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OUR PHILOSOPHY

At CDS, we have an opportunity to elevate the patient experience, both clinically and experientially, through our focus on people and culture. Other DSOs may say this – but we live and breathe it every day through our commitment to our guiding principles and core values.

In our business, quality of care and customer service trump economics. When we get those right, the business will flourish. This means that it comes down to us – each person in our company – to whole-heartedly commit to the highest standard of quality care and customer service that drives our ultimate success.

OUR MISSION

Our mission is to consistently find ways to raise the bar in Canada for oral care by delivering an outstanding patient experience and the best clinical outcomes.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

HOW WE AGREE TO
SHOW UP EVERY DAY

OUR CORE VALUES:

In every interaction, we strive to embrace the following core values to deliver a premium experience to our dental patients. These values are hardwired into the DNA of our organization and our people – driving our decision-making and our priorities.

RESPECTFUL CANDOR

We value and respect differences, experiences, fresh perspectives, and new ideas. We speak up, share our opinions, and tell each other what we think. Respectful candor means actively sharing and actively listening to everyone around us: our team members, our patients, and our suppliers.

WHAT GREAT LOOKS LIKE…

  • Telling people what we really think directly, rather than telling everyone else first.
  • Self-regulation: knowing when you are triggered or reactive, and pausing to think through your response.
  • Communicating with respect and professionalism, regardless of role or level within the organization.
  • Speaking up: not being afraid to ask questions and expose yourself to a different way of approaching a problem.
  • Participating actively in morning huddles and meetings – by coming prepared, and sharing your thoughts.
  • Providing clear, honest and respectful feedback in a timely way.

WARNING SIGNS THAT WE’RE OFF TRACK…

  • Negative chatter about others behind their back.
  • Unwilling to consider other ways of doing things (clinical or non-clinical).
  • Being defensive, aggressive, or reactive in communication with others.
  • Saying that everything is ok, when there is really something on your mind, and it’s impacting how you’re “showing up”.
  • Hiding problems and challenges instead of voicing concerns.

ACCOUNTABILITY DRIVES QUALITY

Everyone, in every position, everywhere, is accountable to themselves, to each other, and to our patients. In everything we do and in all aspects of our business, we will always hold ourselves and those around us accountable to ensure the highest standards of safety, quality of care, great service, and efficiency.

WHAT GREAT LOOKS LIKE…

  • Everyone has absolute clarity on their top accountabilities each day.
  • Knowing when you need help and support and not being afraid to ask for it.
  • Prioritizing the right things, rather than the easy things.
  • Taking ownership for your part in the process, managing your time, and admitting your mistakes.

WARNING SIGNS THAT WE’RE OFF TRACK…

  • Lack of clarity around key priorities for the day.
  • Prioritizing based on your own agenda rather that the team/clinic agenda.
  • Breakdown in communication – misunderstandings about who is doing what and when (and not seeking clarity).
  • Finger-pointing or deflecting when something goes wrong.
  • Holding others to account and not holding yourself to the same standard.

EMBRACE DIVERSITY

We don’t just celebrate diversity – we proactively engineer it into our way of doing business. We want our teams, in every office, to reflect the cultural makeup of the communities they serve. Every community we practice in today has a diverse population. We fundamentally believe that we are better equipped to achieve great results when we engage a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives.

WHAT GREAT LOOKS LIKE…

  • Respectful communication towards everyone, regardless of cultural background, ethnicity, gender, age, physical abilities, sexual orientation, education or religion.
  • Embracing Canada’s diverse population as a national strength, and ensuring our teams reflect the diverse communities that we serve, and where we operate.
  • We challenge one another to raise the bar on inclusive practices – based on an understanding that everyone is valued, respected and supported.
  • Our workplaces are safe for everyone to be who they are without bias or judgment.

WARNING SIGNS THAT WE’RE OFF TRACK…

  • Disrespect or biased communication with respect to cultural background, ethnicity, gender, age, physical abilities, sexual orientation, education or religion.
  • Unwillingness to hear or incorporate other perspectives.
  • Making decisions from a place of bias – be it personal or industry bias.

OPEN TO CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

We are curious by nature. We challenge the status quo, we challenge assumptions, and we seek continuous improvement – in ourselves and our clinics. We know we are never finished learning and growing and that, as the world evolves, we need to evolve with it to stay relevant and efficient. Through the discovery and assimilation of the best practices, we solve even our most difficult problems together – with curiosity and open minds.

WHAT GREAT LOOKS LIKE…

  • Remaining flexible and open to change and different ways of doing things.
  • Proactively trying new approaches to see if they work better.
  • Admitting our failures and committing to learning from them.
  • Questioning and challenging the long-held beliefs of the industry.
  • Holding an innovator’s mindset – looking for opportunities to re-think and re-imagine our processes.
  • Share your ideas, and be open to the ideas of others.
  • Adopting new technologies by committing to learn – even when it feels challenging or uncomfortable.

WARNING SIGNS THAT WE’RE OFF TRACK…

  • Getting stuck in nostalgia: when we hear ourselves saying, “It’s the way we’ve always done it”.
  • Resistance to trying or learning something new.
  • Choosing personal ease rather than the discomfort of growth and evolution.
  • Believing that you are the only one with the answer.
  • Using the ‘invisible army’ to resist change: “The entire team is worried”.

TEAMWORK IS FOUNDATIONAL

There is no such thing as great, comprehensive oral care being delivered by a dental practice of 1 person. Dentistry is a team sport, and we strive to be the best team in the community. We work as a cohesive unit, appreciating one another’s roles, expertise, and insight as invaluable assets to our ongoing performance and growth. We work together to create and maintain the most efficient and outstanding patient experience and outcomes in our industry.

WHAT GREAT LOOKS LIKE…

  • Knowing that we all contribute to patient outcomes – either directly or indirectly.
  • A willingness to step outside of our own role when needed and ‘fill-in’ as qualified: “See a need, fill a need”.
  • Corporate and clinic teams support each other and communicate effectively so that the patient experience is seamless.
  • Team members feel safe to provide one another with support and feedback in a timely way.

WARNING SIGNS THAT WE’RE OFF TRACK…

  • Having a self-orientation over a team orientation: A narrow focus on doing what you ‘want’ to do, rather than what the team (or patients) ‘needs ‘ from you.
  • Unwilling to step outside the scope of your technical training or job description to lend a hand.
  • Gossiping about a team member rather than respectful, direct feedback.
  • Working in silos.
  • Miscommunication leading to patient experiences and expectations being mismanaged.

EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE DELIVERY

We earn our patients’ loyalty by putting them first. We deliver a premium patient experience – and continue to earn their loyalty – through every interaction and communication.

WHAT GREAT LOOKS LIKE…

  • Delighting our patients by consistently providing exceptional care – clear communication, empathy, and a warm smile.
  • Treating our patients the way we would want to be treated.
  • Listening to what the patient needs and wants (even, and especially, when they don’t know what that is).
  • Consider all phases of the patient experience: before, during, and after their visit to the clinic.
  • A “Raving Fan and Patients for Life” attitude, everyday.
  • Being patient, even when it means taking the extra time to walk them through or explain a process.

WARNING SIGNS THAT WE’RE OFF TRACK…

  • Disregard for the patient’s experience because of a preoccupation with yourself.
  • When the patient interaction becomes passive and lacks connection.
  • “Going through the motions” rather than committing to premium service delivery.
  • Not taking time to connect with our patients to find out their chief concerns.