An inward first step
An inward first step
Like many other environments, pharmacies are often cash-strapped and regularly have little control over change. So, assuming you haven’t been completely put off making the change happen, what can you do to keep the momentum going?
I’ve led significant changes in teams the size of three to 200-plus, and advised on change that impacts thousands of people. Here are my top tips for any leader:
The first significant step, and one that you can truly control, is an inward one. We live in an epidemic of scarcity and busyness, which has only worsened in recent years. I know that when I’ve performed less than my best, it’s been because I’ve been ill-prepared and caught in emotion or, at worst, in reactive mode. For leaders, taking time to reflect and ground themselves before acting feels indulgent, but it truly does shift your effectiveness.
If self-awareness is a leadership superpower, how are you exercising that skill? We all have our perspectives on change and probably multiple experiences of when it has gone well and when it hasn’t. It’s time to take a long look in the mirror.
What kind of language do you use when you talk about change? Do you tend to promote the cheery rainbow and unicorn elements, or do you steer towards avoiding doom and disaster? Your answer to that question will help you to understand whether change for you means a run towards a positive goal or a run away from pain. Now, unpack that for members of your team; you will almost certainly have a mix of the two.
Can you spot the people who will be excited by change and those who will dwell on the negative aspects? This is not an absolute science. You will almost certainly find people across the whole spectrum – even those at polar ends – who are inconsistent.
Now, complete the exercise in the Pause to Reflect boxes on the left and above.
As I mentioned earlier, for many managers, taking time out to reflect or plan can feel indulgent. And yet, if you’ve taken just 25 minutes to do that exercise, you are already putting yourself in the top five per cent of change makers. You are starting to identify how you can have your different lenses on reality and how you internalise change.
You also gain insight into the range of responses you might get from your team. Look closely and you’ll start to see elements for a plan that will set you apart from the failed attempts of the past – the steps you can intentionally bring in that will guide you and your team towards success.
You will also unpack the language you can thread into your presentation or conversations with team members, based on whether they are “run towards” or “run away from”; whether they focus on an exciting future or shift away from past mistakes.
You can demonstrate empathy and understanding by weaving some of the words you wrote down, which are authentic experiences because they come from you. You’re already tailoring the corporate message and stepping into a role that isn’t just about the job title, but is about a human being relating to, inspiring and leading other human beings.
If the possibility of less stress isn’t persuasive enough then think of the time you can save. Completing this exercise will give you time to prepare for the range of responses you might get to what you’re putting on the table. What objections will come through, what behaviours might you watch for, and how do you avoid being bounced into a reaction?
Pause to reflect
Consider a current change you’re thinking about, or have to introduce. How might you use a small focus group as part of an engagement activity to go through the steps you have planned so far?
How might you introduce the subject? Have you got a step-by-step approach for each step in the plan? What answers are you looking for? What emotions, behaviours and language are you expecting from members of the group? How will you identify the ones that can help?
Step two: verbal and non-verbal
Now, at the risk of overturning everything I’ve just said, I want to introduce another reason why this is such an important exercise.
Research shows that between 70 and 93 per cent of communication is non-verbal. That means that between seven and 30 per cent of what you say actually makes the difference.
Like it or not, we can all remember when we’ve been talking with children/spouses/demanding customers and it has felt lower than seven per cent. It does mean, though, that how you communicate – your tone of voice, the speed at which you talk, and your body language – can amplify or dampen your message.
“Research shows that between 70 and 93 per cent of communication is non-verbal. That means that between 7 and 30 per cent of what you say makes the difference”
There are multiple ways you can fine-tune your presentation style to be as effective as possible. If you Google “social psychologist Amy Cuddy and body language”, you’ll get the best masterclass on the planet.2
I’m guessing that for most of us, that feels like yet another task to add to the list. So, could you take this approach? Let’s assume that how we communicate change is natural, driven as much by our subconscious as our conscious state. When you’re in flow in a conversation, you don’t think about every single word. When you’re caught in the corridor or the dispensary by a colleague with your guard down and accidentally blurt out a truth: we’ve all been there.
But the exercise you’ve just been through is hugely influential in unlocking your subconscious feelings about change. It’s the psychological equivalent of understanding how a combustion engine works by externalising where you are on paper so that you can make significant shifts. Firstly, by seeing the emotions in writing, your rational mind kicks in to filter out the minor change that feels bigger than it is.
We also invoke more problem-solving responses which look at change from multiple angles and give you more optimism so that you will respond appropriately. In identifying your next steps, you build up your sense of power in the situation and you shift away from the pure judgement of the past towards unpicking the lessons. You start to reframe failure – not as errors, but as lessons. This technique will set you apart from many others and reinforce your leadership position.