Turn on any business news show--any news show--and the talk is of the possibility of a double-dip recession around the globe. Whether it's NYU's Nouriel Roubini saying the chances are 40% or Ford's President of Americas countering that one is unlikely, all this double-dip talk pushes a negative narrative onto business leaders and the public at large. But you don't have the luxury of burying your head in the sand when there's bad news. So how can you, the business owner/executive/manager, forge ahead when chicken little is screeching in everyone's ears? We thought about that when we put together the agenda for WBF10. And while we know that speeches don't create consumer demand or make debt evaporate and credit appear, the truth is that, even in a difficult business environment, the best businesses survive and even thrive. Why? World Business Forum 2010 seeks to answer that query.
This year's Forum is divided into nine categories of inquiry: the Economy, Trends, Change, Leadership, Performance, People, Strategy, Innovation and Communication. It is your response to the challenges presented by temporal issues within these categories that, in large part, determines your success. The best businesses soar in good times and retool during tough times by focusing, laser-like, on how to answer the unique challenges of the times--by navigating the particular economic and competitive waters in which they find themselves. And each of our WBF10 speakers will address some aspect of one (and possibly more) of these nine topics to offer a "now" perspective on how you can not only overcome obstacles, but take advantage of them. In the weeks leading up to WBF10, we'll introduce the WBF10 speakers to you here. Last week, you met Renee Mauborgne, who has revolutionized the way business thinks about Strategy and Innovation, and Nando Parrado, whose perspective on Leadership and Performance in crisis are unparalleled because of his unique experience.
Double-Dip, if that's where we're heading, doesn't mean your business folds up shop and goes home. You attack the situation with the best tools at your disposal. And if you wake up in six months and business is booming, the tools will work just as well. Then you can order a mint-chocolate chip/vanilla bean cone and pat yourself and your team on the back for a job well done.
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