Looking at the current economic climate is, for the most part, an unhappy activity. Reports about retail sales, advertising, employment, stock prices, and industrial activity from the past several quarters is dismal. Forecasts for the year to come are gloomy.

Two, or five, or ten years from now, we will all look back with a clearer perspective, not only on the combination of events that led to this worldwide recession, but also with a view toward which businesses and institutions and industries were able to revamp, refocus, and thrive in the wake of a global meltdown.

This week, two very different podcasts came across my desk (so to speak) which speak to revamping and adapting for a the recovery to come. Both address the same general topic, but one looks at change from an industry vantage point, the other focuses on change from within. Best of all, one feels cautiously optimistic about things to come after giving a listen.

Tech industry giant IBM looks at the big-picture view with its “Building A Smarter Planet” blog and podcast. It posits, “The systems that make the world work, including healthcare, food, traffic, energy, water and financial systems, are all in need of dramatic change. [this blog and podcast] is aimed at discussing the problems and potential solutions for addressing these challenges.”

The current episode looks at the retail sector of the economy, and how companies need to respond to unprecedented economic pressures and discerning customers. The feed for the entire blog and podcast series is here.

The other podcast looks at change in turbulent economic times from a much more personal perspective. Susan Bratton, host of Dishy Mix and Founder of the Personal Life Media network, has an excellent 35-minute podcast episode, called “Managing Through Change: A Personal and Professional Workshop.”

While the basis of her podcast initially came from a digital advertising workshop she conducted, it makes for thought-provoking listening on your own – even if your work isn’t connected to the advertising industry. Her suggestions for managing through change are applicable in all kinds of situaitons.

Bratton takes listeners through a process of re-evaluating one’s own instinctive reactions to change, and offers a variety of methods for examining and reshaping those knee-jerk actions. She talks about confronting fears, gives ideas for increasing communication with others during times of change, and offers suggestions for striking a healthful work/life balance.

Dishy Mix typically features Bratton interviewing folks from the world of digital media, advertising, marketing, social media and Web 2.0. The feed for the series is here.