Novo Nordisk Case Study

Our partnership with the leaders at North-West Europe’s People & Organization team of Novo Nordisk began with a clear aim: to help them build a work that does not just adapts to change but thrives in. We explored key topics in cognitive psychology and behavioral science, applying these insights directly to their day-to-day challenges.

We tackled common hurdles like resistance, low engagement, and change fatigue. The result was a leadership team now better equipped to guide their teams through changes, using insights from behavioral science and real-world strategies. Or, as we refer to it: behaviorally informed change management.

Recognizing Novo Nordisk’s commitment to reducing its CO2 footprint, we collaborated with their sustainability ambassadors throughout Europe to design and implement change interventions focused on car fleet management and travel behaviors.

By applying interventions to be easily translated into concrete habits (If-Then Plans), we supported these ambassadors to be influential role models for broader organizational change. This approach offers a roadmap for lasting behavioral change, directly contributing to Novo Nordisk’s sustainability goals.

Novo Nordisk’s front-line staff dealing directly with the ebb and flow of market dynamics.The challenge was not just to align rewards and incentives, but to also ensure that front-line behaviors met the dynamic demands of the healthcare market. This alignment is crucial for distributing healthcare solutions equitably across Novo Nordisk’s global customer base.

By setting up Red/Blue Team debates that sparked open dialogue and constructive conflict, we helped the teams go beyond sales targets and focus on distributing equitable rewards, aligning incentives with tangible behavioral outcomes.

Novo Nordisk is on a journey to redefine its rewards system, aiming for greater transparency and sustainability across the company. This company-wide transformation is not just about changing policies but about evolving the organizational culture to ensure these changes are deeply ingrained and widely accepted.

Behavioral science plays a key role in this process. It helps us understand how employees react to change, what motivates them, and how best to engage them. By applying behavioral insights, we design interventions that resonate with employees, making the transition smoother and more effective.

Our role in this journey involves several key activities:

• We craft targeted change management strategies that address both the human element and systemic adjustments needed to support sustainable rewards.
• We conduct training sessions that are not just informational but also designed to shift mindsets and specific behaviors, like interpersonal risk-taking.
• We establish feedback loops that are critical for monitoring the impact of the changes, allowing us to gather baseline data and the effectiveness of the new reward structures.

Through this journey, Novo Nordisk is  building a culture that values transparent and equitable rewards. Behavioral science ensures that this isn’t just a change in policy but a lasting transformation that aligns with the company’s values and the needs of its people.

We are currently collaborating to embed the CEO’s four strategic leadership themes—ranging from empowerment and decision-making to efficiency—into concrete behaviors. Through behavioral research, we’re identifying key behaviors that align with Novo Nordisk’s values and goals. The challenge then shifts to ensuring these behaviors are not only adopted but also sustained. Employing evidence-based interventions, we integrate these behaviors into the organization’s systems and processes, guaranteeing that they are reinforced over time and align seamlessly with the company’s strategic objectives.

Stakeholder engagement has been a remarkable success metric, revealing the effectiveness of our evidence-based approach. This surge in engagement means we’re starting to overcome complex barriers and facilitating behavioral change throughout the organization. Furthermore, the readiness to adapt and resilience in the face of change are additional key indicators of the impact of our partnership.