5 Ways to Become a Better Supervisor Now

As an independent pharmacy owner, you are much more than a pharmacist or an entrepreneur. You are the fearless leader, manager and supervisor to your dedicated staff members and depending on the size of your pharmacy, there could be quite a few of them. An excellent manager knows how to facilitate the growth of their skills and talents in order to bring out their best work and encourage an awesome pharmacy culture.

Great supervisory skills can have innumerable benefits for your pharmacy from increased productivity and customer satisfaction to a positive improvement in the overall work atmosphere. Here are five ways to improve your supervisory skills immediately:

1. Set Clear Expectations

Staff members will be happier and more productive if they know exactly what is expected of them and how to accomplish it. Providing this kind of structure is the cornerstone of any successful pharmacy. A stellar supervisor can guide employees to work within appropriate parameters without stifling them.

2. Show Your Human Side

Just because you need to provide structure doesn’t mean you have to behave like a robot. Employees value leaders who are human and who don’t hide behind their authority. The best supervisors are those who aren’t afraid to be themselves and show they care. Managers who respect and connect with others on a human level inspire great loyalty. Employees will inevitably face life events that require flexibility and understanding from management, so maintaining a real relationship with your staff will make the work environment much more pleasant.

3. Keep Your Commitments

Cultivating dedicated, loyal employees will require you to keep the promises you make to them. If you promise an extra vacation day after a year’s employment, you better keep your word. If you schedule a staff meeting for 9:00 and don’t arrive until 9:15, you are sending a negative message to your staff. It’s extremely important to lead by example – if your staff can sense your energy or commitment level waning they will inevitably follow your lead.

4. Stay Up To Date

Resentment will grow if staff members feel they are being supervised by someone who doesn’t know what they’re talking about. If you are busy managing the back end of the business, delegate supervisory responsibilities and ask for periodic progress reports. Staying up to date on everything from industry trends to store processes is critical to your success as a manager.

5. Look At The Big Picture

The best supervisors see the big picture and don’t get involved with micromanaging their staff. Empower your employees by giving them space to tackle problems independently, but make yourself available to answer questions and offer advice. If you know how to foster a team with a sense of shared purpose, you will be able to trust that your employees are working to the best of their ability, and they will be able to place the same level of trust in you.

Believe it or not, most exemplary supervisors are not born that way. Supervision is a skill that requires awareness, training and practice. Lucky for you, we provide a number of online and in-person trainings that will take your leadership skills to the next level.