Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast

Iwent to school for more than 12 years to become a “professional” and was told to just “build it and they will come.” I chose the most populated location where the influence of money is obvious, and spared no expense when it came to hiring designers, marketers and staff members, while also implementing the latest technology.

When I thought I was ready, the ceiling came tumbling down. All I wanted to do is practice dentistry!

The money was coming in as my patient base started to grow, yet the ocean was not calm. I hired the top consultants and the finances, protocols, systems and advertising have all been put into place. My team was not happy and I was not happy. But why?

It all boiled down to culture. Culture is the language of large corporations and businesses like Zappos, WalMart and Starbucks, and it is the glue that creates loyalty, happiness and the motivation to come to work everyday. It is the reason team members don’t quit their jobs.

What Is Culture?

Webster’s Dictionary defines culture as the set of shared attitudes, values, goals and practices that characterizes an institution or organization.

The culture is what we do and say, the way we behave, the way we treat each other, our products, our customers, our community and ourselves. In essence, it’s the “personality of our practice.”

While speeches, grand plans and fancy training manuals have some influence on the culture, they are just as likely to have a negative as a positive influence. Ultimately, it’s much more about what leaders do than what they say that makes the culture what it is.

Still confused as to how this relates to dentistry? Your patients will never know how great a clinician you are if they do not have a great experience with the person that answers the phones or greets them upon arrival with a smile on their face. This is the strategy part of your company. It’s what you pay your employees for.

Culture is an inside job and is how your team makes your patients feel. There is no denying that we live in a feel-good world, so it’s important to make your patients feel good about receiving services from your company. The dentists who make it

their priority to have their patients and team feel great will have a happier and more successful team in the long run.

When was the last time your patient wrote a review like, “Dr. Smith, you’re filling on my tooth No. 19 is the best I ever had!” Reviews usually read, “The team made me feel welcome. The doctor was gentle, and I felt no pain. He took the time to listen to me.” This is a big difference.

To effectively transform your office from a money-driven practice to that of a culture-driven practice is simple if you know the steps. Embrace culture and reap the benefits of a happier team and more satisfied patients, which will lead to greater profits and satisfaction.

1. Teach It The more effectively we teach people what we are looking for in our culture, the more likely it will become reality. Whatever orientation and training work you’re doing, you should talk about the kind of culture you’re going after. Describe the informal ways in which you envision the group working together and how you want the customer experience to feel.

It’s also important to put this vision in writing. Documenting it is far more likely to help you get where you want to go and ensure everyone is on the same page.

2. Live it Leaders have a great impact on culture and should be a meaningful example of the culture they would like to have in the office. Team members will look to the leader when they need to handle a tough situation, have to reward someone, or when they’re at a professional crossroads.

How we manage difficult situations is one of the biggest contributors to the creation of organizational culture. It’s easier to build a culture when everything is going well, but strong cultures are partially built by what we do during hard times. When money is tight, how do we act? When a team member is ill, how do we respond? When a good customer can’t pay their bills, what do we say?

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1. Measure It Once we’ve identified the key elements of our desired culture and written them down, we must measure our success in making them a (cultural) reality. Many will argue that you cannot measure things like fun or supportiveness or camaraderie, but you can. If you want to have a resultsoriented organization, you are more likely to succeed if you measure your success at putting the culture into place.
2. Reward It Money is one way to reward people, but money alone will never do the trick. We need to use multiple methods in various settings. Positive cultures are built over time and take a wide range of rewards and recognition. Find out what speaks to your team members and reward them individually.

5. Keep It Alive A rule of thumb for meaningful cultural change is that it takes two to three years to get something woven in to what we do. Do not become impatient by how long it takes. By accepting that reality rather than fighting it, you can do a much better job of managing yourself and leading the changing process. In three or four months, the glamour of the idea of the change will have long since worn off. At that point, leaders need to refocus people on the long-term vision, to give encouragement and energy to get through the seemingly inevitable zone of doubt and blame.

You will be happier and more successful, and will be able to achieve much more than you ever thought.

It all starts with you, the leader. Be the change you wish to see in your organization and motivate your team to join you by creating a culture that speaks to them, your patients and your long-term goals.

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