5 ms·

Stupid "free market" ideologues. Edward Lampert is another one, doing the same thing and killing Sears.

• eldavido 12y ago
  Not so fast. It seems clarity of focus and mission counts for a lot. When I look at a company like Sears, I don't get the sense of focus I get from a company like Apple. It's surprising how little clarity the rank-and-file of many businesses have around what they're actually doing. In the case of Sears, are they trying to compete with Amazon? Or be a great local retailer? Or make great tools (Craftsman) and sell them directly and/or through channels? Metrics are important but they aren't a substitute for vision and focus. When I see businesses driven from the very top levels of executive management strictly by metrics and numbers, I often wonder whether it's a symptom of a lack of focus and clarity from the folks at the top. Metrics are a great management tool, but they aren't good for setting direction, or leading.