Culture By Design: Creating an Exceptional Workplace
Five lab owners share how they intentionally define, build and protect strong workplace cultures.
Joshua Polansky: 'You Have to Protect the Environment You're Trying to Build'
Owner, Niche Dental Studio, Voorhees Township, NJ; 13 employees
LMT: What kind of environment have you aimed to create in your laboratory?
Polansky: I always say, I built the type of lab I had always dreamed of working in. When I was younger, it was hard for me to flourish because when I sought opportunities...
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Randi James: 'We Always Talk about Culture Before Skill'
Co-Owner, Renstrom Dental Studio, St. Paul, MN; 70 employees
LMT: What’s the most important thing you’ve done to enhance your culture?
James: Adjusting our hiring mindset to look for the best attitude versus the best technical ability. Now we always talk about culture before skill; the...
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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...
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Buddy Shafer, CDT: 'It Means Doing the Right Thing and Trusting the Rest Will Follow'
Owner, Bay View Dental Laboratory, Chesapeake, VA; 40 technicians
LMT: What has most influenced your approach to creating a strong laboratory culture?
Shafer: My 30-plus years studying alongside Dr. Peter Dawson had the biggest impact. Not only was he one of the greatest teachers of dentistry, he was...
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Ashley Byrne: 'Culture is Something I Work on Every Day'
Associate Director, Corus Byrnes Dental Laboratory, Wheatley, England; 46 employees
LMT: How would your team describe your culture and how is it consistently reinforced?
Byrne: They would likely describe it as relaxed but driven, fun but hardworking, empowering and united by a shared mission to change...
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