Human Resources

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 06 may 2015

According to Modern Healthcare Magazine, although healthcare workforce in US is dominated by women, but they don't hold top leadership positions - 78% of all healthcare and social assistance workers are women, and 77% of hospital employees are women. In 2014, of the 5767 hospitals and health systems in the United States, only 1508 (26%) are led by women CEOs. Modern Healthcare Magazine recently compiled a list of top 25 women in US healthcare selected from about 200 who were nominated - (1) Leah Binder, President of Leapfrog Group (2) Maureen Bisognano, President and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (3) Marna Borgstrom, CEO of the Yale New Haven Health System (4) Deborah Bowen, President and CEO of the American College of Healthcare Executives (5) Mary Brainerd, President and CEO of HealthPartners (6) Ruth Brinkley, CEO of KentuckyOne Health (7) Sylvia Mathews Burwell, Health and Human Services Secretary (8) Debra Cafaro, CEO of Ventas (9) Christine Cassel, MD, President and CEO of the National Quality Forum (10) Pamela Cipriano, President of the American Nurses AssociationRead (11) Karen DeSalvo, MD, MPH, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (12) Susan Desmond-Hellmann, MD, MPH, CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (13) Susan DeVore, president and CEO of Premier (14) Tejal Gandhi, MD, MPH, President and CEO of the National Patient Safety Foundation (15) Patricia Hemingway Hall, President and CEO of Health Care Service Corp (16) Karen Ignagni, president and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans (17) Sister Carol Keehan, President and CEO of the Catholic Health Association (18) Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, MBA, President and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (19) Donna Lynne, responsible for Kaiser Permanente's Pacific Northwest and Hawaii regions (20) Patricia Maryland, President of healthcare operations and COO at Ascension Health (21) Elizabeth Nabel, MD, President of Brigham and Women's Hospital (22) Debra Osteen, Senior Vice President at Universal Health Services (23) Nancy Schlichting, CEO of the Henry Ford Health System (24) Lynn Simon, MD, MBA, President of Clinical Services and Chief Quality Officer at Community Health Systems (25) Penny Wheeler, MD, CEO of Allina Health. Read on...

Medscape: America's Top 25 Women in Healthcare
Author: Megan Brooks

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 30 apr 2015

According to the new research by Eduserv, 'Creating The Right Environment for Digital Transformation', most charities are aware of the importance of IT and digital transformation to improve the way they deliver services and engage with their volunteers. But there seems to be lack of clarity about how they will implement and accomplish this. Report observed three challenges that charity leaders are facing while driving digital transformation - (1) Strategy and Knowledge Gap: Many of those at the top of charities have yet to grasp that digital transformation is not about using technology or digital platforms to replicate existing activities but about fundamental transformation of the way charities go about doing their business. (2) Structure: Delivering on the needs of the digital-first charity requires different ways of organising and managing teams. Most charities are still relying on old structures and working relationships. IT and digital are failing to add value because they are seen as service providers and support functions rather than business partners. (3) Infrastructure: Charities are not only failing to put in place the right IT platforms but they are failing to invest in people with the right skills to support their digital future in their IT teams. To overcome these challenges, charities can do the following - (1) Embed digital capability at the top of organisation's leadership, so that digital is embedded at the heart of a charity's strategic thinking. (2) Build a digital-first culture throughout the charity. It is not realistic to expect digital and IT teams to drive change from the margins as support functions. Invest in IT and digital skills and tools. Read on...

Information Age: Digital transformation - the pressing three priorities for charities
Authors: Chloe Green, John Simcock

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 29 apr 2015

PR is undergoing transformational shifts. In this year's Agency Business Report, the main themes are integration, convergence and the enhanced value of digital and social media. The new PR firm is highly influenced by these factors as they change the dynamics of agency leadership roles, the structure of the firms, and the talent that is recruited and retained. Richard Edelman, CEO of Edelman, defines the largest PR firm in the world as, 'It's a Venn diagram where the overlaps of the four [media, PR, social media, advertising] are becoming more present. It used to be distinct valleys and now the roads are crossing. We're going to try to have stronger creative, stronger planning, and look at problems differently.' Inspite of recognition of advertising agencies for their PR work and some ad-shops 'integrating forward', most PR agency leaders still believe PR has a unique mentality and heritage to bring to the modern content marketing mix. They don't see the need to rebrand as something other than PR. According to Andy Polansky, CEO of Weber Shandwick, 'Some advertising firms, like Mullen, have a strong PR capability - others do it around the edges. The key is to develop depth and have a credible, strong offering. PR has never been held in higher regard by the C-suite, and there's a lot more dimension to our business now. We've emerged as leaders in content marketing and social.' He further believes the sweet spot for PR agencies is the ability to engage multiple constituencies across different platforms and stakeholder groups. Fred Cook, CEO of PR firm Golin, says, 'It's getting harder to define what a PR agency is...We're competing with different types of agencies in different categories. You can call yourself anything you want, but it is how your clients define you. Our clients still define us as a PR agency, but a PR agency that does a lot more than before.' According to Dave Senay, CEO of FleishmanHillard, the principles of PR have never changed. He cites Edward Bernays' definition of PR as informing, persuading, and connecting people with people. He points out, 'PR is no different than it's ever been. If you take the two schools of PR, the behaviorist or socially responsible or conscious side, they are converging like never before. The wind is completely blowing into our strengths.' He believes modern marketing communications is all about how and why people behave the way they do, which requires an understanding of their culture, media consumption habits, and the global push toward shared value. Online video is at the forefront of new PR services. Although it has been mostly associated with ad agencies, but PR firms are now effectively utilizing the medium to construct engaging narratives. The change in skill sets required at the "new PR agency" is changing the people who come into the business and inevitably resulting in legacy personnel leaving at the other end of the talent funnel. It is also evolving different workforce structures more suited to the new environment. Many agencies have restructured their practice offerings and tried to inculcate collaboration across disciplines, geographies, and offices. Compensation structures are being amended to better reflect overall results at agencies, rather than being based on individual office P&Ls. Bonus pools are increasingly tied to individual objectives aligned with strategy and client goals rather than offices. Skeptics about this new age of PR and subsequent delineation for PR agencies may highlight the issue of measurement and how these new skill sets are producing return on investment for brands and clients. But in reality the payback and return on investment of content-based executions built from smart data can totally be monitored in real time, via measurement and social analytics. Effectiveness is measured on criteria such as the number of people who link to, share, view, or create their own content using the source material. Social metrics are much more powerful because they show someone is actively involved in the content and sharing it with their community. Rob Flaherty, CEO of Ketchum, points out, 'And now with the Internet of Things you can link these metrics to visits in-store and to purchases, which is the Holy Grail for every communicator and marketer - and also for the new age of PR firms servicing those clients' needs.' Real-time marketing is fueling a new range of skills, services, and ways of working at PR agencies. Read on...

PRWeek: What is the new PR agency?
Author: Steve Barrett

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 27 apr 2015

According to the American Enterprise Institute, social enterprises 'differ from typical government programs in that they are a business, usually operated outside of government, with a concern for the bottom line. They are typically started by people who want to make a difference in society by helping others.' The new study by Mathematica Policy Research states that social enterprises might be one part of the answer to combating poverty in the United States. The research evaluated social enterprises in California and found these public/private businesses increased employment, decreased dependence on government and increased the likelihood individuals had stable housing. Read on...

MacIver Institute: Social Enterprises - A Solution to Employing the Hard-to-Employ?
Author: Nick Novak

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 25 apr 2015

The survey of 924 nonprofit board directors conducted by team of researchers (David F. Larcker, William F. Meehan III, Nicholas Donatiello, Brian Tayan) from Stanford Graduate School of Business supports a long-held hypothesis that many nonprofit boards are ineffective. The study revealed that a significant minority are unsure of their organization's mission and strategy, dissatisfied with their ability to evaluate their organization's performance, and uncertain whether their fellow board members have the experience to do their jobs well. According to Prof. Larcker, the lead researcher, 'Our research finds that too often board members lack the skill set, depth of knowledge, and engagement required to help their organizations succeed.' Researchers offer following recommendations to improve nonprofit board governance - (1) Ensure the mission is focused, and its skills and resources are well-aligned. (2) Ensure the mission is understood by the board, management, and key stakeholders. (3) Establish explicit goals and strategies tied to achieving that mission. (4) Develop rigorous performance metrics that reflect those goals. (5) Hold the executive director accountable for meeting the performance metrics, and evaluate his or her performance with an objective process. (6) Compose your board with individuals with skills, resources, diversity, and dedication to address the needs of the nonprofit. (7) Define explicitly the roles and responsibility of board members. (8) Establish well-defined board, committee, and ad hoc processes that reflect the nonprofit's needs and ensure optimal handling of key decisions. (9) Regularly review and assess each board member and the board's overall performance. Read on...

Business Wire: Stanford Research Offers Nine Tips to Improve Nonprofit Governance
Author: Heather Hansen

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 20 apr 2015

The expansion and transformation of healthcare ecosystem with new models of healthcare delivery is creating rapid growth of required human resources. The industry now have new types of insurance companies, novel provider organizations and new health information technology companies. Physicians and nurses are having shifts in roles and responsibilities in order to effectively and successfully lead these organizations. They need different set of skills from the ones they acquired during their clinical training. Sachin H. Jain, chief medical officer of CareMore Health System and lecturer in healthcare policy at Harvard Medical School, suggests three skills that are critical for doctors and nurses as they transition to management and assume higher level of influence in the business of health - (1) Operations Management and Execution (2) People Leadership (3) Setting and Defining Strategy. Dr. Jain quotes one CEO's remark, 'Physicians and nurses run the risk of losing their clinical identities as they develop into executives.' On this, he comments, 'It would be a shame if they did. As they transition to careers in the business of health care, clinicians must hold on to the heart and practice of medicine as they continuously develop the core executive skills required to effectively lead and shape their organizations.' Read on...

Harvard Business Review: The Skills Doctors and Nurses Need to Be Effective Executives
Author: Sachin H. Jain

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 16 apr 2015

Using technology to bring social change and improve people's lives is a challenging task. 'One-size-fits-all' approaches to implement technology strategies may not be effective and provide expected results. There is need to have proper context, clarity of purpose and supportive environment to fulfil the promises that technology intends to bring for the well-being and welfare of the society. Professor Kentaro Toyama of University of Michigan, in his latest book 'Geek Heresy: Rescuing Social Change from the Cult of Technology', argues that technologists undermine efforts at social progress by promoting 'packaged interventions' at the expense of more difficult reforms. Prof. Toyama has worked extensively in India and launched various projects that sought to use computers and Internet connectivity to improve education and reduce poverty. Following are selected excerpts from his Q&A session done by Brian Bergstein, deputy editor of MIT Technology Review - • 'There are already several randomized, controlled trials of schools with and without One Laptop per Child. Generally, what most of these studies show is that schools with laptops did not see their children gain anything in terms of academic achievement, in terms of grades, in terms of test scores, in terms of attendance, or in terms of supposed engagement with the classroom.' • 'I think it's perfectly sensible for parents to want a certain amount of exposure to technology for their children, both as a form of explorative play and as a way to get them used to technology that they'll undoubtedly encounter later in their life. I think the fundamental error people make is that, therefore, we should have the computer be the primary instrument of education for all children...I think one of the issues is we tend to think of education as being the content. We overemphasize the importance of content, as opposed to emphasizing the part that's really difficult in any good education, which is adult-supervised motivation - the motivation of the child to learn something.' • 'If you measure some positive benefit in the technology case, your conclusion is that technology helped. But it was always the people that we worked with, the partners that we chose and the people on the ground who interacted with the people that we wanted to support. All of those human factors were required for the technology itself to have an impact; whether the technology helped or not was really up to people.' Read on...

MIT Technology Review: Putting Technology in Its Place
Author: Brian Bergstein

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 14 apr 2015

According to MarketingTerms.com, 'Affiliate Marketing' is the 'Revenue sharing between online advertisers/merchants and online publishers/salespeople, whereby compensation is based on performance measures, typically in the form of sales, clicks, registrations, or a hybrid model.' Wikipedia defines 'Customer Relationship Management' (CRM) as 'System for managing a company's interactions with current and future customers. It often involves using technology to organize, automate, and synchronize sales, marketing, customer service, and technical support.' Affiliate managers need to keep track of their affiliate relationships efficiently and they can use CRM tools to stay organized. According to Dustin Howes, Director of Marketing at Marketing Clique, 'Using the CRM creates full transparency of the current state of the affiliate program and the growth in the near future.' He provides the following ways CRM can be effective for affiliate marketing - (1) Document Hot Leads (2) Task Reminders (3) Institutional Memory (4) Predicting Affiliate Performance. Read on...

FeedFront: Growing your Affiliate Program with a CRM
Author: Dustin Howes

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 13 apr 2015

Entrepreneurs are always seeking new ways to leverage their position in the market to stay competitive and successful. Competitive advantage is not an easy thing to achieve for entrepreneurs. Here are few ways that entrepreneurs can gain competitive edge - (1) Positioning is better than prospecting. (2) Plans fail, movements don't. (3) Stand on the shoulder of giants. (4) Become a people developer. (5) Create raving fans and advocates. Read on...

Entrepreneur: 5 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Gain a Competitive Advantage
Author: Peter Voogd

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 12 apr 2015

Adoption and implementation of business-IT strategies with emerging technologies like big data, cloud, social business and mobility, is a continuous long-term process. It involves multiple streams of projects with complexity and uncertainty. In such an environment CIO's will be challenged to manage a continuous process of incremental development. Jyoti Lalchandani, group vice president and regional managing director at IDC Middle East, Africa and Turkey, explains the approach of 'Failure Management' that IDC utilizes for project management. According to him, 'Businesses rushing to embrace emerging technology solutions may fail more often than not to extract full value from individual projects, but in the long run they will reap enormous value as long as they persist and stay focused on their strategic goals.' Failure management doesn't consider failure as an absolute end result but as a range of project outcomes. Some outcomes might lead to project termination but in other situations it would require some alterations and tweaking to get favourable results and returns on tech investments. Evaluation process is a must at key stages of project lifecycle. The stages are called 'value checkpoints' as they measure the business value return in addition to standard performance metrics. When projects are failing, there are three options for organizations, called 'Rule of Three' by IDC - (1) Stay the course (2) Kill the project or (3) Find a way to change the project's trajectory. Although most project planning methodologies focus on (1) & (2), but it is important to consider all three options and answer all questions to determine the optimum course of action. Read on...

Gulf Times: Manage failure to secure strategic advantage
Author: Jyoti Lalchandani

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