Steve Plunkett, senior management consultant for Chick-fil-A Inc., recently spoke at Shorter University’s Robert H. Ledbetter College of Business as part of the university’s Character Education course taught by Rick Johnson.

“Steve told his life story that included growing up in Atlanta and how his competitive nature in sports played forward into his competitive nature in the business world,” Johnson said. “He discovered his purpose in life when he noticed how much happier employees were who worked at the Chick-fil-A restaurant in the Shannon Mall than he was working at a department store in the same mall. His main discovery was that the Chick-fil-A employees had a greater purpose, which essentially was treating customers with a servant heart.”

Plunkett told the students at the lecture that he applied for a job at the Shannon Mall Chick-fil-A and eventually became its store operator. That was the beginning of his more than 35-year career with Chick-fil-A, which includes time as a business consultant at the corporate offices and his current role as a senior business consultant, in which he oversees operations for stores in the Greensboro, High Point, and Winston Salem areas of North Carolina along with all the stores in Memphis, Tennessee.

Chick-fil-A’s success, he said, is rooted in customer service, along with the uniqueness of its name, taste of its products, creative marketing, second-mile customer service, loyalty of its employees and customers, and staying on the cusp of changing times in reaching customers. “The main requirements for employment with Chick-fil-A at any level are summed up in what is called the 3-C Bucket list, meaning all the questions in the application and interview process are centered around the virtues of capability, compatibility and character,” he said.

Plunkett shared with students the 10 points he focuses on with all new operators coming into the Chick-fil-A business. The points, he said, would help students navigate their way through life and their careers. They include “get comfortable with being uncomfortable,” meaning changes are always coming; “learn what your strengths and weaknesses are and be honest about them so you can become intentional about improving them”; “if you are a Christ-follower, the Fruits of the Spirit should be obvious to everyone”; “the wider your horizon is, the longer your career will be”; and “don’t make becoming a leader your goal, make it being a servant instead.”

He closed his remarks by encouraging students to remember the admonition of Philippians 4:6 to not be anxious but to present their requests to God. “Be thankful for adversity because it allows you to use that experience to help others,” he added.

Plunkett has invested more than 35 years in the quick service restaurant industry. Plunkett credits his success in life to values he learned about as he was growing up in Atlanta, including leadership, encouragement, faith, friendship, change, diversity and unity. He has carried these lessons along with him in life and has put them into practice while working at Chick-fil-A.

Founded in 1873, Shorter University is a Christ-centered, four-year liberal arts university committed to excellence in education. The Princeton Review annually includes Shorter on its list of best Southeastern Colleges. The university offers traditional bachelor’s degrees in 40 areas of study, online courses and degree programs, undergraduate programs for working adults, and master’s programs. Learn more about Shorter at www.shorter.edu.

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