A Consultant's Chronicles

Peets Barista Contest & Team-Building : The Winner Is...

Following up on a post from last week, the barista contest at Peets Coffee & Tea has finally concluded after a period of regional contests, playoffs [of sorts], & then last night, the finals. In my view, this was a cleverly disguised team-building event. The winner out of four contestants [one representing my local store], was the "odds-on favorite" Suzette Hammond. She currently works at the flagship store in North Berkeley in an area known to locals as the "gourmet ghetto" because it's a small patch of paradise for foodies. Interested in seeing Ms. Hammond [Suze to her co-workers] "strut her stuff" at an espresso maker? Click below. Based on my sources, about 200 people plus NBC news were in attendance. Ms Hammond was reportedly a gracious & humble winner so we here at Means to an End [& by extension, A Consultants Chronicles] say "well done" & congrats to all four finalists. We also once again congratulate Peets for creating a team-building exercise that garnered a lot of enthusiasm, energy, attention & lots of payback. For a fuller slideshow of the event [aside from the YouTube link below] click here.

BTW: While more typically, at about this time we'd  caution you against doing so, this time channel "your inner barista," take the challenge & try this at home...[with Peets coffee of course]!

Corrections: It has just been brought to my attention that there are 2 minor inaccuracies in my post! Whoops! No wonder the newspapers require two sources. Ms. Hammond is known as "Sooz" to her co-workers & while NBC was not there, they did run a story on the event. KTVU attended the event providing those wonderful slides.

 

Update: Strengthening Teams At Peets

Quick Update:

In my last post, I talked about a pending event here in the Bay Area at Peets Coffee that has had the effect of boosting morale & strengthening their teams. I have two updates to report in the service of clarity.

1- The contest in Alameda, CA is NOT open to the public. Peets has a dedicated following & well, they are just not prepared for the potential number of visitors  interested in attendng nor is it appropriate for the  contest [all the contestants deserve a fair shot].

2- At the time I published the post, the winner wasn't going to receive any kind of tangible reward but that has changed. Now the finalists will receive a two-day intensive & specialized paid training on coffee & have lunch with the CEO.

Very cool & very consistent with the overall driving force behind the event.

Strengthening Team Morale In the Workplace

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a die-hard caffeine addict & my "drug" of choice is Peets Coffee founded in Berkeley,CA where its flagship store is located a "stone's throw" from another bay area institution known to "foodies" all over: Chez Panisse [a note to all of the Starbucks fans out there: Howard Schultz of Starbucks learned everything he knows about coffee from Alfred Peet]. What business significance does my favorite blend of coffee hold other than my daily contribution to their coffers?  Currently Peets is in the midst of a corporate wide barista contest to see who is the premier barista, the best of the best. These baristas are bringing their "'A' game" too, adding special touches in design & presentation. As the contest has progressed, the buzz around our local shop has built involving the staff & the customers because a barista at my local Peets is now in the finals. 

A Boost For Team Morale

What will the winner get? Nothing aside from bragging rights  [at least as far as they know now]! However it has been sensational for team morale & business "buzz." For Peets this has been a clever way to do team-building AND encourage their employees to improve their skills in ways that are self-driven as opposed to mandated by the company.  These "little" things make the net effect far more powerful. In business as in life, "it's always the little things!" This event has created a kind of workplace bonding that would be the envy of most any business. Clearly not every business lends itself to events like this but the point is that it really doesn't take much to create a cohesive unit whether it's on the golf course, behind the coffee bar, contributing to a community event,  or a Friday afternoon Frisbee toss. What counts is getting people out of their ordinary milieu while still required to work together. When I lead team-building events, I make sure they are interesting, challenging, fun & instructive [although not necessarily in obvious ways at first blush]. These events develop skills [like communication], foster trust enabling everyone to grow both as individuals and as a group while working together to achieve something greater than themselves.

In the interest of full disclosure, I clearly have a rooting interest in the barrista at my local Peets so I figured I would use this opportunity to show his stuff! The finals will be held at the roasting plant in Alameda, CA on Monday 10/12/09.

 Sean's own special design

Back to the 'Big House'

Earlier this week I wrote a post about a party I attended at the Claremont Resort which is typically a pretty busy place so it was no surprise that I found myself back there yesterday for a training on the new rules and regulations concerning HR for 2009. [there will be lots more on that in a separate post]. However this time while I was in the lobby I noticed that the gingerbread house picture I posted was just a tad 'bigger' than I thought: to be specific, according to those people who made it, the "house" [a replica of the hotel] has 797,872 calories in it to be exact! I said it was ''big!"

                                   

Here's hoping your house is every bit as sweet this Christmas!

Networking Christmas Parties: 5 Do's & Don'ts

Last week I attended the annual Oakland Chamber of Commerce Christmas event hosted at the beautiful Claremont Hotel & Spa located in the Berkeley-Oakland hills.  It's one of their biggest events every year because so many people turn out making it prime time for networking [in addition to catching up with old friends & colleagues]. This year's financial meltdown made it seem especially generous given that most companies are understandably downsizing their annual Christmas event.

                           

Clearly they had the place decked out with many           
festive Christmas trees & gingerbread houses
all of which contributed to the holiday mood. One
of my favorite things about this event is that unlike some others, it draws people from all over the Bay area & attracts people at all levels including management & executives which is always preferred for my business. Of course the great food, drink & comfortable surroundings didn't exactly hurt!

5 Do's & Don't's When At A Networking Christmas Party

However, no matter how much is written about it, almost without fail there are at least a few attendees at these events who make some sort of glaring business faux pas. To that end, here's a short list of 5 of my business Christmas party "do's & don'ts" in order to help you during your party this year.

Do:
-Bring tons of business cards to any Christmas networking event
-Talk to people you don't know politely but assertively.
 It's a business event & everyone expects active networking
-Do sample the food & drink-food can be a great ice-breaker
-If appropriate to your business, contribute to the end of party
 draw prizes; it's a great way to introduce yourself & business
 services to others
-Dress & act professionally at all times; it may be a party
 but people are still making assessments about you & your
 company based on how you conduct yourself 

Don't:
-Come unprepared or over-prepared with tons of material [are you kidding?] 
-Get drunk, act inappropriately, or spend all of your time at the buffet tables 
 eating & not meeting people
-Don't spend a lot of time talking with the same people;
 exchange cards, perhaps make a [tentative] arrangement to talk or
 meet again & move on
-Don't let shyness get the better of you; force yourself to mingle [one way to put 
 yourself more at ease in the process is to approach a group of people & ask if
 they would mind if you join them;  anyone who says no is either deep in a
 personal conversation having nothing to do with you or business or frankly, may 
 not be worth your time. Remember, they are there to acquire new leads too
-Leave the "hard sell" at the door; this is an opportunity to acquire leads
 so don't spend time trying to close a deal. More likely than not the people
 you are talking to have had a drink or two themselves & aren't going to be
 receptive [or even remember]

Network & have fun doing it!

 

Turkeys 'Missing In Action:' Happy Thanksgiving

  "Curiously," in the last few weeks our neighborhood wild turkeys haven't been seen anywhere which in any other month would be strange indeed since they view the area as their playground [no, they don't play tennis as the club in the background would suggest]. However, I'd say that in November, their absence is commendable prudence! Who says turkeys aren't smart!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Line of the Week 11-09-08

This week's "line of the week" is a study in contrasts; contrasting style, philosophy, and therefore as a surprise to no one, contrasting success.

 Recently, celebrity chef Mario Batali was interviewed. Reflecting on his rise as well as the challenges faced to maintain top-notch restaurants especially in this environment, he commented on a personnel issue that pertains to ANY business. When asked about his biggest mistake he said:

"...Letting people get lured away by people offering them 10% more. The big lesson is that you do not have to make all the money—you can share a lot of it..."

However, compare his philosophy with an observation made by Maureen Dowd this week about one of the major players in our nation's financial mess:

"...It’s W., Cheney and Edward Liddy, the C.E.O. of A.I.G. — who can’t seem to stop the conga line of bailout beneficiaries from going on luxury retreats, even though taxpayers have to keep ponying up..."

There's a reason Batali is a huge success while Liddy [& other so-called financial wizards] have come to the federal government "hat in hand" begging for a bailout.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a huge fan of at least three of Batali's restaurants in NYC-Babbo, Becco, & Otto. If you are headed to NYC any time soon, you are bound to have something wonderful at any or all of them. What's even more amazing is that there are over 10 more places to choose from!
 

HR, Tofu, & a High Tech Garden Salad

According to a recent article in BusinessWeek, there exists a growing trend among HR departments to keep an eye on the company healthcare bottom line by providing weight loss plans and/or watching employee calorie intake. As a result, companies are doing things like substituting junk food [like Krispy Kreme doughnuts] for healthier fare [such as fresh fruit]. Predictably it's a philosophy that receives mixed reviews. While I believe that most people understand and even appreciate the intent, they are nonetheless resentful of the "Big Brother-like" quality to this strategy, which certainly can feel heavy-handed or more like social engineering.

Hi-Tech To the Rescue

Reading the article, I was struck by what potentially seems to be an excellent approach to solving this dilemma. It involves the integration of online grocery shopping with a new technology currently being test marketed in NY called i-Sommelier. In this wine bar experiment, high tech tables with touch screen, drop down menus provide complete information about all the wines offered which substitutes for [human] sommeliers.  Aside from saving specialized personnel cost, this strategy also removes the element of intimidation experienced by some diners who are not knowledgeable when it comes to wines.

Choosing with Your Head

What does this have to do with HR departments trying to cut caloric intake among their employees? The answer takes me back to my experience with one of the pioneers of the online grocery business-Webvan. This was a fabulous concept that simply had a poor long-term business strategy.  Therefore, in spite of a billion dollars in financing [that’s NINE zeroes indeed], they went "belly-up." Now that other companies have improved the business model, it’s once again a very popular shopping tool. I discovered then that grocery shopping online actually saved me both money and calories [in addition to time] even though some prices were slightly higher. Why? There was no impulse shopping. I sat down at my computer with my grocery list, cruising their e-aisles to find all of my desired products finishing with relative speed and ease purchasing NO junk! The difference of course is that I was shopping with my head & not my eyes [or worse, a growling stomach].

Changing the Narrative

I think this “table-top” concept applied to corporate cafeterias perfectly straddles the line between the corporate conscious healthcare bottom line and employees who may resent losing their ability to make their own choices. Based on my experience as a therapist, with a healthier corporate “goal” in mind [as opposed to mandate], when faced with selecting their food choices with their brains, they too may be likelier to police themselves. This method changes the narrative so instead of being perceived as “Big Brother,” companies can be viewed as watching their healthcare costs through self-empowerment. This strategy puts three critical elements in play, personal choice, tools for change, and personal accountability.   In the long run, self-discipline is a far more effective weapon when looking for sustained change. Otherwise absent real and long term change, companies are likely to find themselves with results that more closely reflect “one step forward, two steps backward” instead.

The Customer Is King [or queen as the case may be]

During the holidays my oldest and dearest friend since high school came to visit from out of town. One night we dined at Perbacco (www.perbaccosf.com)  on California St in San Francisco since she was staying at a hotel nearby. We then proceeded to have fabulous Northern Italian food. The food was delicious, the service was warm and professional, and the setting was hip and charming. Afterwards I commented accordingly on their website and received a warm and personal thanks from Umberto the manager [&/or owner?] inviting me to come by and introduce myself which impressed me even more. Since then I have given the restaurant the kind of PR that simply cannot be bought-positive "word on the street."
I travel in many different worlds so this place has gotten an amazing amount of PR throughout the bay area [and in NY where my visiting guest lives].  Like that old hair product commercial, "I've told 5 friends, & they've told 5 friends, & so on & so on" which is why it pays to remember that no matter what business you're in, the customer is king [or queen as in this case] and it serves you to treat them as an asset.