#leadership

The amount being spent on co-locations and flying remote employees in just to meet badge-swipe requirements has to be off the charts.
How does it make financial sense to let go of employees who were already local to an office, while retaining remote employees whose RTO compliance now requires additional travel and related expenses?
And then there’s leadership. The number of VPs and directors who remain remote while employees are being pushed into the office four days a week raises a pretty obvious question: why isn’t the same standard being applied consistently?
FHFA has been vocal about RTO and waste, fraud, and abuse. Maybe it’s worth looking a little closer to home. If reducing waste and improving accountability are truly the goals, start by examining the cost of these arrangements, the decisions that created them, and whether the RTO expectations being imposed on employees are also being applied to leadership. Sometimes the backyard needs cleaning before you start inspecting everyone else’s.

Anyone have stories of how they’ve successfully strong armed the company, even if only briefly?

We all know the company will do extraordinary things for the chosen few. I have a neighbor who was offered 3x his salary to defer retirement by one year.

Just wondering if there are stories of rare situations where an individual employee has had enough leverage to strongarm the company.

Honestly, who cares about long term career at this place anymore. Do what the management does: take as much as you can RN.

Hopefully they have come to their senses and bring back a strong centralized Enterprise Architecture team. The lack of high level forward thinking vision is staggering. Most rank and file engineers can only think about the story in front of them, like it or not Architecture is needed. Historically the problem was they didn't attract the right talent because pay was too low, these new architects should be compensated like VPs.

BEAVERTON, OR — Nike announced a sweeping transformation designed to simplify the transformation created during the previous transformation, which had simplified the transformation before that.

The new strategy is described as getting back to sport, but faster, simpler, more consumer-direct, more wholesale, more digital, less digital, locally relevant and globally consistent.

“We have to move at the speed of sport,” leadership told employees, many of whom are still waiting for access to the systems introduced during the last effort to move at the speed of sport.

Centene paid $17.3 BILLION for a Medicare growth engine. Seven years later, the goal is break even.

WellCare was sold as a “leading Medicare platform” for growth. As recently as 2023, Medicare Advantage was still a “critical area of future growth.”

Fast-forward to 2027. Nearly one-third of MA plans are being cut and standard MA is exiting 344 counties. What remains is increasingly being refocused around D-SNPs and dual-eligible members — essentially using Centene’s Medicaid footprint as the feeder into Medicare instead of competing broadly in MA. And for 2026, just 6% of Centene’s MA members were in plans receiving Medicare quality bonus payments, versus 68% industrywide.

Sarah London inherited this one. Drew Asher didn’t. He was WellCare’s CFO when Centene bought it, and he’s Centene’s CFO today. Seven years later, the “growth platform” is smaller, being rebuilt around a very different strategy, and trying to get back to zero.

Members lose plans, employees lose jobs, and shareholders absorb the value destruction. Executives who leave can walk away with very nice parting gifts. And one of the few executives with a front-row seat on both sides of the original $17.3B deal is still sitting in the CFO chair. He’s even hanging around for ANOTHER YEAR.

So where exactly is the executive accountability? cough Sarah cough

Because cutting plans, markets, and employees isn’t executive accountability. It’s executive accountability outsourced to everyone but the executives. (Yeah, I used “outsourced” intentionally.) 😂

Personally, I think Ford lost its way beginning with hiring Jim Hackett as CEO.

I wish I was joking. what an embarrassment.

I've been here a long time. I've defended this company to my family, my friends, recruiters who called. I've pushed our products at backyard barbecues when it wasn't easy to. And for years a lot of us have been saying the same thing in every employee survey, fix the customer experience. We said it over and over. Nobody listened.

Look at where we are now. We lost 654K broadband subs last year and another 232K so far this year. KeyBanc thinks we lose 558K more this year and 665K next year, and they just downgraded us with an $18 target. Fiber is overbuilding our footprint about twice as fast as it was a couple years ago and competitors are selling gig for $30 to $40 a month. The buyback is paused. The stock fell 6% the day they announced the transformation. Wall Street has a name for companies like this, a melting ice cube. And our leadership's plan is to make sure we're all in the building to watch it melt.

Most of us heard about the biggest cost transformation in company history from Wall Street, same as everyone else. No town hall, no memo, not even a heads up. But the RTO change? Every SVP, VP, director and manager had that message and delivered it in what felt like a day. Impressive honestly. So this company knows exactly how to cascade information when it wants to. They just decided what we get to hear.

And good luck finding the actual RTO policy. It isn't in the handbook. There's no written requirement ANYWHERE. It's all verbal and it changes depending on your leader, your org, honestly depending on who you are that week. Calling that a policy is generous, it's pressure. If you work here, email your manager and ask them to point you to the written policy so you know you're meeting it. If they can't, you have your answer.

Wall Street doesn't give a sh-t how many days we're in the building. Nobody has ever upgraded a stock because badge swipes went up. What the market wants is a new direction, pricing customers will actually stay for, and real retention. And if this team can't deliver that, they want NEW LEADERSHIP. You can't badge your way back to Wall Street.

When a stock hits a 13 year low somebody isn't doing their job. And let's stop pretending we don't know who. The problem was never the people in the building. It's the people LEADING the building. We didn't set the pricing. We didn't ignore years of feedback about the customer experience. We didn't let fiber walk into our footprint. We didn't tell Wall Street about a transformation before telling our own people. LEADERSHIP did. You run this company, you made these calls, and the stock is your scorecard. Dragging us in another day doesn't change who's responsible for where we are.

So here's an RTO mandate I'd actually support. Every executive in the office five days a week, plus weekends as needed, until the stock is back up. Spend that time with customers, fix pricing, figure out how to stop losing subs. I'll even save you a parking spot. The job was always yours. Do it.

And to the board. This happened on your watch too. You approved this direction, you signed off on these leaders, and you've watched the stock slide for months. Thinking more badge swipes will fix a company in decline is honestly SHAMEFUL, and if nobody in that boardroom is saying it out loud, then consider this your wake up call. The market is telling you it wants a different direction. Maybe it's time to listen and find the people who can lead it.

Leadership, stop managing our desks. DO YOUR JOB.

Still can’t believe these bozos never withheld their bonuses, raises, or did anything of material significance to show they are in the trenches. A lot of talk about sports leadership but none of the values demonstrated.

Not once was it mentioned in the All Hands. Did PACE take over for Win Now strategy? iWhat is going on? What’s next? These “leaders” are flailing.

VA and his lunatic crew need to go first, with EH right behind them. EH has been letting more people go than JD ever did. At this rate, VA will soon take over completely and water the brand down to something barely recognizable.

It is happening guys !

Sr director /AVP pls confirm !

If you want to climb the corporate ladder at Intel, you’re going to need to learn to lie, cheat and steal. Ethics and integrity are all just virtue signaling.

Truist is not a democracy! If your not in a position of effect change or a major voting shareholder, you are wasting you time writing/complaining to Santa Clause on this website. Only you are in charge of your career. If you are unhappy or your boss/leadership puts themselves first, you need to do the same and move on and look for something better. Waiting around for things to get better or the next layoff is a fools game.

I have followed this advise and rest assured, your job will be posted within a few weeks for the next su---r to come along. Your replacement will figure things out and the cycle will continue.

I appreciate that EH is claiming there is "a" long term plan. But that is not enough.

It will help make the numbers look good with a smaller footprint, maybe a more efficient supply chain. A different geography organization... fine.

But that's not enough.

Nike is built on athlete stories, high performing products. Products that people want and are proud to use. I mean gosh, I grew up watching Serena Williams and LeBron James making history... but the newer generation doesn't 100% relate to them, especially in the international markets. We need more.

The economy isn't great. It actually is really bad... but it won't be bad forever.

When it does improve, will we be ready? Will we have the hot new products that the market wants to buy? Stop reacting to short term measures... show some resilience.

The writing is on the wall. Project team leadership being stacked with downstreamers who know nothing about the upstream. Get ready for a wave of projects to fail. Not everything is as easy as Guyana and UNCON.

If you accept that you are disrespecting you self what a joke!!

Just sell the company in pieces and get it over with lest stop kidding out selfs we all know is over!!

They want more layers. Common sense does not work for this company. NOT aLL, but Most current, designers are useless and design worthless cr-p too.

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
This is the umpteenth round of layoffs and every time they sell us a story that this time it will be different. This is like a cheating spouse tell their partner they won’t cheat the next time.
When will they learn that the issue is not the employees but the leaders who make the decisions and put us in this spot.
Can’t even quit cos the stock is in the toilet and all the last few years stock options isn’t worth jack!
How…just how??

Sequel to Shoe Dog. Starring JD and EH.

I realize that there was never going to be a great name with all of the various pieces, but no one I know knows what Skydance is. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the narcissist nepo baby went with the name of his company but I'm surprised that there aren't more adults in the room to talk him out of doing a d-mb.

I'm convinced that the top executives get some kind of curated list of the feedback that is written here.

I saw several complaints in this site that "there is no long-term plan". Maybe there is, maybe there isn't... but now EH is claiming there is one. He specifically quoted we "are not reacting quarter to quarter". It's the first time in a while I see a narrative like this.

Time to write something constructive. Don't say "fire department X"... now is not the time to point fingers at colleagues. They are still probably figuring out what to actually do, what will turn the ship.

I just wish we got one that makes a bit more sense than this mess.

how come the stock price downtrend never ever stop?

where is Takis G? where is Paul Todd?

do something ASAP!

Wait three years to drop a signature shoe for possibly your highest potential signature athlete in your stable.

When you finally drop it, you drop it on the day that she gets eliminated from the playoffs

And even worse, the headlines for your company are dominated by your incompetence so guess what no one is talking about.. hint… rhymes with Baitlin Bark Boos

This team can’t win now, later or ever.

They aren't there to help put a company back on track. Not one McKinsey powerpoint in god's existence has resulted in someone gaining a job, or a layoff being avoided.

McKinsey is a Sin Eater (read up on the concept). Comcast leadership already knew they wanted to cut labor. It's the easiest target on every company's P&L statement that executives can cut, sell as "efficiency" or "cost savings" and because Wall Street is incredibly stupid and gullible, it will slightly bump the stock (Comcast stock has always been trash for the record).

This isn't about the company, or economics directly; a McKinsey report always serves only one purpose - it allows failed executive leadership to go to the board of directors, point to the report and say "I have no choices, there are no other alternatives, even McKinsey says so; we have to do this and it's not my fault we're here." Now the executives take no accountability as McKinsey said they have to do the layoffs, they get to stay on or keep their golden parachute on the way out - only to go do the same damned thing at the next company. McKinsey keeps being brought into the same company every few years for the same exact reason, execs need air cover to make cuts to cover up their sc--w-ups. No senior executive will ever admit to making errors or being wrong.

Also remember, most board of directors are the same executives running this play every few years in other companies. Board members sit on Comcast's board, but have jobs elsewhere double dipping for a salary. The gentleman's agreement is I'll let you slit your employee's throats so long as when I ask you allow me the same.

100% what @dx+1m3teyh86 said.

and he said, I don't know but I know that WW4 will be fought with sticks and stones.

I know what year 2 of the EH's leadership was like. I don't know what he will do in year 3 but if he is still with the company on year 4 then I know we will be working on a big tent with electricity produced by a Caterpillar generator.

"The most innovative companies shouldn't view AI as a cost-reduction play." Learn why #AI can be a catalyst for greater innovation and customer value from Cisco Chair & CEO @ChuckRobbins

For a company that can’t give out reasonable raises and has to watch the budget if we need markers for the whiteboard or a new mouse, the senior leaders sure do travel a whole heck of a lot! I’ve seen a couple leaders go on trips three weeks in a row! Associates still need to see you on site. They need to see you saving money when we get denied after requesting a new keyboard because ours is 11 years old and absolute cr-p.

Venky is fostering a bunch of non-qualified leaders and rotating through the VP roles across his organization. Look at the team he has, and all the different roles they have taken in the last 6 years. It's not normal to have VPs rotating through different countries, marketplace, sourcing, manufacturing, planning - no expertise just su-king on Venky's teet.

If you get to be in the driving seat for this turnaround, what is the "one thing" you would do to make it happen quick?

really? Another distraction from doing the primary job of running the firm. Never has there been a MP more focused on playing chess for their own next act than focusing on the job at hand.

Always a good sign!!!

Now it's a-s kissing. Kiss the right behinds, and you'll end up higher than any of the hard workers can even dream of. What a joke of a company OT is now.

All we're doing is guessing and people are getting more and more stressed. True leadership would tell employees what's going on if nothing else to stop rumors from escalating and creating panic. Sadly, who we have in top management are as far away from true leadership as they can be.

Here is what MH posted on the Slack Channel:

The takeaway isn’t that everything you heard today is new. Our purpose hasn’t changed, and our businesses will continue to have distinct strategies for the markets and customers they serve.
And importantly, our growth, goals, are not separate from our impact. Growth should come from serving more learners and customers, delivering stronger outcomes and earning greater trust. That growth in turn, gives us more capacity to reinvest in our products, our people and the capabilities that strengthen the flywheel.
What is different is that we now one shared enterprise strategy that connects where we play, how we win, the goals we’re working toward, and how we work together. As Cengage has evolved to become a more integrated, market-facing company, we need that common context to make clearer choices about priorities, investments, and tradeoffs and to make better use of capabilities and strengths across the company. The real test of this strategy will be how it increasingly shows up in our Objective and Key Results (OKR’s), operating rhythms, investment decisions, and day-to-day work. OKR’s will be the framework we increasingly use across the enterprise to track goals and priorities.
On confidentiality, the SOAP and the specific goals and strategy we discussed are internal, and competitively sensitive details should not be shared externally.

Downvote for no.
Upvote for yes.

Is it just me being uncompetitive or whatever, or are y'all also seeing your work load increase extremely high and your leaders are doing nothing to help?

What is with all these damn alarp projects absolutely having to be finished by 2027/28?

Who made a promise, find that person for me please.

Once upon a time, there was a Regional Leader who enjoyed playing the part of Supreme Leader.

One day, not long ago, he decided to be generous. He called a lady, a loyal employee, at a Level 10 office and offered her a limited partnership with Edward Jones. She said nothing as she was quite puzzled :-|

The leader was sooo excited to offer such a wonderful opportunity to this loyal employee. After congratulating the lady, he asked her, "so, what do you think?"

She replied, "I'm retiring in 2 weeks."

The savvy and wise Regional Leader responded, "well, you might want to think about holding off your retirement until after January 1st."

The bewildered loyal employee responded, "Nah, I'm good. Goodbye"

The End.

And she lived happily ever after praising her luck and good fortune at being 67."

Time to petition or picket for BOD to remove him immediately.