Tag Archives: government

Debt Concerns Rise: Can Your Business Do More with Less?

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As lawmakers stare into the abyss of the U.S. debt crisis, experts around the globe are attempting to script the possible outcomes of every solution offered by Congress. The impact on individuals and businesses has the potential to verge on catastrophic. The phrase “double dip” has resurfaced once again, indicating a growing concern that the U.S. may slide into a second recession. This erases much of the nervous optimism that businesses held at the conclusion of 2010. While economists and other analysts continue to search for answers, there has yet to be a clear angle on what, if anything, will turn the economic forecast around.

It seems as though companies will once again be tasked with having to do more with less. Performance will become a hot-button topic in many conference rooms and C-Suite level offices across the globe. That’s why Soundview is pleased to present the next installment of Soundview Live: How to Leverage the Power of People featuring William A. Schiemann. He is the author of Reinventing Talent Management, the co-author of Bullseye! Hiting Your Strategic Targets Through High-Impact Measurement and the CEO of Metrus Group, an organization that helps companies maximize results.

Think of what your organization is facing at the present. Have you been challenged by senior management or shareholders to increase productivity and profits in the face of economic uncertainty? If you’re going to need more from the team you trust, this edition of Soundview Live is a must for you to attend.

Join Soundview Live featuring William A. Schiemann on Wednesday, August 3 at Noon (Eastern). Visit Summary.com to sign up and don’t forget, Soundview subscribers can attend for FREE!

The Sun, The Law and a Great Summary

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As the summer sun rages in the sky above the offices of Soundview Executive Book Summaries (and most of the United States), lawmakers in the nation’s capital are debating whether or not to bring the industry devoted to harnessing solar power to its knees. The U.S. House of Representatives has its sights set on reducing or cutting federal grant and guaranteed loan programs for the development of solar power. While it’s not the purpose of this blog to offer political comment on any decision by the federal government, the notion of cutting funding for the solar power industry has a more critical effect on business that is worth mentioning.

The potential interruption of funding opportunities could have a wide-reaching impact. In an article in USA Today, Roger Efird, managing director of Suntech America (a part of Suntech Power, the world’s largest producer of solar panels), said, “Is the solar industry going to die if we lose these programs? No, but we’re going to stall.”

His quote led me to reflect on a recent summary published by Soundview Executive Book Summaries. In Flash Foresight, author Daniel Burrus reveals that plotting your business’s course for the future is dependent on your ability to analyze hard and soft trends. I had the opportunity to interview Burrus about his book, and when we discussed hard and soft trends, he said the following:

When the government passes a law, it actually creates a series of hard trends and you can profit from those. You have to pay attention to what’s happening.

Applying that to the news today about the potential cut for the solar power industry, one imagines that there are companies currently working on other alternative sources of energy that could potentially benefit in the future. If you read the summary of Flash Foresight, you’ll gain a better understanding of Burrus’ methods to see the trends and capitalize.

To get your copy of the Soundview Executive Book  Summary of Flash Foresight, visit Soundview online at Summary.com.