--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sears had layers and layers of people it…" description: "\"Sears had layers and layers of people it didn't need. It was very bureaucratic. It was slow to think. And there was an established way of thinking. If ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/charlie-munger-458_bigs_sears-had-layers-and-layers-of-people-it_3116289.jpg" --- # Sears had layers and layers of people it didn't need. It… ![“Sears had layers and layers of people it didn't need. It was very bureaucratic. It was slow to think. And there was an established way of thinking. If you poked your head up with a new thought, the system kind of turned against you. It was everything in the way of a dysfunctional big bureaucracy…” quote by Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/charlie-munger-458_bigs_sears-had-layers-and-layers-of-people-it_3116289.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/charlie-munger-458_bigs_sears-had-layers-and-layers-of-people-it_3116289.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/charlie-munger-458_bigs_sears-had-layers-and-layers-of-people-it_3116289.jpg) > “Sears had layers and layers of people it didn't need. It was very bureaucratic. It was slow to think. And there was an established way of thinking. If you poked your head up with a new thought, the system kind of turned against you. It was everything in the way of a dysfunctional big bureaucracy that you would expect.” [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Large bureaucracies resist new ideas and punish innovators, leading to inefficiency. **In simple terms:** Big firms often block fresh thinking. Key Takeaway Challenge entrenched processes. Themes bureaucracy innovation resistance Mood frustrated critical Type advice analytical When to use this quote - corporate strategy - startup culture - policy reform - employee empowerment Key Concepts organizational behavior change management Questions to Reflect On - How can you foster openness in a rigid organization? - What incentives could reduce resistance to change? A Different Perspective New ideas may still be ignored despite effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bureaucracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bureaucracy/) [New thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-thought/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Way of thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way-of-thinking/) ## Related quotes > [What is common to our societies is the development into a managed mass society, with big bureaucracy, managing people. The Russians do it by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/what-is-common-to-our-societies-is-the-development-into-a-managed/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [You can't be for big government, big taxes and big bureaucracy and still be for the little guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/you-can-t-be-for-big-government-big-taxes-and-big-bureaucracy-and-2/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [For an American, as mad you may be about whatever the EPA or the IRS does, just imagine if you only had a one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hassett/for-an-american-as-mad-you-may-be-about-whatever-the-epa-or-the-irs/) [Kevin Hassett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hassett/) > [Racism oppresses its victims, but also binds the oppressors, who sear their consciences with more and more lies until they become prisoners of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alveda-king/racism-oppresses-its-victims-but-also-binds-the-oppressors-who-sear/) [Alveda King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alveda-king/) > [I was 12 when I ordered my first guitar out of the worn and discolored pages of the Sears and Roebuck catalog. The story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-autry/i-was-12-when-i-ordered-my-first-guitar-out-of-the-worn-and/) [Gene Autry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-autry/) > [The harder you work and the more you sear and bleed for a win, the sweeter that victory tastes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-warren/the-harder-you-work-and-the-more-you-sear-and-bleed-for-a-win-the/) [Branch Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-warren/) > [The melancholy days are come, the saddest of the year, Of wailing winds, and naked woods and meadows brown and sear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-c-bryant/the-melancholy-days-are-come-the-saddest-of-the-year-of-wailing-winds/) [William C. Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-c-bryant/) > [I hate Billings, Montana. They have a fashion show at Sears Roebuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-hate-billings-montana-they-have-a-fashion-show-at-sears-roebuck/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [A novel can educate to some extent, but first a novel has to entertain. That's the contract with the reader: you give me ten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/a-novel-can-educate-to-some-extent-but-first-a-novel-has-to-entertain/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [I'm not going to vacuum 'til Sears makes one you can ride on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roseanne-barr/i-m-not-going-to-vacuum-til-sears-makes-one-you-can-ride-on/) [Roseanne Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roseanne-barr/) > [“I gave a relenting sigh. "Fine! I'll throw on some clothes. Turn around. I'm in my pj's." Pj's that consisted of nothing but a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-fitzpatrick/i-gave-a-relenting-sigh-fine-i-ll-throw-on-some-clothes-turn-around-i/) [Becca Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-fitzpatrick/) > [Schools were designed by Horace Mann and Barnard Sears and Harper of the University of Chicago and Thorndyke of Columbia Teachers College and some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor-gatto/schools-were-designed-by-horace-mann-and-barnard-sears-and-harper-of/) [John Taylor Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor-gatto/) > [“I’ve read the philosophers. I range up and down them like a housewife with a dividend check in the Sears and Roebuck store.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/i-ve-read-the-philosophers-i-range-up-and-down-them-like-a-housewife/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Blood fills my mouth. Fire sears my veins. I choke back a howl. The silver knife slips--the choice is mine. I am death or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bree-despain/blood-fills-my-mouth-fire-sears-my-veins-i-choke-back-a-howl-the/) [Bree Despain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bree-despain/) > [Just the other day, my assistant was on the line with Calvin Klein. Golly, I usually shop at Sears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bob-thornton/just-the-other-day-my-assistant-was-on-the-line-with-calvin-klein/) [Billy Bob Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bob-thornton/) ## More by Charlie Munger > [Almost all good businesses engage in 'pain today, gain tomorrow' activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/almost-all-good-businesses-engage-in-pain-today-gain-tomorrow/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [If you want good behavior, don't pay on a commission basis. Our judges aren't paid so much a case. We keep them pretty well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/if-you-want-good-behavior-don-t-pay-on-a-commission-basis-our-judges/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [Acquire worldly wisdom and adjust your behavior accordingly. 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And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/the-great-lesson-in-microeconomics-is-to-discriminate-between-when/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [Some years ago one oil company bought a fertilizer company, and every other major oil company practically ran out and bought a fertilizer company.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/some-years-ago-one-oil-company-bought-a-fertilizer-company-and-every/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [ They \[Mc Donalds\] take people and give them a first job, which enables them to get a second job. They do a very good… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/they-mc-donalds-take-people-and-give-them-a-first-job-which-enables/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [What good is envy? It’s the one sin you can’t have any fun at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/what-good-is-envy-it-s-the-one-sin-you-can-t-have-any-fun-at/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [We believe that almost all really good investment records will involve relatively little diversification. The basic idea that it was hard to find good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/we-believe-that-almost-all-really-good-investment-records-will/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [It is way less certain to be a wonderful business in the future. The threat is alternative mediums of information. Every newspaper is scrambling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/it-is-way-less-certain-to-be-a-wonderful-business-in-the-future-the/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [In the corporate world, if you have analysts, due diligence, and no horse sense, you've just described hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/in-the-corporate-world-if-you-have-analysts-due-diligence-and-no/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [We have to have a special insight, or we'll put it in the 'too tough' basket. All of you have to look for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/we-have-to-have-a-special-insight-or-we-ll-put-it-in-the-too-tough/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [I've heard that one-half of the students at elite schools want to go into private equity or hedge funds. They want to keep up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/i-ve-heard-that-one-half-of-the-students-at-elite-schools-want-to-go/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) [Explore all 544 Charlie Munger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) ## More Bigs quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. 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Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Sears had layers and layers of people it didn't need. It was very bureaucratic. It was slow to think. And there was an established way of thinking. 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