The Unlikely Profit Heroes In Your Company A few years ago, I was invited to attend the year-end operating review of a major company. The vice presidents were seated around a large mahogany table, with the president at the table’s head. One-by-one, the VPs said, “I made budget.” Finally, the president looked at the group [...]
Maximize Your Profit Health Index
Julian Ferguson2023-11-08T12:59:35+00:00Maximize Your Profit Health Index In my recent article, “How to Manage Your Variance Profit Cycle,” I explained how to systematically answer two of the most important, but vexing, questions that CFOs, CEOs, and boards of directors face every month: Why did we miss our budget? And what can we do about it? We’ve had an overwhelmingly [...]
How to Calculate Risk Based on Where Your Profits Come From
Julian Ferguson2023-11-08T12:42:00+00:00How to Calculate Risk Based on Where Your Profits Come From If most midsize companies have a formal risk management process, why did so many fail even in pre-pandemic years? The problem is that risk heat maps—many companies’ primary tool for assessing risk—have fatal deficiencies. The risk heat map process looks at big, blunt risks [...]
A New Manager ’ s Game Plan For The First 100 Days
Julian Ferguson2023-11-08T12:42:23+00:00A New Manager ’ s Game Plan For The First 100 Days A manager’s first 100 days in a new position is one of the most critical periods in his or her career, and this is especially important for top managers (e.g., C-Suite managers and strategic business unit—or SBU—heads). In this short, intense period, effective [...]