The document outlines a communication plan for Walmart to address issues with its ecommerce department by improving customer service and increasing online revenue. The plan aims to minimize rumors, keep stakeholders informed, and gain approval for changes. It identifies key stakeholders and determines when to launch the action plan. The launch will present issues, rationale for changes, and a reimagined vision. It will inspire trust and provide expectations. Measuring effectiveness, addressing resistance, generating feedback, and producing future changes are also covered. The goal is a model for successful communication during organizational change initiatives at Walmart.

1. Walmart Communication
Plan
Ms. Dronellar S. Moore
AET 560
Melanie Latin
January 9, 2017

2. Overview
• Communicate to key stakeholder’s the issues plaguing Walmart’s
ecommerce department which are lagging sales and customer
dissatisfaction with site navigation and third party purchasing
agreements (Allen et al, 2016)
• Communicate reasons for change which are to improve ecommerce
customer service and increase revenue in the ecommerce
department (Allen et al, 2016)
• Understand that a failure in one department impacts the entire
Walmart company (Spector, 2013)
The purpose of the communication plan is to

3. Overview, Cont.
• Minimize rumors and false information
• Keeps people informed
• Helps mobilize support
• Sustains enthusiasm and commitment (Spector, 2013)

4. The Pre-Launch, checklist
Identify key stakeholders, using stakeholder analysis
Goal is to gain approval and acceptance for change initiative
Target those in authority
Link change initiative to Walmart vision and goals
Determine the appropriate time to launch the action plan (Spector,
2013)

5. The Launch
 Present issues facing Walmart.com while presenting a
compelling rationale for change
 Show comparative data indicating where the competition
exists between the ecommerce market, Amazon.com, and
Walmart.com
 Articulate the reimagined Walmart vision, actualizing the
change elements (Allen et al, 2016)

6. The Launch, cont.
 Inspire trust by emphasizing the fair treatment of all
stakeholders throughout the change process, including
training, and growth potential
 Provide specific details of expectations resulting from
change at the beginning, middle, and end

7. Required Technology or
Consult
 Negotiate for tech consult, a graphic illustrator or animator to
create visual stimulus that highlights the focus of the strategic
plan
• Creation of bulletin boards
• Design change blogs
• Set up online survey portals
• Brochures, posters, social media (Spector, 2013)
 Negotiate budget for promotional items which brand the new
vision or focus, i.e. ink pens, mouse pads, I.T. design
computer desktop pop-ups, approximately 1% of total revenue

8. Measuring Effectiveness
 Review and interpret data generated by responses to
blogs and surveys, 1-1 interviews with key stakeholders
 Share progress
 Clarify misconceptions
 Inspire sustainability and interest (Spector, 2013)

9. Impact of Management
Response to Change
 Present estimated budget for change initiative
 Provide for contingencies or unexpected occurrences
 Present risk calculator, to ensure that normal business will
continue while change is in place
 Utilization of a transition team to communicate status
throughout each stage: beginning, middle, and end
 Show how this change process serves as a learning tool for
future use (Spector, 2013)

10. Generating Feedback for
Continuous Improvement
 Establish trust in promoting the sharing of feedback or
responses
 Encourage penalty-free risk taking
 Model and promote ‘open door’ policy
 Daily meetings between supervisors and their charges,
espousing ‘what’ and ‘why’ (Spector, 2013)

11. Addressing Negative
Responses to Change
 Understand resistance and why it occurs
 Active listening to concerns
 Anticipate resistance, prepare for how to manage it
 Manage resistance by using Kurt Lewin’s ‘force field
analysis’
 Look for ways to offer support, gain trust, lean upon
positive influencers, while reducing negative responses
(Spector, 2013)

12. A Model for Producing
Change
 Communication plan acts as a communication model during the
actual change initiative
 Walmart is able to use this plan to develop future tasks for its
employees
 Potentially identify prospective change leaders going forward
 Inspire risk-taking initiators and promote open communication
between stakeholders
 Utilization of feedback to be used for the next phase or future
change initiatives (Spector, 2013)
In closing,

13. References
Allen, A.L., Mitchell, B.D., Jr., Burris, B., Springs, S., Moore, D., &
Bernhard, J. (2016). Organizational change process: Walmart.com.
[PowerPoint slides]. Unpublished presentation, AET/560—Facilitating
Change, University of Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ.
Cawsey, T. F., Deszca, G., & Ingols, C. (2012). Organizational change: An action-
oriented toolkit (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.