On management confidence

How can managers act with confidence when they cannot know what the future holds?

By paying more attention to the Strategy function. By re-discovering the art and science of operations research and decision sciences' methods in analysing scenarios of potential outcomes (like chess).

For many years now, too much emphasis has been placed on Sales, Cost Mgt, etc.

Strategy is considered a bit of a "luxury", even by large companies (for most small companies "Strategy" is a "foreign word"). How many corporations today have a Strategy Dept.?

Why have they outsourced the operation?

(This is an opinion I posted in the FT forums, April 16, 2006. The dynamic is equally current today)

"Seasons Of Years"

"Seasons Of Years" (2005)

Winners they were, of endless quarters
Believers they were, to the cause
Seekers they were, of the absolute advantage
Players they were, of the perennial game

Alone she was, waiting for her Prince
On the phone she was, searching for clues
Prone she was, to conspiracy theories
Away from her throne she was, a princess without her prince

Speechless he was, observing the outcome
Pennyless he felt, after the game
Effortless he thought, was his way home
Pointless he knew, was to try to regain his throne

Years passed
Springs, Summers, Autumns and Winters

The princess was waiting
The prince was hurting
The people were confused
The enemies were amused

Fairy tales can come true
But only in fairy tales

Audio only

a) The case for less globalisation
b) The causes of the crisis (10/23/08)