Month: January 2017

creativity

In the pause: CEOs of America, we need you to have the same courage as Howard Schultz of Starbucks

Christa Avampato

Over the weekend, Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks, issued a statement to every partner (employee). I teared up reading the strong and courageous stance he’s taking on immigration, healthcare, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, refugees, and Mexico. Now this is a leader we should all emulate. Business is, first and foremost, about people. The full statement and link are below.

“Dear partners,

I write to you today with deep concern, a heavy heart and a resolute promise. Let me begin with the news that is immediately in front of us: we have all been witness to the confusion, surprise and opposition to the Executive Order that President Trump issued on Friday, effectively banning people from several predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States, including refugees fleeing wars. I can assure you that our Partner Resources team has been in direct contact with the partners who are impacted by this immigration ban, and we are doing everything possible to support and help them to navigate through this confusing period.

We are living in an unprecedented time, one in which we are witness to the conscience of our country, and the promise of the American Dream, being called into question. These uncertain times call for different measures and communication tools than we have used in the past. Kevin and I are going to accelerate our commitment to communicating with you more frequently, including leveraging new technology platforms moving forward.  I am hearing the alarm you all are sounding that the civility and human rights we have all taken for granted for so long are under attack, and want to use a faster, more immediate form of communication to engage with you on matters that concern us all as partners.

I also want to take this opportunity to announce specific actions we are taking to reinforce our belief in our partners around the world and to ensure you are clear that we will neither stand by, nor stand silent, as the uncertainty around the new Administration’s actions grows with each passing day:

Support for DACA: As I wrote to Senators Graham and Durbin this week, we are enthusiastically behind their work to support “Dreamers” across our country – including those young men and women who are part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. There are nearly three-quarters of a million hardworking people contributing to our communities and our economy because of this program.  At Starbucks, we are proud to call them partners and to help them realize their own American Dream.  We want them to feel welcome and included in our success, which is why we reimburse them for the biennial fee they must pay to stay in the program and why we have offered DACA-related services at our Opportunity Youth hiring fairs.

Hiring Refugees: We have a long history of hiring young people looking for opportunities and a pathway to a new life around the world. This is why we are doubling down on this commitment by working with our equity market employees as well as joint venture and licensed market partners in a concerted effort to welcome and seek opportunities for those fleeing war, violence, persecution and discrimination.  There are more than 65 million citizens of the world recognized as refugees by the United Nations, and we are developing plans to hire 10,000 of them over five years in the 75 countries around the world where Starbucks does business.  And we will start this effort here in the U.S. by making the initial focus of our hiring efforts on those individuals who have served with U.S. troops as interpreters and support personnel in the various countries where our military has asked for such support.

Building Bridges, Not Walls, With Mexico: We have been open for business in Mexico since 2002, and have since opened almost 600 stores in 60 cities across the country, which together employ over 7,000 Mexican partners who proudly wear the green apron. We have sourced coffee from Mexico’s producers and their families for three decades and last fall, we also announced the creation of a farmer support center in Chiapas to help accelerate our collective ability to grow and export some of the world’s finest coffees from this important growing region, while donating more than $2 million to support the livelihood, food security and water quality of coffee producing communities in Oaxaca.  With the support of thousands of Starbucks partners and millions of customers, we have also donated over a million coffee trees to support 70,000 families, and we will be expanding the initiative this year to generate another 4 million tree donations. Coffee is what unites our common heritage, and as I told Alberto Torrado, the leader of our partnership with Alsea in Mexico, we stand ready to help and support our Mexican customers, partners and their families as they navigate what impact proposed trade sanctions, immigration restrictions and taxes might have on their business and their trust of Americans.  But we will continue to invest in this critically important market all the same.

Our Healthcare Commitment to You: Finally, let me restate what we have recently communicated with you about the Affordable Care Act – our commitment remains that if you are benefits eligible, you will always have access to health insurance through Starbucks.  Many of you have expressed concerns that recent government actions may jeopardize your ability to participate in the Affordable Care Act. If the recent Executive Order related to health care remains in place and the Affordable Care Act is repealed causing you to lose your healthcare coverage, you will always have the ability to return and can do so within 30 days of losing that coverage rather than having to wait for an open enrollment period. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Benefits Center at 877-728-9236.

In the face of recent events around the world, let me assure you that we will stay true to our values and do everything we can possibly do to support and invest in every partner’s well-being while taking the actions that are squarely within our ability to control. This is our focus: providing a Third Place of respite for those around the world who seek it, daily.

Starbucks has and will always stand for opportunity – opportunity for our young people who are working to land their first job in the 75 countries where we do business, opportunity for our farmers who care so deeply for the highest of quality coffee we offer to customers all around the globe, and yes, opportunity for those who come to America in search of their own fresh start – whether that is with Starbucks directly, or through our suppliers or our partner companies.

If there is any lesson to be learned over the last year, it’s that your voice and your vote matter more than ever. We are all obligated to ensure our elected officials hear from us individually and collectively. Starbucks is doing its part; we need you to use the collective power of your voices to do the same while respecting the diverse viewpoints of the 90 million customers who visit our stores in more than 25,000 locations around the world.

So, while we seek to understand what the new Administration’s policies mean for us and our business both domestically and around the world, I can assure you that we will do whatever it takes to support you, our partners, to realize your own dreams and achieve your own opportunities. We are in business to inspire and nurture the human spirit, one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time – whether that neighborhood is in a Red State or a Blue State; a Christian country or a Muslim country; a divided nation or a united nation. That will not change.  You have my word on that.

Onward,

Howard”

https://news.starbucks.com/news/living-our-values-in-uncertain-times

 

creativity

In the pause: The doors of this country stay open

Christa Avampato

To my friends who are immigrants and to my friends who are Muslim, please know that there are many people (myself included) who stand and will continue to stand in solidarity with you and your families. I will march with you, fight for you, donate money to the ACLU Nationwide for you, and volunteer my time, talents, and efforts to make this country safe for you. The doors of this country stay open, as they were to my grandparents and to the ancestors of everyone else I know who calls America home. On my walk around my D.C. neighborhood with Phineas today, I saw signs of welcoming, acceptance, love, and resistance everywhere. I wanted to share these with you so that you know you are not alone, not now, not ever. We are here, and we’re not going anywhere.

20170129_11494920170129_11074120170129_11585120170129_120209

creativity

In the pause: Leading economic indicators we all need to watch

Christa Avampato

Buried deep in the Business & Finance sections of media channels, there are some leading economic indicators that we all need to watch. I have to admit that I’m getting very nervous. I’m beginning to feel like it’s 2007 so I’m making plans with my money. You’ll find a mini-action plan at the bottom of this post. I hope it helps. Please feel free to share this post with anyone whom you think would be interested. I don’t have a crystal ball. This is just what I’m seeing, reading, hearing, thinking, and doing. I put links below for you to reference:

  1. Executives at Wall Street’s largest banks are dumping stock, and I mean dropping shares like they’re hot potatoes. They have sold nearly $100 million worth of stock since the election. And it’s not just some of them. It’s all of them! Bankers dump stock because they think now is the best deal they’re going to get for a good long while. They’re smart as hell when it comes to these kinds of predictions so pay attention to them. Yes, the Dow hitting 20,000 is a big, flashy story. But honestly, that’s all it is. Don’t think that means good times are ahead. The Dow is going to seesaw like it’s on an elementary school playground for years to come. In July 2007 the Dow hit a record 14,000 and then it plummeted to 6,547 in March 2009. Those were dark times filled with panic. There is a high degree of volatility in our economy right now, and by all accounts that volatility is going to continue to a frightening degree.
  2.  Emerging markets are selling debt at record numbers. Argentina’s finance minister explains why in an interview with the WSJ: “Nobody knows what’s going to happen to U.S. interest rates with Mr. Trump as President. We have to reduce the level of uncertainty that there is now. The right decision is to minimize financing risks.” Again, finance ministers in foreign countries are seasoned professionals who spend their waking hours watching economies and policies. This is all they do, so when they make statements like this, it’s very significant. We need to listen to them.
  3. Contrary to all of the hoopla from the West Wing this week, American corporations are not investing in their businesses. They are stockpiling cash to the tune of $1.9 trillion, the most cash they have ever held. Ever. This isn’t rainy day savings. This is flat-out hoarding. Why would they do that? The same reason you would stockpile cash—because they are worried about what’s ahead. By having cash on-hand, they will be able to make adjustments and survive. In a difficult economy, cash is life (literally!) Accountants and finance professionals help companies manage and hedge their risk. Again, they know what they’re doing.

Look, I have no desire to relive those frightening years of 2008 – 2012. They were awful. But please understand that in the case of global economics, there is very little that ordinary individuals like you and I can do to impact this outcome. This is an issue that is truly in the hands of fiscal policy makers and elected officials. Trump’s volatility and foreign policy decisions will move markets. I wish that weren’t the case, but it is. So here’s what I’m doing to protect myself:

  • Increasing my cash savings. I’m still savings for retirement in my 401K and IRA, but I’m not making any significant purchases that will put me behind the 8-ball financially. I have a lot of friends who bought houses, cars, and the like in 2007 just after we graduated from business school. Some paid dearly for those decisions for years. I have an emergency fund if my job evaporates or I have a medical emergency. Liquidity will be the name of the survival game if our economy goes belly up again like it did in 2008.
  • I’m continuing my side hustles as a freelance writer and I don’t spend any of that money. I save it. The extra income really helps.
  • I have a plan if lose my job tomorrow. I know it is scary to think of things that way. I know it isn’t optimistic. I know it sounds like Doomsday is on our doorstep. No one wants to think about this. But we must. Please. Just have the plan ready to go, and then get back to work.
  • Now is the time to up your skills and make yourself more marketable. I’m now thinking of ways to do that through volunteer work and free or low-cost trainings. Now’s the time to break out our jack-of-all-trades game faces.
  • If you are in a job that looks shaky now, I would strongly encourage you to look for a new job and get out ahead of the storm. If your company is unstable now, it will only get more unstable with a rocky economy. Don’t cross your fingers and hope everything will work out alright. Now is not the time to preciously cling to feeling badly about leaving your company, or your boss, or your coworkers. The only one who’s going to make things alright for you is you, and remember a company will protect its own survival before it protects your job. When their backs are up against the wall, people become line items. I know that’s painful to hear; it’s also truthful. I watched 10s of 1000s get laid off from my company from 2008-2012. It was harrowing. I still feel sick about that time. Companies are survivalists so we must be, too. Take care of you.

I wish this were a sunnier post. I wish like hell that I had great news for you when it comes to the economy. But listen, knowledge is power and protection. I would be delighted to be completely wrong about all of this though I’m of the belief that it’s better to have a plan you never need rather than needing a plan you never have.

And if you need help, please let me know. I am not a finance expert by any means so please don’t take this advice as such. I do read a copious amount of information on a daily basis in dozens of channels. I try to stay as informed as possible on a wide variety of subjects. As I learn and understand more, I will of course share it. Together, watching out for one another, we are stronger and more resilient. If last week is any indication, we’re in for quite a ride for at least the next 18 months until the midterm elections. At least we’re all in the same boat. Now let’s row in the same direction.

creativity

In the pause: Mr. Trump, let me use my design thinking experience to help with Mexico

Christa Avampato

I wrote this letter to Donald Trump. And then I sent it to every senator and congress person I admire and respect since I don’t have any voting representation as a D.C. resident. I figured it can’t hurt and it might help. I understand that this will likely fall on deaf ears. I write it not for any recognition but because I think we can and must do better than a wall and a 20% tax. Mexico is our dear friend, neighbor, and second largest trading partner. If this relationship falls apart, it could very well be a lynchpin to our economy and society. The consequences are literally painful to me, and I can’t just watch it happen without saying something, without trying to do something right now. I have too many friends living in Mexico and living here in the U.S. who are from Mexican descent. I posted this on Facebook and was roundly criticized for writing this letter by a few people. I stand by the suggestion that design thinking can save this relationship before it’s too late.

“Dear Mr. Trump,
As a fellow Penn alum, I’m hoping that I can help with the U.S. relationship with Mexico. I know that there are people who want you to build a wall, but I have a cheaper, more effective solution. I hope you’ll be open to hearing it.

What we need to do in Mexico, as in many areas of policy, is to discover root causes and treat them. Building a wall on the border with Mexico, while it may look like progress, is not. It is a bandaid that treats the symptom; what we need to do is work with Mexico to treat what’s ailing that nation and its economy.

As a business woman, product developer, and someone who believes and works in the design thinking space, what we need is a discovery process. Why are people from Mexico coming to the U.S. illegally? And then to go a step further, what would it take for them to want to stay in Mexico? That latter question is the difficult one to answer, but I promise you that it holds rich rewards. While we may assume that we know all of the answers to why people come to the U.S. illegally, I have often found that a design thinking project uncovers reasons we never even imagined were possible. The only way to get that learning is to sit down and listen to people. Ask open-ended and high-quality questions, and then let them tell you about their lives and what’s painful for them. Then, heal those pain points through collaborative efforts.

In this case with Mexico, we’d not only save money and develop a better solution, we’d also improve the lives of countless people. And isn’t that what we all want? Don’t we all want a world that’s peaceful and prosperous? Don’t we all want to leave this planet a better place than we found it? Isn’t that the very basis of humanity and the purpose of life? I’d like to think that you share this belief, and that your advisors do as well. I can help.

I’ll make you a deal. I’ll do this project for free. I don’t need a dime. I’ll donate all my time, efforts, and talents. I’ll quit my job tomorrow and do this if given the chance.

Thanks for your consideration,
Christa Avampato”

creativity

In the pause: The value of hope

Christa Avampato

In business school, one of our professors was famous for his line “Hope is not a strategy.” While I appreciate the sober practicality of this advice, hope has a very prominent role in our lives: hope is fuel. It helps us rise, roll up our sleeves, and get to work. Is there anything more inspiring than a dream? Is there anything more empowering and emboldening than a vision of the world we want to live in? Have hope, and use it. (And hat tip to my friend, Michael, for inspiring this post.)

creativity

In the pause: Prayers of healing for Phineas

Christa Avampato

Phineas had surgery to remove a small mass on his gum and several teeth along with it. It turned out to be a bigger mass than the veterinarian thought it was during the exam. Whether it grew in size between the exam and the surgery or if they underestimated it, I don’t know. I had a hard time holding it together at work. On my way to pick him up I had myself a good, long cry on the metro. He’s in a lot of pain and on heavy medication during this two-week healing process. The lab will biopsy the mass and let me know if it is benign or malignant, and then we will go from there. Obviously, I hope it’s benign. If it is malignant, then he will get the very best care that money can buy so long as he can have a high quality of life. Again, I’m immensely grateful that I got him pet insurance when I adopted him.

I get choked up when I think about it; I know someday I will have to let go of Phineas. I made that deal with the devil, and I accept it. I’m just not ready yet. Not now while it seems that the country (and maybe the world) is falling apart and my future feels so much in flux. I understand that there is no good time to lose an animal you love, and especially not one as dear as Phineas is to me and so many others who know him. But Universe, really, now is not a good time. And it won’t be a good time for a good long while. So if by chance you could help this little guy maintain his unsinkable nature for a while longer (maybe 20 years or so, just until I get my general sense of anxiety under control) then I would really appreciate it. Thanks for your consideration.

creativity

In the pause: If you want to build something for someone, empathize first

Christa Avampato

Friends, below is an example of what thoughtful customer research and business partnerships can achieve. For all my fellow product and social impact friends, our first goal in the design process should always be to empathize with the customer. Always. Walk in their shoes. Live their lives for a moment and the solutions rise quite magically out of the ether. Grab the tissues before you read this link. The story has a happy ending thanks to Whirlpool though there are some difficult, sad truths on the journey. Hat tip to my kind, innovative, thoughtful friend, Alex, who sent me this article and is always working to make this world a better place.

One Answer to School Attendance: Washing Machines

creativity

In the pause: A shout out of thanks and gratitude to the men who supported the Women’s March

Christa Avampato

Thank you to all of the men, and especially my male friends, who supported the women’s marches all over the world. I’m grateful for all of the efforts you made to support the marches in a myriad of ways—for being at the marches, for taking care of kids so the women in your life could march, and for every text and social media message of support. It is all appreciated more than you know. I’m lucky to have you in my life. Thank you for being on this journey, for courageously standing up for women (especially in situations when men are saying and doing things that are disrespectful), and for raising your voices with ours. The world needs more of you.

creativity

In the pause: 26,034 steps for women everywhere – the Women’s March in Washington, D.C.

Christa Avampato

I walked 26,034 steps at the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. yesterday. Now multiply that by the minimum estimate of 500,000 people who attended the march. That gets us to 13,017,000,000 steps by D.C. marchers, which equates to circling the entire globe 198 times. And that’s just in D.C. Now amplify that by the 4 million people in 600+ cities all over the world who were marching with us and we get 104,136,000,000. That’s 1,584 times around the Earth. We literally wrapped the world in freedom, justice, and equality. This march was not about putting America first. This march was about putting people, all people, first. We lifted our voices and moved our feet without a single moment of violence or insecurity, and with hardly any security. This was a peaceful, uplifting, and hopeful day in all of these cities and towns in which we showed the whole world what democracy looks like. This is what concerned, committed individuals can do when we band together with love, respect, and courage.

And somewhere in that crowd are all of the future leaders of our countries, of our future. Somewhere in that crowd is the first woman who will be President of the United States. The first Latina and Latino Presidents. The second black President. The first LGBTQ President. The first Jewish and Muslim Presidents. The people who will lead our country through nonprofit organizations and as leaders in for-profit companies.

My friends, that crowd that you are all a part of is the future. That is where we are and where we’re going. Don’t lose heart. Don’t be silent. Don’t shut down or become numb. Don’t turn away or run away from the difficult days and nights ahead. Every day, I want to wake up in a world that looks like yesterday. That joy and passion will drive out the hate that may have won the electoral college but did not win the hearts of the majority of this nation.

We are the majority. And on the long and winding road of history, the majority eventually always wins. Always. We may go through horrendous times. We may have to descend into deep valleys to make the climb toward the highest peaks, but let it be known by everyone everywhere that no single person will ever stand in our way on the path of progress.