Orthodontic practice culture is important.
There are ways to build it through powerful questions.
What leaps to mind when you think of great workplace culture? Maybe the Scandinavians, with their 30-hour work week and fika culture that makes employees so very happy; perhaps, you never considered workplace culture very much in your own orthodontic practice.
You may be interested to know that, according to Forbes Magazine, workplace culture, as well as – having a strong, aligned and ‘on-purpose’ team that adheres to it, – literally means the difference between success and failure for modern-day organizations.
Does this matter to your orthodontic practice?
Of course, it does! Unlike a tech start-up, your practice is unlikely to implode within 30 days if employees aren’t fully engaged. On the other hand, you could face long-term stagnation, increased cost of patient acquisition, and lower fulfillment without it.
If you don’t want to be leaving money on the table and having your work life suffer for it, looking at orthodontic practice culture is essential. Here is how you can build the culture and hence, the practice that you really want.
The reason why culture can set your practice apart is that there are so few differentiators anymore. You, like all your competitors, are a great orthodontist with access to the latest equipment, technology and best practices.
So, why would people choose you instead of the other guys?
Of course, you have built a base of loyal dentist and patient referrers, but loyalty isn’t what it once was. To keep patients coming back, you need to build a culture that people willingly return to, and refer others to, because they consider you as a friend, not just a faceless professional.
Achieving this can involve subtleties that go far beyond practitioner skill and into the realm of total sensory experience. Such as, how your practice smells, how all your staff greet patients, how you communicate results…
Since it only takes seconds for someone to form an impression – one that will leap to mind the moment someone thinks of your clinic – it obviously has to be as positive as possible to increase both patient and dentist advocacy.
The problem is, there are so many moving parts. You may be Maybe you’re getting it right with the first exam, then dropping the ball during routine visits with long wait times or a dismissive attitude.
Naturally, there will always be people who have an aversion to treatment acceptance, but in general, do your patients feel a sense of excitement and anticipation coming to your practice? Are they eager to see how you are going to improve their lives?
Are they showing off your work on social media and recommending you to their friends and family members? Or do they feel resentment or even dread coming in?
These are difficult questions. The facts remain, since orthodontic treatment may not be a necessity, your patients could not only choose the competition, they could simply opt out of treatment altogether if they are less than happy.
Here is how to build an amazing, positive orthodontic practice culture by asking power questions to yourself and your team.
You already have an orthodontic practice culture – whether you are aware of it or not. If that culture is not supporting a successful orthodontic practice where employees want to stay, where your patients are your best friends, and where you are free to practice your talent in a joyful and comfortable environment, it’s time to take a closer look at it.If you have not intended to create the orthodontic practice culture of your dreams, now is the time – and Novologik’s orthodontic software, OrthoNovo can help you free up time to create it.
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