How The Mighty Fall And Why Some Companies Never Give In by Jim Collins

How The Mighty Fall And Why Some Companies Never Give In by Jim Collins

This book is about why very successful companies fail. It is not about complacency. It is about a process of self-inflicted mistakes; pursuing growth at all costs, taking on too much risk, excessive pride, making promises that are not doable, and finally succumbing to the inevitable. Jim Collins describes the death of Merrill Lynch, Merck, Motorola, Addressograph, and the decline and rebirth of IBM, Nucor, and Nordstrom's.

The books reminds us that returning to the core strengths of a company and putting the right people in place are more important than hiring outside managers and making grand plans. There are several charts comparing the right and wrong thing to do in a turnaround. The charts were to the point and easy to read.

The main text of this book was 157 pages. It could have been cut down to a 100 pages. The appendixes, notes, and index covered as much information as the main text. The ideas in this book were very clear. I think this book serves as a timely reminder that American companies need to get back to basics.

Daily Thoughts 7/28/2009 ( How The Mighty Fall )

The Danish Royal Library, interior view of building in Fiolstræde.

Daily Thoughts 7/28/2009

I finished reading The City and The City by China Mieville. It was very enjoyable to read on the train. I just started reading How The Mighty Fall And Why Some Companies Never Give In by Jim Collins. It tells the story of why very successful companies come apart.

Today was another steady day. I did more weeding in the large print books, and the sports books. The summer youth employees are shifting the 700s right now to free up some book carts. My colleague is weeding the scores. It is sometimes good to know what you are not good at. I don't know a whole lot about music scores. I am still considering where the graphic novels will be merchandised. Somtimes work is about consistency and showing up every day to do what needs to be done.

A person who worked for me for a while as a library aide came by today to ask me for a part time job. This is her second visit. Unfortunately, there are no new jobs right now. People take what they can get these days.

I am looking at Montmorency's Revenge by Eleanor Updale. On the back of the book, there are awards listed for the young adult series; Nestle Smarties Prize Silver Medal and Booksense 76 Pick. Also a starred review in School Library Journal, The Horn Book, and The Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books. The book like the author has a very distinctly English style.

I read some more of How The Mighty Fall on the train home. The book mentions five business thinkers; Peter Drucker, Edward Deming, Michael E Porter, and Thomas Peters and Robert Waterman. The only one I have not read is the book In Search of Excellence by Thomas Peters and Robert Waterman. I remember reading Michael E. Porter while I was working doing recruitment research during my dot com days to understand how to better get people from competitors.