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How Can A Leader
Grow Stronger?
Just Ask the Doctor(s)!
Pharmaceutical
giant Glaxo is well-known as the $8.5 billion
maker of Zantac, the world's leading selling
drug. Now Glaxo Singapore is becoming known
for something more—an innovative,
customer-focused approach to doing business.
Glaxo Singapore is a leading pharmaceutical
marketer and distributor, selling to physicians
and hospital pharmacists in Singapore. Faced
with increasing competition and possible
government regulation, the company recently
sought a proactive way to increase its competitive
strength. Sales & Marketing Director
Kingston Sia explains the initiative that
was conceived and championed by Glaxo Singapore
Managing Director Lito Tadena. "We
needed to understand our own strengths and
weaknesses, and our customers' needs and
wants," says Sia. "We wanted to
improve our culture in a way that would
meet customers' needs more promptly and
efficiently. The Persona Organizational
Alignment Survey is helping us achieve
these goals by getting everyone in the company
focused on the same objectives and moving
in the same direction."
Surveying Customers
One of Glaxo's first actions was to survey
its customers. Persona conducted a series
of focus groups and in-depth interviews,
then sent a questionnaire to almost 2,000
Singapore doctors and pharmacists.
"By asking customers how Glaxo was
doing, we were able to confirm some suspicions
and obtain important new information,"
says Persona Singapore Country Manager
John Mauro. "We gathered data on
a range of issues, from ways to improve
product literature to how often to schedule
sales calls. These are the kinds of details
that customers care about, and that providers
need to fully understand in order to surpass
the competition."
While customers were providing information,
Glaxo employees were also being surveyed.
"The Organizational Alignment
Survey's internal assessment instruments
gave us better insight into how employees
feel about the company, how well we work
as a team, and how effectively we communicate
with each other," said Sia.
Aligning
Staff
Armed with the new data, Glaxo's senior
management team redefined the company's
mission during a three-day retreat. Then
middle managers and other staff participated
in mini-seminars during which they used
the new data to establish their own priorities
and objectives. Mauro explains, "Glaxo
staff got excited about the new initiative
because they were able to develop their
own objectives. They weren't just asked
to follow what senior management dictated.
This is one of the strengths of Persona's
approach.
Staff
must 'take ownership' of new goals so
the entire company can come aligned around
those things that will make a difference
to customers."
During a company-wide launch event, Glaxo
employees agreed they would do things differently
and support the new customer-focused priorities.
Comprehensive organizational measures and
performance management principles are currently
being introduced to reinforce the changes
taking place. Managers and staff will soon
be participating in Persona's Persuasive
Communicator and the Managing Performance
training programs to develop individual
communication and management skills. A company
task force monitors progress. "Our commitment
to customers is ongoing," explains Sia.
"That's one reason we will be implementing
the Organizational Alignment Survey
again 12 months after conducting the original
survey." |
