Collaboration… but with whom and how and why?
It’s difficult to nail down a strong definition that encompasses all of its key aspects!
Allow me to share my train of thought on this. At UCB, everything we do is to create value to people living with severe diseases by bringing them purposeful innovations and differentiated solutions. But we cannot do it all alone, especially for a company of our size. We need to focus on what we’re good at and partner to complement our strengths, to access capabilities and specific skill-sets, as well as to seek out new tools and platforms and to embrace specific technologies. The more we dialogue, learn and collaborate, the more we will get to the roots of understanding disease and be able to innovate and create valuable health solutions.
This actually goes beyond collaboration to connectivity. It’s about making connections with patients and their caregivers, doctors and associations so that we continuously listen to and learn from them. It’s also about connecting with academia and partner companies that advance research in specific areas - but also much more broadly - with industry associations, legislators, regulators and payors which all have their say around the table of healthcare. But let’s face it, each of us and these actors speak a different language. So how can we get to a common ground?
I hope for a new system where everybody first understands the needs and challenges of each other, and then works together to utilize the best available competencies and resources of everyone involved. I really believe we can get there if we identify clear priorities and fix common objectives. We also need to respect each other and base our exchanges on transparency and trust.
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Finally, there is the question of how we collaborate efficiently and purposefully, which again, has many layers.
It starts with being self-aware – of our skills and capabilities, challenges and opportunities - but also of the desired outcome of our decisions as well as the possible consequences of our actions. It requires curiosity and open-mindness to learn and be open to other perspectives. And lastly, it goes with the importance of understanding the people we serve, the communities in which we operate and society at large. In other words, it is being sensitive to the world we live in and recognizing, as well as accepting, that everything is interconnected. What one of us does impacts the others.
Strategy | Entrepreneurship | Founder: First River Capital (acquired) | Mentor | Executive Education
1 年Very important insights Jean-Christophe Tellier, thank you for sharing! Would you say that the pandemic encouraged good collaborative behaviour? And have you seen these persist post-pandemic, or has there perhaps been a regression back to 'business as usual'? ??
Pharmaceuticals Strategic Transactions Advisor
1 年JC, thanks for sharing your thoughts on this! I completely agree...and yet, time and time again, pharma/biotech leaders around the world underestimate ?? the challenges of execution, and remain too focused on the "deal-making" ?? because it is that initial signature ?? that captures the headlines ?? ,...not the arduous work which you astutely describe is necessary for implementation. And then everybody seems surprised that only 1/3 of the collaborations yield the full ?? value that was expected. Leaders' mindset makes all the difference! ??
An interesting example of ‘collaboration to compete’ is happening at Federated Innovation @MIND where some of your article suggestion could be experimented
Global Alliance & Integration Lead at UCB Pharma
1 年Collaboration is a cultural mindset and your signal rings so true J-C. Time and again I have been inspired by what I call synergistic complementary fit, allowing us to achieve so much more with our partners, everywhere it makes sense to collaborate and achieve our common strategic goals. To actively seek out difference then embrace and harness it, is critical to our success, knowing that ultimately patients the world over will benefit so much from the interconnected world we shape together. #strategicalliances
Advising senior leaders in sustainable change
1 年Wholeheartedly agree Jean-Christophe Tellier. In my experience getting to that level of trust and purposeful #collaboration needs to take its time and can’t be rushed. It requires that we take the time to really understand and respect each other’s objectives and boundaries, and articulate a set of shared objectives and rules of engagement. You know you’ve succeeded when the conversation turns to we, us and OUR objectives- when it’s clear that we’re on the same team. With the massive challenges in public health, a new type of #collaborative #leadership is key. ?? for showing the way UCB