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English football was once famous for its long ball game, but international influence has made it a much shorter one. Well business is a bit like football, in which the short has tended to dominate the long. But in successful business, you need both. For hedge funds, they seek to balance short-term investment positions with long ones. But if they only focus on one and not on both there’s a danger they move from hedging to speculation. Mining has been in the forefront of this game for centuries.
How do you balance investment in very long-term projects in new resources against the demands of shareholders for short-term profits? How do you balance growth by acquisition against the playing new technologies? These questions are not so different from those faced by the managers of World Cup teams. Do they keep back their best players for later stages of the tournament or do they play them now?
That’s my view. You can join the debate with The Open University.
This week on The Bottom Line
Stephanie Flanders on... the long-term
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Stephanie Flanders suggests that if companies want to think long term, they should persuade investors to look beyond the short-term 'bumps'. Read more : Stephanie Flanders on... the long-term
Leslie Budd on... headhunting
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Leslie Budd likens headhunting for new recruits to judging a talent contest; how do companies recruit and retain talented people while the talentless are so... Read more : Leslie Budd on... headhunting
Playing the game, attracting the talent
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Albert Camus learned everything he knew from soccer - so should businesses also be thinking like Capello? Read more : Playing the game, attracting the talent
Sharpen your skills
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Get to grips with the managerial challenges - get to know the Open University Business School. Read more : Sharpen your skills
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