Too many problems, too little time
In managing day-to-day activities in a pharma company, regulatory and other issues must be attended on an urgent basis. There are too many urgent problems that have to be solved which get priority over listening to the field-force. So the field force problems are delegated to other senior management. It is humanly impossible to attend to all problems.
Consider two companies where the field force is 6000 strong. Mankind Pharma and multinational Abbott (earlier Piramal Pharmaceuticals). In these two companies, top management does listen to their field force much more than in other companies. In fact, Mankind Pharma is known to manage their field force extremely competently. One member of the field force, mentioned to this writer that field staff can contact Ramesh Juneja, the Chairman of the company anytime they want to talk to him directly about any field issues. Whether they do so or not is a moot point but the fact that any field issue can be taken up with the senior most people in the company, provides a tremendous boost to field force morale in a company.
Perception is reality
If this statement is even half true, how many would deny that this is a major strength for a company which has a large field force spread over the entire country? Mankind Pharma manages their field force far more effectively than many others. Today, Sun Pharma and even Cipla, apart from Abbott would have fairly large field forces. Can other companies claim to be as responsive as Mankind? What members of the field force believe to be true is a powerful source of differentiation. This enduring belief that any member of the field force can directly contact the chairman of the company and other top management members and they are willing to listen and solve problems. This is a strong morale booster as well as a differentiator that few companies can claim to possess. For a large field force, spread all over the country, this advantage can make a palpable difference to field force morale. No other pharma company generates as many prescriptions as Mankind Pharma as reported by market research companies in recent times.
A matter of management mindset
It is obvious that if top management wants to stay in touch, it can set up a system of listening to their own field force and solve problems. Mankind Pharma has done this from their early days and continues to do so as the Company has become one of the country’s largest employers. This is an excellent example of “field force connectivity” which is a major strength of Mankind. The point to be noted is that few companies are in that “close a touch” with their own field force. Those who have made it a practice understandably enjoy superior growth.
A satisfier too
The net gain of such connectivity with your own field force is not just awareness of problems that plague the field force, but it is also a powerful for satisfier for the field force. Most pharma companies do not have the time or inclination to really bother about such “connectivity”. And it calls for a great deal of efforts from top management.
A major competitive advantage
Listening to your own field force can become a major competitive advantage leading to positive feelings about the company among field staff. This has an input on the attrition rate. And being heard is as strong morale builder. Particularly, when field staff members know that few companies are willing to do this.
Just listening is not enough
Listening is no doubt a critical first step. But just listening is not enough. Remedial action is clearly more important. This is where Mankind pharma excels. Remedial action is possible because the Chairman is aware of the problems and also willing to sort out problems quickly. Quick remedial action, from top management is the key here.
Ritualistic listening is unproductive
Field force is smart enough to realise that top management sometimes pretends to listen in silence and forgets the issues raised, once they come back to head office. Hundreds of other urgent problems are waiting to be resolved and competing for the CEO’s attention. So how can anyone address, the issues that emanate from the field force?
Action essential
Listening is fine, but unless action is taken fairly quickly, and the fieldforce is made aware of what action is being taken, it can sometimes affect management credibility. Pretending to listen is not good enough; listening and the willingness to solve problems go together and this is where most management’s don’t stand up to close scrutiny.
Management action matters
Consider the case of a fully owned Ranbaxy subsidiary, where during the first six months of its start-up, field force was not receiving salaries on time. Ranbaxy had no cash problems those days, and one can guess what will happen to the morale of a young field force, if monthly salaries don’t reach young recruits on time The Managing Director was present at a meeting where rather reluctantly one Trainee brought this problem up. If the problem had not surfaced at the meeting and if no remedial action was taken urgently, it could have led to more dissatisfaction as well as attrition.
It was taken care of in three days once the Managing Director returned to headquarters. The Chairman of the Company was surprised to learn that such a problem had raised its ugly head. Never again did the field force have any problem of not receiving salaries on time. Recurring problems are known to erode field force confidence. So while awareness of a problem is critical, so is management! Willingness to solve the problem as rapidly as possible, important. How many CEO’s are aware of the problem that promotional inputs often do not reach the fieldforce on time? A problem that can and must be solved quite easily by holding individuals responsible for ensuring that promotional material reach field force well ahead of time.
The willingness to take corrective action, leads to top management being viewed as credible. When action does not emanate from head office top management has a problem! Its credibility starts to erode and this lack of credibility cannot be built again all that easily. Listening and pretending to listen are not the same and unless remedial action does not follow rapidly, fieldforce one can even misunderstand the process of management listening mere posturing.
Many issues cannot be solved in one stroke
To expect all problems to be solved in one simple stroke is unrealistic. Problems,must be understood first, then there are many ramifications of a problem taken quickly. If top management is resourceful enough and willing to take some risks, the lines of regular communication must be kept open. Sometimes remedial action is not possible as promised, but one has to be in communication with one’s field staff on a regular basis. So periodic listening is essential. Listening at annual conferences can get rather complex, and defeat the key purpose. Once a year listening sessions are not as productive as periodic listening at regional meetings.
Is a system in place in your company?
Listening once a quarter to field force problems can be a reasonable beginning. Periodic visits by the CEO can help make a good start. It is difficult to emerge as a Listening Company overnight. But small beginning can be made. My suggestion is that it is good to visit an area that is performing extremely well first. There would be some problems that need attention there too. Then go to an area where results are not encouraging and then to an area where results are far from satisfactory. In all these places, problems will surface with varying devises of seriousness.
How much to listen and from whom
Listening is a critical task that cannot be delegated to others. Listening periodically, eg. once a quarter is useful. Start from a market, near your headquarters. Many interesting issues will emerge. Every market would have problems that need to be sorted out. If you listen well, you may discover that problems all over, India fall into 3 or 4 categories.
Going to regional meetings is useful
Yes, it is useful only if the field force is primed up to highlight problems. Do not listen to problems for more than half an hour. It should not lapse into a grievance airing meeting. Ask clearly and get to the bottom of what you are hearing. But learn for the field force directly, not from what first line managers say. Once you begin to listen to problems, you mindset undergoes change. You realise that problems are not insurmountable.
Build a listening culture
It is very productive to build a listening culture in a company. If you are not afraid to confront problems, you need not be unduly worried. Avoid promising instant solutions. As you listen, these sessions would become learning sessions. And if you are willing to listen and learn about what is happening in your company, you would get many new ideas about how to solve them.
Welcome problems
Most of the time, top management does not want to learn about problems and want to receive good news. This does not work. Don’t spend too much time listening. Half an hour at a time, is enough but listen to real problems. Some are just aired, but some could be critical that need to be attended to. It is a change in management mindset that helps here. It is better to seek out problems and hear about them early rather than running away from problems because they are difficult to sort out.
If you welcome problems, somehow not many problems will not overwhelm you. It is important to choose important problems before they become substantial and not push them under the carpet and pretend that don’t exist.
A powerful management mindset is to be willing to listen, learn and lead the team confidently and not by wishing problems away. Alternately, management action is the key and willingness to take some risks is what makes management effective.