How might a traditional retail company apply Richard Rumelt's approach to strategy?

Companies might face several obstacles when applying Richard Rumelt's strategy concepts. One of the main challenges is the identification of critical factors in a situation and the design of coordinated actions to deal with these factors. This requires a deep understanding of the company's resources, capabilities, and the industry landscape, which many companies may lack. Another obstacle could be the tendency to replace hard strategic work with template-style vision building or other forms of pseudo-strategy. To overcome these obstacles, companies need to invest in strategic education and training, cultivate a deep understanding of their industry, and resist the temptation to take shortcuts in strategic planning.

In 'Good Strategy, Bad Strategy', Richard Rumelt describes 'pseudo-strategy' as a common pitfall in strategic planning. It refers to the use of template-style vision building or other superficial methods as a substitute for genuine strategic thinking. Real strategy involves identifying critical factors in a situation and designing coordinated actions to address them. It requires a deep understanding of one's resources, capabilities, and the industry landscape. Pseudo-strategy, on the other hand, lacks this depth and rigor, making it an ineffective approach to strategic planning.

Yes, there are several companies that have successfully implemented Richard Rumelt's strategy principles. One notable example is Apple Inc. under the leadership of Steve Jobs. Jobs identified the critical factors in the situation, such as the need for user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing products, and designed coordinated actions to deal with these factors. This included the development of the iPod, iPhone, and iPad, which revolutionized the technology industry. Another example is Google, which has consistently demonstrated a sharp understanding of its industry and its surrounding space, and has skillfully designed coordinated actions to deal with critical factors, such as the shift towards mobile and voice search.