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Advice You - How Productive are your Meetings?
"Unless someone is looking for an excuse to duck a work
assignment, nobody wants to attend an inconsequential meeting."
- Bryce's Law
INTRODUCTION
As a businessman, one of my favorite movies is "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" featuring Steve Martin as an advertising executive trying to return to Chicago during the Thanksgiving holidays.
- Bryce's Law
INTRODUCTION
As a businessman, one of my favorite movies is "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" featuring Steve Martin as an advertising executive trying to return to Chicago during the Thanksgiving holidays.
According to USFDA, a combination product is one composed of any combination of a drug and device; biological product and device; drug and biological product
The movie opens with Martin attending a
meeting in New York City where he is pitching an ad campaign to the President of
a large corporation, played by William Windom. The meeting is rather long
and boring as Windom quietly agonizes over the layout of Martin's proposed
ads. All of the meeting attendees sit quietly and patiently as they wait for
Windom to ma
; or drug, device, and biological product and fixed dose combination would include two or more combinations of drug.
Examples of combination products may in
Examples of combination products may in
e a decision (which he never makes). As it is the holiday
season, they all have other things they want to do (in Martin's case, it is to
return home to Chicago). Ultimately, the meeting is a colossal waste of time
for all of the attendees.
We've all been involved with such meetings where the person running it is either insensitive to the needs of the attend
We've all been involved with such meetings where the person running it is either insensitive to the needs of the attend
lude drug-coated devices, drugs packaged with delivery devices in medical kits, and drugs and devices packaged separately but intended to be used together.
es or the subject matter is painfully
boring. It should come as no surprise that excessive or pointless meetings are
probably the number one cause for decreased productivity in organizations, be
it corporate or nonprofit (as Dilbert has pointed out to us time and again).
Understand this, unless someone is looking for an excuse to duck a work
assignment, nobod
here is enormous increase in the number of combination products entering the market in the recent years. Combination products have proven advantages but fixe
wants to attend an inconsequential meeting.
Remarkably, there are a lot of people who don't understand the basics of running a productive meeting, hence the problem as exemplified by Martin's movie. There is nothing magical about conducting a good meeting. It just requires a little preparation, along with some leadership and structure during its execution. H
Remarkably, there are a lot of people who don't understand the basics of running a productive meeting, hence the problem as exemplified by Martin's movie. There is nothing magical about conducting a good meeting. It just requires a little preparation, along with some leadership and structure during its execution. H
d dose combinations are still in the process of convincing regulatory authority on their advantages over the single ingredient formulations.
Combination pro
Combination pro
re are some simple guidelines to follow:
PREPARATION
First, determine the necessity of the meeting itself. Do you really have something important to discuss or do you just want to simply "chew the fat." Meetings are nice but we should never forget they distract people from their work assignments. Therefore, we should only hold a meeting if it is going t
PREPARATION
First, determine the necessity of the meeting itself. Do you really have something important to discuss or do you just want to simply "chew the fat." Meetings are nice but we should never forget they distract people from their work assignments. Therefore, we should only hold a meeting if it is going t
ucts have become life saving products for the pharmaceutical companies who doesn�t have many innovative molecules in their product pipeline and have been inc
benefit the attendees and assist them
in their work effort. Let us not forget there are many other communication vehicles
at our disposal: memos, e-mails, web pages (including blogs and discussion groups),
posted notices, general broadcasts over a PA system, etc.
If you are convinced of the necessity of the meeting, you will need to know three things:
*
If you are convinced of the necessity of the meeting, you will need to know three things:
*
easingly used in the product life cycle management. Even the companies having product patents are trying to extend their product life cycle through the combi
Your objective - Is the purpose of the meeting to communicate a particular message, develop a dialogue and reach consensus, educate/train people, or to offer a simple diversion for the attendees? People do not want to hear the boss pontificate on some trivial manner (a la Dilbert). Make sure you have a firm grasp of the purpose of the meeting and what you hope
nation products and maximize the revenues. But the companies involved in this practice are overlooking that they are burdening the patients both economically
o accomplish. Ask yourself how the attendees will benefit from the meeting.
* Your audience - Be sure to understand the targeted audience, their interests, their work assignments, and their attention span.
* How the meeting should be conducted (this is critical). Should it be held on-site or off-site to minimize distractions? Who should lead the m
* Your audience - Be sure to understand the targeted audience, their interests, their work assignments, and their attention span.
* How the meeting should be conducted (this is critical). Should it be held on-site or off-site to minimize distractions? Who should lead the m
and physically. They need to rightly judge the benefits of the combination products and they have to even look at the risks involved when combining the produ
eting? How should the meeting room be setup, such as required audio-video equipment, flipcharts/blackboards, computer equipment, podiums, and the
setup of tables and chairs. A classroom setup is fine for lectures and presentations but not necessarily conducive if the participants are going to work in teams. For dialogs and strategy sessions, a roundtable or u-s
ts. Some of the combination products were well accepted by physicians while others suffered. Companies involved in development of combination products are fi
aped layout is better. Even the chairs are important; everyone likes comfort but if you want to keep people's attention, there is nothing wrong with hard chairs that force the participants to sit-up and take notice during the meeting.
* Print up agendas in advance so everyone knows the meeting's purpose, the items to be discussed, the timetable, and what is need
* Print up agendas in advance so everyone knows the meeting's purpose, the items to be discussed, the timetable, and what is need
ding difficulty in defining their combination products and facing various challenges from selecting a combination to marketing it.
Following aspects would a
Following aspects would a
d for preparation. It is not uncommon to also advise the dress code for the meeting. If possible, send agendas and any other items in advance for the attendees to adequately prepare themselves for the meeting. This will save considerable time during the meeting.
* Post scheduled meetings to calendars and, whenever possible, send out reminders at least one
* Post scheduled meetings to calendars and, whenever possible, send out reminders at least one
dd to the challenges in developing combination products:
Which markets to tap where the combination products can do fairly well?
Which combination prod
Which markets to tap where the combination products can do fairly well?
Which combination prod
ay in advance.
EXECUTION
Having a strong and fair leader for the meeting is essential for its success. This may or may not be the main speaker. Nevertheless, the leader has to play the role of traffic cop so the meeting doesn't get sidetracked and stays on schedule. Knowing when to defer peripheral discussions to a later time or place (such as after
EXECUTION
Having a strong and fair leader for the meeting is essential for its success. This may or may not be the main speaker. Nevertheless, the leader has to play the role of traffic cop so the meeting doesn't get sidetracked and stays on schedule. Knowing when to defer peripheral discussions to a later time or place (such as after
cts are meaningful and rational?
Which therapeutic categories to select?
Which Combinations can address unmet needs of the patients?
Do combin
Which therapeutic categories to select?
Which Combinations can address unmet needs of the patients?
Do combin
the
meeting) is important to keep everyone focused on the main mission of the
meeting. Being the traffic cop often requires skills in tact and diplomacy so
the meeting doesn't spin out of control.
Here are some other items to consider:
* Stick to the agenda. Start and end on time and maintain order. Got a gavel? Do not hesitate to use it judiciously
Here are some other items to consider:
* Stick to the agenda. Start and end on time and maintain order. Got a gavel? Do not hesitate to use it judiciously
tions increase the patient compliance?
What would be the developing cost?
How to tackle the risks encountered during combination product developmen
What would be the developing cost?
How to tackle the risks encountered during combination product developmen
Maintain civility and decorum. Allow people to have their say but know when issues are getting out of hand or sidetracked.
* Follow the old military principle of: "Tell them what you are going to tell them; Tell them, and then; Tell them what you've told them." Developing a punchlist of action items at the conclusion of the meeting can be very useful for
* Follow the old military principle of: "Tell them what you are going to tell them; Tell them, and then; Tell them what you've told them." Developing a punchlist of action items at the conclusion of the meeting can be very useful for
t?
As combination products don't fit into the traditional categories of drugs, medical devices, or biological products, the USFDA is in the process of devel
As combination products don't fit into the traditional categories of drugs, medical devices, or biological products, the USFDA is in the process of devel
certain situations.
* Introductions are important so participants know the cast of characters involved and their interests. But do not waste an inordinate amount of time here. Also, name tags or name cards are useful to avoid the embarrassment of forgetting names and titles.
* Make the meeting worthwhile. Keep it interesting and informative; Heck,
* Introductions are important so participants know the cast of characters involved and their interests. But do not waste an inordinate amount of time here. Also, name tags or name cards are useful to avoid the embarrassment of forgetting names and titles.
* Make the meeting worthwhile. Keep it interesting and informative; Heck,
ping new procedures for reviewing their safety, efficacy and quality.
Professional from academic institutions, pharmaceutical industries, health care indust
Professional from academic institutions, pharmaceutical industries, health care indust
make it fun if you can. Make it so the attendees feel that they are not wasting their time.
* Again, know your audience - speak in terms your audience will understand. An eloquent vocabulary might be impressive, but it may also intimidate and confuse the attendees (beware of the "verbosity of bullshit" phenomenon). Also, read the body language of the atten
* Again, know your audience - speak in terms your audience will understand. An eloquent vocabulary might be impressive, but it may also intimidate and confuse the attendees (beware of the "verbosity of bullshit" phenomenon). Also, read the body language of the atten
y and representatives from various regulatory agencies are working out to design the regulatory requirements for manufacture and sale of combination products
ees to see if they are paying attention.
* I am not a big fan of histrionics. Many lecturers like people to get up, stretch, shake hands with everyone or hold a group hug. This can be downright embarrassing to people. Get to the point and move on.
REVIEW
All meetings should be reviewed, either formally or informally, to determine the success of t
* I am not a big fan of histrionics. Many lecturers like people to get up, stretch, shake hands with everyone or hold a group hug. This can be downright embarrassing to people. Get to the point and move on.
REVIEW
All meetings should be reviewed, either formally or informally, to determine the success of t
.
As there is an increasing trend of the combination products companies manufacturing such products should be able to tackle the problems involved in the de
As there is an increasing trend of the combination products companies manufacturing such products should be able to tackle the problems involved in the de
e meeting. Informal reviews are used for short meetings todetermine action items to be followed up on. Formal reviews should be
considered for all lengthy meetings. Standard critique sheets should be
used for attendees and the leader to evaluate the meeting. Prepare a
summary and evaluate the meeting's success. More importantly, learn
from the comments rece
elopment. They need to be wiser in analyzing the market trends and the regulatory requirements.
Companies that provide selfless information through particip
Companies that provide selfless information through particip
ved. There is little point of going through the
motions of a review if you have no intention of acting on it.
CONCLUSION
Mastering the execution of an effective meeting requires a little planning, a little organization, and a lot of management. Bottom-line, how do you know if your meeting was a success? People do not groan when you call the next one
CONCLUSION
Mastering the execution of an effective meeting requires a little planning, a little organization, and a lot of management. Bottom-line, how do you know if your meeting was a success? People do not groan when you call the next one
tion in industry events and feedback to regulatory authorities would be able to face the challenges and will be successful in developing combination products
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