THE SMILE EFFECT con't. next column
BUILDING A CULTURE con't. next column
The Smile Effect
by Russell M. Weaver, DDS, MS, PLLC
I was having a conversation with one of
my adult orthodontic patients named Jane
the other day about her graduate schooling in
clinical psychology. During the conversation,
I mentioned that I have always considered
orthodontics as essentially psychology of the
mouth. What that
means is that many
of my patients find
their orthodontic
correction has a
greater effect on their
well-being than just
the straighter teeth.
It’s what I call THE
SMILE EFFECT. Not
every patient has
the same degree of
SMILE EFFECT. Some patients are happy
with the improvement, but the orthodontic
correction doesn’t dramatically change their
life. Other patients literally transform before
my eyes, and it’s one of the most rewarding
aspects of my chosen career.
As I was explaining what psychology of
the mouth meant to me, I noticed Jane’s
eyes beginning to well up with tears. She
smiled immediately and laughed a guarded
laugh to reassure me they were happy tears,
of sorts. Jane had come to see me in January
of 2020 with severely crooked teeth and an
unaesthetic smile. She’s been in treatment for
a few months, and I have already dramatically
transformed her smile. She still has a long
way to go until her treatment is completed.
However, Jane admitted the tears were because
she had wanted to express her gratitude to me
already, but she didn’t know how to say what
she was feeling.
After hearing me explain what THE SMILE
EFFECT was, she just let out all of the emotions
she had bottled up. She told me about her
wedding in December of 2019, prior to braces,
and how she refused to smile in her photos
because she was embarrassed about her
crooked teeth. She gushed with emotion as
she explained how the orthodontic correction
had already changed her life dramatically. No
longer hiding her smile behind her hand, Jane
smiles in photos now like never before, even
with the metal braces on her teeth. Imagine
that! She said getting braces was the best
decision she’d ever made in regards to her
health care. She shared that before braces,
moments of her life where she should have
felt unbridled joy were tempered with the
awareness of her teeth.
Jane’s teeth diminished her ability to enjoy
special life moments to their fullest.
Although Jane is not the first patient to
express these feelings to me, Jane’s SMILE
EFFECT was one of the most dramatic I’ve
seen. I couldn’t wait to tell my wife and kids
about helping Jane when I got home that night.
Jane affected me. Her SMILE EFFECT filled
my heart with pride and joy because I had the
privilege of helping make her life better. Her
smile made me smile. So my question to you
is, “What is your SMILE EFFECT?”☐
I have always
considered
orthodontics
as essentially
psychology
of the mouth.
As I write this piece, North Carolina
remains in Phase 2, extended of our safer at
home order. Only time will tell where we will
be and how our world will continue to evolve
in this new normal. One thing is for sure,
business culture and environment makes a
difference. This could not be truer than during
a pandemic when individuals are continuing
to work remotely and conducting business
from a virtual world.
As this year ends, I invite you to reflect
on how you have created or can create an
environment which directly aligns with your
business and staff’s values. What can you
do differently? How did you pivot during
the pandemic to ensure your employees felt
valued? Will you continue this practice as
we transition back to our normal lifestyles
or fall back into old habits? What concrete
action plan can you put in place to ensure an
authentic workplace?
Employees seek work where they can
intertwine their beliefs with those of a
company who works for a common vision
of purpose and success. As leaders grapple
with how to recruit top candidates and retain
employees, you must rethink how to shape
and build a culture that unites people around
a common cause. Great culture should
provide continuous alignment to the vision,
purpose and goals of the organization while
supporting your staff’s values.
Today’s employees have high expectations
of their employers, and it goes far beyond just
a paycheck. In fact, a recent LinkedIn survey
found that people would rather put up with
lower pay (65%) and forego a fancy title (26%)
than deal with a bad workplace environment.
The survey also showed that employees
care about whether companies foster
environments where employees can be
themselves (47%) and have a positive impact
on society (46%). Today’s workforce wants to
know that they are making a difference within
their companies. While work cultures are
unique to every organization, the foundation
of what enables a culture to thrive is the
BUILDING A CULTURE continued
extent to which employees are empowered to
be engaged, feel valued and be heard. This is
where leadership comes in.
One way as a leader you can demonstrate
to employees that you believe in a dynamic
culture is to allow employees to take on a
project about which they are passionate.
Building a culture of recognition, where
acknowledgment and appreciation are given
frequently and in real-time, will enhance
an organization’s resilience. What gets
recognized gets repeated.
Employee experience is greatly affected by
day-to-day relationships, and that’s why it is
important to give employees opportunities
to strengthen those relationships through
workplace celebrations, the establishment
of social gathering spots around the office
space, team building activities and interactive
wellness challenges – just to name a few.
While currently this may be a challenge due
to Covid-19, there are many ways to reward
without being in person. Maybe it is a gift card
to their favorite restaurant or a Zoom happy
hour. Perhaps most importantly, employers
can encourage frequent recognition and
feedback at all levels of the company. Frequent
recognition at every level builds trust and
open communication across an organization.
As an employer you must develop a culture
that reinforces the important role each
employee plays within their organization.
Encourage employees to examine or
reconsider how their role ties back to the
greater organization, but remember that it
is the company’s responsibility to make this
connection crystal clear.
For those looking to create a workplace
culture of employee empowerment and
engagement, you must first reexamine your
environment to ensure you are attracting and
retaining the type of talent who will drive
success. Leaders should honestly reflect
on the extent to which they are listening to
employees, driving cultural values themselves,
and recognizing employee performance — all
of which are critical to a diverse workforce.
I encourage you to take a moment to reflect
on the year and learn how you can move
forward with the changes you implemented
during these times and continue to motivate
your employees to success. It will ultimately
create a place of work that will be the envy
of others because it will be evident you value
your people; no matter what position they
hold. ☐ Reference: Harvard Review
BUILDING A CULTURE con't from FRONT PAGE
Online meetings are the new normal.
Linda Parsons, President
Moore County Chamber of Commerce.
THE SMILE EFFECT continued
p.26 The Pinehurst Gazette, Inc. No. 140