Do's and don'ts for creating a positive practice culture

One aspect of team building that dentists rarely think about is creating a culture that the team wants to belong to. By creating an environment where people feel happy and satisfied that they are helping patients, improving the lives of people, and making a difference, you have a wonderful opportunity to drive a highly desirable practice culture. The feeling of belonging is a powerful emotion that creates a desire to remain in the job and perform well each day.

Create core values. The starting point of building a culture is identifying your core values. Core values are the four to six values that you and your team will never violate, no matter what. Core values include concepts such as integrity, teamwork, quality, excellence, positive attitude, and enthusiasm.

Don't forget your mission and core values. It's up to the leader to make the core values and the mission front and center. By this I mean that you have to talk about them, refer to them, and include them in conversations. Working at this day by day will create a positive culture to which people will want to belong.

Dr. Roger P. Levin is CEO of Levin Group, a leading practice management and marketing consulting firm. To contact him or to join the 40,000 dental professionals who receive his Practice Production Tip of the Day, visit LevinGroup.com or email [email protected].

The comments and observations expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of DrBicuspid.com, nor should they be construed as an endorsement or admonishment of any particular idea, vendor, or organization.