Ask questions to generate buy in, take ownership of changes, and connect the changes to their motivation.
Customer Journey Series: Kami
This article is part of a customer journey series following “Kami,” a sales leader in pharma managing competitive changes and new leadership.
Her journey explores building leadership confidence, managing up, navigating organizational change, and positioning herself for the next level.
Each post explores a real coaching conversation or leadership challenge from that journey.
This is the seventh post in the series.
How to Prepare for Your Next Leadership Role
“John is retiring on July 1,” Kami announced. “I will take John’s place.”
We took a moment to celebrate and then turned to how she wanted to step up into that role and the complexities of moving up within a team.
Get What You Need from the Retiring Leader
First, we looked at how to get any information she needed from John before he left. He had decades of experience and although he had mentored Kami for a couple years, she didn’t want to leave any information out as she transitioned. She scheduled a strategy session with him.
The meeting will be focused on the things Kami didn’t know about. She asked him to think in advance about the people and initiatives that he had not yet shared with her.
Re-Evaluate Your Team
Also, Kami started thinking about her team differently now that she was going to move up.
“I think we can still improve the structure in the field. Now we are organized by states and regions, but there is some rigidity in the system. The business has evolved and how we show up has not changed.”
Communicate Your Leadership Priorities
As Kami was stepping up, she wanted to be sure to communicate her priorities to her team. She created a list to help her double down on messaging.
The priorities she wanted to highlight were:
Innovation
Right now we are a drug supplier, but I want us to be a solutions supplier for our customers. I want to make our data more accessible, so they know more about what works, what makes it effective, and when people need it most.”
“This is a differentiator,” she said. “None of our competitors have near the data we do or the analytical capacity we do. We have to leverage our years of success for this next phase.”
We Define the Gold Standard for Efficacy
As we start entering new markets, we need to test the effects of how our drug works. Can we see improvements when we work with certain communities or populations? We need to get some state grant money to do the studies and see how the product works in new areas.
Be Data Driven
To be more than just a product, we need more data. If we can build the data capability, that’s a brand barrier that is not easily replicated by our competitors.
Stepping Up
As Kami got ready to step up, she needed to think about her internal team more. Now she would be leading 40 people.
As she did, she continued to leverage the skills that had worked before build relationships of trust that helped everyone share, support each other, and succeed.
Listening and Respect
“Just because I have worked with them for a long time, I don’t want to assume that I know their problems. Today’s problems are different, and I need to respect that. I need to be attuned to what I’m hearing and responsible when someone brings me a problem. And I want them to do the same.”
She decided to email them with a few questions and schedule 1:1s after to follow up.
Kami’s Leadership Values
Kami also reviewed and recommitted to the leadership values she had developed in our earlier sessions.
Empathy
We are going to make a lot of changes fast as the market changes. I need to start and end meetings with a check in on how they are feeling.
“I am very business oriented,” she admitted, “so I have to be careful to take care of the human side too”.
Alignment
“When Robert and his team have alignment, I have to make sure I’m aligned and get my team aligned too. Priorities are changing and new programs are coming out quickly.”
She wanted to make sure she had good leadership communication skills. “I have to listen to people’s problems and make sure they have the resources they need to solve them.”
Authenticity
“I have to be authentic to who I am. I have to make sure I keep up with my self-care, and make myself slow down, take a breath and make sure I’m not getting ahead of others.”
She decided to work a little harder to be patient and make time for others to come along with her.
Humility and Learning
“Even though I’m the one stepping up, I want to convey to everyone above me and below me that I still have a lot to learn. Like my CEO said, I’m new in this role. Feel free to push back if I’m wrong.”
Coaching Approach
“As we start implementing changes, I have to help others own the process. I need to ask questions to help them buy in, take ownership of changes, and connect the changes to their motivation.”
She made a note to focus on questions that help them take control of their work and get in line with current priorities.
From my perspective, Kami’s confidence in herself and her ideas was the foundation for much of her leadership growth. Instead of pulling back in self-doubt, she was able to really listen, take in other people’s points of view and feedback, and help others feel heard and valued. It helped her bring out the best in others, and that is the hallmark of good leadership.
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