2025 Collection Fundamentals of the Week

2025 COLLECTION

CU PHARMACY WAY

FUNDAMENTALS A collection of weekly insights on our culture fundamentals through the lens of our employees

1ST CYCLE DEAN’S CYCLE

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CU PHARMACY Way

Weekly insights into the 24 Fundamentals that describe the behaviors, principles and practices that are foundational to our culture.

Dean Ralph Altiere

Dear SSPPS Community, Today, we start our journey towards building the culture we strive to have in our school, and that begins with the value of acting with kindness in our daily encounters and making that an essential part of the common experience in our school.

As I reflect on what "act with kindness" means to

#1. Act with kindness.

Our relationships go deeper than simply being colleagues as faculty, staff, and students. We genuinely care for and about each other. Choose your words wisely and be considerate of others. Show your compassion, whether it's a kind word during a tough stretch, a friendly smile each morning, or a helping hand in stressful times.

me, I am reminded that I am fortunate enough to be the to recipient of such acts.

An example that comes mind ourstaff retreat last month when several of occurred our facultyatand members, including those who work remotely, sought me out to express their gratitude the new opportunity to see their colleagues in person,for meet colleagues, and learn more about our school.

I know they left feeling a closer attachment to our school and each other, and I was happy that I was able to provide – with the help of so many of you – this opportunity for them. It made all the preparations and work to organize the retreat worth it.

Periodically, it has been brought to my attention of instances when we have not been kind to each other, perhaps unintentionally, when we didn't select our words or actions with consideration of others.

It is often not what we say but how we say it. It's why "Act With Kindness" is our first fundamental to reflect on as we begin our CU Pharmacy Way journey together.

During our daily lives, it's easy to overlook the influence that even our most basic gestures can have on those around us. A simple act of kindness, no matter how small, can make a world of difference in someone's life that day or maybe one that lasts a lifetime.

As Simon Sinek reminds us in this short video, kindness can be infectious, having a ripple effect in creating a positive and supportive environment for all of us, reminding me of the "Pass It On" signs at Denver International Airport.

Thank you for committing to making SSPPS a better place for everyone. I look forward to hearing about your team discussions on this topic and encourage you to check out the various helpful resources included below.

Remember that this is our first Fundamental of the Week as we begin practicing our cultural behaviors, so I ask for your kindness when reading and discussing it.

Warm regards,

PS: Bookmark this link: It is the CU Pharmacy Way intranet page where you can find weekly email archives, retreat photos, culture resources and more.

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CU PHARMACY Way

Weekly insights into the 24 Fundamentals that describe the behaviors, principles and practices that are foundational to our culture.

Dean Ralph Altiere

Dear SSPPS Community, I'm reflecting this week on the meaning of our second fundamental: Be Student Centered. To me, this approach means to place our students in all our programs at the core of any learning experience we provide. Our reputation as a school relies heavily on your commitment to tailoring educational practices to meet the diverse and unique backgrounds, skills, interests, abilities, and challenges faced by each student who enters our doors.

#2. Be Student Centered.

Make a personal commitment to learn about student needs and support their success. Create opportunities that enhance and engage them in their learning experience. Focus on how best to support students to ensure long-term success and a strong educational reputation.

As the Anschutz Medical Campus Associate Vice Chancellor Student reminded usforduring ourAffairs retreat,Jan theGascoigne higher education landscape is changing rapidly, and our students face myriad challenges requiring us to take a student-centered approach. From socioeconomic disparities that affect access to resources to the evolving demands of the job market and the setbacks caused by the COVID19 pandemic, students are navigating a complex and dynamic educational and life environment.

To paraphrase Theodore Roosevelt: "Students don't care about how much you know until they know how much you care." Instead of viewing students as students only, we need to view and care about students as people who have many competing responsibilities. We must learn how to best support them to enhance their overall academic success.

Many of the clinicians on our team are familiar with the concept of trauma-informed care. I recently came across the concept of trauma-informed education, which provides deeper insights into the far-reaching impacts of trauma on students' academic experiences, overall well-being, and success. Similarly, I'm proud of the work of Dr. Wettergreen and Dr. Fink in collaboration with Drs. Koon and Hemstreet in unraveling the social determinants of learning, including a host of non-academic forces – such as the food insecurity and campus food bank that we discussed at a faculty meeting last semester – that affect our students and their learning and success. This is important work in addressing learning disparities to ensure the education we provide remains accessible and relevant to all. Please take time to view the slides from their Faculty Senate presentation last semester.

Student centeredness requires our own self-reflection and responsiveness to changing circumstances. I see the essence of this pedagogical approach in action when our team recognizes the importance of flexibility in curriculum design, assessment methods, and delivery modes. Being student-centered will take time and effort on the part of individuals, administration, and teams, but it is critical to our students' success and the future sustainability of our school. I am committed to providing resources and development programs about student-centered education to support you, our faculty and staff, as you continue to learn about and foster student-centeredness in our educational programs.

Warm regards,

Dean Altiere

PS: Bookmark this link: It is the CU Pharmacy Way intranet page where you can find weekly email archives, retreat photos, culture resources and more.

The CU Pharmacy Way intranet site.

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CU PHARMACY Way

Weekly insights into the 24 Fundamentals that describe the behaviors, principles and practices that are foundational to our culture.

Dean Ralph Altiere

Diversity is a fact. Equity is a choice.

Inclusion is an action. Belonging is the outcome.

DR. SALLY ARIF’S EMAIL SIGNATURE LINE, WITH PERMISSION.

Dear SSPPS Community, Week 3 on our journey to deepen our insights into our fundamentals encompasses "Embrace Diversity." From my perspective, “embracing” means that we need to go beyond mere acknowledgment of the fact thatthe we unique are diverse.

This fundamental is about actively valuing attributes each person brings to our team and how much better we are for being able to count on each other’s strengths.

Fundamental #3: Embrace Diversity Value the unique attributes each person brings to the team. Be open to and acknowledge the value of the diverse ideas and perspectives of others, no matter what role they have. Be aware of your own privilege and take responsibility for including all voices. We make better decisions and gain deeper insight when multiple perspectives are considered.

As I explored more about the importance of embracing diversity, Dr. Erika Freitas introduced me to a powerful video

by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on "The Danger of a Single Story." In her poignant narrative, Adichie highlights the perils and consequences of reducing persons, groups, or cultures to a single narrative. She emphasizes the consequences of oversimplification that comes from lack of exposure to different perspectives, which can perpetuate stereotypes and hinder our progress. Diversity is a fact and exists everywhere within and around us and it certainly goes beyond what meets the eye.

Each of us brings personal and professional backgrounds, an ever-growing set of lived experiences, and a unique viewpoint to the table. Embracing diversity leads to deeper insights and more well-rounded decisions, as Dr. Stefanie K. Johnson, author of “Inclusify: The Power of Uniqueness and Belonging to Build Innovative Teams,” highlighted during her keynote address at our 2023 Faculty Retreat.

Everyone can contribute to our intellectual growth and success. To take advantage of this opportunity, we need to focus on self-awareness and be proactive on our efforts to create a brave and inclusive environment where everyone feels empowered to contribute without fear of being ignored or dismissed.

Awareness of one’s own privileges involves an honest and reflective understanding of our advantages, opportunities, and access to resources that are often inherent to race, gender, socio-economic background, or other characteristics. This reflective approach should be paired up with a commitment to actively seek input and perspectives from individuals who may not have the same privileges as us or who belong to underrepresented groups or communities.

This fundamental is a call to action for everyone in our school to use their position and influence to amplify voices that might have been marginalized or historically silenced. If we are to truly take responsibility for including all voices, we must advocate for policies and practices that promote equity (a choice) within our team and we need to continue to support initiatives that rectify systemic biases and foster diversity, inclusion (an action), and belonging (the desired outcome).

As we strive for inclusive excellence, we should keep in mind Justin Young’s statement that “the fact that we are all different is the one thing we all have in common.” I hope you take some time this week to reflect on this fundamental and take personal responsibility for bringing it to life. The measure of our success relies deeply on our ability to create a work environment that thrives on the power of diversity.

Have a great week,

Dean Altiere

PS: Click to learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, retreat photos, culture resources, and more.

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Dear SSPPS Community, As we start the last week of February, I invite you to reflect and further explore the Fundamental #4 Act with Integrity. This behavior made it to our designed culture because our actions and the nature of what we do on a regular basis – teaching, scholarship, clinical care, and service – emphasize the importance of unwavering honesty and ethical conduct in every facet of our lives. It’s a deeper perspective into what distinguishes integrity from what we see as “acceptable,” which can vary from person to person. It’s also a commitment to “doing the right thing” at all times and a dedication to rectifying mistakes with sincerity and accountability.

Integrity is a foundational value upon which trust and a thriving academic community are built. During one of the townhalls I hosted to gather your feedback on our culture, I heard concerns about the possibility that this fundamental would be perceived as “accusatory,” as if our community is not already exhibiting this behavior. I would like to clarify that my intention is not to cast doubt, but to collectively promote an environment that uplifts and reinforces the high standards we continue to set for ourselves as a school.

Fundamental #4: Act With Integrity Demonstrate an unwavering commitment to acting honestly and ethically in everything you do and every decision you make, especially when no one is looking. Be truthful, no matter the consequences. If you make a mistake, own up to it, sincerely apologize, and make it right.

David Friedman, the author of “Culture by Design,” introduced me to a video that brings this concept to life in a very clear way. The video was about a tennis match between Jack Sock and Leighton Hewitt.

After the umpire called one of Hewitt's serves a fault, Sock told Hewitt to challenge it because he thought the shot was actually in.

Astonished, Hewitt challenged, and upon further review, the umpire reversed the call, costing Sock the point. Did Sock have to do this?

Of course not. The rules didn't require him to tell his opponent to challenge, even if he thought the shot was in. But his principle of integrity and the importance of honesty left him no choice but to do the “right thing.”

This fundamental is a call for us to be truthful, even when faced with challenging consequences. When a mistake is made, we must hold ourselves accountable to rectifying it with sincerity and to take full responsibility for our actions. Admitting a misstep and making amends is a testament to personal and professional growth. The "even when no one's looking" portion of this fundamental requires us to look inwards and rely on our moral code. Rules tell us what we can or cannot do, but principles tell us what we should or shouldn't do. Moreover, what we say and do matters when the spotlight is on us and, more importantly, when no one is watching.

I have included “Act with Integrity” in our list of fundamentals because I want to express our commitment to ethical behavior for all to see. Thank you for making it one of the pillars of our culture.

Enjoy your week!

Go here to learn more about the CU Ralph Altierre

Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, retreat photos, culture resources, and more.

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Good morning, SSPPS Community, This fundamental may be the easiest one for me to write about, as the only constant I have witnessed throughout my time in our school is change and growth. I joined the school in 1987 as the 17th faculty member.

Fourteen of us were researchers on the Boulder campus Fundamental #5: where our school was founded and only three were Embrace Change and Growth clinical faculty members at the former Health Sciences Move outside your comfort zone and adapt to Center in Denver. new ways of doing tasks when necessary for progress. What got us here is different from My interview with the clinical faculty took place in the what will get us to the next level. Be optimistic basement of an old house on Colorado Boulevard across by the possibilities that change, innovation, from the campus with a 100-watt bare light bulb in the and growth bring. Be flexible, express ceiling. Shortly after, the clinical faculty were “moved up” enthusiasm, and foster a growth mindset to a trailer on the campus itself.

Many dramatic changes and growth occurred in our school over the last three-plus decades to build the programs and recruit the faculty, staff, and students we have today. I encourage you to look at this timeline with some photos showing many of our changes since the early-1990's.

We have now entered the next chapter of our school and it’s being influenced by many factors, including a nationally declining number of applicants, continued repercussions from the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on all of us, and a new generation of students, to name a few. What will determine our continued success as a school is how we choose to face these challenges. We can opt to see them as growth opportunities that can propel us to new heights or as deterministic barriers that will prevent us from moving forward.

The bottom line is change will always happen whether we accept it or not. Clearly, the future belongs to those who embrace growth and change and that is the challenge we now face together. When I interviewed for the deanship, I advocated for an increased number of faculty members to allow everyone the time to fulfill their academic responsibilities and reach their personal goals and full potential. I remain committed to that same goal today. And this commitment brings us to the second part of this fundamental: We must embrace strategic growth if we wish to meet our ambitious aspirations.

Can we meet the current challenges from education, research, clinical practice, and the demands of society?

The answer is “yes,” if we work together. It will take a complete team effort, and we can do it. We must adopt a growth mindset as a strategic advantage to continue our history of innovation, adaptability, and collective advancement.

Have another great week!

Dean Altiere Go here to learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, retreat photos, culture resources, and more.

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Good morning, SSPPS Community, This fundamental is a call for openness in communication among our teams – whether they are committees, projects, staff, or faculty meetings – with the ultimate objective of sharing information for the collective benefit of our community.

However, as I’ve spoken about before, we must always Fundamental #6: consider transparency in the context of confidentiality.

Act with Transparency Transparency builds trust within a team, which is only With appropriate respect for confidentiality, achievable if we respect and uphold confidentiality. We share information freely throughout your team. must manage sensitive information in the academic The more people know, the better they can environment – such as personal and academic records collaborate. Learn to ask yourself, “Who else and other proprietary information – with the utmost needs to know this?” Engage other parties as discretion. As shared governance is a foundational appropriate prior to making final decisions. The function of the academy, I’m committed to fostering a more people understand the reason for what is work environment that upholds individual privacy, being done, the more actively they can participate in the solution. balanced with promoting a culture of transparency, integrity, and professionalism.

Further, our fundamentals are interconnected, and “Act with Transparency” is closely linked to “Take a Positive Approach,” “Collaborate,” “Find a Way,” and “Focus on the Team.” This interconnection underlies the notion that transparency is a two-way street, which we all must practice in our interactions with each other.

I find the call of asking ourselves "Who needs to know this?" particularly useful. It encourages us to be mindful of the relevance of information to different stakeholders. By taking that into consideration, we avoid burdening colleagues with details or facts not essential to their work. It also promotes efficiency and avoids unnecessary clutter or confusion. If applied well, this fundamental keeps team members better informed to collaborate more efficiently and effectively.

As I reflect on “Act with Transparency,” the notion of inclusivity comes to mind as well, specifically when it calls for “engaging other parties before making final decisions.” I see this as a recognition of the value of a participatory decision-making process which not only enriches the quality of our decisions but also ensures clear reasoning behind choices, so we can move forward as a unified front.

I’m not saying we can or will agree or vote on every decision made in our school. There are times when we must comply with new or changed policies at the governmental, university, or campus levels, or program accreditation requirements that necessitate timely administrative decisions and actions. At other times, faculty and staff input is essential for collaborative decisions, such as curricular revisions, policy development, and programmatic innovations. Transparency and shared governance foster a sense of ownership and commitment among team members.

I hope that we continue to set the stage for a positive and collaborative atmosphere within our school. The better we get at being transparent, the closer we get to creating a community that communicates effectively and works together harmoniously towards common goals.

Have another great week!

Dean Altiere

Go here to learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, retreat photos, culture resources, and more.

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Dear SSPPS Community, When our intention is to genuinely listen to understand,

Fundamental #7: Listen Generously

Listen actively by giving others your undivided we are more likely to give our undivided attention to the attention, and by being present and engaged. person speaking. For that to happen, we need to be Listening is more than simply “not speaking.” present in the moment and reduce distractions as much Minimize distractions and let go of the need to as possible. It is challenging to listen when we are agree or disagree. Suspend your judgment and constantly getting “pulled away” by our electronics, be curious to know more, rather than jumping emails, other people, and, most frequently, the thoughts to conclusions. Above all, listen to understand. in our own head. Most of us are often talking to ourselves as we try to listen, anticipating what others are going to say, or prematurely formulating arguments or responses to be given once the other person is done talking. All of these actions prevent us from fully receiving and understanding the message. To avoid just hearing, we should strive to set aside personal biases and preconceived notions to make room for truly comprehending what is being communicated.

Sometimes we interpret listening as simply giving others the chance to “have their say.” That happens more frequently when our minds are made up already, but we feel compelled to allow the other person to express themselves. Listening generously requires that we’re truly open to the possibility that we might shift our point of view based on what the person says. It doesn’t require that we agree with them or that we, in fact, do change our point of view. It only calls for a genuine openness to that possibility based on the new knowledge we might gain from the dialogue.

Curiosity is also a powerful strategy that may enhance our listening skills. When entering a conversation with genuine interest in the other person’s perspective or experiences, we become more inclined to ask open-ended questions, to seek detailed responses, and to take context into consideration. The idea of suspending judgment and fostering curiosity reminded me of an article by Harvard Business Review titled "The Surprising Power of Questions." This piece explores how asking questions, rather than immediately expressing agreement or disagreement, encourages a deeper understanding of others' perspectives. This approach is aligned with the idea of being curious to know more before drawing conclusions.

The word “generously” in this Fundamental is an intentional word choice. Listening generously means that we’re listening for the contribution in what someone else is saying. It’s assuming positive intent and looking for the most positive interpretation of what they’re communicating. I hope our community embraces this fundamental as a sincere desire to comprehend others. That will prompt heightened attention, the formulation of insightful questions, the pursuit of clarity, and a more profound engagement among our team members.

Read this short story about the power of listening generously in healthcare that saved a woman’s life. And, for a funnier look into the true meaning of this fundamental, view the video above.

Thank you for your commitment to supporting a culture of generous listening at SSPPS! Have a great week,

Dean Altiere Go here to learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, retreat photos, culture resources, and more.

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Dear SSPPS Community, This week’s fundamental – “Invest in Relationships” – encourages each of us to move beyond professional interactions and genuinely connect with our colleagues on a personal level. In this fast-paced world where the emphasis is on tangible accomplishments and material gains, cultivating strong relationships is sometimes overlooked. Emails and virtual communications have been dominating the ways in which we connect, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.

While emails serve their purpose and are a valuable instrument in our communication toolbox, the core elements of understanding and connecting with one another go beyond reading words and seeing faces on a screen.

Fundamental #9: Invest in Relationships Make a bona fide effort to know your colleagues on a more personal level.

Talk more and email less. Understand what’s important to others. Strong relationships enhance our daily experience and enable us to work through difficult issues and challenging times more successfully.

At the heart of building meaningful rapport with our closest network of colleagues is understanding what's important to them, their personal values, and interests. Creating opportunities to be together and engaging in conversations that go beyond work-related topics promote genuine connections. During our 2024 Unite to Ignite Faculty and Staff Retreat, we worked with the CU Anschutz Learning and Development team to identify how to best meet the emotional needs of those around us through the Appreciation in the Workplace workshop. By recognizing and appreciating our diverse priorities, we can strengthen our relationships and create a more collaborative work environment.

We now know how each of our colleagues prefers to be appreciated in the workplace. For example, I prefer to spend quality time and receive acts of service and my lowest preference is to receive gifts, according to the survey we filled out in preparation for that workshop. That information will be shared with supervisors, so they can put it to good use as they foster stronger bonds within their teams.

Investing in relationships is not only about the “CU SSPPS Way,” but also a strategic imperative for our success as a school. During challenging times, strong relationships can be a source of a vital support system for researchers, clinicians, faculty, and staff alike. As Emma Seppälä and Nicole McNichols eloquently described in By recognizing and their paper, The Power of Healthy Relationships at Work, “we appreciating our diverse feel inspired when we are reminded that we are not alone in our priorities, we can strengthen endeavors and that our experiences are not ours alone to relationships andour create struggle through.” It turns out deeper connections with more environment. collaborative worka colleagues can also boost our well-being and confidence in relation to our work. We should never underestimate the value of fostering meaningful relationships with people we can grow with – personally and professionally.

By investing in relationships with our peers, we enhance our professional lives and contribute to our team's overall success and well-being. I encourage each of us to take the initiative to engage in meaningful conversations, understand the unique qualities of our colleagues, and foster an environment where genuine connections thrive.

Have a great week,

Dean Altiere

Go here to learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, retreat photos, culture resources, and more.

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Dear SSPPS Community, As humans, we all are susceptible to committing errors, omissions, or misunderstandings that lead to problems.

Most often, these are inadvertent and not done purposefully.

We need to practice grace in such circumstances and center our energy on how to best move forward from the challenge at hand.

Fundamental #10: Blameless Problem Solving Focus on solutions rather than dwelling on problems or making accusatory statements. Identify lessons learned to improve yourself and our processes so the same mistakes are not made twice.

Get smarter with every mistake. Learn from every experience.

When a problem arises, we have two immediate options – assign blame or focus on solving the problem. Going down the blame route does not help rectify any mistake. It is actually counterproductive because ascription of blame saps the energy and focus that should be directed at coming up with solutions or mitigating the impact of mistakes that have been made. Additionally, as author Robert Anthony, PhD, said, “when you blame others, you give up your power to change.”

Once we successfully address the problem, the next step should be to debrief and analyze the situation to understand what happened, including speaking to those directly involved or affected by the problem, and what led to the problem happening in the first place. Next, if applicable, we need to make any necessary changes to policies and procedures that may have contributed to the problem occurring. That will ensure the patching of potential loopholes in our system, so we can minimize the likelihood of it happening again. In sum, this fundamental is about becoming more productive and efficient at work by focusing on solving the problem, analyzing what led to it and applying our learning to improve our processes and avoid repetition of the same mistake.

If instead, we focus on blaming an individual or group of individuals, we establish an environment that leads to a negative impact on performance. People might act defensively in response, making excuses or passing the blame onto someone else – all counterproductive to solving the problem. This scenario creates an atmosphere that stifles innovation, improvement, and progress because people will tend to deflect responsibility, always worried about making a mistake. Worse yet, people might start to cover up problems and mistakes instead of raising concerns so that problems can solved. A blaming environment leads to degradation of organizational effectiveness because we cannot fix problems if they are hidden.

One important point is we cannot equate blameless problem-solving with lack of accountability. Accepting responsibility and committing to not repeating a mistake is often needed for finding an effective and lasting reparative action. If an individual or team continually acts in a manner that leads to problems and we have addressed how the problems occurred rather than who caused the problems but to no avail, we must make sure that individuals are held accountable for their decisions to continue to hinder our collective progress.

Accountability is one of the 8 steps listed in the Culture by Design framework and it will be further addressed later in our implementation process.

Blameless problem-solving leads to an open environment to see everything we do as a learning experience and chance to improve what we do individually and collectively. It encourages everyone to call attention to problems, contribute to solving those problems and build a better and more inclusive culture.

Have a great week,

Dean Altiere

Go here to learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, retreat photos, culture resources, and more.

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Dear SSPPS Community, This week we are taking time to reflect on our culture Fundamental # 12 Make the Most of Each Day. Although the focus of our CU Pharmacy Way is on workplace relationships, I believe this fundamental should also be a guiding principle of our approach to life in general.

Fundamental #12: Make the Most of Each Day

Have a passionApproach for what you dotask andwith be fully engaged. every energy, and purpose.

Work with a sense offocus, commitment to complete tasks.

One of the things that enables us to make the most of each day is to be passionate about what we do. Our school has been elevated to new heights – 15th top school of pharmacy among the USNWR Colleges and Schools of Pharmacy Ranking – through your hard work and dedication. I am confident that what sets us apart as a school is the passion each of us demonstrates for what we do. Understanding the purpose and impact of our work infuses our daily tasks with meaning and fulfillment. It's that feeling of passion that helps keep us engaged and focused on the path forward, even on the most challenging days or on work that might seem unsurmountable.

The idea of having a passion for what we do can falsely lead us to believe that being productive at work at all times is an indispensable requirement for efficiency. In a world driven by fast-paced demands and increasing complexity of tasks, high productivity is frequently considered a crucial factor for individual and organizational success. However, this concept fails to acknowledge that no one can be at their most productive mode every day. Recognizing this truth is essential for us to develop a workplace culture that honors individual contributions to a larger societal purpose without losing sight of other personal priorities.

We are human, subject to fluctuations in energy, mood, and capacity. Understanding and respecting our boundaries is as crucial as striving for excellence. Sometimes, making the most of each day means acknowledging when to press forward with determination or when to take a step back, perhaps even taking a day off to recharge and recalibrate. We all need proper rest to fully engage in our day.

It’s up to each of us to choose how we want to make each day count. Being able to tie small day-to-day tasks back to a greater goal is key to staying motivated, even when you know you are not operating at your best. It’s not only about what you do each day that counts, but also about what you decide not to do. Being selective about the important things in your work and then trying to remove distractors that will prevent you from achieving your goals for the day might be a worthy strategy to help you make the most of each day.

In conclusion, our ability to see the good in our work, regardless of our individual areas of practice and expertise, is what makes us one of the greatest schools in the nation. Let’s continue to face every day as an opportunity to make a difference, to do something worthwhile, to enjoy what we do, to prioritize self-care, and to live our professional and personal lives to the fullest.

I hope you make the most of this week!

Regards,

Dean Altiere Go here to learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, retreat photos, culture resources, and more.

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Dear SSPPS Community, When people think about excellence in the academic world, many elements come to mind, such as the quality of the work we do, the high-quality care provided to patients, the recognition of innovation and impact through grants and publications. While these are very important elements of demonstrated excellence, the real power of it lies in the potential societal impact of our work, through the transformational influence of education, service, and new scientific discoveries.

Fundamental #13: Strive For Excellence Take pride in the quality of everything you

do. Always ask yourself “Is this my best work?” As a school, we want to be the best at what we collectively do, which means that we must strive to be the best at what we each do.

Why should each of us strive for excellence? Is it to reach a goal or outcome? That is a laudable reason and helps us personally and the organization for which we work. But what is next once we achieve that goal or outcome? Another goal or outcome set by ourselves or someone else? And the cycle continues.

The other, more powerful driver for striving for excellence is ourselves, our own personal commitment to excellence no matter what we are doing. Producing high quality work matters because it is a deeply rooted intrinsic value, something that drives you and that you take pride in. Like integrity, you act that way even when no one is looking because it is your deep-seated personal value. The same is true for striving for excellence. You do it when no one is looking because it is so important to you, it matters to you.

When we are surrounded by others striving for excellence it sets a standard and helps all of us to do better.

No matter what role you play, striving for excellence driven by a personal commitment makes an invaluable contribution to the success of our school, its programs, students, and each other.

It is not surprising that Strive for Excellence received the highest score in our Culture by Design baseline survey.

We are surrounded by people who do this every day and the reason why we are now recognized as the 15th ranked pharmacy school in the country and why we were a significant part of a national CNBC program on life sciences in the Denver-Boulder metro area.

With that said, we can look forward to continued growth in our efforts to rise to new heights in all of our mission areas through new hires that are on the horizon. No matter what positions we seek to fill in the months and years ahead, we should be mindful to attract and retain individuals who have this internal drive for excellence while working with others to bring new energy that can elevate all of us to reach new heights.

Have an excellent week,

Dean Altiere

Go here to learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, retreat photos, culture resources, and more.

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Dear SSPPS Community, This week we are further exploring Fundamental #14: Take a Positive Approach. When I think about the most successful relationships that I have developed with work colleagues, there is a common trait among them: their attitude and approach to work. What sets a person apart as a great teammate are not only their knowledge and professional skills, but mainly their attitude, the way they face challenges, and how they relate to others.

Fundamental #14: Take a Positive Approach You have the power to choose your attitude.

Strive to be authentically positive – your attitude affects and influences others. Act with optimism, be approachable, and be welcoming to others. Give people the benefit of the doubt.

Bring your “best self” to every day and every task.

Attitude is a combination of behaviors, mindset, work ethic, determination, and ability to find hope and agency in the midst of hindrances. People with positive attitude are more pleasant to work with because they tend to be more proactive, creative, and handle everyday challenges in a constructive way. This observation highlights the profound impact our attitudes can have on both ourselves and those around us.

Taking a positive approach can be a decisive factor for an individual’s success at any work environment.

Research in neuroscience and positive psychology consistently underscore the benefits of maintaining a positive outlook, which can be an innate characteristic or a strength developed throughout life. As I imagine you might have experienced firsthand in your professional career, both positivity and negativity among work colleagues can be contagious. The key to keeping a positive attitude at work is recognizing that, while you can’t always influence what happens to you, you can definitely choose your attitude.

It’s like in a podcast (linked from the image below) from the Happiness Lab, “Marty kills rats [for a living]… but if you asked him what his job is he’d say it was ‘solving problems’ and ‘helping people.’ How we view our work can contribute greatly to our daily levels of happiness…” Each of us has the ability and the choice to bring our "best self" to every interaction and task.

In the book "The Happiness Advantage," Shawn Achor emphasizes several actions and principles that can help us create – instead of pursue – a more positive work environment, including: training our brains to scan our surroundings and world for opportunities and ideas that allow our success to grow, capitalizing on the downs to build upwards momentum, investing and relying on our social support as our single greatest asset, and practicing conscious acts of kindness, exactly as many of our culture fundamentals encourage us to do.

I hope we continue to choose to have an attitude towards work – and life, in general – that allows us to see opportunities where others see difficulties. It is our ability to look for the positive in every situation that gives us our unique competitive edge as a school.

Warm regards,

Dean Altiere

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Dear SSPPS Community, Honoring commitments is a laudable goal that we all strive to achieve and most of us do so most of the Fundamental #15: time. In fact, this Fundamental scored highly on our Honor Commitments baseline survey, indicating that as a whole we are Do what you say you’re going to do when you meeting our obligations when it comes to our say you’ll do it. If a commitment can’t be commitments. For us, they include honoring our fulfilled, notify others as soon as possible and responsibilities related to our mission areas in agree on a new deliverable to be honored.

Hold yourself accountable for honoring your teaching, clinical care, and research, which we all do commitment. with rare exceptions. It also involves providing reports or other documents in a timely manner and being on time for in-person or phone/Zoom calls and meetings whether they are with an individual or a group.

At times, we do not succeed in honoring our commitments for various reasons. One reason this happens is because we are overbooked. Another may be that when asked, we prefer to agree and say yes to a request instead of having a conversation about whether it is a realistic expectation within a given timeframe. Or we have every intent to meet the commitment we made, but get busy with other work – some of which may be unexpected – and the commitment is placed on a lower priority. Or it may be that there are multiple people or offices involved, meaning you cannot meet your commitment until someone else does.

The solutions to all of these are two-fold: organization and communication. Some of us are great organizers, some of us not so much. For those of us in the latter category, we need to make a special effort to focus our organization around our commitments. In all cases, communication is paramount. If something prevents you from honoring your commitment, communicate with others involved to inform them of your situation and adjust the timeline for completion or other mutually agreeable alternate commitment. If you miss a commitment completely, contact others involved, apologize and ask what you can do to make up for your absence.

In my world, when there is a meeting I cannot attend,

In all cases, communication is paramount.

e.g., campus Deans’ meeting, I inform the organizer of the reason for my absence. In another instance that happened a couple of months ago, I missed a meeting altogether because I was off by an hour. I immediately contacted the organizer to apologize and ask what I needed to do. Whatever the circumstance, the bottom line is timely communication, and we control that communication.

Honoring commitments is essential to the operations and success of any organization, ours included.

Keep up the good work you already do in honoring your commitments and strive to become even better when you fall short.

Have another great week!

Dean Altiere

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Dear SSPPS Community,

Fundamental #17: Help Others Succeed

In our busy day-to-day lives, it can be easy to simply place our attention on what we need to do to succeed in whatever it is we’re working on. Fulfilling our responsibilities often can make us inwardly focused and somewhat disconnected from those around us.

Take responsibility, both formally and informally, to coach, guide, and mentor others.

Help others grow and succeed. The best way to influence others is through your own example.

This week’s fundamental is a reminder that our individual success both contributes to and is enhanced by the collective success of our team. That’s why it’s so important to help others succeed – whether that be in the classroom, the lab, the clinical setting, or the office – through any number of ways – regardless of the time and effort it takes. That is a responsibility we all share individually and collectively. Whether we think about it or not, a part of everyone’s individual legacy is what they have done, even in a small way, to help someone else succeed in their life.

Sharing knowledge, experiences, and insights can significantly aid someone else's journey. For example, if you’re a more-seasoned employee, take the time to coach a new hire. If you used a teaching aid that has helped you, pass it along to others. Our upcoming mentorship program goal is for us to help others in our school be successful.

Collaborative teams who share ideas and best practices can tackle complex problems more efficiently and effectively, leading to better outcomes.

“The numberpeople one rule of helping should be to find what’s actuallyout valuable to someone.”

Forbes Magazine

One of the most impactful ways to help others succeed doesn’t even require any extra time or effort. The simple act of leading by example can be very influential. We all encounter many individuals in our lives who help shape who we are from our parents and family to friends, teammates, teachers, colleagues, or people in the news. They may have provided us with advice directly or we simply have observed them and, for me, placed them in one of two categories – what to do and what not to do – because both are meaningful and valuable in helping shape your life.

Being mindful that others are observing you acting in a manner that is helpful to others can be the best gift you can give to others to succeed. If those around you can see what you do every day to be successful and well-respected in your role, they build similar habits and work styles that will help them reach their own aspirations.

Our school’s success is dependent on fostering an environment where everyone can achieve their goals.

In a world in which individual accomplishments are often highlighted, it's important to remember that our true strength lies in our ability to uplift and support one another.

Regards,

Dean Altiere

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Dear SSPPS Community, Expectations are an everyday occurrence in our lives and they are contextual. We expect clean water to come out of our faucets, electricity and internet service to be delivered to our homes, clean air to breathe, fuel for our vehicles, food at the grocery store, and buses, trains, and airlines to be on schedule. We become upset and frustrated when these expectations aren’t met.

Fundamental #20: Get Clear on Expectations Create clarity and avoid misunderstandings by discussing needs and expectations upfront.

Set expectations for others and ask when you’re unclear about what they expect of you.

End all meetings with clarity about action items, responsibilities, and due dates.

The same applies to our professional lives, emphasizing the need to be clear on what those expectations are. We have expectations of our students, commonly expressed in course syllabi; are they clear to all of our students? They have expectations of us, but do we have first-hand knowledge of those expectations?

Patients have expectations regarding the care they receive from their providers and also from researchers who are working on effective treatments for their illnesses; are we meeting those expectations? When we serve on school or campus committees, do we know what is expected of us in general and specifically prior to each meeting and what actions we are expected to follow through on resulting from those meetings? Similarly, for staff, faculty, leadership, and lab meetings, is there clarity and follow through on all action items emanating from them? Setting those expectations and holding ourselves accountable makes for smoother and more productive team efforts.

I met with our department chairs midway through 2023 to establish expectations for the faculty in preparation for the 2023 evaluations using the new format we received from central HR. They sought input from other members of their teams in completing that task. We then published those expectations so all faculty members would know them in each area of the annual evaluation. It is the first time we set out those expectations, and we will improve them over time as we gain more experience and incorporate feedback into them.

The very Culture by Design Fundamentals we established and vetted through you – our faculty and staff – in 2023, set out the expectations we have of ourselves and others as they relate to the culture we wish to have in our school. They are informed by the expectations the Regents have for us in their laws and policies and what the public expects from us. As we continue to implement the remaining areas of the Culture by Design program, we will further define and establish our school culture and what we expect from each other.

This week, as you go about your work, keep in mind the expectations you have of yourself and others and those that others have of you. Take time to think about whether they are clear and readily measurable or if they need further refinement.

Have another great week!

Dean Altiere

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2ND CYCLE July 22, 2024 January 6, 2025

Fundamental #1: Act with Kindness Our relationships go deeper than simply being colleagues as faculty, staff, and students. We genuinely care for and about each other. Choose your words wisely and be considerate of others.

Show your compassion, whether it’s a kind word during a tough stretch, a friendly smile each morning, or a helping hand in stressful times.

Dear SSPPS Community, I’m the first of the executive team to take the baton from Dean Altiere and write our weekly fundamental and addressing each of our school’s 24 Fundamentals. I’ve found that I really enjoy reading and reflecting upon each week’s Fundamental message on Monday morning to understand its meaning how I can do a better job in incorporating that principle into my daily routine.

In thinking about kindness, I always try to remember the difference between being “nice” and being “kind.”

Being nice isn’t a bad thing, but it reminds me of being scolded when I was younger to “be nice,” which really meant to mind my manners, live up to expectations, and avoid conflict. Being kind is much deeper than that. When acting in a kind manner, we aren’t being kind in order to be liked. We do so because we are genuinely looking to help others. Kind people act with compassion and empathy but are also able to stand up for themselves and others.

In my time here at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy, I’ve experienced a few life challenges, including the death of a spouse. While I strive to remain positive in both my work and personal life, there were definitely some tough days. The kindness and support I experienced from faculty, staff, and students are things for which I am eternally grateful.

I’d encourage you all this week to give some thought to whether you are just being nice or are you truly being kind. A friendly smile and a sincere good morning greeting really does go a long way.

Regards, Gina Moore

Fundamental #2: Be Student-Centered Make a personal commitment to learn about student needs and support their success. Create opportunities that enhance and engage them in their learning experience. Focus on how best to support students to ensure long-term success and a strong educational reputation.

Dear SSPPS Community, As I reflect on this fundamental, I imagine that being student-centered is a concept at the core of the world of academia. It also made me reflect on the reasons that drove my desire to be a part of academia. I wanted to help better the environment to help others learn, because learning is so much more than just taking a class. It’s more than just a teacher or professor giving you concepts to imbibe. It’s a way to grow knowledge and, most important to me, understanding. Plus, I would like to think Ms. Frizzle was very student-centric, and she was quite the role model to me.

This also transcends learning a particular topic but learning from one another. I wanted to be a professional who cultivated an environment where people felt safe to learn and fail, in hopes to better themselves. Thinking back on my time in the Army, my most enjoyable moments were seeing when servicemembers truly understood the importance of education and training, and were able to apply it to real-time situations. I also saw that if my Soldiers didn’t feel they were able to learn in an environment, it wasn’t as easy to teach and train.

I feel it’s important to be student-centered and to remember that we’re creating an environment that supports success and enhances the educational experience. We, as academic professionals, can make education, learning, and ultimately understanding, more collaborative, engaging, and rewarding. We can help foster a student’s love for the pursuit of learning - even failure -- and help them stay engaged as they progress. Regardless of your role, we can make Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science a dynamic and collaborative environment that embraces the wonder of learning.

Let’s make this week a great week, Kayla Bethea PS: Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #3: Embrace Diversity.

Value the unique attributes each person brings to the team. Be open to and acknowledge the value of the diverse ideas and perspectives of others, no matter what role they have. Be aware of your own privilege and take responsibility for including all voices. We make better decisions and gain deeper insight when multiple perspectives are considered.

Dear SSPPS Community, What’s all the buzz around the missing B in DEI? Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) have long been considered the focus of a positive workplace culture. However, these qualities alone do not suffice. Belonging (B), a feeling of being a valued member of the community has often been the missing ingredient in academic workplaces like ours which thrive on innovation, problem-solving, and learning. Creating a welcoming environment and culture for individuals with diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences fosters productivity, collaboration, and innovation in all we do.

Whereas the D in DEIB is measurable, the qualitative and subjective nature of the missing B poses the biggest challenge for data-centric individuals amongst us in higher education. The missing B is often cited as one reason for the “leaky pipeline,” which has hemorrhaged women academics as a function of seniority over decades, caused concern for safety in the LGBTQ community, and resulted in dismal numbers of learners and faculty of color in higher education.

Our year-long Culture by Design project has focused on many good practices and habits we have collectively prioritized to develop and ritualize a positive culture. However, our ultimate goal should be to ensure that no one in our school is missing B so that we create the richest culture for all of us to thrive in. A recent pushback against DEIB work throughout the country has exacerbated the alienation many in our community feel. The onus of addressing the missing B lies on each of our shoulders. What actionable steps can we take to put the B in DEIB? Given the breath-taking talent, skills, and dedication of our faculty, staff, and learners, we can find potential ways in which each individual gains the missing B. Each of us has points of privilege that can be leveraged towards those who are historically marginalized, first-generation learners, differently-abled, and minoritized. This week, please take time to offer allyship and extend a sense of B to those you encounter until no one is left Behind. Let’s Embrace DEIB. Warmly, Dr. Manisha Patel Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, Professor Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #4: Act with Integrity Demonstrate an unwavering commitment to acting honestly and ethically in everything you do and every decision you make, especially when no one is looking. Be truthful, no matter the consequences. If you make a mistake, own up to it, sincerely apologize, and make it right.

Dear SSPPS Community, As I took time to reflect on Fundamental #4: Act with Integrity, I thought about the different ways I strive to embody these behaviors with colleagues, collaborators, mentees, and when working independently. This principle is essential to every facet of our school and profession.

What I focused on most for myself is the type of role model that I want to be and what “acting with integrity” really looks like when I’m interacting with others and working independently. To me, this means treating others with respect, taking the time to thank people for their efforts, confidently addressing issues that need attention, fostering an environment for open and honest discussions, promoting flexibility and adaptability when plans change, and admitting mistakes or recognizing overcommitment. I still struggle a lot with this last one �. These collective behaviors are critical for building effective relationships with students, trainees, colleagues, and collaborators, and ultimately for establishing a healthy environment for our institution to continue to grow in the future.

As we move into this next week, I invite each of you to think about how you are practicing this fundamental in daily interactions and encourage you to set a goal to continue to evolve in this space.

Sincerely, Kristina Brooks Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #5: Embrace Change and Growth Move outside your comfort zone and adapt to new ways of doing tasks when necessary for progress. What got us here is different from what will get us to the next level. Be optimistic by the possibilities that change, innovation, and growth will bring. Be flexible, express enthusiasm, and foster a growth mindset.

Dear SSPPS Faculty and Staff, In the ever-evolving landscape of pharmacy education, embracing growth and change is not just a necessity but an opportunity for us to thrive and innovate. As Simon Sinek eloquently explains in his YouTube video Navigate and Embrace Change, change can often evoke fear and resistance. According to Sinek, “by adopting an infinite mindset, we can view change as a chance to improve, adapt, and lead our students towards a brighter future.” By targeting early adopters within our community, we can create a ripple effect that encourages others to join in and embrace new methodologies and technologies.

Change is the cornerstone of progress. It allows us to reassess our current practices, identify areas for improvement, and implement innovative solutions that enhance our educational offerings. By fostering a culture that welcomes change, we empower ourselves and our students to stay ahead in a rapidly advancing field. As educators, researchers, and those who support education and research, our willingness to adapt and grow sets a powerful example for our students, demonstrating the importance of lifelong learning and resilience in the face of uncertainty.

Let us seize this moment to embrace growth and change with enthusiasm and optimism. Together, we can navigate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, ensuring that our school of pharmacy remains at the forefront of academic excellence and innovation. By working collaboratively and supporting one another, we can create an environment where change is not feared but celebrated as a vital component of our collective success. We have been successful in implementing change in the past and can do this again! Matter of fact, we can do it better than we ever have.

Sincerely, Joseph Saseen PharmD, BCPS, BCACP, CLS Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs and Professor Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #6: Act with Transparency With appropriate respect for confidentiality, share information freely throughout your team. The more people know, the better they can collaborate. Learn to ask yourself, “Who else needs to know this?” Engage other parties as appropriate prior to making final decisions. The more people understand the reason for what is being done, the more actively they can participate in the solution.

Dear SSPPS Community, As I reflect on Fundamental #6: Act with Transparency, and how we implement it at our school and in higher education more broadly, along with completing a four-year tenure as Staff Council Chair for the entire Anschutz campus, I feel I have a unique perspective.

In my journey with shared governance, my opinion on transparency has evolved. Initially, I believed transparency meant simply sharing the data behind a decision. However, I soon realized that providing data alone does not foster a true understanding of the processes and policies involved. The common misconception is that transparency will automatically lead to quicker adoption and reduced resistance, but this assumption often proves to be flawed.

My view of transparency has grown and has become linked with a few other fundamentals: #20 Get clear on expectations and #21 Deliberate and decide.

If you are trying to be transparent, consider this:

• • •

Be clear when communicating your expectations and what you need from your audience Are you informing (one-way communication) OR are you requesting action/soliciting input?

If you are asking for input, be sure to be considerate and listen to the feedback. I find it very helpful to be clear if there is a deadline… allowing you to deliberate & decide!

If you're seeking transparency on a particular topic, be sure to collaborate with decision-makers to gain insight into the underlying process, and consider: •

Understanding that there may be situationally specific topics that may not allow full transparency, but if you are talking to

•

the decision-makers ask if they can explain the ‘why not’ Clearly stating your end goal surrounding the topic you’re seeking transparency on can help.

I challenge everyone to think of actions to become more transparent in their respective areas, it’s harder than you think!

Sincerely, Andrew Rotz | MBA, MS Assistant Director of Facilities and Operations Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #7: Listen Generously Listen actively by giving others your undivided attention, and by being present and engaged. Listening is more than simply “not speaking.” Minimize distractions and let go of the need to agree or disagree. Suspend your judgment and be curious to know more, rather than jumping to conclusions. Above all, listen to understand.

Dear SSPPS Community, I invite you to reflect on a time when you felt genuinely heard and understood. How would you describe that feeling? When I posed this question to my 4-year-old daughter, she responded with a simple “good.” Her succinct answer captures the essence beautifully and it’s likely that most of us would agree; being recognized and understood just feels good. The desire to be thoroughly heard, acknowledged, and deeply comprehended is a shared human experience. Active listening is the key to fulfilling this need. Without this crucial skill, it’s challenging to build and sustain healthy relationships. By listening intentionally and attentively, we validate others’ worth, build trust, and foster a sense of safety, paving the way for greater openness, connection, and stronger bonds.

With my background in social work, I hold a profound respect for the significant role and impact of active listening. It’s a complex skill that demands the development of numerous supplementary abilities, such as regulating our emotions, creating a supportive environment, being attuned to both verbal and non-verbal cues, and mirroring to confirm comprehension. Central to these is selfawareness, which enhances our insight into our own and others’ behaviors. A good listener is aware of their default listening style as well as other listening approaches and applies them appropriately to fit the situation. For instance, I’ve noticed my tendency for pseudo-listening, particularly when multitasking. I’ve learned that my focus is sharpest when I’m fully engaged. Self-awareness allows us to evaluate our strengths and weaknesses, pinpointing areas for growth and taking action to improve.

As I reflect on the 24 fundamentals, it’s clear that active listening is integral to their effective application. The vibrant, productive, and high-performing culture we strive for is attainable only through a collective dedication to truly listen to each other. By withholding judgment, setting aside our egos and personal biases, and embracing the diverse array of thoughts, ideas, and perspectives that surround us, we all stand to gain. It is my sincere wish that we all make a conscious effort to incorporate minor, yet significant, daily improvements in our pursuit of becoming more mindful and engaged listeners.

Happy Tuesday!

Dora Safoh Wilson, MSW Assistant Director of Student Engagement Office of Student Services Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #8: Speak Openly Professional, respectful sharing of thoughts, ideas, and especially issues is critical for future success. Speak honestly in a way that helps to make progress. Say what you mean, and be willing to ask questions or raise issues, even if they may cause controversy, without losing sight of respectful, professional dialog. Whenever possible, address issues directly with those who are involved or affected. Take responsibility for creating a safe and respectful environment where these conversations can happen.

Dear SSPPS Community, In the realm of effective workplace communication, "speaking openly" is a fundamental that transcends the simple act of "telling it like it is." This principle is not merely about the transparency of one’s thoughts, but also deeply considers the perspective and receptiveness of the listener. It demands a commitment to integrity (Fundamental #4), ensuring that honesty underpins every comment and the courage to speak truth to power. This situation can be difficult, as colleagues may hesitate to speak candidly due to concerns about retaliation or hurting someone's feelings. While this reaction is somewhat understandable, it can lead to negative outcomes. These include missed opportunities to enhance our culture through open idea exchange and the risk of individuals feeling undervalued if they withhold their thoughts.

Reflecting on my own experiences, I recall the tendency to sugar-coat feedback, driven by a concern for others' feelings. However, as educators, we have a responsibility to communicate openly and effectively, and sugar-coating doesn’t help build the culture we want to see. Also, when we consider impactful figures in our lives—teachers, coaches, and mentors—their success stemmed from their honesty, delivering their insights with clarity and purpose, not to discomfort, but to foster growth and understanding.

Speaking Openly must be balanced with an awareness of the recipient’s background, challenges, and views. Assuming to fully understand someone else’s experiences can be an oversight, as personal and professional landscapes vary greatly. To bridge this gap, listening generously (Fundamental #7) becomes crucial. It involves more than hearing words; it's about engaging with and reflecting on the underlying messages and emotions conveyed.

This practice enables us to tailor our interactions more thoughtfully, making our openness not just heard but also constructively received.

Despite our best efforts at sensitivity, challenges may arise when recipients interpret professional feedback as personal criticism. We are blessed with colleagues that are highly invested in their work, and this naturally can lead to one struggling to separate their self-worth from their performance.

It's crucial, therefore, for "speaking openly" to be practiced with a sensitivity that acknowledges the recipient's background and personal investment in their work. Active listening plays a key role here; it's about understanding and engaging with the person’s reactions and adapting the delivery of feedback accordingly. This ensures that feedback is both given openly and received in the intended spirit—as a means for professional growth rather than as personal criticism.

I encourage both those giving and receiving feedback to adopt a professional mindset to create an environment where open communication can thrive. This means viewing constructive criticism as an opportunity for professional growth rather than a personal affront. By fostering a culture that values clear, respectful, and constructive dialogue, we can cultivate a more dynamic, inclusive, and effective workplace. This approach will ensure that feedback contributes to both personal growth and organizational success, driving continuous improvement.

Sincerely, Blake Hill, PhD Professor and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Chair Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #9: Invest in Relationships Make a bona fide effort to know your colleagues on a more personal level. Talk more and email less. Understand what’s important to others. Strong relationships enhance our daily experience and enable us to work through difficult issues and challenging times more successfully.

Dear SSPPS colleagues, I hope this message finds you well. As we dive deeper into the meaning of our culture fundamentals, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on a central aspect to both our professional and personal lives: the importance of investing in relationships.

There is nothing new about this concept. In fact, a quick literature search will reveal a multitude of studies describing how workplace relationships have a direct impact on job commitment and satisfaction. However, investing in relationships at work can be challenging because it requires time, energy, and emotional investment— all valuable resources that are often stretched thin in the current fast-paced higher education environment. When faced with deadlines and the demands of professional life, prioritizing relationship-building can seem secondary, especially when it's not always immediately tied to measurable outcomes.

Nevertheless, work relationships have been invaluable in influencing my career decisions and shaping my professional path. When I decided to join our school last year, I did so because of the influence of professional relationships. I am a people’s person, and I see my work colleagues as an extension of my own family in a certain way. I spend most of my time at work and I rely on these work relationships to help me find the community I wish to have as an immigrant in this country. I don’t claim that this the best approach or the fastest path to job satisfaction. For me, though, it has worked wonderfully.

To give you an example, when I delivered my second baby amid the pandemic, my family couldn’t come from Brazil to support me. So, who did I call in the middle of the night to come to my house and take care of my oldest son while I was at the hospital? A work colleague. I could write pages and pages listing all the situations in my personal and professional life where work colleagues played a key role in holding my hand, supporting my endeavours, and seeing my value when I struggled to do so. That’s why I say that these professional and personal boundaries have always been blurred in my life, and I’m ok with that. In fact, I am very happy about it. I believe that investing time and energy in each other strengthens the trust and sense of community that allows for innovative ideas to flourish.

I encourage all of us to take some time to reflect on how we can strengthen our relationships, inside and outside work. Whether it's a quick coffee chat with a colleague, working across departments, or collaborating on new projects. These interactions are not just nice-tohaves—they are critical to improving the breadth and impact of the work we do.

Have a great week!

Erika Freitas, PhD Associate Professor, Assistant Dean for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Director of the University of Colorado Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education (CU CIPE).

Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #10: Practice Blameless Problem-Solving Focus on solutions rather than dwelling on problems or making accusatory statements. Identify lessons learned to improve yourself and our processes so the same mistakes are not made twice. Get smarter with every mistake.

Learn from every experience.

Dear SSPPS Community, Practice blameless problem-solving is my personal favorite Pharmacy Fundamental. It is a key principle in fostering a productive work environment. By focusing on the resolution of issues without assigning fault, we can cultivate a culture of trust. When we practice blameless problem-solving, we encourage a growth mindset within our school. Instead of dwelling on mistakes, both faculty and staff are empowered to view challenges as opportunities for learning and growth.

When errors are seen as learning experiences rather than personal failures, individuals are more motivated to explore new ideas. Practicing blameless problem-solving also enhances team cohesion. By trusting that their contributions will be valued, and their mistakes handled constructively, employees are more likely to engage in problem-solving efforts.

This fosters a sense of shared responsibility, reinforcing the team's commitment to achieving common goals.

Practicing blameless problem-solving has yielded positive results for the Instructional Design team. When working with technology, despite everyone’s best intentions, sometimes human error occurs. I have found that by practicing blameless problem-solving, we are able to faster resolve issues that occur and better prevent future problems. When everyone is more focused on preventing future problems by learning from each other, true professional growth occurs. Blameless problem-solving has sharpened my analytical skills. Focusing on the issue rather than the individuals involved allowed me to delve deeper into the root causes of problems and find more effective, long-term solutions.

Ultimately, by prioritizing blameless problem-solving, we not only improve our ability to resolve issues quickly and effectively, but also create a supportive work environment.

Sincerely, A.W. Lukens, M. Ed Senior Instructional Designer Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #11: Collaborate Share information and work together as appropriate. Work as a team for better outcomes to advance the school and support one another.

Collaboration generates better ideas and outcomes than working alone. Help each other succeed.

Dear SSPPS Community, We often hear the word “collaborate” in the academic and research world in which we work. The Dean’s message addressed several aspects of meaning about “collaborate” in Fundamental 11 including sharing information, working as a team, and helping each other succeed. A key message was the ability to unlock new opportunities. Some key attributes to truly make collaboration successful are emotional intelligence, humility, selfawareness, effective communication, honesty, respect, and trust. One needs to understand their “lane” in the collaboration and embrace inclusiveness. Importantly, a true collaboration will be difficult if each party in the relationship is not committed to these former attributes. A real collaboration can overcome internal and external mediated bumps in the journey.

I have been fortunate to have some wonderful long-term collaborators in various facets of my life. Collaboration requires that a person places the emphasis on the greater group achievement and not solely on themselves. When I arrived at the SSPPS as a tenure track faculty member in 2012, I recall being confused about why a single principal investigator grant was coveted and rewarded more than a collaborative team science grant, especially those that integrated the expertise of several faculty members at the SSPPS. I asked myself why an individual achievement would take precedence over the overall benefit to the school, department, etc. With the complexity of science, not to mention the translatability of our discoveries, how could one person really be effective in changing a whole paradigm and developing research and outcomes that significantly impact a field? While I believe the school has moved to, might I say “encourages” team science, we still have some distance to go within our organization, and this significantly impacts the breadth of our research. While I am using research as the example here, analogous scenarios in clinical care, education, service, administration, etc. are relevant to the over-arching topic of collaboration.

So, what are we to do as a school, faculty member, staff member, trainee, etc. to break down the barriers that prevent true collaboration and open the flood gates toward the highest level of organizational functioning, achievement, and financial rewards for the school? I am going to make this simple and recommend scanning “All I Really Need to Learn I learned in Kindergarten”. Look at a list of dos and don’ts for yourself, memorize them, and print and hang them at your desk so that they become an automatic part of you. Basically, just follow the Golden Rule and collaboration will be a breeze! Self-awareness and emotional intelligence are processes of surveillance for us to assess the potential impacts of what we verbally or nonverbally say or write, or how our direct actions affect the members of our collaborative group. Negative interactions lead to negative collaborations.

Opportunities for growth occur when people in a collaboration feel safe to give and receive information and to call out less than ideal actions in a respectful manner. While no one can be perfect, we can all try to ask ourselves some basic hypotheses around our collaborative behaviors and study the results to improve ourselves and consistently put our best self forward. Some of my best research collaborations have resulted from me taking a chance on another person who I did not know.

It is necessary to put ourselves into vulnerable positions, eliminate any preliminary judgements AND to be brave enough to realize that there are people better at certain things than us, but the sum of the collaboration results in a “filling in of the gaps” to create a team that is well-rounded. If collaborators are committed to emotional intelligence, humility, self-awareness, effective communication, honesty, respect, and trust, I am ready to begin and/or continue the journey. Are you ready for your next collaboration?

Melanie Joy, PharmD, PhD Professor, Director of Innovation and Commercialization, Director of Entrepreneurship Education, SPARK/REACH Program, Director of the Center of Excellence Program for Model Informed Drug Development Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #12: MAKE THE MOST OF EACH DAY Have a passion for what you do and be fully engaged. Approach every task with energy, focus, and purpose. Work with a sense of commitment to complete tasks.

Dear Colleagues, I have a confession to make. When it comes to work, I’m not an intrinsically motivated person. In order for me to have passion for what I do and be fully engaged I have to have an external “why.”

Why am I showing up every day and why is it important?

According to the Harvard Business Review, research shows that meaningfulness is more important than any other aspect of our jobs — including pay and rewards, opportunities for promotion, and working conditions. When we experience our work as meaningful, we’re more engaged, committed, and satisfied.

Fortunately, the work we do here at CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is packed full of meaningful “whys”.

Collectively we are training the next generation of pharmacy professionals and pharmaceutical researchers. Some of our students will work in settings where they will be the most accessible or only healthcare provider for many marginalized communities. Others will provide critical medication knowledge in hospital settings, clinics, and specialized areas. Some will work with industries and startups, developing new drugs, advanced therapies, and digital technologies. All will be working towards making the world a healthier place.

While I may never fill a pipette or administer a vaccine, I, along with everyone in the school, play a small part of fulfilling the SSPPS vision statement: Together, our innovation, discoveries and engagement with our communities improve the health and well-being of society.

So, although we probably won’t achieve the goal of approaching every task with unbridled energy, focus and purpose, knowing we are a part of something that has the potential to change people’s lives for the better is a great motivator to make the most of each day.

Sincerely, Lori Westermann Marketing & Communications Director Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #13: Strive for Excellence Take pride in the quality of everything you do. Always ask yourself, “Is this my best work?” As a school, we want to be the best at what we collectively do, which means that we must strive to be the best at what we each do.

Dear SSPPS Community, I hope all is well. The SSPPS faculty and staff represent an amazing group of individuals committed to excellence in training the best future pharmacists and scientists. As we approach our daily roles and responsibilities, our individual efforts ultimately impact the overall success of the school. Likewise, each member’s individual professional growth will hopefully be enhanced as the organization continues to thrive. Achieving and sustaining excellence is no easy task and requires us to consistently bring our best selves to work each day. Both individual and organizational factors impact our ability to consistently produce the highest quality work and ultimately achieve excellence.

In the recent article The Pursuit of Personal and Organizational Excellence, its noted that personal and organizational excellence are interconnected, with each being dependent on the other for growth and achievement. Individuals can deliver their best quality work when they are committed to developing and exemplifying the main components of personal excellence. These include self-awareness, goal setting and planning, continuous learning and growth, resilience and adaptability, and wellness and work-life balance. This also involves adopting a mindset of not settling for just average work but rather striving for greatness. The commitment of the organization should be to provide visionary leadership, focus on strategic planning and execution, engage, and develop employees, and foster a culture where individuals are empowered to do their best.

Given the busy nature of our roles, focusing on personal excellence may not always take priority. Likewise, it’s not inherent for most of us to routinely ask ourselves if what we are submitting is indeed our best work. Striving to provide our best work up front will hopefully breed confidence in ourselves and foster trust from our teammates that they can rely on receiving our best efforts. I’ve always been struck by the historical example of Winston Lord, who was the main speech writer for Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and how this relates to always asking ourselves if this is our best work.

The story goes that Mr. Lord submitted the first draft of an upcoming speech to Secretary Kissinger for review. Secretary Kissinger called Winston and asked, “Is this the best you can do?” Winston subsequently replied “Henry, I thought so, but I’ll try again” and proceeds to revise his draft and resubmits a few days later. Kissinger the calls Winston into his office and asks him ““Are you sure this the best you can do?” Winston responds “Well, I really thought so. I’ll try one more time.” This exchange continues until Winson has submitted his ninth draft of the speech, after which Kissinger asks again “Is this the best you can do?” An exasperated Winston replies “Henry! I’ve beaten my brains out – this is the ninth draft! I know it’s the best I can do; I can’t possibly improve one more word!!!” Kissinger then famously responds “Well, in that case now I’ll read it”.

The take home message is to not settle for anything less than great work on the first attempt, demand excellence of yourself, and be confident in your abilities to deliver your best work. Lastly, don’t be afraid to celebrate achievement of excellence and take pride in work, as your success is ultimately a success for the program.

Sincerely, Brian Hemstreet, PharmD, FCCP, BCPS Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Professor Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #14: Take a Positive Approach You have the power to choose your attitude. Strive to be authentically positive- your attitude affects and influences others. Act with optimism, be approachable, and be welcoming to others. Give people the benefit of the doubt. Bring your “best self” to every day and every task.

Dear SSPPS Community, Have you ever woken up to get ready for work and thought to yourself, “Man, I like this job, but X person or X task is going to drain me today!” You know you have a colleague who can find the worst in every day or situation no matter what anyone says. How fun is it to be on that team? I try to think about this on a regular basis when I am preparing to go work or start a new project. What am I bringing to the table today? Is someone dreading coming into work because I am that person on the team? Am I wanting to stay home to avoid someone? These are serious signs that need addressing sooner than later! Shifting a culture into a negative space does not take long, shifting a culture back into positive territory can take years to undo what only happened in a few months or with a few people.

When we did our Clifton Strengths Finder, my top strength was positivity! To which, I was not surprised. I know attitudes are contagious, so why not make mine as contagious as the 2020 lockdown? What I am saying here is that of course no one is chipper every day of the week, by any means! I am by no means advocating for toxic positivity where you ignore anything negative and are not authentic in your messaging or attitudes! As you start your day, your week, your month, or even your year, (did you just sing that?)think to yourself, am I bringing people up, or down lately? If the answer is down- try to investigate what needs to change to change your answer. It’s easy to look around and say, it’s not me, it’s them, but I encourage a deeper self-reflection as well. I recently read an article shared with me that has some great items to help if you are feeling like you need a mindset shift. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/positive-thinking/art-20043950 Try to think of yourself first, since attitudes are contagious, you just might be able to crack the shell of that “Debbie Downer.” � Sincerely, Debbie Gallegos PharmD, BCPS, CPPS Assistant Professor Assistant Director of Experiential Programs, Health System IPPE Course Director, Advanced IPPE Course Director Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental of the Week #15 – Honor Commitments Do what you say you’re going to do and when you say you’ll do it. If a commitment can’t be fulfilled, notify others as soon as possible and agree on a new deliverable to be honored. Hold yourself accountable for honoring your commitment.

Dear SSPPS Community, Implicit in Fundamental #15 is the idea that honoring your commitments is critical to achieving your own goals, those of your colleagues, and those of the school. The challenges and solutions for meeting your commitments were nicely addressed by Dean Altiere in his commentary dated May 13, 2024.

In thinking about this further, I’d add that honoring your commitments is also an excellent way to demonstrate your character and earn the respect of your colleagues. As described below, the consequences of this are many. For example, regarding my own experiences serving on various SSPPS and campus-wide committees, I find it a true pleasure to work with faculty and staff who honor their service commitments with what numerous commentators call “commitment with integrity”: These individuals do what’s right, keep their promises, are honest, and hold themselves accountable. In short, they’re true to their word. This form of commitment can transform the often challenging and demanding task of committee work into that of a well-oiled machine. I would further posit that the trust and credibility that arises from such commitment percolates into all other mission aspects of the school and campus.

The consequence of not honoring one’s commitments in such a way (and again, as pointed out by multiple commentators) is that it creates a domino effect whereby the following person (or people!) in the chain can’t get their commitments completed in time. As a result, the well-oiled machine begins to break down. I think this concern is just as worthy of our attention as the one above given the school’s goal of building a more cohesive work environment. Put simply, if we want a more trusting, efficient and collaborative culture here in the SSPPS, honoring our commitments with integrity is paramount.

In sum, I’d note several points made by the nonprofit organization, Goodwill Industries: Following through on commitments with integrity not only creates a productive work environment, “it also shines light on your character”. It shows that you respect your colleagues' time, which in turn builds trust and creates a virtuous cycle – people know they can count on you and that you can count on them.

And isn’t that the start of a great relationship? Sincerely, David Bain, PhD Professor and Vice Chair for Education Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #16: SHOW RECOGNITION AND APPRECIATION Celebrate colleagues’ achievements and successes. Regularly extend meaningful acknowledgement and appreciation—in all directions throughout the school.

Dear Colleagues, As I reflect on this week’s fundamental of showing recognition and appreciation, I’m reminded of our recent Preceptor Appreciation Banquet at the Downtown Aquarium, where we celebrated Elite Preceptors and our annual preceptor award winners. It was a wonderful evening, recognizing preceptors who have gone above and beyond in supporting our pharmacy students. Hosting an event like this requires diligent work behind the scenes, so I would like to especially recognize Wendy and Cindy for their significant contributions. The event was fantastic, and it was great to show appreciation for those who make such a difference in shaping the future of our CU pharmacy grads.

Taking a moment to show appreciation can go a long way in building a positive and supportive environment. Whether it's students, preceptors, or team members, recognizing the hard work people put in helps to motivate and strengthen our connections. When we acknowledge the efforts of those around us, it lifts everyone up and reminds us that we're all working toward a common goal.

Looking ahead, I’m excited to share that we are creating a new Experiential Spotlight page on our website. This webpage will be all about celebrating the successes of our students, preceptors, and experiential team members. It will be a place where we highlight the incredible work being done across experiential education and keep the spirit of recognition alive. For example, Sarah gave a special shoutout to our team member Greg, who recently served on the Super Users panel as part of the annual CORE Conference in Providence, Rhode Island. Sarah said, “Just sharing what a rockstar Greg was at the CORE Annual Summit Conference, serving as a Super User on the panel discussion. He provided great insight for attendees; sharing his CORE skills, tips and tricks.” Thank you, Greg, for representing our team so well. Stay tuned for more experiential achievements we’ll be sharing!

As we prepare for Thanksgiving, let’s keep spreading appreciation for one another!

Kind regards, Kimberly Stultz, PharmD Associate Professor | Assistant Dean of Experiential Programs Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Connie Valdez accepting theFaculty Preceptor Award from Debbie Gallegos in recognition of her outstanding contribution to experiential education.

Fundamental #17: Help Others Succeed The best way to influence others is through your own example. Take responsibility, both formally and informally, to coach, guide, and mentor others. Help others grow and succeed.

Dear SSPPS Community, We’ve all heard the saying, “No man is an island”, but I’d bet that most of us have not read the extended quote from the English poet John Donne, written in 1624: “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less….” While I wouldn’t hazard calling anyone in the SSPPS a clod, I do believe that the central message of this passage is relevant to all of us: each of us contributes to the whole of our SSPPS community, and the success or failure of everyone thus affects the overall strength and success of the entire school.

There are countless ways in which we can help each other succeed. However, it begins with each of us fulfilling our own responsibilities, in our own assigned roles, to the best of our abilities. Showing personal accountability and striving for excellence in our own work sets an example for our colleagues to follow; we provide a model for how others may also achieve success in aspects of their own work. Participation in formal mentoring programs is also an important way of helping others be successful. However, we should also recognize that helping others to succeed is commonly achieved through less formal interactions. I’ve had numerous conversations with faculty who highlighted that their successes, both large and small, were based on the support and contributions of others. Sometimes these other individuals were acting in official roles, but it was often in informal and sometimes even unintentional ways: showing sincere interest in them as individuals; offering assistance when someone saw them having difficulties, without being asked; offering advice regarding what has worked well for them in the past; offering new collaborations; and sometimes just offering a kind word on a day when they really needed it.

Although helping each other succeed is an important responsibility, it shouldn’t feel like a chore. It can also be a source of deep personal and professional satisfaction; we feel good when we see someone succeed as a direct or indirect result of something that we have done. After all, none of us is an island: we all individually contribute to the wholeness and strength of our community, and we therefore also have a responsibility to contribute to the success of everyone in it. I challenge each of us to find new opportunities to help our colleagues grow and succeed, and to celebrate our colleagues’ successes in which we may have played a role!

Sincerely, Doug Fish, Professor and Chair Department of Clinical Pharmacy Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more

Fundamental #18: Find a Way Take personal responsibility for making tasks happen. Maintain a solution-focused mindset rather than explaining why it can’t be done. Be resourceful and show initiative. Don’t make excuses or wait for others to solve the problem or seize the opportunity. Work with a sense of commitment to see solutions through to their completion.

Dear SSPPS Community, My first thought when hearing of Fundamental.–7❹.Find.a.Way was that it meant, “Think Outside the Box”. It could still be that, but I’ve since noticed there’s so much more to it!

Now, it reminds me of a cherished previous boss, Janice, who is a brilliant PhD, RPh, gifted in leadership and strategic thinking. She led a team of medical science liaisons, all with varying backgrounds and experience levels. Whether leading us on strategic planning or dinner plans, she was known for saying, “Make it happen!” and with no direct guidance. Initially, our team was thrown off by this, but eventually it became a sought-after (and still laughed about!) directive.

Why? Because it led to our best work! When she said that, we knew WE were personally responsible for the outcome! It was a fast-paced environment, so to make it happen, we each had to show initiative, we had to be resourceful, which mostly meant we had to listen to each other (regardless of each other’s experience (or lack thereof)), and THAT led to open sharing…which ultimately led to Making it Happen! I recall these sessions as being positive experiences about HOW, rarely about WHY NOT. While this wasn’t a utopia of perfect company culture, to pull this off, we needed (and had) a culture to support the “Make it happen!” practice. I recall the listening to each other and the positivity, as being the key to making things happen. They are also why I recall the “Make it Happen!” directive as being FUN!..and effective!

Why do I share this story? Because much of this is shared in the “Find a Way” description, including a version of “make it happen” in the first sentence. The next sentence suggests avoiding explanations of “why it can’t be done.” When charged with “make it happen” there’s not much room for “why it can’t be done.” It’s about solutions!

Why do I share this? Because I think it’s easy for us all (myself included here!) to lean on the way we’ve always done things, or we tend to debate ideas…a lot! While there are times both are needed, I do wonder if these practices might at times become ways to explain “why it can’t be done…??”

By adopting the “Make it Happen” or “Find a Way” approach, I bet we’d find ourselves focusing more on the solutions! Next, the other part of Making it Happen is to listen to others! (ie, Collaboration). This is important! I say this, because I do wonder if by becoming so fixed on doing it the same way we always have or being so passionate about the debate that we may be missing out on the thoughts and ideas of others, especially those that are newer or more softly spoken. We need EVERYONE to make things happen, to Find a Way! Maybe next time, when faced with our next great challenge, we could share the “how we’ve done it” way less, debate less and focus on Making it Happen, Finding a Way…on solutions! We are a school full of very bright and committed problem solvers, so I am certain we can come to excellent solutions. What might happen? Well…we might find new (and better?!) ways to solutions. And those who contributed will probably feel included and accepted. And we just may have some FUN along the way!

Respectfully – Shaun Gleason, PharmD, MGS Assistant Dean for Distance Degrees & Programs Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #19: FOCUS ON THE TEAM It’s about “us,” not any individual. Don’t let your personal agenda get in the way of doing what’s best for the team. Be there for each other and be willing to step into another role or help a colleague when that’s what’s required for success.

Dear SSPPS Community, It’s Fall! Time for changing leaves, cozy sweaters, pumpkin-flavored everything, and football. For me, Fall means cross country season! Growing up in a running family, I’ve spent countless days watching or participating in cross country races. There’s something amazing about the stillness before the start signal, followed by the sound (and feeling) of runners’ feet hitting the ground as they take off. Even if you don’t like running, it’s impressive. You might wonder how this relates to Fundamental #19: Focus on the Team. This fundamental perfectly describes what I learned during my formative middle school through college years running on cross country teams.

It’s about “us”, not any individual. In cross country, a team’s score is the sum of the finishing positions of its top five runners. The team with the lowest total score wins.

While the sixth and seventh runners don’t score points, their positions can increase the opponents’ scores. Thus, cross country is unquestionably team dependent. A team needs depth with solid supporting runners, not just one star. The work we do in education, patient care, and research at the SSPPS necessitates teamwork through collaboration and collective effort. Success in these areas is achieved through the contributions of all team members working together. This “us” mindset fosters unity, shared responsibility, and mutual support, which are essential for effective teamwork.

Don’t let your personal agenda get in the way of doing what’s best for the team. In a cross-country race, it’s critical for team members to run their best. Prioritizing individual interests can lead to conflicts and a breakdown of the team which compromises the team’s success. Teammates support each other during training and races, much like we as faculty and staff do when we collaborate on projects and programs. Cross country teams share strategies, motivate one another, and work towards common goals, paralleling how we strive to achieve the strategic goals of the SSPPS. While academic achievements often focus on the individual, they are usually not possible without a supporting committee, team, lab, or office. Our success as a school of pharmacy depends on joint effort and effective communication, trust, and mutual respect.

Be there for each other and be willing to step into another role or help a colleague when that’s what’s required for success. In cross country, team depth and consistency are essential. On any given race day, a sixth and seventh runner must be ready to step up if one of the top five has an off day or is injured. On the teams I’ve been on, we understood that we were only as strong as our weakest runner and built a culture of pushing and supporting each other to be our best. Similarly, when SSPPS faculty and staff focus on what’s best for the team, we can collaborate more effectively, leveraging each other’s strengths and compensating for areas of growth.

This approach fosters togetherness and assurance, leading to better outcomes, whether in a cross-country race or creating a cohesive, supportive work environment at the SSPPS. Below is a video link of a post race huddle of the newly crowned 2024 NCCA D1 Women's Cross Country team. This huddle occurred two weeks ago after the regional national championship qualifying meet, where two of their top five runners were not able to run due to injuries. A poor performance would have meant missing the championship meet.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DB2TxkCvyOV/?igsh=c2ppOW94enIyemM1 In this Thanksgiving week, I am grateful for each of you and the work you do every day to make our SSPPS team better. Like a cross-country runner, continue to put your best foot forward to help us achieve our collective SSPPS vision: Together, our innovation, discoveries and engagement with our communities improve the health and well-being of society.

Kind regards, Cindy OBryant PharmD Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs, Professor Department of Clinical Pharmacy Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #20: GET CLEAR ON EXPECTATIONS Create clarity and avoid misunderstandings by discussing needs and expectations upfront. Set expectations for others and ask when you’re unclear about what they expect of you. End all meetings with clarity about action items, responsibilities, and due dates.

Dear SSPPS Community, A few years ago, I was part of a small team tasked with launching a new customer service initiative at work. Our manager, Steve, was assigned as the project lead. He was enthusiastic and eager to take charge, but in hindsight, we should have spent more time upfront getting clear on expectations.

The assignment seemed straightforward: create a training program for customer facing staff that would improve response times and enhance user satisfaction. Steve confidently assured us, “I’ve got a vision for this,” and we trusted him to steer us in the right direction.

The team began brainstorming ideas, and Steve said he’d “handle the strategy.” But as weeks passed, his direction grew increasingly confused. He asked us to draft a training for customer interactions but then scrapped them entirely because they didn’t “fit the theme” he had in mind. When we asked for clarity, he shared a vague document filled with buzzwords like “delight the customer” and “be innovative,” and “think outside the box” but no actionable guidance.

When the deadline approached, Steve revealed the final product: a 22-slide PowerPoint presentation filled with lofty concepts but no practical training material. He’d spent hours perfecting visuals and animations but neglected to include clear guidelines or exercises for the staff, and since the entirety of our business model was dealing with customers, we all sat around wondering what he had spent his time doing besides looking up corporate jargon that provided no direction at all.

The presentation fell flat in front of our General Manager and his feedback was sharp: “This is interesting, but how does it actually help our team perform better?” We left the meeting feeling defeated.

Afterward, our team sat down together and asked what had gone wrong. That’s when the real issue became clear: we had never aligned on what the deliverable should look like, and Steve hadn’t asked for input or feedback early enough to course-correct.

To salvage the project, we regrouped and set clear expectations:

• • •

What should the training program include?

What outcomes did management want to see?

What roles and responsibilities did each team member have?

With these expectations in place, we collaborated effectively and delivered a streamlined training program within two weeks. Management was pleased with the turnaround, but the experience left a lasting impression on all of us, and personally modeled how I like to look at projects large and small.

Because without clear expectations and a viable roadmap, time and energy might be wasted when the resolution is much easier to run down if you start with a plan.

We all found out the even the most enthusiastic leader can’t succeed without clarity and setting expectations at the start isn’t a formality; it’s the foundation of success.

Kind regards, Jacob White Senior IT Professional Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #21: DELIBERATE AND DECIDE Healthy, dynamic discussion and analysis create better solutions. Deliberate concepts without making issues personal.

Debate ideas respectfully and push for the best solution and approach for the school rather than your solution through compromise.

Dear SSPPS Community, A simple Google search of the word “deliberate” returns the verb's meaning as “to engage in long and careful consideration.” The gift of deliberation is one of the vital rhythms of academia. Academics respect and honor the tradition of seeking perspectives and interactive dialogue on decision topics. It is in our culture and deeply embedded in our mission.

Then, a second Google search of the word “decide” returns the verb's meaning as “come to a resolution in the mind as.a.result.of. consideration.” I was taken aback at the realization that the natural progression of deliberation is, in fact, a decision and that a decision does not come to life without deliberation. I had never considered the two as the progression of one to the other. It’s a beautiful thought, especially for us in academia. Think of all the decisions, actions, and innovations that academic deliberation has contributed to the world. All around us and everywhere we turn, a thought-provoking idea in academia started the spark. Considering our world of health alone on our campus and in our school, our culture of deliberation and decision leads to ground-breaking innovation every day in research (“today"s.research.is.tomorrow"s.practice), academics (“today"s.student.is.tomorrow"s.innovator”), and clinical practice (today"s.clinician.is.tomorrow"s.positive.outcome”).

Synonyms for "decide" don’t truly capture the spirit of this complementary and interwoven interaction between deliberation and decision. It strikes me now the collaboration and engagement the entire school took to bring our fundamentals to life. We deliberated over several months through meetings and town halls and “came.to.a.resolution” of 24 interwoven fundamentals. Today, because of our questions last year and our resulting decisions, we “embrace diversity:” we “embrace change and growth:” we “listen generously:” we “collaborate:” we “honor commitments,” and so much more. The magic of deliberation is that one does not engage in deliberation alone. As such, deliberation is a collaborative and multi-person endeavor that moves us toward making decisions together.

The next time you embrace Fundamental #21, Deliberate and Decide, realize you are furthering our academic values and are bettering the world one question, one interaction, and one decision at a time. I know I will.

Kind regards, Michele Frankovich Associate Dean for Finance & Administration Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #22: Respond Promptly Respond to inquiries and messages as quickly as possible, whether in person, on the phone, or by email. This includes simply acknowledging that you received the communication, and you are “on it,” as well as keeping those involved continuously updated on the status.

Dear SSPPS Colleagues, Most if not all of us will be taking next week off to celebrate the holidays with family and friends. Which is why the timing of my message today is somewhat ironic and may invoke some head scratching – RESPOND PROMPTLY. You may be wondering how you are supposed to respond promptly when you are off enjoying yourself, whether for a day, a week, or longer. Stick with me, I will give you some tips below.

I imagine this is one of the least popular Fundamentals. I remember the sighs and eye rolls when it was first put on the table during a Culture by Design Extended Leadership meeting. We are all busy – how are we supposed to respond promptly to every message? While it may seem inconvenient and daunting at times, responding promptly plays an important role in the culture of SSPPS. As Dean Altiere said in his original message about this Fundamental back in July 2024, unresponsiveness to emails, texts, or voice mails was an issue raised by the 2021 Campus and Workplace Culture Survey. In fact, 36% of the 96 SSPPS respondents reported experiencing non-responsiveness. It was the most common incivility reported by SSPPS faculty and staff. Responding Promptly also ties into several other Fundamentals:

# 9 Invest in Relationships: Responding promptly shows respect, which goes a long way to investing in relationships. You can respond promptly by picking up the phone rather than writing an email, or better yet, track down the person to have a quick chat or find time to have coffee. # 11 Collaborate, # 15 Honor Commitments, and # 17 Help Others Succeed: Your prompt response may help a collaborator take the next step on a project or make a decision that sets something else in motion. It honors your commitment to your collaborators, and it helps others succeed by giving them the information they need to move forward.

Now that I have convinced you how important responding promptly is, I want to give you some tips. I will admit I am not the poster child for this Fundamental, but here are a few things I find helpful: 1.

2.

3.

Use the 8‗minute.rule. If you can read and respond to an email in 2 minutes or less, do it right away! This is a quick win that can also help you feel accomplished and in control.

Acknowledge.an.email even if you are not able to give a thorough response right away. Responding promptly does not necessarily mean you need to send a thorough and definitive response now. A simple acknowledgement of the email goes a long way – if you don’t forget to follow-up. To help me remember to follow-up, I will start a response that sits in my Draft folder. Each workday, I review my Draft folder to see if any messages are ready to be finished and sent.

You can also use the flags in Outlook to mark emails that need a response.

Use out‗of‗office.automatic.replies. This is my favorite tip. Out-of-office automatic replies allow you to acknowledge an email right away when you are not checking email. If you are going to be unable to respond to email for a period during the work week for any reason, you can turn on automatic replies to let people know they may not hear back from you right away. Do this when you are focusing on a project (i.e., writing a paper or grant, developing class materials), travelling for work or pleasure, or just taking a day for yourself…any reason that needs your time and focus and will make it difficult for you to respond promptly. It lets the person who reached out to you know when to expect to hear from you. Here are some tips on when to use an out-of-office message and how to write it, and here are instructions for setting up automatic replies in Outlook.

I hope you find these tips helpful and feel empowered to take even one small step that can help you Respond Promptly. Now go set up your automatic replies for next week! It is a well-deserved break for everyone, and I hope you can all take time to truly disconnect from work. Have a joyous holiday season and Happy New Year!

Kind regards, Heather Anderson, PhD Associate Professor, Director of Assessment and Outcomes Department of Clinical Pharmacy Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #23: Be A School Ambassador Each of us is responsible for and benefits from our school’s image and reputation. Consider how your actions affect our reputation and be a proud ambassador for the Skaggs School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences. Make a genuine effort to support school initiatives and events.

Dear SSPPS Community, As we begin a new year, I reflect with gratitude on the opportunities the CU SSPPS has afforded me throughout my career. From giving me a chance in 1992 to prove myself as a green, 28-year-old assistant professor and cancer researcher to facilitating my return in 2019 from a medical journalism career to launch the MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Cannabis Science & Medicine Graduate Certificate programs, I am thankful for the diversity of opportunities that have allowed me to develop personally and professionally while working with and learning from some of the most creative and accomplished minds in pharmacy and the pharmaceutical sciences. In return, I have always been a supporter of our basic, translational, and clinical sciences education and research efforts in any channel possible, even when associated with other institutions during my 18-year stint in North Carolina.

We owe it to ourselves and one another to promote the school and our fellow faculty and staff members at any opportunity – in chance conversations over holiday meals with young folks interested in the life sciences to representing our institution across campus and at national and international professional meetings. And with today’s technology, we can each support and amplify each other’s accomplishments – and the external image of our school – by sharing CU Pharmacy news on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (I refuse to call it ‘X’), Bluesky, or any manner of social media outlets.

How can I do this with my busy schedule? Simply taking 90 seconds to repost news articles and social media posts by our highly capable Marketing & Communications office shows the greater community that we have pride in all that each of us do to contribute to our stature as one of the country’s premier schools of pharmacy. And if you don’t have a presence on social media, take some time over the holidays to register for your own accounts, if for nothing else than to support your colleagues and cultivate a deep sense of satisfaction that you work daily with some of the world’s experts in their respective fields.

But in 2025, being an ambassador for our school is not enough – as my colleague and CU Pharmacy alumnus, Chandler Follett, PharmD, reminded me in an email discussion about Fundamental #23, we need to be ambassadors for the profession of pharmacy. As Dr. Follett so elegantly shared with me:

“Being a school ambassador is wonderful, but in today’s landscape, we all need to act as pharmacy career ambassadors every day. The reputation of our school speaks for itself, but we first need to spark students’ interest in pharmacy. It’s our collective effort to share what we do and why it matters that will improve understanding of modern pharmacy practice and inspire the next generation to pursue this rewarding career. Enthusiasm for talking about pharmacy is key. For me, whether it’s with strangers on a chairlift, at a social event, on airplanes, or anyone curious enough to ask, 'What do you do for work?'

I embrace the opportunity to give my elevator pitch about where pharmacists work, what we do, why it’s a great career, and the impact we have across diverse environments. These everyday conversations are crucial to reshaping public perceptions of our profession. I encourage everyone to take pride in being a pharmacist and to use every opportunity, both formal and informal, to elevate our field.”

Remember that you do not need to be a pharmacist to be an ambassador for the profession – I’m not (although I earned my undergraduate toxicology degree from the country’s first college of pharmacy). Go to our student and faculty events to learn about the profession. If you’re a basic scientist or staff member, ask to shadow one of your clinical colleagues at their practice site. Attend seminars outside of your field. Nominate your colleague for a campus or society award. Engage with our CU pharmacy alumni and preceptors at events throughout the year. Just as we challenge our professional and graduate students, get out of your comfort zone and avail yourself of professional engagement and learning opportunities across the spectrum of pharmacy and the pharmaceutical sciences.

I am grateful to each of you, dear colleagues, for the growth you’ve enabled me to attain and, in turn, contribute to the stature of our school – from our former deans and departed professors and administrators to the newest faculty and staff member. And, yes, the students. I have learned as much from my BS Pharmacy, PharmD, MS and PhD students as I’ve learned from those further along in their careers. And I now have the perspective to marvel at those whose accomplishments have eclipsed my own over the last 30+ years. Remember that, through our collective actions, we also create ambassadors for our school and programs.

By helping one another build our individual careers and gain visibility locally and outside Colorado, we build upon the stature and reputation of this great institution.

Yes, the day-to-day minutiae of our jobs can wear upon even those most noble and resilient. But take time over the next few weeks to ask how you can best contribute in 2025 as an ambassador of the CU School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences and the profession of pharmacy.

Yours in service, David J Kroll, PhD Professor of Natural Products Pharmacology & Toxicology Director, Master’s and Certificate Programs in Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #24: Enjoy What You Do While our passion for excellence is real, remember that the world has bigger problems than the daily challenges that make up your work.

Keep perspective. Don’t take issues personally or take yourself too seriously. Have fun.

Dear SSPPS Community, When I reflect on this fundamental, the phrase "do what you love and love what you do" immediately comes to mind. It’s a powerful idea, but one that’s often easier said than done. Finding joy in your work isn't always simple, but it’s essential for long-term fulfillment. In fact, one of my favorite quotes captures this perfectly: “Joy beats discipline every day of the week. When you enjoy what you do for a living, you don’t have to talk yourself into doing it. You just do it!”

Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to experience this firsthand. One of the most consistent pieces of feedback I receive from students is their appreciation for the passion I bring to teaching. They’ve told me that my enthusiasm for diabetes care is contagious, and it’s one of the reasons they feel inspired to learn more about the subject. This feedback means the world to me because it’s a reflection of something I’ve always felt to be true — I genuinely love what I do. I’m passionate about my clinical practice and equally passionate about teaching. Knowing that my love for this work comes through in a way that positively impacts others has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career.

But as much as I believe in loving what you do, I’ve also come to recognize that this fundamental can feel a bit misleading at times. It’s tempting to think that if you love your work, it will always feel joyful and effortless. The reality is more complex. Love for your work doesn’t mean it’s always enjoyable in every moment. True passion often requires hard work, persistence, and moments of struggle. I’ve come to embrace the perspective shared in a video I watched recently — that if you’re working hard toward something meaningful and you’re passionate about it, it won’t always feel “fun” in the traditional sense. And that’s okay. Love for your work is deeper than fleeting enjoyment.

That’s why I think the essence of this fundamental is about balance. It’s about striving toward meaningful goals, embracing the hard work that’s required to achieve them, and recognizing that fulfillment comes from progress and purpose, not just from ease. At the same time, it’s equally important to keep things in perspective. The world has bigger problems than the daily challenges we face at work. We shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously or let small setbacks derail us. Part of enjoying what you do is knowing when to pause, reflect, and give yourself permission to smile and laugh along the way.

So, as we think about this week’s fundamental, I’d encourage all of us to reflect on how we’re approaching our work. Are we finding ways to connect with the deeper purpose behind what we’re doing? Are we giving ourselves space to find joy in the process — even on the hard days? And just as importantly, are we giving ourselves permission to not take everything so seriously all the time? Let’s strive to keep perspective, do work that’s meaningful, and enjoy the journey as much as the destination.

Kind regards, Jennifer Trujillo PharmD, BCPS, CDCES, BC-ADM Associate Dean for Education and Professor Department of Clinical Pharmacy Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

3RD CYCLE January 15, 2025 June 23, 2025

Fundamental #1: Act with Kindness Dear SSPPS Community, On the far side of the superficial niceties in workplace interactions lies a more wholehearted force: Kindness. Sometimes, we make the mistake of seeing politeness as genuine human connection. We may offer pleasant smiles, warm morning greetings, and passing compliments to our colleagues. Through these actions, we believe we've fulfilled our social obligations and done everything in our power to create a workplace where people will thrive professionally, feel supported, and like us well enough. However, a more profound and intentional act, kindness, requires we slow our hurried pace to work toward deeper workplace engagement.

Where kindness differs from simply being nice is in its concern for another's professional growth. Kindness toward our colleagues shifts our focus to supporting their success with less worry for our own. To be kind, we must trust in the inherent goodness of our colleagues and want to create an atmosphere grounded in trust. Kindness is actionable: It requires us to listen actively, demonstrate genuine concern for our teammates, build stronger relationships, and that we are willing to be a support. Kindness goes beyond surface-level interactions and builds genuine connections that leave people feeling better than they did when you found them. Kindness builds unstoppable teams.

In the workplace, where efficiency, productivity, and busy schedules dictate our day, it can be easy to neglect the importance of workplace kindness. Frankly, kindness can slow us down... at least in the beginning. Studies continually show that teams who communicate clearly, share understanding of one another, and foster positive work environments, see increases in morale and productivity.

So, how is kindness operationalized in the workplace?

Think about an example: Our colleague is having difficulty completing a project.

A nice response may include:

• •

•

A surface-level statement: "That sounds tough. I hope you figure it out." o While we may think this is empathetic, it does not offer any practical help and may imply an unwillingness to engage further with their issue.

Avoiding the situation: Focusing on self-preservation to prevent any negative impact on oneself. Avoiding it because you need to figure out what to say/do. o While it can be challenging to know what to say to someone who is struggling, this is also an opportunity for growth and building better team morale. Transparency is a good substitute for avoidance so if you don't have an immediate answer, just be honest about it.

Blanket praise without showing much deeper interest: "Your project looks good so far. Nice job!" o By not offering actionable feedback, we leave room for misinterpretation and uncertainty. Our colleague might wonder if we reviewed their work fully or if we are just trying to be nice.

A kind approach can be done in a variety of ways: 1. Extending a Helping Hand: o "Hey Kristin, I noticed how hard you've been working hard on your project. I am happy to be an extra set of eyes if you need some help." o "I'm free tomorrow afternoon. Feel free to grab me if you need a break or want to bounce some ideas off someone."

2. Share Knowledge and Resources: o "Let's go over this together. I struggled with a similar project last year. I learned a few tricks to make it easier. They might work for you too." o "I found this great online tutorial on X, Y, Z. It might be helpful for that more complicated section. Let me know if you'd like me to send them."

3. Comfort & Support: o Offer Understanding: "Wow, this sounds really challenging, Kristin! It's a complex project. I just hope you know the team have all been in a similar position and we how daunting this can feel. We are cheering you on." o understand Encourage: "Everything you're feeling it totally valid. You have always been so skilled at creative thinking. If you break it up into bite sized sections, I really believe you can do it. But remember, we are here to help you."

4.

Collaborate: o "Let's work through this together. Sometimes a fresh perspective can help us see solutions we may have overlooked." o "How do you feel about splitting up the tasks? I can handle the risk assessment, and you can focus on the milestones and timelines."

As we enter a new year at Anschutz, let's incorporate kindness into our everyday.

Kind regards, Kristin Carpenter Southeast External Relations Strategist Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #2: Be Student Centered Make a personal commitment to learn about student needs and support their success. Create opportunities that enhance and engage them in their learning experience. Focus on how best to support students to ensure longterm success and a strong educational reputation.

Dear SSPPS Community, Welcome to the start of a new year and a new semester! As we step into 2025, I hope each of you had the opportunity to enjoy a well-deserved break. Whether your time was filled with rest, meaningful moments with loved ones, or the pursuit of a favorite hobby, I hope it helped recharge your energy for the months ahead.

The beginning of a new year brings with it a sense of renewal and possibility—a chance to set fresh goals and embrace new challenges. Similarly, the start of a new semester can spark feelings of excitement and motivation. It’s an opportunity to explore new ideas, build on past experiences, and strengthen our sense of community.

Personally, I love the fresh start a new year brings. For the past few years, I’ve followed Gretchen Rubin’s model of selecting a one-word theme and crafting a “25 for 2025” goal list. While the initial energy of the new year is inspiring, maintaining that momentum takes practice and habit.

I imagine this experience resonates with the student experience at the start of the semester. Many students return from winter break feeling renewed, but that energy can fade as the weeks progress. As we begin this semester, I encourage each of us to focus on maintaining a student-centered approach by not only prioritizing their learning experiences, but also their wellbeing and the habits that sustain their long-term success. Together, let’s make this semester one of growth, connection, and enduring energy—for ourselves and our students.

Sincerely,

Sara Wettergreen, PharmD Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Pharmacy

Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #3: Embrace Diversity Value the unique attributes each person brings to the team. Be open to and acknowledge the value of the diverse ideas and perspectives of others, no matter what role they have. Be aware of your own privilege and take responsibility for including all voices.

We make better decisions and gain deeper insight when multiple perspectives are considered.

Dear SSPPS Community, My parents divorced when I was nine, and my mother moved me back to Los Angeles, where she was raised, my father remained in Colorado. Prior to moving I attended grade school in Parker, CO where most of my classmates mirrored my background, creating a uniform existence that felt normal at the time. However, my relocation to Los Angeles opened my eyes to a vibrant tapestry of cultures and languages, where I experienced being a minority. This shift was a pivotal moment in my understanding of diversity, illustrating that differences extend beyond skin color to encompass traditions, holidays, cuisines, relationships, values, life skills and communication.

Living in Southern California exposed me to a wealth of experiences. I learned about how my friend’s grandparents escaped the Armenian genocide, attended bar and bat mitzvah celebrations, participated in elaborate quinceañeras and broke fast with friends during Ramadan. I now speak Spanglish, can cook Pad See Ew, and can dance the Hopak when the moment calls for it. Embracing this diversity not only enriched my life but also equipped me with the tools to navigate life's challenges. It instilled in me a profound gratitude for my own upbringing, while also deepening my understanding of the struggles faced by others, particularly those who fled their homelands. I developed patience, an open mindset, and a willingness to listen, learning from those with histories that are far more complex than my own.

At 32, I returned to Colorado, which has transformed significantly since my childhood but still falls short to the deep diversity of Los Angeles. I came back with a unique perspective and a commitment to encouraging others who have lived in isolation from differences to appreciate the beauty of diversity and the connections it fosters. If a nine-year-old child can embrace diversity and grow into someone who views her experiences as a gift, I firmly believe that anyone, regardless of age, can learn to accept and celebrate diversity if they remain open to it.

Based on my personal experience, a diverse professional environment is essential. A diverse workplace fosters patience, enhances an open mindset, which leads to better decision-making. creating a more dynamic and inclusive community that benefits everyone. It is crucial to understand that simply increasing diversity does not automatically enhance effectiveness; what truly matters is how the professional environment nurtures and builds upon that diversity which will create a sustainable outcome.

Sincerely, Rachel Wagmaister, Manager Office of Continuing Education and Professional Development Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #4: Act with Integrity Demonstrate an unwavering commitment to acting honestly and ethically in everything you do and every decision you make, especially when no one is looking. Be truthful, no matter the consequences. If you make a mistake, own up to it, sincerely apologize, and make it right.

Greetings SSPPS Community, I hope this finds you well. As I began to reflect on Fundamental #4: Act with integrity, I immediately thought of the book “The 4 Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom” by Don Miguel Ruiz. I came across this work several years back and found it thought provoking and helpful on a personal and professional level. Some of you may already be familiar with the book or its content, but if you are not, I would recommend it. In short, the 4 agreements are:

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#1: Be Impeccable with your word #2: Don’t take anything personally #3: Don’t make assumptions #4: Always do your best

These are agreements that you make with yourself, daily. These seem simple and straightforward, but as you dive into each in more depth there is a complexity underneath that I found worthwhile exploring. In particular, the first agreement I think resonates well with Fundamental #4: Act with Integrity. To be impeccable with our word means to speak with integrity, say only what we mean, and avoid using words to speak against ourselves and others, whether that is in their presence or not. The core concept is that our word has powerful agency, with the ability to greatly impact ourselves and those around us. It is also grounded in the mindset of what is best for the collective good, not personal benefit. These principles are foundational to acting with integrity, as they emphasize honesty, respect, and the power of our words in shaping our reality and our relationships.

In circling back to our SSPPS community and looking to implement these principles into my daily work life, I strive to embody Fundamental #4 and The First Agreement by: • • • •

Communicating Transparently: Ensuring that my words are clear, truthful, and constructive, whether I am teaching, collaborating with colleagues or mentoring learners.

Respecting Others: Treating everyone with dignity and appreciation, acknowledging their efforts, and fostering an environment where open and honest discussions can take place.

Taking responsibility: Owning up to my mistakes, sincerely apologizing, and making amends. This not only helps build trust but also hopefully sets an example for others.

Promoting Ethical Behavior: Upholding the highest ethical standards in all my actions and decisions, even when no one is watching.

There are many days that I am certainly not successful, but that is where agreement #4 comes in. I hope that by sharing how acting with integrity lands and resonates for me that it will prompt similar reflection for everyone. Let’s strive to be impeccable with our words and actions, fostering a culture of integrity that supports our collective growth and success.

Sincerely, Toby Trujillo, PharmD, BCPS, FCCP, FAHA Professor Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #5: Embrace Change and Growth Move outside your comfort zone and adapt to new ways of doing tasks when necessary for progress. What got us here is different from what will get us to the next level. Be optimistic by the possibilities that change, innovation, and growth will bring. Be flexible, express enthusiasm, and foster a growth mindset.

Dear SSPPS Community, I love change.

Business managers would say that puts me in the 20% of people who are “change friendly.” while 30-40% are “change resisters,” and the remaining folks sit on the fence.

I enjoy rearranging furniture, welcoming new neighbors and colleagues, and experiencing the change of the seasons. Change brings new challenges, and with that, new successes and failures that make life interesting, rewarding, and real.

And here at the CU SSPPS—no one can deny that we are entering a phase of significant change. The unknown may cause anxiety, sadness, excitement, or all three plus more feelings. Let yourself feel whatever you are feeling, but look for the positives in change.

I don’t believe that “change resisters” dominate our culture. People resist change in some situations for perfectly rational reasons. I, for one, resist change every time my phone updates its operating system, introducing new ways to highlight my tech-illiteracy.

Change and growth are easy to embrace when people perceive a change to be in their best interest. But… even when people agree change is needed, they may NOT agree on how it should be executed.

Take healthcare. Our healthcare system needs to change to address big problems it faces related to cost, health equity, access to care, and implementation of evidence-based medicine. And… bit by bit, it is changing, and pharmacists, including our amazing faculty and the students, residents, fellows, and graduate students we train, are part of that change. Healthcare is a team sport, and that team needs a medication expert!

However, healthcare has competing interests from health insurance companies, healthcare professionals, pharmacy benefit managers, government payers, policy makers, the pharmaceutical industry, and… lest we forget… patients. Our profession can and is serving as a force of change in the betterment of healthcare and healthcare teams, and our school is training the future pharmacists who will embrace and lead this change to serve their patients.

Kind regards, Sarah Billups PharmD, BCPS Associate Professor, Director of Population Health Pharmacy Department of Clinical Pharmacy Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #6: Act with Transparency With appropriate respect for confidentiality, share information freely throughout your team. The more people know, the better they can collaborate. Learn to ask yourself, “Who else needs to know this?” Engage other parties as appropriate prior to making final decisions. The more people understand the reason for what is being done, the more actively they can participate in the solution.

Dear SSPPS Community, Acting with transparency isn’t just about being open—it's about fostering trust, encouraging collaboration, and creating a culture where everyone understands not just what is happening, but why. When we act with transparency, we provide clarity about decisions, expectations, and the reasoning behind actions. This approach empowers teams to feel included, respected, and motivated to contribute their best.

At its core, transparency means clearly communicating goals, challenges, and changes. But it goes beyond just sharing information. True transparency requires creating an environment where people feel safe to ask questions and seek clarity.

This includes explaining why certain tasks are being assigned, why a specific process is in place, or why a change is necessary. When employees understand the rationale behind decisions, they’re more likely to buy into them and align their efforts toward a shared vision.

For leaders, transparency involves being open about challenges and owning up to mistakes. For team members, it means being honest about progress, challenges, or ideas. When everyone commits to this mindset, the workplace becomes more collaborative and productive. Misunderstandings and distrust dissolve, replaced by a shared sense of purpose and accountability.

Transparency is also critical for professional growth. When employees understand why their work matters in the bigger picture, they’re more engaged and driven to deliver meaningful results. Likewise, when leaders explain the reasoning behind strategic decisions, it fosters alignment and reduces resistance to change.

Ultimately, transparency is about connection. It’s the bridge between intention and action, ensuring everyone is on the same page and pulling in the same direction. By acting with transparency, we don’t just strengthen our teams; we create a culture where everyone thrives.

Sincerely, John Bunker, Course Developer Office of Education Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #7: Listen Generously Listen actively by giving others your undivided attention, and by being present and engaged. Listening is more than simply “not speaking.” Minimize distractions and let go of the need to agree or disagree. Suspend your judgment and be curious to know more, rather than jumping to conclusions. Above all, listen to understand.

Having a master’s degree in counseling, I sometimes joke with colleagues, “What I actually have hanging on my wall is a degree in listening.” And while I can’t say that I perfectly execute the art of listening generously in my personal and professional lives 100% of the time, I can say over my 25+ year career, I have witnessed the powerful impact this Fundamental has in building, sustaining, and even repairing relationships firsthand.

Any communication coach will tell you listening is THE most critical component in communicating effectively. Period. And listening “generously” takes listening a step further. It is different than simply “hearing” or “paying attention,” it is leaning into what someone is saying, seeking to understand without the cloud of preconceived judgments or biases. It is harnessing your curiosity and genuinely looking for context, framework, meaning, and even emotions in their words, body language, etc.

When we listen generously to others in our workplace (or in any setting), we communicate respect and appreciation; we demonstrate the value for others’ ideas and opinions. Leaders who listen generously also inspire loyalty and motivation in others. Ultimately, when we listen generously, we build trust.

Unfortunately, there are many obstacles and pitfalls which can sabotage our ability to listen generously in today's fast-paced world. As I mentioned, it is a skill that may never be “perfected” by most of us but should always be top of mind in our interactions with others if we want to have the best outcome. Therefore, I have compiled some strategies to boost your generous listening skills amidst some common challenges and pitfalls we are likely to encounter:

1.

4.

Eliminate Distractions: Create a conducive environment for listening by minimizing external distractions. Put away your phone, turn off notifications, and focus on the person speaking in a culturally appropriate way. This can be especially challenging in digital/Zoom spaces, so do your best by shutting down other windows, positioning the person’s image close to your camera, etc.

Make Time: Create dedicated space in your calendar to allow yourself a sufficient amount of time to fully listen to the other person(s). Do not “squeeze” this time in between other projects/while driving/etc. (see #1), and if you don’t have the time now, schedule another time soon.

BE QUIET: Allow the speaker to express themselves fully without interrupting. Give them time to articulate their thoughts and feelings, even if there are pauses or silences. Simon Sinek credits Nelson Mandela with saying, “Practice being the last to speak,” especially in a group setting.

Stay Curious: Curious minds are open minds. While giving your full attention to the speaker, avoid making assumptions or forming opinions before hearing the speaker out. Don’t get caught up in thinking about what you will say next (see #3) or let your mind wander. If you have carved out enough time for the conversation (see #2), you will have time to share your thoughts when they are done sharing.

5.

Stay Mindful: If you notice yourself reacting to what someone is saying in a defensive or emotionally reactive way, your ability to listen generously is being thwarted by your limbic system. It is absolutely appropriate to take a “time out” and share your need to pause the conversation to re-group so that you can show up for your next conversation as your best present and curious self (see #4). Just be sure to reschedule a time to continue, don’t put it off (see #2).

2.

3.

6.

Check for Understanding: How do you know if you have listened generously? Ask! Reflect back to the person what you heard and most importantly, what you understood. This allows for an opportunity to clarify any misunderstanding and shows the speaker you care about them and what they said. Note: this does not mean that you agree with what they have said.

Seek Feedback: Ask for feedback on your generous listening skills from trusted friends or colleagues. Constructive feedback can help you identify areas for improvement as you continue to practice the art of this critical Fundamental.

7.

Remember, improving listening skills takes conscious effort and practice, but the rewards are well worth it. For more helpful tools and tidbits to increase your generous listening acumen, I encourage you to visit the following: https://sparqtools.org/lara/ Reflection Point Harvard Business Review Simon Sinek’s the Art of Listening With gratitude, Jennifer Place, MA, LPC, LAC (she/her/hers) Senior Program Manager Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Center for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #8: Speak Openly Professional, respectful sharing of thoughts, ideas, and especially issues is critical for future success. Speak honestly in a way that helps to make progress. Say what you mean, and be willing to ask questions or raise issues, even if they may cause controversy, without losing sight of respectful, professional dialog. Whenever possible, address issues directly with those who are involved or affected. Take responsibility for creating a safe and respectful environment where these conversations can happen.

Dear SSPPS Community, As I reflect on Fundamental #8: Speak Openly, I am reminded of one of the most valuable lessons I have learned over the years – no one benefits from avoiding tough conversations.

In my first professional role as an admissions counselor, I dreaded having to deliver bad news to prospective students. No one wants to find out that they were denied to their first-choice school or that they weren’t selected for a scholarship program, and I hated the feeling that I was crushing a student’s dream. I would often try to sugarcoat things or avoid addressing difficult issues directly. After observing one of my early conversations with a prospective student, my supervisor and mentor pulled me aside to inquire why I avoided talking about the weaknesses in their application and the likelihood that they would not qualify for admissions. At the time, I thought the kindest thing to do was to remain positive and encouraging. My mentor then shared some tough feedback with me: caring isn’t always comfortable.

For those I work with often, you already know that I’m a big fan of Kim’s Scott’s book, Radical Candor. In the book, Scott provides a communication framework that encourages individuals to challenge directly and care personally. In education, I often find that people don’t avoid difficult conversations because they don’t care, but rather they avoid them because they care deeply and don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. If that resonates with you, I encourage you to reframe your thinking.

Caring - about a student, a project, a colleague, or a loved one - requires you to lean into this week’s fundamental and speak openly.

If you’re curious about the Radical Candor framework, check out this short video where Scott breaks it down in six minutes.

Warmly, Amanda Ryder Director of Admissions and Student Recruitment Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #10: Practice Blameless Problem-Solving Focus on solutions rather than dwelling on problems or making accusatory statements. Identify lessons learned to improve yourself and our processes so the same mistakes are not made twice. Get smarter with every mistake. Learn from every experience.

Good morning, SSPPS colleagues!

This week’s fundamental resonates with me for various reasons, so I was excited to take a go of writing about my perspectives on it. In my prior roles as a community pharmacist and manager and then hospital pharmacist to hospital pharmacy/laboratory director, I was faced with various problems often. Those problems varied from patient safety problems, to staffing problems, to “culture” problems, and they are a large part of who I am today, as a pharmacist, and as a human.

One of my biggest lessons and pieces of advice is that being mad or upset about a problem is OK. Saying things out loud that are demeaning or threatening is when it is not ok. I always try to remember the quote by former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi: “Whatever anybody says or does, assume positive intent.” (Pepsi > Coke, by the way �) Our colleagues and our students aren’t usually trying to be jerks on purpose, and it bodes well for your brain health if you can go in with that mindset until proven otherwise!

One item that really changed my perception of problem-solving was the study of how humans interact with technology. The CPPS (Certified Professional in-Patient Safety) certificate offered by www.ihi.org was one of the more transformative items that I have done in my career. It is a credential given after studying and passing an exam covering four patient safety domains, two of those include “Culture” and “Human Factors Engineering.” Learning about mistakes through the lens of a human making a mistake due to possible environmental or technological failures or workarounds helped me to take the “blame” from the person when dealing with mistakes. Is your team culture one where people feel safe to speak or report issues? Is technology helping to set the practitioner and patient up for success? (Insert any other descriptor for “practitioner” and “patient” as needed, I know our scientists need accuracy and effective processes in their research.)

If you find yourself always thinking of how you messed something up, or how someone else did, take a step back, breathe, and think through: “What factors could have contributed to this problem, and how can I provide solutions to help in the process to keep improving and moving forward?” Focusing on solutions to solve a problem at hand is some of what makes the world go ‘round, right?

Take some time to take the person out of the problem and see what actions might prevent re-occurrence. It never hurts to have a “crucial conversation” as well, this may save your relationship and prevent future problems of the same sort. At the end of the day, a lot of problems get solved with thorough communication and care for one another!

Have an awesome week, everyone!

Kindly, Debbie Gallegos, PharmD, CPS, CPPs 2019-2025 Assistant Director of Experiential Programs, Health System IPPE Course Director, Advanced IPPE Course Director Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #11: Collaborate Share information and work together as appropriate. Work as a team for better outcomes to advance the school and support one another. Collaboration generates better ideas and outcomes than working alone. Help each other succeed.

Dear SSPPS Community, Fundamental #11: Collaborate is a reminder that the strength of our work lies in the connections we build and the partnerships we cultivate. Collaboration is not just about sharing tasks but about coming together with a shared purpose and leveraging the diverse skills and perspectives that each of us brings to the table. Our School is home to such a varied group of individuals with unique professional backgrounds and when we work together, we create a culture of mutual support, openness, and innovation. We each have unique strengths that, when combined, lead to better outcomes than when we work in isolation. By collaborating, we can enhance not only the quality of our work but also the impact we have on the success of our research endeavors, patient outcomes, and futures of our students.

From my journey as a student to my current role as a fellow, I’ve seen firsthand how collaboration fuels creativity and drives progress in both research and education. Last month, Dr. Tom Anchordoquy, Dr. Dmitri Simberg, recent Toxicology-alum Dr. Scott Tilden, and I were interviewed by Futurum Careers, a resource for high school students exploring STEM careers. The project we discussed exemplifies the impact of diverse perspectives coming together to advance science and patient care. In February, I had the opportunity to present this work at the state HOSA (Future Health Professionals) Conference, highlighting the SSPPS’ commitment to collaborative research to inspire the next generation of healthcare scientists.

On the educational front, I’ve had the absolute privilege of working alongside Dr. Richard Radcliffe and Dr. Rob Scheinman to further develop our first-year pharmacology course, strengthening the bridge between foundational and clinical sciences through interactive activities and teaching methods. The positive feedback from students affirms the value of these improvements, and we look forward to continuing this collaborative effort in curricular development. These experiences have reinforced that when collaboration is at the heart of our daily work, we can strengthen our collective commitment to excellence.

Whether it’s tackling a challenging project, developing new initiatives, or supporting a student’s academic journey, the most impactful solutions come when we combine our efforts and expertise. It’s important to remember that collaboration isn’t just about agreeing or pooling resources - it’s about engaging in constructive conversations (Fundamental 7: Listen Generously and Fundamental 8: Speak Openly), sharing information openly (Fundamental 6: Act with Transparency), and supporting each other to ensure everyone succeeds (Fundamental 9: Invest in Relationships and Fundamental 19: Focus on the Team).

Let’s continue to make collaboration a priority, not only for achieving better outcomes but for building a supportive, cohesive community where we all thrive.

Warmly, Madison H Ricco, PharmD Post-Doctoral Academic Fellow Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #12 -- Make the Most of Each Day Have a passion for what you do and be fully engaged. Approach every task with energy, focus, and purpose. Work with a sense of commitment to complete tasks.

Dear SSPPS Community, I have always tended to be a morning person, probably getting it from my mom. She wakes at early dawn, bright and full of energy without assistance from coffee, ready for conversations and stories, much to the chagrin of the rest of the family during holidays, who are barely awake.

The philosophy described by this fundamental has always resonated with me. Whether you subscribe to Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits, and intentionally structure each day of your week to achieve goals in your personal and professional lives, or shape your future through James Clear’s Atomic Habits, where small, daily routines build to make impressive impacts over time, making the most of the day we currently face helps to keep us in the present, focusing on areas we are able to change, and sets the foundation for progress.

Meditation principles speak to living in the here and now, letting go of past regrets and disappointments as well as the uncertainties of tomorrow. The idea that all we have is this moment in front of us, and learning to appreciate the flavor, the color, the texture of life as we experience it can be a transcending experience. I admire those people in this world who can disregard the turmoil, negativity and chaos of modern-day challenges and instead focus on the beauty and love that is present in art, in nature, in music, in people. For me, making the most of each day depends greatly on my frame of mind and my attitude, and finding those small joys, those things that make me smile and appreciate life, is absolutely critical in maintaining my own center and balance.

Having passion, being fully engaged, and approaching life with energy and purpose comes down to mindset and attitude. Building that mindset by taking care of yourself, prioritizing time for activities you love and value, and finding joy in the simplistic create the deep resourcefulness we need to face and overcome life’s challenges. Making the most out of the day does not necessarily translate to how busy you are. There are many days it felt I barely had a few minutes to catch my breath, but upon reflection the time spent fell well short of good, much less “best”. My most productive days are well-balanced, where I deliberately carve out time to do the self-rewarding activities that bring me satisfaction and patience, and create the positive attitude I carry throughout the remainder of my day. In other words, take care of yourself, and the rest seems to work itself out. Unfortunately, I’ve found the opposite to also be true. If you don’t take time for self-care, approaching tasks with positive energy and purpose can be daunting. Fill your own cup, and then you can fill others’.

Regards, Wesley Nuffer, PharmD, BCPS, CDCES, BC-ADM Professor, Assistant Director of Experiential Programs Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

References

1. Covey, S. R. (2013). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

2. Clear, J. (2018). Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. New York, NY: Avery, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

Fundamental #13: Strive for Excellence Take pride in the quality of everything you do. Always ask yourself, “Is this my best work?” As a school, we want to be the best at what we collectively do, which means that we must strive to be the best at what we each do.

Dear SSPPS Community, I hope all is well, and hello from international borders! I find myself drawn to our community because of this fundamental, which is a huge reason why I wanted to share some of my thoughts. This fundamental emphasizes the importance of personal responsibility in achieving collective excellence. That for us all to be the best, we must all dig deep and take pride in our own work and give our own 100% effort. What I love about this community is that we value that everyone has their part in the collective work we are doing, and we value that everyone giving their effort makes us excellent.

What I also appreciate is that excellence is not a product of chance, it is a product of intentionality. We all know when we give our best effort, it is an individual and intentional decision. We can shift our minds to understanding that quality is the baseline, and when we add our piece to the puzzle, we can see the big picture. Our culture is a result of us, collectively. We can each do our part, and build excellence, which then enhances our culture.

The SSPPS faculty and staff represent an amazing group of individuals committed to excellence in training the best future pharmacists and scientists. As we approach our daily roles and responsibilities, our individual efforts ultimately impact the overall success of the school.

Likewise, each member’s individual professional growth will hopefully be enhanced as the organization continues to thrive. Achieving and sustaining excellence is no easy task and requires us to consistently bring our best selves to work each day. Both individual and organizational factors impact our ability to consistently produce the highest quality work and ultimately achieve excellence.

As a distance runner, I think sometimes we can doubt our abilities. As Coach Bennett, Nike Run Club’s Global Coach says, “Sometimes crossing the starting line is harder than crossing the finish line.” We are not perfect, nor are we expected to be. But we can try and strive. So, I leave you with this encouragement: Strive because you believe in yourself, and what you are capable of accomplishing. I guarantee, if everyone does that, it will be a week to remember.

Stay happy and healthy everyone, and I look forward to seeing everyone when I get back this fall!

With love and gratitude,

Kayla Bethea Change and Education Initiatives Program Manager

Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #14: Take a positive approach You have the power to choose your attitude. Strive to be authentically positive – your attitude affects and influences others. Act with optimism, be approachable, and be welcoming to others. Give people the benefit of the doubt. Bring your “best self” to every day and every task.

SSPPS Community, This fundamental is one that speaks to me the most. Every day, I try to come to work with a positive attitude with hopes that I can spread positivity to my colleagues, students, and patients. I am currently reading The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor who describes 7 principles that lead to success and achievement both professionally and personally. Admittingly, I have not finished reading this book, but the first principle, “The Happiness Advantage”, grabbed my attention.

We need to focus on the little things that happen every day that bring us joy and happiness. Boosting positive emotions improves our performance and focus and can raise our happiness baseline if practiced consistently. The following are some practices that can help exercise this happiness skill: • Meditation – Take just 5 minutes a day to focus on breathing and resetting the mind.

• Find something to look forward to – Anticipating future rewards can bring similar amount of pleasure to the brain as the actual reward.

• Commit acts of kindness – These acts of kindness do not need to be grandiose. They could be as simple as offering to help a colleague or bringing a friend a coffee.

• Physical exercise – Exercise can boost mood and enhance work performance. Simply going for a lunchtime walk during your workday can be beneficial.

• Exercise a signature strength – Think about the things you are good at and find activities or tasks that exercise that strength.

Your positivity is contagious to others, and this starts with your own happiness. Going forward, I plan to exercise my positivity muscles by adding some of these practices into my routine. I am optimistic that through this, I can continue to bring my best self to every day.

Kind regards, Bryn (Lindley) Loutzenhiser PharmD, BCPS Assistant Professor Department of Clinical Pharmacy Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental of the Week #15 – Honor Commitments Do what you say you’re going to do and when you say you’ll do it. If a commitment can’t be fulfilled, notify others as soon as possible and agree on a new deliverable to be honored. Hold yourself accountable for honoring your commitment.

Dear SSPPS Community, One of my favorite jazz groups, Incognito, has a song with the line, "All the right intentions and promises don't mean a thing if you can't get the job done." This resonates with me regarding honoring commitments. I'd amend it to, "All the right intentions and promises don't mean a thing if you cannot honor your commitments."

Despite our best efforts, unforeseen circumstances can challenge our ability to fulfill commitments. How we address these challenges can make or break our success. For example, last year, I agreed to speak at a school program during my vacation. Valuing my vacation time, I found a solution by fulfilling my speaking obligation and making up for the lost time later.

Modifying commitments can risk questioning your reliability and trustworthiness. Honoring commitments is crucial for establishing trust and building relationships. When faced with challenges, the fear of damaging relationships and breaking trust can be daunting.

To navigate this, we can use tools to practice honoring commitments and communicate effectively about changes. At our last faculty staff retreat, Dr. Regina Lewis introduced tools for courageous conversations, fostering blameless, collaborative, and deliberate dialogue. These principles align with our 24 fundamentals, including honoring commitments.

Another resource is the Percipio AI Simulator, which offers scenarios to practice conversations about work-related situations, using AI to simulate dialogue to hone your communication and emotional intelligence skills. Here’s a scenario which you can use to become familiar with the platform: Percipio AI Simulator.

I encourage you to use these tools as you reflect on your experiences honoring commitments. I also acknowledge your commitment to our Culture by Design project and hope it provides the growth you seek.

Fundamentally Yours, Jaron Bryant Strategic Initiatives Manager Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #16: Show Recognition and Appreciation Celebrate colleagues’ achievements and successes. Regularly extend meaningful acknowledgement and appreciation—in all directions throughout the school.

Dear SSPPS Community, When.someone.does.something.well?.applaud*.You.will.make.two.people.happy¡.­.Samuel.Goldwyn About two decades ago my mother went out of her way to buy one of my cousins a nice wedding gift. Mom was already retired, and the gift stretched her budget. She wrapped it up, included a card full of good wishes, and shipped it off to New York. She never received a word of thanks. My sweet mother, who is now in her nineties, occasionally revisits that incident. Maya Angelou once said, "among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.” But the missing expression of appreciation hit my mom hard.

Her soul was definitely not liberated.

We all want to feel validated. We want to have some proof that we’re making a difference through research, teaching, clinical practice, and striving for excellence in our various roles. Recognition is often focused on major successes like securing a grant, publishing a paper, wrapping up a big project, or receiving an award. These achievements are usually celebrated in our department meetings and through online posts. But appreciation is different. It involves noticing and valuing the positive things members of our SSPPS community contribute every day.

Genuine recognition and appreciation need to radiate in all directions. Not just among your close department peers. Not just to your direct reports. Not just from top to bottom. They need to break through the formal hierarchy, cross all boundaries, and actively move throughout our school.

After you have a positive thought about someone, how often do you actually share it? Or do those positive thoughts stay silently tucked away in your mind? The next step is to take action to express your appreciation in a meaningful way. It’s usually not enough to just say, “Great job! Thank you!” Be specific and authentic. This Harvard Business Review article offers some practical tips for doing just that.

Fundamental #16 reminds us of the importance of noticing and acknowledging the strengths and contributions of those around us.

Genuine recognition and heartfelt appreciation require intention and effort. Small, regular acts of appreciation have the power to strengthen our SSPPS community, make our shared journey more pleasant, and make our work more fulfilling.

Kind regards, Julia Rawlings, PharmD, BCPS, CPPS Associate Professor, Program Director–HCPF Contracts and Partnerships Department of Clinical Pharmacy Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #17 Help Others Succeed Take responsibility, both formally and informally, to coach, guide, and mentor others. Help others grow and succeed. The best way to influence others is through your own example.

Dear SSPPS Community, “Elphie – now that we’re friends, I’ve decided to make you my new project!”

Those of you who know me well know that I am a huge fan of the Broadway musical Wicked (especially those of you whom I have dragged along to see it!). These are the opening lines to the playfully popular song ‘Popular?" where the pretty, privileged, and, some would say, superficial character of Galinda nobly vows to help a misfit and misunderstood Elphaba fit in among their peers at Shiz University. While Galinda’s motives for helping Elphaba may be mixed, we can all strive to approach helping each other with the same enthusiasm that she exhibits in her endeavor.

Investing our time and energy into helping others is not always easy, but it certainly can be rewarding. As a proud (and exhausted!) mom of a 3-year-old and a 5-month-old, I’ve come to learn that every day is another opportunity to foster success. Sometimes success means allowing for a safe space to fail; other times it means lending a hand or showing the way; and still other times it means providing validation and encouragement. The reward comes when you witness the surprise in their eyes when they roll over by themselves for the first time, or their excitement when they finally figure out how to put their shoes on the correct feet.

Here at SSPPS we have a unique opportunity to foster success in a variety of places – our own school and classrooms, research labs, clinical practice sites, and throughout the campus community. To do this well, we can look to some of our other Fundamentals for guidance. For example, when we #Act.with.Kindness.and #Invest.in.Relationships, we take the time to get to know each other and show that we care about others’ well-being. When we –Collaborate and –Focus.on.the.Team?.we acknowledge our shared goals as well as our shared responsibilities and can collectively celebrate successes as they come.

Every success, no matter how big or small, is important. So whether your success today is measured by the positive interaction you had with a student, the impact you made on a patient’s life, the research paper you finally got published, or simply getting your shoes on the right feet, let’s all do our part to help each other in these respective endeavors, because as the characters in Wicked remind us - “Everyone deserves the chance to fly.”

Best, Rhianna Fink, PharmD, BCACP, BC-ADM Associate Professor Department of Clinical Pharmacy Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental 18: Find a way Take personal responsibility for completing tasks. Maintain a solution-focused mindset rather than explaining why it can’t be done. Be resourceful and show initiative. Don’t make excuses or wait for others to solve the problem or seize the opportunity. Work with a sense of commitment to see solutions through to their completion.

Dear SSPPS Community, Finding a way starts with believing that there is a way to be found. For me, this belief is rooted in my Faith. Philippians 4:13 states, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” I have taken this verse to heart and have a mindset that if all things can be done, then it’s just a matter of finding a way.

So, when I open an email or someone asks me to do something, I automatically begin looking for a way to accomplish it. I try not to focus on the obstacles but rather on how I’ll maneuver through them. Below are some ways I’ve found to approach tasks to maintain a “find a way” mindset.

• Focus on the problem you’re trying to solve: Ask clarifying questions and focus on the end goal. If you’ve known me for any length of time, you’ve heard me ask, “What is the problem we’re trying to solve?” I find that asking this question helps people to stop and think about what they want to accomplish and reveals other options for reaching the same goal.

• Express yourself thoughtfully: When responding to challenging requests, take time to let people know you are willing to work with them to find a solution. Let them know if you need time to investigate possibilities. Take time to have a conversation outside of email if you need clarification. Often, the first request a person sends doesn’t contain all the necessary information to respond with finality.

• Keep moving forward: Act on your ideas and don't wait for the perfect moment. Erika Frietas once phrased this as “progress, not perfection.” Start where you are with what you have, and revise as needed. Nothing is perfectly executed the first time it’s tried.

• Think like a scientist: Don't view failures as setbacks but as valuable lessons that can help you improve. Mistakes are bound to happen. As Thomas Edison said, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” Formulate a new idea and try again.

• Ask around: Engage with those around you to see if someone else has already found a solution or has a suggestion. Our School is made up of individuals from all over the world. Tap into this diversity of thought, chances are you’ll find a path you didn’t know existed.

• Refresh yourself: Engage in activities that help you relax, recharge, and maintain a positive outlook. It’s hard to see a path forward when you’re exhausted either mentally, physically, or both. Once rested, see if your perspective has changed and a path is now visible.

Working on a campus overrun with policy and paperwork can make it seem like nothing is doable. And oftentimes, we will need to modify our requests to fall within those policies. But that doesn't mean we can’t do it; we just need to find a way.

Now, take a moment to write the words “find a way” on a sticky note and place it somewhere it is visible to you while you work. Next time you receive a request that seems impossible, look at that note and believe that there is a way to be found and you’re just the one to find it.

Regards, Shelly Lange Senior Business Operations Professional Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental 19: Focus on the Team Dear Colleagues, As we reflect on the values that drive our school forward, I want to highlight one of our core fundamentals: Focus on the Team. As a former collegiate athlete, this fundamental particularly resonates with me given that I subconsciously strive for a team mindset in virtually all aspects of my personal and professional life.

In an academic health sciences environment like ours, success is never achieved in isolation. It is through collaborative effort, shared vision, and mutual respect that we make meaningful progress and create lasting impact.

• In research, teamwork fuels discovery. Multidisciplinary collaboration allows us to approach complex problems from new angles, leverage diverse expertise, and secure competitive funding. From lab members to cross-departmental and institutional partnerships, we advance scientific discovery when we work together. Without teamwork, we would not drive innovation, accelerate discovery, and improve health outcomes.

• In clinical service, patient care is optimized when we operate as cohesive, communicative teams. Whether in pharmacy practice, interprofessional rounds, or transitions of care, it is our collective commitment that ensures safe, effective, and compassionate care for our communities.

• In education, we are most successful when we unite around a shared goal: developing the next generation of scientists and health care leaders. Faculty, staff, preceptors, and peer mentors all contribute uniquely to our students’ growth. Our support of one another strengthens the learning environment and models the kind of collaboration we wish to instill. Importantly, teamwork enables us to support our MS, PhD, and PharmD students with a rich, interdisciplinary training experience that prepares them to meet the challenges of science and patient care. None of this would be possible without the dedication and partnership we foster across our school.

As graduation approaches, we celebrate not only our students' achievements but also the collective effort it took to get them there. Each student’s success is a reflection of our shared commitment to train the next generation of scientists and health care professionals. As we move forward, let’s continue to focus on the team—supporting each other, sharing knowledge, and building the future of pharmacy and biomedical science together.

Regards, Rebecca McCullough PhD Assistant Professor Toxicology Graduate Program Associate Director Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental 21: Deliberate and Decide Making critical decisions in a work environment requires a balance of thoughtful deliberation and decisive action. Whether it is choosing a project direction, navigating team conflicts, or selecting strategies for business growth, the way we approach decision-making can directly impact outcomes.

Dear SSPPS Community, Key Steps for Effective Decision-Making: 1. Clarify the Problem or Goal: Clearly defining the issue or objective ensures that the decision is focused and aligned with company priorities.

2. Gather Relevant Information: Assessing all available data, consulting stakeholders, and analyzing potential risks lead to more informed choices.

3. Consider Different Perspectives: Encouraging discussion among team members fosters diverse viewpoints, which can uncover blind spots and lead to better solutions.

4. Evaluate the Options: Weighing the pros and cons of each choice—considering feasibility, potential impact, and alignment with long-term goals—is essential.

5. Decide and Take Action: Once a course is chosen, committing to it with confidence ensures clarity in execution.

6. Reflect and Adjust if Necessary: Reviewing decisions and their outcomes helps refine future approaches, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

When my team faces differing opinions on a project, we embrace constructive debate. We discuss the pros and cons of each idea, ensuring that every perspective is heard and considered. By valuing collaboration over competition, we create a final product that reflects the collective wisdom of the team. After a healthy debate, I consolidate this information to make an informed decision for the project.

Effective decision-making in the workplace is a combination of careful analysis and the confidence to act. By fostering a culture that values deliberation and teamwork, organizations can make informed choices that drive success.

Regards, Shauna Hannon, MA Instructional Design Manager Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #22: Respond Promptly Respond to inquiries and messages as quickly as possible, whether in person, on the phone, or by email. This includes simply acknowledging that you received the communication, and you are “on it,” as well as keeping those involved continuously updated on the status.

Dear SSPPS Colleagues, Respond Promptly — and Personally When Possible We’ve all had that moment: you're digging through your inbox and realize you missed an important email or forgot to reply to someone. That sinking feeling? Yep, we've been there. It’s usually not intentional — life (and your inbox) just gets away from you sometimes.

But here's the thing: when it comes to communication, timely responses really matter. They show respect, reliability, and help build trust. On the other hand, when replies are delayed, it can unintentionally leave people feeling ignored, undervalued, or confused — even if that was never your intention.

The Reality of Modern Communication Email is the second most common form of communication today, right behind messaging apps. On average, office workers and professionals receive between 100–120 emails per day — even more if you are in a management role. Add another 30–50 personal emails daily (many of them marketing or spam), and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.

Keeping up with your inbox can seem like an impossible task — believe me, organizing my inbox has been a constant battle with a mix of wins and losses.

Tips for Staying on Top of Your Inbox: 1. Aim to respond within 24 hours (on business days): Even if it’s just a “Got it, I’ll get back to you soon,” it lets people know you’re on it.

2. Don’t check constantly — check intentionally

o Allocate dedicated times during your day to check and respond to emails/messages. That way, you’re not distracted all day, and you still stay on top of things. o When you do check, knock out urgent messages first. Can’t reply right away? Flag it�, Categorize it, or drop it in a “To Do” folder — and circle back before the end of the day. Set categories, flags, or reminders - Microsoft Support o If you need to check your email outside of regular hours, use the 'schedule send' feature to draft your reply immediately while ensuring it’s delivered during normal business hours. Delay or schedule sending email messages in Outlook - Microsoft Support 3. Use Rules Feature in Outlook: Set up rules to automatically sort incoming emails into folders based on sender, topic, or urgency. Organize your inbox in Outlook for Windows - Microsoft Support 4. Keep Your Inbox and Workspace Organized: Archive or delete old emails regularly so the important stuff doesn’t get buried. A messy inbox makes it too easy to miss things.

Be Understanding When Delays Happen We all know how crazy things can get. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, responses get delayed or forgotten. If you don’t hear back from someone in a timely manner, especially if it’s unusual for them, give them some grace. It is not intentional as everyone can get overwhelmed and miss things. If it has been a while and you haven’t heard back, it’s perfectly fine to send a gentle follow-up reminder.

Beyond Email: A Case for In-Person Communication While this Fundamental focuses on responding promptly, I also want to make a plug for responding personally whenever possible.

In today’s digital world, it’s easy to default to texts and emails. Yet in-person communication offers many benefits: •

Non-Verbal Cues: Body language, tone, and facial expressions offer vital context that written messages simply can’t convey.

• •

Stronger Relationships: Personal conversations foster deeper rapport and strengthen professional relationships.

Demonstrating Importance: Taking the time to communicate in person shows that you value the conversation and the person you are speaking with. It conveys that the topic is important and worth your time Whenever it makes sense, consider walking over to someone's office or scheduling a face-to-face meeting instead of sending "another email". Sometimes, a five-minute conversation can save hours of back-and-forth and reap great rewards.

Summary: • • • •

Respond promptly to build trust.

Stay organized to prevent missed communication.

Have grace when delays happen.

Whenever possible, connect in person to deepen relationships (when in doubt… just go say Hi!)

Kind regards, Sheryl Vondracek BSPharm, PharmD, FCCP, BCPS Associate Professor Department of Clinical Pharmacy Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental 23: BE A SCHOOL AMBASSADOR Each of us is responsible for and benefits from our school’s image and reputation. Consider how your actions affect our collective reputation and be a proud ambassador for the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Make a genuine effort to support school initiatives and events.

Good morning, fellow Buffs!

One of the most rewarding aspects of being part of the Skaggs community, for me, is the opportunity to represent and champion the values that define us. Today (what a peculiar coincidence!) marks my 6th anniversary at the school, and I'm routinely amazed at how much my time here has opened doors to meaningful collaborations, impactful research, and connections with dedicated colleagues who continue to inspire me. These experiences have deepened my appreciation for the role we each play as ambassadors of our institution.

Perhaps one of the greatest joys of our work is witnessing the success of our students and graduates. From their first days in our program to the moment they walk across the stage at graduation, we see their growth, determination, and commitment to advancing science and patient care. Their achievements in research, clinical practice, industry, and an array of other areas within our field serve repeatedly as a testament to the strength of our school and the collective effort that supports them. Each success story reinforces the importance of mentorship, education, and the lasting impact of our community.

But ambassadorship extends beyond just our faculty or leadership... It's a responsibility carried by every member of our school. The presence and engagement of students, staff, faculty, and alumni amongst campus and state partners and the broader community shape the reputation and influence of our institution. Whether through professional involvement, outreach initiatives, interdisciplinary collaborations, or simply sharing the incredible work happening here, each of us plays a role in strengthening our school’s legacy and advancing the field of pharmacy and biomedical sciences.

Many of you have learned over the past few years about my passion for birds. Some of our students, and even some of my pharmacy colleagues from around the country, most likely associate me more with state birds than with my work in pharmacy... I'm not sure if this is good or bad. Regardless, I don't want to miss the opportunity to champion the spirted little fella from Colorado with my message this week: Known for its adaptability, resilience, and striking seasonal transformation, the lark bunting in many ways mirrors the role of a school ambassador. Just as it navigates changing environments with confidence and flair, we, as faculty and professionals, represent CU in everevolving academic, clinical, and research spaces. Whether guiding students, fostering partnerships, or engaging with the broader healthcare and scientific communities, our ambassadorship strengthens the school’s presence and influence -- much like the lark bunting’s distinctive song leaves an impression on those who listen! As we continue our mission, let’s embrace the responsibility of being ambassadors, championing the values of excellence, innovation, and collaboration that make our school extraordinary. Our voices, actions, and commitment to those we serve undeniably contribute to the future of pharmacy and science, and through our collective efforts, we build an institution that inspires, leads, and makes a lasting difference. Be like the lark bunting: embrace everything that makes our CU community a great place to live and work and be sure to show it off with flair to anyone who will listen!

Take care, Luke Orth PharmD, BCPPS Assistant Professor Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #24: Enjoy What You Do While our passion for excellence is real, remember that the world has bigger problems than the daily challenges that make up your work. Keep perspective. Don’t take issues personally or take yourself too seriously. Have fun.

Dear SSPPS Community, Last month we celebrated an annual milestone—Graduation! A time of celebrating persistence, and achievement. Yet, as Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar explains in Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment, achieving a goal doesn’t guarantee lasting happiness, a concept he calls the “arrival fallacy.”

As a recovering achiever �, achiever being my top StrengthsFinder trait, the mindset that achievement equals success and satisfaction shaped much of my life and career. In my collegiate athletic years, success meant working harder, doing more, and being rewarded for meeting expectations. In my early career, success meant setting big goals and productivity. But over time, especially as a career coach, I’ve learned that success and lasting fulfillment come from knowing your values and aligning your work and life with them.

I often ask our students: how do your choices reflect what you care about and where you spend your time? A few years ago, I had to ask myself similar questions. Feeling restless and caught in the achievement cycle of “I need to do more,” I paused to reflect. I didn’t need to do more; I needed to align. Martha Beck’s The Way of Integrity offered guidance, defining integrity as wholeness; where thoughts, feelings, words, and actions align. Misalignment breeds dissatisfaction and burnout; fulfillment comes from honest self-awareness.

Through her framework, I examined my beliefs and let go of achievement as my measure of success and satisfaction. I reconnected with my values of community and collaboration, which I had neglected amid work and life demands. That shift led me to invest more in collaborative projects and relationships. Now, I define success by applying my values of curiosity, collaboration, and self-reflection, and drawing upon my other StrengthsFinder traits of learning, strategy, and relating.

As Fundamental #24 guides our work, let’s celebrate achievements and enjoy the journey of reaching goals, and deliberately define success for integration that’s fulfilling and sustainable.

How do you define success in your life and work? In what ways are your values aligned with our shared fundamentals to create lasting fulfillment?

Kind regards, Laurie Sein, MBA, CPRW Director of Career Services Office of Student Services Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

4TH CYCLE June 30, 2025 December 8, 2025

Fundamental #1: Act with Kindness Our relationships go deeper than simply being colleagues as faculty, staff, and students. We genuinely care for and about each other. Choose your words wisely and be considerate of others. Show your compassion, whether it’s a kind word during a tough stretch, a friendly smile each morning, or a helping hand in stressful times.

Dear SSPPS Community, I chose this fundamental because it is personal to me. Since grade school, I’ve often been told, “You’re too nice,” usually said with irritation or to dismiss me or the situation. For a long time, it made me feel like being kind was a weakness, something to second guess. What struck me over time, though, was that many of the same people who labeled me that way would also act “nice” but only when they wanted something in return. That contrast made me question the difference between genuine kindness and performative kindness, and it deepened my commitment to choosing the former.

In today’s world, kindness often takes a back seat to ego. Many of our daily interactions fall into a pattern of what I call “faux kindness” or people-pleasing. Doing things not out of genuine compassion, but in hopes of gaining something in return.

These behaviors are exhausting. They come from a desire to be seen, accepted, or rewarded, not from a place of true human connection.

Over time, this cycle becomes an emotional hamster wheel, we keep giving, hoping to receive, yet rarely feel fulfilled and at times disappointed.

But what if we replaced all of that with something simpler and more sincere? What if we chose to act with kindness, not for praise or approval, but simply because it’s the right thing to do?

Kindness doesn’t require grand gestures. It is inside everyday moments. Saying good morning to a stranger, holding the door, offering a sincere compliment, or asking someone how they’re doing, and really listening. These small acts, done without expectation, can shift your mood and brighten someone else’s day.

One of my favorite quotes, which captures true human connection from kindness, is from Mark Twain, “Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and blind can see.” To me this reads that kindness may start as a gesture, but it transforms into a feeling and then memory.

Kindness is not weakness. It’s quiet strength. And in a world that desperately needs more compassion, choosing kindness with no strings attached might just be the most powerful thing we can do.

Sincerely, Rachel Wagmaister, Manager Office of Continuing Education and Professional Development Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #2: Be Student Centered Make a personal commitment to learn about student needs and support their success. Create opportunities that enhance and engage them in their learning experience. Focus on how best to support students to ensure long-term success and a strong educational reputation.

Dear SSPPS Community, During my eight years in alumni relations at the CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, I was fond of saying, “Happy students make happy alumni.” That mantra sticks with me to this day. It originated from my earlier work in the Experiential Programs Office, where I supported students through the first three years of the PharmD program. That experience deeply reinforced the importance of being student-centered as a shared commitment to their success and wellbeing.

Working closely with students, I witnessed firsthand how their drive, resilience, and potential to create positive change were truly inspiring. Watching them transition from students to professionals—and seeing the impact they make as alumni—has been one of the most rewarding parts of my journey.

One moment that stands out was when a group of students lost their belongings in an apartment fire. The school community rallied around them, offering support in every way possible. Even small gestures, such as donating the remaining balance of a gift card, carried immense meaning. It wasn’t about the dollar amount; it was about saying, “We see you. We hear you. You matter.” That moment, and many others like it, reflected the school’s unwavering spirit of compassion and solidarity.

These experiences created lasting bonds between students, faculty, and staff. They reminded me that when we each bring our best—whether it’s the school’s best, your best, or mine—we create a culture where students thrive.

I stand with you in putting students at the center of all we do. Be encouraged to bring your best however you define it and remain Skaggs Healthy and CU Buff in the CU Pharmacy Way! Fundamentally Yours, Jaron Bryant, Strategic Initiatives Manager Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #4: Act with Integrity Demonstrate an unwavering commitment to acting honestly and ethically in everything you do and every decision you make, especially when no one is looking. Be truthful, no matter the consequences. If you make a mistake, own up to it, sincerely apologize, and make it right.

Dear SSPPS Community, Act with Integrity focuses on the importance of being honest and ethical. More than that – it is being consistently honest and ethical (note the words “always” and “in everything” in the definition above). This fundamental helps support accountability among colleagues, research teams, and other working groups in the school. Given that mistakes are an inherent byproduct of human work, acting with integrity helps us to acknowledge, address, and limit their future impact in real-time. Making a mistake is not ideal, of course; but what’s worse is making a mistake and not being honest about it. When we own our mistakes, we can work together for a solution by identifying the problem and working on a solution for next time.

I work in clinical research with human participants. Integrity is the most important part of managing these types of studies.

We Act with Integrity in clinical research studies by working with ethical and regulatory bodies to minimize the potential for participant harms. During the day-to-day, whether securing study participant files containing protected health information or labeling a clinic-collected specimen for lab processing in a de-identified way, everything must be done with integrity to ensure patient privacy is upheld and study data is collected responsibly and stored securely.

How we achieve our successes, both in academics and in research, matters just as much as achieving them in the first place. This fundamental is a great reminder for all of us to focus on how we all can Act with Integrity in our work.

Sincerely, Ryan Coyle, MPH Senior Professional Research Assistant Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #5: Embrace Change and Growth Move outside your comfort zone and adapt to new ways of doing tasks when necessary for progress. What got us here is different from what will get us to the next level. Be optimistic by the possibilities that change, innovation, and growth will bring. Be flexible, express enthusiasm, and foster a growth mindset.

Dear SSPPS Community, Change might be one of my least favorite things. I haven’t even updated to Windows 11 yet (Sorry Gabe!) because something inside of me keeps saying “this version of Windows is working just fine; why change?!” Despite what I believe to be a natural response to change, I also have seen the many benefits of change throughout my life as well as my time at SSPPS. When I first arrived at the school, I worked as an Academic Student Advisor for the Distance Degree Programs. Within the first 6 months, I experienced two changes in supervisors, a restructuring that brought me over to the Office of Student Services, as well as the announcement of our programs being sunset. A few months later I transitioned to yet another supervisor. It was a wild ride for the first year, but looking back it not only afforded me the opportunity for networking and building connections across multiple departments but also allowed me to quickly grow in my knowledge of our programs and for the school to better meet the needs of our students.

With a national Dean search underway, we all know change is coming. Although you can Google “Change Theory” and receive a number of results that will likely guide you through the change, I personally recommend and have used the ADKAR Model. It not only allows for time to process change but also makes space for questions and the sharing of knowledge.

(Remember, knowledge is power but only IF it is shared!)

For those of you who supervise teams or lead meetings this week and want to discuss this fundamental, you can ask Copilot to “Create a discussion guide using the ADKAR Model” and you will get a summary of each of the stages, discussion prompts, and facilitator tips.

Optimism is a key part of this fundamental, and I encourage everyone to keep that in mind during the “not-so-fun” moments of change. At the same time, I invite you to be open and honest about your feelings; processing and sharing frustrations is a natural part of the change journey, and your voice may help others feel seen and supported.

Sincerely, Liz MacLean, M.A. Senior Academic Student Advisor Office of Student Services Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #6: Act with Transparency With appropriate respect for confidentiality, share information freely throughout your team. The more people know, the better they can collaborate. Learn to ask yourself, “Who else needs to know this?”. Engage other parties as appropriate prior to making final decisions.

The more people understand the reason for what is being done, the more actively they can participate in the solution.

Greetings SSPPS Community, As I begin my journey supporting the vibrant culture of CU SSPPS, I find this fundamental about transparency invaluable. Currently higher education likely feels fraught with uncertainty—this may contribute to feelings of anxiety, fear, and mistrust in a system we want to be successful. I believe, however, transparency serves as a powerful antidote and preventative action we can use to address those feelings of discomfort.

There are three lessons I carry when thinking about transparency and how to be more human-centered as we build a culture that helps everyone thrive: 1. When we gather, ask “who is missing?”. Transparency is foundational for collaboration and trust in decision-making, reminding me of the mantra “Nothing About Us, Without Us” rooted in disability advocacy work. The individual act of sharing information is not sufficient when those impacted by decisions were not included to begin with—it is imperative we do not lose their perspective as part of the conversation.

2. When we hesitate, ask “who may be harmed?”. I often share my belief that “knowledge is power” and I aim to be mindful how we may gatekeep information with differing intentions. In moments we may hesitate to share information, it can be valuable to challenge the rationale—is it for a valid confidentiality purpose, are we avoiding disruptions in power imbalances, or do we fear the potential for panic? Questioning and unpacking the reason is useful to evaluate whether withholding information may contribute to more harm in the end.

3. When we act, ask “who is watching?”. Regardless of our roles as healthcare providers, support personnel, researchers, and/or educators, we must acknowledge there is always someone watching and learning from our behaviors. Across these settings it is crucial we model transparency, there is consistency between what we say and how we act, and we set expectations for our community. Be mindful of how you would like to be treated and emulate that to the best of your abilities each day.

As you may have gathered, my motivation to live by this fundamental originates from my experiences in moments where transparency was not valued. I have felt the pain associated with a lack of communication about decision-making processes and I have witnessed how a lack of transparency can have significant personal and professional consequences within an organization. My commitment is to support a culture of transparency that enhances collaboration, encourages openness, and remains accountable to building trusting relationships within our community. I look forward to how I will be able to foster transparency within the school, especially for those we serve.

Sincerely, Michael Wolcott, PharmD, PhD, BCIDP Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Associate Professor Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #7: Listen Generously Listen actively by giving others your undivided attention, and by being present and engaged. Listening is more than simply “not speaking.”

Minimize distractions and let go of the need to agree or disagree. Suspend your judgment and be curious to know more, rather than jumping to conclusions. Above all, listen to understand.

Greetings SSPPS Community, I believe that the heart of listening generously is a deep desire to understand the world and to find truth – and that desire must surpass any internal need to be right. Listening requires an ability to quiet the inner dialogue, temporarily place overwhelming emotions into a separate mental box, and settle in quietly to learn more about another’s experience of the world with compassion. Listening generously during disagreements requires humility, but also a strong enough sense of self that the threat of finding an error or changing your mind won’t threaten to crush your own self-identity.

“Opposition gives us a sense of standing for something, a false sense of independence, power, and control. Compassion and humility don’t give us a sense of control or psychic comfort. We have to be willing to let go of our moral high ground and hear the truth that the other person may be speaking, even if it is only 10% of what they are saying… If we are into control and predictability, we will seldom descend into the vulnerability of undefended listening or the scariness of dialogue.”

–Richard Rohr, “Compassionate Listening,” Center for Action and Contemplation, July 25, 2022 Aside from trying to adopt some of the character traits and philosophical ideas underlying listening generously, I have found some practical tips to be helpful. I assume we have all read articles on tips for active listening, but usually in the heat of a stressful conversation, those strategies aren’t even on my radar. Boosting my mental health beforehand allows me to access the better parts of myself before starting a hard conversation, and then I am more likely to be able to ask thoughtful questions, show empathy, and not make assumptions. If you listen for long enough, I have found that you can almost always find that 10% (or more) of truth that the other person is speaking and then use it as common ground to move the conversation forward.

Sincerely, Jessica Eaddy Senior External Relations Strategist Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #8: Speak Openly Professional, respectful sharing of thoughts, ideas, and especially issues is critical for future success. Speak honestly in a way that helps to make progress. Say what you mean, and be willing to ask questions or raise issues, even if they may cause controversy, without losing sight of respectful, professional dialog. Whenever possible, address issues directly with those who are involved or affected. Take responsibility for creating a safe and respectful environment where these conversations can happen.

Greetings SSPPS Community, Speaking openly sounds simple, but it is not always easy. It can be challenging to share ideas, ask questions, and bring up concerns in a way that is honest, respectful, and keeps things moving forward.

In academic pharmacy, there are plenty of moments when it can feel awkward to speak up. Maybe you notice a course is using outdated guidelines but are unsure how that will land in a meeting. Maybe you have concerns about a new policy but feel intimidated by power dynamics or assume the decision is final. Or maybe you are overwhelmed with workload and do not want to appear as if you cannot handle your responsibilities.

I have been reflecting on how I can speak more openly since finishing AACP’s Academic Leadership Fellows Program. One of my commitments going forward is to be more visible and vocal in my leadership. My strengths of Intellection, Input, and Learner mean I love to think things through and gather information, but much of this happens in my head. I am working on letting people in on that thought process sooner and creating more opportunities for dialogue.

I remind myself that speaking up is not about having the perfect response. It is about being willing to start the conversation, listen, and keep it respectful even when the topic is challenging. If you want to join me in getting better at this, I recommend the book Crucial Conversations. It offers lots of tips for handling discussions with confidence and respect.

Let’s keep finding ways to help each other speak openly.

Kind regards, Kimberly Stultz, PharmD Associate Professor | Assistant Dean of Experiential Programs Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #9: Invest in Relationships Make a bona fide effort to know your colleagues on a more personal level. Talk more and email less. Understand what's important to others. Strong relationships enhance our daily experience and enable us to work through difficult issues and challenging times more successfully.

Good morning, SSPPS community!

One of the most enduring lessons I’ve learned in my time in pharmacy is that relationships are not incidental to our work – they are the work! My favorite memories don’t come from emails sharing news of an accepted manuscript or new funding. They all involve the people I’ve gotten to know and work alongside in the hallways, classrooms, and the clinic. Whether mentoring students, collaborating with colleagues, developing patient rapport, or partnering with our communities, the strength of our relationships determines our impact and the sense of reward it provides.

Strong connections don’t just happen. They grow from small actions. Taking time to listen, following up after a conversation, celebrating someone’s success, lending a hand without being asked... These moments build trust, and trust is what makes collaborations succeed.

In both healthcare and education, teams that invest in relationships consistently deliver better outcomes. A quick PubMed search reveals that cohesive teams solve problems faster, commit fewer medical errors, improve patient and stakeholder satisfaction, and are less impacted by burnout. Relational trust is a key driver of innovation and sustained progress.

But if you’ve been paying attention, you know one more important question must be asked. To which bird should we turn for inspiration? The purple martin, of course! North America’s largest swallows are the social butterflies (well, birds) of the sky. They live in large colonies, returning to the same nesting spots year after year. They excel at interdisciplinary relationships of sorts, relying on both human-built structures for their housing and their own tightknit flocks for protection and community as they migrate across continents. We, too, flourish when we build and nurture our networks. Like the purple martin, we are at our best when we pursue connection, sharing conversations, challenges, and mentorship.

Across disciplines and across species, the message is clear: investment in relationships makes our work more enjoyable and more effective.

Wishing you a week filled with collaboration and kindness.

Take care, Luke Orth, PharmD, BCPPS Associate Clinical Professor Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #10: Practice Blameless Problem-Solving Focus on solutions rather than dwelling on problems or making accusatory statements. Identify lessons learned to improve yourself and our processes so the same mistakes are not made twice. Get smarter with every mistake. Learn from every experience.

Good morning, SSPPS community!

“Learn from every experience”. As an experience designer and an educator, this phrase excites me! I love that understanding issues, applying innovative solutions, and refining our approaches is part of our Culture by Design. This process of trial, error, and re-trial is essentially a map of design thinking—an approach that has helped me in practicing blameless problem solving.

Some problems are extremely difficult to manage, and the fast-paced nature of higher education and medicine can mean it’s difficult to intentionally address them. Some issues are so complex, widespread, and mutable (especially in healthcare or education) that they seem impossible to solve! In design, these are known as “wicked” problems.

Where do you start in trying to solve a wicked problem? Design thinking aims to provide a set of stages that foster innovation for just this very thing. In 2021, Culver et al. provided a cycle specifically tailored to change in higher education:

While something can be learned in every step of this process (and I encourage you to explore them), I want to focus on the Ideate,Prototype, and Test stages specifically. These phases rely on open, non-critical, and “blameless” creativity. Ideation focuses on quantity of ideas, not necessarily considering their feasibility. Having a non-judgmental space to propose ideas means opening doors to solutions that may have otherwise been overlooked or not considered.

Prototyping requires learning by building as new issues are revealed, even after a problem has been agreed upon. Testing focuses on iteration; pre-conceived notions must be suspended in favor of measured data.

Design thinking is a series of circles that encourages designers to focus on and build momentum towards the next step. That momentum is the secret behind innovation, as well as good institutions of higher education and good pharmacists. “Learn from every experience”.

Sincerely, Emma Rau, MA Academic Services Senior Professional Experiential Programs Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #11: Collaborate Share information and work together as appropriate. Work as a team for better outcomes to advance the school and support one another. Collaboration generates better ideas and outcomes than working alone. Help each other succeed.

Good morning, SSPPS community!

Collaboration is a cornerstone of a thriving workplace. It fosters a culture where diverse perspectives, skills, and experiences converge to drive innovation, solve problems more effectively, and achieve shared goals.

When employees collaborate, they build trust, improve communication, and create a sense of belonging that enhances morale and engagement.

Teamwork encourages accountability and mutual support, allowing individuals to learn from one another and grow professionally. It also reduces duplication of effort and streamlines workflows, making organizations more agile and efficient. In challenging environments, collaboration enables quicker decisionmaking and better adaptability to change.

In my personal experience, my team and I collaborate on a wide range of projects and engage with various team members across departments. This dynamic approach ensures that everyone gains a comprehensive understanding of the different tasks required to complete a job successfully. By sharing knowledge and responsibilities, we not only strengthen our individual skill sets but also build a more cohesive and capable team.

In essence, collaboration isn’t just about working together, it is about leveraging collective intelligence to elevate performance, foster innovation and creativity, and build a resilient organizational culture.

Regards, Shauna Hannon, MA Instructional Design Manager Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #12: Make the Most of Each Day Have a passion for what you do and be fully engaged. Approach every task with energy, focus, and purpose. Work with a sense of commitment to complete tasks.

“Burnout is what happens when you try to avoid being human for too long.” – Michael Gungor Dear SSPPS Community, I’ve been a list maker since about the sixth grade, finding satisfaction in crossing off tasks and getting things done. Over time, my to-do lists became more elaborate and eventually overwhelming. Mortgage payments, clinical responsibilities that no longer fit into 8-hour days, parenting, childcare, grad school, travel plans, car maintenance, yardwork, insurance, continuing education, and out-of-state conferences became regular entries, and each one demanded my attention.

For a long time, I stuck with the familiar system that had served me well for so long. But eventually I hit a wall. I could feel deep burnout. I remember sitting spaced out at the dining room table late one night, paralyzed by the sheer volume of what I thought I had to accomplish.

To cope, I started making small changes: walking outside during work breaks, listening to lively Mozart instead of the news on my morning drive, taking meditation classes, exercising a bit more, living simply in the redwoods during trips to Northern California, learning a few new piano pieces, and renegotiating deadlines when necessary. These and other changes gradually helped me reshape a largely self-imposed and unrealistic belief that in order to be valuable I also needed to be endlessly productive.

I absolutely still use lists to manage my busy life, but now I forgive myself when I fall short. I am committed to my work and truly enjoy my role. I strive for excellence, but no longer at the expense of my well-being and no longer with my goals tied to such rigid personal timelines as in the past.

When we're tired and depleted, we don’t have the energy to focus on what needs to be done, much less muster up much passion or excitement about doing it.

Be gentle with yourself (you perpetual overachiever!). Loosen up your 5-year plan just a little. Do fun and silly stuff. Laugh until you cry. Lose yourself in a hobby or cooking or hiking for a few hours. Notice and appreciate the amazing things happening around you every day.

Don’t avoid being human for too long.

Make the most of each day.

Kind regards, Julia Rawlings, PharmD, BCPS, CPPS Associate Professor, Program Director–HCPF Contracts and Partnerships Department of Clinical Pharmacy Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #13: Strive for Excellence Take pride in the quality of everything you do. Always ask yourself, “Is this my best work?” As a school, we want to be the best at what we collectively do, which means that we must strive to be the best at what we each do.

Dear SSPPS Community, In professional football, few moments demand more grit than playoff games on the road to the Super Bowl. For the Philadelphia Eagles and star wide receiver A.J. Brown, the January 2025 playoff game against the Green Bay Packers marked the culmination of a season built on discipline, focus, and the pursuit of greatness. A viral photo of A.J. reading the book Inner Excellence on the sidelines captured the essence of elite performance—not just physical, but mental.

Jim Murphy’s Inner Excellence has resonated across athletic and corporate circles with its central message: excellence begins within. High performers, Murphy argues, train their minds as intentionally as their bodies. They cultivate calm under pressure, clarity in chaos, and a purpose beyond personal success.

As faculty and staff in a School of Pharmacy, we understand high standards. We coach and mentor students for healthcare and research environments that demand competence, resilience, ethical decision-making, and grace under pressure. Like coordinators on the field, we help shape their performance, encouraging them to leave everything on the field.

As we enter the thick of the semester, Inner Excellence invites us to reflect: How do we model excellence from within? How do we inspire our students and colleagues to rise to their own “Super Bowl moments”? And how do we pursue excellence not just in outcomes, but in mindset and intention?

The Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX victory reminds us that excellence is not a moment—it’s a mindset, forged long before game day. By committing to preparation, teamwork, and purpose, we can shape outcomes that reflect the very best of who we are, both on the field and in pharmacy.

Go Birds!

Chris Aquilante, PharmD Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Jim Murphy. Inner Excellence: Train Your Mind for Extraordinary Performance and the Best Possible Life. Orion, 2025. Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #14: Take a Positive Approach You have the power to choose your attitude. Strive to be authentically positive – your attitude affects and influences others. Act with optimism, be approachable, and be welcoming to others. Give people the benefit of the doubt. Bring your “best self” to every day and every task.

Dear SSPPS Community, Positivity is like sunlight through a window – it doesn’t change the view, but it brightens everything you see.

Taking a positive approach doesn’t mean ignoring difficulties; it means facing them with curiosity, resilience, and a belief that progress is always possible. Whether we’re navigating change, solving problems, or collaborating across teams, this mindset helps us stay focused on solutions and remain energized.

Lead with questions rather than accusations or assumptions: • “Who might have a fresh perspective on this?

• “What strengths do we have that we can lean on?”

• “How can we support each other through this?”

• “What’s one thing we’ve learned from this?”

• “What skills or insights are we building through this?”

• “What’s one small step we can take right now?”

• “How might this challenge help us improve going forward?”

Intentionally choosing to respond to situations with an attitude of positivity leads to a work environment that’s not only more enjoyable but also more productive and collaborative.

Regards, Shelly Lange Senior Business Operations Professional Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #15: Honor Commitments Do what you say you’re going to do and when you say you’ll do it. If a commitment can’t be fulfilled, notify others as soon as possible and agree on a new deliverable to be honored. Hold yourself accountable for honoring your commitment.

Dear SSPPS Community, We’ve all heard it before: Follow through. Walk the talk. If you start something, finish it. Lovely in theory, but… what does it really look like in the messy reality of daily life?

My rational brain knows we all have a finite amount of energy, focus, and motivation. Yet I still take on too much, feel overwhelmed, and struggle to honor my commitments. I’ve felt the sting of forgetting to follow up and letting someone down—not because the task was monumental, but because the trust behind it mattered.

This week, instead of focusing solely on accountability, I invite you to practice radical self-compassion and awareness. The therapist in me encourages a mindful approach to honoring commitments—not just to others, but to yourself. Before saying yes to something new: •

Pause and assess your current energy.

• If you’re overwhelmed, it’s okay to renegotiate or say no.

• Communicate early and clearly.

• Let go of perfection.

One concept that’s helped me is strategic underperformance: intentionally underperforming on low-leverage tasks to preserve energy on highimpact goals. When everything feels urgent and life moves faster than my nervous system can handle, I remind myself: Perfect is the enemy of done. Prioritize what truly matters—and let go of what doesn’t move you forward.

This isn’t about neglecting responsibilities. It’s about showing up with intention. I believe we’re all doing our best to honor our commitments and communicate when things change. This week, I challenge you: choose one or two goals that matter most. Honor those with care—and let the rest go.

Regards, Toni Qualantone, MA, NCC Director of Student Success and Wellness Office of Student Services Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #16: Show Recognition and Appreciation Celebrate colleagues' achievements and successes. Regularly extend meaningful acknowledgement and appreciation - in all directions throughout the school.

Dear SSPPS Community, I want to start by thanking each and every one of you for your hard work and dedication to SSPPS. Each person in the CU Family brings something unique and special to the table, and I want you to know that you are very much appreciated.

Showing recognition and appreciation doesn't have to be limited to celebrating high achievements or successes. I completed a 3-month intensive professional development and emotional intelligence program 7 years ago, and one of my favorite parts was "acknowledgements". At various times throughout the program (especially at graduation), we would take the time to acknowledge each other for not only our accomplishments, but for the impact we each made on those around us just by being who we were.

Do you have a colleague who goes out of their way to help any time you reach out to them? What about that colleague who makes work more enjoyable and fun simply by being there? These are small but mighty points of impact that often go unrecognized.

According to Forbes, "employee recognition is a critical component of building a strong workplace community and fostering employee loyalty. By recognizing and valuing employees' contributions, organizations can create a positive and supportive workplace culture that encourages employees to stay and do their best work".

I don't know about you, but when I am told I'm appreciated or that I am making an impact with my work, I feel a heightened sense of purpose and like what I do truly matters. (It also motivates me to work even harder.) How might you make a colleague's day by acknowledging them in an unexpected way today?

Regards, Stacey Hollen, PharmD, BCACP Clinical Assistant Professor Chronic Pain Management Department of Clinical Pharmacy Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #17: Help Others Succeed Take responsibility, both formally and informally, to coach, guide, and mentor others. Help others grow and succeed. The best way to influence others is through your own example.

Dear SSPPS Community, On a personal level, this fundamental resonates deeply with my own professional journey. I have been fortunate to learn from mentors who took the time to challenge and support me, and I strive to pay that forward by fostering growth in others — whether by offering constructive feedback, creating opportunities for professional advancement, or simply being available to listen.

But, as a highly competitive person, this wasn’t easy for me early in my career as I tried to meet the expectations for individual success in academia. Letting go of personal competition in favor of collective success takes humility, patience, and the realization that true leadership is defined not by personal victories, but by the success of those you help rise. It took a few missteps and some challenging situations along the way, but I finally found that balance, and it is what has driven me towards my goal to serve the department of clinical pharmacy, SSPPS, and the pharmacy profession.

Helping others succeed is at the heart of the SSPPS community and embodies our shared values. Fundamental #17 reminds us that individual achievement is amplified when we lift those around us — students, colleagues, staff, patients, and partners—toward their own potential. In academia and clinical practice, our greatest impact often comes not from personal accolades but from enabling others to grow, learn, and thrive.

At SSPPS, we see this every day: faculty guiding students through challenging clinical concepts, postgraduates mentoring peers, and teams celebrating shared accomplishments. Helping others succeed creates a culture of trust and excellence that benefits everyone—from learners to the patients who ultimately receive better care. By investing in others’ development, we reinforce the profession’s foundation of compassion and lifelong learning.

Helping others succeed isn’t just an act of kindness — it’s a professional responsibility. When we commit to teaching, mentoring, and supporting one another, we uphold the CU Pharmacy Way and ensure a legacy of excellence for generations to come. Success is not a zero-sum game; the more we elevate others, the more we all rise together.

References: 1. Maxwell, John C. The 360° Leader: Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization. Thomas Nelson; 2005. https://www.amazon.com/360-Degree-Leader-Developing-Organization/dp/1400203597 2. Covey SR. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Simon & Schuster; 2020. https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1982137134?tag=simonsayscom 3. Kram, Kathy E. Mentoring at Work: Developmental Relationships in Organizational Life. University Press of America; 1988. https://www.amazon.com/Mentoring-Work-Developmental-Relationships-Organizational/dp/081916755X 4. Kouzes, James M., and Barry Z. Posner. The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations. 7th ed. Jossey-Bass; 2023. https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Challenge-Extraordinary-Things-Organizations/dp/1119736129 Regards, Ty Kiser PharmD, FCCM, FCCP, BCCCP, BCPS Professor, Interim Chair Critical Care Pharmacy Department of Clinical Pharmacy Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #18: Find a Way Take personal responsibility for completing tasks. Maintain a solution-focused mindset rather than explaining why it can’t be done. Be resourceful and show initiative. Don’t make excuses or wait for others to solve the problem or seize the opportunity. Work with a sense of commitment to see solutions through to their completion.

Dear SSPPS Community, If you know me, you know I constantly daydream about mountaineering adventures and thoughts of what I want to climb next. So, when I saw the option for “Find a Way,” I couldn’t help but think of my climb up the Emmons Glacier route of Mount Rainier (Mount Tacoma) this July — 14,410 feet (4,390 m) of challenge, grit, and exhilaration.

This climb starts at 4,300 feet; it’s often steep, sometimes icy, but there is no place else more beautiful than those glaciated peaks. A random rockfall could ruin your day, and your average pack weighs 55 pounds. Sounds fun, right? By the time summit day arrives on day three, you’re ready to find a way to the top. Now, life isn’t just about reaching the summit; it’s about embracing the journey, but I’ll save that soapbox for another Fundamental.

On our first night, we faced 60 mph winds and very little sleep; imagine trying to sleep inside a potato chip bag during a tornado. The next afternoon, as we approached Camp Schurman (around 9,500 ft), we saw the aftermath of the same windstorm: tents scattered in crevasses, others crumpled like paper, and a few barely hanging on in the snow.

Up high, we could see a team inching down the glacier after an exhausting summit push. When they finally reached camp late that night, they shared how they’d been on the mountain for nearly 20 hours, delayed by a collapsing snow bridge that forced them to build anchors on both sides and cross the bridge one by one, hoping it didn’t fall under them. Oh, and now they’ve returned to find their tents all over Seattle. Yet, they were proud and almost boastful of their perseverance—how they “found a way.”

But what if finding a way sometimes means finding another way? Forcing the way can potentially lead to unexpected outcomes.

The next day, when our team reached that same snow bridge, instead of pressing on recklessly, we chose to descend part of the climb and navigate around the crevasse to a safer crossing. That decision caused our summit to take longer than planned (10 hours) and required more energy, but it reduced risk and led to success.

SSPPS has been around since 1911. We have a way of doing things, but is it always the right way? What if instead of saying, “In the past…” we chuck the tiny rearview mirror, throw on our badass Coach Prime sunglasses, and focus on the massive windshield of opportunity ahead?

Every day, we have the chance to find a way to be better—to meet challenges with confidence and resilience, to be innovative, and lead change. Sometimes, the best way forward starts with the courage to say: “Let’s find a new way.”

PS: Ok, ok, only because you asked: I want to climb the Volcanoes of Mexico next: El Pico de Orizaba (18,491 ft. / 5636 m), Sierra Negra (15,354 ft. / 4680 m), La Malinche (14,636 ft. / 4461 m).

Regards, Chandler Follett, PharmD Assistant Professor, Manager of Outreach and Engagement Programs Department of Clinical Pharmacy Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #19: Focus on the Team It’s about “us,” not any individual. Don’t let your personal agenda get in the way of doing what’s best for the team. Be there for each other and be willing to step into another role or help a colleague when that’s what’s required for success.

Dear SSPPS Community, That’s what we are — a community. A team. We work together, whether in person or remotely, to move toward our shared goals. When I reflect on the phrase “It’s about us, not any individual,” I’m reminded that effective teamwork means setting aside personal agendas and focusing on what best serves the group as a whole.

We are fortunate to have so many talented individuals within our school, but talent alone can only take us so far. As Michael Jordan once said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” When we embrace a team-focused mindset, we expand our perspective beyond what each of us knows individually and toward what we can achieve collectively. While our individual strengths are valuable, we limit our growth if we rely on them in isolation. By embracing collaboration, we unlock our shared potential — and together, we can go the distance.

There are many strategies and ideas for strengthening teams, but one article I recently read offered a framework for building a “dream team.”

What stood out to me was how many of its principles align with our own SSPPS Fundamentals. For example, Fundamental #6 Act with Transparency reminds us that openness and honest communication are essential for progress. Likewise, Fundamental #16 Show Recognition and Appreciation highlights how creating a culture of gratitude motivates and uplifts us all.

Fundamentally (pun intended), we must look out for one another. Life brings its challenges, and having a supportive team to rely on can truly make all the difference in our work experience. When we focus on each other more than ourselves, we not only find greater joy in our day-to-day interactions, but we also rise beyond the minimum and reach our limitless potential.

We truly are better together.

As I close my thoughts on this week’s fundamental, I want to express my gratitude to every one of you for being part of this team. I look forward to continuing to learn, grow, and succeed alongside you.

Fundamentally yours, Kayla Bethea M. Ed. Program Manager PharmD Education Dean's Office Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #20: Get Clear on Expectations Create clarity and avoid misunderstandings by discussing needs and expectations upfront. Set expectations for others and ask when you’re unclear about what they expect of you. End all meetings with clarity about action items, responsibilities, and due dates.

Dear SSPPS Community, As I reflect on the importance of setting clear expectations, I am reminded of Brené Brown’s concept of “paint done” from her book Dare to Lead.

To “paint done” is to provide someone with the exact details of what the final product should like. If you are like me, you can probably think of numerous personal examples of why expectations are important, so here are a few helpful tips from Brown on how to do this more effectively.

How to "paint done" • Start with the request: When giving or receiving a task, take a moment to ask the person to “paint done for me.”

• Collaborate on the picture: Discuss the specifics, such as the deadline, the format of the final output, the purpose of the task, and any potential obstacles.

• Add detail and context: The conversation should go beyond just the final product to include information like what data to use, what the end product will be used for, and the consequences of not completing it.

• Encourage questions: This process creates space for curiosity and allows team members to ask clarifying questions to fully understand the expectations.

• Aim for shared understanding: The goal is to co-create a shared vision of what success looks like, which fosters commitment and collaboration.

Benefits of using "paint done" • Reduces misunderstandings: This simple phase can help uncover "stealth expectations" and ensures everyone has the same information.

• Improves collaboration: Co-creating a vision fosters curiosity and learning by creating a shared picture of the work.

• Increases efficiency: By clearly defining the task upfront, it prevents wasted effort and rework.

• Boosts success: Ultimately, it leads to greater success because everyone is working toward the same clear goals.

Happy painting!

Warmly, Amanda Ryder Director of Admissions and Student Recruitment Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #21: Deliberate and Decide Healthy, dynamic discussion and analysis create better solutions. Deliberate concepts without making issues personal. Debate ideas respectfully and push for the best solution or approach for the school rather than your solution through compromise.

Dear SSPPS Community, As someone going through a Master’s program in Counseling, one of the most powerful tools I use to foster growth is the phrase “Yes, and…” It’s a simple shift in language, but it opens the door to possibility, collaboration, and progress. Instead of shutting down ideas with “Yes, but…,” we build on them by acknowledging what’s been said and adding something new. It’s a mindset that invites curiosity and connection, rather than defensiveness or dismissal.

This week’s Fundamental, reminds us that healthy, dynamic discussion is essential to finding the best solutions. It’s not about winning an argument or pushing our own agenda; it’s about engaging in respectful debate that moves the school forward. When we deliberate with a “Yes, and…” approach, we create space for innovation, compromise, and shared ownership of ideas.

We’ve all been in meetings where tension rises and perspectives clash. That’s normal and even necessary. But when we remember that disagreement isn’t personal, and that every voice adds value, we shift from competition to collaboration. We stop trying to be right and start trying to get it right.

This mindset is especially important in a school like ours, where diverse expertise and experiences converge. Whether we’re discussing curriculum, student support, or strategic planning, our strength lies in our ability to listen generously, challenge respectfully, and decide deliberately.

So, this week, I invite you to practice “Yes, and…”, in conversations, in meetings, and even in moments of disagreement. Let’s build on each other’s ideas, push for the best outcomes, and keep our focus on what serves the school as a whole.

Cheers, Brad Bobel, BA Digital Marketing Professional Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #22: Respond Promptly Respond to inquiries and messages as quickly as possible, whether in person, on the phone, or by email. This includes simply acknowledging that you received the communication, and you are “on it,” as well as keeping those involved continuously updated on the status.

Dear SSPPS Community, When I read this fundamental, I immediately think about email responses. Is my Outlook all clean and shiny? NOPE. Do I have way too many flagged emails? OH YEAH! I also have been blessed with a brain that likes to wake me up at 2:00 AM and say, “Remember that email you said you would reply to yesterday?!” so I know the importance of dedicating time to email management. On top of this, my role within our Office of Student Services involves meeting with our learners and helping coach them through time management and prioritizing skills. You think I would be an expert, but we are all a work in progress when it comes to responding promptly (unless you have mastered it, in which case, why are you not writing this?!?) so I decided it would be best to simply serve up some tips and tricks that help make responding promptly a bit easier!

Outlook Features to Enable Prompt Email Responses: Use Flags and Categories: Flag emails for follow-up and color-code categories.

Set Up Quick Steps: Automate common actions like 'Reply & Archive'. o My Favorites: Forward to Manager, Team Notify, Mark as Read & Move to a Specific Folder.

• Create Rules: As mentioned by Dr. Vondracek in a previous fundamental cycle, automatically sort or highlight emails from key contacts. o Useful Rules: Flag Emails from your Manager, Forward Student Emails to a Shared Inbox, Automatically Move Certain Email to a Different Folder.

Time Management Strategies • •

Schedule Email Blocks: Check and respond at set times (e.g., 9 AM, 1 PM, 4 PM). o I always have Monday mornings, and Friday afternoons set aside for email review and reply. This makes sure I can sleep easy over the weekend and anything emergent that came in on Saturday and Sunday is tackled first thing Monday.

• Use the 'Two-Minute Rule': If a reply takes less than 2 minutes, do it immediately.

• Delay Delivery for Thoughtful Replies: Use 'Delay Send' to revise or batch responses.

Behavioral Tips •

Keep Replies Short and Clear: Use templates or canned responses. o A few of my go-to-templates are acknowledging receipt, providing information, and redirecting or referring. o You can even store your templates in Outlook and pull them for use as needed!

• Mark Emails as 'Unread' or 'To-Do': For later attention if you can't respond immediately.

• Use the Drafts Folder Strategically: Start replies when you have a moment, finish later.

This post wouldn’t be complete without bringing in my dear friend, Co-Pilot. You can ask Co-Pilot how to set up Quick Steps, Create Rules, and Design and Upload some great Email Templates into Outlook.

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I will wrap up this fundamental by saying grace can go a long way. Many of us contemplate sending the gentle nudge or reminder for fear it will be received poorly or be viewed as aggressive. Try not to be defensive if you receive a reminder and put yourself in their shoes as they may have others waiting on them as well. Here is to hoping the new year starts off with a balanced and manageable inbox!

Sincerely, Liz MacLean, M.A. Senior Academic Student Advisor Office of Student Services Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #23: Be a School Ambassador Each of us is responsible for and benefits from our school’s image and reputation. Consider how your actions affect our collective reputation and be a proud ambassador for the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Make a genuine effort to support school initiatives and events.

Dear SSPPS Community, I recently saw something about the price of your “village” or “community,” often being inconvenient. The example was that sometimes showing up for others involves doing it on a date or time that could be inconvenient for you, or a time you just want to be at home. Showing up for others can inconvenience you in the moment but then offers the rewards of others showing up for you when you need it.

Debbie, how does this relate to being a “school ambassador?”

I view this school and all of you as a large part of my village. Participating in events that make the school thrive and help build relationships among employees and students is a small price to pay for growing my community and for showing how awesome our school is to outsiders.

Being an ambassador to our school to me is volunteering when I can to help set up or tear down an event or be a friendly face to a new group of potential students coming to check us out. I try to pay attention to student announcements and participate when I can. Tossing a couple of bean bags on my lunch hour has paid dividends back in collegial relationships with you all and our students.

I also view this as reppin’ CU Pharmacy on my clothing. I have found different items through our student organization fundraisers which is a great way to get something new while supporting our students. CU Anschutz just put out a brand store, so maybe they will have the ability to provide something for you. Here is the link. Our logo can be placed on a variety of items.

There are many ways to be a school ambassador, and I have shared a couple of ways that come to my mind first. I’d love to hear what this means to you!

Have a fantastic December ahead!

Kindly, Debbie Gallegos, PharmD, CPS, CPPs 2019-2025 Assistant Director of Experiential Programs, Health System IPPE Course Director, Advanced IPPE Course Director Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.

Fundamental #24: Enjoy What You Do While our passion for excellence is real, remember that the world has bigger problems than the daily challenges that make up your work. Keep perspective. Don't take issues personally or take yourself too seriously. Have fun.

Dear SSPPS Community, I’ve been reflecting on how easy it is for our days to become packed with responsibilities and deadlines, and how important it is to stay connected to the parts of our work that genuinely bring us joy. “Enjoying what you do” isn’t about expecting every moment to be effortless, it’s about noticing those sparks that remind us why we’re here: mentoring a student through a breakthrough, celebrating the passion for discovery that drives our science, or sharing a meaningful conversation with a colleague.

When we give ourselves permission to enjoy these moments, our work becomes more fulfilling, and that positive energy doesn’t stop at the office door. It spills into our personal lives, making us more present, more balanced, and more grounded for the people around us.

Enjoyment is contagious. When we bring enthusiasm, curiosity, and joy into our daily interactions, it helps create an environment where we all feel inspired and our colleagues feel supported. It strengthens our community in ways both big and small.

Have a great week!

Kindly, Julio Aguado, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Learn more about the CU Pharmacy Way, including weekly email archives, photos, culture resources, and more.