THE POWER OF 1% How Small Daily Changes Lead to Major Success
When I first started in pharmacy, I believed that big changes were the only way to make a significant impact. Over the years, I’ve learned that sometimes, the most profound improvements come from making small, consistent changes over time. It’s easy to get caught up in the idea that you need to launch grand projects or make sweeping reforms to see results, but that’s not always the case. In fact, focusing on tiny, incremental improvements can lead to outstanding results. In my first pharmacist position, I worked in a rural farm town in California. It was a small community, and 99% of our patients were Medi-Cal recipients. The doctors there prescribed a limited variety of medications, which meant we spent a lot of time stocking, pulling, and restocking the same drugs. It was a time- consuming process, and despite our best efforts, we were always busy doing the same tasks over and over. After a couple of months, I realized that most of our prescriptions were for just a few medications. So, I installed a shelf at the dispensing counter and started keeping these “fast movers” right in front of me. It was a small change, but it had a profound impact. Every prescription now took 15 seconds less time to process. When you multiply that by the 120 scripts we filled each day, five days a week, it amounted to saving about 130 hours a year. It was a tiny change, but it significantly improved our efficiency and allowed us to provide better service to our patients.
This experience taught me the power of the 1% improvement ideology. Sir Dave Brailsford theorized that if you aim to improve by just 1% every day, you won’t notice much difference at first, but over time, these small improvements compound, leading to exponential growth. In fact, a 1% improvement every day for a year results in being 37 times better than when you started!
Here’s Brailsford’s math:
• 1% improvement each day for 365 days = (1.01)^365 ≈ 37.78
This means that small, consistent improvements can outperform big projects in the long run. The key is to keep looking for those small changes every day and encourage your team to do the same. Whether it’s reorganizing your workspace, streamlining a process, or finding a more efficient way to handle routine tasks, these small tweaks can add up to significant improvements. In pharmacy, we do the same tasks repeatedly, so even a tiny improvement can have a huge impact over time. For instance, consider the simple act of keeping frequently used medications within arm’s reach. This minor adjustment can save seconds per transaction, which adds up to hours over weeks and months. It’s these little changes that can lead to big results without the feeling of being overwhelmed by tackling massive projects. It’s also crucial to have someone track these improvements. Whether it’s a manager or a team member, having someone responsible for monitoring progress ensures that these small changes are implemented consistently. Delegating this responsibility allows the owner to focus on larger strategic goals while the team handles the day-to-day improvements. Encourage your employees to look for small improvements daily. Maybe they can find a quicker way to restock shelves, improve customer interaction processes, or even organize their workspace more efficiently. These small changes not only improve efficiency but also boost morale as employees see the tangible results of their efforts. Don’t underestimate the power of small changes. It’s not about making one big change but making lots of little ones that add up. So, start today and see how those small changes can lead to big improvements in your pharmacy.
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