The Challenge:
To transform manager/employee relationships.

The Solution: To provide a leadership and communication model for employees and direct reports.

The Results: Impact study results show greatly improved leadership skills and indicate a three-to-five time return on investment for every training dollar invested in this leadership and employee development initiative.

The drive to transform discovery into patient care is helping to shape the future of Biogen Idec. Innovation and scientific proficiency play key roles in fueling the company’s robust product pipeline. This enlightened approach extends to Biogen Idec employees who enjoy a wide range of professional and personal development programs, as well as a working environment that encourages fun, enthusiasm, and collaboration among departments and locations.

When Biogen Idec wanted to create a culture where employees ask for what they need in order to be more effective and successful, and where supervisors provide the appropriate leadership style to meet those needs, they developed an approach in conjunction with The Ken Blanchard Companies that is unique and effective—managers and direct reports are trained simultaneously. Following an initial meeting involving all participants, managers proceed down the Situational Leadership II (SLII) path, while the others follow Situational Self Leadership. These are supported with online prework, WebEx sessions, and Partnering for Performance.

“It is powerful to see managers commit to their employees that they will use different leadership styles—and to see the employees commit to diagnosing themselves and asking for the leadership they need,” says Beth Kelly Leonard, a Biogen Idec Training Specialist.

“There were a lot of reasons we went this direction,” says Leonard. “ Part of it was Situational Leadership II’s 25-year history. We also liked that it is easy to learn, easy to teach, and allowed us to create customized programs for different departments. The best part, though, was the strong support from Blanchard—both in terms of tools and people”.

Results

Feedback from 150 program graduates from seven departments has been consistently positive, and requests for follow-up sessions come with pledges to “sustain and maintain” the change that is taking place. It appears that Biogen Idec has made another key discovery—that of creating an effective new culture!

Beth Kelly Leonard is a Training Specialist with Biogen Idec, responsible for implementing Situational Leadership II and Situational Self Leadership for approximately 500 individuals within the commercial business units. Prior to her role in training, Beth was involved in field sales and marketing for Biogen Idec and was employed with Pfizer, Inc.