Practice Values That Stick: Turning Words on the Wall into Everyday Culture
- Michelle Pritchard
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Executive Summary
Having values written on your website or lunchroom wall is one thing. Embedding them into how your team communicates, works, and makes decisions is another. This blog shares how to define clear, practical values—and use them to create consistency, reduce team conflict, and build a culture that reflects who you are as a practice.
Introduction
Many practices have values listed somewhere: integrity, respect, teamwork. But when you ask team members what those words actually mean day to day, the answers vary—or there’s silence. Real values aren’t slogans. They guide behaviour, hiring, feedback, and decision-making.
Values should shape how your team responds when a patient is upset, how performance issues are addressed, or how team members interact with each other under pressure. Without shared, lived values, culture becomes reactive—and the practice feels off.
What Real Values Look Like
Strong values are:
Specific: Clear enough that everyone knows what “respect” or “integrity” looks like in action
Memorable: Easy to recall, even during a busy day
Actionable: Can be used to guide real conversations and decisions
Example values in dental practices might include:
“We speak to each other, not about each other.”
“We always follow up.”
“We treat each patient the way we’d want our family treated.”
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Choosing generic words like “excellence” without examples
Having too many values—five to seven is ideal
Leaders not modelling the values
Never referring to them after they’re written
Real stories:
A dentist said continuing education was a core value, but hadn’t invested in team CPD for years.
A team member left the practice for a higher-paying job, not fully realising what she had. Her former workplace had strong values—kindness, clarity, and consistency—where everyone knew what they were doing and supported one another. In her new job, there were no systems, inconsistent instructions, and constant gossip. No one knew what was going on. She came back to ask for her old job and ended up staying nearly a decade, until the practice was eventually sold. Her experience showed how values in action create a very different workplace than values in name only.
How to Make Practice Values Stick in Everyday Culture
Recruitment & Onboarding:
Discuss your values during interviews. Introduce them during onboarding. Ask new hires what they mean to them.
Feedback & Recognition:
Tie feedback to values: “You handled that patient issue with real empathy—that’s exactly what ‘kindness’ looks like in our practice.”
Performance Management:
Use values when addressing issues. “We value clarity—so let’s talk about how to make this process more transparent.”
Meetings & Check-ins:
Start team meetings with a quick ‘values moment’. Ask for examples of how someone lived a value that week.
Visual Reminders:
Have values visible—not just in the lunchroom, but on patient info packs, screen savers, or onboarding folders.
Conclusion
Values shouldn’t sit on a poster collecting dust. When defined clearly and used daily, they help build a stable, supportive culture that strengthens the patient experience, team morale, and leadership clarity.
How Aligned Business Consulting Can Help
At Aligned Business Consulting, we help dental and specialist practice owners implement efficient systems that drive profitability, enhance patient experience, and reduce daily stress.
With over 25 years of industry experience, we provide actionable strategies to help your practice thrive in today’s competitive landscape.
Need expert guidance on your results? Book a complimentary 30-minute virtual coffee chat here to discuss the next steps.
📩 For enquiries, email us at: michelle@alignedbusinessconsulting.com.au
To learn more about how I can help your dental practice, visit my services.
This is a personal blog. Any views or opinions represented in this blog are personal and belong solely to the blog owner and do not represent those of people, institutions or organisations that the owner may or may not be associated with in a professional or personal capacity unless explicitly stated. Any views or opinions are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club organisation, company, or individual.
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