When Growth Stalls: How It Happens, Why You're Stuck, and What to Do About It - Hardcover

Reseña del editor

One of the toughest lessons every business leader learns is how hard it is to generate sustained growth. Stalled growth is the rule, not the exception--even for the best-managed companies. That's especially true in unpredictable economic environments such as the one we're experiencing today. McKee has a unique understanding of what happens when growth stalls. His firm commissioned a study of 700 companies that had at one time been among the nation's fastest-growing businesses. Developed in concert with Decision Analyst, a leading national research and consulting firm, the study probed areas as diverse as corporate structure, competition, branding, finance, and strategy. The target respondent profile were CEOs, owners, principals, presidents, managing directors or chairmen of the board. In-depth follow-up interviews yielded fascinating stories and personal comments from executives who had been living on the front lines of real-life growth crises. McKee presents compelling knowledge about how and why companies lose their way, and offers practical advice about how they can rekindle growth. When Growth Stalls demonstrates that sluggish growth is generally produced not by mismanagement or strategic blundering but by natural market forces and management dynamics that are often unrecognized--and widespread. The book presents seven characteristics that commonly correlate with stalled growth and what to do about them. Some are external forces to which countless companies have fallen victim: economic upheavals, changing industry dynamics, and increased competition. What McKee points out, however, is how often they catch companies off-guard. More surprising are four subtle and highly destructive internal factors that conspire to keep companies down: lack of consensus among the management team, loss of nerve, loss of focus, and marketing inconsistency. McKee makes the case that, regardless of what's going on outside of an enterprise, it's what's inside that counts.

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Praise for When Growth Stalls

"Is there a doctor in the house? Steve McKee is good for what ails today's companies in search of growth. He's been through it, and he has isolated the key symptoms that hold companies back."
—Rance Crain, president, Crain Communications, and editor-in-chief, Advertising Age

"Don't be fooled by the title—this book isn't just for stalled companies. McKee covers important principles that all companies should be thinking about, especially new or fast-growing companies."
—Tony Hsieh, CEO, Zappos.com

"Steve McKee has zeroed in on the symptoms and challenges facing every business. Being aware of the issues is half the battle, and this book helps you win. A must-read for all businesses, especially emerging companies."
—Anupam Narayan, president and CEO, Red Lion Hotels Corporation

"When Growth Stalls is both insightful and timely. I was fortunate to read this during a difficult financial time for my industry. And having read it, I feel more secure in weathering the economic and management storms I face."
—Mary Lee Keane, president, Effie Worldwide

"When Growth Stalls is not only timely, it's timeless. These challenges confront managers in good times and bad, and McKee offers practical advice that people in every industry can use. This book will be relevant for years to come."
—David Humphrey, CEO, Massage Envy

"The message of this book is like a splash of cold water in the face because it truly mirrors the reality we face day in and day out in an increasingly competitive environment. Well worth spending time absorbing and applying to one's business enterprise, whether large or small."
—Mark Chmiel, executive vice president and chief marketing and innovation officer, Denny's, Inc.