It’s up for debate that it is impossible to teach an old dog new tricks because of all the established companies who are mixing things up. Businesses across the nation are finding that they can indeed learn new tricks and even put their own spin on it.
Starbucks is constantly working to keep as up to date as possible with the latest trends, from having themed cups and matching drinks, to having wine in different locations. It seems that Starbucks has also found another new future for itself in art. Not the art that you can hang on the wall, but the art of who works for their company. The baristas are the heart and soul of their company and are whom the customers interact with everyday.
Take Angus Maxwell in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. A barista at Starbucks who loves to brew artisanal cups of coffee for avid coffee lovers. He continues to brew coffee in different ways to keep up with the boutique roasters nearby.
It is baristas like Maxwell that contribute to Starbucks success, according to Howard Schultz, Starbucks’ chief executive officer. In a flat market year, Starbucks shares saw a 50 percent increase. Why? Innovative baristas like Maxwell keep the company fluid and help it adapt to new things.
Arizona State University is also looking to do some things in new ways, especially with the football team.
A “quarterback university” is under discussion. It would be in conjuncture with the football program. Its main goal? To train quarterbacks so they are ready for the NFL during draft season. It’s an idea floated by Arizona Republic Columnist Dan Bickley. Here is a link.
Setting up a program to train quarterbacks for the big leagues is a winning situation all around. The program would be able to hire credible retired NFL quarterbacks to teach the students.
It would make the Sun Devils a coveted team to be on for high school quarterbacks looking to get into the program. It would also bring more funding to the football program overall, win.
Best of all, it would provide the NFL with experienced and knowledgeable quarterbacks during the draft.
So as it turns out doing old things in different ways is paying off for Fortune 500 companies, such as Starbucks. And it might for the football program at the nation’s largest public university. Innovation has always been the key to success. Now more than ever.