How we work: Mohamed al-Fayed, retailer

Mohamed al-Fayed, owner of Harrods, apparently uses interrogation techniques to reinforce an astonishing culture of fear and mistrust. These from The Times, 13 Feb 2005:

[He] uses a system of "anonymous sources" in the iconic Knightsbridge department store to keep tabs on his executive directors, according to internal documents.

Employees, nicknamed the "chairman’s ladies" internally, feed Fayed information, which he then uses to write memos imploring his management team to make changes.

And:

Directors said they are often grilled when Fayed returns after a spell away. His executive suite includes a row of six smaller ante-rooms. When the chairman sends word, directors are made to wait alone in individual ante-rooms.

One former director said: "The system is designed to be intimidating. Fayed will wander in and out of the rooms, but you never know who is next door. If you answer a question, he will say that someone else - always anonymous in the next room - has said something different." [...]

Sometimes "informer’s memos" are delivered to executives. Arriving in brown envelopes, these begin: "I have been anonymously informed..." [...] One insider said: "Sometimes Fayed just sends the memo to the person concerned. Sometimes he sends it to everyone. It’s his way of exerting his control." [...] Others tell of a staff corridor called The Walk of Shame, where Fayed displays photos of all those who have been fired and catalogues their alleged wrong-doings.

(For the opposite approach, see Ricardo Semler.)

More how we work. (Want to contact al-Fayed? Click here.)

Comments

[On The Mark]

Doesn't sound much different than a lot of other businesses.

[rodcorp]

Hopefully most other businesses aren't formalising it in their process and architecture as much as this.

[sanal kumar]

sir ,

please mail me the address (email) of Mohamed al-Fayed

regards

sanal

[Adnan]

can you plz tell how to get in contact with Mr Al-Fayed

email me ady999@hotmail.com

thnx

[teresa fitzpatrick]

can I have mohammed al fayed email address please

thanks

[Donna Blair]

Dear Mr. Al Fayed,

I am an american with a english background. My Mum was an english warbride from WW11. I now reside with my husband on the eastern shore (beach area) of Ocean City, Maryland. We are between NewYork, Atlantic City, and Baltimore. Our area has grown so much and it has become a year round living area for alot of people. Especially the baby boomers that are retiring. I've had a dream since I moved to the beach (3 yrs ago) and that is to bring theatre here. Now hear me out. All there is to do is go the the beach, boat, restaurants and minature golf and of course the boardwalk for kids. My dream is to build a small theatre to get broadway shows to stop on there way from New York to Baltimore. I would like to have this theatre help children. I believe in saving our children and helping them. Diana also believed in this. I think we could build a theatre here in America to dedicate to Diana and Dodi and what they would have accomplished had they lived. I believe if we build here, it would be so successful and everyone from New York, Washington DC, Baltimore, New Jersey and all over to see this monument
One problem, I do not have the money to invest. This is my idea and I can't let go of it. I dream about it every night.

Please get back to me with your remarks, it would be greatly appreciated.
I believe in you, but we can bring them back with memories of what would be had they been here. Also you must remember, they are Angels and whatever we do, they will always be with us.

Donna Blair
12357 Vivian St
Bishopville, Md 21813
410-352-3793
d.blair@mchsi.com

[Mhd Malki]

Wiuld you kindly send me the email of Mr. Mohammed Al-fayed?
Best Regards
Mhd Malki

[naheed ishaq]

Dear Sir Alfayed,
Assalamoalakum,
I am writing to you on behalf of our school in Manchester.We are islamic school and in need of some projects in our school which require the generosity of people like you.Please if you can help then reply us and our head teacher will contact you.
Thankyou in antiscipation.
naheed ishaq

[Mohamed Samir]

Kindly send me Mr. Mohamed Al Fayed E-mail address.
Regards

[Tricia]

I would appeciate a secure contact telephone number and email address for Mr Al Fayed

[Reem]

Hello, Can you please forward me Mr Al-Fayed's e-mail address asap. Kind regards.
reem141@hotmail.co.uk

[rodcorp]

Hello people who want to get in touch with Al Fayed,

THIS WEBSITE DOES NOT HAVE ANY CONTACT DETAILS FOR HIM (or anyone else on How we work).

Perhaps the Harrods shop can help you:
http://www.harrods.com/Cultures/en-GB/Miscellaneous/ContactUs.htm

[john archer]

mohamed. from john f archer 15 longacre ash aldershot hants GU12 6RN.murder o f diana and your son./imfo/check psychiatry/psychiatric/anti depressents/driver/henri /side affects/sensivity to light/ie /blinding you and stunning you/driver henri had to be taken out/look more into that/driver worked with french and mi6 fact/ie driver was liabilitly/was in franch at time was on run ie burglary/have been in court case may 13 2005 to feb 13 2006 handling stolen goods/first charges was 11 burglarys /1 forgery and deception/ involving election con and labour primeminister tony blair /donations/all had to be dropped guildford crown court/been burgling for years /got 3 year in 2005 computers data/been on run before in many countrys /no so much /chech psychiatry ie diana before death all links /burgess coroner guildford on payroll of mi6 fact/trace all and everything conected to doctors/psychiatic and your thier/will give more in time concentrate more on driver henri/try not to use hotmail email./drivers phone was tappad up so your sons and dians would be/pass on.

[Dnettles]

I think al Fayed is looking in the wrong direction. Al-Queda is a better suspect. The Motive? To prevent a prominet Moslem from marrying into the British Crown.

[linda]

personal thought,

Al Fayed is correct, unfortunately, it was MI6 job. This will come out in time.

On the emotional side, I support the man, after all look at the opposition, I will always go for the under dog. And he is in this case. More over, he actually is likely telling the truth.

[cheryl j. palmer]

I am very sorry for the loss of your son Dodie, with that went all the joys of being a father and grandfather I am sorry too for the terrible pain you suffer each and everyday.The world to has been denied the gift of the Princess of Wales her beauty and grace and her love for all human kind .What a horrible deed.I hope the truth prevails God be with the jurors to judge righteously.

[Donald]

mr. fayed's email address is ALFAYED@ALFAYED.COM

[Donald]

alfayed@alfayed.com

[Camilla Windsor]

Dear All

That vulgar little man called me a crocodile !!!

Camilla
Windsor,England

[dina]

Dear Camilla: it was wrong to call you crocodile,because you look like a camel ,that's why your parents called you camilla

[shiloh noone]

Angola still hangs there like an unfinished nightmare and the aftermath lies bloody and crippled with thousands of unexploded landmines ticking away under that charred soil. Some years later, I was presenting a late night rock show for an arts and community station in the City bowl of Cape Town when I met the Earl of Spencer who had this business called Spencer TV, dedicated to exposing the horrors and affliction of landmine fatality. His sister Princess Di had already entered MI5 forbidden territory and exposed some of the horrors that child victims had to endure. The Earl had warned her that this was heavy treading and way beyond the Royalty jurisdiction she was appointed for. Anyhow, we don’t have to be reminded about what followed other than some six years later I met this drunken Boer who was waffling on about the fact that he was responsible for Di’s assassination. He was shit faced on brandy and his ramblings had taken a violent intense edge. He went on about the fact that Di had had an Islamic baby in her stomach and the money was transferred into a Hong Kong account some weeks before it was given back to the Chinese.

It was clear that this hardened chain-smoking veteran was clearly screwed to the hilt having been in the employment of some mercenary association called Executive Outcome, blah blah… he went on about he was not to blame, he was just doing his job and Windsor House is to blame and how his Boer forefathers were sent to St Helena and how they killed their own princess and she looks just like his sister. He just would not stop and with each suck of that Gunston filter, he became more intense and agitated; on and on he blabbered, between the brandy and a stuffed ashtray of sizzling tobacco until I could take no more. I got up, ‘Yeah Yeah’, and walked away only to read the next morning that the Earl of Spencer’s house had burnt down to the ground, apparently from lightening … Earl Spencer, much to the disappointment of the Cape Town high society, ran back to the protection of the throne asking no doubt for forgiveness.

[taibah]

please someone give me his address

[taibah]

dear sir/madam/alfyed/camilla
im 12 year old,in manchester
please can u send me ur address please
thank u

[taibah]

dear sir it has been 2 weeks i have sent you a letter and u still havent replied. i had my phone number on that letter and i wrote some important things from my life on it you still havent sent a letter back i have been worried please contact me.

[Imran Patel]

Please can you send me Mohamed Al Fayed's email. I have been in contact with him in the past however i have lost the email address.
I would be greatful if you can forward his email again.
Thank you

[jacqueline oconnor]

you were brave to take on the establishment but the outcome was expected i think.somebody now has to fight it again for Madeleine Mccann, the parents belong in jail and Tony Blair and Gordon Brown have been blackmailed into gagging the police the media government and they need to be outed for what they are doing thankyou Jacqueline Oconnor