Three Tips for Heeding Warning Signs Before They Strangle Your Business
VUCA, culture, warning signs Guest User VUCA, culture, warning signs Guest User

Three Tips for Heeding Warning Signs Before They Strangle Your Business

The current economic meltdown seemed to come out of the blue. Sure, there were warning signs that the economy was slowing, beginning early this year. I was in Taiwan on business the week of September 15, and was stunned to read headlines that the whole global system was in danger of a systemic meltdown. If ever there was a lesson in the importance of reading and heeding warning signs, this is it.

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Merrill Lynch's Culture of Fear Led to Strangling Tangle
fear, risk, Hush Hush Tangle, culture Guest User fear, risk, Hush Hush Tangle, culture Guest User

Merrill Lynch's Culture of Fear Led to Strangling Tangle

In today's New York's Times, Gretchen Morgenson recounts the rise and fall of Merrill Lynch. I read the article and said to myself, eureka, this is a Hush-Hush Tangle! According to my definition, a Hush Hush Tangle occurs when critical information is not shared, and lines of communication are cut off. Everyone knows that there is a problem but no one talks about it. It becomes a tangle because human dynamics are further complicated by a very complex business challenge. Complexity doesn't do justice to the complicated nature of collateralized debt obligations (CDO's). CDO's are a financial product group comprised of derivatives. Merrill Lynch became enchanted with this product and it led to the company's precipitous fall.

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