Summary of Caribou Coffee CEO speech

Today's strategic marketing class, professor invited Michael Coles, CEO of Caribou Coffee, to address a speech. Caribou coffee is the second large coffee retailer next to Starbucks. And Michael still keeps the world records of crossing US in 5 days 1 hour and 10 minutes. You can see his passion while speaking.
He mentioned the example of David and Goliath to say that everyone should have courage to face his own Goliath, no matter what it is.

The second part was mostly about his business story. Before he got Caribou coffee, he started his business as a cookie company. People saw his success that they spent 8000 dollars and got millions dollar in return. But the rest story for him is how to take the company to next level? You have to fix problems at the time you discover them. It was not an instant success.
Afterward, he got the chance to take Caribou coffee. The secrets to save a business are very simple: do more right things, and stop doing wrong things.
You have to

1. Define the Mission--don't kid yourself.
2. Secret to Success--Service, Service, Service.
3. Challenge belief structure--how could I improve and do it better?
4. Execution
5. Define the Battle Field

and find your own formula. His is product+environment+service=experience
so always ask yourself, what do I do well? what should I stop doing? and what's my formula?

He quoted someone's word that "when people start to follow you, even if of curiosity, you know that you are a leader.

Knowing what you don't know. what's the ultimate challenge? and the courage step into the valley. Here are his conclusions.

BTW, Caribou has free refill, don't forget try that next time.

Photo

Two more weeks then spring break comes. We plan to drive to Winscousin and Illnois to visit friends. It will be our first driving trip in US.
Uploading several photo took before.


On the rent car.


Cheese cake of cheese cake factory.


Tiramisu of cheese cake factory.


V's day.


Fever and rest.

引以為戒

管理大師明茲伯格指出：
企業不應該雇用MBA，因為課堂裡根本無法培育出企業的領導者。

管理大師明茲伯格(Henry Mintzberg)毫不留情地指出，傳統MBA課程用了「錯誤的方法」，「訓練錯誤的人」，最後造成「錯誤的結果」。在這本思考了三十五年、發想了十五年、花了四年撰寫的鉅著中，明茲伯格顛覆過去MBA不可挑戰的權威形象，讓大家了解企業要的是什麼樣的經理人。

美國大通銀行(Chase Manhattan Bank)的研究發現，表現最差的經理人之中，百分之六十都擁有MBA學位；而表現最好的經理人之中，有百分之六十卻只有文科學士學位。麥肯錫顧問公司一項針對年資一、三和七年員工進行的正式研究顯示，這三類員工中沒有MBA學位的人表現得和有MBA學位的一樣好。波士頓顧問集團提出報告，非MBA員工「平均受到的評價較高」，超越唸過商學院的同僚。

明茲伯格認為目前管理教育系統問題在於，傳統MBA課程訓練的多是沒有（或是只有一點點）經驗的年輕人──這是錯誤的人。課程訓練強調分析和技巧──這是錯誤的方式。而畢業生有錯誤的印象，自以為受過經理人訓練，因而腐化了管理實務、組織和社會──這是錯誤的結果。

Sources:http://www.e-redant.com/950121/9501212.htm

Comment:
沒有需求哪有供給?
不過真的很多人是只會出一張嘴啦!

Recently

Easy never comes to adult's life.

In this shit life, we have to give up something.
                            
                                     ~Weatherman


My third time got sick in US.
Maybe just too tired last Thursday night, having class until 9 pm. Then bet on PingPong with Han and Jason, Matthew and I lost our bet so that we treated them in Grandma for beer and side dishes, then Friday and my whole weekend just gone because of fever.

I was told that not updating my blog for two weeks.
Well, it's getting busy recently.
Sometimes, you spent time doing something, buy nothing significant achieved.
It's really frustrated.

Good to know that we get into semi-final of Singapore University case competition.
One more win then we can fly to Singapore, but before, it's a long journey to make our case done.
CVC project also becomes another time consuming surprise, almost everyone attend this program feels different from what he perceive at the beginning.
Intern searching is still like throwing stones into the sea. No response at all. No news is good news. OK.
It’s getting dxxn cold now.

Three weeks from Spring Breaks. Just hope don’t be sick again.

Les Miserable in MN

06年的二月五號
在St Paul的Ordway Center算是真的把Les Miserable看了一遍
過了兩天
細細回想 自己跟這部劇還算蠻有緣分的

大二寒假跟救國團去英德
團員有個法律系大四的學長對這齣劇很有興趣 沿途講解給團員聽
在他口沫橫飛的介紹下 有半團的人在某天晚上都跑去了劇院看這齣劇
跟著一些湊熱鬧的朋友買了八英鎊的票 坐在超高的樓層迷迷糊糊地看完後
隱約記得舞台好炫 自己會旋轉
還有不知道演到哪裡時 嚇人的槍炮聲大作 餘悸猶存
那紅色的劇院建築依稀的殘留著

似乎是緊接著的合唱團藝術季表演
又唱這齣劇的選曲
電腦裡自然又多了忘了跟誰借來的此劇的CD轉的MP3檔

幾年後的某次聚會 好像在致維家有一搭沒一搭的看了一點DVD

有了IPOD之後 記憶體也分了一點空間給它

逃犯 警長 孤女 寡母 穿插了奇妙的邂逅 三角的戀情 地位的轉換 與 命運的無奈
沒有工作的寡母該如何養家?
酒店的老闆該如何維持生計?
盡職的警長如何堅持信念?
苟活的戰士如何自處?

Depends.

Road Test Experience

I went to Arden Hills to take my road test on Friday. The place is at Country Road I Exit on 35W highway. After exiting, take a right turn immediately.

I was lucky because I did not make reservation but not wait very long. Here are some tips for people want to take road test in Arden Hills.

1. The line on the ground is not clear, and the road width is also ambiguous, I think because real road has shoulder, but none there. So make sure you turn in to right lane when make a turn.

2. Just stop at the intersection with stop sign. If there is no stop sign, just slow down and make a turn, no need to stop completely.

3. Look over shoulder to check traffic.

4. Park the car at around 12" to the road side.

5. Be nice to the judge.

There are there skill parts of the test. Parallel parking, backward parking, and downhill/uphill parking. Then just driving around the court to see if you understand the rules.

When arriving Arden Hills, you drive to "Report to a road test". In the drive thru path, you hand in your documents, ID, yellow sheet, car insurance document or car rental document, driving permit or international driving licence. Then wait them dispatch a judge for you. The place you start your test is located at star sign in the following map. Then 20 minutes later, you will know whether you have to go there again or not.


This is not an official map, just based on my experience to draw this, hope could help people want to take test there.