Developing and executing a strong value proposition that is understood by your employees and your customers is the hardest challenge every business leader faces.  All stakeholders in the business ecosystem such as suppliers, employees, partners, and customers will always have their own interpretation of the strategy and what it means to them.

I recently had the opportunity of listening to a fascinating presentation on business strategy led by a founder of one of the most successful electronics manufacturers in Asia.  This organization’s business model and strategic approach is simple; design, develop, and deliver as many different competitive forms products to existing competitors as possible and do it at a fraction of the cost of the branded market leader.  To date, they have more than 10,000 products in the market including Smartphones, controllers, battery packs, and even robot vacuum cleaners that clean apartments while their “owners” are at work.  Sounds like there is a vision that is understood and clear with great alignment, right?

This is an interesting week if you are both in business and are in the business of Talent Development.  The ATD 2018 conference is in full swing and I saw with my own eyes that San Diego is alive and thriving with a buzz and energy level I haven’t seen since the “dot.com” days of the late 1990s and early 2000’s. I had the chance to lead a session at the conference Sunday afternoon on Sales Trends to a robust group of professionals trying to figure out and understand what the future looks like and how are things like AI, VR,  AR, and immersive business simulations are going to impact the future of training.  I also had the chance to walk the exhibit hall and see a lot of brand new vendors in the industry.  But the most interesting observation was the excitement and conversations in the corridors of the convention center as people shared information, ideas, and curiosity.  It certainly feels to me almost everyone who is at ATD this week seems to have a quiet confidence that the strong global economy is going to support more spending and investments in talent development.

While every industry has undergone significant changes over the past decade, the pharmaceutical industry has experienced as much if not more disruptive change than any other.  Changes in geopolitical dynamics, clinical technologies, quantum physics, demographics, life style, sustainability, competition, and changes in the way patients receive and pay for their medications have impacted every pharmaceutical company on the planet.

Within these pharmaceutical companies, every function – including Sales, R&D, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Finance have been forced to change and adapt to this new and evolving world.  But no function within a company has changed more than pharmaceutical marketing.