What does thinking “big picture” really mean?
For an independent community pharmacy owner, the answer may seem simple: Thinking long-term and working toward goals that benefit your business.
You probably think big picture all the time. You look ahead, plan for success and consistently strive to reach the goals you’ve set for your business. But is your pharmacy team also thinking big picture?
For example, opening additional pharmacy locations may be constantly on your mind. Or, you may wonder which innovative industry trends your pharmacy should adapt to stay ahead of the game.
But thinking big picture probably doesn’t come as easily to your team members. If you want your team members to start thinking long-term, you have to properly train, encourage and promote a pharmacy philosophy of thinking big.
Here are five ways to start.
1. Create common goals
By setting strategic goals and establishing a vision for your pharmacy, you increase your pharmacy’s potential for the future. But you have to clue your team members in if you want them to work toward that goal.
If you want your pharmacy to be considered the health hub of your community in the next two years, for example, then encourage your team members to share ideas on how to make that vision a reality.
It’s also important to let employees know how their individual efforts contribute toward the common goal of your pharmacy. If they know what you’re looking for, they’ll be more focused on achieving those goals.
2. Start small
You didn’t become the owner of a successful independent community pharmacy overnight. Thinking like an entrepreneur takes time.
Nurture your employees’ thought process by helping them attain small, achievable goals that contribute to your pharmacy’s big picture goal. When successful, they’ll realize how their efforts directly help improve your business.
If your goal is to increase script count, start with an attainable objective. Ask your employees to run a report on return-to-stock scripts or unfilled scripts, and then have them call patients and consult on why the scripts weren’t filled. Track how many more scripts were filled because of these actions to show your employees how this one step can help achieve the pharmacy’s overall goal.
3. Reward progress
Everyone loves an incentive to work harder. And, rewarding high-performing employees for doing a great job is imperative for your pharmacy’s success.
Working toward the big picture requires plenty of determination and hard work from you and each of your employees. So, it’s important to show your thanks every once in awhile.
For example, if a recent pharmacy event recruited many new patients to your pharmacy, reward employees with a pizza party. Or, recognize an overachieving pharmacy technician as “employee of the month.”
4. Encourage individuality
Every employee is unique and valuable to your independent community pharmacy. Encourage a work environment of individuality, where employees are free to suggest ideas.
Give your employees the opportunity to voice their opinions. When you allow them to express their ideas, they’ll learn how to think bigger. And you might just come across an idea that will benefit your pharmacy.
5. Keep everyone in-the-loop
For your employees to understand the big picture, they have to be informed.
Team meetings provide the perfect opportunity to communicate with all of your employees, review processes and practices, and reinforce goals.
It’s also a great opportunity to encourage your employees when they’re doing well and touch on how they might improve, all of which help them better contribute to thinking big.
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