Tag Archives: Starbucks

Dec 18 2015
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Uncategorized, www

WWW: Jonk

Where we Work (WWW) is a series looking at the modern day workplace, and the many new and innovative workspaces that today’s companies are using to inspire brilliance in their employees. Today we meet Jonk, a gluten-free on-demand pet-grooming service in London

Welcome to Jonk! Please don’t stand on ceremony with us, come right in. We operate a “door always open” policy here, so people are always coming and going; we think it adds a real energy to the place.

I see you’re admiring the glass windows, I’d love to take the credit for them, but they were put in well before we arrived. They do really help us keep in touch with the community, right on Silicon Roundabout.

And yes, your nose is not deceiving you, that is indeed an in-house barista in the corner. Very “East London Startup”, we do hate to conform to cliche, but I just love a cup of joe. I’m afraid you will have to pay though, we’re still bootstrapping round here! Two flat whites please, easy on the white, heavy on the sugar, careful with the joe, Joe. Ha! What am I like, his name isn’t even Joe. Thanks Jay.

I’m afraid I don’t have a private office, that’s sort of the point – it would really hinder the open, collaborative atmosphere that we try and cultivate here at Jonk. It’s important that I’m always accessible to the team. So much so that the whole organisation hot-desks, and it can be a nightmare getting a spot sometimes! We’re happy to be patient at Jonk though – when we wait we meditate. You’d think that CEO I should be able to pull rank, but I’d hate to cultivate that sort of atmosphere. Plus I don’t even recognise some of these people, which I suppose is the problem with meteoric growth!

There’s a spot – standing desks, at the bar, looking out the window. Great. And do log onto the wifi, free of charge! It’s mostly pretty good, but sometimes it struggles; I guess that’s what happens when you’ve got so much industrious coding going on. We live on Wifi here, too – no wired internet round here. That’s not the Jonk way, that and smooth Jazz, which you’ll hear playing on loop in the background. So soothing!

So yes! Thanks for coming down, and if anyone else wants to visit (or wants a job?), come on down to Jonk, off Old Street roundabout – glass windows, and the door says Starbucks. You can’t miss it – Jonk!

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Jul 13 2014
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On Management

Coffee and Negotiation

In business, a common misconception is that negotiation is a discrete occurrence, materializing only occasionally. While it is certainly true that there are times when negotiation is very much the focus, such as discussions around sales terms or promotions, every business day is peppered with smaller negotiations.

Similarly everything you do influences the way you go about those negotiations, from your appearance to the coffee you drink. How does your Starbucks order impact your negotiation style?

Filter Coffee – you are a straight shooter, and just want to get it done. And also you just want caffeine now, thanks very much.

Espresso – you are intense, to the point, and people often mispronounce your name. You might be short in stature, but you pack a mean punch.

Frapuccino – you are not well respected as a serious negotiator, but secretly everyone loves you, and will get you what you want when nobody is looking.

Iced Skinny Flavoured Soy Latte – you want all the bells and whistles, but you would like them to be ethically sourced. You have no problem broadcasting your many talents and selling yourself, nor making your companions wait while the barista carefully drops organic ice cubes into your drink.

Hazelnut Macchiato – you are what you are, and you’re not afraid to show it. Not everyone will agree with you all the time, and some might wonder why you’re calling it a coffee at all, but you normally get what you want.

Flat White – you didn’t want to win this negotiation particularly, but you heard everyone else wants to, so you thought you would too.  You don’t really know what it entails, but it sort of tastes nice.

Double Espresso – you are a madman with no regard for human life.

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