What’s on your Mind Opinions 24/7/365 – What Keeps You Going? Putting in the time is no longer an option. Work days are longer; work weeks extend into weekends; and months roll by as the pages fly off the calendar. PharmaVOICE wanted to know what keeps you motivated in this 24/7/365 environment. Working night and day Many of the executives and business people with whom I interact as well as myself are working harder, longer, and more productively than five years ago, and five years before that. Given the increased pressure to produce in an ever more competitive marketplace combined with electronic accessibility, it seems we can never actually put the work day behind us. In fact, there is almost no clear delineation between one day and the next, as we are e-mailing/responding to issues throughout the late night into the next day. I believe there will be backlash, at some point soon, with people attempting to rearrange their priorities between work and family. Mitchell Goldberg National Sales Manager, Retail Tyco Healthcare, Mallinckrodt, Pharmaceutical Dosage Division At the center of it all As someone who started with a career in broadcasting, I’ve been amazed to watch its evolution from a passive medium to an interactive one. In the 1990s, as president of both a television station and Internet portal, I had a front-row seat as television – while still a major entertainment and marketing medium – was forced to make room for the Internet. Today, the convergence of the two media is launching a whole new generation of entertainment, education, and marketing initiatives that are changing the ways we view, react, and measure success. Both of these media are being used to create awareness of disease conditions and to educate sufferers. By linking TV programming to the Internet, we can reach and start a dialogue with specific types of patients, combining the broad reach and emotional response of the former with the measurability and depth of the latter. We can follow them along on the continuum to make sure they stay healthy, doing all that is possible to keep them that way. Plus, we can create and measure our impact immediately, rather than building a brand over a period of months and years in the hopes it will lead to increased sales. We in the healthcare industry are literally in the business of life and death. Finding new and exciting ways to educate people and save lives offers enormous gratification. Being at the center of the most cutting-edge media strategies that accomplish these goals is what makes working – and living – worthwhile. Dennis Upah Executive VP, Broadcast Choice Media Inc. Making a difference The thing that keeps me going is that I feel that I am making a diffrernce. I love what I do. Ken Indictor Business Development Manager DevCom Group Keeping it all in perspective What keeps me motivated? Choosing work that allows me to “lean into my strengths.” Keeping the perspective that what I am doing is not as hard or as complicated as some people would make it. I like to recall the Lewis and Clark expedition when I start feeling anxious. Nothing that I do, or attempt to do, comes close to what they did for danger or strategic impact. Working with bright, dedicated people whose intent is to do something good with their professional lives is motivating. This industry has a very high concentration of those. Planning and communicating my work plan so that I can turn off the phone sometimes and know that the work can go on without my minute-to-minute attention. This practice is best supported in my experience by regular meditation. Owning a home with a restful view – there’s nothing like it. This makes it all worth it – working hard to pay the mortgage. Anne Camille Maher Consultant Health Leaders Step back and try again It is increasingly more dificult to stay motivated in this type of environment. Companies and customers are demanding more and more time for what seems to be lengthing sales cycles that sometimes don’t seem to have a conclusion. We are no longer in the era where the best solution wins. Today everyone is faced with increasing pressures to perform with less. To suceed it is important to focus in on short-term goals and not get distracted with office and company politics. Long-term goals need to be in place to provide direction but should not dictate day-to-day activities. It’s important to be sure to set time for personal and family life and not to let work crawl into that space. When struggling take a step back, relax, and then try another approach. Mike Juron Director Business Development, Regulatory Affairs for a Pharmaceutical Solution Provider What’s Your Opinion? FDA – A Conflict of Interest? Recently, questions have been raised about possible conflicts of interest involving Health and Human Services agencies. As a result, in May the FDA began comprehensive review of all current outside activity requests from all FDA employees. Once that review has been completed, the FDA will issue a final policy on the review and approval of outside activities. PharmaVoice wants to know is the FDA plagued by a conflict of interest? What’s your opinion? Please e-mail your comments to [email protected].

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