"HARI SADU!" H for Hitler, A for Arrogant, R for Rascal, and I for Idiot; during a TV commercial, this is the way an executive is shown telling the correct spelling of his boss's name over a telephone call. Three exposures to this ad set me thinking, "Who is Hari Sadu?" "What if he's there in me?" And "What if he's there in the other managers?" And my fears weren't unfounded! Each one of us may have behaved like Hitler or as an arrogant person, or as a Rascal or Idiot sometimes in life. Yet, "Is this how we want others to think about us?"
As I was entertaining these thoughts, I came across the copy of "Made in America" by Sam Walton. The following are the excerpts from the first few pages:
Hello, friends, I'm Sam Walton, founder and Chairman of Wal-Mart Stores. By now I hope you've shopped in one of our stores or maybe bought some stock in our company. If you have, you probably already know how proud I am of what is simply the miracle that all these Wal-Mart associates of mine have accomplished in the thirty years since we opened our first Wal-Mart here in northwest Arkansas, which Wal-Mart and I still call home. As hard as it is to believe sometimes, we've grown from that one little store into what is now the largest retailing outfit in the world. And we've really had a heck of a time along the way.
I realize we have been through something amazing here at Wal-Mart, something special that we ought to share more of with all the folks who have been so loyal to our stores and to our company. That's one thing we never did much of while we were building Wal-Mart, talk about ourselves or do a whole lot of bragging outside the Wal-Mart family - except when we had to convince some banker or some Wall Street financier that we intended to amount to something someday, that we were worth taking a chance on. When folks have asked me, "How did Wal-Mart do it?" I've usually been flip about answering them. "Friend, we just got after it and stayed after it," I'd say. The Wal-Mart story is unique: Nothing quite like it has been done before. So maybe by telling it the way it really happened, we can help some other folks down the line take these same principles and apply them to their dreams and make them come true.
Life has been great to me, probably better than any man has a right to expect. At home I've been blessed with a wife and a family who've stuck together and loved each other and indulged my lifelong obsession with minding the store. At work, my business life has been spent in lockstep with an incredible group of Wal-Mart associates who have put up with all my aggravation and bullheadedness and pulled together to make what once appeared truly impossible now seem expected and routine.
So first, I want to dedicate this book to Helen Robson Walton and the four fine kids she raised - with some help along the way from the old man - our sons Rob, John, and Jim and our daughter Alice. Then I want to dedicate it to all my partners - and I wish I could recognize every one of you individually, but we've talked over the years and you know how I feel about you - and to all 400,000 of my associates-partners who've made this wild, wild Wal-Mart ride so much fun and so special. Much of this book is really our story.
I reflected, "Instead of saying such things at the fag end of my business career, why not I say it today; when it matters most." I have decided that when the office opens after the weekend, people would see a sign outside: "This company is great because Archana starts the day for us much before 8 am. This company is great because Vinod does those small little things that we can use our office without a hitch throughout the year."
I can already feel a wave of joy building inside me.
Regards,
Kiran
From India, Hyderabad
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68As I was entertaining these thoughts, I came across the copy of "Made in America" by Sam Walton. The following are the excerpts from the first few pages:
Hello, friends, I'm Sam Walton, founder and Chairman of Wal-Mart Stores. By now I hope you've shopped in one of our stores or maybe bought some stock in our company. If you have, you probably already know how proud I am of what is simply the miracle that all these Wal-Mart associates of mine have accomplished in the thirty years since we opened our first Wal-Mart here in northwest Arkansas, which Wal-Mart and I still call home. As hard as it is to believe sometimes, we've grown from that one little store into what is now the largest retailing outfit in the world. And we've really had a heck of a time along the way.
I realize we have been through something amazing here at Wal-Mart, something special that we ought to share more of with all the folks who have been so loyal to our stores and to our company. That's one thing we never did much of while we were building Wal-Mart, talk about ourselves or do a whole lot of bragging outside the Wal-Mart family - except when we had to convince some banker or some Wall Street financier that we intended to amount to something someday, that we were worth taking a chance on. When folks have asked me, "How did Wal-Mart do it?" I've usually been flip about answering them. "Friend, we just got after it and stayed after it," I'd say. The Wal-Mart story is unique: Nothing quite like it has been done before. So maybe by telling it the way it really happened, we can help some other folks down the line take these same principles and apply them to their dreams and make them come true.
Life has been great to me, probably better than any man has a right to expect. At home I've been blessed with a wife and a family who've stuck together and loved each other and indulged my lifelong obsession with minding the store. At work, my business life has been spent in lockstep with an incredible group of Wal-Mart associates who have put up with all my aggravation and bullheadedness and pulled together to make what once appeared truly impossible now seem expected and routine.
So first, I want to dedicate this book to Helen Robson Walton and the four fine kids she raised - with some help along the way from the old man - our sons Rob, John, and Jim and our daughter Alice. Then I want to dedicate it to all my partners - and I wish I could recognize every one of you individually, but we've talked over the years and you know how I feel about you - and to all 400,000 of my associates-partners who've made this wild, wild Wal-Mart ride so much fun and so special. Much of this book is really our story.
I reflected, "Instead of saying such things at the fag end of my business career, why not I say it today; when it matters most." I have decided that when the office opens after the weekend, people would see a sign outside: "This company is great because Archana starts the day for us much before 8 am. This company is great because Vinod does those small little things that we can use our office without a hitch throughout the year."
I can already feel a wave of joy building inside me.
Regards,
Kiran
From India, Hyderabad
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Hey Kiran,
Awesome article! I can surely make use of some of the quotes of Mr. Samuel Walton because I'm working on Walmart's Success Case Study in my B-school.
Thank you.
Regards,
Amruta
From India, Thana
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Awesome article! I can surely make use of some of the quotes of Mr. Samuel Walton because I'm working on Walmart's Success Case Study in my B-school.
Thank you.
Regards,
Amruta
From India, Thana
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