Value
Italians have a wonderful love affair with coffee. It is not just the coffee, it is the ritual associated with coffee. The different coffee preparations and the appropriate time to consume them are all part of this special coffee culture. My favorite is the morning ritual. I have a preference for a cappuccino in the morning. For Italians, a cappuccino is a morning drink as it is a heavier drink given the milk in the preparation. Versus an espresso which is acceptable almost anytime as it is just coffee. What is valuable is how one drinks their cappuccino in the morning. A cappuccino is meant to be enjoyed at a bar (Italian for coffee shoppe) with a friend or whomever is at the bar. It is a ritual that allows you to ease into your day —- No “to go” cups of coffee here. Coffee and friendship are meant to be savored not rushed.
In my small-town north of San Francisco there is an Italian restaurant. In the morning they open their doors and convert the bar to an Italian espresso bar. You order at the bar and then take your coffee to any table and enjoy a moment of quiet reflection to start the day. What is best about Poggio is the people who work there. The morning crew is the best. Diego is the ring master. He speaks several languages so I can practice my Italian. He keeps everything running smoothly with an engaging and welcoming personality and a sincere interest in his clients. He is backed up by the current morning team of Freddy, Vivi and the current coffee leaf design master Pedro. The group all work many jobs. However, they make a special effort for their regular morning clients. Their warmth and kindness are what makes this Italian Espresso bar in California seem like you are in Venezia, Firenze or Milano.
They are a perfect example of friendship and being open to experience that friendship. If you are open and present you have the pleasure of their friendship. The past is complete and we do not know the future, so being present is the best part of living. It is the practice of being present and available that will open the door to future value.
Over the years I have developed friendships in Italy. We don’t see each other every day but we have learned to maintain our friendships through writing, phone calls and visiting. One might question the value of such interactions as we tend to see value as transactional. Not all relationships are transactional. It is the practice of being open to a relationship that keeps the door open. Being judgmental will direct the path but it is not always the right path or the path that leads to a richer relationship. Be open and present, what develops will be the reward.
Speaking of friendship and the different ways it is manifested, I recently attended a dinner of former colleagues. We all worked for the same firm, but in different verticals. What I noticed about this dinner was in spite of the different roles and the different time periods we performed those roles we behaved like old friends. The friendship that we were experiencing was created by our mutual attachment to the entity itself. We treated each other as friends and expressed sincere interest in each other’s lives. Yet the common theme was the entity itself. One might refer to this as the culture of the firm. However, I think it goes beyond that. This, now, corporate entity has created a truly unique extension of the value of friendships. The entity is of great value but it is its ability to bond people in friendship that is so special. It is that value which needs to be maintained.
The issue is how do we maintain contact. How do we contribute value not only to the entity, but to each other? We are all pursuing different avenues, some commercial, some philanthropic and some family, yet the power and value is multiplied if we can find a way to harness that friendship on a continuum. What we created last night was a snapshot. The goal is to move from a snapshot to a movie. An ongoing movie which creates value to the entity and to the individuals that are strenghthening their friendships.
We shared our different individual experiences, although unique they were attached to the overall entity. The friendship transcended those experiences and were attached to the entity. This unusual organization carries a personality that has been built over the years. We all contributed to that personality. The challenge for the entity, in spite of huge growth, is to maintain that personality, which, in itself makes this organization unique.
Friendships are powerful. Harnessing those friendships will make a unique organization more creative and successful. Like my coffee bar, it supplies a platform for friendships to flourish.
Vorrei un cappuccino, grazie….