A Simple Formula for a Grassroots Leader – Pitch in!!

It’s Monday morning, eastbound rest stop on the New York State Thruway.  I stopped for a coffee and to sit in the newly remodeled unit and plow through email and plan my day.  I ordered a small Starbucks coffee on the app and went to the counter.

It was a fiasco.  Two people working there with retail counter customers as well as a drive thru whose window was a good 50 feet from the counter.  Clearly under-staffed.  The two employees were working quickly but clearly stressed and somewhat frazzled.

As I waited for my coffee, one of the baristas asked me if I needed help, I told him that I had ordered a black coffee on the app.  He asked, “What size”?  I responded that I couldn’t remember but could open the app and check.  He said, “Don’t bother” …and gave me the largest cup of coffee I have every held.

As I told him “Thanks” and empathized about the obvious understaffing, the manager of the plaza walked over and said to him:

“Joe will be here in about 30 minutes, and I have two other calls in”

Upon completing his sentence, he turned and walked away to the surprise of the employee.  He rolled his eyes to me and said, “This happens all the time, I’m doing this for fun since I’m retired, but it’s not fun anymore and I’m close to the end of my rope.”

Again, I thanked him, expressed sympathy for his plight and walked back to my computer where I was catching up on email.  A few minutes later, here is what I saw:

Note: At a NY Thruway rest area, all workers are employed by the plaza, not by the individual fast-food outlets.  The manager of the plaza manages all the employees and all the outlets.

Across the hall from the Starbucks was a Panera Bread.  The manager had gone and poured himself a cup of coffee and was chatting with the manager of the Panera. (Which didn’t open for two hours). They stood there, oblivious to the issue the two Starbucks employees were having a short distance away; just chatting as if they didn’t a care in the world.  

I feel like this could be “blog mic drop” moment, but there is a simple thought on to which I want to put an exclamation point.

In medicine, they talk about “Do no harm”.  This leader did harm, when it would have been SO easy to build trust, loyalty, appreciation and very likely more satisfied guests.  I felt like walking over to him and yelling “Pay attention!”

At Raymour and Flanigan, where my partner at Daneli Partners and I met, one of our key values was “Walk the Talk”.  Leaders showing that we are all in it together to achieve our mission is priceless.  It was demonstrated from the top daily when we saw one or more of the owners stepping in to help with a customer, solve a problem or handle an issue themselves.

Like expensive gifts, leadership opportunities come in small packages. You can build trust or destroy trust.  The choice seems obvious.