Often mislabeled as an Advisory Board, a think tank is a process for in-depth consideration of issues and challenges that have far reaching ramifications. In the area of medical development, such challenges typically revolve around such topics as trial design, endpoint development, patent issues, and regulatory conundrums. An effective approach goes beyond listing ideas as in brainstorming but actually analyzes potential factors or proposed solutions. A think tank is a challenging communication environment that benefits from professional facilitation.

ECG has helped design and facilitate hundreds of think tank meetings, primarily for drug development support and regulatory reconnaissance. Think tanks are truly designed to dig into an issue, challenge conventional wisdom, and grapple with ideas and decisions that will have consequences for years - hence their assertive use by development teams that truly want to develop novel ideas and optimize development pathways. They are not meetings for the team that wants to force a validation of their preconceived notions.

Getting the Right Team

It is for this reason that the most critical element of a successful think tank meeting is the list of participants. The process is truly a reflection of the people. The right mix of temperaments, knowledge, skills, experiences, and perspectives.

Second only to this list is the choice of facilitator as they impact both strategic design and tactical implementation. Think tanks rise or fall on the ability to help participants access and articulate their thoughts through appropriate prompting, questioning, reflection, and challenging.

Think tanks rise or fall on the skills that ECG teaches and can bring to your meeting.

Please contact us via email or at +1-201-894-8200 to discuss the custom communication strategy and facilitation we can create for your upcoming think tank.