Fortune #37

In April 2018, two Black men were arrested in a Philadelphia Starbucks while waiting to meet someone. Video spread widely and showed that a place the brand described as welcoming did not feel equally safe to everyone. CEO Kevin Johnson met with the community and said the company needed to listen and learn what it had done wrong.

Starbucks announced that more than eight thousand U.S. company-owned stores would close on the afternoon of May 29 for racial-bias education involving nearly 175,000 employees. Training would become part of onboarding, and materials would be shared with others. The closure could not repair structural discrimination in one day, and the company described it as one step in a longer journey.

What distinguished the response from an empty apology was naming the failure, listening to those affected, and sacrificing selling time to begin changing behavior. Kind truth does not soften wrongdoing until it becomes comfortable. It states the truth without making shame the final destination; the goal is a safer relationship and system.

For a difficult truth, try three parts: the event, its effect on the other person, and the action you will take. Avoid placing “but” immediately after acknowledgment, because it often erases what came before. Context can be discussed later. First let the listener see that their reality was heard and that action will follow your words.