Of Stewards and Creators

Essay by mongkeeUniversity, Master'sA+, July 2008

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The Pfizer Sulit Card is one innovative project that has taken the company to new heights in the past five years. Aside from greatly increasing awareness among patients resulting to increased sales, it also placed Pfizer Philippines in the global map after reaping awards from the headquarters in New York.

As we have been discussing in class early this term, "only the paranoid survive," and we should always "move ahead of competition." From a well lauded innovative project some years back, it has somehow become a "well copied" concept by competitors. Pfizer realizes this and recently has launched a project within the company which aims to improve and repackage the Sulit Card to, of course, retain its status as the most preferred discounting scheme among patients. It is an in-house innovative competition which runs until the end of the year.

Being part of the sales team of the company, we are the people who get instant feedback from doctors and patients alike, and because of that, I personally would like to have my own take on the contest.

I have lots of ideas in mind - from linking it with other discounting schemes, to a points and rewards system, to tapping major industries as partners, etc.

Then, after reading the article, I realized that indeed there are limits. Although some of my wildest ideas would definitely boost the performance and rejuvenate the Sulit Card, there has definitely some limits to it - as to the management's acceptability, the feasibility, and of course the costs of undertaking such project.

I know that aside from myself, there are so many eager minds who would like to take on the challenge. However, we may just fall into that trap of being the enthusiastic creator who might gripe after the management team guns down our proposals. Probably the win-win solution to the steward and creator conflict would be a both parties realizing the potentials and limits of each, and constant coordination to foster harmony and maintain balance in the process.

For the creator, mindful preparation is the key. Know your limits while maximizing your potentials. For the stewards on the other hand, it would be better if they hear it out first from the creator before rejecting an idea at face value.