Sam Walton inspired Wal-Mart "associates" (ie. employees) with his own attentiveness, imaginative promotions, relentless expansion, and strong commitment to customer service.
As well as incentivizing gung-ho employees with profit-sharing and stock-option plans, Walton became the cheerleader for the chain. He once cajoled workers with a remarkable promise: If the company surpassed projections, he would do the hula on Wall Street.
To the delight of countless observers, Walton kept his word.
["Weekly staff meetings at HQ begin with a cheer conceived by Sam Walton, starting with a 'Give me a W...' When they get to the hyphen in the store's name -- called a 'squiggly' -- Wal-Mart workers are required to shake their rumps."]
[To let off steam, workers at Matsushita Electric Company (in Japan) may visit a "worker control room" to beat dummies of their foremen with bamboo sticks. (Matsushita's business grew by 30 percent a year for twenty-five consecutive years.) At Honda, any employee can call for a "waigaya" session, in which they can speak frankly about problems ranging from design issues to personal conflicts.]
Sources
B. Johnston, Rain Stops Play; Vanity Fair, Oct. 2003, p. 234; Isaac Asimov`s Book of Facts
