PART1

Starbucksisknownforitslegendarycustomerservice.Thegoalistomakeeach

momentspecialforeachofthecustomers.Youbegintomakeconnectionsandlearn

fromthosecustomerswhobecomeyourregulars.Ihavehadtolearnandeducatesome

ofmystaffonwhyonecustomerneededtoleavethemoneyonthecountersotheydidnt

touchafemaleemployee.AfterIpointeditout,theynoticedthatthesamecustomer

wouldwaituntiltherewasnooneelseatthecondimentbarsotheycouldavoidthe

contactonceagain.Atfirst,theyjustthoughttheguywasrudebutitwasagreatchance

toforallofustolearnhowtoaccommodatethiscustomerandmakethingsspecialfor

him.ThatisjustonestoryofmanyIhaveencounteredthroughmyyearsatStarbucks.

Whathasalwayshelpedmeistojustleavemyselftoopentolearnandacceptnew

culturesaroundme.Ithriveontryingtomakeeachofmystaffmembersandcustomers

feelspecial.AsstatedintheA/Vpart1,thebestthingthatonepersoncandoisallow

themselvestobeopentonewexperiences.Thisisevidentbymyhighscoreonmypre

testassignment.Thebeginningpartofthiscoursehasstirredupmanyemotionsforme.

Iwillfirstbesharingwhatmyfindingswerewithmypiechart.Thenmoveintowhatleft

mewithabagofemotions.Lastly,IwilldiscusswhatIhavedonetoinfluencethe

diversityinmyorganization.

ThepiechartassignmentwasinterestingtoputavalueonwhataspectsIvalue

aboutmyself.IhaveneverputmuchthoughtaroundwhoIambecauseIjustfocuson

beingme.ThefactthatIputsomuchfocusonbeingLatinoisanewsubjectforme
sinceIamnowNOTpartofthemajorityasIwasinLosAngeles.Iamveryawarethat

whenIgointomostplaceshereinTacoma,WAmostplacesarefilledwitheitherwhite

andAfricanAmericansbutveryfewLatinos.ThiswastheoppositeinLosAngeleswere

theLatinopopulationdominatedeveryaspectofthatcityandculture.

Male; 13%
Married; 19%
Latino; 38% Father; 19%
Leader; 6%
Sibling; 6%

SinceIfindmyselfmorecognizantofmybrownnessIfindIamfilledwithnew

emotions.IhavebeenwithStarbucksforatotalof19yearsandgoingintomy20th.I

haveonlybeeninthePacificNorthwestfortwofullyears.Ihavemadeacommentto

mydirectbossthat80percentofmypeers(fellowstoremangers)areallwhitefemales

(whichsheisalso).WhenIgointostoresinmydistrict,theyareallfilledwithwhite

femaleworkers.ThemoreIlookaroundthemoreIrealizethatIamintheminorityand

thathasfilledmewithmixedemotions.Iamalsoworkingonfinishingthisdegreeand

tryingtomoveupinthecompany.Iwanttoleavetheretailsideandmoveintothe

corporateside.Irecentlyappliedforajobintheindividualsalesaccountantdepartment.

IwassurprisedbyaquestionthataskedifIwasHispanicwhenIapplied.

Idontwanttobegivenanythinginlife.IhaveworkedhardforeverythingthatI

have.ThemixedemotionscomefromthefactofmegettingapositionbecauseIam

Latinoandnotsolelyonmymerit.However,asIdidthereadingsandlookedaroundI
realizedthattheretrulyislessdiversitythanIhadthoughttherewas.Starbucksistrying

toincreasethediversitybymakingarealeffort.Icanonlyassumethattheyrealizethe

increasedresultsbyhavingadiverseteam.IrealizethatIcanaddgreatvalueandIjust

needthechancetodoit.

Iamalsodoingmypartbyincreasingdiversityinmystoreandformy

organization.Ifocusonhiringfirstandforemosttorepresenttheareathatmystoreisin.

Ilookforapplicantsthatliveinthesamezipcodethatmystoreisin.Theygetthefirst

shotfortheopeningatmystore.Ionlymoveontothesurroundingzipcodesifthe

applicantsthatliveneardonthavetheavailabilityIcanuse.Thishasallowedallofmy

storesthatIhavemanagedtobethemostdiversearound.AsstatedintheNPRarticle,

diversityneedstobemorethanjustlipservice.Ittakesusasleaderstomakeactionable

decisionstocreateopportunitiesforthosearoundus.Italsotakesleadershiptomake

surethatyoualsofocusoninclusionandnotjustdiversityasitwasstatedintheTEDtalk

byAndresTapia.

PART2

Hofstedesmodelofculturestuckouttome.Myfamilyiswhatmostpeople

wouldcallatraditionalLatinofamily.Weareverymuchaverticalcollectiveculture.

Mydadwasthemanofthehouseandwhathesaidwouldgo.Hewasalsotheolder

brothersomyunclewouldalsohavetolistentohim.Igrewupinahousethatwas

sharedwithmyuncleandhisfamily.Wehadtworoomsandtheyhadone.Weall

pulledourresourcestogetahead.Wedidnothavetheindividualisticculturewherethey

myuncletookcareofhisfamilyandourfamilytookcareofours.Thiswasalsoadrastic
differencebyhavingmultiplegenerationslivinginonehousehold.Allmyfriendshad

onegrandparentthatlivedinthehouseanddidnotpayrent.Theylivedthereandhelped

outhowevertheycould.

TheLatinocultureisverymasculineaswell.Theclassictermismachismo.

Themanofthehousehasthefinalword.AsachildIwasnotallowedtododishesor

laundrybecausethiswasawomensjob.WhenImovedoutonmyownIhadtolearnto

dolaundry!Mydadsatattheheadofthetableandwasservedfirst.WhenIsaida

conversationwasover,itwasover.MyolderbrothermarriedagirlfromMexico.They

havethesamekindofrelationship.ImarriedawhitegirlfromTacoma,WA.Wehave

ourownfamilydynamic.MywifesitsattheheadofthetableandIusuallyserveher

first.Shealsousuallyhasababyonherlapandthereismoreroomattheheadofthe

table.Oneofthelasttimesmywholefamilycameovertoeatdinneratmyhouse,they

madeacommentaboutmywifesittingatheadoftable.Isquashedit.Theyalsosaidit

inSpanish.Thisshowedboththemasculineandpowerdistancethattheyfelttowards

mywife.

SincemyparentsgrewupinElSalvador,theyhadadispositionforhigh

uncertaintyavoidance.Theydidnotlikechange.Myparentstookalongtimetopullthe

triggerandbuyahouse.Theywereafraidoftheunknown.Thisisaclassicmodelof

thingsinElSalvador.Theygrewupinaverypoorcountryduringtheturmoilofthecivil

war.Theywantedtocomehereandjusthaveastressfreelifewithnochange.I

completelyunderstandhowthatshapedtheirperceptionoftheworld.However,they

wereabletocreateastableenvironmentandallowedmetonoteverhavetoworryabout
that.IamgratefulthatIlikechangeandhavelowuncertaintyavoidance.Thisisdueto

thefactthattheydidcreateasafeplaceandIhadthestronginfluenceofgrowingupwith

amoreAmericanizedhybridculture.

Themachismoculturewithasplashofapatriarchalculturemeantthatmydad

wastheheadofthehouseholdandwasusuallynotchallenged.TheolderIgotthemore

Icametohaveconflictwithmyparents.MywifeandIhadjustboughtourtownhouse.

Wehadourfirstchildontheway.MydadtoldmeIneededtocosignformybrotherto

getahouse.IsaidIneededtotalktomywifefirst.Hewasthrownback.Hesaidyou

arethemanandheadofhousehold,youtellmeyesnow.IjustsaidthatIwouldthink

aboutitandIwouldgetbacktohimattheendoftheweek.AfterItalkedtomywifewe

agreedthatwecouldnotaffordtodothatsincebothmybrotheranddadwerealmostthe

samepersonandtheybothhadissuespayingthingsontime.Itoldmydadno.Hegot

angry.Iaskedhimwhyhecouldnotdoitinstead(knowinghiscreditwasshot)?Hegot

silent.IjustsaidthatmybrotherhasshownbadjudgmentandIcantaffordtotakethat

risk.HewasangrybecauseIhadchallengedhimandalsodeniedhiscommand.The

hybridculturethatmywifeandIhavecreatedmayconflictwithmyparentsculture,but

itworksforus.

GrowingupLatinointheUnitedStatesalsogavemeachancetomeetrelativesof

myfriendsthatwouldcometovisitforthefirsttimetothiscountry.Itallowedmeto

learndifferentthingsaboutothercultures.Ihadlotsoffriendsfromdifferentplacesin

LatinAmericaneachwiththeirownculture.Theycamehereanddidntknowthe

language.Wewouldshareourcultureandlearnfromthemabouthowthingswerefor
thembackathome.ThevideoofthelostboysofSudandidbringbackmemoriesof

showingandsharingmyculturewithvisitorsfromanothercountry.Italsomademe

angryseeingsomeofthereactionsofthetownpeople.Thelooksthattheygotatthe

grocerystoremademybloodboil.Thefactthatthetownpeoplecomplainedaboutthem

travelingingroupsisanotherthingthatstirredupfeelings.Itishumannaturetonotwant

tofeelalone.ThelostboysofSudanareinacompletelyforeignland.Itwouldmake

sensethattheywouldtraveltogethertodecreasethefeelingsoflonelinessandhomesick.

ThemainissueIhaveisthesuperioritythatmostAmericansfeel.Thisindividualistic

viewprohibitsempathyandopenmindedness.

Thehybridcultureofasonofanimmigrantandthehusbandofahippie(mywife

callsitanearthgoddess)allowsmetokeepanopenmind.Ineverwouldhavethought

Iwouldhavedonehomebirths,clothdiapers,orsupportedmywifebreastfeedingafirst

bornuntilshewas5!However,theopennesstonewideashashelpedmeexperienceso

manynewandwonderfulthingsthathaveallowedmeentrytonewcultures.