After the acquisition of touch surgery (which became digital technologies under surgical) , the surgical org became somehow isolated from the rest of Medtronic really forcing silos and no collaborations. It feels like they’re a different company to this date with such a toxic culture. Why did this happen?
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@10b Interesting comment on the core team approach. What was the Covidien model before the acquisition? (And yes, you were acquired (!!) but I've enjoyed working with all the legacy COV people I've had the pleasure to engage with.) When were Quality, Ops, Clinical, Reg, etc. brought in? Do the needs vary for 510(k) vs. PMA product development?
@yc I have to agree with you on the core team model. It slowed everything down in NPD. You add into the story that every core team lead I’ve worked with has a sole purpose to cover their a-s rather than do what’s right for the business.
I’ve seen an issue come up and been told by CTLs that we cannot talk about those issues until the CTL has told every VP about the issue and worked through a plan at the VP level. Then they need to bring it up in a monthly business review meeting then we can talk about the issue. That’s at least a month or 2 of ignoring a problem. I can give 100s of examples like this but over all it doesn’t work.
@yb "People don’t like the core team model?"
Has to be the d-mbest thing I've ever seen. Let's make critical decision making a matrix of a couple dozen people and then wonder why decisions never get made or when they finally do it's the worst combination of the options. Half the core team tends to be from outside the actual core of the business so they have no idea what they're talking about. I've been in the workforce for 30 years now and it has to be the most corporate bloated idea I've ever seen. It's a fantastic example of how not to run a business.
@wb okay thank you! Yes I remember the Bob White days. People don’t like the core team model?
@OP "surgical org became somehow isolated from the rest of Medtronic really forcing silos and no collaborations"
Not sure how this is such a mystery. It was intentionally silo'd, the entire company was from each other. You can thank Bob White, he wanted "vertical orgs" meaning the company was essentially divided into 3 different vertical segments that intentionally did not rely on each other. It was diabetes, cardio, and surgical or some mix like that (I can't recall exactly). It totally ki-led cross org collaboration from happening organically, but nothing prevented individual & groups from collaborating if you wanted to. Then 4 years later that was undone and Bob got re-org'd. It was thought of as a terrible idea at the time and that came to fruition leading to Bob's demise and then the Medtronic old guard came in and the downhill skid accelerated from there.
"It feels like they’re a different company to this date with such a toxic culture."
It wasn't toxic until Medtronic old guard came in and had the brilliant idea of a "Core Team" to really strangle any sort of sensible and quick decision making.
@rd To answer "Why was COV not toxic pre-Medtronic." Covidien was a fresh spin off. It had little hardened BS and essentially good and cohesive leadership. Joe Almeida got rid of the overly egotistical Surgical VP Scott Flora once he became CEO for instance because he was a bad fit. Flora had harnessed up half of North Haven for United Way so he could be a big man in the local business community and golf clubs. Unceremoniously canned. A powerful message to stick to the knitting. Covidien was very lean and made money hand over fist. The stock price tripled from a 2009 low. Despite its flaws, it was a rising tide that really did float all boats. The Medtronic animus toward COV was a culture clash.
@a8 explain. Why was COV not toxic pre-Medtronic?
At least 2 people are talking: the leader of Medtronic sold $4.75M of stock on Friday, 10/16....and the supreme leader of Surgical sold $1M on the same day!
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There was a lot going on at the time of the DS acquisition and those in the deal (at least from the DS side) had little insight into the movements of such behemoth machine. Part of this was because the org was cordoned off while being integrated and the other part corporate was planning a return to 6-8% growth.
The pace at which it all occurred, covid and now a general churn and burn “feels different”
@a8
Great point? Toxic? Is not the word for MDT. Basically you just ride the gravy train and keep you mouth shut until its your turn to get off the MDT train either thru a RIF, VERP or quit.
OP, care to elaborate? I work in surgical and no one has prevented me from talking to anyone. I have friends and colleagues in many other businesses. I ask for introductions. Complete strangers are willing to take a call or have a chat. Is surgical perfect? No. But ask yourself if you are being prevented from talking to someone, or if you are choosing to stay in your silo.
I would like to pointing it was never toxic when it was covidien. Once covidien leaders left and were replaced by legacy Medtronic folks did we start to see the toxicity come into the org.
They are trying to determine next steps and don't want their master plan leaked to outside Medtronic.