18 WAYS TO RAISE YOUR TEAM’S MORALE
Morale in the workplace is an often under-recognized factor in the success of any business. When morale is high:
- Patient care and customer service improve dramatically
- Workflow is smoother
- Production increases
- Loyalty and cooperation among team members is stronger
- Every workday is more enjoyable, and, perhaps most importantly,
- Profit increases!
Consider the following list of ideas to stoke morale in your office. Involve your team members in these efforts and enjoy the benefits of improved morale among your entire staff.
18 Ways to Boost Morale in Your Office
- Create a team-authored mission statement for the practice. Frame and hang it in the office, visible daily to staff and to patients.
- Provide proper orientation and training for new team members. Allow senior auxiliaries to participate in the orientation and training.
- Provide and encourage continuing education and ongoing training for long-term staff members. Display some of their certificates, diplomas, and awards in the office and compliment them when patients are present.
- Apply the same personnel policies, evaluations, and open communication for all staff members.
- Schedule regular one-on-one discussions with each team member (at least two times per year), covering job performance, growth opportunities, and skill development.
- Start each work day with a morning huddle to review patients and treatment scheduled. Rotate leadership of huddles among team members. Conclude with a positive thought for the day or a short prayer.
- Schedule monthly area meetings in which business team members meet together while clinical team members do the same. Each group will benefit from focusing on the specifics of their work area.
- Schedule monthly team meetings with planned agendas, and include all full-time and part-time team members. Follow up on suggestions, changes, and activities discussed whether or not implemented. Act promptly on feasible ideas so that the team observes the dentist's responsiveness.
- Provide a supply of simple stickers that say "I appreciate you!" to be exchanged among coworkers when one is particularly grateful for help or attention given by a team member. Also, patients will be impressed by the display of congeniality and cooperation among your staff members.
- Provide a supply of "Appreciation-Gram" forms so one team member can thank another in writing and post the message on the office bulletin board.
- Plan for and enjoy staff and doctor appreciation days. Or hours. Or special events. Remember that expression of appreciation is a two-way phenomenon—doctor to staff and staff to doctor.
- Schedule patient appreciation celebrations with the team as hosts/hostesses.
- Display staff photos, plaques, certificates and awards in an area of the office were patients can also see them.
- Undertake charity dental projects, chosen by team members in rotation. Involve everyone on staff and make certain the event is noted by local media and in office social media postings.
- Have an annual group photograph made by a professional photographer to display in the office and to print on notes, cards, and pamphlets distributed to patients and community-wide. Invite staff to sit for individual portraits as well.
- Keep an office scrapbook maintained by one interested team member. Pleasant memories enrich morale.
- Plan and budget for fun times together—birthday celebrations, family picnics, shared salad bar lunches, holiday celebrations, etc. A “We Care” team can plan and coordinate such events.
- Name a We Care Team of two or three to plan, organize, and facilitate events like those mentioned above. The dentist can supply the money for events within the limits of the office budget. Participation on this team can rotate among staff.
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