Focus Magazine - Fall 2011 - 22

COVERSTORY

online course called “Civil Treatment for Managers,” and some is led by their supervisors, including conversations focusing on job expectations and personnel reviews. Phase 1 training includes an emphasis on employment law, online assessments, emotional intelligence assessments and coaching assessments. Phase 2 is shorter – just a week – but much more detailed and includes the rst of two visits to P zer’s learning center at Arrowwood in Rye Brook, NY. e district business managers spend a busy week at Arrowwood, learning about important items like compliance, how to coach teams, how to leverage emotional intelligence and how Phase 2 also includes a day spent foto utilize a eld coaching guide, somecusing on strategic thinking and busithing that’s important when district ness analysis, helping the managers managers spend about four out of ve become better strategists and generally days in the eld working with reps. better business professionals. To that “Coaching is a big part of what they end, they also learn how to work with do. Coaching is so important because it P zer Works, a business intelligence gives a rep another set of eyes. Someunit operating o shore that helps arm times we can’t really see ourselves as them with market data and other valuothers see us,” Stewart said. “If you have able information. another set of eyes, e managers you’re able to see “The people who are also given help the e ectiveness improve their people looking ahead. the sales represenskills, improve ey go through a tative demonstrates with that employee engagement, career ladders prophysician. It’s just are the people who are going gram to learn how they can advance an excellent way to to perform and excel in any with P zer, and have somebody perhaps most imthere with you in environment.” portantly, Phase 2 the real world that — RICHARD STEWART, includes developyou deal with PFIZER ment of an action every day. It’s like plan that is sent to why does Tiger their supervisors and becomes the basis Woods have a coach? He’s the best for Phase 3. golfer in the world, yet he relies upon a “By the time you get through the coach to get better. Coaches provide a district business manager program, you di erent set of eyes and generally all of have been assessed and probably know our DBMS have been sales representamore about yourself than I would say a tives and were good at being sales replot of managers do, unless you’re at a resentatives. ey o er that expertise General Electric or IBM,” Stewart said. and a new set of eyes.”

The Action Plan in Action
Phase 3 is the longest of the training periods, lasting about 18 months and focusing on putting the lessons of the rst phases into practice. During this phase of training a manager will focus their development on two or three areas which were de ned in Phase 2. ere will be some ongoing or sustaining learning opportunities. Finally for this phase, the district business managers get a head start on the next phase by reading the business book “Crucial Conversations” and undergoing a 180-degree assessment that includes input from their sales teams. A er that it’s back to Arrowwood for another week of classes. e training gets stepped up here, using action learning tools like role play and focusing on advanced strategic thinking, advanced coaching, compliance refreshers and an action plan for the remainder of their careers.

What Happens Next
Of course, just because the phases are over doesn’t mean the training ends. P zer o ers a variety of ongoing classes, many virtually and many live, designed to help the managers continue to develop their skills. “One thing I’m very proud of is now we o er what are called Regional Fo-

FOCUS | FALL 2011 | www.spbt.org/resources/focus-magazine.aspx

http://www.spbt.org/resources/focus-magazine.aspx

Focus Magazine - Fall 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Focus Magazine - Fall 2011