Executive Agenda
Volume XII, Number 1, 2009

Features

Battle Plans for a Downturn
On the battlefield of a major economic downturn, do you go on defense, hunkering down until the battle ends? Or offense, attacking first and fast to capitalize on competitors' weaknesses? The right answer is not to answer — at least not until you've examined all competitive positions.
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Tinkering with the Go-to-Market(ing) Model
You know the drill: Implement a marketing strategy that is in line with your company's broader go-to-market model but flexible enough to adapt to changing business conditions. As your go-to-market model shifts — to focus on products, channels or customers — so must the strategic role of marketing.
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The Colombian Cleanup
Francisco Santos Calderón, vice president of Colombia, discusses the end of corruption in his country and how democracy has opened the doors to foreign investors, commerce and economic success.
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Management Agenda

Cultivating Smart Complexity
Recession-weary and buried under too much of everything, customers are saying no thanks to more products. Companies are happy to oblige, but first have to contend with the complex tangle of products and processes left over from the "more is more" culture.
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Capacity for Change
Transforming failures are often blamed on botched Six Sigma or lean manufacturing projects. But the real reason transformations fall short is because companies do not have the capacity for change. They lack the interactions, personal and professional, necessary to make change take hold.
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Vertical View

Retail's Recession Survivors: Not Waiting for a Rescue
What separates companies that survive a recession from those that fall victim to it? Survivors do not passively await rescue. They remain focused on the endgame—using the recession as an opportunity to plan, prepare and prime their organization for postrecession prosperity.
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Caution: Rough Road Ahead
The U.S. automotive industry has its problems, but if history is an indicator, it should rebound. It will not be a gentle bounce, however. Even in the most optimistic outlook, industry downsizing, restructuring and consolidation are inescapable.
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Research Reports

A Game-Changing Year for Global Retailers
The economic crisis might have slowed growth and incomes for retailers in some markets, but there are still places where wealth and spending are strong and resources are accessible. Find out more in A.T. Kearney's Global Retail Development Index™.
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Offshoring: Shifts, Stops and New Starts
The offshore landscape is changing rapidly as established hubs become less attractive and a few rising stars have the potential to redraw the offshoring map, according to A.T. Kearney's Global Services Location Index™.
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Sales Talent Takes a Strategic Step Up
In the face of constantly evolving markets and savvier consumers, traditional sales skills are not enough to put companies over the top. Salespeople need to be merchandisers, category strategists, general managers and thought partners.
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Page 71

The Parachute Has Opened
The headlong fall after the Crash of '08 has slowed. Optimists say recovery is nigh. Pessimists point out that unemployment is still rising. Realists suggest that while signs of recovery are promising, the real question is how long that recovery will be sustainable.
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