I hosted a dinner last week — a dozen Chief Medical Officers from a variety of biotech companies. I try to arrange these informal get-togethers quarterly in different cities, usually in a private space at a nice restaurant. Sometimes, everyone knows each other. Other times, no one does. This was a mix, so we began […]
I’m one of those lucky enough to have grown up with a lot of challenges — the opposite of a silver spoon, so I got a great start on understanding what is on the other side of hard things. Since then, I have had many more hard things: a failed start up, divorce, health concerns, […]
I spend a good part of my day talking to potential candidates. Potential, because these are not people who are actively looking for a job. They are top performers with the right blend of leadership experience and scientific depth — they are doing well where they are. And they receive several calls a week from […]
I had three conversations last week — all about problem employees who moved on and the positive outcomes that resulted after they were gone. One person finally fired a problem employee: they saw an immediate, positive shift in team morale. One person got rid of several through a RIF: they were amazed how much more […]
I was in Boston just after the new year walking my dog Muffin on the Esplanade, a beautiful park that runs along the Charles River. Muffin is always interested in the many geese who frequent the area and I do my best to steer her well clear of them. But on this day, having just […]
When a cynic asks, “What if we train them and they leave?” winning organizations respond, “What if we don’t train them and they stay?” — Peter Drucker I had a conversation with a potential client last week. It was about their CMO — he isn’t working out. The CMO was hired out of a […]
I had coffee the other morning with “Elaine.” (Have you noticed how much coffee I drink? ?) She had recently moved into a C-suite position with a biotech — she was already wondering if she made a mistake. The problem is not the job itself or the people she works with as individuals. It’s the group […]
I had several recent experiences, all of which reinforced the idea that sometimes, we are literally one good conversation away from fixing a potentially large problem. Experience #1: A C-level executive confided in me that he was thinking of leaving his job. He said that his boss (the CEO) didn’t seem to care or pay […]