Michelli provides an inside look into what makes Starbucks such an admired company.  He shares five key principles of the company’s success, along with numerous examples and opportunities for business and personal application.  What’s their secret?  It’s more than just coffee...

Quick—what’s the first thing you think of when someone says the word "Starbucks?"  Coffee?  A comfortable place to meet?  The color green?  A highly successful global business? 

Have you thought about Starbucks being an example to follow, not only in business, but in normal life?

This concept was brought to my attention a few months back.  I stopped by the local Starbucks and was standing in line when I noticed a magnet to the left of the sales counter that said, “Be welcoming; offer everyone a sense of belonging.”  Although it was intended for the partners (employees), I asked Sarah, the store manager, about it.  She explained that the magnet encapsulated one aspect of the company’s business philosophy.  Then she went to the back of the store and returned with a small booklet.  Known to Starbucks partners as The Green Apron Book, it was an employee manual in miniature.  After reading it that afternoon, what impressed me the most was the absence of rules.  In their place were suggestions, goals, and the empowerment to make every customer’s experience a memorable one.  It was at that moment that I realized the significance of Starbucks’ philosophy—not only for business, but for life in general.

Not everyone has access to The Green Apron Book, but Joseph Michelli’s book The Starbucks Experience is an excellent alternative.  In it, the author shares five distinct principles that, if implemented, can transform a company (or an individual) from the inside out. 

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