Read Mr.Sam's Book or -I don't Think This is What He had In Mind

Have you ever read a book by Sam Walton called Made In America? It explains Sam Walton in pretty straightforward terms, without a lot of hero worship. It doesn't paint him as the great Satan, nor does it make him seem like the retail messiah some would have you believe. He does talk a lot about the things that shaped his opinions, and why he did some of the things that he did. Many of the benefits that Walmart is famed for-their discount card, the help they give associates, the opportunity to buy stock through payroll deductions actually started out as suggestions from his wife. Some of the other parts of the book are pretty dry, unless you are the ultimate suck up or you have to write a term paper. Either way, it brings me to the question that has been plaguing me for weeks. Is this what Sam Walton had in mind? If he were able to take a walk through any number of stores that I can think of, and get close enough to a real associate to speak with him or her, would he like what he heard? I think not. Granted, I've never had a conversation with him, but yesterday I spoke to a lady that has. When Sherrie worked at the Walmart in Kendallville, Indiana, she was given an opportunity to speak with Sam Walton and to hear some of the things that he had to say firsthand. She found him very straightforward and approachable. He listened to everything that she had to say and did it without that glazed eye approach that so many members of the Walmart management team favor. He answered her question and then thanked her for bringing it to his attention. If you run into a throwback from the Sam Walton days, you may yet have a manager who thanks you for asking the question; but I doubt they mean it the way Sam Walton seemed to have meant it. Sam Walton believed in profit sharing with his managers. He thought that if he was good to them, they, in turn, would spread that around and share it with the associates. That was then. The spinning noise that you hear is Sam Walton rolling in his grave at the corporate greed that has manifested itself in his company. My Mother once told me that she believes any family owned company goes to hell when the founding generation passes. She is right on the money with the Walton's,isn't she? I don't think Helen Walton had grass on her grave before Walmart started implementing so many of the cost cutting practices that they use now. Managers still have a pretty sweet deal. They get a nice bonus that the average associate can only dream of. Watch them sometime if you work in a store. Have you noticed a time of the year when suddenly all the salaried members are making some big ticket purchases? A new boat, maybe, or they decide to build on to their home. The best part is when an assistant manager tells you with a perfectly straight face that the only bonus they get is the bonus you get. They must be better shoppers than I am. I can never seem to stretch my five hundred dollars that far. An even bigger farce is the new incentive program that Walmart has implemented. If you sip the koolaid, you will hear them tell you that your bonus could be as much as sixteen hundred dollars! And as soon as it is, trust me, they will find a way to knock it back down to five hundred dollars. Trust me on this. Another lady that works for the biggest hearted company in the whole wide world went on to tell me how her store tracked their bonuses. As the time drew near for the final reckoning, the figure went way down from the twelve hundred dollars that had been promised to just over seven hundred dollars. But the good thing was, all the salaried managers got brand new walkies to use, and the store manager redecorated his office! I just don't remember that part in Sam Walton's book. Maybe I should reread it? I suppose any bonus is better than a kick in the butt, especially in these economic times, but like I titled this piece, I don't think that's what Sam Walton had in mind. Read the book, you'll see what I mean. And I bet you just might thank me later.