Ok, let’s clear something up right away.
If you’re a pharmacy owner who:
- Thinks things through carefully
- Wants to “get it right”
- Reads, listens, plans, and analyzes
You’re not broken. You’re just stuck in analysis mode.
It’s very common for us pharmacy owners to be like this (thanks for nothing, pharmacy school).
And analysis mode feels productive… right up until nothing actually changes.
The Real Problem Isn’t Ideas. It’s Decision Gravity
Most pharmacy owners don’t lack ideas. They lack decision gravity.
That’s the force that pulls a decision out of your head and into:
- A calendar
- A person’s job description
- A specific day something happens
Without that gravity, ideas just float around.
You think about them. You talk about them. You almost start them.
And then pharmacy life happens and those cool ideas sit around and collect dust and anxiety.
How Analytical Owners Accidentally Avoid Execution
Here’s what I see all the time with smart, thoughtful owners:
They ask:
- “What’s the best option?”
- “What if we do this and it fails?”
- “Should we wait until we know more?”
Those are reasonable questions.
But execution-oriented leaders ask different questions:
- “What’s the next testable step?”
- “What happens if we don’t act for 90 days?”
- “What’s the simplest version that moves cash flow or time?”
Execution isn’t reckless. It’s bounded.
System #1: Replace “Planning Time” With a Weekly Execution Block
If execution doesn’t have a time slot, it doesn’t exist.
Here’s the rule:
If it’s important enough to talk about, it’s important enough to schedule.
One hour.
Same day.
Every week.
This is not:
- Checking email
- Putting out fires
- Helping at pickup
This is where you:
- Choose one initiative
- Decide the next step
- Assign ownership
- Put the next action on the calendar
Execution loves rhythm.
System #2: Limit Yourself to One Active Initiative Per Quarter
This one makes analytical owners uncomfortable — and that’s how you know it works.
Most pharmacies try to run:
- 5 initiatives
- 3 “kind of” projects
- 2 half-built systems
Execution-focused pharmacies run:
- One priority
- With everything else in maintenance mode
Ask yourself: “If this is the only thing that works this quarter, would it still be worth it?”
If the answer is no… it’s not the right initiative. And that’s ok. Simply choose a new one and move forward.
If you want some extra guidance on how to set effective goals for your pharmacy, check out this blog. I outline my favorite method for goal-setting in it with the exact steps you need to take.
System #3: Define the “Done State” Before You Start
Analysis paralysis thrives in vagueness.
Execution thrives in clarity.
Before starting anything, define:
- What does “done” actually look like?
- What result tells us this worked?
- Who decides when it’s complete?
Example:
❌ “We’re going to improve cash flow.”
✅ “We will reduce our line of credit balance by $X by [date].”
If “done” isn’t clear, execution will stall.
System #4: Assign a Single Owner (Not a Committee)
Nothing kills execution faster than shared ownership.
If everyone owns it… no one owns it. Every initiative needs:
- One owner
- One decision-maker
- One person accountable for momentum
That doesn’t mean they do everything. It means they move it forward.
A Real Example: How Execution Paid Down a Line of Credit
One owner I worked with wasn’t short on ideas—she had too many.
We didn’t add anything new.
We:
- Picked one initiative tied directly to cash flow
- Defined what “done” looked like
- Put weekly execution time on her calendar
- Assigned ownership clearly
No perfection. No panic.
Just steady execution.
That single focus helped her pay off her pharmacy’s line of credit. Not through heroics, but through consistency.
System #5: Stop Measuring “Effort” and Start Measuring Completion
Analytical owners often reward:
- Thinking
- Research
- Planning
- “Working on it”
Execution-focused owners reward:
- Finished steps
- Implemented systems
- Results on the calendar
At the end of each week, ask:
“What is now true that wasn’t true last week?”
If nothing changed, execution didn’t happen.
Final Thought
You don’t need fewer ideas. You don’t need to think less.
You need guardrails or systems that pull thinking into action.
Execution isn’t a personality trait. It’s a structure.
And when you build that structure, even thoughtful, analytical pharmacy owners become decisive, focused, and far less overwhelmed.
If you’re looking for extra accountability and clarity on how to grow your pharmacy?
Or if you’d like my personal help to help you dial in on the biggest-leverage moves you should make?
Check out Pharmacy Badass University. It’s a step-by-step system I personally tested and created to transform pharmacies into smooth-running, continuously profitable businesses.
