Donna Morris is executive vice president and chief people officer of Walmart. She generously shares her own techniques for recognizing the employee qualities that will build a team – not tear it apart. Morris, who has 17 years of leadership experience in executive roles at Adobe, has been helping to create that culture and experience for the retail giant’s roughly 2.1 million associates since coming onboard to Walmart in 2020.
Now 57, Morris is focused on the importance of protecting that healthy workplace culture. She identifies a specific type of employee behavior as a red flag: being a “Debbie Downer.” In her words, this term identifies people who have a chronic attitude of cynicism and doubt.
“A Debbie Downer can be a naysayer who shares negative opinions about others’ ideas and goals,” Morris explained. This mindset prevents movement and creativity and kills blue-sky thinking on teams.
Morris added that these professionals often limit their assistance to like-minded colleagues. They can hinder or deter other agencies from pursuing bold new initiatives or establishing exciting new programs. “Nobody wants to hire a Debbie Downer,” she added, shining light on how self-destructive pessimism can hinder career advancement.
Morris is passionate about creating an uplifting, inclusive, and supportive work environment. She appreciates employees who bring problems to her attention, but come equipped with suggestions for how to solve them. “They come with problems, they never come with solutions,” she said. I’m always grateful when people come to me with a problem and an idea for how to fix it.
She was able to draw from years of experience in various corporate settings. There, she developed a keen eye for seeing what moves the needle in a positive way versus what’s toxic and distorting collaborations. Morris added that people who are willing to jump in and help their coworkers are perceived as valuable team players. Humility in people, creators you meet or see who are genuinely doing more to help others are a total green flag,” she noted.
Morris went even further — in manner and content — stressing the need to be proactive and embrace new opportunities. She explained, “Another green flag from them is their willingness to be opportunistic. They’re raising their hand to say, ‘I can do that,’ or ‘I should do that.’” This desire contributes to a personal improvement culture that builds a commitment culture among the entire group.
Now in her role at Walmart, Morris wants to create that kind of environment where people can flourish and feel appreciated. Her leadership style is a true manifestation of her thought that positivity and collaboration is the key to success between coworkers.
“You’re better to deliver early than to deliver late, and you’re better to deliver more than less,” she advised, highlighting her commitment to excellence in both personal and team contributions.