Do you want to keep up to date with the latest developments in finance, but you are short of time? Don’t worry. CFO South Africa weekly collects 10 of the most important articles from international media for your convenience.
1. This 1 Habit Will Make an Enormous Impact on Your Career
Hard work? Reading? Learning? Nope. Here's what you should be doing every day.
2. A former Navy SEAL commander says you can transform your life with ...
Jocko Willink is a retired Navy SEAL commander, best-selling author, and popular podcast host. His new book is a "field manual" for instilling discipline into your life. He shared simple habits you can begin tonight and tomorrow morning.
3. 3 Simple Tools That Will Optimize Your Brainpower
Habits are learned through rewarded practice. Some habits are completely unconscious, for example: checking your phone when you experience a moment of boredom. You may not have realized how much this has become a habit in your life (as it has in mine), simply because our phones are very good at negating that feeling of boredom (negative reinforcement reward).
4. Hone Your Storytelling Skills To Grow Your Business--These 3 Expert...
The most surprising wisdom I heard last week from Dave Asprey, creator and head of the global Bulletproof brand was his advice on the greatest communication strategy in business. His suggestion to all is that every entrepreneur increase their ability to tell a great story. In doing this, face to face presentations are the most ideal, he says. When in-person isn't an option, video stories are more powerful than audio, and audio surpasses the written word. But regardless of the medium, the core of all business, according to Asprey, is the power to tell their stories well.
5. Failed M&A Deals Continue to Increase
The proportion of announced mergers and acquisitions globally that failed to close was up for a third consecutive year in 2016, reaching an eight-year high. It was the highest level since 2008, the year the financial crisis hit. At 7.2%, it was the fourth-highest level of failed deal activity in a 25-year period examined in a new study by City University of London's Cass Business School, trailing only 1992, 2008, and 1993. Cass conducted the study on behalf of IntraLinks, a provider of software that enables collaboration among parties to M&A deals.
6. Management's next frontier: Making the most of the ecosystem economy
Engaging in digital ecosystems requires a new set of managerial skills and capabilities. How quickly companies develop them will determine if they succeed in the ecosystem economy.
7. It Took Elon Musk Just 3 Minutes to Give the Best Business Advice Y...
Elon Musk has emerged as one of the world's most popular entrepreneurs. As the guiding force behind Tesla, SpaceX, and OpenAI (among a host of other companies), he's confronting some of the world's biggest challenges head-on. I recently stumbled across this interview with Musk, and his advice resonated with me. His lessons are aimed at entrepreneurs, but the final point can be applied by anyone.
8. Financial Planning & Analysis: Let the Fun Begin
For those involved in financial planning and analysis, the bad news is that the work can be boring much of the time. The good news: It's quickly getting more interesting. As with many corporate processes, technology is driving fundamental changes in FP&A. Thanks to a new generation of tools, the drudgery factor is lessening and practitioners are spending more of their time doing actual planning and analysis. And that's a fortunate development, not just for FP&A professionals, but also for the companies they work for. In almost every industry, today's souped-up business environment drives a concomitant need for heightened strategic input.
9. Putting the right price on customer interactions
How can companies best engage with their customers to offer them new experiences, along with add-ons to existing products or services they have already paid for? Consumers are willing to pay more for choice in their interactions, yet most companies remain perplexed about which ones their customers really wantand how much to charge for them.
10. Envisioning Leadership In The C-Suite Of The Future
On today's business battleground, companies can't afford to maintain the traditional, hierarchical leadership model that has prevailed for so many years. Delegating decision-making power to a small group of individuals at the very top requires slowing down the pace so leadership can carefully weigh options and strategize the best course for all stakeholders. In the current climate, time is a luxury competitive companies can't afford to waste.
