THE WAL-MART WAY

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Cultural Kool-Aid Creates Cult-Like Commitment

Michael Bergdahl

Walmart, is an American multinational retailer corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. Walmart has 8,500 stores in 15 countries, under 55 different names.

The walmart way

The concept behind "The Wal-Mart Way" of doing things are easy for competitors to understand but difficult for others to copy and successfully replicate in their businesses. Everyone who works at walmart is required to do things "The Wal-Mart Way", or they are encouraged to leave.

EMPLOYEES ARE BUSINESS PARTNERS

The Walmart believes every employee has the capacity to be a business leader. For this reason they pushed decisionmaking downward by empowering all of his employees to act like business owners.

Wal-Mart offers profit-sharing to all of Its employee associate partners.

MANAGERS ARE BOTH COACHES AND SERVANT LEADERS

As coaches, company managers are expected to lead by their own example especially in their interactions with customers. Getting to know a little bit about each associate who works in their store, on a personal level. As servant leaders the companys managers are really there to serve those lead!! Showing they really care, trust is created which leads to team synergy, teamwork, and the ultimate goal.

WAL-MART EMBRACES THREE CORE LEADERSHIP VALUES

Sam Walton created three core leadership values which are the foundation of The Wal-Mart Way. The three values are:

Respect for the Individual Struggle for Excellence Serve Your Customers

PEOPLE DIVISION NOT "HUMAN RESOURCES

Sam Walton believed Human Resources was the job of every single manager in the company. Sam Walton wished he did not need an HR.

Sam Walton understood the reality of manager and employee interaction, and the problems associated with human relations so he created a department to address people issues and termed it as People Division rather than Human resource.

NO SACRED COWS, EVERYTHING CAN BE IMPROVED

Sam Walton even created an idea generation program with financial rewards to openly seek employee ideas that could save the company money! There is a belief at Wal-Mart that the best solutions to problems come from the employees, and the employees are encouraged and expected to challenge the way things are currently done and to come up with method improvement ideas.

COMMUNICATE Profit and Loss with Employees

The practice started long ago because it was realized the employees could not help driving profitability in stores if they didnt understand the real-time numbers So through a combination of bulletin board postings, and as part of managements daily stand-up meetings, each store management team shares the P&L with all of that stores associates.

AVERAGE PEOPLE / ABOVE AVERAGE RESULTS

Wal-Marts Associates were one of Wal-Marts most important sustainable competitive advantages. Wal-Marts employees and their managers for that matter are in actuality a collection of average people! Wal-Marts leaders gain above average results from their army of average folks by doing things Walmart way!

EMPLOYEES CONTROL COMPANY EXPENSES LIKE THEIR PERSONAL EXPENSES

Wal-Marts profitability is more a result of tightfisted expense of management then it is a result of sales growth! Wal-Marts employees are expected to manage company expenditures in the same manner as they would in managing their personal expenses at home. Wal-Marts employees recycle and reuse envelopes, paper clips and rubber bands. 2.3 million employees using the back side of every sheet of paper in order to reduce paper costs!

Conclusion
It orient your employees to your unique culture. The walmart way shows employees commitment to the business and to the customers! Helps in development and growth of your organization.

THANK YOU!!