My mom gave me a subscription to The Week, a collection of tidbits from the US and international press on the goings-on of the world. There's usually a cartoon picture of a very sour looking Hillary Clinton on the cover. It's a good read for those of us who are too wrapped up in the NHL playoffs and sermonating to actually, y'know, know what's going on in the world.
In last week's issue, there was a piece from the magazine Fortune, which oddly enough I do not subscribe to, concerning the fate of great businesses. See if you can find the church analogy. Jim Collins wrote a book called "Built to Last" about how businesses adapt during times of flux. He considers Wal-Mart (boooooo) and Ames (wistful sigh; I grew up with one in Oneonta), which were very similar in the 70's and 80's. Well, you know why we booooo Wal-Mart now-a-days--they are everything we hate about the megastore. What about Ames? Who? What? Why did one thrive and one fail to survive? Collins writes "Wal-Mart opted for steady growth consistent with its strategy. Ames pursued 'wild growth' through acquisition. Wal-Mart created its own success, and Ames caused its own death."
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