Grappling with the Gray #127: Know thyself -- and everyone else?

Are we over-generalizing about identity groups?

That's the question that drives the conversation when Sean Flaherty, Sarah Kalmeta, and Bronson Taylor join the ethics panel to Grapple with the Gray.

Here is our topic:

Six years ago, Starbucks introduced a new model: mobile-only pickup stores targeting Gen Z’s taste for frictionless experience. Last week, CEO Brian Niccol declared the experiment a failure, announcing that all these stores would be shuttered or converted by the end of next year.

So what happened? Did Starbucks do market research? Was their study flawed? Has Gen Z changed their preferences in the last half-decade? Or is it simply impractical to generalize the preferences of an entire generation?

Even had the research been correct, since Starbucks built its empire on the warmth and human connection of a corner coffee house, were they destined to fail by attempting to change who they are?

On the one hand, businesses that don’t adapt can quickly fail, like Blockbuster and Eastman Kodak. On the other hand, trying to adapt to every shifting trend may well lead to inauthenticity and mediocrity.

Is this the symptom of a culture in which we try to be everything to everyone? Is it a reflection of the erosion of core values that used to be universal? How can we balance agility with brand integrity, and what are the risks straying too far in either direction?

Meet the panel:

Sean Flaherty is CEO of Advanced Leadership Concepts, serving executive teams by unlocking the science of leadership with powerful tools that transform and inspire.

Sarah Kalmeta, aka Sarah the Pivoter, is a speaker, author and relentless truthseeker. She is founder of Pivot Point International, a high performance consulting company.

Bronson Taylor is a student at Oregon State University, majoring in Education with a math focus, and possibly the first Gen Z guest on this program.