culture check-up: Diagnosing decay before it spreads

Written By Stacey Sloan
verb 
decay (verb) · 
  • (of organic matter) cause to rot or decompose: 
  • (of a building or area) fall into disrepair; deteriorate: 
  • technical 
  • (of a physical quantity) undergo a gradual decrease: 

Decay never fixes itself 

As a dental clinician, you know the conversation well: you notice signs of tooth decay, you ask about habits, and you guide patients toward changes that prevent future damage. You talk through treatment options, outline next steps, and provide solutions that work best for them. 

But here’s the truth—once decay sets in, it doesn’t go away on its own. Catch it early and the fix is simple. Leave it untreated and it grows into a bigger, more painful, more expensive problem. 

Now, think about this in terms of your office culture. Cultural decay runs the same course as tooth decay—it starts small (maybe even with just one team member), but if ignored, it spreads. Soon, the culture shifts, morale drops, and intervention is unavoidable. 

We’ve all seen it: one “bad egg” spoils the atmosphere, and before long, the whole team feels the impact. 

What about in your dental practice?  Are you seeing warning signs of a toxic culture? 

  • Lack of employee engagement  

  • Tough conversations are being avoided 

  • Conflict among team members 

  • Hiring or promoting unqualified employees 

  • Micromanaging | things not getting done 

  • Gossip 

  • Lack of accountability 

  • Team members feeling frustrated 

  • Silent team members (no longer speaking up) 

  • Employee turnover 

  • Downward trend with patient retention 

  • Difficulty attracting great talent 

And, if you are seeing warning signs, what do you do about it?

The reality is, every team will have conflict.... and healthy conflict can be a good thing.  

As leaders, there's a lot of work to be done to ensure that the cultural expectations are set for our team.  If you don't define your values, identify the desired culture, and have a plan to support your team, you will start to lose control of your culture.  A toxic culture can unintentionally shape how your team shows up, creating stress and warning signs that you can no longer avoid.   

The solution is to create a culture with intention.….

 Core Values + Habits + Alignment= Accountability 

Creating company Core Values is a collaborative and critical process that shapes your organizational culture and decision-making. Begin by involving key stakeholders across the company, from leadership to long-term employees, to ensure broad buy-in and diverse perspectives. Facilitate discussions around the company's mission, vision, history, and desired future state, asking questions like:  

"What principles guide our best decisions?" 

"What behaviors make us successful?"  

"When we think of our company MVP's, what do they have that makes them stand out?"  

Brainstorm a long list of traits and behaviors, then work to refine and distill these into a concise set of 3 to 5 non-negotiable values—each clearly defined with observable behaviors (e.g., 'Integrity' means 'We are transparent and do what we say we will do'). Finally, ensure these values are not just words on a wall but are actively integrated into hiring, performance reviews, recognition programs, and daily operations to make them tangible and actionable.

To operationalize your core values through Daily Organizational Habits, the key is to translate abstract principles into concrete, recurring actions. Start by creating a simple "Values-Habit Matrix." For each of your 3-5 core values (e.g., Transparency, Innovation, Customer-Centricity), list 1-3 specific, measurable micro-behaviors that demonstrate that value. For instance, if Transparency is a value, a habit might be: "Start every team meeting with a 5-minute 'What I'm Really Working On' status update" or "Ensure all critical project data is logged in a shared drive by 5 PM daily." These habits should be integrated directly into your workflow, meeting rhythms, communication protocols, and performance reviews. By consciously outlining and adhering to these small, frequent actions, the organizational habits become the mechanism by which your company consistently lives out its core values rather than just articulating them. 

To get the entire team Aligned and moving in the same direction, you must focus on consistent communication and reinforcement of the core values and habits. Start with Leadership Buy-In, ensuring all managers model the desired behaviors, as misalignment often trickles down from the top. 

Remember, all teams will experience conflict.  Is your team set up for success?  Does your company have a culture that gets people EXCITED to come to work?  If not, let's chat about how Chairside Collaborative can help you engineer or RE-engineer the culture you dream of! 

Invest in your teams culture by setting up a Culture Equation Workshop.  Don't feel like you need to do the work alone.   

Stacey Sloan