The Essentials

The Essentials are ten clearly-defined statements describing how the Novo Nordisk Way works in practice, helping our managers and employees to act in accordance with our core values:

1. We create value by having a patient centred business approach.
2. We set ambitious goals and strive for excellence.
3. We are accountable for our financial, environmental and social performance.
4. We provide innovation to the benefit of our stakeholders.
5. We build and maintain good relations with our key stakeholders.
6. We treat everyone with respect.
7. We focus on personal performance and development.
8. We have a healthy and engaging working environment.
9. We strive for agility and simplicity in everything we do.
10. We never compromise on quality and business ethics.

Walking the talk

To ensure that our organisation lives up to these values, we conduct facilitations – a kind of ‘values audit’ – on an ongoing basis.

Senior employees are appointed facilitators and they travel around the company to interview employees, managers and internal stakeholders, looking into documents and local business practices to assess to which degree the units are run in accordance with the Novo Nordisk Way. And just as they identify areas for improvement, these facilitators also highlight and share best practice throughout Novo Nordisk.

Every unit is facilitated at least every sixth year - some every third year or even every year. Consolidated observations and trends are then reported to Executive Management on a half-yearly basis and the Board of Directors annually.

It’s an assurance that helps safeguard our strong company culture of responsible and sustainable business practices and ensures that the Novo Nordisk Way exists not only as words, but also as the way we run our business around the world.

If you want to know more about the Novo Nordisk Way, please contact?Mogens Thorsager Jensen.