Joe Mcfarland did more damage to Lowe's by demonstrating that his leadership role is bereft of seasoned knowledge and fairness, his racist comments purely reflect his bias. I've been a GC for half
a century. I work with a team,Black, Hispanic,Oriental,Jew, and Whites and some I don't even know their "race". To get anything done we focus and I refuse to let petty differences spew discord. We hear it you go home, we sense it you don't get extras, one strike policy, that's it. We eat together and try each others likes, we force nothing except respect. And we all love our country, America!
My problem with Lowe's is where are your seasoned employees that have worked your marketplace for many years leading this meeting having risen the ranks? This VP should know that a 12 volt drill has no place on a work-site or pro application. He seems more interested in selling 22 than 5 but who cares? If Makita is what you know from HD(not sold in Lowe's and a mid level drill line) don't
associate a group as a specially made for customer. Pink drills for ladies is cliche, but hard working gritty Spanish speaking contractors want hard working gritty tools just like me. I could care less the hand size for a 12 volt product period. Did Joe mean the 12v power matches the diminutive stereotype he has in his mind when he also referred to their hand size? The great salespeople Lowe's has laid-off with years of tenure would suggest it for fatigue or grip problems but not for race or ethnicity.
The whole incident reveals a weak group, not very knowledgable, trying to sell something they have not prepared for and an executive who does not get prejudice. You don't wait till your name is in the newspaper to become sensitive to people around you, if in mid- sentence he had realized his gaff then, okay self- corrected. To have your HRVP sitting there agreeing and not ordering an edit (pre-taped) is even more disturbing! Is She not the Captian of diversity and ethics for all employees? This was allowed to go out to all Lowe's management, how? She's right next to him! So this c-suite culture is broken.
I've been a Lowe's stockholder since 1997, and have become a millionaire a few times over because this company rocked. I avoided HD until 2003 and have done well with both. But Lowe's always seemed more comfortable and confident. The past 3 years I've dumped a large portion of Lowe's due to the things I see in the stores around me. I guess my sense of anxiety was well founded, but this is pushing me to get out completely. Bill and David were supposed to bring this dysfunction under control from the Niblock era. I believe it has gotten worse! I will forward this to the appropriate business news-feed editor's desk so the public can decide.