Would you bring up race conversations at work? Starbucks thinks you should

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is encouraging his employees to talk about race, a subject that perhaps in the past wasn’t seen as the best subject matter for the water cooler.

Business Insider reports there are a few reasons Schultz is hosting open forums on race among Starbucks employees around the country. The first they cite is that Starbucks has observed sales are significantly impacted by the national mood.

In a conversation on KIRO Radio’s Tom and Curley Show, the guys agreed if that’s the case, it behooves them to try to keep communication on these types of issues open and civil.

“When the country seems like it’s at loggerheads, I would guess that is when things are really hurt,” says Tom Tangney, “so he [Schultz] feels like this is a chance for Starbucks to benefit, financially, by creating a better mood for the country.”

The second reason for race discussions is that Starbucks is considered very diverse – 40 percent of baristas are reportedly minorities. And according to a recent Massachusetts Institute of Technology study, diversity can be good for business.

“Having a more diverse set of employees means you have a more diverse set of skills,” says Sara Ellison, an MIT economist, which “could result in an office that functions better.”

The study found that shifting from an all-male or an all-female workplace to an even gender split could increase revenue by 41 percent.

But the study also pointed out that while a diverse workplace might increase productivity, it also might reduce satisfaction among employees. They used a baseball analogy to illustrate the idea.

“A baseball team entirely composed of catchers could have high esprit de corps,” Ellison says, noting that a band of catchers could share experiences, equipment, or tips for handling knuckleballs. “But it would not perform very well on the field.”

Tom says it makes sense that people who get along really well might not get as much accomplished in the workday.

“They say the reason they’re not as happy is it takes a lot of work to try to understand where somebody else is coming from. If you’re all of the same mind, that’s why you tend to be less productive because you chit-chat, you’re friendlier. But when you don’t really love the guy or gal you’re sitting next to, maybe you actually are more productive.”

But Curley points out if Schultz is aware that a diverse work environment is good for the bottom line, but not necessarily great for worker satisfaction, what does that say about his care for his employees?

“Where is his concern for his fellow employees?” asks Curley. “If they find that they don’t get along as well but it feeds his bottom line better maybe he should try to adjust it and have an all-male crew and say, ‘Listen, I won’t make as much money, but I’ll have my employees be happier.'”