CoverStory
The life sciences industry is characterized by rapid advancements, stringent regulations and intense competition. In such a dynamic environment, companies must continuously evolve to stay ahead.
One effective strategy is to foster a learning culture anchored in a growth mindset. This shift can lead to innovation, improved employee engagement and sustained success.
Daiichi Sankyo, a 100-year-old pharmaceutical company renowned for its strength in cardiovascular disease and primary care, exemplifies this transformation. Here’s how we successfully transitioned to a learning culture with a growth mindset.
Four years ago, Daiichi Sankyo had little history in the field of cancer therapeutics and was largely unknown in the oncology space. However, through a strategic shift toward a learning culture and growth mindset, we have achieved remarkable milestones:
We have successfully established a new standard of care for HER2+ breast cancer, significantly improving patient outcomes.
Our innovative approaches have redefined the treatment paradigm for breast cancer.
We achieved a groundbreaking approval for an antibody-drug conjugate with a tumor-agnostic indication, demonstrating our commitment to cutting-edge therapies.
To accelerate development and optimize patient benefit, we partnered with industry leaders such as AstraZeneca and Merck, leveraging their expertise and resources to enhance our capabilities.
The following steps outline how we cultivated a learning culture and growth mindset in our organization:
Leadership Commitment: Leadership must articulate a clear vision that emphasizes the importance of learning and growth. This vision should be integrated into the company’s strategic objectives.Leaders also should model a growth mindset by embracing challenges, learning from failures and seeking continuous improvement.
Create a Safe Learning Environment: Foster an environment where employees feel safe to express ideas, ask questions and take risks without fear of punishment or ridicule. Also, encourage experimentation by allowing employees to test new ideas and approaches. Celebrate successes and view failures as learning opportunities.
Invest in Learning and Development: Daiichi Sankyo historically focused on developing field team training and had no individualized training for home office employees. Beginning in 2019, Daiichi Sankyo began to elevate home office employee learning and development through innovative, multidimensional training programs conducted both virtually and live.Home office teams crucial to launch success (like marketing and business operations) begin training at least 12 months prior to our field-facing teams, with both self-guided learning and in-person training. One best-in-class example for our home office employees is learning summits, which include didactic and pull-through activities.This approach not only equips our teams with the right amount of training and knowledge to excel in their day-to-day roles but also allows the training department to identify any gaps or areas of improvement ahead of training field-facing teams.
Promote Knowledge Sharing: Utilize collaboration tools and platforms to facilitate knowledge sharing and communication across teams and departments. Establishing communities of practice allows employees with similar interests to share insights, discuss challenges and collaborate on projects.
Embrace Feedback: Implement regular feedback mechanisms, including 360-degree feedback, to help employees understand their strengths and areas for improvement. Train managers to provide constructive criticism that encourages growth and development rather than merely pointing out faults.
Encourage Innovation: Create innovation hubs or labs where employees can collaborate on new ideas, conduct experiments and develop prototypes.Also, develop “care teams,” field-facing cross-functional teams that coordinate all efforts within an account. This can not only drive business but also ensure seamless communication with customers and align their approach with how customers approach their patients.
Implementing a learning culture comes with its own set of challenges, which we at Daiichi Sankyo addressed through specific strategies:
Resistance to Change: We clearly communicated the benefits of a learning culture and growth mindset to all employees. Communication was consistent across multiple levels of leadership. We involved employees in the change process by seeking their input and addressing their concerns.
Time and Resource Constraints: It’s important to prioritize learning and development initiatives and allocate sufficient resources to support them. We also integrated learning into daily work processes to minimize disruption and ensure continuous improvement.
Measuring Impact: We developed metrics to measure the impact of learning initiatives on employee performance, innovation and business outcomes. Establishing feedback loops lets us continuously assess and refine learning and development programs.
Another lesson learned was the benefit of working together. Our partners have been crucial in accelerating Daiichi Sankyo’s development and optimizing patient benefits.
To further our impact in oncology, we forged significant partnerships with industry giants AstraZeneca and Merck. These collaborations have been instrumental in accelerating our development programs and optimizing patient benefits.
By embracing a learning culture and growth mindset, Daiichi Sankyo has positioned us as leaders in oncology.
Shifting to a learning culture with a growth mindset is a strategic imperative for life sciences companies in today’s fast-paced environment. By committing to leadership development, creating a safe learning environment, investing in continuous learning, promoting knowledge sharing, recognizing learning efforts, embracing feedback and encouraging innovation, companies can drive sustainable growth and maintain a competitive edge.
Our journey from a cardiovascular-focused company to a leader in oncology, establishing new standards of care and redefining treatment paradigms, exemplifies the transformative power of a learning culture and growth mindset. This transformation requires dedication and effort, but the rewards in terms of innovation, employee satisfaction and business success are well worth it.
Brittany Pilcher, PharmD, is director of oncology business division training and development for Daiichi Sankyo and secretary of the LTEN Board of Directors. Email Brittany at brittany.pilcher@daiichisankyo.com or connect through linkedin.com/in/brittany-pilcher-pharmd-b5b77473.
