Survey Reflects Dramatic Change in Top Executive Priorities
What a difference a year makes. Reflecting the global economic crisis, revenue and profit growth have been replaced by adaptability to change and financial risk as top concerns among executives.
According to the Wall Street Journal, a just-released Conference Board survey lists the top five concerns among executives, worldwide, as:
Top 5 concerns among executives, worldwide (2008)
- Excellence in execution
- Consistent execution of strategy by top management
- Speed, flexibility, adaptability to change
- Global economic performance
- Financial risk, including liquidity, volatility, and credit risk
Top 10 concerns among executives, worldwide (2007)
- Excellence in execution
- Sustained and steady top-line growth
- Consistent execution of strategy by top management
- Profit growth
- Finding qualified managerial talent
- Customer loyalty / retention
- Speed, flexibility, adaptability to change
- Corporate reputation
- Stimulating innovation / creativity / enabling entrepreneurship
- Speed to market
Does that concern you? Is it a good thing? Do you agree with this shift in priorities?