New Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan told employees that he will work half a day every month at one of the company’s locations to connect with culture and customers. This pledge comes as workers go on strike nationwide.
New Starbucks CEO is planning to work a barista shift at stores once a month
A common accusation between workers and executives at the corporate level is that they aren’t in touch with the plight of workers or the customers they serve.
Aiming not to fall into the trap of being disconnected, when new Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan joined the coffee giant in October, he made a pledge to immerse himself in the culture of the company as well as rub shoulders with customers.
After taking the helm, in a letter to employees, Narasimhan announced he would be working as a barista at Starbucks stores once a month, CNN reported.
Narasimhan donned the green apron and underwent 40 hours of barista training. In order to “stay in touch” with both the company’s culture and customers, Narasimhan says he plans to keep up his barista skills, CNBC reported.
“The past six months of my immersion into the company have been shaped by so many of you who have taught me about our very special culture at Starbucks,” Narasimhan told employees in the letter. “With you, I’ve experienced every aspect of the business to learn what it truly means to wear the green apron. You’ve welcomed me into our stores, trained me in how to be a barista … all to help me deeply understand what we do, how we do it, and the challenges and opportunities facing us.”
Pledge to improve “partner” experience
“To keep us close to the culture and our customers, as well as to our challenges and opportunities, I intend to continue working in stores for a half day each month,” Narasimhan continued. “With our reinvention plan introduced last year, we will continue our focus on improving the store, customer, and of course, the partner experience.”
The word “partner” is how Starbucks refers to an employee.
“Critically, we will reinvigorate our culture around what it means to be a partner at Starbucks,” Narasimhan added. “I will always be a fierce advocate for our partners and our culture.”
Starbucks workers go on strike nationwide
This week, workers at more than 100 Starbucks locations across the nation went on strike beginning on Wednesday. Workers timed the strikes to fall on “Founder’s Day,” a day in which the coffee chain honors its founders, New Republic reported.
The goal of the strikes is reportedly aimed at demanding Starbucks stop union-busting and negotiate a contract.
Starbucks was founded at Seattle’s Pike Place Market by three 20-something friends in 1971 – Gerald Baldwin, a former English teacher; Gordon Bowker, a writer; and Zev Siegl, a history teacher. They sold the company to Howard Schultz in the early 1980s.
