Rumor has it that a large Pharma company has within its written policies that meetings start 5 minutes after the scheduled time to allow attendants to move from one building to another in between meetings. In our company, it is more of an informal rule but pretty much accepted. In other companies, meetings start on time, no matter what. These differences are the result of each company’s culture, a critical aspect to understand when you join industry. At first, it seems like a daunting task to understand all the little nuances of each setting but once again, I believe that our training in the sciences has given us scientists all the tools to adapt to our new environment without a glitch. So, how are norms different in a Biopharma company than in academia?  How is the pace different?  Human interactions?  I hope I can give you some ideas on what may be expected of you and how to identify those expectations early on.

    

     In any environment, be it academia, industry or government there are certain norms that we should understand around the way we present ourselves and interact with others. While some of the norms may be captured in written policies, it is more important sometimes to focus on the actual practices around you. For example, dress code is one of those norms or cultural aspects that may be vaguely captured in a policy as “business casual dress” and you may need to ask around to really understand what is acceptable. Some companies may focus more on the business side of the equation while others focus more on the casual. Furthermore, the dress code may differ among fuctional areas, i.e. the marketing folks may be more inclined to dress up than their research colleagues who are still holding on to their jeans. Being either under or overdressed will make you stand out but not always in a positive way. As a rule of thumb though, it is better to be slightly overdressed so do invest in a couple of ties (for men), a dressy jacket (both men and women) and a suit. Also, follow the lead of the senior management; after all, they are the ones to set the tone.

 

     A more critical set of norms surrounds communications. In this area, it is important to understand both the written and unwritten rules of both formal and informal communications. While in academia most of your interactions are restricted to your labmates and possibly collaborators from another lab with very similar interests and goals, in industry you may be expected to perform in a matrix environment. As such, you may participate in teams with other functional areas whose interests and goals are different from yours. It is important to learn what matters to them and how to work together, how to best communicate your thoughts in an effective manner and what are the hot buttons to avoid. Similarly, the hierarchical structure of industry requires that you understand not just the needs and style of your direct supervisor but also of his/her supervisor and so on and so forth. Unlike in academia where you are the student in training, you have been brought up as the expert and may encounter that your senior management may not be quite as familiar with the subject matter of your expertise. It is now your responsibility to be able to explain it to others both in your organization and in other functional areas without perhaps even scientific expertise. How you communicate those thoughts clearly matters.

 

     Most companies will have very detailed policies on the proper use of certain modes of communication including electronic communications such as e-mail and well established processes for other formal communications such as presentation formats and templates, rules for how data is presented to the outside world, etc. Find those policies and rules early and put them into practice quickly. For example, for internal meetings I have to use a particular PowerPoint template but for outside presentations I have to use a different one. This difference has to do with name brand recognition versus internal functional organization and team identity. Using the wrong format can cause significant confusion and dilute the message.

 

    In addition to the formal rules, there are the unwritten rules of communication. How do people communicate in your organization? Do they prefer e-mail, instant messenger or phone? Are written reports required or have Powerpoint presentations taken over as the preferred method of data dissemination? Does your management like detailed descriptions or bullet point messages? Face-to-face meetings or teleconferences? Is problem resolution addressed over e-mail or in a meeting setting? Who are the decision makers in a given situation? Each organization will differ on how to answer these questions and your responsibility is to figure out what works when and how.

 

     It is also your responsibility to understand the expectations from your management around your deliverables. Again, there may be formal processes around objectives to accomplish in a set period of time and there are frequently formal processes around timelines for deliverables. There are also informal expectations from your management and teammates with regards to those deliverables. Is it sufficient to provide the data/information/report/answer on time or is there an expectation that you will provide it a little earlier for review? Will you need to provide regular updates on progress or just the final product? Does the senior management need to do a thorough review of the product prior to being shared with a cross-functional team or do you have final authority? The answer to each of these questions may change from one situation to another. It is important to understand then what the informal expectations of the members of your organization are.

 

     The best way to answer the above questions frequently is to have upfront conversations with all the stakeholders. When you first get started, ask your supervisor about his/her management and communication styles, what he/she expects from you and how else you can find answers to your questions. Ask your colleagues about the organization and particular individuals. Observe the group dynamics in each team and identify who the key players are. Ask them to help you find your way around. Your scientific background and analytical skills will help you understand the culture but you also need to learn to adapt to this different set of norms. Most importantly though, remember that all of you have a common goal, to advance the scientific enterprise and provide products that will benefit someone in the greater community. Work together and you will succeed.