September 2010
Reflecting the arrival of spring, opportunities feature in the first two articles in Agility Update this month. In the first, McKinsey’s research reveals opportunities in the developing world which could establish business leaders for the next century.  The second features Entrepreneur magazine’s annual list of the top 100 business ideas. As a counterpoint, the third article sounds a warning bell for declining employee engagement; and in acknowledgement of the myriad decisions required to be made each day.  A fourth is an example of EIM in action – while our clients and colleagues understand our service offering we thought it could be enlightening to hear from time to time about some particular cases.  To end on a light note, we offer a behavioural economic quiz that measures your irrationality quotient.

August 2010
Change - and the embracing of change – is accelerating. While it took Twitter four years to reach tweet number 10 billion in March this year, it took less than five months to double the figure. This month’s Agility Update is focussing on change. “The Great Rebalancing” from McKinsey explains changes at the macro-level and their flow-through impact on today’s dominant English-speaking business bloc. Other articles selected for August highlight the impact of globalisation on the business professional’s family and community; of technology creep from an individual’s personal life into work; and of changing societal needs and expectations on leadership skills.

July 2010
In business as in other spheres, traditional thinking and beliefs are constantly under challenge. Agility Update this month draws your attention to ideas currently under challenge including: group brainstorms deliver innovations, we learn more from our failures than our successes; and customer-focus in organisations is genuine. A final article looks at the growing importance of creativity as a leadership quality.

June 2010
The sale of 3 million iPads in just 80 days underlines the way technology has embedded itself in our daily lives. Accordingly, this issue of Agility Update has a decidedly technological bent with articles advising the10 mobile technologies to watch, asking if the days of email are numbered and challenging managers’ understanding of the change that social networking has brought to the workplace. Beyond IT, we feature an article that draws your attention to the growing numbers of women joining the mainstream to form their own economic bloc; and end with a fun item that doodlers can use to defend their habit.

May 2010
There’s no getting away from the fact that the world has changed and will keep changing whether we want it or are ready for it. This issue of Agility Update draws your attention to two articles. The first looks at the changing employee traits that will define success in the new world order. The second illustrates the ways socially adept companies are using Twitter to deliver commercial success. As a final item, we have an article that offers good advice on how to develop a personal system to help us remember all our passwords.

April 2010
Change and opportunity is the theme in the April issue of Agility Update. The articles highlighted this month include the risks and opportunities in Australia over the next decade as identified by the Australian Davos Connection and the six industries which must transform if they are to survive the structural changes sweeping through. Another huge wave about to break is the 4G wireless revolution which is predicted to upset the traditional top-down command and control model of the organisation today. Finally, the Big Mac index is whispering caution where the value of the Australian dollar is concerned.

March 2010
Back-to-basics is the theme running through the items in this month’s issue of Agility Update. First off, the updated business classic Profit from the Core reiterates its original finding: a renewed focus on the core is more critical than ever to sustainable success. Complementary articles underline the link between easy credit and asset bubbles (Watch those China Loans) and sweeping changes with inadequate attention to details can and do backfire. The final item considers if avatars – a computer user's representation of himself/herself or alter ego –
could be the answer to the quest to combine practical solutions at work with a sense of fun.

February 2010
Welcome to the first issue of Agility Update for 2010. To kick off the year on a positive note, we feature three articles with a central theme of success: in new product development, enduring family businesses and social signals. Finally, as public internet hot spots and Wide Area Networks expand, we offer a timely reminder to secure your Wi-Fi enabled Smart Phones and other personal technology to keep your information safe.

Agility Update - July 2009
In a departure from the regular format, Agility Update July 2009 takes the opportunity to introduce a new Executive Director – Mr Tony O’Leary.

Agility Update - June 2009
While some of the largest multinationals have fallen to the Global Financial Crisis, others are quietly ploughing their way through. Agility Update June draws your attention to the creative solutions being employed at CISCO, IBM, Corning and Intel. We also alert you to 2 growing trends – the spread and impact of the eBook, and the increase in fraud cases as economic pressures take hold. Finally, in an echo of the 60s, a US academic is calling on the business world to ‘make love, not war’ and re-direct strategy away from war against competitors to love focused on customer desires.

Agility Update - May 2009
Many followers of modern management theory believe that studying greatness can lead to success. However, a research paper from the US-Based Deloitte Foundation challenges this view and says that success is more the result of a lucky break. Other thought-provoking topics in this month’s issue of Agility Update include the bioplastics revolution in Brazil and the ascendancy of Cloud Computing – two developments that may trigger massive changes in our everyday lives. A final article examines an idea to cut operating costs by allowing staff to become home-based.

Agility Update - April 2009
Our April issue of Agility Update offers several thought-provoking articles to mull over during quiet moments in the Easter break. Contrary to the prevailing cost-cutting mentality, two articles advise companies to spend in order to save. In other words, accept the short-term pain to reap rewards over the longer term. The third article questions the value of data-hoarding and warns companies to consider the potential liability from data breaches. If you have only time to click through to links of only one article, we suggest you pick ‘Goals gone wild’. The article challenges the accepted practice of goal-setting and suggests that we seize the opportunity in these tumultuous times to re-examine goals – both corporate and personal – and compare the goals we needed to achieve against those we thought we should achieve.

Agility Update - March 2009
Although the media continues to run downbeat corporate and economic stories, Agility Update March discovers there are silver linings in the dark clouds. The shakeout in the economic slowdown is offering dream M&A opportunities for stronger businesses. And the renewed attention on diversity and inclusion – following Australia’s “Sorry Speech” and the election of the first African-American to the US presidency – is expected to offer first-mover advantages to businesses that position themselves to reap changes in government policies. In a change of pace, this issue also introduces a new class of worker called Nanobots and a free website that displays the front pages of leading English-language newspapers around the world.

Agility Update - February 2009
Welcome back to the first 2009 issue of Agility Update. 2009 is the Year of the ‘yin earth’ Ox in Chinese Astrology, and forecast to be a time of rebuilding and reconstruction similar to its previous appearance in 1949. With that thought of rebuilding and decision making in mind, we refer you to an article from McKinsey advising that it is important to argue against yourself when making decisions. Continuing the contrarian theme, although it may seem strange to partner the words ‘military’ and ‘Facebook’, there is an RAAF Facebook so it may be time to reconsider the use of Facebook in the workplace. Another idea to borrow from the military world may be its book on modern military strategy, especially as business plans rarely proceed exactly as planned. Finally, who says you have to follow the rules? Our last article looks at how winners make the rules.

Agility Update - December 2008
As the summer holiday season beckons, thoughts naturally turn to what 2009 might hold. Whatever the future, commentators are advising that we take advantage of the turbulent white water and go with the flow rather than fight it. One view is to use the turmoil to launch ‘disruptive’ innovation. Another is to ‘market’ your way through the slowdown. And if you must cut labour costs, explore creative alternatives rather than straight layoffs. However, among all the gloom is a bright spark – Australian companies are becoming better corporate citizens according to KPMG’s latest global sustainability reporting survey. And on this note, we shall take the opportunity to wish you a safe and relaxing holiday season. The next issue of Agility Update will be in February 2009.

Agility Update - November 2008
The shock from the implosion of the sub-prime market is widely expected to herald a new economic order. To aid decision-making, Agility Update November offers links to China’s thoughts on the financial crisis and the The Global Competitiveness Report 2008-2009 recently released at the World Economic Forum. A related article compares the actions of Warren E Buffett to JP Morgan in 1907. To round up this issue, one article offers guidance on dealing with Social Media use by employees and another looks at the developing ‘brain health’ trend.

Agility Update - October 2008
Rocketing oil and food prices combined with a financial market meltdown are changing the basic assumptions that underpin many business strategies. The focus of this issue of Agility Update is on ideas to chart a new course – ranging from bringing offshore production home, to investing executive time to harvest in-house innovation and getting ready to manage your newest employees, the so-called Millennials. Finally, to lighten your day, we highlight a banker’s website that will provide you with a daily dose of humour.

Agility Update - June 2008
Most business texts about expanding overseas advise working with the local culture and traditions. But it is possible to flout these ‘rules’ as shown by the success of Korea-based LG Electronics in India. In Agility Update June, we also touch on two popular issues of the day – blogging and global warming. Our blogging article focuses on the workplace issues this popular pastime has raised, while our global warming article points you to a website where you can assess the size of your own Carbon Footprint.

Agility Update - May 2008
The rise of the economic might of India and China, and the aging demographics of the Baby Boomers are mega trends that businesses cannot afford to ignore. This issue of Agility Update May sounds an alert to the faint signals of other trends on the horizon including China’s slipping manufacturing competitiveness and game changers spotted by renowned strategist George Stalk. We also bring you an interview with Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO, who explains what makes Cirque de Soleil so successful. To end, we have a quirky article that might help you understand the reason behind your everyday purchases.

Agility Update - April 2008
A recent report by the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA) states that Australia's growing labour requirements cannot be met by the native workforce and current levels of immigration. Australia's labour force growth averaged 1.2% in 2006, compared with the 60% growth in labour supply (1.9% per year on average) from 1980 to 2005. In response, Agility Update April is focussing on people. Ideas this month include applying supply chain management principles to talent management, a return to organisational careers and isolating the source of competitive advantage in a family business. A final article examines micro-inequities, the small, seemingly inconsequential things that can drive a diverse workforce to leave.

Agility Update - March 2008
The amorphous communities that the internet can enable either excite or terrify. To some, the loss of control is a nightmare. To others – like Mozilla – it is an infinite source of resources and innovation. Agility Update March draws your attention to the experiences at Mozilla, and the upcoming turf war between corporate HR and communications departments as each seek control over internal social networks. This issue also takes a look at the emerging economic triad of the US and Chindia (China plus India), and the “green” consumer.

Agility Update - February 2008
Welcome back to a new year and the first issue of Agility Update for 2008. The articles in this issue were chosen for their fresh perspective to spark ideas. We begin with an interesting article on building an organisation in which executives will flourish. There's more to it than copying top 100 companies, or the approaches of proven leaders. Our second article suggests that spending on employee wellness programs actually delivers cost savings. Finally, setting the share market rout aside momentarily, have you thought about being an Information Age entrepreneur, or a global investor on US$25?