FEATURE
5 Ways to Build and Preserve Team Culture
By Kim McGuire
T
he last two years have provided all of us, especially the
have values around health and wellness, compassion, service, technology, quality?
dental community, ample opportunity for leaders to learn
Next, creating your vision statement is a process that will further clarify where
how to embrace change, be flexible, pivot our focus and
the practice is going, how you take the very best care of patients, the environment
continue to provide excellent patient care. We have found
you want to create and who you ideally want to serve. Finally, adopting a set of
dental practices that are not only surviving, but thriving, are
team agreements will establish a code of conduct the team can follow to execute
those who have taken leadership and vision focus to the next
that vision. An example of an agreement would be, “We agree not to subgroup
level. Practices of all shapes and sizes have faced staff turnover in one form or
(gossip) about our patients or each other,” or “We agree to accept responsibility
another due to various reasons. A visit to your local restaurant or retail outlet
for our actions and to provide a supportive environment for our teammates.” This
certainly means you have experienced this as a customer.
process will align your culture so you can attract and retain team members.
We know if you take the very best care of your patients, the money and profits will
Choose the Right People
follow! And to do that you must have a solid team culture. So how do you find, retain and grow your team? What we know is people come to a job for money, however that is not why they stay. They stay because they feel connected to the culture of your organization and the purposeful work you do.
Values, Vision and Agreements Defining your core values is the first step in creating a strong culture. Taking the time to decide what is most important to you will help define your vision. Do you
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Here are some steps to finding the right members to join the team: • Know what technical and emotional skills are needed in a team member (review core values and vision as stated above). • Make your ad stand out - use personality, brag about great culture and let candidates know what kind of experience the patient has at the practice. • Potential candidates are reviewing social media, website and reviews; make sure the online presence represents the culture an ideal candidate wants to join.
