The Real Rules of Communication

Posted by Unknown at Sunday, September 08, 2013

Pharmacy administration rotations are often underrated, they are stereotyped as an easy “A”, and administrators are often viewed as individuals with very cushy jobs, and are all talk.  It was very short sighted of me to perceive the them this way. 

                First, the pharmacy administrators work 60 hour weeks, they put in hours on the weekends and many take their work home.  The ones I have had the privilege of working with had a tremendous dedication to patient care, and to their staff.  These leaders would move mountains on a regular basis to make sure that their employees had the best working conditions to be successful in their jobs.

The first thing I learned on this rotation was the art of connecting with people, not just communicating with people.   When I was not working on projects, I learned about and discussed every aspect of communication and social dynamics. I have used these skills to great effect in every rotation I have had since.  I learned how to connect with anyone, to let people know that they are important, to make them feel valued and respected. I know the names of all the janitors in the college of pharmacy, I wrote thank you letters to every physician, pharmacist, nurse, technician, MA, secretary that I interacted with on a regular basis.  I now approach every work environment with the mindset that everyone is important, everyone has a big role and everyone deserves to be respected, and thanked.  Such mindset makes it incredibly easy to get along with preceptors and co-workers, to the point where it’s actually very enjoyable to go to rotation and work.

 I still have much to learn, but I have developed an incredible sense of social awareness, confidence and proficiency in my presentation skills.  I am not, talking about power point.  I am talking about how I present myself in social settings, how to share the best side of me at any given time, and how to be an expert in body language and sub-communication. I can now walk into a room and accurately assess how people are feeling, which allows you to calibrate yourself so that your presence becomes constructive to the group. 

When I left this rotation, I felt like I was ready to take on the world.  So far, I've done a pretty good job.  I have had great relations with my subsequent preceptors, mentors, coworkers and colleagues.  I have also been able to apply a lot of the skill sets I learned on this rotation to my personal life.   I encourage everyone who read this, to add another dimension to each rotation experience.  Don’t just stop at pharmacy and therapeutics.  Take the time to really learn about people, and how they interact in each environment.