When Hiroshi stepped into his role as Country Manager for a leading medical device company in Japan, he didn’t start with a speech about values or mission statements. Instead, he quoted Patrick Swayze’s character Dalton from Road House:
“I want you to be nice… until it’s time to not be nice.”
It raised eyebrows. But it stuck.
Because in an industry where precision, compliance, and patient outcomes are everything, culture isn’t a vibe—it’s a series of deliberate behaviors. And Hiroshi knew that the way people acted—especially under pressure, was the real heartbeat of the organization.
Performance: Measured with Purpose
In Hiroshi’s company, performance wasn’t about who shouted the loudest in meetings or who logged the most hours. It was about:
- Clinical impact: Were devices improving patient outcomes?
- Regulatory excellence: Were teams proactive, not reactive, with compliance?
- Collaboration metrics: Were cross-functional teams solving problems together?
Dashboards tracked progress, but the real performance indicators were how people responded when things didn’t go as planned.
Rituals That Reinforce Identity
Every Friday, the team gathers for a “Patient First” huddle. Stories from the field—surgeons, nurses, patients—were shared to remind everyone why their work mattered.
Quarterly “Clinics” invite employees to pitch process improvements, no matter their role. And onboarding wasn’t just HR-led—it included shadowing sales reps in hospitals and sitting in on regulatory reviews.
These rituals weren’t decorative; they were directional.
Feedback: Fast, Focused, and Frequent
Hiroshi believed feedback should be like a well-calibrated device: precise and timely. Managers were trained to give real-time coaching, not just annual reviews. And junior staff were encouraged to challenge assumptions—respectfully, of course.
The mantra? “Feedback is a gift, not a grenade.”
Conflict: Navigated, Not Avoided
In a high-stakes industry, conflict is inevitable. A delayed product launch. A disagreement with a global HQ. A compliance issue that needs escalation.
Hiroshi’s team didn’t sweep tension under the rug. They used structured conflict resolution protocols, facilitated by trained mediators. And yes, sometimes it gets uncomfortable. But the goal was always resolution, not retribution.
Unacceptable Behaviors: The Non-Negotiables
Some things were simply not tolerated:
- Disrespecting healthcare professionals
- Manipulating data or cutting corners
- Undermining colleagues or hoarding information
- Pointing fingers at others
Hiroshi made it clear: “We’re in the business of saving lives. That means integrity isn’t optional—it’s operational.”
By the end of his first year, Hiroshi didn’t need to talk about culture. People lived it. They were nice—until it was time to not be nice. They held each other accountable, gave feedback with care, and resolved conflicts with courage.
Because in pharma and medtech, culture isn’t a poster—it’s a protocol.
