Focused work and how Pfizer is unlocking the power of people

When I began my career the perception of productivity was measured by how busy one was. The more meetings one had or long hours someone used to put in the better. I almost immediately saw the flaws in this toxic culture derived from the industrial age and ego of the ones eager to retain power.

But the world changes very rapidly and I had the chance to land in a company where a bold transformation questioned many things among which this one. At Pfizer we are now working in shorter cycles with increasingly less focus on structures and more on agile collaboration focused on what really matters: the patients we can serve.

It is a common practice to have entire weeks where colleagues are called to dedicate to "focused work". This is a fantastic moment to step back, think strategically and prepare the next sprints to continue to deliver our very best. This had a series of positive cascade effects among which more meningful interactions once these are expected and a culture that is shaping around essentialism.

The job market is changing at an increasingly more rapid speed. Digital fast learners are joining us and meeting experienced colleagues who will presumably continue to contribute for longer than what they expected at the beginning of their careers. Bold moves like the one to have "focus weeks" allow our "cultural melting pot" to give its best avoiding stress-related conditions or average ambitions. What moves us is to target breakthroughs that change patients lives, for which status quo must be challenged with "savoir faire".

We work hard, with passion, but always putting the human ahead of the deliverables. The latter being often a pleasurable consequence of the former. We are always looking for the best diverse talents to form an increasingly more unique workplace.