Marquard maintains that Scott “inherited” baggage including a market multiple that “got well ahead” of the stock and the company’s growth. However, the consultant says Scott has presided over a resurgence of the firm’s former “productivity loop” and “strong process organization” — which has helped reverse the six-year downward trend in Wal-Mart’s overall-sales growth rate, [...]
Marquard…knows his subject intimately and describes the controversial retail goliath with admirable neutrality, bringing together the conclusions of various research studies on relevant topics-wage and expansion policies, for instance-rather than praising or condemning Wal-Mart’s polarizing business practices himself.
Publisher’s Weekly, January 8, 2007
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Wal-Smart is not just a book about Wal-Mart. Wal-Smart starts by exploring the elements of Wal-Mart’s success that few people see: its productivity loop, its powerful process disciplines, and its hidden management “DNA.” It then crafts compelling strategies that any company in any industry can use to survive and thrive in this brave new Wal-Mart world.
“Strategy is the elimination of options,” says Bill Marquard of Marble Leadership Partners, a Chicago, Ill. firm that helps national and global corporations set competitive strategies.
“It has to be an intentional investment,” says Leslie O. Marquard, chairman, CEO and managing director of the Winnetka, Ill.-based business consulting firm Marble Leadership Partners Inc. “You establish the goals, and the person who is coached agrees to the goals and says, ‘I will report back to you as I’m achieving the goals.’” After the person has transitioned into the new leadership role, continue the coaching to give them a safety net.
