Mass Exodus at Gorilla Coffee: Employees flee from “perpetually malicious, hostile, and demeaning work environment”

One of the last posts I wrote before taking a couple weeks off warned that, since the economy seems to be finally coming back and job opportunities are on the rise,it just might be the last chance for many incompetent and nasty bosses and organizations to finally start treating their people right -- otherwise employees may start running for the exits.

Well, although I am not sure the economic upturn played a role, the story of Gorilla Coffee in New York City provides a cautionary tale for every asshole boss.  The New York Times "Diner's Journal" reported on April 11th that nearly all the employees resigned, that the coffee shop "isn't going to open anytime soon," and the allegedly abused employees who quit are seeking jobs elsewhere.  The story in The Times (it looks like a blog post) reveals staggering differences between the employee's and owner's perspective:  The owners said things like:

“It’s a complete surprise." 

And they portrayed Gorilla as a workplace that "is mostly happy if often busy," but:

When one employee started expressing her dissatisfaction, “it got out of hand.”

In contrast, the long letter (see the story) from employees explaining why the mass resignation occurred tells a much different tale:

The issues brought up with the owners of Gorilla Coffee yesterday are issues that they have been aware of for some time. These issues which have repeatedly been brushed aside and ignored have created a perpetually malicious, hostile, and demeaning work environment that was not only unhealthy, but also, as our actions have clearly shown, unworkable.

The Times also reported that employees felt especially abused by:

Carol McLaughlin, one of the two owners, and demanded that she withdraw from daily operations at the coffee bar.

And that:

When both owners refused, seven baristas quit. (Another barista resigned, but the owners say that person wasn’t an employee.)

Of course, I can't know all the facts here because the stories are so different and the 87 comments from Times readers further muddy the picture -- although there is a pretty strong hint that the asshole poisoning also was evident in how employees treated customers.  And if you look at research on power dynamics, odds are that those in power -- the owners -- were oblivious and insensitive to their underlings. 

Regardless, this story, along with my earlier post, suggests that it is a good time for all bosses to ask themselves what their followers really think of them -- a lot of leaders out there are living in a fool's paradise.  As this story shows, the costs of being seen by your people as an asshole (or simply incompetent, I would add) can be mighty high regardless of what YOU believe about yourself as a boss.  Remember, if you are the boss, the test of the quality of your leadership is what your followers think of you, NOT what you think of yourself.

This story also reminds me of a saying by Jim Goodnight , CEO and co-founder of SAS software, which is currently #1 on Fortune's best place to work rankings.  He often says something like, " When my people go home at night, I just hope that they come back in the morning, otherwise I am out of business."   The Gorilla Coffee case reveals the truth of Goodnight's wise words. 

P.S. Thanks to Johanna for sending this story my way. 

Comments

[David]

"all bosses to ask themselves what their followers really think of them"
I don't 'follow' my boss, and I don't expect my staff to 'follow' me. That seems to put too much onto bosses (and deflates the capability of staff members). I think the heroic leader notion applied to work is a recipe for failure and much to prefer to think of work as building cooperative productive communities. The sooner we get away from the military analogy the better (and my experience in the Army is that the story book idea of a 'leader' and troops doesn't always work: no man is an island, and in combat if you're not listening to your troops, you're not in combat for long).

[Greg]

@Bryan: I have been thinking about this for some time. One of the marks of good leadership is having some kind of back-channel to the employees. Kings of old had court jesters. I read a memoir of an Army officer who had an understanding with his enlisted driver.

If a leader cannot form a trust relationship with at least one underling who tells it like it is, maybe they should not be a leader.

[Jake]

In the They Aren't Coming back article, the other owner compared McClaughlin to a drill sergeant. This was not viewed as a negative by this owner.

That just screams toxic work environment.

[Randy Bosch]

"The Rule" works both ways, doesn't it?

[Bryan]

So, what is your suggestion? To simply ask your employees: "Am I an asshole?" If this is too direct, then how do you look at yourself and "see the light" if your people aren't able or willing to tell you that your an asshole? I mean, if the bosses are oblivious, and people can't get them to wake up, then how do they wake themselves up?