Although Stall Points: Most Companies Stop Growing–Yours Doesn’t Have To isn’t available until May 19, an article from authors Matthew S. Olson and Derek van Bever appeared in the March edition of the Harvard Business Review.

Olson and van Bever, with Seth Verry, analyzed the growth of Fortune 100-sized companies over the past half-century. They found that 87% of those companies stalled at least once in their history. The authors also found that within a few years after the stall, odds overwhelm any hope of healthy growth. The article also identifies the most common causes of growth stalls. The entire article is available here for purchase.

For more information on growth stalls, what they are, and how to prevent them in your company, check out Olson and van Bever‘s website, The Stall Points Initiative. The site even includes a Red Flag Diagnostic, which can help identify the warning signs that senior management should guard against.

Matthew S. Olson is an executive director and Derek van Bever is the
chief research officer of the Corporate Executive Board (NASDAQ:EXBD),
the premier advisory and performance improvement network for leaders of
the world’s largest public and private organizations.  The authors live
in the Washington, DC area.