6 Questions to Evaluate How You Spend Your Time

  1. When did you last review how you allocate your time?
  2. How much time do you spend a week actively reflecting on your strategy and priorities?
  3. Structured versus open: How much of your calendar is unplanned?
  4. Drumbeat versus flow: How much of your calendar doesn’t follow a set routine?
  5. Operator versus counselor: How much time do you spend problem solving with teams (rather than attending business update and review meetings)?
  6. Ambassador

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10 Value Creation Questions Every CEO Should Know How to Answer

  1. Do you have an explicit TSR target guiding your strategic plan? Is that target appropriate given the expectations embedded in your stock price and the ability of your business plans to deliver improved performance? Do you understand how each of your businesses will contribute to meeting your TSR goal?
  2. What are the historical sources of TSR for your company? How does your historical profile compare with

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10 Questions About Growth that Every CEO Should Know How to Answer

  1. What is your TSR aspiration? Is that aspiration appropriate given the expectations embedded in your stock price and the ability of your plans to deliver improved performance?
  2. How much growth do you need in order to deliver on that aspiration? What target revenue-growth rate is required in order to meet your goal given the momentum contribution of other TSR drivers?
  3. Will optimizing growth and margins

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10 Questions New CEOs Should Ask Their Executives

  1. Market Share
    Are you gaining, holding or losing market share in each of the segments that constitute your business? Why? Against which competitors?
  2. Customer Leverage
    What percentage of your product is sold to customers who have significant leverage over you? Which customers are they, and why do they have leverage? Please provide a list of your top 25 customers and approximate sales volume to each. How

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10 Questions Every CEO Should Know How to Answer

  1. What fundamental value will your current plans generate? Is that performance really defensible given the competitive dynamics of your industry? Is it enough to meet your TSR aspirations?
  2. What are the market expectations embedded in your stock price? Is there a gap between what you can deliver and what investors expect? If so, do you have a plan for closing it?
  3. What drives valuation multiples in

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10 Questions for Executives

  1. Is the structure right?
  2. Is the business model sustainable?
  3. Do you want to be in the business you are in?
  4. Is executive success (and succession) in place?
  5. Do you know your customers?
  6. Are the costs right?
  7. Is the product right?
  8. Do you know your competition?
  9. Is the balance sheet right?
  10. Where are you on technology?

Source: As the Economy Turns: 10 Questions for Executives / John McCallum / Ivey Business … [ Read more ]