Trust and Value

[Anonymous]

Whoever at Merck came up with this idea of scoring trust and value should be terminated. Too bad it came from some committee as is the norm at this sick company, so any number of people should be terminated. Terminations will occur, but as is also the norm at Merck, the wrong people get axed. Trust and value was what George Merck's quotation was all about, but it seems there is no one left at Merck who remembers it or more importantly, its core meaning. It was all about trust and value. Substituting trust and value scores in place of living George Merck's core belief and faithfully practicing that belief throughout the corporation is pure folly. The condition of Merck today is testament to it.

 

[Anonymous]

Almost all of the people that have exhibited trust and have tried wherever possible to provide long-term value to the company have been urged out over the last several years. The weasels that pose as management view them and their kind as not to be trusted to exhibit the current team value of untrustworthiness. Imagine a company in which those that really sacrifice to do the right thing are considered threats!

 

[Anonymous]

Almost all of the people that have exhibited trust and have tried wherever possible to provide long-term value to the company have been urged out over the last several years. The weasels that pose as management view them and their kind as not to be trusted to exhibit the current team value of untrustworthiness. Imagine a company in which those that really sacrifice to do the right thing are considered threats!

there lies the true dysfunction in this company...

it runs like a fascist state...those who tell the truth, are threats, and must be expelled...

 

[Anonymous]

Almost all of the people that have exhibited trust and have tried wherever possible to provide long-term value to the company have been urged out over the last several years. The weasels that pose as management view them and their kind as not to be trusted to exhibit the current team value of untrustworthiness. Imagine a company in which those that really sacrifice to do the right thing are considered threats!

Well stated. Honesty has no place in this hellhole.

 

[Anonymous]

Aren't we pessimistic about Merck? I am visualizing, at the end of a meeting, someone said, "...last on the agenda, we have to pretend we continue to live out George Merck's legacy...let's put something together...does the slogan trust and value sound good to you all?"

 

[Anonymous]

Aren't we pessimistic about Merck? I am visualizing, at the end of a meeting, someone said, "...last on the agenda, we have to pretend we continue to live out George Merck's legacy...let's put something together...does the slogan trust and value sound good to you all?"

You're probably right. How much time and money got wasted by Merck by attempting to reinvent the wheel or fixi something that wasn't broke? George Merck's legacy is simple. Executing it became very problematic for recent Merck "leadership" if one can call it that.

 

[Anonymous]

Aren't we pessimistic about Merck? I am visualizing, at the end of a meeting, someone said, "...last on the agenda, we have to pretend we continue to live out George Merck's legacy...let's put something together...does the slogan trust and value sound good to you all?"

"Be Well"

<insert reverse peristalsis here>

 

[Anonymous]

Once you feel you have to "codify and qualify" something like "trust and value" you're signalling that "trust and value" are in doubt. Rather like a pol. saying: "Honestly" or "Read my lips.." Shouldn't it be a core value, a given? You're telling your customers "We don't think you can trust us and our value is in doubt. What do you think?" Actions do speak louder than words and things like tax evasions and cover ups have spoken louder than any survey. But hey go ahead and give everyone a policy test on "trust and value" if it makes you feel better.

 

[Anonymous]

I can offer one bit of advice to young professionals at Merck. You can react to your first Merck experience of outrageous dishonesty and lack of trust in one of three ways: Openly express disagreement, shock and disappointment, and perhaps quote George Merck; Keep your poker face on and try to act like the 3 wise monkey (see, hear, speak no evil) or; Enthusiastically embrace the discussion as a solid business decision and practise your Merck sloganeering. The first option will get you on a track for getting out of the company, either via PIP or by exile. The second will usually get you out of the company by your own decision once you realize what a large number of crooks are leading Merck. The third will get you noticed for your leadership capability and it will mean you passed your first Merck test of character. Remember that the same phonies that cannot be trusted fancy themselves to be expert readers of body language. So choosing the middle option offers no guarantee of mistakenly being pigeon-holed with the first option losers. You will have many other similar tests as you move up the Merck ladder. But watch your back at all times.

 

[Anonymous]

I can offer one bit of advice to young professionals at Merck. You can react to your first Merck experience of outrageous dishonesty and lack of trust in one of three ways: Openly express disagreement, shock and disappointment, and perhaps quote George Merck; Keep your poker face on and try to act like the 3 wise monkey (see, hear, speak no evil) or; Enthusiastically embrace the discussion as a solid business decision and practise your Merck sloganeering. The first option will get you on a track for getting out of the company, either via PIP or by exile. The second will usually get you out of the company by your own decision once you realize what a large number of crooks are leading Merck. The third will get you noticed for your leadership capability and it will mean you passed your first Merck test of character. Remember that the same phonies that cannot be trusted fancy themselves to be expert readers of body language. So choosing the middle option offers no guarantee of mistakenly being pigeon-holed with the first option losers. You will have many other similar tests as you move up the Merck ladder. But watch your back at all times.

Or you can select Option #4: Walk away from the dishonest, failing mess that Merck has become while you still have some semblance of dignity left. If you stay with this mess of a company, you won't be able to look at yourself in the mirror a couple of years from now, just after every single rep in the organization is let go.

 

[Anonymous]

I can offer one bit of advice to young professionals at Merck. You can react to your first Merck experience of outrageous dishonesty and lack of trust in one of three ways: Openly express disagreement, shock and disappointment, and perhaps quote George Merck; Keep your poker face on and try to act like the 3 wise monkey (see, hear, speak no evil) or; Enthusiastically embrace the discussion as a solid business decision and practise your Merck sloganeering. The first option will get you on a track for getting out of the company, either via PIP or by exile. The second will usually get you out of the company by your own decision once you realize what a large number of crooks are leading Merck. The third will get you noticed for your leadership capability and it will mean you passed your first Merck test of character. Remember that the same phonies that cannot be trusted fancy themselves to be expert readers of body language. So choosing the middle option offers no guarantee of mistakenly being pigeon-holed with the first option losers. You will have many other similar tests as you move up the Merck ladder. But watch your back at all times.

Very well said and thank you for the advice. This answers a lot of questions in my mind regarding recent layoff, promotion, and which way my attitude will take me...

 

[Anonymous]

Read body language? Study more psychology? What course is that on learning network? .... make up the meanings as you go along. Tired today? PIP; dont laugh at a joke, PIP; walk too slowly, PIP....scary....

 

[Anonymous]

Fortunately any managers that mistakenly eliminate a colleague due to a body language interpretation error don't risk much. The true stars, whom by the way are born and not developed, are identifiable to those golden children in the club by means of their halos - which are invisible to the hoi polloi. The judges could therefore never err and mistakenly get rid of a future star.

 

[Anonymous]

Fortunately any managers that mistakenly eliminate a colleague due to a body language interpretation error don't risk much. The true stars, whom by the way are born and not developed, are identifiable to those golden children in the club by means of their halos - which are invisible to the hoi polloi. The judges could therefore never err and mistakenly get rid of a future star.

The future stars are easy to identify.

1) Inspect tongue for shoe polish. If present, you have identified a future star.
2) Inspect nose. If fecal material present on the tip, you have identified a future star.
3) Shine a flashlight in the ear. If light projects out of other ear, you have identified a future star.
4) XRay vertebrae. If vertebrae appear to be cartilage or other spongiform, you have identified a future star.

 

[Anonymous]

Once you feel you have to "codify and qualify" something like "trust and value" you're signalling that "trust and value" are in doubt. Rather like a pol. saying: "Honestly" or "Read my lips.." Shouldn't it be a core value, a given? You're telling your customers "We don't think you can trust us and our value is in doubt. What do you think?" Actions do speak louder than words and things like tax evasions and cover ups have spoken louder than any survey. But hey go ahead and give everyone a policy test on "trust and value" if it makes you feel better.

Sad but so true. When I joined MSD in the early 80's we read about the famous George Merck's saying. No one had to tell us how to behave. We knew how to conduct ourselves, be professional and ethical. I did notice what are professional and ethical are very different in some of the younger reps. Soon they excluded me from some activities knowing I would not do it, like drinking and golfing with customers despite the policy letters. May be that is another reason for our downfall as a company. I was clueless of some of the "promotional activities" by my younger colleagues. Their managers seem to be unaware of it too. So we have a local sales strategy being conducted by these reps and then a national strategy the managers would see on field visit days. We are doomed.

 

[Anonymous]

while we should be out building our trust and values, here our district sits-our manager reading powerpoint slides to us for an hour instead of working. hoskins sucks total ass. someone

 

[Anonymous]

someone please rescue us from this douchebag

 

[Anonymous]

Read body language? Study more psychology? What course is that on learning network? .... make up the meanings as you go along. Tired today? PIP; dont laugh at a joke, PIP; walk too slowly, PIP....scary....

Haha! So true.
I got a poorer than usual ride along review once (as a highly tenured/successful rep) when I dropped my pen while talking to a doc. I AM NOT JOKING HERE. The DM made mention of it afterwards as if I had done something awful (like accidentally spitting on the Dr's face or something along those lines). I thought-- are you f'ng kidding me? Thought I was an adult who dropped a pen, and not a 5-yr-old who spilled his milk.
Seriously, what is WRONG with these people???
Other industries DO NOT behave this way.

 

[Anonymous]

Haha! So true.
I got a poorer than usual ride along review once (as a highly tenured/successful rep) when I dropped my pen while talking to a doc. I AM NOT JOKING HERE. The DM made mention of it afterwards as if I had done something awful (like accidentally spitting on the Dr's face or something along those lines). I thought-- are you f'ng kidding me? Thought I was an adult who dropped a pen, and not a 5-yr-old who spilled his milk.
Seriously, what is WRONG with these people???
Other industries DO NOT behave this way.

It comes back to a feeble attempt of taking the job too seriously, as in the DM's job. Reps if given the chance, can perform at some level of benefit to Merck. The job of the rep's manager is much harder to justify, so we get these absurdities of something like a pen being dropped in an isolated incident being cited by the manager in an attempt to justify their job. Totally absurd and assinine but that's the state of pharmaceutical sales at old large pharma companies. It is one big joke and this is one more example of it.

 

[Anonymous]

Haha! So true.
I got a poorer than usual ride along review once (as a highly tenured/successful rep) when I dropped my pen while talking to a doc. I AM NOT JOKING HERE. The DM made mention of it afterwards as if I had done something awful (like accidentally spitting on the Dr's face or something along those lines). I thought-- are you f'ng kidding me? Thought I was an adult who dropped a pen, and not a 5-yr-old who spilled his milk.
Seriously, what is WRONG with these people???
Other industries DO NOT behave this way.

Welcome to Merck. They want you to quit. It's really that simple.