Core values are critical for every business, to guide employees, direct the growth of the brand and allow patients to connect with you on a deeper level. Your dental practice can benefit from having well-defined beliefs that impact all areas of the service you provide to patients. Here's why.
Core values, also called company or practice values, are the group of foundational beliefs on which your practice is built. Your company beliefs are the principles that guide the management of your dental practice and influence your relationship with patients. They should be mandated, not suggested, and should shape every aspect of your practice, from workplace culture to company policy to dental marketing and the treatments you offer. It's important that your office does more than just state your beliefs. You and your staff should put them into action at every opportunity.
A solid set of practice values provides your office with direction and helps you build a positive reputation. The belief system you build your practice around sets the tone for how your office interacts with patients, markets your services and makes critical decisions. When you take your company values seriously, they can help you form a strong brand identity with a cohesive, comprehensive business plan.
Establishing a set of beliefs for your dental practice starts with brainstorming. Meet with key staff members and other important advisors to generate ideas about what values drive your practice already, what can set you apart from your competition, and how you can organize them into an engaging mission statement that can be used in various marketing materials. A competitive analysis can be a good tool to identify what value statements other dental professionals in your area are using. You can also ask meeting participants to jot down a list of what they think your practice values are or should be.
Ask thought-provoking questions like:
Once you've started to develop a few ideas for core beliefs that embody your practice goals, it's important to check them against a few basic guidelines. Make sure your practice values are:
Entrepreneur lists important beliefs that today's businesses can abide by, including transparency, problem-solving, adaptability, accountability, and transparency. While an excellent starting point, what these values lack is specificity.
Any company– in any industry– can adopt these generic beliefs and say they apply to their business. Instead, work to develop values that are tailored to your dental practice, such as:
An important aspect of developing a set of core values for your dental practice is putting them into action. Help dental associates, administrative staff, hygienists, and dental assistants emulate your values by providing encouragement and incentives.
Be prepared to stand by your company's beliefs even when abandoning them might seem easier or more cost-effective. Show your office staff that your values aren't simply stated beliefs; they're choices that you and your team can make on a daily and even hourly basis. Reward employees who make a conscious effort to uphold practice values.
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