Wal-Mart: A big lesson in listening

At our recent Leadership Conference, a panel examined the media messages our industry sends to consumers. Two marketing mavens, Fred Yaffe and Lance Hanish, each gave the 240-plus attendees advice on how they can put their best foot forward when reaching out to the consumer.

On the way back from our conference, I found myself wondering if our industry devotes the same energy to internal communications. My guess is that it doesn't.

And if I'm right, that's a particularly slippery slope. In fact, I'm convinced the only thing worse than a disgruntled customer is a disgruntled employee.

Of late, nobody knows that better than the Bentonville behemoth, Wal-Mart. Recently, it launched a multi-faceted internal public relations program designed to convince the company's 1.3 million U.S. employees that it really does appreciate them.

People close to the action say the program was launched to quell growing worker resentment that surfaced soon after Wal-Mart announced a number of policy changes that affected its workforce.

Some Wal-Mart workers argued the company, which is the world's largest retailer, was seeking to reduce costs by using more part-time help, scheduling more evening help and capping wages.

The bubble-over byproduct of all this unresolved angst was the formation of a group and a Web site, both called WakeUpWalMart.com, funded by a food and commercial workers union.

The Web site, which is full of information that paints Wal-Mart in a less-than-flattering light, also reports that the group has begun airing emotionally charged TV commercials featuring Wal-Mart employees talking about such things as low pay and not being able to leave the store without penalty to care for a sick child.

 In the TV spots, the workers encourage viewers to tell Wal-Mart to do the right thing this holiday season, and "put America's families first."

 
Wow! So much for my Kodak-moment mental snapshot of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton, driving around in a beat-up pickup truck looking for good causes to adopt. In today's competitive market, you not only want buzz, you need it. You just don't want the buzz saw.

My advice to company executives: Make it a point to hear what your employees are saying about your company. I'll bet you can hear a pin drop in Bentonville these days.