby, and the world is his mission field.
The Frustrated Father: Schultz tells humbling stories of Starbuck’s misadventures and even his own “parenting” faux pas. For example, Starbucks discontinued in-store bean grinding for a while in order to operate more efficiently. Of course, this lessened the aroma of coffee in the store, thereby depleting an essential element of the customer experience. So, at Schultz’s directive, stores began grinding beans in-house throughout the day. Schultz also tells how he championed products which turned out to be failures, and how he demanded the end of breakfast sandwiches only to bring them back upon customer outcry.
The Proud Papa: Schultz brags like crazy when his baby done good. He discusses Starbucks’ environmental and humanitarian work at length, and he details the development and launch of successful new products like Pike Place brew (for customers who prefer a milder blend) and the VIA instants (which were introduced to Schultz in 1989 by a cell biologist, then tweaked and perfected for twenty years until they were finally brought to market in 2009, surprising even the most obnoxious skeptics with their quality).
The Proselytizing Pastor: Schultz unrelentingly preaches that no coffee in the world surpasses Starbucks in quality. He is personally pained when he sees someone carrying a cup with any logo but the green Siren. Also, as he describes (ad nauseum) the goings-on at Starbucks leadership conferences, he comes off like a charismatic clergyman. After the opening speakers have primed the crowd, he takes the pulpit and calls down the Starbucks Spirit with his sermons (which he quotes by the paragraph), filling the congregants with zeal to do the good work, spread the word, and grow the church. (Metaphors mine.)
Despite the snarkiness of the previous paragraph, I liked Onward more than I thought I would. The quality of the writing is pretty standard for a ghost-written project - technically adequate, but not artful or inspiring. The content, however, garnered in me a greater appreciation for the high-level corporate perspective, especially the pressures that top leaders experience. I now also understand the sentimentality that entrepreneurs have for their businesses.
And to celebrate the reading of the final chapter, I admit that I, the consummate “a little coffee with my cream” person, prepared and enjoyed (really enjoyed!) a cup of Tribute VIA, black, thankful for the twenty years of development effort invested so that all I had to do was boil water.
When Onward was released, Starbucks gave a "Special Partner Edition” to each employee. In turn, my Blessed-Precious gifted it to me. Having just finished Steve Martin’s Shopgirl (fiction), it was time for a non. And there sat Onward on my bookshelf, one of only two unread non-fictions. The other was a mountain climbing story, and since I’d read Three Cups of Tea not terribly long ago, I wasn’t up for another high-altitude adventure.
I admit that I approached Onward with a decided dearth of enthusiasm. First of all, I’m ambivalent at best about coffee, and big business doesn’t make the short list of things I care deeply about. Nevertheless, here’s the gist:
Howard Schultz is the founder and ceo of Starbucks. (The executives don’t capitalize their titles - a gesture of humility, I suppose.) When he stepped back from that role in 2000 for several years, taking on a chairmanship instead, he was initially pleased with the continued health and growth of his company under the new leaders. Then came the Great Recession. Starbucks’ stock value declined alarmingly, but Schultz was convinced that the company’s woes did not strictly result from the economic downturn. He observed several disconcerting operational and leadership issues, and in order to redirect the company, he returned as ceo in 2008. This book details how Schultz stepped away from company growth strategies and focused instead on improving the product, the company image, and the customer experience in order to make Starbucks profitable again.
Schultz’s timbre is that of a parent and a pastor. Starbucks is his baby, and the world is his mission field.
The Frustrated Father: Schultz tells humbling stories of Starbuck’s misadventures and even his own “parenting” faux pas. For example, Starbucks discontinued in-store bean grinding for a while in order to operate more efficiently. Of course, this lessened the aroma of coffee in the store, thereby depleting an essential element of the customer experience. So, at Schultz’s directive, stores began grinding beans in-house throughout the day. Schultz also tells how he championed products which turned out to be failures, and how he demanded the end of breakfast sandwiches only to bring them back upon customer outcry.
The Proud Papa: Schultz brags like crazy when his baby done good. He discusses Starbucks’ environmental and humanitarian work at length, and he details the development and launch of successful new products like Pike Place brew (for customers who prefer a milder blend) and the VIA instants (which were introduced to Schultz in 1989 by a cell biologist, then tweaked and perfected for twenty years until they were finally brought to market in 2009, surprising even the most obnoxious skeptics with their quality).
The Proselytizing Pastor: Schultz unrelentingly preaches that no coffee in the world surpasses Starbucks in quality. He is personally pained when he sees someone carrying a cup with any logo but the green Siren. Also, as he describes (ad nauseum) the goings-on at Starbucks leadership conferences, he comes off like a charismatic clergyman. After the opening speakers have primed the crowd, he takes the pulpit and calls down the Starbucks Spirit with his sermons (which he quotes by the paragraph), filling the congregants with zeal to do the good work, spread the word, and grow the church. (Metaphors mine.)
Despite the snarkiness of the previous paragraph, I liked Onward more than I thought I would. The quality of the writing is pretty standard for a ghost-written project - technically adequate, but not artful or inspiring. The content, however, garnered in me a greater appreciation for the high-level corporate perspective, especially the pressures that top leaders experience. I now also understand the sentimentality that entrepreneurs have for their businesses.
And to celebrate the reading of the final chapter, I admit that I, the consummate “a little coffee with my cream” person, prepared and enjoyed (really enjoyed!) a cup of Tribute VIA, black, thankful for the twenty years of development effort invested so that all I had to do was boil water.
Your creativity is amazingly refreshing. It would be great to see how Howard Schultz would react to your commentary. Each time I read your blog, it inspires me to go to the library and check out a book. But each time I hear two little ones in the background, then I realize why I'm not reading! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, NiRealLatina! If you can get Howard Schultz to follow my blog, I'll buy you a $20 Starbucks gift card!
ReplyDeleteGood summary, but not my "cup of tea"." Hee!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Scot! Irish Breakfast with milk is my favorite cup of tea.
ReplyDelete