Case Study: Boston Scientific

About the Organization

Through the relentless pursuit of innovation, Boston Scientific Corporation (BSC) strives to advance life-changing medical care with a focus on health equity and global collaboration. Each year, their medical solutions serve approximately 30 million patients in 115 countries. The company has received global recognition and awards for its innovation, workplace leadership, corporate and industry leadership, and global citizenship.

Goals

Since 2015, LCW has partnered with Boston Scientific to help build sustainable inclusion both in the culture and employee experience as well as in the talent management systems. LCW’s training programs provided managers, executives, and HR and DEI practitioners with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to manage unconscious bias and lead with intercultural competence across the global BSC organization.

While diversity and health equity have always been core values for Boston Scientific, an eye-opening 2017 global employee engagement survey revealed the perception that it was more difficult for women and people of color to succeed within the company. When asked if people with equal abilities, education, and experience had the same opportunities for advancement, women were on average 14% less favorable than men, and Black women and Puerto Rican men were significantly less favorable than the overall average on a range of topics.

Thanks to their previous years of intercultural competence training—including the launch of the six-month Cross-Cultural Learning Program (CCLP)—Boston Scientific mindsets were primed to be receptive of this data, using it as a crucial turning point for the company. Rather than shying away from the challenging results, the Global HR team recognized the feedback as an important cultural truth that needed to be addressed and set out to discover its root cause.

Results at a glance

In 2020, Boston Scientific surpassed their 10/20/40 plan:

Being recognized as a top

inclusive workplace

Reporting more than

0 %

multicultural talent at the manager and supervisor level

Reporting almost exactly

0 %

women in manager and supervisor positions.

Boston Scientific received the 2022 Catalyst Award in recognition of their lasting commitment to improving gender representation across the company.

Services Provided

Bias Training
Cultural Competence Training
D&I Coaching
DEI Strategy
DEI Immersions
IDI Assessment
Inclusion Training
Talent Management Systems Analysis (TMSA)
Translation

“The day after you met with the EC [executive committee], we had our 2-day offsite. We heard the CEO and EC respectfully challenge each other during LASR [talent review] and use the bias terminology you just introduced. I even saw some referencing the handouts you gave them. You had a real impact on the discussions. Several EC members are already making plans to cascade the tools to their teams and continue the process.”

– Wendy Carruthers, CHRO, BSC

Progress over time, not overnight

Boston Scientific partnered with LCW to launch a comprehensive TMSA that would expand upon the continued bias management and intercultural competence training of internal practitioners and business leaders.

Bolstered by LCW’s recommendations and employee feedback, Boston Scientific developed their 10/20/40 plan entitled “Creating Opportunities for Growth” in 2018, which identified 16 specific tasks to accomplish three goals:

Become a top 10 inclusive place to work
Achieve 20% multicultural leadership at the manager and supervisor level globally
Achieve 40% women at the manager and supervisor level globally

Between 2018 and 2020, LCW worked with Boston Scientific in expanding trainings that developed inclusive mindsets, focusing especially on individuals responsible for developing company-wide policies, procedures, and processes. Highlights of the deployed programming include translation of key messaging, performance appraisal coaching to upskill managers, a bootcamp in managing bias in talent acquisition, and additional IDI® assessments and debriefs. During this time, Boston Scientific completed all the 16 tasks identified in their 10/20/40 plan.

What comes next?

Instead of being content with their incredible improvement, Boston Scientific chose to lean into the progress by again moving their goals forward. Their “3 Up by 2023” plan sets new benchmarks for 2023 of 23% multicultural leadership at the manager and supervisor level and 43% of managers and supervisors being women, while maintaining their designation as a top 10 inclusive workplace.

The company demonstrates its continued investment in the long-term development of both DEI mindsets and systems through the 2021 launch of the Anti-Racism and Cultural History (ARCH) program. The goal of this ambitious program is to provide all employees across the globe with skills and tools needed to recognize and interrupt systemic racism, bias, and prejudice in all forms, both within and outside of the workplace by 2023.