Pharmaceutical development is a complex business.
It’s a specialist driven business with a range of different experts in different fields working on cross functional development projects.
Typically, we organize ourselves in matrix organizations with functional teams in the vertical and the development projects in the horizontal. When growing, we break down functions into therapeutic areas, products and or geographical units Although this type of organization does have its challenges, the focus of this post - and the key to the solution - is not on the organisation as such, but on how we handle the cross-organizational collaboration in our business The fact is, no matter how we draw the organizational lines, there will always be borders to cross, handovers to govern and trust. Collaboration and common objectives are key. The risk with any specialized organization is that we become “silo focused” we start running each silo as its own unit and whilst doing this, lose sight of the overall and common task In my experience, this risk is higher in specialized organizations like ours. Best case scenario a lack of understanding develops between you and those you are dependent on (or that are dependent on you). Worst case scenario the silos become a purpose for themselves, doing what they think is most important, the way they want to do it, for their own sake. From there we might start seeing deliberate local sub optimization for the benefit of the silo, lack of cooperation, and we may even get the good old blame game going. We think and talk “us and them”, and when it gets really bad, we distrust, and we try to control or even discredit and outmaneuver others. A typical sign of things heading in the wrong direction is when everyone demands to sit in on every meeting. These meetings don’t move us anywhere It is simply a case of defending “your silos” position and feeling like you are in control Some companies try to address these challenges with process project or governance functions across the silos, and whilst this can help with practical matters, it can’t fix the culture If the culture becomes “my silo first”, these functions can quickly fall into the same game of “my silo first for our own sake” and they start acting as a purpose in themselves. We then see functions like process management, QA, IT and HR ending up with the same culture We know that this is not an optimal way to drive results, innovation, quality or job satisfaction. We must be better at handling these cross functional, cross team, cross organizational, cross company and countries relations and be much better at working together whilst doing so It doesn’t matter where the divides are specified in the organizational chart it’s about how you handle the divides that makes the difference. We need to break these silos, find our way back to the common objectives, and foster a culture that promotes collaboration and innovation (not only in our products) in the way we do things What does it take? A new leadership culture (keep an eye out for a post on that theme soon). These are the kind of things leaders need to spend their time on This is the type of behaviour we want to encourage and reward What else? A humble and open attitude from each one of us, and not least individual ownership and responsibility for the overall outcome. Put the common good in the first place.
Don’t be part of the “us and them”. Yes, top leaders set the culture, but if you want to break down a wall, you start with the foundation. You don’t have to be a leader to take the lead. And you can start today
It’s a specialist driven business with a range of different experts in different fields working on cross functional development projects.
Typically, we organize ourselves in matrix organizations with functional teams in the vertical and the development projects in the horizontal. When growing, we break down functions into therapeutic areas, products and or geographical units Although this type of organization does have its challenges, the focus of this post - and the key to the solution - is not on the organisation as such, but on how we handle the cross-organizational collaboration in our business The fact is, no matter how we draw the organizational lines, there will always be borders to cross, handovers to govern and trust. Collaboration and common objectives are key. The risk with any specialized organization is that we become “silo focused” we start running each silo as its own unit and whilst doing this, lose sight of the overall and common task In my experience, this risk is higher in specialized organizations like ours. Best case scenario a lack of understanding develops between you and those you are dependent on (or that are dependent on you). Worst case scenario the silos become a purpose for themselves, doing what they think is most important, the way they want to do it, for their own sake. From there we might start seeing deliberate local sub optimization for the benefit of the silo, lack of cooperation, and we may even get the good old blame game going. We think and talk “us and them”, and when it gets really bad, we distrust, and we try to control or even discredit and outmaneuver others. A typical sign of things heading in the wrong direction is when everyone demands to sit in on every meeting. These meetings don’t move us anywhere It is simply a case of defending “your silos” position and feeling like you are in control Some companies try to address these challenges with process project or governance functions across the silos, and whilst this can help with practical matters, it can’t fix the culture If the culture becomes “my silo first”, these functions can quickly fall into the same game of “my silo first for our own sake” and they start acting as a purpose in themselves. We then see functions like process management, QA, IT and HR ending up with the same culture We know that this is not an optimal way to drive results, innovation, quality or job satisfaction. We must be better at handling these cross functional, cross team, cross organizational, cross company and countries relations and be much better at working together whilst doing so It doesn’t matter where the divides are specified in the organizational chart it’s about how you handle the divides that makes the difference. We need to break these silos, find our way back to the common objectives, and foster a culture that promotes collaboration and innovation (not only in our products) in the way we do things What does it take? A new leadership culture (keep an eye out for a post on that theme soon). These are the kind of things leaders need to spend their time on This is the type of behaviour we want to encourage and reward What else? A humble and open attitude from each one of us, and not least individual ownership and responsibility for the overall outcome. Put the common good in the first place.
Don’t be part of the “us and them”. Yes, top leaders set the culture, but if you want to break down a wall, you start with the foundation. You don’t have to be a leader to take the lead. And you can start today
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