Winning at Service

This book reveals the Secrets to Service Success by analyzing four service companies that grew from small beginnings to the leaders in their industries. Interviews with the four CEOs who guided the companies to their success reveal the three basic principles they all share. The CEOs interviewed are Thomas Berglund of Securitas and J. Philip Sorensen of Group4Falck, the world's two largest security companies, Francis Mackay of Compass plc and Pierre Bellon of Sodexho Alliance, the world's two largest food service companies.

Foreword ix Acknowledgements xiii 1 Introduction 1 The Investigation 5 The Framework 6 How this Book is Organized 8 2 The Journey to Leadership 9 The Challenge 9 Four Journeys to Leadership 12 Signposts 2002 33 Four Companies: Four Winning Traits 37 3 Pick Your Game and Play it 39 Decide What You Want to Do 41 Follow a Simple, Replicable Business Model 49 Use Simple, Transparent Performance Measures 58 Questions for Service Leaders 61 4 Leadership at the Heart 63 Visionary Industry Shapers 67 Passionate and Inspirational Leaders 80 True Entrepreneurs 93 Intimate Business Knowledge 97 Questions for Service Leaders 98 5 Passion for People 101 Recruit 106 Integrate and Develop 111 Retain 122 Build Partnerships with Unions and Works Councils 132 Questions for Service Leaders 135 6 Keep It Simple 137 Flat Organization and Decentralized Decision-Making 138 Small Head Office 143 Questions for Service Leaders 147 7 Winning at Service: Final Words 149 Win by Relinquishing Power 153 Win with the Right Outlook 154 Win at Golf: Play with a Full Bag 159 Win by Turning Non-Core into Core 160 Can all Companies Win? 161 Assa Abloy: Lessons from a Non-Service Winner 166 How Large Can Winners Be? 167 Appendix 171 Index 175