If your home is like most, Thanksgiving Day looks less like a peaceful Norman Rockwell painting and more like a cross between The Amazing Race and a mildly chaotic family reunion. You’re either traveling across state lines with 17 bags, three chargers, and one relative who swore they didn’t need a ride… or you’re prepping your house like HGTV is stopping by for a surprise inspection.
Either way, peaceful reflection is not exactly the mood.
But here’s the twist:
Thankfulness isn’t just a holiday vibe — it’s a workplace culture strategy.
If we want teams who communicate well, support each other, and create an exceptional patient experience, we can’t reserve gratitude for one Thursday in November. We have to build it into the everyday rhythm of our practices.
Here are five simple, practical habits that help create a culture where people feel valued, connected, and less likely to snap when the schedule goes sideways.
1. Time
Create space for quiet reflection — at work and at home.
Dental practices move FAST. Patients checking in, phones ringing, sterilization humming, the doctor asking, “Who has my lab slip?” for the fifth time.
If every team member sets aside even a minute or two each day for breath, quiet, or reflection, it reduces the “constant urgency” that leads to tension. A calmer mind equals calmer communication — and calmer communication equals fewer hallway meltdowns.
2. Thought
Focus on what’s working — not what’s missing.
Dental teams are pros at spotting what’s not right. (Comes with the profession.)
But gratitude flips the script.
What if each day someone called out one small win?
A helpful hand. A patient who was kind. A teammate who jumped in without being asked (This is exactly what your 5 minute PM huddle ought to look like!)
3. Generosity
Give more than you expect — with your time, your attention, and your patience.
It’s easy to compare your workload to someone else’s and feel frustrated. But generosity shifts the culture from “That’s not my job” to “We’re all in this together.”
Want the quickest way to build unity?
Do something kind without being asked or expecting anything in return. Help a teammate turnover a room. Offer to take a patient back. Step in when someone looks overwhelmed.
Generosity is the antidote to resentment — and everyone can feel the difference.
4. Ask
Ask your team what they’re thankful for.
This one’s simple and surprisingly powerful.
Start a morning huddle by asking:
“What’s one thing you’re grateful for today?”
The answers will surprise you.
You’ll learn more about your team.
And you’ll build real connection — not the surface-level “How was your weekend?” kind.
Teams who talk about meaningful things communicate better about everything else too — including difficult conversations.
5. Acknowledge
Tell your people what they mean to you.
In offices, we assume people know we appreciate them. But they don’t unless we actually say it.
A few words like:
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“I’m really thankful for how you handled that patient.”
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“Your energy makes this place better.”
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“I appreciate your willingness to try new things.”
…go a long, long way.
Appreciation builds loyalty.
Loyalty builds culture.
Culture builds practices patients love.
The Bottom Line
If gratitude only shows up once a year, you’ll have a holiday — not a culture.
But when thankfulness becomes part of the daily environment — woven into your huddles, interactions, attitudes, and conversations — your practice becomes a place people want to show up to.
A healthier team.
Better communication.
More joy.
Less tension.
And a patient experience that feels warm, connected, and truly human.
So yes — celebrate Thanksgiving.
Eat the pie.
Enjoy the chaos.
But don’t reserve the 4th Thursday in November to try and build a culture of gratitude.
Your team — and your patients — will feel the difference every single day.