I heard Andrew Witty, CEO of GSK, a major pharmaceutical player in the UK, in a TV interview on the BBCnews. He used the right words in our times – corporate social responsibility, sustainable approach, priority of public health over commercial interest. This could be said in any PR campaign but then, he expressed his [...]
I heard Andrew Witty, CEO of GSK, a major pharmaceutical player in the UK, in a TV interview on the BBCnews. He used the right words in our times – corporate social responsibility, sustainable approach, priority of public health over commercial interest. This could be said in any PR campaign but then, he expressed his personal view which made me notice.
I had previously written about the financial implosion of at least 2 pharmaceutical corporations. – Pfizer and Merck. Both these corporations had decided to go for profits aggressively before the welfare of the patients but this strategy got them into serious financial problems.
The history of successful entrepreneurs are of persons who not only solved problems for their clients but had put their clients first. For the pharmaceutical industry, it was the entrepreneurs who put the patients first. This was the founding ethos of the entrepreneurs who founded Merck, Johnson & Johnson and Wellcome Boroughs (forerunner of the Wellcome Trust) had the philosophy where the patient would come first, do the right thing for the patient and the business will follow.
In the interview, Andrew Witty expressed his personal view of putting the patient first. He also explained that there is a new generation of leadership with a more enlightened approach where profits is not the only goal. He also described the new pricing policy for his products. There would be price cuts for the poor countries.
There are 2 points to this post.
1. There appears to be a wind of change in the leadership of GSK. They are going back to the values that were at the heart of the success of the original business.
2. If you want to know the methodologies that work where real people have become successful from it, just look into the history books. It has been done.
Why invent a new completely “mousetrap” when the best designed “mousetrap” is already out there. Just do the research in the history books and then add your take on it.
(c) Copyright – Dr Michael Oon. All Rights Reserved Worldwide 2011.
Sebastian Vettel Sebastian Vettel, at 23, became the youngest World Champion in the final race in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. I found that it was the most exciting season that I have ever followed with 4 possible contenders on the last race. It was certainly exciting! I look forward to the 2011 series with anticipation. [...]
Sebastian Vettel
Sebastian Vettel, at 23, became the youngest World Champion in the final race in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. I found that it was the most exciting season that I have ever followed with 4 possible contenders on the last race. It was certainly exciting!
I look forward to the 2011 series with anticipation. It is only 15 weeks away.
A look at the teams with their drivers.
Red Bull: They had the fastest car.
Vettel: A worthy champion with immense talent. Has a good positive attitude which is shown in how he performs. He also learns from his mistakes. He made a number of serious mistakes in the 1st half of the season but these mistakes did not re-occur. This is a wonderful quality.
Webber: He has an attitude of being the victim. He needs to get over this to progress significantly above where he is. He had spent years “struggling” in the mid-field where he appears to be most comfortable. He has to make the most from this opportunity of driving the best car in the business. Or else, someone else would be sitting in that seat!
McLaren: The team home base (factory) is just down the road where I live. Superb technical skills but, the upgrades did not work immediately. As mentioned earlier, their building of a circular design, this slows down the progress of the business. McLaren showed how competitive their car could be only on the last race of the season. Just think if they could get it right for the 2nd half of the season. They would have won both championships – constructors and drivers. Weren’t they leading the championship at the half way stage?
Hamilton: Superb attitude and driving skills for a F1 driver. Always on the go.
Button: A much more relaxed type of person than say Alonso and has managed to fit into the McLaren system in his first year.
Ferrari: Not the fastest car but managed to solve some aerodynamics issues to catch up with Red Bull. Hence it was far more competitive towards the 2nd half of the season.
Alonso: One of the best drivers around and had a superb 2nd half season. However, he was unlucky not to get 4th place in Abu Dhabi to win the 2010 Drivers Championship. A credible performance for this season.
Tony Fernandes – A man that I admire. He built up AirAsia by understanding the changes in the social environment that we are in. He is now indulging in his passion – F1 Motor Sport. He had a credible 10th position or the best of the new entrants. However, his team did not fulfil the initial promise when they started. They did not get a single point in this season.
Let us see what happens in 2011 when Proton cars are going to be part of Renault racing as Lotus-Renault. He will have to re-name his own team from Lotus to 1Malaysia perhaps?
Dr Michael Oon
Richard Maybury At the Woking Means Businesses 2010 exhibition earlier this October, Richard gave a talk called – “Achieving more with less: welding strategic purpose to daily priorities”. I was seriously in two minds whether to attend after having been to so many talks with so many clichés. Speakers have been promising so much, delivering [...]
At the Woking Means Businesses 2010 exhibition earlier this October, Richard gave a talk called – “Achieving more with less: welding strategic purpose to daily priorities”.
I was seriously in two minds whether to attend after having been to so many talks with so many clichés. Speakers have been promising so much, delivering so little that I have become sceptical of these time management efforts. From my experience, many are totally impractical or extremely expensive to implement.
However, I have known Richard from local networking for quite some years now. He has a no-nonsense and practical attitude to life. So I attended the talk.
He related the story of Ivy Lee acting as a consultant for Charles W Schwab of the second largest steel producer in the US – Bethlehem Steel on increasing productivity.
Ivy recommended that Charles write down the 5 most important tasks to do for the next day and prioritise them accordingly. In the next day, complete each task before starting the next. Repeat this process at the end of the day in preparation for the following day.
Charles asked for the fee but Ivy replied: “Pay me what you feel it’s worth to you.”
It is said that Charles Schwab paid him USD 25,000 after 3 months. At that time, the US worker was being paid USD 2 a day.
It is said that this priority system helped Charles Schwab lead Bethlehem Steel to become the second largest steel producer in the US.
I have been using this priority system since this presentation together with
Seth Godin’s Shipit Workbook.
The Ivy Lee system is about when to do it – a time management system.
The Seth Godin method – using with Shipit workbook draws up the requirements of the project or job.
As anybody in Social Networking, there is always too much to do in only 24 hours. Secondly, there are so many distractions like twitter, facebook and the almost instant update of the news. I used to have many uncompleted tasks, did not know where I was with each and as a result, disorganisation. The Ivy Lee system makes me complete the task before taking on the next task.
The Seth Godin Shipit workbook specifies the exact requirements of the work; fitness for purpose!
I have found both systems complimentary and extremely effective.
Unfortunately for Richard, I did not make any agreement about what I should pay him for the benefit that I have received from his timely talk. The best I can do is to acknowledge the benefit and write a post on my blog of his practical and effective advice.
PS Ivy Lee is credited as being the founder of Public Relations as we know today.
Dr Michael Oon
