5 Things Pharmacists Can Learn From Taylor Swift

I am always learning, and one thing I especially love to learn is how other people win at life. From pharmacists to entertainers, I enjoy studying the habits of highly effective people so that I can incorporate them into my day-to-day schedule.

No one can argue that Taylor Swift is one of today’s most successful entertainers. Admittedly, I originally wrote her off as another media sensation. But, after hearing and reading about her over the years, I believe that she represents characteristics and habits that can help pharmacists perform their jobs better.

Here are 5 things pharmacists can learn from Taylor Swift:

1. Have a sense of humor.

Taylor Swift demonstrates time and time again that she has a good sense of humor and is able to laugh at herself. Just watch her “Shake It Off” music video.

Pharmacists can also benefit from an ability to just laugh.

In a highly stressful, demanding work environment, sometimes you need to just have a chuckle at a well-timed one-liner delivered by a co-worker or the latest bout of histrionics from a drive-thru customer. By loosening up and learning to see the humor in things, you will be a much more effective worker.

2. Be versatile.

From country to pop, Taylor Swift can be successful in singing a range of songs that appeal to different audiences. She’s not afraid to try new things and take some risks.

In your career as a pharmacist, it is a wise move to keep your skills current, fresh, and transferrable so that you can be adaptable to new opportunities as they arise. Who knows when the next company merger will happen and how it will affect your livelihood?

Whether a new opportunity means taking a job in a new care setting, moving to a new city, or serving in an unexpected mentor role, you need to be ready for anything. Even if you are happy in your current job, you never know when you might be called upon to tackle new responsibilities.

3. Positively engage with your fans/patients.

Taylor Swift does a great job engaging with her fans in a natural and genuine way. She occasionally responds to tweets or Facebook comments, which causes waves of fan questions.

By applying these principles when caring for your patients, you can more easily build rapport and trust. Although it requires a greater time investment upfront, taking a genuine interest in your patients may make your job easier.

Patients who feel accountable to a pharmacist who truly cares about their well-being are more likely to comply with medication regimens, follow pharmacy procedures, and probably be easier to deal with overall.

If you don’t take an interest in your regular patients, why would they do as you wish?

4. Stay classy.

Aside from having a couple celebrity feuds and a few rocky relationships, Taylor Swift has managed to maintain her good reputation—a feat that few who are as famous as she have been able to accomplish.

As a pharmacist, you are an important person in your community. Your patients trust you to take care of their health. Be sure to consider the impact that your professional decisions and conduct online and outside of work could have on your reputation as a community health care professional.

Stay away from posting on social media after an awful patient experience. There’s potential for lawsuits.

5. Be driven.

Taylor Swift is clearly driven to do her best, and as evidenced by the number of awards she has received, her efforts have not gone unnoticed. Just as she clearly works hard to be her best, you should also strive to be the best pharmacist you can possibly be.

Assess your skills and work habits and think about how you might be able to improve them. Whether you pledge to be more patient, take more continuing education courses, keep up with the latest drug developments, or improve your customer service skills, you will be on the road to being your best. Sure, you are more likely to earn a sincere “thank you” from a patient instead of a bunch of awards, but you have the opportunity to really help your community.

Being famous like Taylor Swift can’t always be easy, and being a pharmacist is a tough job, too. But, unlike Taylor, you have the privilege to be able to directly impact the health and well-being of the members of your community on a daily basis—which is no small accomplishment.