The Leader's Secret: Why Connection Beats Perfection Every Time
Let’s Connect!
How three simple daily practices transformed our team's performance and customer satisfaction at 787 Coffee
Picture this: It's 8 AM on a Monday morning. The espresso machine is humming, customers are lined up out the door, and your newest barista just called in sick. Sound familiar?
As coffee shop leaders, we often think success comes from being the fastest on the bar, knowing every recipe by heart, or solving every problem before it happens. But after leading teams across multiple 787 Coffee locations, I've discovered something counterintuitive: the best coffee shop leaders aren't the most technically perfect – they're the most connected to their people.
Here's the leadership framework that changed everything for our teams and can transform yours too.
Why Most Leadership Training Misses the Mark
Most leadership advice for coffee shops, restaurants, bars and small businesses focuses on operations: how to manage inventory, optimize workflow, or handle difficult customers. While those skills matter, they miss the heart of what makes a coffee shop truly exceptional – your people.
When baristas feel disconnected from their leaders, you get:
High turnover (and the constant stress of training new people)
Teams that fall apart during rush periods
Inconsistent customer experiences
Leaders who burn out from handling everything themselves
But when your team feels genuinely supported and connected, magic happens. Service flows smoothly even during chaos, team members step up to help each other, and customers leave raving about the experience.
The CONNECT Framework: 3 Steps You Can Start Today
Step 1: CHECK IN (The 5-Minute Game Changer)
Sarah used to start every shift stressed. She'd clock in, grab her apron, and immediately jump behind the bar without talking to anyone. Her performance was inconsistent, and she seemed disconnected from the team.
Then I started something simple: intentional check-ins at the start of every shift.
Here's exactly what I do:
Spend 5 minutes with each team member as they arrive
Ask one personal question: "How are you feeling today?" or "What's one thing I should know about your day?"
Ask one work question: "What do you need from me today to succeed?"
Listen without immediately jumping to solutions
Acknowledge what they share: "Thanks for letting me know" or "I appreciate you telling me that"
With Sarah, I learned she was struggling with her morning routine and always felt rushed. We adjusted her start time by 10 minutes, and suddenly she became one of our most reliable team members.
The transformation: These brief conversations build psychological safety and help you spot issues before they explode during the lunch rush. Your team starts coming to you with problems instead of hiding them.
Try this today: Pick 2-3 specific check-in questions and use them with your next shift. Watch how differently your team responds to you.
Step 2: COACH IN THE MOMENT (Real-Time Growth)
Most feedback happens too late. We wait for formal reviews or until small issues become big problems. But the most powerful coaching happens in real-time, during actual service.
Marcus was struggling with multitasking during busy periods. Instead of waiting for his review, I started giving him immediate, specific feedback using what I call the "SBI" method:
Situation: "During that last rush..."
Behavior: "I noticed you helped Jake with the espresso machine while managing your own orders..."
Impact: "That kept our service flowing and showed incredible teamwork"
For corrections, I focus on standards, not personality: "Our standard is to steam milk to 150°F" rather than "You always overheat the milk."
The magic: Marcus started improving immediately because he could connect the feedback to exactly what he'd just done. Within two weeks, he was our go-to person for training others on multitasking.
Make it happen: Give at least 3 pieces of specific positive feedback and 1 constructive piece using SBI method today. The key is timing – within 10 minutes of observing the behavior.
Step 3: CREATE GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES (Weekly Investment)
Here's what surprised me: Baristas don't leave jobs, they leave managers who don't help them grow.
Emma had been with us for eight months and was getting restless. Instead of waiting for her to quit, I asked a simple question: "What's one coffee skill you'd like to get better at?"
She wanted to learn latte art. So I gave her 15 minutes during slow periods to practice and asked our best latte artist to mentor her. Within a month, customers were complimenting her foam art, and Emma was glowing with pride.
Here's my weekly routine:
Ask each team member: "What's one skill you'd like to improve?"
Assign stretch tasks: "Want to train our new hire on customer service?"
Rotate responsibilities so everyone learns different parts of the business
Always share the "why": "Master this, and you'll be ready for shift lead responsibilities"
Celebrate progress publicly: "Everyone, watch how David handles difficult customers now"
The result: Emma became our assistant manager six months later. Our turnover dropped by 40% once people saw we were serious about their growth.
Your action step: This week, identify one growth opportunity for each team member and tell them about it. Even small opportunities make a huge difference.
The Results: What Changes When You Lead Through Connection
After implementing this framework across our locations, here's what happened:
Week 1: Team members started approaching me with questions and concerns instead of suffering in silence.
Month 1: During rush periods, I watched baristas naturally help each other without being asked. The stress level in our shops dropped noticeably.
Month 3: Our customer satisfaction scores increased, we had three baristas ready for promotion, and our turnover rate became the lowest in the district.
But the biggest change? I stopped feeling like I had to do everything myself. My team became genuinely invested in our success because they felt invested in as individuals.
Your 7-Day Implementation Plan
Don't try to do everything at once. Here's how to roll this out:
Days 1-2: Master the check-in routine. Focus only on Step 1. Days 3-4: Add real-time coaching. Practice the SBI method.Days 5-7: Start identifying growth opportunities for each person.
Watch for these signs of success:
People start coming to you with problems earlier
Less conflict during busy periods
Team members helping each other without being asked
Improved customer compliments
The Mistakes That Will Sabotage Your Success
Skipping check-ins when you're busy – This is exactly when your team needs them most
Only giving feedback when things go wrong – Your people will start avoiding you
Making growth promises you can't keep – Better to under-promise and over-deliver
The Bottom Line
Great coffee shop leadership isn't about being the perfect barista or having all the answers. It's about creating an environment where your people feel seen, supported, and challenged to grow.
When baristas feel genuinely connected to their leader, everything else follows: better teamwork, higher quality, exceptional customer service, and yes – better business results.
The choice is yours: You can keep trying to perfect your own skills, or you can invest that same energy into your people. I've seen which approach transforms coffee shops, and it's not even close.
Start with one check-in conversation today. Your team – and your customers – will feel the difference immediately.
What leadership challenge is your coffee shop team facing right now? Share your experience in the comments below.
Your Future Starts Now.
Starting a business isn’t about knowing everything. It’s about knowing the right things
There are so many other things that you will learn along the way in your steps to building your business,
but these 8 points well get you ready for what is to come
Take action. Make mistakes, but make progress.
many of the top CEOs I have been honored to get know aren't always the ones with perfect plans —
They're the ones who show up, stay hungry, and figure shIT out along the way.
So don’t wait to feel ready. Be real. Be resourceful. Be relentless.
These are building blocks to understand this journey of entrepreneurship. You got this.
Let’s build something legendary.
Author Bio:
Brandon Ivan Peña is a proven coffee shop operations leader with over [X years] of experience developing high-performing teams across multiple 787 Coffee locations. His leadership framework has been implemented in [X] locations, resulting in measurable improvements in team retention, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency. Brandon specializes in transforming coffee shop culture through people-first leadership approaches.
Let's get to work. 💯
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3 Easy Steps to Apply This in Your Life Right Now
Ready to transform your leadership today? Here's exactly what to do:
Step 1: Pick Your First Check-In Question Right now, choose one question you'll ask every team member at the start of their next shift. Keep it simple: "How are you feeling today?" or "What do you need from me to succeed?" Write it down and commit to asking it consistently for one week.
Step 2: Set Your SBI Reminder Put a sticky note where you'll see it during service that says "SBI - Situation, Behavior, Impact." Your goal: give one specific piece of positive feedback using this method before your shift ends today. Focus on catching someone doing something right.
Step 3: Start One Growth Conversation Before the week ends, ask one team member: "What's one skill you'd like to get better at?" Listen to their answer, then brainstorm one small way you can help them practice that skill during slower periods. It doesn't have to be perfect – just start the conversation.
That's it. Three simple actions that take less than 20 minutes total but will begin shifting your entire team dynamic immediately.
The Simple Truth: Why This Actually Works
Think about it like this: Imagine you're on a basketball team, and you have two different coaches. Coach A only talks to you when you mess up, never asks how you're doing, and never helps you get better at the skills you want to improve. Coach B checks in with you before every game, gives you tips right when you need them, and helps you work on the moves you're excited about learning.
Which coach would make you want to play harder? Which team would you rather be on?
That's exactly what's happening in your coffee shop. When you show your baristas that you care about them as people (not just workers), give them help when they need it (not weeks later), and invest in what they want to learn, they start caring about the coffee shop's success the same way they'd care about winning a game with their favorite coach.
It's not complicated – people work better when they feel like someone genuinely cares about them and wants to help them grow. The three steps are just a simple way to show that care every single day.