There are many different ways to achieve a productive and positive work environment. And if you usually turn to typical management strategies, it might be time to try something a little different for your dental practice. By practicing motivational techniques in your dentist's office, you'll be surprised at how much more your practice is able to accomplish. Here are a few tips to help you apply motivational methods in your office.

Understand what motivates your employees

Because it's your dental practice, you should know the ins-and-outs of all of the jobs; it's literally your business. Once you've been in the trenches, and seen all of the tasks that must be performed on a daily basis, you'll have a better understanding of what rewards will motivate your employees to do a better job.

After working the front desk, you may notice that there is a huge opportunity to gain referrals. Offer incentives that will motivate your employees to help grow the business, and always thank and appreciate them for their efforts.

Create a sense of community

Find ways to spend some quality time with your employees by inviting them to gatherings in the community. You can choose a specific charity to get involved with or just have everyone over for a cookout. By getting away from the office and being part of a group, everyone will gain a mutual amount of respect and caring for one another. New employees will be able to sense the positive community they have just joined, and everyone will be willing to do more for one each other instead of just doing the minimum.

Keep a motivational library for all

It can be surprising that when you surround your staff with motivational tools, everyone will go above and beyond the call of duty. You don't have to go overboard with it, but having a chalkboard with a few positive quotes on it that you change out every week can go a long way. Add positive comments about the employees when they do a great job and put happy messages to those with birthdays, work anniversaries, and other fun events.

Also, have a library of motivational CD's and books that people can borrow and listen to in their cars and read in their homes. There are some pretty fantastic books out there that offer some uplifting advice. Plus, when everyone reads and listens to the same books, they'll have one more thing in common enhancing that sense of community.

Respect the decisions of your employees

One of the fastest ways to lose the respect and motivation of your employees is by not respecting the decisions they make. Trust in your experienced staff and always listen to employees when they want to take a little longer to perform a task, or if they want to go about it in a different way. By giving them the freedom to do this in their place of work, they will not only be happier, but they will be doing things in a way that is efficient and works best for them.