Yes, times are changing.

• Author: Heffes, Ellen M.
• Position: Editor's page - Editorial

Early in my career, I learned an adage about three types of people that has stuck with me. There are those who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who say, "What happened?" In other words, people can be either initiators/participants, spectators or victims in what's going on around them. It's kind of like that with change. You can embrace it, observe it or be blown away by it.

In the past years, businesses have felt the enormous impact of change and even the lexicon around change has, well, changed; continuous change, disruptive change and change masters are some of those new terms. Regardless of the terminology, however, change itself has been the imperative. So why are many still shocked when change actually smacks them in the face? In reality, change is constantly occurring all around us--and not only in business. Just look at your family or look up at the sky; you will never see the same cloud formation twice, as the clouds continuously move and reshape. Thus goes life, in general.

Here, at Financial Executive magazine, we are undergoing change as I lead the staff in publishing our first issue without Jeffrey Marshall, our former highly regarded editor-in-chief, who served in his role for more than eight years. In our parent organization, FEI, many personnel moves have also been occurring, as several staff members have changed jobs and industries.

Politically, in the U.S.--in this presidential election year--we expect changes, but we do not yet know the magnitude of those changes. Thus, our cover story, by Washington, D.C.,-based writer Stephen Barlas, focuses on what the two major party candidates' platforms offer for the business environment. While some specifics may change as the campaign season heats up, Steve's article provides a solid basis for each candidate's core thinking.

In another feature, Ed McClellan and Andrew Prior, from PricewaterhouseCoopers' Washington...