Thread regarding Wal-Mart Stores Inc. layoffs

450 was not enough. That place is unbelievable.

They have 18000 people at Home Office and they cut 450. How does that put a dent in their numbers? They need to cut deeper - and that's from someone who was cut on Oct. 2. I personally witnessed people shopping online for hours, playing games on their Ipads, streaming movies, even napping. Yet, Directors and above turn a blind eye because they want the employee feedback scores to be good - while still expecting middle managers to make things happen. It's unbelievable. They stuff people in corrugated metal buildings or old closed stores with no daylight, everything on the cheap (office computers using Windows XP)... the lack of productivity is appalling. Instead of recognizing the unhealthy and miserable work environment as a factor, and the outdated technology and lack of automation, they lecture middle management on the need to be better leaders...when they don't role model leadership themselves.

Most waste is found in Sr. Management, and they are the ones that made the decisions on who to "displace", so they stay put. They also cost the most. There is no secret about what the lowest paid workers' situation is. The middle, just like in the the middle class of the nation, gets the hit. Directors and Sr. Directors sit in meetings discussing employee fun days, Halloween, picnics, etc. because they fear unions and low satisfaction scores... If Doug McMillan knew what really goes on he would be shocked. He has an idea, but I doubt he knows how bad it really is. The politics, backstabbing, and game playing is the enemy -- and the behavior comes from the TOP levels, and is being taught to the next generation of leaders by example. The company is NOT too big to fail, it will just take a long time to die, like the dinosaurs of days gone by... Montgomery Ward, Woolworth, and so on.

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| 871 views | | 7 replies (last January 20, 2016) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+DYDSkP1

7 replies (most recent on top)

Sr Managers was not high enough. Sr. Directors and above should be weeded. an outside team of Organizational Development Professionals should come in and evaluate Sr. Directors and above, examining their effectiveness at cascading high level goals into actionable and practical goals for their people. It would expose how useless they are at leading their teams. It says something when a Sr Director II in GSS lectures lower levels on leadership at every turn, then turns around and hires more Directors instead of developing the Manager and Sr Managers they have been preaching at. Proves they are not so good at it themselves. So much time spent pandering to low skilled labor they never learned to lead leaders. The People systems have great intent, but Upper Management lack the skills to use them properly... It requires thought and vision, not just pressing the "cascade" button.

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Post ID: @1zcmk+DYDSkP1

Actually, most of the displaced were senior managers and people of that pay grade.

I know.....as I disabled the accounts.

so 450 people at approx $130K a year saves how much money?

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Post ID: @1seqb+DYDSkP1

And those that do "lead by example" are either pushed out by disingenuous execs OR they push themselves out, when realizing that they were sold a bill of goods during the interviewing process!

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Post ID: @4kww+DYDSkP1

Why so vile?

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Post ID: @10Es+DYDSkP1

The top layer sets the culture, sets the pace, sets everything. If they are failing us how can we expect to perform at a high level

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Post ID: @Y6D+DYDSkP1

Great post - you put in words all that I felt but did not know how to pin down

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Post ID: @WOD+DYDSkP1

"when they don't role model leadership themselves" - you nailed it here - I work in HO, 4 years here now, and I can tell you that only a handful of folks lead by example

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Post ID: @0fk+DYDSkP1

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