DR. ACE GOERIG
OWNER & CO-FOUNDER
For everyone, including you and your team members, the need to earn a living is a fact of life. You probably spend more time at work than any other single activity in your life, except for sleeping.
If your work environment is one that you are only enduring and not enjoying, it drains your energy. Creating a workplace in which enjoyment thrives alongside patient care and productivity is vital. Here are some ways to evolve your practice and team culture so that you are having fun every day:
Remove key stress factors
Fun in the practice takes its cues from you as the practice owner. If you are sullen and gloomy because of stress, your team culture is going to reflect your negative energy. By far, the top stress factors for many endodontists are persistent financial stress and unbalanced time stress. Both factors are particularly poisonous because they affect more than just your practice; you carry that stress into your family life as well.
Removing financial stress, such as debt and cashflow concerns, and restoring work-life balance are primarily achieved by increasing practice profitability. That often means making a strategic decision to invest in team-driven growth at a time when your “stress brain” is telling you to resist change, pull back, and batten down the hatches. You are usually your own worst counsellor in this situation, and it’s best to rely on an expert coach.
Hire for attitude
Having fun is a lot easier when you are working with team members who have the right attitude, are team focused, and have a personality that contributes to office harmony and enjoyment. When the hiring market is so competitive and in-depth training is a necessity regardless of who you find, hire people with the right attitude. Similarly, sometimes you need to fire for attitude. If someone on your team is consistently creating issues and toxic drama for you and everyone else, it’s time to move them on.
Praise and celebrate
I can tell you without a doubt that every person on your team appreciates recognition and praise. As often as you can, regularly provide genuine praise to each and every team member. It doesn’t have to be showy. In fact, it’s best as a one-on-one personalized moment that enhances your professional relationship and creates an uplifting positive vibe for your team member.
Equally important are celebrations, which should be something the whole team can enjoy. Every day, the team should celebrate something. It can be personal milestones like birthdays or employment anniversaries. It can be special events like holidays. It can be celebrating a new referrer, hitting a productivity goal, or any number of practice-related factors. The point is to create a feel-good moment that unites everyone.
Lead by example
As the doctor, you set the tone for the team. If you are making an effort to enjoy every day, and you try to help your team enjoy every day too, the team will follow your lead. If you’re always smiling, your team members will be smiling. If you share funny stories or good-natured jokes, your team will also. It’s an infectious process and you are the primary carrier.
Your leadership is especially important when things aren’t perfect. “Stuff happens” and you’ve got to separate how you may feel in the moment from how your team needs to be led by you. By all means, if the moment requires corrective action, then take it. But for the little, inconsequential, inadvertent or accidental things, shake it off with a laugh that puts everyone at ease.
Provide vision and motivation
Don’t underestimate the importance of giving your team a vision. Shared effort and achievement around goals enhances team unity and strengthens interpersonal bonds. Teams that know how to work together to conquer goals are teams that can enjoy each other and have fun together. A strong guiding vision also prevents distractions (such as personal issues or gossip) from interfering with teamwork.
Connected with your vision and goals can be motivation tools such as a team bonus system. A bonus system should be a meaningful opportunity for the team to take part in the practice’s growth and success. It “gamifies” the practice’s goals and creates a fun focal point around which team celebrations can occur. A great bonus system creates the opportunity for daily celebrations.
"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success."
— Albert Schweitzer —