Keep Motivation High with a Team Vision and Team Goals

You’ve undoubtedly thought about how your dental career will progress… what you want your practice to be known for… what milestones you’d like to reach. But if you haven’t written down these ideas, in the form of a vision statement with team goals, and shared them, you’re less likely to achieve them.

Envisioning the Future

What would make you happy? Becoming the preferred practice for your community? Heading a multi-office, multi-doctor group? Retiring at age 50? Only you, the practice owner and team leader, can create the vision. Once you have it clearly in mind, write it down. Tweak it if need be. Discuss it with your spouse, or trusted colleague or business advisor.

Expressing your practice vision in writing is critically important for two reasons:

• It will improve your performance as a leader, motivating you and providing a benchmark for every major decision you make.
• It will motivate your staff and give every team member a greater sense of purpose.

Articulating Goals

In order for your vision to become a reality, what will have to happen? When you list the answers to this question—offering the broadest range of cosmetic dentistry services, bringing on an associate, increasing production by 40% a year, etc.—you will be defining your goals. Like the vision statement, these should be in written form.

Team-Building Tools

As soon as you’ve finalized your vision and goals, share them with your team. Present them during a special staff meeting, explaining each item, discussing the important roles team members will play and answering questions. Your purpose is to inform, inspire and excite.

Post the vision and goals in places where the staff will see them. Have someone read them out loud at every meeting. And as you monitor progress toward meeting the goals, report it to the team. This will serve as a powerful motivation to perform well, individually and as a team.

Revisit Vision and Goals Every Few Years

Fulfilling your vision may take more than three or four years, but it would still make sense to see if you need to change it or your goals at that time. Situations change, and as they do you may want to make some “course corrections” on your road to success.