McKinsey Quarterly

This is the best tool tool for a strategist to have in his/her cache.

This is a fantastic article- very clear & articulate. The author best summarizes the need for scenario planning with the phrase : " Scenarios will not provide all of the answers, but they help executives ask better questions and prepare for the unexpected. " As we steer through turbulent times, scenario planning opens the eyes of the organization to a range of plausible options beyond just historical trend based projections. And that is most critical. Excellent read!

All said and done, but I believe action is purely subjective. In my opinion it all depends your product and the kind of market its catering to. If your product requires you maintain regular contact/meetings with the officials, you arent left with much option but to do so, say for an instance if the client is a Goverment Undertaking, it involves top-down approach. However, I do agree with the aspect of using technology to improvise the operational efficiency and reduce the cost.

Customer acquisition goals are the parameter on which the the options of taking cuts or consolidation etc need to be taken. An organization cannot exclude the impact of short term actions on the long term goals of growth. A through understanding of customers - their buying behavior, commonality among customers and ability consolidate by re-... Read Morearranging the sales mix will go a long way in tiding over the concern of productivity of the salesforce. It is still about looking at the customers then just inside the organization approach.

What he is trying to protect is his right to make money, not to express himself. I see a big distinction there. If he was a true artist, the financial return aspect of it would be meaningless. I say pshaw!

Slow down will move very slowly.

Most of the time it is the mismanagement and lack of proper allocation and distribution of the company's resources that makes the IT crumble to the ground. When the CIO properly and carefully plans the allocation and distribution of the company's existing IT resources, then a clear path to a productivity can be seen close.
By avoiding favoritism and thinking/planning/allocating/distributing resources objectively; maybe productivity and goal achievement is already at reach.

CIO's vision creates strategy. CIO knowing the tangiable
and intangiable assets of data-center and resources
is in a leading role. IT products in the managment of CIO
defines the future. CIO in the board leads the whole
company.

Thats the way aahan I like it ahan ahaan. Keep rolling ! :)

I received this copy!!!

Some employees respond well to incentive/ reward and others respond to a different type.
However, my observation is that the younger employees especially young mothers respond more to extra time off while the more mature employees respond more to recognition and praise.

Overall a bland article, content not substantial enuf to justify the mckinsie.

Retail merchants need a strong point of view and vision in order to make sense of their value proposition. Presentation is all important. With bean counters and geeks running things, the merchandising gets lost.
Imagine an electronic flea market or a Madison Avenue boutique...
Mostly the experience gets lost in translation...and the stupid tabs on ... Read Morethe left and the stupid boxed in photos..the same on every site....
I want to get all caught up in the experience of it and you designers of retail websites just haven't made it happen for me online. Yet.
I am available for consulting if you have a retail web project that needs imagination and professional merchandising to change all that..

Well, the author's view is interesting, while a little optimistic.
Actors are not the same except for monopolistic Cies....

The Todd's questions are really good, but frankly Ed's answers are very generally in the sense that everybody knows and Wal-mart also knows.

Risk based Process mapping is needed in order to identify so called duplicated activities within the different layers in the organization. Mapping should be done using innovative tools identifying risks and benefits, time and cost allocation...

Well analysed article. I guess the easiest and fastest way to show figures is to cut cost while in mid term or long term this decision may fire back yet top executives choose to do this....cant blame them for having short term focus.

Besides the collaboration, the more important, I think, is that men and women know how to borrow some thoughts from each other and make those thoughts part of themselves. In each business, both "feminine" and "masculine" ways exist. A good leader knows when and how to get them work for him/herself and the company. Instead of bringing more women to the leadership, I value more on training up leaders to a fusion style.

Whitney, I agree. I would add that we should focus on the application of these effective leadership styles and don't spend too much energy assigning techniques and skills to a particular gender.

wonderfully crafted article!!!!!

Good article touching upon the missing points i.e. Workforce culture and/or attitude towards productive/constructive collaboration aiming for a collective wisdom; and the metrics to capture the benefits/improvements in the functioanl ecosystem.Agree that while technology has done its bit in providing the platform to collaborate, we the knowledge workers may introspect on those two points for leveraging the benefits for our own effectiveness resulting in a better professional life.

I like the mission statement, “To enable simple and responsible urban living.”