Patagonia Culture

PUT YOUR TEAM FIRST

While Patagonia is know for their expensive but very well-made outdoor clothing, the key to their success is the culture that founder Yvon Chouinard has fostered over the last 50 years. His focus on putting his team and the Earth at the forefront of all decisions has driven the success of Patagonia. Several years ago, the company created a company wide vacation for the last week of the year and posted this message:

"At Patagonia, we do our best to not be bound by convention and to look out for people and the planet.

For the last week of this year, we are shutting down our stores, warehouse and offices in the United States and Canada because our people need a break."

Unlike workers in the EU who get a mandatory 20 paid vacation days, nearly a quarter of US workers don’t get any paid vacation time and those those who do, rarely use it all. This all-in attitude can lead to burnout, so more US companies are adopting the Patagonia model of a company wide shutdown to allow all staff to recharge. Companies have found that staff appreciate the forced permission to NOT do any work for a week and come back with a new sense of purpose and drive.

It is likely that your practice does not see patients on Friday and you probably take at least four weeks of vacation so you are ahead of the game in creating a work-life balance. Here are some other ideas to help you reinforce a Patagonia like culture in your practice:

The Retreat. Take two days away from patient care each year to get the team out of the office and focus on the direction and culture of the practice. If leading a team retreat seems overwhelming, consider hiring a coach like Nikki Bale to facilitate the process.

The Shutdown. While you may be on vacation, you are probably still checking your email and you might have a partial team still working at the office. Rather than give work-life balance lip service, consider a forced annual shutdown where the office is really closed and you don’t check your emails (or even think about the practice). It may sound radical but it is doable. Consider borrowing Patagonia’s IG message for your social media and front door - "We're out for the holidays so our employees can spend time with loved ones and chase some much needed fun. We'll be back on January 2nd, hopefully with sore legs and a few great stories."

The Phone. You may not be seeing patients on Friday but is somebody still tied to the desk and the phone in the office. Consider giving all staff the time to recharge by using a phone answering service and add a ChatBot to your website to filter through patient questions and request. These days, patients are just as likely to be considering dental treatment at 9pm on Saturday night as they are on Tuesday at 8am so make sure you are accessible while still giving your team the space to recharge.

Since each practice is different, there is no magic formula for taking time off.

If you are looking for assistance increasing your team’s recharge time while also meeting your practice goals, please schedule a consultation with JNG Advisors today.