Favorite Parts of Being a Senior Vice President at Starbucks
Michael, a Senior Vice President at Starbucks, found the most rewarding aspect of the role to be "the people part," cultivating strong relationships with colleagues and mentoring team members' career growth, viewing this as a key part of Starbucks' "servant leader culture." The experience taught Michael valuable management skills, emphasizing the importance of fostering a supportive environment while ensuring individuals "own their career."
Leadership, Management, Mentorship, Teamwork, Networking
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Michael Fink
Senior Vice President
Starbucks Corporation
University of California Berkeley
Harvard Law School JD
Economics
Food, Beverages & Alcohol, Law
Legal
International Student, Honors Student
Video Highlights
1. Building lifelong friendships and professional networks with colleagues across various business functions.
2. Developing and mentoring team members, helping them progress in their careers by identifying and creating opportunities.
3. Utilizing experience with both good and bad managers to cultivate effective leadership techniques and a servant leader culture that prioritizes team growth and development.
Transcript
What do you enjoy most about being in your current role?
I think the people part was the most important. I really liked my colleagues, meaning people not in my department, but in the various business functions, especially those I worked with on teams.
I've become lifelong friends with many of them. Even though we've been gone for years, there's a large network of former Starbucks employees spread throughout corporate America. The friendships and relationships I enjoyed most were with the people I managed.
As a manager, you learn that people are always watching you. It's particularly tricky when managing people who used to be your colleagues. I learned to be aware of who I had lunch with or spent time with, and I adjusted my behavior to avoid perceptions of favoritism or bias.
I enjoyed managing people. While some were challenging and had to be let go, most of the team was good. The focus was on figuring out how to motivate them and help them achieve their goals.
My role as a manager and leader, aligned with Starbucks' servant leader culture, was to help my team members progress in their careers. They owned their careers, but I could play a role in supporting them. If I knew they wanted to move abroad, try a new business area, or pursue other goals, I could help when opportunities arose.
This could be through a move to a different role, working on a project to gain exposure, or joining a project in a new area. A good manager develops their team in this way, while also being clear that the individual owns their career path.
I believed I had a responsibility to help them, which some managers don't always do. I learned a lot about good management techniques from having some really bad managers and realizing what not to do.
I genuinely enjoyed that aspect of the job. Nothing felt better than helping people progress in their careers and playing a part in their journey.
So, I would say that all the people-related aspects were the highlight for me. The job itself was interesting for a while, as was the travel and being at a high-growth company. But if I had to pick one singular thing, it was probably the people.