This guest post comes from John Douglas with Nestlé Health Science. Our thanks to John for sharing his success story in using the Recipe for Partnership and his creativity to have an impact on those living with cancer. John: you’re creating an amazing world around you — and we feel lucky to be part of it.
Try The “Recipe for Partnership:” It Works!
Guest Post by John Douglas
While there are many tools of value among the Pathways to Leadership(R) Process, recently, one, in particular has staked a claim unlike any other I’ve worked with to date.
Situation: Following the initiation of what can best be described as a pioneering endeavor (Cancer Care Community Health Pilot initiative) involving a highly regarded community based Pharmacy/Grocery Chain, Corporation, and community based cancer centers, we experienced a slower than anticipated start to our newly designed community health pilot initiative.
The upward potential could spans across several Northeastern/New England States (75 Pharmacy Locations), if successful, and generated north of $800,000.00 per annual in new business. The future of this endeavor and potential, hinges upon the success of the pilot. By all measures the initial meeting was seemingly poised for an unfavorable outcome. Moreover, the customer could have disengaged and abandoned our pilot initiative based upon the seemingly dismal start.
Recognizing the gravity of the situation at hand my best next step, in my humble opinion, was to keep the agenda for this initial pilot review meeting forward focused. To that end, I decided to lean on “Recipe for Partnership” and the question format contained therein. Agenda presented to customer as seen below:
Pilot, follow up meeting agenda
Date: May 6th
Time: 10:00 A.M. -11:00 P.M.
Agenda Discussions:
– Progress to date?
– What’s working?
– What created that?
– What’s the value of that to the program?
– How can we best move forward?
– Next steps?
With the exception of the first agenda question, “Progress to date;” all remaining questions were borrowed directly from “Recipe for Partnership.” I needed and wanted to do more than just “show up on time for this pivitol meeting,” if you get my meaning.
Notwithstanding the gravity of the situation at hand, the aforementioned questions facilitated the opportunity to remain forward focused and engaging the customer on a higher level, a partnership. I believe in such a way that it has retained their commitment, underscored our collective vision, and their continued support of pilot, which may have otherwise been a complete and utter tragic end.
Nevertheless, albeit we’re (Nestlé Health Science and the Customer) continuing our collective efforts to see the pilot through to a successful end, it’s hard to imagine what might have been had I focused first upon all that is wrong, thus overshadowing all of that which was going well, and how we’ve strategically orchestrated, successfully, a foundation which suggest success is more likely than failure. And is worthy of our continued efforts.
Later this week a joint meeting (Nestlé Health Science and our Customer) is scheduled with the American Cancer Society’s, HopeClub and their patient Navigators-thirteen individuals whose respective positions transcend the continuum of care for cancer patients. Moreover, they remain intimately connected to the cancer patient/family/and their health care providers from diagnosis until the completion of treatment, providing additional resources (Nestlé Health Science) and other information that is vital to, wellness, recovery and/or living with cancer.
As such, the pilot may take on a whole new dimension, self sustaining and make a profound difference for cancer patients within the community… At least that’s the plan. None of which would have otherwise been realized without “Recipe for Partnership.” Try it, it works!
Do you have your own success story about using Recipe for Partnership? Please share it below!