Leadership Tips
Coffee House Leadership
How a simple change in setting can transform team dynamics
Ready to trade a boardroom for a café?
What happens when you face a problem in your team? Perhaps you don’t get along with one of your team members, or you have two or more team members whose animosity and disagreement are affecting performance. How can you sort this out?
I’ll offer you here a possibly novel approach. Setting matters. Often, these conflicts are discussed in the office, or over the phone or email. Nowadays, it’s likely to happen by video call on Zoom. But let’s look at another option. Go to a cafe.
Of all European cities, Budapest in Hungary gives us the true old-world cafe. Starting from the mid-1500s, the public drinking of coffee became a vital part of daily life. What secret to good leadership does this offer us today?
Well, the Hungarians knew something. Drinking coffee, surrounded by people from all walks of life, drives creative energy. In a world, then and now, broken by division, competition and conflict, the civilizing influence calmed nerves and opened up new ways of thinking about problems. It worked then, and it can work now.
“In a coffee house, everyone could co-exist.” Victor Sebestyan, Budapest
