Tactic Art

Great tactical planning is the art of identifying the crippling constraints and easing them—or working around them.

Anyone can make an average tactical plan that fits inside the box as others see it. The art is in getting right to the edges of the box; or being able to see in new dimensions that others are too rushed or too inexperienced to see.

“Exploitation of the constraint should be the kernel of tactical planning – ensuring the best performance the system can draw now. For this reason, the responsibility for exploitation lies with line managers who must provide the plan and communicate it so that everyone else understands the exploitation scheme for the immediate future.” –Dettmer

Is It Working?

1. Require market access executives and their agency partners to sign their work. Who decided to make it the way it is?
2. Run a nationwide account audit. Walk through the accounts, the tactics they use, and their phone tree with all the market access executives in the room and call out what’s not right.
3. Make it easy for complaints (and compliments) about each decision to reach the market access executive (and his boss).

Most problems are caused by ignorance and isolation, not incompetence or a lack of concern.

Let’s Go

Luck comes to those who are prepared.

Put another way, stars don’t shine they burn.

Put yet another way, ‘fly you fools.’

Pull yourself up by your bootstraps. Tell your insecurities, doubts, and laziness to sit out on this one because important things are calling you.

Relationships are Invaluable

You just might be sitting next to the person who beholds all the truths you seek. How will you know? Despite social media, the ONLY way to unearth the richness is to have a conversation that’s built on trust, reverence, and patience.

I wonder if ANY of our relationships are characterize by these three.

Reaching the Destination

Imagine 2,000 people, all planning out their trip to a conference. Everyone starts from different places (not better or worse…different) with the desire to end up at the same place.

Some take the road while others fly.

Some start their journey day before while others leave the day of.

Some must stop by another place before reaching the destination.

All these scenarios are fine…if they reach their destination. It’s a problem if they don’t.

This is the job of market access.

Portage

A messenger is only a messenger if he has a message and he’s passing it.

A mailman is only a mailman if he has mail and he’s delivering it.

A market access-er is only a market access-er if he has a drug and he’s creating its portage.

It’s Important

The idea of a drug coming in and changing the game completely — that’s difficult to do, and most of the time it doesn’t.

COVID-19 vaccines are a rare exception. They were meant to release us from the pandemic. Thankfully they did. It’s because in addition to working, they were accessible.

The right technology works…only if it reaches its destination.

This is the only job of market access. Next to approval of the drug itself, market access is the next most important milestone. How can it not be?

Maintenance

What was once new and grabbed attention will one day require attention.

Maintain it. Because you get to.

When In the Dip

The dip is ominous to anyone except those who expect it.

“There you are…I’ve been waiting for you.”

The discomfort is real. Rather than retreating, it is wise to embrace it and charge forward. Hit harder than you’ve ever hit before.

A New Way of Doing Things

Until the 20th century, monarchies were the most popular form of government.

Until the 21^st century, health care was perverse in treating patients like ATMs.

Patients don’t exist for health care’s utilization or exploitation. They are a blessing to us. To be human is to be grateful and to recognize their generosity.

What does the new business model look like anyways?