With stagnant demand across many developed economies and increasing uncertainty in emerging markets, CEOs are under pressure to execute an effective growth strategy.
It is estimated that meetings consume more than two days a week of an executive’s time and 15% of an organization’s collective time. It's no wonder many executives are exclaiming, "We must stop meeting like this!" to their supervisory and management teams.
Reaching $50 a barrel was quite a landmark, however some traders are already betting on $20/barrel futures. Industry giants, such as Shell, Premier Oil, Statoil and Canadian Natural Resources, are now abandoning billions of dollars in exploration drilling projects. This current trend has caused a great deal of scrutiny towards capital spending across the energy sector.
Achieving significant improvement in financial and operational results requires the following elements that promote organizational change:
Based on our past experience with clients, most internal cost-cutting initiatives are short-term and do not have a significant impact on an organization’s P&L. Once it is evident these initiatives are not viable, executives typically reconsider, abandon or relaunch them at a later date. Delays like these result in lost opportunities and missed chances to gain a competitive edge in the marketplace.
Corporations are bound by the rules of short-term earnings. It is a vicious cycle that repeats itself every quarter and consumes a significant amount of an executive's time. During this short window of time, the goal is to produce consistent and predictable results that will, in turn, deliver a strong share price and a higher valuation. In order to keep up, priorities typically shift to the day-to-day execution of operations
In recent discussions with several former C-suite executives, we had a chance to ask them why internal teams typically struggle to accelerate performance initiatives when the opportunity arises. David Eldon, former Chief Executive and Chairman of HSBC said, “Internal improvement teams can deliver good value, but are subject to a number of drawbacks.”
Critical to the success of every bank is creating a healthy balance between outstanding customer service and employee satisfaction. Establishing a customer-first mentality starts with developing a framework of processes, systems and behaviors that support the customer experience.
Safety nowadays is just as relevant in the oil and gas industry as it was 10 years ago. And, while the industry continues to make great strides to reduce the amount of job-related injuries, the reality is the same safety policies and procedures that have been in place for years are simply not enough to prevent fatalities. Based on our depth of experience working with oil and gas executives,
The ability to run operations at full capacity, and then sustain them, is a major challenge for the mining industry. Vital tasks, such as crushing and transferring minerals, are suffering because people and equipment are not being utilized properly. The end result is low productivity and the high costs that are associated with it. However, our recent findings show that it in many cases it is possible to increase productivity in mining between 20 - 40%, reduce supply costs between 10 - 15% and cut energy costs by 2 - 10% through effective asset management.
Knowledge transfer a must
In the natural resources industry, companies are faced with the daunting challenge of maintaining current production levels despite an industry-wide shortage of skilled workers. For example, the lack of college graduates specializing in mining operations
It seems that the only constant in the insurance industry these days is change. The emergence of new technology and “big data” are altering the way insurance carriers conduct business. Long gone is the time where people relied on an agent to buy an insurance policy.
In several of our recent engagements we have witnessed first-hand the enormous amount of pressure on CEOs to meet the stringent demands of both stakeholders and customers. One such demand that continues to be a top priority for executives is employee productivity.
Many major banks are suffering declines in trading revenue amid an environment of tranquil markets and stringent regulations.
Do your employees feel a connection in the workplace? If not, consider the following: Towers Perrin research reports companies that have engaged employees report a 6% higher net profit margin. In addition, Kenexa research concludes that engaged companies have shareholder returns that are five times higher over the course of five years.
Organizations dealing with rapid changes are often plagued with inconsistencies that limit production and produce erratic results. So why not devise a plan to stop wasteful practices and become more productive? Sounds easy enough, however gaining employee acceptance of a new approach can be extremely challenging. Two key elements must be considered for a large-scale project such as this to be a viable option: behaviors and change management.
Retail banking has its fair share of problems. What is clear is that when things go wrong, it is not because banks fail to comply with regulatory rules – the business model, company culture or business practices are usually to blame.
Mergers and acquisitions represent the ultimate challenge for any business -- no other event is more difficult, challenging or chaotic. A bad merger can leave a tarnished legacy where problematic cultural and process issues define the organization.
