BizFeed: Hillary Clinton Joins LinkedIn
Hillary’s resume is better than yours.
1. Hillary Clinton Joins LinkedIn
The News: Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton has joined LinkedIn. Her summary section is obviously pretty impressive:
Wife, mother, grandmother, women and kids advocate, FLOTUS, FLOAR, Senator, Secretary of State, dog person, hair icon, pantsuit aficionado, 2016 presidential candidate.
Why it Matters: It shows the power of social media, especially an old stalwart like LinkedIn. (Ready to feel old? LinkedIn has been around for 12 years.) There really is no running for president these days without a presence on Facebook, Twitter and (I guess) LinkedIn. Clinton’s move to LinkedIn is a move to get the business community on her side and show that she’s one of them. Plus, LinkedIn offers a layout people are familiar with. Allowing voters to see her resume in the LinkedIn format should be an easy way to tout her strengths.
2. Is Zappos’ Progressive Management Style Too Cutesy?
The News: Shoe retailer and notoriously uber progressive employer Zappos may have finally gotten too cute with its HR policies. The company recently rolled out Holacracy, meaning there are no managers and no job titles. The company offered a three month severance package to all employees who didn’t think Holacracy was for them — and 14 percent, or 210 employees left the company.
Why it Matters: Although news of the Zappos mass exodus broke a few weeks ago, the Wall Street Journal examined it in a story on Wednesday — and found that it has not been a smooth transition. Plus, the new lingo has got to be maddening, especially for anyone not drinking the Kool-Aid.
Employees say the new system has been confusing and time-consuming, especially at first, sometimes requiring five extra hours of meetings a week as workers unshackled from their former bosses organize themselves into “circles” and learn the vocabulary of Holacracy.
Created by a former software executive, the philosophy is spelled out in a 30-page “Constitution” where doing a job is called “energizing a role,” workplace concerns are “tensions” and updates are made at “tactical meetings.”
Beyond initial snags, known inside Zappos as “the dip,” some employees wonder how they will win pay raises and advance their careers with no management track. Other workers have said the new system feels like a drag at a company where “Create Fun and a Little Weirdness” is one of 10 “core values” and a conference room features a Chuck E. Cheese’s-style pit filled with small plastic balls.
3. Hospital “Merger Mania” Hitting Philly
The News: Hospitals in the Philadelphia region have been merging with each other for quite some time, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. In fact a source at a major hospital recently told me “everybody is talking to everybody.” The Philadelphia Inquirer recapped the trend Thursday, saying that merger talks have “gone into overdrive” recently.
Why it Matters: The healthcare landscape in Philadelphia is going to radically change in the next few years. Just recently, Abington just finalized a deal with Jefferson Health, Crozier and Aria announced that they’re looking for partners, and the University of Pennsylvania has a deal pending with Lancaster General. Here’s more from the Inquirer:
Similar searches are happening across the country as hospitals face intensifying competition for dwindling numbers of inpatients, heavy capital demands to expand outpatient reach, and the gradual cuts of Medicare payments under Obamacare.
“In most major markets, there are several hospitals in play, using the help of either an investment banker or consultant, to find a partner,” said Daniel M. Grauman, president of DGA Partners, a consulting firm in Bala Cynwyd.
