The AT&T transformation story continues. Over the last year, C. Michael Armstrong has spent more then $110 billion trying to turn AT&T from a “staid long distance company into a hot, cable-based communications network.”[i] If he succeeds the new AT&T will pipe entertainment, phone service, and Internet connection into your home. His transformation of AT&T …
AT&T, one of America’s blue-chip companies, recently downsized more than 60,000 employees. The media described it in Armageddon-like terms. The New York Times called it the “one year journey of discovery, dismemberment and downsizing” and “the epicenter of a corporate earthquake.”[i] The changes were strongly felt by many Northeastern stakeholders, employees, managers, suppliers, schools, tax …
A buddy of mine, an urologist, works 60 plus hours a week. His income has dropped 25% in the last 3 years. Why? He’s angry and frustrated having spent so many years educating himself and still working slavish hours. For what? Well the American Medical Association (AMA) has a partial answer. The American Medical Association considers …
Only a few years ago, the rallying cry for increasing US competitiveness was the Japanese juggernaut or the Southeast Asian super economies. They could do no wrong. They were business samurai waiting to take over the world. There were discussions about a titanic business struggle. The Japanese allegedly were unstoppable because of their high quality …
The churn logic goes something like this. There are three parties: 1. the raiding company, 2. the raided company and 3. the individual. The raider may be a start up, merged, or expanding company that needs certain skills and is willing to pay a market premium, sometimes a huge premium. The raided company, often the …
“Good or bad, the ‘churn’ seems to be reaching unprecedented levels as companies that once might have retrained employees for new roles, or waited for them to leave via attrition, are now jettisoning them to make room for new blood,” said the Wall Street Journal.[i] [i] Barta, Patrick, “In Current Expansion, As Business Booms, So, …
Something is going on. “Many companies are reconstituting their work forces at a faster pace than ever, hiring just as many as they are laying off, or hiring fewer, but more expensive workers even though these moves aren’t always united under a single, explicit strategy. Some of the companies are thriving and simply want to …
The economy has been going gangbusters. We’ve had a ten-year economic expansion, pretty close to full employment, a long-term bull market, and what some call an economic miracle. Just one indicator, the unemployment rate for much of 1998, 1999, and 2000 has hovered around historical lows. Bottom line questions: Are you better off than five …
Being fired from a job was once the ultimate form of rejection. People would lie on their resumes, go into hiding, suffer from rejection, and seek therapy. Yes, I did many of these when I was sacked. Well, this strong economy has changed much of this especially as more work is temporary and companies are …
Brand U nation started with the expansion of the Web and the Internet. How did it start? Investors and managers at first were in love with the simplicity of the Web company model. There were no stores, no people, no real estate, no inventory, and no salaries to weigh down a company’s balance sheet. All …