WHEN RESEARCH DIRECTORS TAKE OFF THEIR LAB COATS

The establishment of credibility between senior management and the chief technical officer lies in understanding each other's disciplines. At Cyanamid, senior management challenged research directors to give up the comfort of their lab coats, put on business suits and join them in developing the strategies that would move the company forward. As a result, the research function was integrated into the formal strategic planning process, and a partnership was formed between those who discover a product, those who market it and those who manufacture and distribute it.