Perhaps it seems a strange place to describe with terms like joy, especially for a profession routinely associated with pain. Your dentist is perhaps one of the last places you want to go. Other that a routine cleaning you are generally in that chair for painful reasons. But when I think of my dentist and his office I do not have any of those negative associations. Rather, I think of joy. I asked myself why.
1. The staff members – from Dentist to hygienist to receptionist – treat one another with extraordinary respect. They like one another. They work but have fun at it. They cheerfully help one another when they can.
2. The person at the top sets the tone by demonstrating the behaviors and style that are desired.
3. Careful selection of staff has already occurred; the right people are on the bus.
4. Everyone seems clear about their purpose and what is expected.
5. Allowance is made for special staff circumstances and the need for time away.
6. The faith orientation shines through in subtle but clear ways.
7. Attention to patient care is the highest priority. This is reflected in the way patients are treated both inside and outside the treatment room.
8. As a team they experience high self esteem as the result of being highly successful. People appreciate them and tell them so.
9. The entire office is highly efficient – from treatment to finances – but they maintain a highly personal approach all the while. They balance being high-tech with caring about people.
10. There is one thing I do not know but would venture a guess: I would guess that the staff is adequately compensated for their work. It is simply consistent with the rest of the way they do business.
vitalwholeness 