Last Updated: Dec 5, 2024 by happypractice

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DSO growth is on the rise  But rapid growth can make it challenging to maintain a consistent culture throughout the portfolio.

To maintain a resilient, engaged team, you must intentionally define what core values and beliefs are then consistently monitor, adjust and communicate them.

How?

Great question, right? So often I read posts that identify what the problem is, but don’t seem to share how to solve it.

Not me, though. I’m spilling the tea on how to build a collaborative, drama-free community.

Here are three simple steps you can take to ensure your current team (and future members) understand your expectations.

Your Practice Legend contains the origin story, values , beliefs, and assumptions your practice is built upon. Think of it as a memoir for your dental practice. 

You can talk about why you established your practice, your mission, the way you want your practice to feel.  Definitely include things that are unacceptable.

The process of creating your Legend is liberating and clarifying. You'll know what you expect, even when you forget.  Your team will know, so it eliminates confusion. A Legend creates predictability, which improves focus and productivity, because everyone knows the rules of engagement and consequences.

Of course, you know that. But are you figuring that into your future plans?

It’s important to create systems that allow your practice to flex with changes but also maintain the vibe of your community.  For instance, besides your morning huddle, how else are you communicating to your team?  More importantly, how can they communicate their ideas, concerns, needs to you?

It’s super easy to get so busy with the daily activities that you forget to zoom out and miss a shift in attitude or performance. Develop a two way private communication channel to stay informed.

It’s interesting that we tend to think of reaching goals as a straight line, like Route 66. You and your team start at point A and drive until you reach C together.

Your journey is more like driving straight until you reach a roundabout. Some members will get out; new members will enter who need to understand your Legend. Then you do it again. The key to having a cohesive team who understands and applies the community rules is to constantly repeat them in different ways: verbal, written, experiential.

For example, empathy for patients might be a rule. Well, make sure you encourage your team to empathize with each other so they experience feeling cared for and want to share that feeling with patients.

Over the holidays, ask yourself:
Does my practice have the feel I wanted?
What is the climate I want now?
What’s the first thing that must change?

Does this resonate with your experience?