Before a pediatric practice even opens its doors to patients, leaders are tasked with the challenge of identifying the culture and values of the organization. Culture and values, though they may be explicitly written in a practice document or hung on a wall, are shaped by the day-to-day activities of the practice. Keeping them at the forefront of patient and employee interactions must always be made a priority.
Culture is defined as the beliefs and behaviors that determine how a practice’s employees and leaders interact. Although your practice’s culture may have been defined at some point by the leadership team, a practice’s culture is more often reflected in its dress code, office setup, hiring decisions, patient interactions, and other aspects of operations. Many factors create the overall culture, and it is important to be aware of these things as a practice leader. Believing that the defined culture will create the day-to-day culture is incorrect and may result in the actual practice culture straying from what was intended.
Values are said to be the beliefs, philosophies, and principles that drive your business. They ultimately dictate how your practice wants to operate and provide care to children. Similar to culture, they are often defined early in the life of a practice with a vision for how the practice is to function. Every member of the organization contributes to the values, and therefore it is important to be sure that every employee’s beliefs and ethics align with those of your practice.
Simply said, culture and values are defined by the worst “acceptable behavior”. Any behavior that is deemed acceptable in day-to-day practice work creates the culture and solidifies the values of the organization. When practice leaders let unacceptable behavior slide under the radar, it runs counter to the culture and values of the organization- which is unfair to employees who do the right thing.