5 Reasons to Have the Difficult Conversations

As a pharmacy leader, it can be difficult to have those tough conversations with your team. But, as Patrick Lott, SHRM - CP, an executive and leadership coach, points out, it's crucial to address any gaps between employee expectations and reality in the workplace.

Here are 5 reasons why you need to have those difficult conversations with your pharmacy team and not shy away from them:

1. To address any gaps in expectations: By addressing any discrepancies between what employees expect and what is actually happening in the workplace, you can ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals.
2. To improve communication and management skills: Pharmacy education often focuses on process and numbers, rather than communication and management skills. By having difficult conversations, you can help improve these skills within your team.
3. To build trust and a sense of worth with employees: By being consistent, transparent and willing to help and support employees in achieving their goals, you can build trust and create a stable work environment.
4. To create a stable work environment: Consistency and predictability in leadership style is essential for a stable work environment. By having difficult conversations, you can ensure that staff know what they can depend on from their leaders.
5. To improve the overall success of the organization: By addressing underlying issues and conflicts that may not be addressed, you can prevent "artificial harmony" and ensure the overall success of the organization.

In conclusion, as a pharmacy leader, it's crucial to have difficult conversations with your team to address gaps in expectations, improve communication and management skills, build trust, create a stable work environment, and improve the overall success of the organization. To gain more insights and tips on how to have these conversations, we invite you to listen to the podcast episode featuring Patrick Lott and Mike Koelzer, where they discuss the importance of consistency, clear expectations and investing time in employees for fostering a culture of trust and accountability in the workplace. Tune in to gain valuable knowledge and techniques on how to navigate these tricky conversations.

The Business of Pharmacy Podcast™ is an interesting and entertaining weekly podcast discussion on the business of pharmacy. Hosted by Mike Koelzer, an independent pharmacist in Grand Rapids, Michigan, each episode covers a new topic relevant to pharmacists and pharmacy owners. Listen to a new episode every Monday morning.