Change is inevitable, but it can be challenging – especially in risk-averse industries like life science. However, Within3 Vice President of Product Commercialization and Training Natalie DiMambro says we can learn how to enable change through customized training and personal development. Here are her five steps to effective change management in life science.
Embrace a culture of learning
Change is scary but less intimidating if we approach it with a learning mindset. Take online courses, engage technology or vendor partners, and create a learning culture within your team or workgroup. Tip: gather feedback on your training approach with an internal feedback session, as in this medical affairs training example.
Identify skill and learning gaps
Do some self-assessment to determine your resistance to change and identify your skill and learning gaps. What seems scary about the change you’re facing? Is it a lack of proficiency at something new? Loss of control? This will help you create an adoption plan tailored to your needs.
Find a good partner
Working with a good partner can help make an adoption plan that is reasonable and reduces risk. For some projects, this might be a colleague or mentor who’s been in the same position. If you’re bringing in new technology, your vendor is often a reliable source for change management tips and best practices.
Take incremental steps
Change can be overwhelming, but taking small steps toward a bigger goal can make it more manageable. Create a milestone list or adoption plan with attainable goals.
Look back and honor milestones
Celebrate your accomplishments and honor the milestones of change. This builds confidence and know-how for making further changes.
There’s no question that change can seem overwhelming, but with these five steps, you can enable positive change through customized training and a measured approach. Start embracing a culture of learning today and take the first step towards effective change management in the life science industry.
Learn more about challenges facing medical affairs teams – including the adoption of new technology – in our exclusive insights management survey.
