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Professional Development

Are You Too Polite? Learn the Three Faces of Communication
June 20, 2014

Can you be too nice?

A woman in one of my seminars asked if it were possible for her to be “too nice” when interacting with her employees. She told me that she often felt invisible with them. Since I teach etiquette, some of you may be surprised that I answered “Yes, you can be too nice.” Let me explain.

A few years ago I created The Three Faces of Communication model to help people understand their communication style. Everyone falls somewhere along the spectrum of Too Nice, Polite and Powerful, and The Tough One.

Do you know where you are on this continuum?

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Professional Development

10 Ways to Connect and Engage With People
April 23, 2014

It's Not Rocket Science! 10 Ways to Connect and Engage With People by Barbara Pachter

Lately, I have worked with a number of people with outstanding technical skills whose career growth has been limited by their inability to connect with others. They were referred to me for coaching to provide them with the necessary skills to engage successfully with coworkers, bosses, and customers/clients.

People want to hire, work with, promote and do business with others whom they know and like. If you were not born with the “gift of gab,” and many people weren't, you can still learn the skills to connect with others. Here are 10 actions that will help you to be more approachable, and to engage more easily with others in your workplace.

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Professional Development

Presentation Panic: Take These Steps To Avoid Running Off The Stage!
February 15, 2014

A few weeks ago, movie director Michael Bay made headlines when he abruptly left the stage during his presentation for Samsung at CES 2014, the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The video of his (very short) talk and sudden exit went viral.

Since public speaking is often the number one fear that people experience, Bay’s very public meltdown when his teleprompter failed could discourage others from making presentations.

Yet, there are steps you can take that will allow you to continue with your presentation regardless of whether your teleprompter fails, your mind goes blank, or other difficulties occur. And then you can walk off the stage with your head held high, mission accomplished.

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Professional Development

On a Job Search? Avoid These 6 Social Media Mistakes
December 18, 2013

A couple of weeks ago, a Human Resources person took me aside after an etiquette seminar and asked me to make sure I tell people that “asking to connect with an interviewer on LinkedIn right after an interview is considered pushy.”

Her statement got me thinking. In today’s world, social media has become an integral part of any job search. My son got his first professional position by responding to a LinkedIn job posting. I have gotten clients from Twitter. Yet social media hasn’t been around long enough for people to understand fully how easy it is to make career-limiting blunders with their posts/tweets/requests.

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Professional Development

NEW IPhO Guide to Fellowships at Midyear
November 7, 2013

As a service to its National Student Members, IPhO is pleased to present the new IPhO Guide to Fellowships at Midyear. The Guide contains key tips from IPhO Staff and Members to help you successfully navigate the Midyear - before, during, and after the meeting.

We would like to thank Vicky Vazquez, IPhO Member and current Fellow, for her leadership in helping develop the Guide.

Paid IPhO Members can click/tap “Read More” below to view or download the IPhO Guide to Fellowships at Midyear.

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Professional Development

NEW Industry Fellowship Catalog
September 24, 2013

As a service to its members, IPhO is pleased to present the new Industry Fellowship Catalog. The Catalog contains relevant information describing all industry-focused post-graduate training programs for pharmacists in the U.S., commonly referred to as “Industry Fellowships.”

We would like to thank Bethsy Jacob, an IPhO student intern and national IPhO student member, for her leadership in helping develop the catalog.

IPhO welcomes your assistance in keeping the Catalog as current and accurate as possible, so please comment below or email any suggested updates to support@industrypharmacist.org

IPhO Members can click/tap “Read More” below to view or download the Industry Fellowship Catalog.

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Professional Development

Nice Offer, But I Wasn't Looking for a New Job
September 20, 2013

I have blogged often about how to conduct a job search. Lately, however, I have been asked an interesting related question: If you receive an unsolicited job offer when you are not in an active search, how do you decide whether to accept the new position? 

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Professional Development

Don't Let a Microphone Distract From Your Presentation
August 5, 2013

I have been asked to moderate a panel, and there's a chance I'll be holding a microphone. I'm a little nervous that my hand will shake. Do you have any suggestions?

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Professional Development

The Etiquette Of The Handshake: It's Not For Men Only
July 12, 2013

“When did women start shaking hands? It feels awkward.”

Recently, a very bright, talented, professional woman asked me that question. Initially, I was startled. Yet, as I thought about the question, I realized that many women in my seminars are reluctant to shake hands, and others do so incorrectly.

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Professional Development

Managing Geographically Dispersed Branches
June 28, 2013

Since the third quarter in 2009, the US economy has slowly been working its way out of the recession, with the gross domestic product growing from between 0.1 and 4 percent during that time. Every business needs to take advantage of every possible opportunity to expand and thrive while mitigating those things that are threats to their product or service production.

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Professional Development

He's Still Talking! The Secrets To Managing Time When Presenting
June 21, 2013

"My speech went over time. They hated me!"

"I panicked when I was told to add 20 minutes to my talk!"

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Professional Development

Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything
May 6, 2013

Most industry pharmacists and pharmacy students will read the title of this column and think, "will this topic have any relevance to me?" The answer is yes, and here is why! Trust is not only a signature goal of every healthcare provider but also of every type of healthcare organization, including hospitals, health plans, and pharmaceutical companies who need to communicate that they are indeed trustworthy. One way these organizations can gain trust is to hire trustworthy professionals. Our pharmacy education, license to practice, and reputation provides added value to our employers who significantly benefit when their core customers, prescribers, and patients believe in the trustworthiness of the company and its employees. It’s just one more reason that supports The Indispensable Value of Industry Pharmacists

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Professional Development

How to Avoid Mistakes in Your Writings
April 17, 2013

A woman in one of my classes wrote: "If you want to be proffessional, you shouldn’t let your tattoos show in the office." I politely responded that “if you want to be professional, you need to spell professional correctly!”

Having mistakes in your emails can diminish your credibility and affect your professional standing in the workplace. I am amazed that I receive so many documents that have spelling and/or grammar errors.

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Professional Development

Things a Boss Should Avoid Doing
March 4, 2013

Getting a promotion into a leading position is without a doubt a major career move, and certainly a reason to be proud. It is, however, wise to remember that this new role comes with a great deal of expectation and high responsibility. As a novice boss, it is vital to know how to treat your employees with the respect they deserve and how to react/ act properly in any given situation. The following will give you an idea of some of the main things a boss should never do.

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Professional Development

How Open Are You To Feedback?
February 11, 2013

Recently, I received a note from a vendor after giving him some critical feedback. He wrote: “I take a lot of pride in my work and in my business, and even though it is difficult to hear negative comments upon completion of a job, I respect and appreciate your honesty. Your feedback will go a long way in helping me grow my business.” What a great response to my comments. Would you respond in a similar manner if you heard criticism about your work?

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Professional Development

Moving to the Right
February 4, 2013

“The last few decades have belonged to a certain kind of person with a certain kind of mind — computer programmers who could crank code, lawyers who could craft contracts, MBAs who could crunch numbers. But the keys to the kingdom are changing hands.” - A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel Pink

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Professional Development

Emotional Intelligence: The Greatest Skill You Can Learn!
December 13, 2012

When each of us were in pharmacy school, we burned the midnight oil to learn molecular structures, drug interactions and medical therapeutics (how could we ever forget Goodman and Gilman!). We relied on our intelligence ("IQ") to pull us through those challenges so that we might earn the title of R.Ph. or Pharm.D.

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Professional Development

How to run a meeting
October 2, 2012

Virtually all employees of small, medium, and large business have at one point or another been involved in a poorly run meeting. Maybe it was the location - a room designed to seat 10 comfortably for a meeting of 30 people. Maybe it was an inappropriate group of attendees - a key participant being left off the invite or several unnecessary invitees. Or maybe it was something more subtle - the meeting organizer not taking charge of the meeting, allowing side conversations to dominate. The list of items that can spoil a meeting is long indeed. And the list of consequences is even longer.

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Professional Development

Why Corporate Management Means Getting People To Work Together
October 1, 2012

Corporate management is much more than making the bottom line more attractive to customers and investors. It means creating an atmosphere in which employees are motivated and unified with doing their part in taking the company forward. There are endless programs out there that are designed to help companies reach this goal, but the simple truth of the matter is that if corporate management is not promoting, encouraging and fostering this kind of environment, then it will never succeed. Leadership starts at the top, and it is important that they have their act together if they hope their employees will follow suit.



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Professional Development

Presentation skills: Avoiding common mistakes
October 1, 2012

Background

Being able to present in front of a group of people is a skill we begin developing from an early age. If you think back, your first experience "presenting" may have been in front of a group of elementary school classmates for "show and tell." As we grow and learn and ultimately enter the workforce, it seems that for many us our presentation skills have lagged behind other areas of growth and development. For professionals in the pharmaceutical industry, presenting information to a group of people is part of the fabric of our business. From clinical study results, to investigator meetings, to sales force training, to business plan presentations, the list goes on and on. People who embrace the art of presenting are able to leverage this strength to help move up the career ladder. In this article we'll provide some common issues that presenters face and some tips for overcoming them.

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