As you look forward into 2012 and think about your risks and challenges for the next 12 months, I thought you would find useful a recent article from CFO.com entitled "What to Put on Your Risk Radar Screen" This study, completed by Corporate Executive Board (CEB),  provided a top-10 list of risk "hotspots"  for which senior executives, boards of directors, and audit teams should conduct risk assessments in the coming year. The risks identified by the survey for 2012 are:

• IT security
• Global expansion
• Excess cash
• Corporate culture
• Compliance
• Strategic change management
• Third party relationships
• Cost reduction pressures
• Having the right talent
• Social media

Another article you might find helpful as you look at 2012 is an interview conducted by Chief Executive Magazine entitled "CEO Outlook 2012" in which 15 business leaders weigh in on their views for 2012. I think it's worth a read for any CEO.

You have my best wishes for great success in 2012.

Challenges in Transformation: Aligning Business Processes with Strategy

As you think about your challenges for 2012, it's highly likely that you will need to transform your business to be able to compete now and in the future. 

As companies experience changes in their products, services, markets or customers, it is important that their business processes align with their overall strategy. Leaders need to analyze their organization's capability to deliver on the strategy both in the short-, mid- and long-term.

No business will be a success unless it has two critical elements: a sound business strategy and the right people with the right skills and competencies to achieve your strategies. 

Whether your organization is an established business or start up, public, not-for-profit or family-owned, there must be a seamless connection between the business strategy and the organization's capability driven by a sound human capital or people strategy.