Setting the Pace, Tips for Managers, June 2007
Pat E. Parker

As a Director of Pharmacy with a family it’s important to build a program that supports a reasonable balance in work and life.  In our program it is fairly common for professional staff to stay beyond their usual scheduled time to meet particular patient clinical needs; but we’re able to work together and support one another to accomplish the personal priorities while achieving our shared vision of high quality patient care. 

Before we do anything it is important to be honest with interview candidates that patient care is the basis of our program vision and that the team itself will sometimes request time beyond the routine scheduled.  However, we compensate for that by some key things to manage the balance.

1. Mentoring, support and early competency development are important.  A recently hired pharmacist working her first shift alone after 3 months development was amazed to get calls from two supportive staff members.  She knows that the demands are high, but the support is there and she is never really alone. 
2. Set priorities as a team. Determine what needs to be done immediately and what can wait. Subsequent shifts can often help catch-up.
3. Support of educational opportunities helps staff become more effective and to better control their work.  We encourage staff members traveling to regional or national programs to extend their stay and if possible to bring family.  We don’t pay for family travel, but we do help arrange travel and accommodations helping make a ‘mini-vacation’ more financially feasible.
4. The team also supports extended vacation time off.  We don’t limit vacations to a week or even two weeks. We touch base regularly about accrued vacation time and how we as a team can best support staff desires.  It can get creative and we let it.
5. Support important individual family events.  The team can do two really important things here.  Be flexible in hours and cross train so others can fill in the absence of a colleague.

There are also things the individual can do to help.

1. Plan ahead for key family times.  If you know that your daughter has a recital in two weeks, work with the team and arrange the time off.  If something intervenes at work that might interfere with your ability to leave, be sure it is actually something that someone else can’t do or that it really can’t be put off until later (or even tomorrow!).
2. Recognize that demands on your time will vary depending on your stage in life.  Parenting a newborn or preschooler means more illness to handle.  School age kids often have evening events that are important.  Junior high and high school kids need rides and activity support.  Taking just one or two planning and support days during key busy times can be really helpful. 
3. Take personal time in long enough blocks to get away and feel rested.  Give yourself 4 to 5 days away (around a weekend can work) along with a more prolonged block of time at least once a year.  Plan these in advance and have fun figuring out what you will do.  Looking forward to something in the next quarter is really helpful to keep you going.
4. When you are gone from work, be gone and not available.  I have an agreement with my secretary.  She should only call me if the hospital burns down.  (That way I will know I can probably stay a couple of extra days).         

Creating a balance between life and work can be done by an individual alone.  However, having all staff embrace the idea that a successful balance of work and life is possible and working together to satisfy everyone’s needs is a proven success.