[Surprising] The Common Ground in Management Between "Starbucks" and "Modern Military Organizations"

Hello.
This is Morigami from the Forest Publishing editorial department.

When you think of Starbucks, you might imagine employees who, rather than being bound by manuals, think and act for themselves, interacting with customers in a lively manner and creating the atmosphere of the entire store—.

Perhaps that is the image you have.

This is what is known as a "self-directed team".

Kiyoshi Asano, a former Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force officer known as a specialist in military organization management who was invited to teach as a foreign instructor at the U.S. Naval War College, Kiyoshi Asano, says that when he told Matsuo Iwata, former CEO of Starbucks Coffee Japan that modern military organizations share commonalities in management techniques, Mr. Iwata agreed, saying "That is exactly right.".

What exactly are the commonalities between the management of Starbucks and modern military organizations?

Asano's new book, to be published on April 9th, "How to Build a Self-Directed Team, Taught by a Former U.S. Naval War College Instructor", explains these commonalities. Therefore, ahead of the book's release, we are publishing an excerpt from the bookhere.

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The True Nature of Starbucks' "Good Atmosphere"

　Suddenly, have you ever used Starbucks Coffee?
　When you enter a Starbucks store, the first thing you feel is a sense of "good vibes" or a "good atmosphere," isn't it?
　You realize that it is the staff working there who create that atmosphere. It doesn't feel like they are just cheerfully responding according to a manual, as in many common fast-food chains.
　In fact, it is the opposite. They kindly explain the various customizations unique to Starbucks and suggest recommendations. Sometimes, they even add a handwritten "Thank you for your hard work" message on the paper cup containing your latte. Above all, they seem to enjoy every move they make in operating the store and serving customers, as if they were performers on a stage.
　I believe many people would agree with the impression that Starbucks has many employees who work spontaneously and enjoy their jobs, rather than working according to a manual.

The Secret to Extremely Low Turnover and Creating a Sense of Purpose

　In fact, Starbucks Coffee is known for its low employee turnover rate.
　While the turnover rate in the food service industry is usually close to 50%, at Starbucks, it is in the low single digits. It is also a popular workplace with a high application-to-hiring ratio. In the food service industry, which generally suffers from labor shortages and high turnover, this can be called phenomenal.
　Would you be surprised if I told you that Starbucks' management actually has surprising commonalities with the management of modern, evolved military organizations?
　The feature of Starbucks' management is that they do not conduct so-called manual training. Instead, what they emphasize is "mission training."

　To realize this mission, how should I act? In other words, what should an individual do to realize the ideal state as a team?
They thoroughly implement an educational method that says, "Please think about that and act on it, each and every one of you."
　The result of that leads to the charm that many customers choose. Not only that, but the people working there also feel a sense of purpose—.
　That is only natural. It is nice to be praised for doing what you are told to do. However, the sense of fulfillment you get when you think for yourself, "What can I do to make the customer happy?" and are evaluated for the results of your actions is on a completely different level.
　That is what creates job satisfaction, leading to a low turnover rate, a high application-to-hiring ratio, and the recruitment and retention of excellent talent.

Commonalities Between Starbucks' Talent Development and Modern Military Organization Management

　Some of you may have felt a question as you read this far.
"I understand the secret to Starbucks' talent development and utilization. But how does that relate to the management of military organizations?"
　In fact, military organizations—specifically the modern military organization management that I intend to introduce in this book—and Starbucks' management share commonalities in their essential parts.
　Regarding this, I previously had the opportunity to meet and talk with Matsuo Iwata, the former CEO of Starbucks Coffee Japan.
　When I talked about the commonalities between modern military organizations and Starbucks as I see them, Mr. Iwata gave me a comment of agreement, saying, "That is exactly right."
　What are the commonalities between a cafe and a military organization, which at first glance seem far apart?
　When I learned about Starbucks' management, which starts from its "mission," what I immediately recalled was what I learned at the U.S. Naval War College. Among those things, it was the most fundamental way of thinking.

"It is all about objective!"

　Everything depends on the objective. It means that the objective comes first, and you think about what needs to be done to reach it and then execute it.
　"The world's kindest customer service" and "the world's strictest organization" are actually connected at the root by the same "mission training."
　At the U.S. Naval War College, this objective-oriented way of thinking is taught thoroughly from the beginning in every course. When I myself taught as an instructor, I also valued this fundamental principle.
　Therefore, my thinking on team management is also fundamentally objective-oriented.

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What did you think?

The latest organizational management techniques also adopted by the U.S. Navy, explained in a concrete and easy-to-understand way that can be applied to the business world in the new book "How to Build an Autonomous Team: Lessons from a Former U.S. Naval War College Instructor", for which we have received the following recommendation from Matsuo Iwata, former CEO of Starbucks Coffee Japan.

The essence of an organization that moves by purpose (mission), not by command, is here.
-- Matsuo Iwata (Former CEO of Starbucks Coffee Japan)

There are commonalities between Starbucks' organizational management and modern military organizational management, which are also explained in detail in this book.

The new book "How to Build an Autonomous Team: Lessons from a Former U.S. Naval War College Instructor" will be released sequentially starting April 9th at online bookstores and bookstores nationwide. Please check it out if you are interested.

▼New Book"How to Build an Autonomous Team: Lessons from a Former U.S. Naval War College Instructor" 'Introduction' and 'Table of Contents' are now fully available to the public