Author Archives

by

Showing a Little Understanding

“Compassion is huge. You demonstrated today how important it is. I left the meeting feeling empowered and that someone cared about me.”

Compassion is about understanding others’ experiences and showing genuine empathy. Caring is the actions in response to that genuine understanding.

Compassionate leaders have a desire to take action to improve their teams’ circumstances. This can be achieved in the workplace through development and coaching.

Did you know that showing compassion isn’t just beneficial to the recipient? Demonstrating compassion neurologically mitigates the negative effects of stress and improves resilience. It’s a win-win!

But what happens when compassion is missing?

  • stress
  • reduced productivity
  • absenteeism
  • feeling undervalued & unappreciated

How does compassion fuel competitive advantage?

  • Collaboration by building trust and respect, people’s willingness and ability to work together for mutual benefit is increased;
  • Innovation by motivating creative ideas and by fostering the psychological safety that enables learning;
  • Adaptability by alleviating the pain caused by change and sparking passion that motivates resourceful improvements;
  • Employee engagement by helping people to feel cared about at work;
  • Recruiting and retaining talented people by increasing commitment and cultural fit;

Self Compassion

Many of us are familiar with the aircraft safety briefing “if it drops down, fit your own oxygen mask before helping others. If you can’t breathe, you’re not going to be much use to anyone else!”

It’s the same with compassion – if you’re not demonstrating compassion towards yourself, you’re less able to demonstrate it towards others.

Developing Compassion in Individuals

There is a lot of debate about whether compassion is a learned skill, or whether it is an inherent emotional response that may be developed.

There are several studies in recent years that suggest we are born with compassion. Here are a few examples:

  • Nancy Eisenburg has observed  children as young as one year old reacting to someone in distress;
  • a study at Max Planck Institute found that infants’ pupils increase in size when they see someone in need; their pupils shrink when they are able to help that person or when they see someone else help;
  • a study at University of British Columbia used a puppet to test toddlers’ ability to share; the toddlers’ happiness was rated in three different scenarios; results showed that the children were happier when they gave away a treat than when they received a treat;

That said, we need to nurture and teach our children about giving. There are so many negative experiences that can darken our perspective and turn us off from wanting to help others. Parents can guide their children to see past those discouraging experiences and to try again, and again.

We may be hard wired for compassion but it can be strengthened like a muscle.

Researchers have found that not only can adults learn to be more compassionate but teaching compassion can also result in more altruistic behaviors and actually lead to changes in the brain.

Compassionate Leadership

As leaders, how can we foster compassion in the workplace?

  • Modelling;
  • Staff Engagement;
  • Vision & Values;
  • Workload to Resource Alignment;

For me the biggest challenge is the conflict that exists between compassionate leadership and getting the job done. As a pharmacy manager/store manager, I’m not only tasked with managing people but also managing tasks, deadlines, and financial goals. It is easy to forget that accomplishing the work is not the only important factor in the workplace. Finding the right balance can be challenging!

A leader not only acts with compassion but also with care. Caring for an individual in question is important but it is also important to care for the business, care for the customers and care for other individuals.

Compassion generates a culture of well-being. It facilitates productivity and performance. Compassion is all about improvement.

“A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent.”  – Douglas MacArthur

There are many ways we can show compassion. I remind myself often to just listen when someone is speaking to me. Simply giving that person my full undivided attention without formulating replies in my mind or just waiting for a break in the conversation so I can interject. I also try to incorporate “thank you” into my daily routine. Unfortunately many times our thankfulness is left unspoken. These are small things but they are powerful ways to show someone you care.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, employer or affiliation.

by

Can You See It?

Picture this for a minute:

I’m sitting on a wrestling mat at the end of a practice with a group of young athletes and the coach asks us to close our eyes and to picture a lemon. He then asks “what does it look like?  What does it feel like in your hand? Now I want you to pick up a knife and slice through that juicy lemon.  Smell the sweetness.  Take a bite …”

What?!

You may be thinking what I thought initially, “is he serious?”  At that time I wasn’t aware how powerful visualization can be in the lives of athletes.

After winning her gold medal match at the 2016 Summer Olympics and becoming Olympic Champion, Erica Wiebe wrote to her high school wrestling coach. “Visualization was the key to my success today, and that all started with you.  I woke up today having wrestled that match a million times.”   

Wiebe heard the “lemon story” many years ago at her home wrestling club in Ottawa from this same coach.  I found it very interesting to learn that Wiebe served in a supporting role in the 2012 Summer Olympics but she snuck out onto the mats and closed her eyes to experience how it felt.  She knew how powerful visualization was and she took advantage of that power!

Did you know when you visualize an action, neurons in your brain fire in a fashion similar to when you are physically doing the task?!

We’re not all athletes, I know.  That’s okay!  Although I was first introduced to the concept of visualization in athletes, I’ve learned that visualization can be applied to any area of your life!  Without a vision for success it is difficult to produce positive results.  Visualization is a well-developed method of performance improvement supported by substantial scientific evidence.  Visualization is used by successful people across a range of fields.

Know what you want.

Have a clear idea of what you want and why.  Visualization should not be confused with the “think it and you will be it”.   It does not involve dreaming or hoping for a better future.  However, dreaming and hoping are where the clear ideas are born;  once they’re formed, visualization is the plan to make it a reality.

Start visualizing and create the emotions

Start crafting an image of the thing you want and take as long as you like to build up all of the details.  Make the environment as realistic as possible by doing your best to experience not just the sights but also the sounds, scents, taste, and tactile sensations associated with your goal.

A few years ago I was nervous about a job interview. My husband, who is also a wrestling coach, encouraged me to use what I knew about visualization.  Leading up to the interview day I pictured sitting across a table from the individuals conducting the interview, my choice of words, etc.  It made a tremendous difference as I prepared for the interview.  It increased my confidence and comfort level.

Take daily actions

Get in the habit of putting together a positive vision into your everyday life.  Just 15 minutes out of your busy schedule to visualize yourself succeeding, achieving every goal, completing every task.  Don’t get me wrong – it won’t replace hard work but with diligent effort it is a powerful way to achieve positive results in all areas of our lives.

 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, employer or affiliation.

 

 

 

 

 

by

The Next You

“I want to be the next you.”

Having a student say that they want to be like you is a simultaneously shocking and humbling thing. My summer student saying this to me made me realize we often go through our careers unaware of the impact we have on our colleagues.  I’d like to take a look at what makes a good mentor and why.

Demonstrate a positive attitude and be a positive role model.

I remember working as a 4th year pharmacy student in 2010 with a relief pharmacist and thinking “wow!  I’ve never seen anyone do that before” and “that’s how I want to practice.” I watched him first introduce himself to the patient, then tell the patient how nice it was to meet them before proceeding with the medication counsel.  As mentors we need to model the behaviors we want to see.

Exhibit enthusiasm for the profession 

Are you still enthusiastic about your career? Do your co-workers look up to you?  If you love what you do, it will be contagious. Not only can we have positive impacts on our customers, we have a strong influence on those with whom we work daily. We can make a difference!  I sat in a training room this week and listened as a pharmacist recounted stories about her practice.  It was evident that she loves her work and her enthusiasm was contagious!

Value ongoing learning and growth in the field

As mentors we must not become stagnant in our career. Staying up to date with changes in the profession and with new information will be noticed by the upcoming generation.

When I graduated from pharmacy school pharmacists were not immunizing or prescribing.  Both of these came shortly afterwards and while there was some hesitation at first, I completed the necessary training and sought out resources to prepare for this new opportunity.

Celebrate your career successes and milestones

Have you shared with your mentee how you started your career? This is often done by outlining the steps to take to become successful in a given field.  I started off as a pharmacy assistant and had a great mentor who encouraged me to follow my dream to pharmacy school. After graduation I worked as a relief pharmacist and in interim store pharmacy manager positions.  I set goals for myself and achieved them. You can too!

Be a good teacher / communicator

Effective teachers inspire rather than inform.

Great mentors push your thinking and help you grow in new ways.  I remember asking my preceptors specific questions and being told “to look it up”.  These words caused frustration at the time but I quickly realized it was a beneficial process.

Are you excited to share your knowledge with new people entering the field?  I challenge you to take your role seriously in teaching your knowledge to others.

As mentors we need to model the behaviors we’re looking for in our co-workers.  Don’t expect your team to comply with policies/procedures if you are not willing to comply with them yourself.  Be a leader in the profession.

Is it always easy? No, of course not. But these are some of the attributes a young student is looking for in a mentor and I can promise you it is a fabulous feeling when a young person chooses you as their mentor.

 

 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, employer or affiliation.