Bayer COO: we stopped assigning sales targets. Our teams aimed higher

At Bayer Pharmaceuticals, the company's COO decided to eliminate sales targets for regions and countries. Instead, sales teams were given more authority and responsibility to decide where resources would yield the greatest return for patients and the business. This shift was a challenging decision as it went against their training to equate targets and budgets with accountability.

However, the company still needed to deliver financial results as a publicly traded entity. By removing targets and budgets, the aim was to allow more flexibility and responsiveness to emerging opportunities. This meant putting more accountability in the hands of employees closest to the market. The decision was inspired by a discussion about cutting investment for Bayer's prostate cancer treatment Nubeqa, which led the COO to question the wisdom of negotiating for as much as possible while still meeting revenue commitments.

Instead of setting a decline target, the team asked how they could turn a challenging situation into a year of growth. This approach was tested with Nubeqa, which became one of the fastest-growing drugs in its category for U.S. veterans. The successful outcome allowed the team to disband and move on to new opportunities, demonstrating the new accountability system.

Leaders began to prioritize the overall success of Bayer over individual regional performance, with one leader recognizing that the most urgent need was in the U.S. and putting the enterprise ahead of his own region. The transformation at Bayer continues, but it is already delivering results, including growth despite the loss of exclusivity for the company's two biggest brands.