Running a community pharmacy is tough. You and your staff have many tasks that need to be done each day to keep things running, which means you have to give some of the workload to your employees. That’s difficult, especially when it’s something you usually do yourself.
When it’s time, it’s time. Trust your staff. After all you hired them! Delegate, and boost your team’s morale. Collaborate with them. Communication will flow much more quickly and easily when everyone knows they can rely on each other. In fact, this alone can lead to employees who are more engaged in their pharmacy work and serving customers.
Delegating is great, but it can be a challenge to implement due to lack of confidence in employees’ abilities. Surrendering control over tasks that could be delegated successfully can also be difficult. So, take small steps and delegate small tasks first. While initially challenging, this will build confidence in both you and your employee. Here are some tips to help you get started:
Clear Communication
Be clear when you delegate tasks. Let your staff know your expectations and deadlines to avoid misunderstandings.
Define Roles
Understand each staff member’s strengths and weaknesses, and delegate tasks based on individual skills. Clearly explain each team member’s role and responsibilities. This will ensure everyone knows their specific tasks.
Provide Training
Invest in training so your staff will learn the skills needed for their assigned tasks. Don’t stop there, though. Offer ongoing training so they can enhance their skills and knowledge, especially with new technologies.
Trust Your Team
Trust your employees to handle the tasks you assign to them. Whatever you do, don’t micromanage. That can curb productivity and leave your staff unmotivated. It’s also important to encourage your staff to ask questions. This can promote understanding and prevent accidental errors.
Give Feedback Regularly
Offering constructive feedback on a regular basis and acknowledging achievements and areas for improvement will foster your staff’s continuous growth.
Prioritize Tasks
Communicate the priority of tasks clearly to help your team focus on the things that need immediate attention.
Promote Collaboration
Encourage your staff members to work as a team. Delegating doesn’t mean working alone. Instead, responsibilities should be distributed efficiently.
Keep an Eye on Progress
Pay attention to the progress of tasks that were delegated. Checking in regularly can prevent issues from escalating, plus it shows your commitment to teamwork.
Effective delegation is all about empowering your team, fostering a positive work environment, and achieving success. When you delegate tasks, you can get more done and reduce feelings of overwhelm. You’re able to lean into your strengths and further your awesomeness as a leader for your team. Plus, you give your team opportunities to shine.
A Member-Owned Company Serving Independent Pharmacies
PBA Health is dedicated to helping independent pharmacies reach their full potential on the buy-side of their business. Founded and run by pharmacists, PBA Health serves independent pharmacies with group purchasing services, wholesaler contract negotiations, proprietary purchasing tools, and more.
An HDA member, PBA Health operates its own NABP-accredited warehouse with more than 6,000 SKUs, including brands, generics, narcotics CII-CV, cold-storage products, and over-the-counter (OTC) products — offering the lowest prices in the secondary market.
