Development of Field Leadership at Gilead Sciences – “Touchpoints”

How are they doing?

It’s the question we’re always asking in training. We want to know if development is occurring among our employees – but what about those who have moved up the ladder into sales leadership positions?

Turns out they need that feedback, too. And, at Gilead Sciences, Commercial L&D has implemented what are called RD Development “Touchpoints” to help Regional Directors know how they’re progressing in professional development (note: “Regional Directors” at Gilead are equivalent to “District Managers” at many other companies).

I asked Corey Padovano, Senior Director of Commercial Learning and Development, to outline how the process works.

Corey described the three phases of training for Regional Directors that Gilead has designed; Phase 1 is focused on understanding and leading yourself; Phase 2 on leading teams/direct reports; and Phase 3 on leading across the organization. Each of those phases has appropriate courses such as Emotional Intelligence, Situational Leadership, Influence without Authority, etc.

Typically, these phases of training occur as 3-day live events, with 6-9 month periods between.

So, how to gauge progress along the way? Gilead employs a 360-degree methodology to get unbiased feedback for these “touchpoints,” including:

-3^rd party conversational interview with each RD

-3^rd party conversational interview with Senior RDs

-Survey to direct reports

-Survey to peers/stakeholders

This information is aggregated, then presented in a constructive way to help RDs identify levels of progress. The touchpoint process refers to specific curriculum topics and asks for ratings on a simple 3-point scale:

• Understands the material
• Applies the concepts
• Demonstrates mastery

A straightforward, 2-page report is generated. The process provides very specific feedback for Senior RDs to coach their charges, and provides the additional benefit of looping back input to the training department on how to optimize the curriculum for actual needs (business acumen and strategic thinking are popping up regularly).

Was there resistance? Some, at first – until the methodology was understood and the results generated. Now it is a much-appreciated part of the professional development process at Gilead.

With this approach now in place for RDs, future potential applications may include first-line and second-line leadership in HQ positions.

How is your company monitoring and encouraging the development of its field leadership? I’d love to hear your comments and input!

More in the Impactiviti Interview series:

Training Journey – From Major Pharma to Startup

Training for the New World of Specialty Pharma

Becoming a Consultant – Should You?

Two Keys to Successful Product Launches

Clinical Training Innovation at Depomed

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Genzyme – feeling fines.

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Another reason to like Gilead Sciences (besides the fact that they have the best logo in the industry) – they actually have a rational pay plan for their top executive. What would it look like if pharma upper executive pay were based on annual performance for these measures: Profitability ratio (earnings vs. # of employees – something Gilead excels at, by the way); company share increase over a 3-year running average; and regulatory compliance? We might then see real pay-for-performance!

JUST FOR FUN

Too true – cartoon on pharma disease-mongering. (hat tip: PharmaGossip)

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Bone drugs may help prevent breast cancer? – New results from a landmark women’s health study raise the exciting possibility that bone-building drugs such as Fosamax and Actonel may help prevent breast cancer. Women who already were using these medicines when the study began were about one-third less likely to develop invasive breast cancer over the next seven years than women not taking such pills, doctors reported Thursday…more

An effort to restrict data mining – An amendment to the Senate health care bill would effectively ban data mining which, as you know, involves the practice of buying prescription records to target sales pitches to doctors, the Associated Press reports. Democrats Herb Kohl of Wisconsin and Dick Durbin of Illinois say their measure will combat “harassing sales practices” and “restrain undue influence” of sales reps…more

Gilead Sciences drug get FDA panel nod – Federal health advisers are recommending the use of an experimental Gilead Sciences drug to treat a form of lung infection. A Food and Drug Administration panel voted 15-2 in favor of the safety and effectiveness of the inhalable drug Cayston. Cayston is intended to treat chronic lung infections in patients with cystic fibrosis — an often fatal disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. Lung infections are the biggest killer of people with the disease. Federal health advisers are recommending the use of an experimental Gilead Sciences drug to treat a form of lung infection…more

King: nice and careful with Embeda promotion.ASH update from Sally Church over at Pharma Strategy blog (Sally is a smart cookie, by the way). Along with her update on how OIG guidelines have impacted the exhibit hall.

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Rest in peace, kid.

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Today’s Top Three in Pharma 040309

Avastin approved for glioblastoma.

Nice results for experimental blood pressure drug from Gilead – Gilead Sciences Inc said on Thursday its experimental drug to treat patients whose high blood pressure is not controlled by other medicines met both the primary goals of a late-stage study, sending its shares 5 percent higher. “In this study, more than half of the patients treated with darusentan achieved goal blood pressure, as compared to approximately one quarter of patients receiving placebo,” Gilead’s research chief Norbert Bischofberger said in a statement.

Pfizer launching Detrol replacement (Toviaz). The most interesting part of the article is what it has to say about less dependence on sales reps for promotion. As the clock ticks down on patents for Pfizer’s $1.2 billion blockbuster drug Detrol, the drug giant is launching a new one to take its place: overactive-bladder remedy Toviaz. The idea is to educate patients while freeing up physicians’ time — and reducing the need for a large sales force. Jim Maffezzoli, senior director-marketing in Pfizer’s new primary-care unit, which is marketing the drug, said the sales force will be “significantly smaller” than before and will be retrained to become more of a partner to physicians and understand their needs.

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