QHow do you boost office morale in the clinic?

We are a single location dermatology office with 60 employees. Keeping a good morale and work environment with that many employees can be challenging, so we try to do different things throughout the year that appeal to different people.

Twice yearly, we host an entire-clinic after-hours party. In the early spring, we host a bingo party where employees can win prizes from the clinic. In the late summer, we rent a water park for employees and their their families and friends. We have a Christmas party every year (no kids!) where employees get their Christmas gifts. We try to gift different presents each year so everyone eventually gets something they really appreciate. Some past gifts have been branded Yeti cups, skin care products, scrubs, cosmetic procedures, and cash.

We have a monthly staff meeting where we try to have some sort of training to help us be a better team. We have done communication style testing, personality testing, general team building and empowerment classes, and even exercise classes. We do this in hopes that investing in our team and helping them become better will in turn make them happier at work.

Lastly, we encourage all our providers to lead by example. If you love your job, are energetic, and give a positive aura, that will trickle down to team members. I try not to speak negatively about patients nor team members. I try to keep a positive, energetic attitude to build good morale, because being a mother has taught me that kids don’t listen to what you say, but they do repeat what you do!