Philip H. Mirvis & Karen Ayas 
To the Desert and Back [PDF ebook] 
The Story of One of the Most Dramatic Business Transformations on Record

Dove, Lipton, Knorr, Ben & Jerry’s, and Slim*Fast are a few ofthe brands that are part of the $66 billion global empire known as Unilever. When the story opens, one of its divisions is in deeptrouble– declining volume, eroding margins, critical qualityproblems– and is close to being sold off. Then Tex Gunning, its visionary new division chairman, takes the stage, an expandingcircle of young leaders takes charge, and once-skeptical workersembrace a challenging message of growth. The result? The divisiongrows by double digits, year in and year out, and energizes Unilever’s path to thrive around the globe.

To the Desert and Back tells the inside story of thetransformation in the words of the people in all quarters of thecompany who made it happen. It documents five years of personalsoul-searching, teamwork, companywide learning conferences, memorable journeys to the mountains and desert, and inspiredpromotions that show how these efforts produced a remarkabletop-to-bottom turnaround. This story delivers authentic andconvincing proof that a revitalized business is about personalgrowth.

The lessons learned from this dramatic business turnaroundprovide unexpected insights and encouraging inspiration for othercompanies and leaders ready to embark on their own remarkablejourney of transformation, growth, and success.

Spis treści

Preview: The View from the Desert ix

Part I: Turnaround

1. Wake-Up Call 3

2. Rebuilding the Business 15

Part II: Takeover

3. Merger or Takeover? 31

4. Going into Therapy 41

5. Revolution and Chaos 55

Part III: Transforming the Organization

6. 180 Leaders in Charge 67

7. Community or Cult? 79

8. The Mc Van den Bergh Clan 89

Part IV: Transforming the Business

9. Growing a Market: Foods 103

10. Growing a Brand: Fats 117

11. Cascading Change: Uniquisine, Calvé, Royco, and Nassaukade 129

Part V: Transfer

12. To the Desert 145

13. The Legacy of Growth 155

Part VI: Takeaways for Leading Change

14. Change Models and Methods 169

15. Change as Theater 183

16. Holistic Integration 195

Appendix 1: Cast of Characters–Then and Now 207

Appendix 2: Learning History 211

Notes and Sources 221

Acknowledgments 243

About the Authors 247

Index 251

O autorze

Philip Mirvis is an organizational psychologist whoseresearch and practice concerns large-scale organizational changeand its implications for a global workforce. He is the author ofnumerous books, including The Cynical Americans and Joining Forces, both from Jossey-Bass.

Karen Ayas is an author, educator, and research fellow at Erasmus University, Rotterdam, Netherlands, and partner in the Ripples Groups, a consulting practice specializing in growthstrategies and change management.

George Roth is a consultant, author, and researchassociate at MIT’s Sloan School of Management.