Company with Good Communication Practices

Communication is important in an organization, and its continued effectiveness is essential

for the smooth unification of the organization's internal audiences. Effective communication

is a cornerstone of effective organizations; in other terms, communication is the essence of

the organization (Novak, 2019). To have the safest working experience, both managers and

employees must be mindful of how people act. Organizational culture is concerned with how

individuals can be inspired to collaborate more effectively. Organizational communication is

the engagement needed to guide a community toward a series of collective goals.

We are sometimes delighted but sometimes annoyed by indifference, insensitivity, lack of

teamwork, and government regulations with any of these encounters, both of which are the

products of inadequate effective communication (Carvalho, 2016). We will better consider

the reasons that lead to a good organization if we have a better understanding of

communication.

For managers of organizations to execute the core tasks of management, such as planning,

organizing, leading, and controlling, communication skills are very important. Managers

benefit from communication to carry out their duties and obligations. Planning is built based

on communication. The necessary information must be transmitted to the management, who

must then communicate the strategies to put them into action. Organizing often requires

effective communication with others regarding their work responsibilities. Similarly, to

accomplish team objectives, leaders and managers must collaborate efficiently with their

employees. Without verbal and nonverbal communication, control is impossible. Managers

spend a significant amount of time communicating. They spend a lot of time communicating

with their bosses, supervisors, friends, customers, and vendors in person or on the phone.

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Workplace communication issues may hurt employee engagement, competitiveness, and

various departments working relationships. If left unaddressed, unresolved communication

issues will reduce revenues, raise turnover, and result in errors that damage the company's

image and reputation. Realizing and solving common concerns will help to prevent problems

from spiraling out of control. Have an eye out for popular organizational communication

issues and address them as soon as possible.

If we take a real-life example of a company that has successfully adopt effective

communication practices in their business and saves their ruining brand image, Starbucks is

one of them in the list. When an event occurred at one of Starbucks' Philadelphia cafes in

April, the multinational coffee company was sucked into a debate around racial bias (Whitt,

2015). Two African-American men were convicted of trespassing by the department's

manager, cops were called and the men were wrongfully arrested, and a national uproar

ensued.

Starbucks' situation seemed bleak in the hours following the incident. Many well-known

internet critics called for boycotts at all Starbucks locations, not just the one in Philadelphia.

Some people who had passed with the manager in question were also sharing their

experiences. Publications continued to publish thought pieces on this place as a sign of ethnic

and class divisions as a whole, not only as a person (Taranto, 2015).

Starbucks became a center of attention. Companies should be aware that what happens in one

place can be broadcast around the world through social media, images, and video (Starbucks,

2015). The best part is that, although bad news spreads rapidly, good news spreads much

faster. Your brand will help mitigate harm and regain group interest by reacting rapidly and

decisively.

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However, what began as a turning point for Starbucks was a reaction to the tragedy, the

coffee chain shut all of its 8,200 company-owned stores in the United States for a day of

diversity training preparation (Starbucks, 2019). The pace and scope of the crisis response

became as much of a talking point in the media as the original event. As, for Starbucks'

credit, the company's response went more than a publicity stunt, and it's still influencing how

they conduct business and communicate appropriately nowadays.

Starbucks' general approach has been updated with more specific guidance. Managers and

baristas must first check with a coworker to see if a certain action is unpleasant and if that is,

politely ask the customer to stop. The instructions go on to list examples of inappropriate

conduct, such as talking too loudly or resting, until describing more extreme cases that

require workers to dial 911.

It's difficult to understand how a revolutionary organization like Starbucks, with a well-

regarded training program, might have allowed itself to be exposed to such a public relations

debacle.

Also, there are lessons to be learned from Starbucks' strategic planning communication plan

for all marketing practitioners.

1. Quick and Decisive Act

Starbucks's CEO Johnson reacted fast to the situation, realizing that he needed to get ahead of

the inevitable backlash. He then sent an official statement stating that Starbucks was looking

into the matter and was trying to resolve it. The event occurred on April 16, and by the end of

the day, the hashtag #BoycottStarbucks was trending. The next day, Starbucks launched a

national diversity training, which was held the next month. This was not only a good PR

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move, but it was also a sound business choice (Slush, 2015). Often businesses try to hold off

from communicating until they have more of the facts. Every good crisis communications

manager, on the other hand, would advise you that earlier is better than later. The company

demonstrates responsiveness by reacting quickly and informing the public that they are

mindful of and working on the issue. Later, they'll have a more comprehensive comment.

2. Be Open to Challenge and Stay Honest

Many businesses recognize criticism, whether from consumers or staff, as completely hostile

and something that must be avoided at all costs. This incident served as a reflection and an

inspiration for Starbucks to learn and develop. An Examination of Starbucks' Commitment to

Civil Rights, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion were published as a 60-page report. Which, of

course, the company broadcasted this to the rest of the country (Taecharungroj, 2016).

3. Proper Recovery Action Plan

Whenever something bad happens, the audience still wants to see behaviors that suit the

words spoken. Starbucks confronted the problem head-on, announcing that all of its 175,000

locations in the United States would shutter for a day so that all workers could receive

implicit bias training. This training proved to be an excellent response. It demonstrated that

Starbucks had paid attention when customers told them what the manager had done is wrong.

They collaborated on a remedy as well as exploring the possibility of implicit prejudice

causing Starbucks workers to handle certain customers unfairly (Schultz and Gordon, 2012).

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People who could have been unsure whether they were welcome at Starbucks were reassured

that they had a spot there and could safely continue to get them their company by

demonstrating their commitment to action.

4. Policy Plans

Preventing crises from occurring in the future is the easiest and most cost-effective way to

handle internal crisis interactions. The study further recommended making it easier for staff

to find facts on discrimination and abuse policies.

Starbucks introduced a new policy stating that everyone, regardless of whether or not they

had made a purchase, was welcome in the stores. Although several retailers had an implicit

strategy in place, making it explicit eliminated the risk of potential rogue managers repeating

the same point. The scheme is also financially sound. Those who are just visiting a Starbucks

presently can come back the next day to buy products. However, by reminding the guest that

they are invited on that particular day, you guarantee that they will return and also that the

relationship will be preserved.

Starbucks' CEO traveled to Philadelphia to apologize. This act demonstrates a desire to

accept responsibility and a personal interest in the company's overall success. Johnson

demonstrated that he worries about what happens at each location by arriving quickly and

handling correspondence well. These prompt and courteous reactions were just what was

necessary to render those who had been affected and whole rebuild public confidence. There

will never be a day where an organization will eradicate the risk of a public relations debacle.

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Since businesses are made up of individuals, policy violations will inevitably occur, causing

damage to local stakeholders and jeopardizing the brand's credibility.

Moreover, by responding accurately, sensitively, and in a manner that demonstrates a

commitment to improving, the organization will maintain confidence and set a precedent for

strong communication skills.

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References

Carvalho, A., van Wessel, M., & Maeseele, P. (2016). Communication Practices and

Political Engagement with Climate Change: A Research Agenda. Environmental

Communication, 11(1), 122–135.

Novak, A. N., & Richmond, J. C. (2019). E-Racing together: How Starbucks reshaped and

deflected racial conversations on social media. Public Relations Review.

doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2019.04.006 

Schultz, H., and J. Gordon. 2012. Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing

Its Soul. Reprint ed. New York: Rodale Books.

Slush, J. (2015). As a stand-up comedian, #RaceTogether is giving me the best material of

my life. [@joshSlush] March 20 [Tweet] Retrieved fromThnx @Starbuckshttps://

twitter.com/JonSlush?lang=en

Starbucks (2015). What ‘Race Together’ means for Starbucks partners and customers.

Retrieved fromhttps://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2015/what-race-togethermeans-for-

starbucks-partners-and-customers/.

Starbucks Company Information (2019). Company information. Retrieved

fromhttps://www.starbucks.com/about-us/company-information

Taecharungroj, V. (2016). Starbucks’ marketing communications strategy on Twitter.

Journal of Marketing Communications, 23(6), 552–571.

Taranto, J. (2015). A nation of Howards; Starbucks' bad idea provokes worse criticism. Wall

Street Journal Online article: retrieved from https://www.wsj.com/ articles/a-nation-of-

Howards-1426795604 on 4/23/2019.

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Whitt, A. (2015). I think it's good @Starbucks wants us to talk about #RaceTogether. Why is

everyone upset that coffee is motivating us? [@AmandasWhitt] March 19 [Tweet] Retrieved

fromhttps://twitter.com/amandaswhitt?lang=en