Staff Appreciation

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animalsasleaders

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Aside from buying your techs pizza, is there anything else you do to show appreciation for your staff? Retail is a difficult job, and technicians don't get paid enough for all their hard work. Any suggestions on how to make staff feel valued and appreciated? Oh yeah, and insert obligatory complaints about imminent collapse of the profession, corporate greed, insufficient hours, etc...
 
I’ve traveled to 6 out of the 7 continents (never been to Antártica on a cruise ) and always bring a little token of appreciation from the countries I’ve visited - souvenirs . Matryoshka doll from Russia , keychain from Dubai , keychain from great walk of China , etc . Just a little something . Sometimes some candy or delicacy that can be shared with everyone in the pharmacy .
 
Personally I think how you interact with your staff and how you treat them on a day-to-day basis is more important than just buying them stuff or giving them stuff.

Having said that, the correct answer is food. Always food.
 
Aside from buying your techs pizza, is there anything else you do to show appreciation for your staff? Retail is a difficult job, and technicians don't get paid enough for all their hard work. Any suggestions on how to make staff feel valued and appreciated? Oh yeah, and insert obligatory complaints about imminent collapse of the profession, corporate greed, insufficient hours, etc...

-Be verbal about how well they do their job, positive feedback, etc.
-Buying food is a good morale booster, never a bad thing to do.
-Encouraging use of PTO. Even if that means you have to pick up a shift or two. Get your hands dirty.
-Encouraging taking breaks - lunch breaks, walking breaks, etc. Sometimes you just need to get of the place for 10min and get your blood pumping. Changes your perspective and boosts productivity. I lead by example and encourage them to do the same.
-Celebrate your team on pharmacy tech day and pharmacist day
-Give your team all of the wins. The leader takes all the losses. Always.
-Work hard to persuade your bosses to give them the top raise % each year for those who deserve it.
-Give them flexibility when you can... let them leave early/show up late when life happens. Everyone deserves some grace.
-Encourage their professional growth and be a positive influence on them
 
-Encouraging taking breaks - lunch breaks, walking breaks, etc. Sometimes you just need to get of the place for 10min and get your blood pumping. Changes your perspective and boosts productivity. I lead by example and encourage them to do the same.

How brave of you to lead by example of taking breaks.

salutes jack black GIF
 
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Meanwhile there are *******es who get infected with COVID-19 multiple times.

Give an inch and they'll take a mile so to speak (moral hazard etc)
 
-Be verbal about how well they do their job, positive feedback, etc.
-Buying food is a good morale booster, never a bad thing to do.
-Encouraging use of PTO. Even if that means you have to pick up a shift or two. Get your hands dirty.
-Encouraging taking breaks - lunch breaks, walking breaks, etc. Sometimes you just need to get of the place for 10min and get your blood pumping. Changes your perspective and boosts productivity. I lead by example and encourage them to do the same.
-Celebrate your team on pharmacy tech day and pharmacist day
-Give your team all of the wins. The leader takes all the losses. Always.
-Work hard to persuade your bosses to give them the top raise % each year for those who deserve it.
-Give them flexibility when you can... let them leave early/show up late when life happens. Everyone deserves some grace.
-Encourage their professional growth and be a positive influence on them
You, sir/ma'am, know how to lead. Bravo.

I highly back trying to get techs paid more by advocating for them as well. You want your team to stick around? Pay them. That's the best way to show appreciation for a job well done.
 
How brave of you to lead by example of taking breaks.
Funny. I wasn't clear enough, so let me explain:

When I begin the leadership position I am in, I didn't take a lunch break for the entire first year (which ended up giving me anxiety/burnout/depression). I didn't think I was worthy of a break, and that I needed to put in the OT to get my bearings. My staff observed me doing this, and it began to rub off on them- people didn't take their full 30-minute breaks and they often continued to work at the desk while they ate. This leads to burnout, less productivity, and higher chance of errors.

Leading by example is my point... no one will take your recommendation to go outside for a 5-10 minute walk because they think it's crazy. Until they see their boss schedule it daily and realize it's ok. I have to verbally remind certain people to take a break when I see them work 0730-1400. Some people are hard workers... and they won't stop until they see their boss stop.

I go out of my way to not disrupt people on their break and ask them work questions.... it can wait until they're done. I don't always succeed at this one though. Actively working on it.
 
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Funny. I wasn't clear enough, so let me explain:

When I begin the leadership position I am in, I didn't take a lunch break for the entire first year (which ended up giving me anxiety/burnout/depression). I didn't think I was worthy of a break, and that I needed to put in the OT to get my bearings. My staff observed me doing this, and it began to rub off on them- people didn't take their full 30-minute breaks and they often continued to work at the desk while they ate. This leads to burnout, less productivity, and higher chance of errors.

Leading by example is my point... no one will take your recommendation to go outside for a 5-10 minute walk because they think it's crazy. Until they see their boss schedule it daily and realize it's ok. I have to verbally remind certain people to take a break when I see them work 0730-1400. Some people are hard workers... and they won't stop until they see their boss stop.

I go out of my way to not disrupt people on their break and ask them work questions.... it can wait until they're done. I don't always succeed at this one though. Actively working on it.
TL;DR dont care.
 
You, sir/ma'am, know how to lead. Bravo.

I highly back trying to get techs paid more by advocating for them as well. You want your team to stick around? Pay them. That's the best way to show appreciation for a job well done.

100% agree.

There is a hospital 200 beds larger than mine nearby - they were only paying their lead tech (w/ ~20 yrs experience) $16/hr and that's where they had capped their pharm tech salary. Utter bull****.

They weren't appreciated and came over to our facility where I encouraged them to get cpht-adv cert and build their professional resume. Year after year maximum raises and a few $1 raises for additional certs here and there and now they have a 50% greater salary. Cannot be a good pharmacist without good techs... pay them well!
 
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