As the anti-Mary Kay sentiments reach fever pitch, the executives at corporate attempt to do some damage control. As I mentioned in a previous post, the voices of those who believe Mary Kay Cosmetics and its representatives are engaged in unethical business practices have become louder.

In response, the president of U.S. operations of Mary Kay Inc. issued a letter to its top sales force members. The letter essentially advised the representatives to ignore the complaints and work harder.

While this may have seemed like a legitimate response at the time the letter was written, what does that really say to the company’s representatives? Some have suggested that this is equivalent to the executives saying “pay no attention to the man behind the curtain”, as quoted from the Wizard of Oz.

Certainly, a directive that does not confront the issue at hand lacks something. Does it lack credibility? Does it lack a true appreciation for the “other” voices out there? Will Mary Kay Inc.’s failure to act affect the company in the long term?