1. The Birth of the Low-Carbon Economy. Momentum from the Paris climate-change accord a few weeks ago will help establish “a working framework for the development of a global low-carbon economy,” argued TriplePundit.com, a sustainability website. If the warm weather continues in the Eastern United States, where some of the most important opinions on such things are formed, this will add to the push. Suggestion: Something as simple as adding a bike rack or lockable bike storage area at your office or plant can help increase employee loyalty.
2. Wearables on the Rise. Expect not only rising consumer embrace of smartwatches like Apple Watch, but also increasing use of wearable devices connected to the Internet of Things in business environments, such as monitoring hazardous work zones or doctors keeping track of patients recuperating at home, according to AT&T. Suggestion: Ask your executives and employees for input on how wearable devices could help your organization stay on top of problems, challenges and opportunities.
3. Self-Driving Mania. Beginning with an explosion of technological wonders for autonomous driving being displayed at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in the first week of January, expect the mania around self-driving vehicles to build quickly. An expected Ford-Google alliance to field a co-branded driverless car will be one big accelerator. Suggestion: What could your company automate to improve efficiencies and enable the shifting of employees to more customer- and value-centered tasks?
4. Accelerated Tracking. Using the Internet of Things for sensing and tracking will flood business in 2016, AT&T says. That includes a growing use of sensors that will track whether a food or medication shipment gets wet, or too hot or too cold. Suggestion: How could IoT help your business manage things like equipment life, or remotely resetting machines that go offline?
5. Back to the Future with Food. Protein-rich meals with butter as an ingredient will be on the rise this year, according to CPG guru Phil Lempert, as will shorter ingredient lists and growing claims that food is “Free from” something as a popular indicator that food is “healthy.” Suggestion: As a business leader, it’s important for you to stay healthy and keep your energy up. Think of one thing you can eliminate from your diet that’s unhealthy and one thing you can add more of to your diet that is healthy, and work toward those goals in 2016.
6. Food Waste Gets Less Wasteful. The biggest social issue in the food business this year, argued Bret Thorn, a blogger for the Nation’s Restaurant News website, will be food waste. Awareness of just how much food Americans waste – an estimated 31 percent of our supply in 2010 – “has made into mainstream conversation now.” As this conversation gets louder, more brands and organizations will strive to reduce food waste all year round. Suggestion: If your facility has a cafeteria, ask your property manager or facilities director whether your organization is involved in composting. If not, suggest they start one this year.
Chief Executive Group exists to improve the performance of U.S. CEOs, senior executives and public-company directors, helping you grow your companies, build your communities and strengthen society. Learn more at chiefexecutivegroup.com.
0
1:00 - 5:00 pm
Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process
Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:
Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns. They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning. Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process. This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented. If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form. The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.
2:00 - 5:00 pm
Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations.
Limited space available.
10:30 - 5:00 pm
General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
Sponsored by UBS
General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.
The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.
