On November 21st, 2013, members of the HR BioTech Connect group gathered to learn about the role of influence and authority when it comes to achieving their goals regarding Human Resources.
Gwen Acton, PhD, CEO of Vivo Group delivered the keynote presentation at this event, which was entitled “‘Influence Without Authority’ for Life Science Human Resources“. Gwen holds a doctorate in biology from MIT, and specializes in developing leadership and management skills of scientists and engineers. Throughout her presentation, Gwen had captured the group’s interested with thought-provoking questions, insightful statistics, and interactive components.
Gwen’s goal at the outset of the presentation was to provide Human Resources professionals with key skills for getting things done in biotechnology and pharmaceutical research environments. Attendees learned how to improve their ability to “get a seat at the table” (i.e. influence senior management) and “herd cats” (i.e. obtain agreement from scientists) that will enable them to get others to do things willingly and happily.
A few of the key takeaways for all in attendance were:
- Improving your ability to get others to do what you need them to do
- Getting more ideas accepted and successfully implemented
- Managing your bosses and influence company leadership more effectively
- Improving long-term working relationships with colleagues