Howard Behar

I've been retired for 13 years, but I still ask baristas. And store managers, what do you like about Starbucks? What don't you like about Starbucks? What would you change about Starbucks? You ask enough parties to that question. There'll be a place where it starts to tie together. where somebody will have this idea. I'm not pleading for anarchy here. You can't do everything that everybody says.

I've been retired for 13 years, but I still ask baristas. And store managers, what do you like about Starbucks? What don't you like about Starbucks? What would you change about Starbucks? You ask enough parties to that question. There'll be a place where it starts to tie together. where somebody will have this idea. I'm not pleading for anarchy here. You can't do everything that everybody says.

But I didn't always know. I mean, we tried a lot of things that didn't work. I don't like rules. I don't like anybody giving me rules. But I had four rules that everybody had to live by. Don't do anything illegal. Don't do anything immoral. Don't do anything unethical. And sure as hell, don't poison anybody. If you can live by those four rules, we can try it. So what happens if you make a mistake?

But I didn't always know. I mean, we tried a lot of things that didn't work. I don't like rules. I don't like anybody giving me rules. But I had four rules that everybody had to live by. Don't do anything illegal. Don't do anything immoral. Don't do anything unethical. And sure as hell, don't poison anybody. If you can live by those four rules, we can try it. So what happens if you make a mistake?

As long as you don't poison anybody, you don't bury the business, try stuff and listen to your people. Who knows more about what kind of broom to choose than the person who's doing the work? And too often as leaders, somebody comes and says, well, I'd like to get a new broom. And you roll your eyes and you can say, you know, purchasing chooses our brooms. Just use the broom that we gave you.

As long as you don't poison anybody, you don't bury the business, try stuff and listen to your people. Who knows more about what kind of broom to choose than the person who's doing the work? And too often as leaders, somebody comes and says, well, I'd like to get a new broom. And you roll your eyes and you can say, you know, purchasing chooses our brooms. Just use the broom that we gave you.

Let's call him Jim. Jim's excited. And he's been on the internet. And he saw this broom. And he thinks, God, if I could get this broom, I can increase floor sweeping productivity by 10%. And the floors would be even shinier. And yet the boss just rolls her eyes and says, you know, maybe they don't even say it. They just roll their eyes. Can't you see I'm busy?

Let's call him Jim. Jim's excited. And he's been on the internet. And he saw this broom. And he thinks, God, if I could get this broom, I can increase floor sweeping productivity by 10%. And the floors would be even shinier. And yet the boss just rolls her eyes and says, you know, maybe they don't even say it. They just roll their eyes. Can't you see I'm busy?

I mean, it happens so often that you just don't listen to our people. The greatest story about listening was a woman named Dina Campion. She was a district manager in Southern California for Starbucks. And she invited me to come visit her stores. And she took me to our stores. And she took me to some competitor stores. And she brought me a drink in a competitor store.

I mean, it happens so often that you just don't listen to our people. The greatest story about listening was a woman named Dina Campion. She was a district manager in Southern California for Starbucks. And she invited me to come visit her stores. And she took me to our stores. And she took me to some competitor stores. And she brought me a drink in a competitor store.

And she said, Howard, we need a drink like this. And I said, really? She said, I think we could sell about 30 drinks a day per store if we had this. Well, I didn't have a college degree, but it was selling for about three bucks. 30 drinks a day is about 90 bucks a day times seven, about whatever, 600 bucks or whatever it is. And I said, really? Let me take that idea back to Seattle.

And she said, Howard, we need a drink like this. And I said, really? She said, I think we could sell about 30 drinks a day per store if we had this. Well, I didn't have a college degree, but it was selling for about three bucks. 30 drinks a day is about 90 bucks a day times seven, about whatever, 600 bucks or whatever it is. And I said, really? Let me take that idea back to Seattle.

And I talked to a person that had a marketing person that had a product development. So I brought the idea back and there was total rejection. He says, we're not in that business. So I called Dina and I said, you know, there's no support for it. Let's give it six months. We'll come back after it. So about three weeks later, Dina pushes me again. She says, can you come down?

And I talked to a person that had a marketing person that had a product development. So I brought the idea back and there was total rejection. He says, we're not in that business. So I called Dina and I said, you know, there's no support for it. Let's give it six months. We'll come back after it. So about three weeks later, Dina pushes me again. She says, can you come down?

I want to show you something about this drink. And I said, Dina, you heard the answer. Leave it alone for a while. She says, really, Howard, please. I want to show you something. So I said, I'm not going to make a special trip, but I'll be there in about three weeks to look at some real estate. I'll stop by. So I did. And Dina served me three of these three little sample cups that Starbucks has.

I want to show you something about this drink. And I said, Dina, you heard the answer. Leave it alone for a while. She says, really, Howard, please. I want to show you something. So I said, I'm not going to make a special trip, but I'll be there in about three weeks to look at some real estate. I'll stop by. So I did. And Dina served me three of these three little sample cups that Starbucks has.

And she says, take a sip of this. And I took a sip. I said, Dina, this tastes remarkably like that drink we had in a competitor store. Are you trying to get me fired? And she said, Howard, please let us try this. I'm telling you, people are walking out of our stores because we don't have anything like this.

And she says, take a sip of this. And I took a sip. I said, Dina, this tastes remarkably like that drink we had in a competitor store. Are you trying to get me fired? And she said, Howard, please let us try this. I'm telling you, people are walking out of our stores because we don't have anything like this.

It was one of those times in every leader's career where sometimes you've got to go against the rules. the grain, as long as you don't poison anybody, it's not illegal, unethical, immoral. And so I said, okay, let's try it. And she and a barista and a store manager figured out the drink. So they went out and I bought all the supplies and everything.

It was one of those times in every leader's career where sometimes you've got to go against the rules. the grain, as long as you don't poison anybody, it's not illegal, unethical, immoral. And so I said, okay, let's try it. And she and a barista and a store manager figured out the drink. So they went out and I bought all the supplies and everything.