Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/772284
14 14 CEO/STRATEGY is sentiment was shared early on in the discussion, and throughout the two hours that followed it was brought up and affirmed time and again. Some women naturally find themselves oblivious to the glass ceiling, only experiencing the occasional flash of awareness about their gender from time to time in the workplace. "I've been always focused on my work; I think we should not let barriers like the glass ceiling get in our way," said Sabine Luik, MD, MBA senior vice president of medicine and regulatory affairs with Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals. "Growing up in Germany, I was encouraged by my parents to always do my best and suc- ceed; gender was never an issue. As long as our society perpetuates gender stereotypes, we continue to unconsciously promote gender bias rather than gender partnership." Other women described shunning the glass ceiling as an intentional and deliberate act, not only for their own professional health but also when raising children. ese women described ignoring the glass ceil- ing as one way to reframe reality and not impose limitations on them- selves, subconsciously or otherwise. The power of networking Who you know in business is incredibly important and oen influenc- es one's next career move or hiring decision. ere is a saying that job opportunities don't fall from the sky — most of the time, they are at- tached to people you know. Several executives noted the power of networking, and they have felt the highs and lows of it firsthand. e CEO of a 150-bed hospital in Virginia said she was talking to a male colleague one day when she learned about an unfamiliar culture of collegial bonding in the hospi- tal's administration. She learned that more causal social outings oc- cur, which help build relationships, but there is not always a comfort level between men and women to engage in social outings together unless they are part of a larger group. While missing an invitation for a social event may seem like a minor limitation in the moment, these missed opportunities add up and can hinder a woman's personal network over time. Professionals who have an open, diverse personal network are better positioned to learn about new ideas, opinions and opportunities. In fact, multiple peer-reviewed studies have found an open network is the best predictor of career suc- cess — even more than grit and talent. Networking events are not yet seen as gender-neutral, but many fe- male executives said this setback makes them even more conscious and deliberate about how they connect with colleagues and other pro- fessionals. One shared piece of advice from many executives in the discussion? Women need to surround themselves with a network of strong, open-minded individuals. As women's networks continue to grow larger and more diverse, their rise to the top is inevitable, said one executive. C-suites are rather small communities, so it is important for women to develop networks of people who are aware of their experiences. e history of knowledge is vital and can guide future advancement and opportunities. Treating patients as partners e roundtable discussion came to a close with the leaders' knowledge and observations about the most important people they serve: patients. Overwhelmingly, executives said their organizations are treating pa- tients not only as recipients of care, but as trusted sources of feedback and input. e same collaborative style that was discussed early on remerged as the leaders talked about contemporary care delivery. Leaders referred to the patient experience in terms both large and small. Sometimes patient input can change something so granular but critical as packaging for a certain medication or treatment device. rough patient communication and engagement efforts, the Boeh- ringer Ingelheim team found patients involved in clinical development of a product experienced difficulty opening blister cards of pills. "We needed to change that to bottles that they can actually open," Karen Iannella, executive director patient advocacy and stakeholder relations for Boehringer Ingelheim. e team has also collected valuable input about something broader and highly consequential: clinical trials. "We are focused on patient engagement in order to help us build bet- ter products and services that better address patient needs," said Ms. Iannella. "We are asking patients for input into clinical trial design. We're learning a lot from them and, in some cases, even changing our protocols, based on the input we have received, which is helping us to run better trials." Leaving the hospital or medical office to engage patients in the sur- rounding neighborhoods was another core tenet that emerged in the conversation. Several leaders cited examples of improved medical out- comes achieved through unconventional means. For instance, one leader said her Midwestern health system partnered with a church based in a community where diabetes metrics were es- pecially poor, as identified in a community health assessment. Under the new partnership, clinicians traveled to the church to aid patients with diabetes care. e system saw a noticeable improvement in patient compliance and outcomes. "ey started taking better care of them- selves, all through better access," she said. Women value collaboration in the C-suite, and this virtue is growing more evident and palpable in the patient-provider or patient-phar- macist relationship. Another idea that came full circle was the need to demonstrate and take ownership of value. When making hiring deci- sions, the vice president and chief development officer with a 150-bed hospital in a major city said she looks for someone who can become a vocal advocate and speak up for him or herself. "I want them to be doing the same on behalf of our organization — speaking up," she said. e same can be said for the provider-patient relationship, and how well providers speak up for patients. As healthcare goes from a trans- actional experience to one deeply invested in human relationships, the same skills and traits women credit to their professional gains may very well reappear as the most vital to engaging patients, including them in their healthcare and helping them obtain the confidence that they can positively influence their behaviors and health outcomes. n Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the world's 20 leading biopharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Germany, the company operates globally with more than 47,000 employees. The family-owned company has been committed to researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing novel treatments for human and veterinary medicine. Visit us at www.us.boehringer-ingelheim.com, or on Twitter @BoehringerUS.