Simple ideas for keeping morale high at your practice

Keeping your team in high spirits is important to the long-term success of your dental practice. Staff interact with patients nonstop throughout the day–so if they’re feeling great, this positivity will rub off on your patients, too.

Here are some easy ideas to maintain high employee morale.

Little things make a big difference

Show your appreciation by praising team members both publicly and privately. It only takes a second to compliment someone on a job well done. Praise given in front of patients can be especially rewarding.

Remember birthdays and highlight milestone events

Depending on the size of your practice, it may not be feasible to purchase a birthday cake every for everyone but you do have time to wish everyone a happy birthday and hand deliver a Starbucks gift card or something similar. Keep track of major work anniversaries to express your gratitude.

Delegate important responsibilities

Nobody likes to feel bored or unimportant at work. Trusting team members to vital tasks sparks intellectual engagement, combats boredom and builds trust between you and your employees. Try to focus on each team member’s individual strengths to offer new challenges they’re likely to excel at. Just be careful not to add extra responsibilities to those who are already overworked or feel stressed.

Compensate exceptional workers

Giving raises when raises are due helps employees feel valued and retains talent within your organization.

Stay flexible

Remember that proper work/life balance isn’t just important for you. Your staff has a life outside of their job, too. Try to be as flexible as possible with scheduling, workloads and requests for time off.

Welcome communication

Let employees know that your office door is always open. Schedule periodic confidential meetings with every member of your team to discuss their job satisfaction, future goals and well-being.

Help employees feel a sense of purpose

Community outreach programs aren’t just a great way to market your dental practice, they’re also an opportunity to bring staff together for a shared purpose. People want to feel like their jobs matter, both in and out of the workplace. The more team members feel like they’re part of a greater good, the more loyal they’ll stay to the team and be willing to go that extra mile to help their teammates and your practice succeed.