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Leadership development at Polpharma

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Industry
Health & Pharmaceuticals
Solution
Transformational Leadership

About

Polpharma is the largest Polish manufacturer of pharmaceuticals and a leader in the Polish pharmaceutical market.

Polpharma is constantly striving to develop innovation and efficient functioning in a changing and unpredictable reality. For this reason, the organisation has decided to focus on developing leaders so that they are able to face the challenges of a rapidly changing world.

Polpharma invited Impact and another partner to support the process of cultural change.

The overriding goal of the Impact programme was to strengthen leadership and cultural change towards a more modern one, adapted to the changing world and environment of VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous).

The accompanying objectives were:

  • To build a coherent approach to leadership throughout the organisation
  • To enhance leadership effectiveness
  • To broaden the scope of leadership styles used in the company (with an emphasis on coaching and visionary styles)
  • To build cooperation between different parts of the organisation

Impact proposed a 3 module programme of strengthening and developing leadership skills for 120 N-1 and N-2 managers and directors in Poland, Kazakhstan, Russia and Spain. This programme was delivered in all four countries in three different languages.

The programme started with diagnostic research conducted by a partner organisation. Its results formed the basis for the direction of needed change.

As a result of the conversations with sponsors and participants, it was decided to start the
programme with a joint kick off event for all directors: 120 programme participants and members of the management board. The purpose of this event was to engage participants in strategic change. During the full-day event, participants took part in a series of interactive workshops and had the opportunity to discuss and exchange opinions with the management team, which influenced the sense of involvement in the change process.

Then, participants from several countries, divided into groups of 12, started a 3-module workshop programme designed and delivered by Impact in Kazakhstan, Spain and Poland. The programme was focused on developing leadership skills and it also included elements of management in the VUCA world and building strategic mindsets.

To ensure the programme's success - continuous involvement of participants and to enable the introduction of permanent cultural changes in the organisation in the form of new leadership styles - the workshops were based on Impact's own Experiential Learning methodology. Participants had the opportunity to experiment, test new skills and behaviours in a difficult, often outside their comfort zone, but safe environment. Impact's experience has shown that this form of work engages participants strongly and helps them change attitudes and behaviours, as well as strengthens acquired practical knowledge.

An important element during the entire process was Impact's support of the participants' communication to the management board.

The workshop ended with another event for all participants, designed by Impact. There were many concrete examples of changes in attitudes among directors in the course of the programme.

“The programme has been tailored the way that we were able to check its effectiveness.

The results of the review confirmed that the number of managers who present strategic and developing styles increased by over 20%.

Moreover, the programme had a very positive impact on inter-departmental / cross-functional cooperation, which is very important in such a large and diverse company as Polpharma.

The best proof that we are satisfied with the cooperation may be the fact that in 2020, i.e. in the year of the coronavirus pandemic,we decided to continue the programme and, together with Impact, we offered managers to use the VUCA diagnostic tool. After receiving the results, each of the participants had the opportunity to discuss them with the coach and plan specific actions."

Justyna Jedlińska, Employee Development Director at the Polpharma Group

Testimonials
See what our customers say about us
Natasha Hepburn
Director of Technology Leadership Development
Cigna
"Due to the ever-changing technology environment, the programme has continued to evolve over the past decade. TSLP is able to adapt to the current talent needs of the organisation in a deliberate and timely manner. Remaining flexible as the industry changes, keeping alumni involved to mentor and advocate for current participants and tracking progress in measurable and actionable ways are aspects of the programme that continue to establish a track record of success."
Justyna Jedlińska
Employee Development Manager
Polpharma
“The programme has been tailored the way that we were able to check its effectiveness.
The results of the review confirmed that the number of managers who present strategic and developing styles increased by over 20%. Moreover, the programme had a very positive impact on the inter-departmental / cross-functional cooperation, which is very important in such a large and diverse company as Polpharma."
Participant
Cigna
“The Hogan assessment was of great benefit; it opened a new set of conversations with my leader and my team that has been improving my ability to be an effective leader. I also found where I needed to change the conversation in my personal relationships as well, becoming a better spouse, parent, and friend. Overall, I’m deeply honored I had the opportunity to be a part of such a great cohort and a well-designed, thoughtful programme."