Introduction

A core skill of every leader and manager is the ability to first build and then sustain mutually productive relationships with those they work with and for. Never underestimate the importance of the skill of building relationships at work.

In this module, we will look at some of the core concepts and skills you need and introduce a model that will help you to build the key currency in any relationship – trust. These same principles can be used to consider trust in a pharmacy from the perspective of customers and patients.

Trust is fundamental to building relationships in any business, and particularly in the health professions. A successful community pharmacy relies on trust between managers and staff, between pharmacists and patients, and between staff and customers in order to sustain its performance and grow.

Without trust, there can be no meaningful relationships, and without relationships, there is no sustainable business. It really is that simple. A base level of trust is required in any pharmacy business, whether it’s in order to have an employment contract with a member of staff, provide good customer service or enter a service level agreement with a primary care organisation to provide a smoking cessation service. In fact, in business relationships, the level of trust that exists is a greater determinant of success than almost anything else, including service excellence.

Think about it for a moment: we like to buy things from, receive services from and work with people we trust. And if we trust someone, we can even forgive their occasional frailties.