All business owners talk about empowering their employees. But how do they actually go about it? What are some real-life ways to keep employees engaged without overwhelming them?
Communicate, communicate, communicate
This sounds simple, but really isn’t. Are you sure what you’re saying makes sense to your employee? Are you unintentionally using jargon or language shortcuts? As an owner, you have a different perspective. Be careful and clear with instructions. Stop to think about the best way to explain an idea or an outcome in ways that everyone will understand.
Explain the why
When you delegate, explaining the context, reasoning, and broader goals gives employees valuable information–namely, “the why.” This will help your team buy-in to a goal or an idea. Say, for example, you ask an employee to provide you with a set of reports, but he gets derailed by another task. If you had told him you needed the reports by end of day because an insurance audit is due, your employee would have understood the urgency and importance of the task. Taking that extra minute to explain will help your employees recognize the value of their contributions.
Prioritize and set deadlines
Before assigning new tasks, be sure to ask about your team’s current projects and workloads. You don’t want to overwhelm and overwork your employees. Make sure everyone’s priorities are properly aligned, consistent and known. A conversation might lead you to juggle workloads to accomplish a critical task more quickly, while holding off on a less-urgent deadline. Once you’ve laid out priorities, your employees will have the freedom to tackle their work the best way they see fit and develop power over their to-do list.
Check in regularly
To be clear, don’t hover or micromanage. But do talk to your team regularly. Ask specific, open-ended questions such as “How do you feel about this project?” or “Do you need any additional resources?” Consistent check-ins are crucial to maintaining momentum and addressing potential roadblocks.
Start small and continue to empower your employees over time. Remember that situations can change, depending on you, your team, and the dynamics unique to your pharmacy.
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.
