We’ve all heard the saying that appreciation goes a long way, right? In our brains, we know that people like to be seen, heard, valued and appreciated because WE like to experience that ourselves in our lives and at work.
Understanding this conceptually is important but knowing how to implement this within your team is a completely different ballgame. When your dental team consistently feels valued and appreciated it doesn’t just make them feel better it changes how they play the game altogether.
Gallup recently did a study that showed that only one in three employees in the United States feel recognized and appreciated for their work in the past seven days. Yikes! The Gallup study goes on to state, “At any given company, it’s not uncommon for employees to feel that their best efforts are routinely ignored. Further, employees who do not feel adequately recognized are twice as likely to say they’ll quit in the next year.
This element of engagement and performance might be one of the greatest missed opportunities for leaders and managers.
Workplace recognition motivates, provides a sense of accomplishment and makes employees feel valued for their work. Recognition not only boosts individual employee engagement, but it also has been found to increase productivity and loyalty to the company, leading to higher retention.”
It sounds like a preeeetty important and impactful tool to incorporate in your dental practice, right?
We agree!
That is why we dedicated this blog to share 5 Easy Ways To Appreciate Your Dental Team. These are simple ways that you can powerfully communicate to your team; I see you, I value you, I appreciate you, I thank you!
Give one (or heck ALL of these) a try and let us know how they land with your team.
#1 Get In My Belly
Ever heard the saying the way to someone’s heart is through their mouth? Think about it. When someone takes the time to pick up your favorite food at the store or make your favorite dish…you feel thought of, valued and taken care of, right? Your team is no exception! Whether it is bringing in weekly Friday lunches for the team to enjoy together or bringing in delivery for a new team member each week, this little act can make a huge impact on your team…both on their stomachs AND hearts!
#2 Ommmmmm Thanks
Work can create stress, overwhelm and exhaustion. Providing your team with wellness benefits to help beat the stress is a fantastic way to both show your appreciation and help your team stay healthier and more focused at work. Try providing gym memberships to your team or bringing in a weekly yoga or meditation class into the practice. Notice how appreciated and empowered your team starts to feel!
#3 Take A Break
Nothing says “I appreciate your hard work” more than a day(s) off to relax, spend time with family, travel, etc. How much time off are you currently giving your team? Could you provide them with more? Could you raffle off/give away an extra day off to one team member a month to celebrate high performance? Identify the small ways that you can give your team more breaks and watch how appreciated and energized they become.
#4 Show Them The Funny
See our play on words there? It’s true, though! Creating a team culture that acknowledges a well-executed project and strong performance by celebrating, letting loose and having fun inspires employees to keep working hard even when challenges arise…because fun and celebration are on the other side! How can you bring fun and funny to your team appreciation? Perhaps it’s an end of the quarter party each month or bringing the holiday festivities into the office. Up the fun and watch how the productivity and motivation in your time follows suit!
#5 It’s ALL Worth Celebrating
This one might be our favorite. All too often, dental owners focus appreciation and celebration on a positive outcome only; a goal well reached, a metric met or an excellent performance review. Those, of course, are worth celebrating but encouragement and appreciation for the work itself are just as important to honor and recognize. Celebrating the team’s work and encouraging them even when they don’t hit the mark will improve their confidence and ability to take risks in the future.
On a scale of 1-10 how well are you appreciating your team today? Which of these appreciation practices can you try this week? Post a picture of you and your team on Facebook and tag us!
Resources:
https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236441/employee-recognition-low-cost-high-impact.aspx
