Yearly Archives: 2021

Consider yourself lucky to have a job! 3

This entry was posted in Leadership and tagged leadership productivity progress on by

Really!  There is a shortage of qualified workers.  Even for jobs that do not require specific or elaborate training, positions remain unfilled.  We are in the middle of the Great Resignation.  It is employers that should consider themselves lucky to have people working for them.  The pendulum swings from one extreme to the other.  I am lucky today, you are lucky tomorrow, and back and forth we go along the years.  Leaders that use that kind of terminology, whatever their reasons or their aim, are missing the leadership boat and have embarked on the dictatorial raft.  The same goes for employees trying to exert a long overdue need for assertiveness, even power.   The use of such perspective is a barely disguised way to exercise power over other people, to try to control them and have our way with them, whatever side uses it. 

It shows contempt, lack of respect, and tries to establish superiority over others.  It generates anger, fear, retaliation, or negativism.  In almost every case, it feeds the relentless movement of disengagement.  True leaders strive to engage individuals on a journey of discovery and growth.  They don’t use fear, coercion, manipulation, or authoritarianism.  Veritable leaders lead the way in a manner that people want and desire to follow.  They inspire others to be the best they can be.

Have you ever worked for an organization or a team that gained both your respect and dedication simply because it felt right?  Have you at some point evolved with a group of people that respected each other sufficiently to be honest, even direct at times, but always in order for all to win, together?  When is the last time you woke up in the morning, excited to start your working day, eager to dive into a project, knowing that your efforts would be of value, contribute to something and be recognized fairly?  Do you feel that in spite of differences in opinions and styles, the people around you communicate openly, with the aim to understand?

Everybody has an agenda.  Each of us has personal ambitions.  There will likely always be leaders and followers.  There will be individuals that are more famous than others.  Many will be better than we are.  Reality is that life, especially at work, is not always fair.  Does this mean that we simply abandon the idea of working in a manner that lines up with respect of one another, valuing people and their contributions? 

Years ago, I attended one of many conferences on the topic of strategic development during which the executive of a large Pharma company literally addressed sales representatives as “warm bodies that need to deliver a message as often as the data suggests it should be repeated”.  Warm bodies.  Think about it.  Some may say “that was years ago, things have changed”.  Have they?  In the last 20 years, I have worked with over a hundred organizations and thousands of individuals to confirm what is captured in the second paragraph above.  I have had the great privilege to meet incredible leaders that never dreamed of telling someone, anyone, that they should consider themselves lucky to have a job. What this statement is really telling people is that they may just be considered a warm body, a necessary disturbance. 

Nobody is perfect.  As businesses evolve, it is true that employees that have not evolved with the times may not be as valuable as they once were.  It happens all the time.  In many cases, it is incumbent on the organizations to have been lax in their development programs, or to have accepted to “not shake the tree too much” in fear of endangering the profit margins, accepting contributors/employees to remain in their comfort zone.  At times, the easy answer was chosen at the cost of challenging individuals to move forward and grow.  In other situations, employees have decided not to evolve and indeed “make hay while the sun shines”. 

True leaders understand that very little gets done without dedicated and engaged people.  Fear may work in the short term but, today even more so, this is very short lived and often condemns management to spend most of their valuable to rebuild or continually fix things rather than move forward in earnest.  I will not tell anyone not to say to others that they are lucky to have a job, on the contrary.  I will however encourage people that are told this to reconsider their investment and realize that it may be time for them to work with organizations that actually understand their value.  I will also venture to say to leaders that if they even think of saying to others that they are lucky to have a job, to stop and think for a moment.  Think about what they mean and what it means to think that way.

Key Account Managers (KAMs) and Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs): The present and future of Pharma. 1

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged MSL on by

First, let’s look at WHY we think Key Account Managers (KAM) and Medical Science Liaisons (MSL) are critical to the success in Pharma (Healthcare industry)? 

Both these functions have been around for many years in Pharma.  That’s not news.  Like many other roles, the two have significantly evolved, and now need to be an even more significant part of the key strategies for development.  There are a number of reasons for this.  But before we get there, it is important to recognize that Pharma is a business and as such, strategies should always aim to optimal profitability while prioritizing the benefits to patients.  After all, patient centricity has been at the heart of Pharma’s efforts for many years.

KAMs, depending on their scope from one company to the other, are able to conduct the orchestra of stakeholders for the benefit of HCPs.  There are many versions of KAMs.  In this short article (and the following), we define KAMs as individuals that are responsible to identify customer’s needs in a wide variety of areas, help  develop solutions to meet those needs, and orchestrate the work of a number of stakeholders for the solutions to materialize.   The projects KAM manage or help create are often innovative, unique or essential to the advancement of the whole business model.  Very often, initiatives are not directly targeting prescription, or advocacy, or immediately measurable returns for all stakeholders.  Rather, they bring perspective, options and actions that foster an environment for better care, or effort allocation.  As an example, KAMs have led initiatives to better standardize the evaluation of people suffering from depression, increase the precision of the diagnosis and better orient treatment choices.  The initiative was created in concert with HCPs and eventually, led by the HCPs.  KAMs simply facilitated the discussions and brought resources together.  They are project managers and, hopefully, concentrate their actions where both industry and HCPs gain, for the ultimate benefit of patients.  We will explain WHY they are critical.

MSLs are scientific and clinical experts.  They are often physicians, nurses, pharmacists and PhDs.  Because of their formal training and role, they are able to discuss clinical aspects that commercial teams cannot, or will not.  MSLs also have the specific role to review the mountain of data in given clinical areas.  In oncology for example, some of the MSLs I know are so globally knowledgeable that HCPs count them as a part of their team, their brain power.  While it may be argued that MSLs may not always be neutral in their perspective, after all they do work for Pharma or Medical Devices companies, their training, and often their oaths to their profession (MDs, PharmDs, PhDs, etc.) more often than not counter the possibility to stray to unreasonable levels of partiality.  Not reporting to commercial groups and not receiving commercial incentives also help.  Yet, MSLs are able to guide HCPs in directions that better serve patients. 

So WHY are those two function so critical?

Both KAMs and MSLs have the ability and respectability to influence HCPs in optimal directions.  As I look back at the Principles for Persuasion by Cialdini, KAMs and MSLs can more easily (than others) leverage each of the principles.  Because of their superior knowledge they have Authority.  Their ability to relate and remain balanced in their approach makes then Likeable and inspire Reciprocity.  The capacity for KAMs and MSLs to be Consistent and bring fair perspective help their influence on Social Proof (people follow the lead of similar others).  Finally, when they are highly competent, and because there are far less of them at that level, they appeal to Scarcity (people want more of what they can have less of).  

KAMs and MSLs are able to generate more value for HCPs.  Commercial teams also have that ability, but they are significantly limited because of numerous factors.  KAMs can create solutions that go far beyond the treatment of single individuals and the “traditional” process.  The example I gave earlier with depression illustrates this.  KAMs can work on projects that help large clinics or treatment groups be more effective.  In the case of diabetes, projects have gathered a number of specialties to truly optimize the treatment approach and disease management.  This has produced significant cost savings for all stakeholders.  Helping HCPs make better choices will likely contribute to the profitability of project sponsors.   But this will not come via a distorted view of treatment options.  It will hopefully be generated by a rational approach, ensuring that the best option is selected for the right patient.  Think of the current opioid crisis.  Most of those drugs are necessary for patients that need pain management.  It can be argued that a part of the crisis is the result of incomplete understanding of pain management, and possibly an approach that did not involve a sufficient number of specialties.  While some companies have greatly benefited financially, the end result is extremely detrimental to reputations, credibility, HCPs that aim to do the right thing, patients and society in general.  KAMs can contribute to projects for which profitability will likely be established on actual best practices and ensure the viability of efforts.  As products are used more rationally, the results will improve for all stakeholders.   Increase in fairness, better results and fewer negative impacts will likely generate more synergy between stakeholders as opposed to acrimony and suspicion.  That is in part, WHY KAMs are a critical part of the future.

MSLs are able to put in perspective the mountain of data available.  They can speak to the present as well as the future.  Their interactions with leaders in their fields (clinicians, scientists, developers), and the fact that understanding data and trends is their main role, makes them moderators.  As such, they are able to calm down certain undue cravings for unruly usage of the new and improved.  MSLs have foreseen the opioid crisis.  MSLs are therefore better equipped to highlight dangerous paths and promote a balanced usage of all the worthy solutions.  Because of their credibility and balanced approach, MSLs have the ability to address situations in a manner that will bring a more universally advantageous approach to treating patients.  Just like KAMs, in their own way, MSLs can produce an increase in fairness, better results and fewer negative impacts to generate more synergy between stakeholders as opposed to acrimony and suspicion.  That is in part, WHY MSLs are a critical part of the future.

I mentioned Cialdini earlier.  Let me link his principles of persuasion to the intrinsic value of KAMs and MSLs in Pharma.  At the moment, some of the most acute problems faced by Pharma and Medical Devices companies are access to their customers, credibility, the perception of value (other than a treatment of quality), the impression that they don’t truly contribute to the overall healthcare environment (product focus instead of health focus), and the conviction that all that counts is industry progress as opposed to the development of the complete environment.  While it is not universal or unanimous, HCPs may see the industry as a taker rather than a contributor.  That’s where KAMs and MSLs contribute to change that reality.

Access.  While it has been advocated for years now that sales representatives need to “up their game” and bring more global knowledge and skills to their customers, regulations can significantly limit their ability to use such capabilities.  However one feels about the changes implemented in Pharma’s commercial practices, there have been both positive and negative impacts associated to new rules of engagement.  When we amalgamate those limitations to a persistently volatile perception of their value, the potential positive impact that teams can have, often remains torpedoed compared to their true capabilities.  This directly impacts access.

When time is precious, we tend to choose with more discernment where we invest it.  In most cases, HCPs will choose to invest where there is a potential return.  This is WHY KAMs and MSLs have more attraction and increased access.

Credibility.  Not directly promoting any specific product, in spite of being employed by a corporation, contributes to the credibility of KAMs and MSLs.  With the incredible amount of information available to HCPs, it is particularly critical to decipher the wheat from the chaff.  KAMs and MSLs both have that capability, which turns into an advantage.  Credibility breeds confidence which in turn, promotes loyalty.  Loyal customers are critical to profitability.  This explains WHY KAMs and MSLs need to be more strategically integrated.

Value. KAMs and MSLs bring ideas and perspectives contributing to the evolution of HCPs.  As such, they help enhance the reputation, productivity, precision of treatment, time management and resource allocation of HCPs.  It is rather easy to translate any of this into added value.  When someone has value to us, we tend to treat them well, and we care for their perspective.

Contribution.  As mentioned earlier, KAMs and MSLs are often able to become partners or consultants for HCPs. Projects such as the one I briefly mentioned with depression, help HCPs enhance their ability to perform at a higher level.   KAMs and MSLs that are able to contribute to HCPs’ scope gain significant impact.  Another reason WHY they are critical.

Progress.  Let’s face it, with the amount of new data generated these days, it is almost impossible as an individual or a specialized group to fully integrate what is available.  Humans are notorious for finding a level of comfort in their daily activities and cruise.  KAMs and MSLs will help HCPs shake their habits, inspire them to dare new avenues.  The generated progress will benefit the therapeutic areas and patients.  Who doesn’t want to be a part of that?

 Hopefully, this has provided an illustration for WHY KAMs and MSLs are so critical for the future of Healthcare efforts.  The next article in this series will address HOW to best integrate and develop KAMs and MSLs in the industry.

But wait.  As much as this text supports the continued development of KAMs and MSLs, bestowing upon them a strategic importance, it should also be an indicator for the orientation of commercial teams in the Healthcare industry.  Commercial teams can still play a strategic role and remain of critical value.  Knowledgeable individuals that are not solely dominated by their personal performance or metrics, that care about a balanced approach supported by evidence, and working to look at possibilities and valid options are arguably the most profitable sales people imaginable.

For a few immediate ideas on the HOW, please visit http://aseret-uido.com/programs/