Book Briefs: Stretch! How Great Companies Grow in Good Times and Bad

Stretch! How Great Companies Grow in Good Times and Bad

By Graeme K. Deans and Fritz Kroeger

John Wiley & Sons, December 2003

243 pages, $29.95

Drawing on their years as A.T. Kearney consultants, the authors eliminate the last possible excuse for not increasing revenues: No matter what is going on in your industry or in the economy, there is always at least one company experiencing growth. Therefore, if your company isn't the one growing, then it's the one losing ground. The authors outline how various parts of your company—operations, strategy and even organizational structure—can contribute to growth, but their most compelling point is reflected in the title: The commitment to increasing revenues must be there through the bad times as well as the good.