h2h Blog Spot...........

If there ever was a time for working smarter, it was 2009.  Research funding is shrinking, with venture capital harder to find than a snowplow in Vancouver.  What does this mean for clinical research in this new and tentative economy?  It means............

S = strategic....have a plan.  Think about it.  Debate it.  Write it down.  Update it.  Same old, same old, doesn't cut it anymore.  Waiting for rain may be a snow removal strategy, but it's messy and it takes a long time.
M = mitigation....plan for things to go wrong and you'll be better poised to act when they do.  Have a plan that doesn't involve the seat of your pants.
A = attitude.....attitude is everything. 
R = ridiculous.....drop the ridiculous timelines.  Everything does not have to be done tomorrow.  The tyranny of the urgent is not a plan for success.  Prioritize and fast track what is truly urgent.  This decreases stress on your research team, and helps everyone appreciate what is really critical and act accordingly.
T = talk.  Meet face to face with your clients / sponsors / CROs / sites.  There is no substitute for the face to face in relationship building 101.  Find out what makes them tick and how you can best meet their research needs.  It's not all about you; it's all about them.