David Jackson, CDT: 'Our Core Values Have Become the Foundation of How We Operate'

Owner, Mid-South Dental Lab,
Brentwood, TN; 52 employees

LMT: What has been the most important thing you’ve done to enhance your laboratory culture?

Jackson: I would say defining our core values a few years ago: positive attitudes, work ethic, attention to detail, team-oriented, humility and customer-ready. They’ve really become the foundation of how we operate.

But adopting the core values wasn’t an overnight success. We had to use them in the right way and address things that didn’t match. For example, two employees weren’t acting as part of the team; I avoided confronting the issue at first but eventually realized I had to let them go to get the rest of us rolling in the right direction.

Now, when hiring, I end every interview by sharing a list of our core values and explaining what they mean to us. I’ll be honest and say, “If you can’t agree...