What makes a good annual report?

What’s the secret for a good annual report? It usually boils down to keeping things simple, but keeping them simple these days is a challenge. Rising demands for more disclosure and the integration of sustainability reporting are factors making annual reports ever longer and more complex. Unfortunately, too many annual reports are choked with low-quality information, disconnected content and boilerplate, all of which obscures key messages.

Clear, crisp communication, on the other hand, is a sign of strong leadership. It’s also an opportunity to improve engagement and dialogue with stakeholders. Four techniques for creating a good annual report are: (1) focus on strategy; (2) cut the clutter; (3) sum it up; and (4) speak plainly.

(To learn more, read “What makes a good annual report?” by Richard Ketchen at IR Web Report online.)

PwC Thought Leadership Highlights

Every month, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) delivers a range of Thought Leadership materials that explore key business issues affecting companies around the world. This month the focus is on a variety of issues that address the following questions and more: What's the key to successful business innovation? What are the implications of the proposed FASB/IASB revenue recognition changes? How are businesses adapting to the changing needs of their talent? What's next for nuclear power? (for example, see View:Striking the innovation balance).

Also, experience the popular 10Minutes series on your iPad, now enhanced with new multimedia. With this inaugural issue, 10Minutes on the CEO Agenda, explore the eight pressing questions facing CEOs today, hear about the challenges directly from business leaders around the world. 10Minutes on the Cloud discusses how cloud computing can go beyond cost savings to offer a way to improve innovation and organizational agility, provide better customer engagement, and harness resources to focus on business imperatives.

Deloitte’s Top 10 Canadian TMT Predictions for 2011

In 2011, Canadian consumers and enterprises will continue to move away from a predictable but narrow world of standardized computing devices and are voting with their wallets in favour of diversity of choice. Between PCs, netbooks, tablets and smartphones, buyers must choose among a wide array of functionalities, platforms, operating systems, sizes, features and price points. Like kids in a candy store, consumers and enterprises will be both excited and overwhelmed by the sheer variety of options available to them. Canadians will use these various devices while shopping, while working, for social networking and for media consumption. (Read more about Deloitte’s Top 10 2011 Canadian TMT Predictions and download the Report.)

Sustainability Framework 2.0: Professional Accountants as Integrators

“The role of leadership and business strategy is to promote the integration of sustainability issues at a strategic level, so that they are embedded in organizational development covering strategy, planning, enterprise risk management, and operations. The importance of tone at the top is best captured by the King Code of Corporate Governance for South Africa, which specifically encourages the integration of governance and sustainability into strategy, operations, and reporting of an organization. The philosophy of the King code revolves around leadership, sustainability and corporate citizenship. Responsible leaders direct company strategies and operations with a view to achieving sustainable economic, social and environmental performance.” (Read the publication Sustainability Framework 2.0: Professional Accountants as Integrators, issued by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) in March 2011.)

IBM celebrates 100 years

“Of the top 25 industrial corporations in the United States in 1900, only two remained on that list at the start of the 1960s. And of the top 25 companies on the Fortune 500 in 1961, only six remain there today. Some of the leaders of those companies that vanished were dealt a hand of bad luck. Others made poor choices. But the demise of most came about because they were unable simultaneously to manage their business of the day and to build their business of tomorrow. As you read this, IBM begins its 101st year. Today we take a moment to step back and view the longer arc of history. We’d like to share some of what we have learned—sometimes in humbling ways—on our journey so far.” Read the full essay on the IBM 100 website. Explore an evolving collection of stories about the 100 IBM innovations that helped shape the last century. Celebrate IBM’s 100-year history with commemorative memorabilia designed exclusively for IBMers, families and friends.

CICA/RBC Business Monitor Report (Q1 2011)

The majority of executive Chartered Accountants (CAs) (64%) expressed optimism about the Canadian economy in the first quarter of 2011, marking a notable increase of 23% over the previous quarter, according to the latest CICA/RBC Business Monitor (see the Backgrounder for details). Canadian interest rates and consumer confidence were the top two reasons cited among respondents for the surge in optimism to near record levels. In addition, 66% of respondents in the first quarter survey were optimistic about their company’s prospects over the next year, up 10% from the previous quarter. (Read the CICA Media Release.)

CICA/RBC Business Monitor Report (Q4 2010)

The quarterly CICA/RBC Business Monitor indicates that optimism about the Canadian economy among executive Chartered Accountants has stabilized and, like the previous quarter, respondents are much more likely to be optimistic about their own businesses (41% are optimistic about the Canadian economy over the next 12 months and 56% are optimistic about how their company will perform over the next 12 months). The Q4 2010 CICA/RBC Business Monitor webinar will take place on February 23, 2011 at 12:30pm (register online). RBC Assistant Chief Economist Dawn Desjardins will give an economic update and answer questions following the webinar. (Read the CICA Media Release.)

Executive CAs more optimistic about own company than Canadian economy

More than half of executive chartered accountants (56%) are optimistic about how their company will perform over the next 12 months despite their lack of optimism in the Canadian economy, according to the latest CICA/RBC Business Monitor (Q3 2010). Only 39% of executive CAs surveyed are optimistic about how the Canadian economy will perform over the next 12 months, a steep decline from the 57% who had a positive view in the second quarter of 2010. When compared with CICA/RBC Business Monitor results from a year ago, optimism about the national economy is down 7%, marking the first year-over-year decrease since the first quarter of 2009. (Read the CICA Media Release.)

IBM Global CEO Study 2010

In May 2010, IBM published Capitalizing on Complexity. This study is the fourth edition of IBM's biennial Global CEO Study series. To better understand the challenges and goals of today's CEOs, IBM consultants met face-to-face with the largest-known sample of these executives. Between September 2009 and January 2010, IBM interviewed 1,541 CEOs, general managers and senior public sector leaders who represent different sizes of organizations in 60 countries and 33 industries. Access to the full study findings and case studies are available on the IBM website along with the related press release.

Social Networking Report 2010

According to a May 2010 survey called The Social Networking Report, the vast majority of business men and women (83%) believe that social networking is here to stay compared to only 9% who think it is just a ‘flash in the pan’ indulged by the under 30s. In addition, nearly three quarters (71%) say that blogging provides an effective new medium to communicate with a wider audience while less than one in five (16%) say that it is simply shouting into the ether. The survey into executive opinions on social media was published by The Counsel House, a firm specializing in interim management within corporate communications, and Pilotmax, a PR consultancy. The full report is available free-of-charge on The Counsel House website.

Netwatch - Location is the new intelligence

The location intelligence industry is growing as a result of the rapid dominance of location-aware mobile devices, the rapid emergence of massive sources of spatial data (geographic-oriented information, i.e., Google Maps), the rapid user adoption of location-based applications (i.e., iPhone Apps) and a significant amount of innovative thinking as to how to capitalize on these very fast-paced trends. All this is leading to significant business-model innovations. Read the article "Netwatch - Location is the new intelligence" by Jim Carroll in the August 2010 issue of CAmagazine online.

Time to prepare a comprehensive risk management plan

For thousands of years, people have been predicting disasters, each more catastrophic than the last. Without resorting to Hollywood-style dramatics, can we really say that major events disrupt business operations? And if so, can we guard against such contingencies? Any organization’s risk management plans should provide answers to those questions. (Read the article "Get ready, now" in the June/July edition of CAmagazine online.)

Start Somewhere with Social Media

Social media is basically three major activities: listening, connecting and publishing. You use tools like Twitter Search and Google Blogsearch to listen. You use tools like Twitter or Facebook or OPEN Forum or LinkedIn (or a mix of them) to connect, as well as comment on blogs and the like. You use tools like blogs or email newsletters, video or even photos on Flickr to publish. Those are all the components without the hype. (Read the article "Start Somewhere with Social Media" at Open Forum online.)

What would a world-class innovator do?

As we come out of the economic downturn into a hopeful recovery, more organizations are focusing on what they need to do next. My advice to them is to behave like a world-class innovator. And what exactly do world-class innovators do that other organizations don’t? Here’s a rundown... (Read the article What would a world-class innovator do?  by Jim Carroll in the April 2010 issue of CAmagazine online.)

Social Media for Business: 5 Tips for Beginners

Social media is a low-cost way to find new customers and reach out to existing ones. More than 40% of businesses using Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and blogs have generated a customer from each of them, according to Hubspot’s 2010 State of Inbound Marketing report. But if you're brand new to social media, the process of developing a worthwhile business plan might seem intimidating. To truly understand the business ramifications of services like Twitter and Facebook, you first have to start using them -- and just signing up for an account is not enough. Engaging regularly on social networks is the only way to see their potential. (Read the article "Social Media for Business: 5 Tips for Beginners" at Open Forum online.)

Networking that Works: Amplify Your Professional Networking

Success in business and career building is driven by connections and relationships. With the emergence of social media, the Internet brings the most powerful enhancements to professional networking since the invention of the Rolodex. A paper published by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA ) focuses on the benefits of using the professional networking tools LinkedIn and Twitter in particular. (Read the AICPA Business Brief Networking that Works: Amplify Your Professional Networking.)

Accountants Head to the Cloud

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) is pushing to accelerate adoption of cloud solutions among its 350,000 members, focusing especially on small and midmarket companies as well as CPA firms. The AICPA's first official endorsement of a cloud vendor, payroll-solutions provider Paychex, came several years ago but it has rolled out more such partnerships with increasing frequency, including with bill.com for invoice management and payment in 2008, financial management and accounting software maker Intacct a year ago, and tax-automation supplier Copanion at year-end 2009. The pitch is that the cloud offers a steep drop in information-technology costs, since applications are hosted by the vendors and provided on demand, rather than via physical installations or seat licenses. (Read the article "Accountants Head to the Cloud" at CFO Magazine online and review the white paper 10 Questions to ask about Cloud Computing.)

Three Enemies of Innovation

Everybody seems to agree that innovation is a good idea. Nearly everyone also agrees that innovation is the best path to growth, profit and market dominance. Anyone who would dispute those statements has only to look at Apple’s success over the past decade—all based on innovation. Relative newcomers like Samsung, LG and Hyundai have also relied heavily on innovation for market and brand growth. Sony lived on innovation for years. (Read the article "Three Enemies of Innovation" at Open Forum online.)

10 Examples of Tremendous Business Leadership

Great leadership can be hard to come by. With all the politics and blaming that can go on within an organization, many companies are lacking good, solid leadership from people who are willing to stick to their word. That's why it's always refreshing to see examples of great leadership in our society. Here are 10 examples of top-notch leadership from leaders who ultimately led by example, letting their actions (and bottom lines) speak for themselves. (Read the article 10 Examples of Tremendous Business Leadership at Open Forum online.)

The Current State of Social Media and Investor Relations

On February 14, 2010, Darrell Heaps, one of North America’s leading authorities on social media for investor relations, hosted a guided tour of “The Current State of Social Media.” The tour provided a current snapshot of what is happening in the use of social media for investor relations and why it is important to a company’s investor relations program. The full replay of the webinar The Current State of Social Media and Investor Relations – A Q4 Webinar from Q4 Web Systems Inc. is also available in HD at Vimeo online.