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If a booming economy presented myriad challenges for Australia's managers, then the subsequent global economic turmoil is hardly going to be the time to look for a reprieve. Looking ahead to the top challenges that managers can expect to face in 2009 - whether it be the state of the economy, the importance of strong leadership or the ongoing skills shortage - the issues are intertwined, making it virtually impossible to consider one without the other.
CEO of Heinz Australia Peter Widdows credits changes in organisational culture for making Heinz a better company. By Jason Day
'Quality is to a product what character is to a man'. So said the co-founder of the H.J. Heinz Company, the American Henry John Heinz.
In common, no doubt, with the inhabitants of other countries in which its brands reside, Heinz products have fed Australian toddlers, sustained hungry students through university, been a staple of kitchen cupboards for quick meals, and adorned the tops of millions of meat pies.
The ideal of lengthy, considered and purely rational decision making is not only unattainable but unworkable, says Dr Ken Hudson. You've got to keep the emotion in.
Frank Lowy, self-made billionaire and co-founder of the Westfield Group, was recently quoted in BOSS magazine saying, "I don't need long interviews to hire staff. I can sum up in five minutes whether I will be able to work with someone."
New technologies are crossing over into mainstream organisations quicker than ever. Chris Sheedy looks into the systems and gadgets that are giving leading companies the edge.
On April Fools' Day around five years ago a major Australian metropolitan newspaper ran an ad spruiking a website that people could visit in order to download free electricity for use around their home. The website crashed several times because so many users surfed in to claim their free electricity.
Melbourne Health CEO Linda Sorrell aims to fix the organisation's fiscal woes by 2009. The prognosis? The former nurse and 2007 Telstra Victorian Business Woman of the Year is on target to do just that. By Georgina Jerums For many, taking up the CEO role at an organisation that's carrying a $13.3 million deficit would provoke an "er, thanks, but I'll pass" response. Particularly when that organisation is in public health and under the intense scrutiny of government. Poisoned chalice alert, right? Well, no, not everyone sees it like that.
At its core, engaging with a futurist is an attempt by business to discover new choices for the future. By Ann-Maree Moodie
"If you spend part of the work week in an interim management role or running your own consultancy, and the remainder serving on a board or two, chances are you refer to yourself as a 'portfolio' worker." - Charles Handy.
In just 15 years, GraysOnline's Cameron Poolman turned a $50,000 ecommerce investment into a hugely successful venture. Here's how. By Georgina Jerums
The key to successful online ecommerce is to integrate it into your traditional business model. Don't park it as a stand-alone business with a separate advertising division or your bottom line could haemorrhage. That's Cameron Poolman's take on it. And as CEO of GraysOnline auction house, with 500,000 members and up to 15,000 new members registering each month, he ought to know.
With the skills shortage likely to be an issue for some time, organisations must set up strategies to follow to meet the challenge. Nicholas Currie goes in search of expert help.
If you've sneaked a peek at the job ads recently, you'll understand the predicament for somebody like John Shaw.
The second annual Management Today Top Management Issues survey indicates change in managers' priorities. Chris Sheedy consults on the issues and suggests some tonic to help meet the challenges.
Over the following pages, the six top management issues identified by respondents to the recent Australian Institute of Management (AIM) Management Today Readership Survey are investigated with the help of the insights of experts and real-world situations.
Leadership
