Compass Sept 2017 EN large

2017
THE C MPASS
SEPTEMBER
Blue Culture/
CoRE Edition!
IN THIS ISSUE
A message from Mike Motz
Page 2
Thanks to You celebration
Page 3
SDM 2234
Vancouver, B.C.
Shifting mindsets with b3
Page 4
Bringing our culture & values
to life in stores
Pages 6 & 7
Our CORE Values in action
Page 8
Making connections
during #EatTogether Day
Pages 10 & 11
Collaborating to put our
patients’ health first
Page 9
Blue Culture / CORE takeover!
By now you probably know our Blue Culture principles (be authentic, build trust and make connections),
and are familiar with our CORE Values (Care, Ownership, Respect and Excellence). We talk a lot about them when we
come together for conferences, town halls, or team meetings, but what happens when we get back to our teams? What
really makes Blue Culture our culture, and what really makes CORE come to life? We decided to take this full issue of The
Compass to show you!
Blue Culture and CORE come to life when our store teams and colleagues across the country live these principles and
values every day. So, we put out a call for your best examples of how your teams are being “blue” and exemplifying CORE –
and we got an amazing response. This Blue Culture/CORE takeover allows us to celebrate the great work being done across
our entire organization, while also inspiring each other with ideas that can be adapted to fit any team. We’ve got everything
from team stories to customer testimonials and of course, lots and lots of photos!
With an edition of The Compass this good, we know you’ll be dying to dig in, so what are you waiting for? Go on, get started!

A message from Mike Motz
When we decided to focus an entire edition of The Compass
on Blue Culture and CORE Values, I took a moment to think
back on the Shoppers Drug Mart culture journey and how far
we’ve come.
In early July, the entire city of Williams Lake, B.C. was ordered to
evacuate. At that point, the staff of SDM 283 and I were forced to
find a place to wait out the evacuation, resulting in staff being
scattered throughout the province and beyond. It was almost
two full weeks (for some of us longer) that we were not allowed
to go home. When the evacuation order was downgraded to an
alert, staff began to make their way home and attempt to return
to a normal routine. Shortly after returning home, I received a
package from George Cloete, Associate-owner at SDM 327 in Fort
McMurray, Alta. and his team. Enclosed were gift cards and cash
that the employees of SDM 327 had personally donated, along
with a letter. The letter said that as soon as they heard about how
we had been affected by the wildfires they immediately asked
themselves, “what can we do?” The letter went on to detail that it
came from the hearts of the employees at SDM 327 and that they
were so happy to hear we were all back home safe, and wished us
all a quick recovery. When I read the letter, I was moved to tears
at the kindness of the staff of SDM 327! What a team!
- Chad Francis, Associate-owner, SDM 283, Williams Lake, B.C.
The first thing that occurred to me is that we’ve been on this
path to evolve our culture for quite some time now and we’ve
made some great progress. We’ve seen improvements in the
way our Central Office colleagues work together with Associateowners
and their store teams to better serve our customers.
We’ve seen an improvement in our engagement scores, both
at Central Office and with store teams. And most of all, we’ve
seen an improvement with our business results.
These improvements didn’t happen by chance. In 2016, we
moved Blue Culture and CORE closer to the centre of our
Strategic Framework. This signals that these concepts should
inform how we think and act every day – and we are certainly
seeing that come to life when we see changes in thinking and
behaviours across the organization.
The rollout of b3 (this year for Central Office, next year for
Associate-owners and their store teams) is another chapter in
our ongoing culture journey. I use the term “ongoing” because
it’s important that we do not become complacent. We need to
continuously and consistently work at our culture to stay on
top and to evolve our business. With all of the pressure we are
facing, we need to ensure we are living our values day in and
day out to protect and grow our culture.
I wanted to share with you an example I recently came across
of a store team being truly dedicated to CORE.
This heartfelt example of the team at SDM 327 coming
together to help another store team in need is a great example
of CORE and Blue in action. But you don’t need to perform
a grand gesture to be living CORE and Blue. The actions
you take and behaviours you exhibit on a daily basis play an
important role. I encourage you to think of the small things
you can do and actions you can take to embed Blue Culture
principles and our CORE Values into everything you do.
I look forward to the next chapter of our culture journey and
seeing the great results that will no doubt follow!
Sincerely,
Mike Motz
Page • 2

SEPTEMBER 2017
Thanks to you!
We do a lot of awesome work at Shoppers Drug Mart – none of which would be possible without our people. It’s each and every
one of you who bring our company’s many initiatives to life. On Friday, September 8, we paused to show our appreciation. At
Central Office, colleagues gathered for the Thanks to You BBQ, which featured delicious food, casino and carnival games,
awesome prizes and tons of BLUE! Check out the photos below to see how colleagues celebrated the fun-filled day.
Page • 3

Shifting mindsets one b3 session at a time
As a part of our culture strategy and journey, we are working
to shift the mindsets of over 200,000 colleagues across the
enterprise – and that is no easy task! How will we make it
happen? We are employing a number of tactics, one of which
is a workshop called b3: better me, better we, better Loblaw.
Since June, 440 SDM Central Office colleagues have
participated in a b3 session, and by the end of 2017, the
remaining 550 colleagues will have also completed it. The
SDM Peers Chairs have also taken part, with the Peers
Groups planned for later this fall.
So, what are these sessions all about? Teams of
approximately 30 colleagues attend this two-day off-site
session where they are reminded of our culture frameworks
(e.g., Blue Culture principles and CORE Values), and an
awareness is built around personal habits, which inspires
individual change.
Together, the team works through interactive activities that
help them discover how they can work together, differently,
to achieve breakthrough results and help lead the culture
change. But just in case you haven’t completed your session
yet, we don’t want to spoil anything for you, so we’ll save the
real juicy details for you to experience on your own!
The b3 rollout to SDM retail locations will begin in early
2018 and continue throughout the year.
First off, thank you, thank you, thank you. I have just completed the
b3 two-day training and I can already see the shift and benefits.
This is the single most powerful training I have participated in my
entire working life (and that is, unfortunately, a lot longer than I would like
to admit). I am so moved the organization is making this huge investment
in us – in me! I really would love to be an integral part of this journey to
change our culture – both for professional and personal reasons. From our
last session, I understand there are openings for b3 Ambassadors, and I
would like to be considered. Please sign me up!
- Mary Sumners, Senior Marketing Manager, Health & Wellness
Page • 4

SEPTEMBER 2017
Living Blue at the Patient Contact Centre
At the Patient Contact Centre (PCC) in Mississauga, being “blue” has become a way of life! Throughout the year, the team
has been hard at work implementing a variety of initiatives to help colleagues understand and embrace Blue Culture. We
chatted with Ann Abdelmessih, Operations Manager at the PCC, to get the scoop on what they’ve been up to.
Workshops
Staff participated in four separate Blue Culture workshops,
which included a variety of different group activities. “We
wanted to help foster connections, build trust as a team and
promote ‘blue’ thinking and behaviours,” says Ann. “The
workshops really helped to lay the foundation for what being
‘blue’ means and what our ideal culture looks like.”
East meets west
Teams on the east side of the building met with teams on the
west side to mingle and engage in some friendly competition.
“These types of events bring every single member of our team
together whether through design, planning or participation,”
says Ann. “It reinforces that creating the culture we want to
work in is ultimately our collective responsibility.”
B-day bashes
“We make a point to always celebrate everyone’s birthday,” says Ann. “It’s
a nice feeling when you’re celebrated not just for the big achievements, but
for the small things too.”
After work fun
“We encourage each team to go out and do something together
outside of work once every couple of periods,” says Ann.
“It really helps re-frame the energy at work – and is also a
lot of fun!” Some events organized by teams have included
rollerskating and escape rooms.
Costume showdown
Halloween is taken very seriously at the PCC! “Every year
we compete and vote on the best team costume,” says Ann.
“There is a lot of preparation that goes into it!”
Page • 5

Bringing our values and culture to life in stores
Into the Blue.
There’s a whole corner in
the staff room dedicated
to Blue Culture at SHHC
8478 in Brampton, Ont.
Make your mark. The team at SDM 1413 in Ajax, Ont. painted and
signed a blue wall in their staff room to make their own mark on the store,
as well as to show their commitment to being “blue.”
Sharing is caring!
Staff at SDM 1221
in Brooklin, Ont. are
encouraged to post
personal photos and
“anything that makes
them feel good!” says
District Manager Kam
Kooner. “It helps to
make connections and
build trust between staff
members as they discuss
the photos and get a
glimpse into each other’s
personal lives.”
Page • 6

SEPTEMBER 2017
Branching out.
SDM 989 in Toronto, Ont.
got creative and painted
a CORE Values and Blue
Culture tree mural!
Giving back. Associates across Nova Scotia came together to
assemble 200 shoeboxes full of product to donate to nine local
women’s shelters in the Halifax area.
Thank you, Sumi
Blue tips. The Blue Board at
SHHC 8467 in Kitchener, Ont. is a
go-to culture resource for the store
team. Bonus blue: This is the first year
SHHC is participating in the Growing
Women’s Health campaign! Aren’t the
shirts a lovely shade of BLUE?
“Recently, a long-standing member of
my pharmacy team at SDM 328, Sumi
Kim, became worried when a regular,
daily dispense patient had not been into
the store in a couple of days. She tried
calling him a number of times, but was
unable to get a hold of him. Concerned
for his safety, Sumi reached out to
the authorities. Upon arriving at his
home, the police discovered that he had
fallen down and was in need of medical
assistance. He was immediately taken to the hospital for emergency
care. Later, the patient’s brother stopped by our store to express his
gratitude to Sumi. Were it not for her, the patient may have been found
too late. Thank you, Sumi, for the genuine CARE that you demonstrate to
your patients.”
- Nicholas Leong, Associate-owner, SDM 328 & 2469, Edmonton, Alta.
Page • 7

Our CORE Values in action
Our Blue Culture and CORE Values are at the centre of everything we do. Nowhere is this more apparent than in our stores,
where our Care, Ownership, Respect and Excellence come to life. Take a look at some of the great comments we’ve received
from our customers, who are appreciative of the values we demonstrate every day!
“I was recently diagnosed with lupus, which causes severe photosensitivity problems. I
went into SDM to replace all of my make-up with sensitive products. I also wanted them
to be cruelty-free and of high quality. I was treated so amazingly by Anu from beginning to
end. She genuinely CARED about my health and respected my choice to only buy cruelty-free
products. When I went home, I actually teared up a bit because the experience made me feel
so wonderful and special!” - SDM 243, West Vancouver, B.C.
“After I had checked out, I discovered that I had paid for an item that was supposed to be free.
When I went back to Jaleisya and showed her the discrepancy, she was very apologetic and
corrected the mistake, as well as giving me the bonus Optimum points that had been missed.
Even though it was inconvenient for me, Jaleisya did everything she could to correct it quickly,
and was so friendly and helpful!” - SDM 1096, Cambridge, Ont.
“I ran into SDM five minutes before closing, and was surprised to see Steph still at the cash
since I had been in the store much earlier and saw her then. Apparently, she had volunteered to
stay past her shift to cover for an employee who was ill. While waiting in line to pay, I could see
the woman in front of me was being a little difficult. Even though Steph had put in an extremely
long day, she showed poise and dealt with this customer with the deepest respect. I was truly
impressed with her maturity and demeanor during this challenging time. Thank you Steph for
showing respect and for being there for your co-worker!” - SDM 788, Port Colborne, Ont.
“Today the pharmacy tech called me and explained that with the antibiotics I was first
prescribed, I might have a reaction because of my penicillin allergy. She called the dentist
and got a safe antibiotic to replace the one he had prescribed. Without her noticing this, I
might be in the emergency ward right now. Thank you!” - SDM 401, Prince Albert, Sask.
Page • 8

SEPTEMBER 2017
Culture-shaping at CPAK
Ice cream days, milestone celebrations, employee
appreciation events – these are just some of the recent
“blue” events and activities the Compliance Pack
(CPAK) team in Mississauga have been treated to.
“It’s important that our staff knows how much we
appreciate all their hard work and dedication,” says
Peter Tolios, Pharmacy Manager, CPAK Shared
Services. “These types of engagement activities help
us recognize our staff, and helps ensure that we
are living our motto: To succeed externally, we first
need to succeed internally. We are all a big family
here, and we strongly believe that if the entire family
is happy, then we can accomplish a great deal. The
success of the team requires the success of each
and every person.”
Peter is also focused on ensuring that any new
additions to the team immediately feel like a part
of the CPAK family. “We have an excellent and
immersive on-boarding process,” says Peter. “We
want new staff to be engaged right away and become
part of shaping our Blue Culture.”
Kudos to you Peter and the entire CPAK “family” for
your passion and commitment to our culture journey!
Collaborating to put our
patients’ health first
For patients like Tony, living
with Hepatitis C, taking the
specialty medication Epclusa is a
revolutionary treatment that provides
a cure for his disease. A delay in
starting this medication can result in
mild flu-like symptoms or in extreme
cases, liver failure.
Due to the high cost of Tony’s
Nicole
medication (a course of treatment
costs $60,000), additional approvals are required before
the pharmacy can process the prescription. Collaboration
between the Retail Specialty Support team operated by SHN
and the retail SDM pharmacy team is imperative so that Tony
receives the therapy he needs.
The SHN team assists Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacies
with questions related to medication reimbursement, drug
access and coordination of prescription referrals for patients
enrolled in a preferred pharmacy network. So, when Khushali
Shah, a Pharmacy Technician at SDM 826 in Scarborough,
Ont., received Tony’s prescription, she reached out to Nicole
Strong from the SHN team for assistance.
“Khushali and I worked together through the whole process
to ensure Tony’s profile was set up correctly,” says Nicole.
“She was very patient and responsive as I gave her step-bystep
instructions for dispensing the product, as well as how
the claim should be processed.”
Specialty drugs often have complex billing. These processes
can be quite laborious for the pharmacy technician or
pharmacist, taking away valuable time they could be
spending assisting patients.
“Thanks to Nicole’s assistance, I was able to work through
Tony’s file efficiently so that his prescription was ready
when he arrived to pick it up later
that evening, and he was able to
start his therapy on time,” says
Khushali.
Khushali
When we work collaboratively and
cross-functionally, we’re able to
provide our patients with the best
care possible, helping to improve
their health outcomes – now
that’s Blue!
Page • 9

We ate together... and good things happened
Nothing brings us together quite like eating
together. We build stronger relationships, we’re
happier and we share more – what’s on our minds,
how our day was and the meal we’ve made.
SDM 2222, Surrey, B.C.
The power of sharing a meal is something we
all got behind on June 29 during #EatTogether
Day, Loblaw’s formal challenge to Canadians
to connect with family, friends or co-workers
by enjoying breakfast, lunch or dinner together
(heck, maybe even all three!). The response from
colleagues and store teams was overwhelming,
with many posting their experiences on Yammer
and other social media platforms.
Have a look at some of the photos that were
shared – and get inspired to keep the momentum
of the #EatTogether movement going strong!
SDM 1177, Brampton, Ont.
SDM 397, Edmonton, Alta.
Central offiice
Page • 10

SEPTEMBER 2017
SDM 2203, Coquitlam, B.C.
ice
Loblaw head offi
Montreal offi
ice
SDM 1467, Windsor, Ont.
SDM 246, Burnaby, B.C.
SDM 121, Mount Pearl, N.L.
Page • 11

THE
C MPASS
Published by Internal Communications four times a year
for all Shoppers Drug Mart colleagues,
Associate-owners and their store teams.
© 2017 Shoppers Drug Mart Inc.
We’d love to hear your feedback on The Compass.
Please send your story ideas, suggestions and questions to:
internalcommunications@shoppersdrugmart.ca