Have you ever considered if the values you instill in your team ever create roadblocks?
For example, at the now-defunct and infamous WorldCom, management instilled the value of optimism at all times. The culture at WorldCom discouraged dissent, which is why so many managers remained silent as bad decision after bad decision sent the company spiraling out of control.
Optimism and positive outlooks are critical for dental teams; however you need to make sure you are not suppressing information that is valuable to patient care and the health of the practice. How are dissenting views greeted in your practice? How do you handle constructive feedback?
Another possible roadblock occurs with the commitment to stay on time. Dental practices need to run on time or patients may find another dentist. But what happens when things do not go according to plan?
If your value becomes a roadblock, too much emphasis is placed on rushing to catch up when procedures run behind. Patients sense you are rushing, potentially missing something important, and this sends the wrong message about your services. Also, consider the amount of stress that is created for the team.
It is far more effective to recognize our values are benchmarks we will not always reach, and the key is to learn from the situations when we come up short. For example, consider how you can fine-tune the way you schedule to not run behind or rush through appointments.
If you want to build a strong team, you absolutely need to instill appropriate values and expectations. The point of caution is to make sure your values do not become the very roadblocks that ultimately short-circuit your success.