Engage, empower, enrich - the GSK way

In GlaxoSmithKline, our mission is to enable people to do more, feel better, live longer – this is the guiding principle that inspires us and is at the core of what we do. We draw upon our strength as one of the world’s largest research and development organization in the industry to continually develop new and better cures that offer the promise of healing to patients and vaccines that offer protection from many life-threatening diseases. In our business, we recognize the role our products play in people’s lives and the responsibility we have as a company to contribute to building a healthier and stronger community.

As much as we general managers believe we have the best brands and programs, at the end of the day, what differentiates us in a competitive environment is our ability to touch our customers. When a customer buys a product, they buy into the company that made it. And the first impression of the company and how you perceive it normally depends on the people behind it.

That is why, to realize our vision, we need more than just the best products or processes. What will drive our success and what will make us realize our mission are our people.

This I believe is an important bit that CEOs and leaders have to remember. We focus our time on making strategies and plans, but we sometimes forget that strategies and plans do not walk around on two feet – they have to be executed flawlessly and to that, you have to have employees that are engaged and committed.

The question is: how do you bring about engagement and commitment in the organization? Here are some of my guiding principles:

1. Follow the Golden Rule

I’d like to go by a very simple rule, which is that you treat your staff the way you want to be treated. When I interact with my boss, I would like to feel that he understands my point of view, that he listens to what I’m saying, and that he values my contribution. I believe that if I feel that way, then I should be doing exactly the same thing with my staff.

2. Create leaders down the line

Senior management needs to understand that the people reporting to them along with the rest of their team are also leaders in their own right – not just at work but at home. It’s important to allow leaders to flourish across the organization – whether they’re department managers, middle management or new to the workforce. They need to be made aware that they are given freedom and authority appropriate to their positions.

3. Manage across generations.

Today’s work environment is markedly different from one or two decades ago. Companies have to keep pace with employees belonging to the X and Y generations. What turns the Y generation kids on is different from when I was their age. I think that aspect of leadership is important – to understand that when you’re trying to manage employees you have to do it in a style which they connect to. And it’s not just the role of the CEO. You also have to surround yourself with leaders and managers who understand that priorities, values and approaches vary from generation to generation. 

4. Right-task not right-size.

The reason some give for right-sizing a company is to do more with less people. The basis for this decision is nonsensical in the sense that it assumes your people were lazy to begin with and there were too many people that didn’t do enough or secondly, that we are trying to get more out of people who are already stressed or strained.

In GSK, we believe that if you have a company that empowers and trusts its people more, you create more responsibility through the ranks.

5. Give people reason to be proud.

In my 18 years with GSK, I have always been proud of being part of a company that has the capability of helping prolong, protect and preserve the quality of life. More than making valuable medicines and vaccines available, GSK has also been recognized globally as an industry leader in making our medicines accessible to more people, a philosophy we have also adhered to in the Philippines. Which is why in 2004, GSK launched ValueHealth, a program that endeavored to provide greater access to quality medicines by offering our original brands at reduced prices. We have also recently announced a major price reduction for our cervical cancer vaccine, a move that our employees and partners have welcomed. It doesn’t stop there, however, as we are continually rethinking how we can provide better access to our medicines, how our programs can better fit the needs of the government, the communities that we serve and society as a whole.

Business is all about two things, it’s always about making sure that there is a balance between the needs of the organization and the needs of the employees. When there’s imbalance, the sustainability of the business is put in question. Leadership is also characterized by service – ensuring that the needs of my customers, the community and my employees are met.

What was quite pleasing for us is that in a recent workforce survey, we asked employees to rate their satisfaction with the company. Their feedback has definitely shown an improvement in their level of satisfaction with GSK and its employee management – in terms of understanding what their roles were and translating this to results.

This is very important because we know that an employee who is engaged, empowered and enriched will lead to a company that is more efficient and successful in the long run. And in GSK, if we are able to successfully carry out our objectives in line with our corporate mission, then we know we are fulfilling our responsibility to help build a healthier and stronger Filipino community.