October 2009
My conversations with executives around the world, in both the public and private sectors, give me a sense of the mood of leaders as they work through the challenges of the economic downturn. They also give me a revealing perspective on the state of global business.
What I am hearing and seeing varies from city to city. At its best, the business climate is uncertain; at its worst, it is downright ugly. And although there are some signs of improvement in specific areas, we have yet to see a broad, consistent trend toward better conditions.
What is playing out in different ways around the world is challenging the traditional definition of a recessionary cycle, which implies recovery at some point to more stable and familiar economics.
But a return to business as usual is not what I see happening. To me, the current environment strongly suggests that we are on the eve of a significant shift—a “reset” in the way the world works. This concept is growing in popularity among leaders who anticipate dramatic changes—not only in business models and in relationships with customers and employees, but in the very nature of competition and growth. In other words, operating in the year 2011 will be far different from what it was in 2007.
What will not change, however, is the demand and drive for high performance. As the economy resets, everyone I talk to wants to be in the best position to make their organizations better. At Accenture, we have refreshed our own strategy for growth and high performance. And we are working side by side with our clients to help them do the same—to address their immediate priorities as they prepare for a very different future that is beginning to take shape.
Getting reset for high performance is already an important conversation taking place among leaders in all sectors, and I hope you will find this issue of Outlook relevant. The cover story, “Aftershock,” describes the emerging new business landscape and the five key areas where change will be the most far-reaching in its impact.
Without question, daunting pressures abound for leaders today, and much about the economy remains unclear. Yet for me, there is also something energizing about having a hand in redefining how organizations will operate, compete and achieve high performance in the future . . . and about the exciting new opportunities this creates for all of us.
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