Recessions

Republicans get more conservative, Democrats get more liberal.

Is America headed for a lost decade? And is that why I relentlessly propose that the days of industrial age business as usual are numbered? Yes — and no. In this short video post, here’s what I advance: America just had a lost decade (I’ve also compiled four troubling charts, available here, that lend credence […]

During boom times, deal-making is relatively easy. A rising tide lifts all boats … and the knowledge that there are lots of opportunities out there makes some negotiators forget that the deal is a way to get value, not an end in itself. You don’t have to look as far back as the excesses of […]

Given that we haven't figured out how to avoid business cycles, we're going to have a recession eventually. And given what's happening in the housing...

Today, The Washington Post debuts a new Web-based discussion series called “On Leadership,” and I am pleased to be part of a panel of thinkers who will weigh in every Tuesday on a timely question or challenge. This morning’s question: What should Detroit’s CEOs have done differently to make their case in Washington about a […]

It's about knowing how to reallocate - and deallocate - resources.

Russia invaded Ukraine just as pressures on the U.S. economy appeared to have peaked.

Edward Bernays, the “father of public relations,” once defined PR as “a program of action to earn public understanding and acceptance.” If that is the case today, the CEOs of the Big 3 automakers remain challenged on both aspects. Having taken private jets to their first round of testimony, they came off as both unprepared […]

Can companies actually grow stronger during a recession? What can they do to capitalize on the problems that their rivals encounter during tough economic times? Suppose you have a sturdy balance sheet, low debt, and plentiful amounts of cash. How can you employ these strengths to take on rivals who have been weakened considerably? I’m […]

And what it will take to continue.

Recent headlines — Citigroup’s layoffs, Iceland’s sudden downturn, worldwide food shortages, etc. — suggest serious global turmoil is ahead. All companies, and multinationals in particular, should be prepared to withstand it. Unfortunately, many are not. Traditional forecasting and budgeting systems produce linear projections insufficient for risky, uncertain times. What’s needed is scenario planning, where companies […]

How do some entrepreneurs, corporate innovators, and investors turn adverse conditions to competitive advantage? Chakravorti, of McKinsey and Harvard...

Policymakers are victims of their own success.

With unemployment above 10 percent the federal government is considering another stimulus package in an effort to create or save more jobs. The idea of spending more stimulus money gives us pause. We do believe that stimulus money can truly stimulate the economy, but only if the money is spent in a financially intelligent way, […]

Learn, relearn, unlearn, repeat. It’s vital for U.S. competitiveness, and your own.

The end is not nigh.

Don't let a work gap cause you to miss a good candidate.

Corporate executives with risk exposure in China would do well to follow the Chinese stock market very carefully as it is one of the best leading indicators of business conditions over the next one to four quarters. And right now, the Chinese stock market continues to flash multiple warning signs of a sharp economic slowdown. […]

It was, as baseball sage Yogi Berra said, "like déjà vu all over again." All that people wanted to talk about were variations on the theme of Profit from...

While some of us head to the gym to fulfill our New Year’s resolution, President-Elect Obama is losing no time in fulfilling his: immediate passage of a massive stimulus and recovery package for the U.S. economy. That’s right. He and Speaker Pelosi aim to have a bill on the President’s desk by January 20, the […]