The happier your dental practice, the more successful you will be.
It sounds corny, I know. But that, my friends, is the long and short of it. Happiness is the most crucial component to a thriving dental clinic. Everything from profits to client retention depends on it.
And here’s why.
According to Positive Psychology, happy people are more successful, less susceptible to illness, more helpful, and act as a positive influence on others. Happy staff smile more, a benefit to patients who may already be feeling anxious about an upcoming dental procedure. It’s an energy that permeates an environment, and a joyful atmosphere will lead to more satisfaction all around.
Happiness stems from stability in the following factors:
- Income
- Health
- Family
- Social relationships
- Positive emotions
All of which can be experienced in the workplace.
How can you lift the levels of joy in your dental office?
- By creating a strong sense of connection: Events, vacations and even simple team lunches create stronger relationships. Find out the benefits of a motivated employee in the workplace and why it is so critical to your practice’s success.
- By having fun: This can mean in-office games or it can simply mean joking around. Encourage a light, easy environment with practical jokes, fun dress codes, or light competitions.
- By making health a priority: Provide plenty of options to encourage healthy choices. Make access to fruits and veggies easy, give employees the opportunity to go for quick walks, stretch, or grab some rays during the day. Consider hiring an in-office yoga instructor once a week or offering discounts to a local gym. Set up a team event every so often that centers around physical activity, like a 5k or a paddle boarding excursion. Introduce your staff to these easy, in-office exercises, great for dentists and receptionists alike!
- By compensating fairly: If your staff is struggling financially, they’re going to be stressed and happiness will be elusive. Restructure your pay scale to ensure cheerful employees. Make sure they are appropriately compensated through salary, benefits and any extras you can include. Today’s workforce is demanding more work-life balance, flexibility in scheduling and remote options, so keep these factors in mind when considering fair reimbursement.
Consider tracking the effects the above changes have on your practice. Calculate factors like employee retention, patient increase, profit margins and your overall desire to wake up and go to the office each day. What kind of changes do you see? Maybe you can use such parameters to your benefit when hiring new staff or selling your practice to a well-researched DSO.
Learn more about PlastCare USA and stock up on the products you need for your office!
