Openness and Transparency: wherefore art’ thou!

by | Aug 23, 2016 | Blog

Since the start of the 80’s (that is from what I have been reading and has nothing to do with my age!) society has been going through waves of changes.  There has been a surge: an awakening of the spiritual mind and intuitive behaviour.  We also live in an information overloaded world, where knowledge, training and the facts of what is right and wrong in life has been widely available.

However, it always comes as a surprise to me when people claim not to know when they have wronged another or have made a mistake.  It could be a matter of not owning up to the mistake or overlooking it with the hope that no one notices. But where does this stem from? Is it the pressure from colleagues or employers to always appear and be perfect? Is it one’s own pressure on oneself to constantly excel? Or Is it the regulators threatening us with imprisonment for doing wrong?

All the regulators ask for an open and transparent working environment.  All industries are now including this in their Code of Practice.  Healthcare providers must ‘come clean’ when they have made an error and keep patients informed with investigations and corrective measures.  Pharmaceutical industries across the UK and Europe must disclose individual payments made to healthcare professionals to provide greater transparency for patients about the industry’s relationships with healthcare professionals.

Our intuitive selves (more often than not) know when we have done something wrong.  It is up to employers to ensure the environment is one of learning, trust and openness.  Not one where your employees are unsure or afraid to raise a query or concern out of fear of being ridiculed and/or made to feel incompetent.

I have been a pharmacist since 2000 (2003 in the UK) and over the years I have learnt so much about myself and the human behaviour.  As RPs and Managers, it is up to us to ensure we create the environment required to embrace transparency and trust in the workplace.  It not only creates better working relationships but aligns the company and all staff within.  Problems will be brought to the forefront and addressed quicker and solutions can be jointly worked out.

So at your annual company and staff review look at your complaints, error rates, staff performance and customer feedback. Has it all been recorded? Do your staff come to you when there is a problem?  Do you have an open and transparent working environment? Maybe it is time to assess!

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