Interview with Mikael Worning President, Oticon Inc., Somerset, New Jersey
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Topic: People First - Employees, Professionals and Students
Beck: Good Morning Michael. Congratulations on the recent 100th anniversary of the William Demant company, which was celebrated on June 8th, 2004. That's quite a milestone!
Worning: Thanks Doug. It was wonderful to be able to celebrate the stability, growth and innovation of the company, and we're looking forward to the next hundred years!
Beck: Mikael, it seems to me the primary theme which allowed Oticon to achieve this centennial celebration was best captured by the company's motto, "People First."
Worning: I agree Doug. Our philosophical approach to our employees and to our customers has been "People First." As a team, Oticon tries to understand the needs of hearing impaired consumers, and to design and produce products which meet their needs. In other words, we don't produce hearing products in a vacuum. We evaluate the problems associated with hearing loss and the possible and most desirable solutions, and then we produce products that positively impact the individuals we serve. We try to be "end-user" benefit oriented. Importantly, hearing loss does not occur in a vacuum either, and the products have to work in variable acoustic environments, and have to be useful for the individual, the family and even the community within which the individual interacts.
Beck: In fact, I believe that was the inspiration behind Oticon's research facility in Denmark, called "Eriksholm?"
Worning: Yes, it was. We established Eriksholm in 1977, and the purpose was exactly that. We wanted to determine the best way to meet the needs and challenges of hearing impaired people, using state-of-the-art technology, and leaving it to the audiologists, engineers and hearing scientists to define the problems and to examine, evaluate and explore solutions.
Beck: I should mention that the "People First" approach transcends the Oticon corporate structure, and we have an interview scheduled with Mads Kamp, the director of Oticon's human resources in Denmark, and he'll explain the model in detail. But we'll save that for a different day!
Worning: That's fine Doug.
Beck: Mikael, I wonder if you could tell me a little about the Oticon Summer Camp? I participated this year, and I was very impressed.
Worning: The summer camp of 2004 is the 7th year, and it's a very exciting program. The Oticon Audiology Summer Camp presents an opportunity for us to invite graduate students from across the USA to meet experts in audiology and hearing sciences. We meet in Colorado at the Keystone Ski Resort. The experts give a wide range of lectures and we also feature interactive workshops, and for the graduate students, it's an opportunity to meet and query the people who's work they've been reading and studying throughout their education.
Beck: Can you mention a few of the presenters from the 2004 Summer Camp?
Worning: This year we featured a mix of Oticon and external experts. Presenters included; Don Schum, Mark Flynn, Jim Kothe, Anne Marie Tharpe, Curt Williams, Creig Dunckel, Nancy Palmere, Randi Pogash and of course, Dr, Douglas L., Beck.
Beck: Frankly, what surprised me as a participant in the event, was the vast array of non-hearing aid topics, such as; Human Factors, Fitting Special Populations, Cochlear Implants, Hearing Health Care Changing Times, Infant Assessment, Pediatric Case Management, Managing Expectations, Marketing, Electroneuronography, Audiology in the The Operating Room, Career Decision Making and a few others too. In other words, even though the Summer Camp was an Oticon function, there was plenty to learn that was not directly related to hearing aids.
Worning: Thanks for mentioning that. Our goal was to give the students a vast and realistic experience, and we think it's important to maintain a comprehensive, professional approach to the Summer Camp experience.
Beck: And for the graduate students who might like to attend next year?
Worning: We do try to notify all the academic departments about the event, but if individual students or departments would like to learn about the Summer Camp for 2005, they can contact Dr. Don Schum at 1-800-526-3921. Don is our Vice-President of Audiology, and he coordinates the whole Summer Camp initiative.
Beck: When the students reflect back on the Oticon Summer Camp, what would you hope they've learned or accomplished?
Worning: Well, there are a quite a few things that are really essential to the continued success of the Summer Camp. First, I hope the students develop friendships and associations with other students from across the country, as those relationships will be pivotl to them across their careers. The Summer Camp provides for and encourages students to meet, think and problem solve together.
Another attribute of the program is that the students get to participate in a non-threatening, non-exam based learning environment. In other words, they come here as students, and they are treated as professionals, and there are so many educational opportunities for them...but there are no exams! They leave the Summer Camp with the knowledge gained and the resources given them. So I hope they absorb what they're most interested in. I also hope they leave with a better philosophical and pragmatic understanding of their profession and their own possibilities.
Beck: Mikael, the Syncro product has been coupled with "Artificial Intelligence" and I understand the use of the term and the analogy, but I wonder if you personally see Syncro as the culmination of Oticon's digital technology, or do you view it more as a new technology foundation, or perhaps the start of a new era?
Worning: It's definitely the start of a new era! We're at the point now where digital hearing aids no longer represent digital versions of analog hearing aids. Rather, digital hearing aids like Syncro and other products yet to come, will help fulfill the "digital promise." What I mean by that is, artificial intelligence allows multiple decisions to be made in the blink of an eye, with respect to sound quality, background noise management, directionality, feedback management and more, to maximally fit the listener to the acoustic environment within which the listener finds him or herself. Artificial Intelligence allows the Syncro to "instantly" pick the best outcome from a multitude of processing strategies, based on the sound source itself and the acoustic environment. So, all in all, the ability of the Syncro to integrate and manage all of this information represents the threshold of new sound processing possibilities. I think in many respects, Syncro serves as a new foundation from which we can further develop and expand.
Beck: With regard to the Syncro, which was released in April or May of 2004, I know you also released a new counseling tool too, and I saw the new software at the AAA in Salt Lake City, and I was very impressed. Can you comment on that?
Worning: Yes, we thought there was a need for multi-media counseling tools. As audiology and dispensing has become more sophisticated, it's not been lost on us that the key to successful fittings is typically based on excellence in counseling and aural rehabilitation. Yes, of course the hearing itself must be excellent too, but again, People First! So the new software allows the professional to work at whatever level is best for them and the particular patient they are working with. The dispenser can easily communicate the attributes of the technology with visually-based graphics and models, and with auditory, or listening examples too, to best explain what the instrument does in different situations.
Beck: Can you comment on the issue of "Hearing Health Care and the Quality of Life."
Worning: Yes, thanks for mentioning that too! One thing that is so unfortunate in health care today, is the neglect afforded hearing loss by general practitioners and others in the medical and professional communities. Very few doctors bother to offer a rudimentary hearing screening in their offices, yet we know hearing loss terrifically impacts quality of life and is of enormous importance to the patient. It goes without saying that the quality of life one appreciates is significantly impacted by hearing and hearing loss, and yet in general, as a society, we seem to dismiss the problem with little call to action. For those with hearing loss, and their families, that's an enormous dis-service! So I think quality of life issues are very important for all of us, and we can probably do a better job as professionals and as health care practitioners in improving the quality of life for so many people.
Beck: How do you recommend we go about that?
Worning: Well Doug, as you know, I work with the Hearing Industries Association (HIA), and HIA supports the Better Hearing Institute (BHI). BHI has a physician based, CME approved training program available to help make physicians aware of hearing loss and what options are available for their patients. The program has been very successful, and I think the BHI program is a great tool for hearing healthcare professionals to help break into the mainstream medical community. And with regard to quality of life issues, I guess most of the readers recall the Helen Keller saying, which I'll paraphrase as......."visual loss separates us from things, but hearing loss separates us from people!"
Beck: Mikael, thanks for your time. It's always a pleasure to speak with you.
Worning: Thank you too Doug. We are very appreciative of Audiology Online and the work your team does.
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For more information on Oticon, click HERE
Worning: Thanks Doug. It was wonderful to be able to celebrate the stability, growth and innovation of the company, and we're looking forward to the next hundred years!
Beck: Mikael, it seems to me the primary theme which allowed Oticon to achieve this centennial celebration was best captured by the company's motto, "People First."
Worning: I agree Doug. Our philosophical approach to our employees and to our customers has been "People First." As a team, Oticon tries to understand the needs of hearing impaired consumers, and to design and produce products which meet their needs. In other words, we don't produce hearing products in a vacuum. We evaluate the problems associated with hearing loss and the possible and most desirable solutions, and then we produce products that positively impact the individuals we serve. We try to be "end-user" benefit oriented. Importantly, hearing loss does not occur in a vacuum either, and the products have to work in variable acoustic environments, and have to be useful for the individual, the family and even the community within which the individual interacts.
Beck: In fact, I believe that was the inspiration behind Oticon's research facility in Denmark, called "Eriksholm?"
Worning: Yes, it was. We established Eriksholm in 1977, and the purpose was exactly that. We wanted to determine the best way to meet the needs and challenges of hearing impaired people, using state-of-the-art technology, and leaving it to the audiologists, engineers and hearing scientists to define the problems and to examine, evaluate and explore solutions.
Beck: I should mention that the "People First" approach transcends the Oticon corporate structure, and we have an interview scheduled with Mads Kamp, the director of Oticon's human resources in Denmark, and he'll explain the model in detail. But we'll save that for a different day!
Worning: That's fine Doug.
Beck: Mikael, I wonder if you could tell me a little about the Oticon Summer Camp? I participated this year, and I was very impressed.
Worning: The summer camp of 2004 is the 7th year, and it's a very exciting program. The Oticon Audiology Summer Camp presents an opportunity for us to invite graduate students from across the USA to meet experts in audiology and hearing sciences. We meet in Colorado at the Keystone Ski Resort. The experts give a wide range of lectures and we also feature interactive workshops, and for the graduate students, it's an opportunity to meet and query the people who's work they've been reading and studying throughout their education.
Beck: Can you mention a few of the presenters from the 2004 Summer Camp?
Worning: This year we featured a mix of Oticon and external experts. Presenters included; Don Schum, Mark Flynn, Jim Kothe, Anne Marie Tharpe, Curt Williams, Creig Dunckel, Nancy Palmere, Randi Pogash and of course, Dr, Douglas L., Beck.
Beck: Frankly, what surprised me as a participant in the event, was the vast array of non-hearing aid topics, such as; Human Factors, Fitting Special Populations, Cochlear Implants, Hearing Health Care Changing Times, Infant Assessment, Pediatric Case Management, Managing Expectations, Marketing, Electroneuronography, Audiology in the The Operating Room, Career Decision Making and a few others too. In other words, even though the Summer Camp was an Oticon function, there was plenty to learn that was not directly related to hearing aids.
Worning: Thanks for mentioning that. Our goal was to give the students a vast and realistic experience, and we think it's important to maintain a comprehensive, professional approach to the Summer Camp experience.
Beck: And for the graduate students who might like to attend next year?
Worning: We do try to notify all the academic departments about the event, but if individual students or departments would like to learn about the Summer Camp for 2005, they can contact Dr. Don Schum at 1-800-526-3921. Don is our Vice-President of Audiology, and he coordinates the whole Summer Camp initiative.
Beck: When the students reflect back on the Oticon Summer Camp, what would you hope they've learned or accomplished?
Worning: Well, there are a quite a few things that are really essential to the continued success of the Summer Camp. First, I hope the students develop friendships and associations with other students from across the country, as those relationships will be pivotl to them across their careers. The Summer Camp provides for and encourages students to meet, think and problem solve together.
Another attribute of the program is that the students get to participate in a non-threatening, non-exam based learning environment. In other words, they come here as students, and they are treated as professionals, and there are so many educational opportunities for them...but there are no exams! They leave the Summer Camp with the knowledge gained and the resources given them. So I hope they absorb what they're most interested in. I also hope they leave with a better philosophical and pragmatic understanding of their profession and their own possibilities.
Beck: Mikael, the Syncro product has been coupled with "Artificial Intelligence" and I understand the use of the term and the analogy, but I wonder if you personally see Syncro as the culmination of Oticon's digital technology, or do you view it more as a new technology foundation, or perhaps the start of a new era?
Worning: It's definitely the start of a new era! We're at the point now where digital hearing aids no longer represent digital versions of analog hearing aids. Rather, digital hearing aids like Syncro and other products yet to come, will help fulfill the "digital promise." What I mean by that is, artificial intelligence allows multiple decisions to be made in the blink of an eye, with respect to sound quality, background noise management, directionality, feedback management and more, to maximally fit the listener to the acoustic environment within which the listener finds him or herself. Artificial Intelligence allows the Syncro to "instantly" pick the best outcome from a multitude of processing strategies, based on the sound source itself and the acoustic environment. So, all in all, the ability of the Syncro to integrate and manage all of this information represents the threshold of new sound processing possibilities. I think in many respects, Syncro serves as a new foundation from which we can further develop and expand.
Beck: With regard to the Syncro, which was released in April or May of 2004, I know you also released a new counseling tool too, and I saw the new software at the AAA in Salt Lake City, and I was very impressed. Can you comment on that?
Worning: Yes, we thought there was a need for multi-media counseling tools. As audiology and dispensing has become more sophisticated, it's not been lost on us that the key to successful fittings is typically based on excellence in counseling and aural rehabilitation. Yes, of course the hearing itself must be excellent too, but again, People First! So the new software allows the professional to work at whatever level is best for them and the particular patient they are working with. The dispenser can easily communicate the attributes of the technology with visually-based graphics and models, and with auditory, or listening examples too, to best explain what the instrument does in different situations.
Beck: Can you comment on the issue of "Hearing Health Care and the Quality of Life."
Worning: Yes, thanks for mentioning that too! One thing that is so unfortunate in health care today, is the neglect afforded hearing loss by general practitioners and others in the medical and professional communities. Very few doctors bother to offer a rudimentary hearing screening in their offices, yet we know hearing loss terrifically impacts quality of life and is of enormous importance to the patient. It goes without saying that the quality of life one appreciates is significantly impacted by hearing and hearing loss, and yet in general, as a society, we seem to dismiss the problem with little call to action. For those with hearing loss, and their families, that's an enormous dis-service! So I think quality of life issues are very important for all of us, and we can probably do a better job as professionals and as health care practitioners in improving the quality of life for so many people.
Beck: How do you recommend we go about that?
Worning: Well Doug, as you know, I work with the Hearing Industries Association (HIA), and HIA supports the Better Hearing Institute (BHI). BHI has a physician based, CME approved training program available to help make physicians aware of hearing loss and what options are available for their patients. The program has been very successful, and I think the BHI program is a great tool for hearing healthcare professionals to help break into the mainstream medical community. And with regard to quality of life issues, I guess most of the readers recall the Helen Keller saying, which I'll paraphrase as......."visual loss separates us from things, but hearing loss separates us from people!"
Beck: Mikael, thanks for your time. It's always a pleasure to speak with you.
Worning: Thank you too Doug. We are very appreciative of Audiology Online and the work your team does.
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For more information on Oticon, click HERE
