Predicting the future and embedding a strategic vision: fundamental requirements for today’s e-manager?

Jesse G
Jesse G
Sep 9, 2018 · 2 min read

There’s a memorable anecdote in Pamela Williams’ Killing Fairfax. As the story goes, the Fairfax Board of Directors were being briefed on how the internet would affect the company’s strategic positioning in the early naughties.

Newspapers, once-upon-a-time, were the primary form of news.

Board member Roger Corbett was said to have remarked something along the lines of “oh the internet is just a fad, it will blow away.” Such an approach, in hindsight, shows a level of hubris and naivety, for a platform which continues to influence and enhance and transform the way the world does business.

Boards are often stacked with rich white guys. Perhaps this is a problem for online companies that need to be agile in the face of fast-changing online markets?

However, the line highlights an ongoing issue for company leaders: how do you plan for digital disruption and market dynamics at a time when consumer tastes and demands are constantly changing?

Who could have predicted the amazing growth in online news sites at the expense of print media, 15 years ago?

Having said that, there are a number of situational factors all business leaders need to be cognisant of when planning and managing online portals.

These principally include:

· Audience trends and forecasts;

· Cyber security; and

· Profit margins and input costs.

A business leaders’ ability to foresee risks and opportunities is fundamental to their success. An online presence is no different in this regard, though the pace of change of the online marketplace means it is very difficult to predict market trends five years or more in advance.

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