By Beth Maas, human resource manager, for the Resolutions for Independent Pharmacies blog series
My three-part series for the Resolutions blog is focused on the characteristics that are important your staff possess, yet have nothing to do with skill or talent. In my previous post I covered being on time, work ethic, and effort. Here I will cover body language, energy, attitude, and passion.
Body language – this one is huge in my opinion. This is about self-awareness and being tuned in to how you carry yourself and how you appear to others. When you have a bad day it may be obvious because of your body language. But when you work in a setting such as a pharmacy, your customers often aren’t feeling their best, or are worried or scared. You don’t want your negative body language to make you unapproachable. This applies to your staff as well. Coach your staff to be aware of their body language and the impact it can have on customers. Ask them to do their best to make sure they are always projecting a positive, open, and warm appearance.
Energy really goes hand in hand with body language. Energy is detectable through body language, attitude, and demeanor. You can see when someone is sluggish and has no pep in their step. They have no urgency to get their tasks done. There’s also the opposite – when someone has over-the-top energy. That can be hard to be around as well. There should be a good balance of positivity and energy.
Attitude can also be indicated through body language and relates to energy. When energy is low, attitude usually dips too. When one of your team has a poor attitude it’s tough to deal with because it’s typically easily visible and can sometimes be contagious. With both energy and attitude, demonstration of your ideal is the best way to give your staff what they should aspire to.
Also closely related to the three characteristics noted above is passion, which is very important, especially since you are in the healthcare field. Your passion for helping people is why you chose your profession and is something you hope your staff shares. Passion is contagious, which is great because it’s a positive energy. When your customers can detect your passion, it helps them trust you, which leads to loyalty. Building loyalty among your customers is a terrific achievement.
My next and last post about coachable characteristics will cover being coachable, doing extra, and being prepared.