This week on Workquake Weekly, we’re stirring things up with a story that hits close to home — especially if you’re a coffee lover. Inspired by Heather Haddon’s recent piece in The Wall Street Journal, “Inside the Starbucks Plan to Get 200,000 Baristas on the Same Script,” we dive into one of the most pressing questions in today’s workplace:

Can you engineer human connection… with a script?

Steve unpacks Starbucks’ surprising move to give baristas more time to connect with customers — while also standardizing exactly how those connections should happen. It’s a fascinating case study in the delicate balancing act every leader is facing:

Speed vs. Humanity. Efficiency vs. Experience. Cost vs. Culture.

We explore:

• Why burnout is bad business — for employees and customers

• How scripting authenticity might backfire

• What Starbucks’ decision says about the broader evolution of work

• And how you can rethink what you’re optimizing for in your own organization

Whether you’re leading a team, designing employee experience, or just ordering your next oat milk latte… this episode will get you thinking about what really drives connection — and why that matters more than ever.

Tune in, reflect, and maybe look a little closer at your barista next time.

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