February 2010

As a journal of trends and ideas that are critical to business success, Outlook’s magazine format has certain inherent advantages. Our articles, which typically run between 2,500 and 4,000 words, are the result of a process that often takes months and includes thorough research and analysis, peer review and several drafts before publication.

Often, however, there are developments—driven sometimes by events unfolding in real time, sometimes by the speed of innovation—that demand our immediate attention. This is why we created Outlook Point of View, which appears monthly on the Outlook pages of our website, accenture.com. Point of View is designed to capture nascent ideas and emerging trends in a shorter, more focused format. Each issue consists of a single article; several issues may be posted in any given month.

Looking after Outlook Point of View is its managing editor, Craig Mindrum, who, in his role as an Outlook contributing editor, has been developing content for the journal for the past dozen years.

Mindrum describes the Outlook Point of View articles as “exercises in packing solid information into a short space.” In one example—“Managing risk for high performance in extraordinary times,” which appeared last August—“we were able to define briefly a specific challenge within a larger context,” says Mindrum, “present a strong analysis, along with implications and practical advice, all in about 1,200 words.” With its greater frequency, Point of View also gives Accenture’s professionals and our editorial team the ability to explore newer ideas and leading-edge concepts in their early stages, taking a somewhat bolder, more speculative approach in their analysis.

More recently, we’ve expanded the format to include a new title: Outlook Q&A. These exclusive interviews give our readers the opportunity to gain insights directly from other executives and practitioners.

Incidentally, speaking of accenture.com, the Outlook pages of the company’s website have been dramatically upgraded with an exciting new design and improved functionality, further enhancing our ability to get Accenture’s best new thinking into the marketplace through a wide range of media.

About the Author
David Cudaback, Editor-in-Chief, Outlook

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