There is no reason to make things more complex or difficult than they need to be, especially when it comes to setting the strategy for your organisation. For the past 14 years, I have traveled worldwide assisting a number of Fortune 500 clients and dozens of small to medium-sized businesses in developing focused and highly effective business strategies. However, I have come to realise that what most people think about when they hear the words "strategic planning" is not what most people actually do when they develop the key strategies for their business.
Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are the backbone of any economy. MSMEs form the majority of enterprises in any country and contribute to value addition, employment generation and innovation. Many of the largest and most successful enterprises in the last two decades have started as MSME ventures.
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) economies have been able to weather the international financial crisis, avoiding negative growth and a recessionary trap, according to speakers at the 2009 MENA Regional Economic Forum, which was organised by the Institute of International Finance and held in Amman, Jordan, on Oct. 12-13.
Mohammed Esa is Agility Global Integrated Logistics Senior Vice
President Sales & Marketing for the Middle East & Africa region
and has been with the organisation for five years. He has over 15 years
of experience in the transportation industry in the Middle East.
Formerly, Esa was Vice President Business Development for Agility’s
Asia Pacific region, where he was based at the company’s Hong Kong
headquarters, and he also managed regional business development for
Agility in Dubai. Esa holds an MBA from the University of Bradford in
the UK. Esa shared his insights about the key logistics industry in the
region with Capital.
In the rush to build and sell real estate assets, markets across the MENA region have largely overlooked the requirement to attract more stable, long-term investors and end users over the last decade. The wholesale withdrawal of speculators and short-term investors over the past year has left many owners with the need to hold and reposition assets they had originally intended to transact quickly.
Federal Reserve Bank Chairman Ben Bernanke observed on Sept. 15 that the recession “is very likely over”. David Ranson, President of H.C. Wainwright Economics, has observed an expectation for recovery in the narrowing of the Aaa and Baa investment grade corporate bond spread. Preciousmetals markets indicate high inflation. That said, not all sectors will likely do as well as the whole economy. Evidence indicates that the financial sector will still face challenges, and so it may be beneficial for investors to underweight exposure to financials.
Business trips can be hectic, fastpaced and run on tight schedules. Good preparation is vital if you're to reduce the effects of stress and keep an organised, alert mind. By thinking ahead and preparing well for your trip, you'll not only be doing your health a favour, but also your company by turning up at your meetings looking refreshed and focused.
Recent events in corporate America have demonstrated the destructive effects of business leaders who do not behave ethically. One might wonder why highly educated, successful and business-savvy corporate professionals at Enron, Tyco, WorldCom and Adelphia got themselves into such a big mess. The answer lies in a profound lack of ethics.
Communication is both a symptom and a cause of organisation performance problems. Over the years, we've heard hundreds of managers use “communication” as a vague catch-all for every type of organisation and team problem imaginable. Generally, the root cause of many "communication problems" is deeper than that.
There is no reason to make things more complex or difficult than they need to be, especially when it comes to setting the strategy for your organisation. For the past 14 years, I have traveled worldwide assisting a number of Fortune 500 clients and dozens of small to medium-sized businesses in developing focused and highly effective business strategies. However, I have come to realise that what most people think about when they hear the words "strategic planning" is not what most people actually do when they develop the key strategies for their business.
Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are the backbone of any economy. MSMEs form the majority of enterprises in any country and contribute to value addition, employment generation and innovation. Many of the largest and most successful enterprises in the last two decades have started as MSME ventures.
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) economies have been able to weather the international financial crisis, avoiding negative growth and a recessionary trap, according to speakers at the 2009 MENA Regional Economic Forum, which was organised by the Institute of International Finance and held in Amman, Jordan, on Oct. 12-13.
Mohammed Esa is Agility Global Integrated Logistics Senior Vice
President Sales & Marketing for the Middle East & Africa region
and has been with the organisation for five years. He has over 15 years
of experience in the transportation industry in the Middle East.
Formerly, Esa was Vice President Business Development for Agility’s
Asia Pacific region, where he was based at the company’s Hong Kong
headquarters, and he also managed regional business development for
Agility in Dubai. Esa holds an MBA from the University of Bradford in
the UK. Esa shared his insights about the key logistics industry in the
region with Capital.
In the rush to build and sell real estate assets, markets across the MENA region have largely overlooked the requirement to attract more stable, long-term investors and end users over the last decade. The wholesale withdrawal of speculators and short-term investors over the past year has left many owners with the need to hold and reposition assets they had originally intended to transact quickly.
Federal Reserve Bank Chairman Ben Bernanke observed on Sept. 15 that the recession “is very likely over”. David Ranson, President of H.C. Wainwright Economics, has observed an expectation for recovery in the narrowing of the Aaa and Baa investment grade corporate bond spread. Preciousmetals markets indicate high inflation. That said, not all sectors will likely do as well as the whole economy. Evidence indicates that the financial sector will still face challenges, and so it may be beneficial for investors to underweight exposure to financials.
Business trips can be hectic, fastpaced and run on tight schedules. Good preparation is vital if you're to reduce the effects of stress and keep an organised, alert mind. By thinking ahead and preparing well for your trip, you'll not only be doing your health a favour, but also your company by turning up at your meetings looking refreshed and focused.
Recent events in corporate America have demonstrated the destructive effects of business leaders who do not behave ethically. One might wonder why highly educated, successful and business-savvy corporate professionals at Enron, Tyco, WorldCom and Adelphia got themselves into such a big mess. The answer lies in a profound lack of ethics.
Communication is both a symptom and a cause of organisation performance problems. Over the years, we've heard hundreds of managers use “communication” as a vague catch-all for every type of organisation and team problem imaginable. Generally, the root cause of many "communication problems" is deeper than that.
