The Best Pastrami Sandwich in the World!

I recently read an article that totally captivated my attention. It was all about a world-class Midwestern delicatessen called Zingermans. Zingermans is a  local independently owned business in Ann Arbor, Michigan that was started in 1982. Zingermans was mentioned in a book written by Bo Burlingham who is editor at large for Inc. Magazine. Burlingham’s book is titled Small Giants: Companies That Choose to be Great Instead of Big. The book talks about successful companies that have rejected growth for growth’s sake in favor of adopting a passionate dedication to be the absolute best you can be.

In Zingerman’s case, they developed a four step formula for success: serve great food, provide great service, give back to the community, and create an environment where the employees love their work. That formula is closely aligned with the concept of servant leadership. Servant leadership suggests that you, the business owner, treat your employees like your customers, consistently say thank-you to employees and customers, help your staff to succeed, and provide an inspiring vision that is clearly articulated.

Zingerman’s published mission statement is “complete devotion to a great product and great service while taking good care of your employees, suppliers, and customers”. What a great model and inspiration for your dental practice!

As your dental practice gets bigger and busier, you simply can’t lose sight of your core principles and culture which was undoubtedly responsible for your initial success. I hope those principles would include:

•Treating each customer as if he or she is the only person in the world that matters.

• Taking an extra minute or two to give someone your total undivided attention and respect.

• Owning the problem. Admitting when you stumbled. Click on this link and this one as well and read two amazing blog posts written by Seth Godin that illustrate this point.

I hope that you will read this information carefully and share it with your staff. Then you should all sign on and agree to try to become the absolute best that you can be.