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Coaching – The Heart of a High Performance Culture at Pharmaceutical Research & Development (PRD), Pfizer LaJolla Laboratories
PRD colleagues have been actively engaged in leading change to establish a high performance culture where we excel, grow and have fun.
In this article we want to introduce and share with you our approach to developing a coaching-culture and how this is impacting us.
In late 2003 we initiated a Jump Start program, with the Learning & Organizational Development.
As a result of this we established a number of goal teams to create processes,
and to reduce these to business as usual practices.
This was just the beginning as we all realized that some key element was missing – we had focused on the what, not the how and the relationships – we needed to weave this all together, and the thread to do this is Transformational Coaching.
Through adopting this approach and coaching tools PRD have found a way to leverage our talents and experiences to develop each other and to value and effectively use feedback as a learning tool to build high trust working relationships, high performance and colleague engagement.
Transformational Coaching in PRD – what have we done?
Well first we had to dismiss the “myths” surrounding coaching. In reality and in practice coaching is about developing and expanding awareness with a focus on both performance and development, open communication and feedback, and building relationships that enhance trust and rapport. It is the process of helping others enhance their effectiveness...in a way they feel helped.
So...what do PRD colleagues have to say about creating and being in a coaching culture?
“The Transformational Coaching program is building camaraderie and open, honest communication between colleagues in PRD." Brent
"The coach's job is to provide the coachee with tools, leadership, empowerment and encouragement that guide them to always move in a positive direction." Mike
"I can freely and openly discuss challenges of the project and receive candid feedback from all members of the LTL forum." Neil
We have round table discussions on all proposals with feedback from all supervisors and healthy discussion. This has created a departmental team management culture versus a top down decision management culture.” Joe
“Creating a coaching culture in PRD requires commitment and determination from all of us to make our department a feedback-rich environment where coaching occurs …..up, down and all across teams." Yai
"The icing on the cake (or maybe it's the glue that holds it all together) has been the introduction of Transformational Coaching. People seem truly to enjoy working with each other." John
"Coaching is a fun journey and a path without end. As PRD colleagues demonstrate coaching is the foundation for creating a “high-performance, feedback-rich culture”. We have proven to ourselves that through embracing this we learn and grow and become more effective and this is something that we can all do. In a high performance coaching culture everyone is fully committed to teammates' success - this is PRD!"
Val Harding, Executive Director LJ PRD |
