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Will Your Community Pharmacy Legacy be Positive or Negative?

Posted by Benjamin Coakley on Wed, Dec 11, 2013 @ 09:03 AM


COmmunity pharmacy leadership

As avid sportsfans, we cannot help but admire greatness. And in college sports, no one exemplified greatness more than the late UCLA Coach John Wooden. His accomplishments are mindblowing. Many of us know two of his most famous achievement: winning 10 national championships in 12 years and his 88 game winning streak (both records that will probably never be broken).

Behind the scenes though, perhaps his greatest achievement was the ability to win with a constantly changing roster of basketball players. The intentional, structured approach he brought to UCLA's basketball program was the foundation of his success.

Today, whether you own an independent community pharmacy or coaching a peewee basketball team, you can use Wooden's thinking to achieve heights that once seemed unimaginable.

Coach Wooden's approach was informed and fueled by his approach to life. He said, “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.”  I once watched an interview with him in which he explained his team could never control whether they won or lost games, but they could control their attitude and how they approached each game and every play. The results of this mindset coupled with his structured approach were staggering (if you still don't believe me, then google "John Wooden Accomplishments").

The same can be true for how you approach each working day in your pharmacy. Having a positive attitude can make a tremendous difference to the performance of your pharmacy. It can also have a tremendous affect on your pharmacy legacy.

You might be asking yourself, "how does my attitude affect my pharmacy legacy?" To help you explore this concept and take a look at what's possible in your future, consider these examples of how your attitude can make a difference:

  1. A Young Person (your children) deciding to become an owner - If you are constantly complaining about ownership or have a negative attitude towards ownership, you can influence a young person's decision about ownership. My father made it a habit to talk positive about our business so he would not negatively influence my brother or me. Sure, there are bad days, but he never brought them home with him. This is a choice you can make.
  2. Your Patients Using Your Pharmacy - If all they hear is negativity from you and your staff (Note: if you are negative, it will filter down to your staff), then why are they going to continue to shop there? The most successful pharmacies have a positive owner(s) and a positive staff.  Stamp out negativity before it multiplies and cripples your ability to run the pharmacy and to pass the pharmacy on to the next generation.
  3. Other Business Owners in Your Community - Believe it or not, community pharmacy is not the only industry out there struggling right now. It is human nature to believe that we are the only individuals going through hard times. You can choose to be a positive influence in your community and in this world. Other business owners will take notice! Remember, being positive is like being a shining light in a world full of darkness. People will be attracted to your light if you let it shine.

Remember, being positive is a choice you can make. You can make it a habit by intentionally being positive. If you need help with this, try writing down three positive things about your pharmacy or positive influences your pharmacy makes in the community every day for the next 21 days.  I think you will find you will eliminate most of the negativity in your pharmacy and ensure your pharmacy legacy is everything it can be.

The Positively Pharmacist Project

Click above or go to www.positivelypharmacist.com.

Where does this wisdom come from?

The content of this blog is inspired and verified by our experience helping independent community pharmacists enjoy financial independence during and after their life in pharmacy.

When a pharmacist reaches out to us for information and help, we endeavor to give them as much free value as is possible. In addition to providing educational, self-assessment and strategic planning tools (like The Positively Pharmacist Project), we invite qualified pharmacists into our formal discovery process.

The first step of the process is completing The Inspired Goals Workshop. This 90-minute session enables us to deliver a detailed and personal Inspired Independence Blueprint. The blueprint provides a personalized roadmap for achieving your goals and enables you to fully understand the value of joining The Inspired Independence Program.

If you wish to learn more about any aspect of our work, the free value we offer, or to be considered for The Inspired Goals Workshop, visit our web site at www.waypointus.com or call 843.873.4420 and ask for Ben or Matt Coakley.

At Waypoint Pharmacist Advisors, we take care of you!

Topics: community pharmacy, community pharmacy legacy, positive community pharmacy