Time for J.C. Penney to Restore Trust

• Align them. Declare a simple vision. Call out employee behaviors that made J.C. Penney great — no more than three ideas that reinforce key historic success factors of J.C. Penney. Draw them out with specific ideas they can act upon immediately.
• Listen. When people feel listened to, they engage. Get into stores and listen to employees’ ideas. Incorporate the best ones. Publicize quick wins to reinforce the message that it's a good idea to bring their best thoughts forward.
• Have their back. Subordinates want reassurance from authority. Provide a supportive, consistent voice. Employees want the truth. Don't sugarcoat reality, but paint a picture of hope. Bleakness and threats don't win back the frightened.
• Make it a game. Set goals that everyone can work toward, all the way down to the store and department level. Win as a team or lose as a team. When the company hits its goals, reward everyone. Games bring out people's enthusiasm and extra effort.

External Stakeholders
Drama is bad news to suppliers, shareholders and creditors. Ullman needs to assure them that J.C. Penney is being thoughtful, not just emotional. Calling upon the reservoir of good will J.C. Penney has built through the years, ask them to keep their confidence by doing the following: