Catalyst Consulting - Beyond Kicks and Carrots

Suzanne Thinnes interviews Leslie about Beans (excerpt)

How did the idea to write Beans emerge?
We chose to tell the tale of the El Espresso in a fable format as a way to show how the company's keys to success are applicable to all businesses. Here we have this regular coffee watering hole flourishing in a town full of Starbucks and Seattle's Best Coffees. There is always a line outside the store - rain or shine - and we knew that something must be working for that business. However, we didn't know what that was until weeks of interviews with the owner, patrons, and employees.

The four P's you write about in Beans seem so simplistic, yet business owners often fail in these areas. Why do you think that is?
Everyone is looking for a special secret to make them successful - it's human nature. Only in America are business owners looking for the quick fix by following fads and trends. The quality of our work experience is a direct result of what goes into making that experience. Every day, each one of us chooses what those ingredients will be, what proportion of each we will use and how good a final product we will brew. These elements are specific, certain, and universal. Over time, you realize that discipline to the fundamentals is what counts.

What lessons can small business owners take away from the owners of the El Espresso?
Definitely the four P's. People are quick to jump on the latest business fad. Over time, discipline to the fundamentals is what makes a business successful.

What role (if any) do employees have?
There has to be alignment. When the intentions of the employee and the manger and the company are not in alignment, then working relationships are less than satisfactory; and no amount of passion or good product will alter or improve the work relationships. While the role of a consultant is to challenge your thinking and invite employees to ask what is working and what needs improvement, I wrote this book so people could initiate their own workforce discussions. To facilitate conversation and implement the lessons we emphasize in Beans, the book boasts a built-in workbook to help companies assess their goals.

How can small business owners focus on what you refer to as the "eye of intention"?
Results for the four P's can be judged; you must be certain about your intentions and what you are trying to achieve. If you don't know what will make you happy or what your goals are, then it's not possible to know whether or not you are successful. Do things consistently - find fundamentals and stay with it.

January 2004

Beans is the story of The El Espresso, a legend in its own time in Seattle and a coffee company that has prospered by intentionally staying small, inspiring fanatical customer loyalty in the process. Told over the span of a single day, it follows The El's founder, Jack Hartman, through a business crisis that will challenge him and make him clear on why he does what he does. Unsure of whether he has lost the passion needed to sustain his business, Jack hires a consultant who flies to Seattle to "help" him but in reality bears witness to the secrets of good business, whether it's a company of 20 employees or 20,000. In the process, Jack learns about "the Four Ps" and how applying these universal principles can reenergize his employees, his customers, and even himself.

Though fictionalized, this is a true story in the best sense of the word. It arrives at a time when people are yearning to return to honest ways of doing business—before corporate dominance, inflated executive salaries, accounting trickery, and outright greed became so much a part of our everyday business headlines. It is the story of how a pushcart David up against the corporate Goliaths succeeded by focusing on what is core to good business and a good life: honoring customers, trusting employees, building passion around a product, and turning an honest profit.

Reader review from Amazon

I know there are some who feel these fable/parable books are stupid, and I must say I used to agree. Nevertheless, the cover of this one appealed to me, so I bought it at Heathrow prior to a trip to Nice. It totally captivated me, and I intend to get copies for everyone in the company. Sometimes things are so plainly evident that we don't see them, and that's one of the main points in this book.

The central character, Jack Hartmann, is truly inspirational. I love his passion, and how he has been able not only to maintain it but also to transfer it to his staff over the years. Most fable books seem fleetingly helpful, but the discussion questions and the pages from the consultant's notebook are useful in ways that I have never seen before. I think this book has the power, in a very subtle way, to transform the workplace.

Let me say right up front that I read "Beans" because Charles Decker is a colleague, friend, and fellow author. I opened it with the bias that "Beans" would have the greatest value for owners and employees of retail businesses similar to the one profiled in the book.

Yes, like most biases, this one turned out to be wrong. It was a pleasure to discover how wrong I had been. I don't even like coffee, but got drawn in by the story of how important passion for the product was to the main character and everyone else involved. We can all use a reminder of the power of passion in our work lives and this easy-to-read story conveys that message. There are several other principles covered in "Beans" that I'll let you discover on your own - passion was the one that hit home with me.

This is the perfect book to distribute widely to employees so they can read and re-read it when they need to return to the basics to understand why businesses thrive or fail.

Beans, Four Principles for Running a Business in Good Times and Bad (2003)
Suzanne Thinnes interviews Leslie about Beans (excerpt) How did the idea to write Beans emerge? We chose to tell the tale of the El Espresso in a fable format as a way to show how the company's keys to success are applicable to all businesses. Here we have this regular coffee watering hole flourishing in a town full of Starbucks and Seattle's Best Coffees. There is always a line outside the store - rain or shine - and we knew that something must be working for that business. However, we didn't know what that was until weeks of interviews with the owner, patrons, and employees. The four P's you write about in Beans seem so simplistic, yet business owners often fail in these areas. Why do you think that is? Everyone is looking for a special secret to make them successful - it's human nature. Only in America are business owners looking for the quick fix by following fads and trends. The quality of our work experience is a direct result of what goes into making that experience. Every day, each one of us chooses what those ingredients will be, what proportion of each we will use and how good a final product we will brew. These elements are specific, certain, and universal. Over time, you realize that discipline to the fundamentals is what counts. What lessons can small business owners take away from the owners of the El Espresso? Definitely the four P's. People are quick to jump on the latest business fad. Over time, discipline to the fundamentals is what makes a business successful. What role (if any) do employees have? There has to be alignment. When the intentions of the employee and the manger and the company are not in alignment, then working relationships are less than satisfactory; and no amount of passion or good product will alter or improve the work relationships. While the role of a consultant is to challenge your thinking and invite employees to ask what is working and what needs improvement, I wrote this book so people could initiate their own workforce discussions. To facilitate conversation and implement the lessons we emphasize in Beans, the book boasts a built-in workbook to help companies assess their goals. How can small business owners focus on what you refer to as the "eye of intention"? Results for the four P's can be judged; you must be certain about your intentions and what you are trying to achieve. If you don't know what will make you happy or what your goals are, then it's not possible to know whether or not you are successful. Do things consistently - find fundamentals and stay with it. January 2004	*Beans is the story of The El Espresso, a legend in its own time in Seattle and a coffee company that has prospered by intentionally staying small, inspiring fanatical customer loyalty in the process. Told over the span of a single day, it follows The El's founder, Jack Hartman, through a business crisis that will challenge him and make him clear on why he does what he does. Unsure of whether he has lost the passion needed to sustain his business, Jack hires a consultant who flies to Seattle to "help" him but in reality bears witness to the secrets of good business, whether it's a company of 20 employees or 20,000. In the process, Jack learns about "the Four Ps" and how applying these universal principles can reenergize his employees, his customers, and even himself. Though fictionalized, this is a true story in the best sense of the word. It arrives at a time when people are yearning to return to honest ways of doing business—before corporate dominance, inflated executive salaries, accounting trickery, and outright greed became so much a part of our everyday business headlines. It is the story of how a pushcart David up against the corporate Goliaths succeeded by focusing on what is core to good business and a good life: honoring customers, trusting employees, building passion around a product, and turning an honest profit. Reader review from Amazon* I know there are some who feel these fable/parable books are stupid, and I must say I used to agree. Nevertheless, the cover of this one appealed to me, so I bought it at Heathrow prior to a trip to Nice. It totally captivated me, and I intend to get copies for everyone in the company. Sometimes things are so plainly evident that we don't see them, and that's one of the main points in this book. The central character, Jack Hartmann, is truly inspirational. I love his passion, and how he has been able not only to maintain it but also to transfer it to his staff over the years. Most fable books seem fleetingly helpful, but the discussion questions and the pages from the consultant's notebook are useful in ways that I have never seen before. I think this book has the power, in a very subtle way, to transform the workplace. Let me say right up front that I read "Beans" because Charles Decker is a colleague, friend, and fellow author. I opened it with the bias that "Beans" would have the greatest value for owners and employees of retail businesses similar to the one profiled in the book. Yes, like most biases, this one turned out to be wrong. It was a pleasure to discover how wrong I had been. I don't even like coffee, but got drawn in by the story of how important passion for the product was to the main character and everyone else involved. We can all use a reminder of the power of passion in our work lives and this easy-to-read story conveys that message. There are several other principles covered in "Beans" that I'll let you discover on your own - passion was the one that hit home with me. This is the perfect book to distribute widely to employees so they can read and re-read it when they need to return to the basics to understand why businesses thrive or fail.
buy Beans, Four Principles for Running a Business in Good Times or Bad at Amazon