Sam Walton's 10 Rules must have had strong implications on your role as Director of People at Wal-Mart's corporate HQ. How did they guide you personally during your tenure with the company? Michael Bergdahl's answer: Sam Walton's high regard for people put a great deal of additional pressure on my role as Director of People. At Wal-Mart Sam Walton called his Human Resources Department the “People Division.” In actuality, Mr. Sam (we all called him Mr. Sam out of respect) felt that “managing human resources” was the responsibility of every manager and supervisor in the company. He told me that he wouldn't need a “People Division” if the management team would use “golden rule” values by always treating the employees as business partners or “associates.” To this day Wal-Mart leaders refer their employees as associates. While I was there Sam Walton focused the People Division on Staffing, Training and Associate Relations. Because he held people in such high regard it placed a great deal of pressure on everyone in the People Division to live up to his expectations. We focused on three areas: Hiring the Best, Providing the Best Training and Being the Best Place to Work. The cultural mantra at Wal-Mart is “Our People Make the Difference.” This saying was emblazoned across the sides of trucks and posted in the break rooms in the distribution centers and stores. Mr. Sam once said, “If you take care of the associates (employees), the associates (employees) will take care of the customers and the business will take care of itself.”