America may run on Dunkin’, yet the company has some of its closest ties to Boston. Dunkin’ Donuts was founded in 1948 in Quincy, Massachusetts, and former Dunkin’ Brands CEO Nigel Travis returned to the Boston area Thursday to talk about his new book, “The Challenge Culture: Why the Most Successful Organizations Run on Pushback.”
According to Travis, the best organizations don’t run on coffee and donuts, they run on pushback.
Travis, who was also the former CEO of Papa Johns and the COO of Blockbuster, said he has experience due to how he learned from his mistakes over his many years at the helm of some of America’s largest companies — experiences, he said, he took away he funneled into his new book.
Born in London to an entrepreneurial family, Travis received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Middlesex University. After running Burger King in the Middle East, Europe and Africa, he then transitioned over to Blockbuster.
In 2009, Travis was named Dunkin’ Brands CEO, a position he would hold until he recently retired in July. His new book was released on Sept. 18 and profits from it will benefit the Joy in Childhood Foundation, which aids children facing hunger or illness.
Travis spoke to a group of people at the Brookline Booksmith and signed copies of his book at the event. He said the book discusses his philosophy of the “challenge culture,” or how freedom to speak openly and challenge ideas across levels of the corporate hierarchy helps produce increased innovation.
Travis said that businesses should create a “diagonal slice” of employees in a meeting, or a group of employees across departments and levels, and allow everyone to speak their mind in order to generate better ideas.
He explained this could be done especially on complex issues, such as corporate policy or social issues, including the #MeToo movement.
He discussed his strategy of “coffee chats,” which he said was previously referred to during his time at Papa John’s as “tea time with Nigel.” However, he later abandoned the name because of its “distinctly British bent.”
He would gather a diverse group of employees in a meeting room and encourage them all to have casual, constructive conversations. Throughout this event, he would take down quotes he thought could be useful in the future.
Travis specifically noted that during these coffee chats, he wouldn’t record names of the specific individuals who offered comments in order to allow people maximum privacy and freedom to speak their mind. He repeatedly stressed the importance of a lack of fear of judgement, and how it contributed to the model’s overall success.
Travis Cohen, an employee at Brookline Booksmith, said he attended the talk and saw the speaker’s charismatic personality that aided him as his years as a leader.
“It astounded me what a funny, down-to-earth guy he was,” Cohen said.
During the event, Travis explained how beneficial a work environment where everyone pushed for improvement is to a business.
“I think the challenge culture’s strength has been demonstrated with our success at Dunkin’ Brands,” Travis said in an interview with The Daily Free Press. “Corporations thrive on pushback.”
When asked how challenge culture related to what happened at Blockbuster, Travis said a free flow of ideas could have benefited the company.
“There could’ve been a way Blockbuster [would] still be around today,” Travis said at the talk.
Travis added that his experience as a DJ helped formulate the “coffee chat” idea because as a DJ, he needed to read a crowd and find a song or remix that would maintain an upbeat atmosphere while also offending the fewest people.
Adam Schuhose, an employee of Brookline Booksmith, said hosting Travis in the store was a cool opportunity for him and those who attended. The environment in the bookstore allowed for a quaint setting.
“It was amazing having Nigel here,” Schuhose said. “It was an intimate event where everyone got to talk to each other. … It was nice it was small.”
