Feb. 2016: Confidence in Future Business at a 14-Month Low
Lynn Russo Whylly
As the primaries heat up and the presidential candidate herd begins to thin out, CEOs appear to be in wait-and-see mode. When it comes to their confidence in how business conditions will be 12 months from now, they have less confidence today than they did in January 2015. And their confidence has dropped every month since then, to achieve a new low this month.
CEOs rated their confidence in future business conditions at 5.85 out of 10 points, with 10 being the highest. Compared with 6.71 for January 2015, that is a 12.8% drop in 14 months.
And revenue size does not make a difference in how CEOs feel. Whether respondents lead a large, mid-sized or small company, all CEOs appear to have the same concerns about future business conditions.
There are, however, extreme differences by industry. Consider, for example, the two polar end points: Not surprisingly, CEOs in the energy/utility industry have the dimmest outlook, having rated their confidence in business conditions a year from now at 5.31 out of 10. Comparatively, CEOs in the pharmaceuticals/medical products industry have extremely high confidence in future business conditions in their industry, having given a rating of 8.00, fully 51% higher than the collective rating given by energy/utility CEOs.
Of 16 industries, just five gave a rating of 6 or better, with Travel/Leisure, Healthcare and Manufacturing-Consumer Goods business leaders rating future business conditions 6.50, 6.20 and 6.15, respectively. Pharma/Medical Products was the only industry to give a rating above 6.5.
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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:
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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.
