4th cycle Fundamentals Collection

4TH CYCLE

CU PHARMACY WAY

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

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.