pdxMindShare's November Presentation with Terry "Starbucker"

Terry “Starbucker” St. Marie

www.terrystarbucker.com@starbucker

Spent 28 years in corporate world in various executive roles

Started a leadership blog in 2006 (terrystarbucker.com)

Now a consultant, speaker, writer, & angel investor

The Problem:

Newly acquired Cable TV company with 1,100 direct reports

A team of NY investors mandating profitability and growth, and getting it done fast

A dispirited and skeptical workforce.

I had to drive numbers and employee engagement, and I had to do it VERY, VERY fast

The Solution:

Transform from “spreadsheet assassin” to more human leader

Create a culture of accountability on a foundation of trust and key values

Pick the right metrics to drive rapid improvement

Result: In 7 years, grew a $670 Million company to $1.4 Billion, delivering high investor returns

The Awesome Side effects: One of the highest

customer satisfaction scores in the industry

Fulfilled workforce Happy leader

At 27, plucked out of a CPA job and put in the corner office

Fired 11 people first week on the job

Budget slasher, guardian of (nearly) every penny), chief “no” officer

Jack Kent Cooke

September, 1992

Middleburg, Virginia

I want to make a

difference

I want to enjoy

what I do

I won’t give up

I want to connect,

and be human

I want to believe in

myself

In April 2003, I got my “consolation prize” –oversight of 1,100 employees

Culture is the “X Factor” of innovation Set values, keep values Keep it simple Egos must be “checked at the door” Respect abounds Keep out of “the void”

Compiled by Adam Bryant, author of “Quick & Nimble”

Establish emotional connective tissue between leader and team – leads to respect & trust

Look them in the eye and “see” that what they want is a really good reason to get out of bed in the morning

Simple, simple, simple, simple

The “line in the sand” that guides all conduct

The key enabler for the culture of accountability

Serve our

customers,

and Support

Each Other

Happy Customer Number

Customer Pain Number

Total Customers

General Bresnan

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Customer Fault Rate

Total Basic Subscribers

Have to be ready to take on the naysayers

Some always want to stick to the “old ways”

Nothing spurs us on more than an arch enemy – ask Luke… Me Darth

The “cause” drives results (aka, Profit)

Science backs it up

Humans have a basic need to be part of something bigger then themselves

“It is impossible to sustain long-term happiness in our lives without meaning. In our modern world, we spend an increasing majority of our lives at work, so finding happiness there is crucial. The greater the connection between meaning and the actions in our life, the happier and more optimistic we become.”

“In my research I have found that the greatest competitive advantage in the modern economy is a positive and engaged brain.”

Best operating statistics in the industry, including NPS

High employee satisfaction

Outstanding return on shareholder investment

AND, One happy more human leader

Crossing the bridge from “I” to “We” - It can’t be about you – it’s about a team

Asking for trust and keeping your promises - Integrity is an absolute must

Establishing a mantra of key values - It’s the glue that holds all of us together

Finding and teaching more human leaders – The legacy must be passed on; we can’t do it ourselves

Building a culture of accountability – It’s all about fairness and shared responsibility

Measuring, monitoring and managing with the right metrics –The team needs to know where they stand, and what they are aiming for

Fighting complacency and the naysayers – Inertia is a momentum killer, as well as those who still desire the old ways

Connecting it all to a higher purpose – Humans want to be a part of a meaningful cause that’s bigger then themselves

www.terrystarbucker.com