Cultivating a supportive work culture

Work culture is a collection of attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors that make up the regular atmosphere of your workplace. A healthy work culture is fundamental to good patient care and your own well-being. So what does it take to create a healthy, wellness-oriented, dynamic culture?

To start, it takes an intentional desire to do better and be better, courage to challenge the existing state of affairs, the ability to self-reflect, and the confidence to speak up to leadership when change is necessary. Then, you need to match those sentiments with actions. The guidance below can help you achieve that desired state.

“Workplace culture and environment are key factors that affect burnout, and therefore clinician well-being efforts require both individual-focused and systems-level interventions.”

─ The National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Assess the current work culture

Work culture is influenced by many elements, including your core mission and values, leadership structure, diversity and inclusivity initiatives, interpersonal relations, team engagement, communication style, recognition and appreciation, perceived trust and autonomy, and professional development. Given all these factors, using assessment tools can help. The Mini Z survey is an evidence-based tool you can use to begin your assessment.

Define or re-define your values

Take time to define your values in concise writing. Make these values known to both staff and patients. Written values guide us on what’s most important while also reminding us why we do the work.

Example of a value statement: At [Dermatology Practice Name], we are dedicated to delivering compassionate, patient-centered dermatological care guided by integrity, clinical excellence, and a commitment to our patients’ well-being.

Prioritize communication and collaboration

Effective and clear communication is essential. It encourages collaboration, helps resolve conflicts, and ensures that everyone can do their jobs. Strategies to help achieve healthy communication include:

• Establish and document standardized communication protocols.

• Schedule regular meetings with staff and leadership to address challenges, celebrate successes, and plan for improvement.

• Leverage technology to facilitate communication.

• Provide ongoing education and training to develop communication skills, including active listening and empathy. Give and receive feedback on a regular basis.

Promote autonomy

Individual independence and self-reliance are critical to practicing at the top of your license. Autonomy fuels creativity, responsiveness to change, professional satisfaction, and well-being. Especially in medicine, autonomy enables dermatologists to make clinical decisions based on their expertise, experience, and the unique circumstances of each patient. Additionally, allowing dermatologists to set their own patient appointments and manage their clinical schedules based on expertise and preference creates a more manageable workload. Furthermore, actively participating in decisions about team composition, hiring, task delegation, and providing specialized training fosters increased autonomy within the practice.

Embrace efficiency and innovation

In dermatology, it is crucial to be efficient and innovative. To be innovative and efficient in dermatology, use modern tools for appointments and records. Improve workflows by finding and fixing problems. Encourage staff to share ideas and keep learning about new techniques. By using new technology and encouraging teamwork, dermatology practices can be both innovative and efficient. To learn more about practice efficiency, visit our office optimization and EHR & HIT content in the Practice Management Center.

Set clear, attainable expectations

Dermatologists can be perfectionists, but it’s important not to let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Setting unrealistic standards or expectations of perfection can be counterproductive. Perfectionism can be paralyzing, leading to procrastination, fear of failure, and excessive self-criticism. Further, it reduces morale, stifles innovation, and contributes to burnout. Instead, be realistic in setting expectations. Promote a supportive, inclusive, and nurturing environment where people feel safe to grow together.

Recognize, appreciate, and celebrate

Recognizing employee contributions and achievements fosters motivation and good morale. Celebrate both individual and team efforts. Appreciation does not have to be elaborate or expensive. Rather, consistent acknowledgement has a greater impact. Feeling valued is fundamental to psychological, emotional, and social well-being. Examples of recognition include but are not limited to verbal or written praise, publicly announced appreciation, awards, bonuses, paid time off or flexible work arrangements, lunch or dinner celebrations, and if appropriate, promotions.

Be the role model others aspire to follow

Leaders should model the behaviors, attitudes, and values they want to see from their team. If you strive for a culture of respect, empathy, and personal accountability, make sure you display that in your daily actions and encounters. Encourage collaboration by demonstrating shared decision-making when appropriate. Develop leadership skills by supporting continuous professional development. Promote a healthy work-life balance by ensuring that schedules are manageable and everyone has adequate time off for rest and personal life.

Seek external expertise if necessary

Remember that you don’t have to build a healthier work culture on your own. Rely on a culture consultant to help identify areas for improvement and to develop strategies for creating a healthier culture. They can offer valuable insights, tailored solutions, and aid in fostering team collaboration, leading to sustainable change.

The key takeaways are that you can create a supportive work environment by defining clear values, promoting effective communication, supporting autonomy, setting realistic expectations, and recognizing achievements. This holistic approach helps to create a harmonious and thriving workplace.

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