President's Message

THE MANY FACES OF DENTISTRY — OUR PROFESSION IS WHAT UNITES US

Like so many of you, I enjoy traveling. It can be frustrating at times, but if I take some time to look away from my phone or laptop, the best part of the journey begins at the airport or train station. People-watching is so much more fun than scrolling through a phone screen. At times, it’s easy to get so caught up in our own personal world that we forget we are surrounded by so many other personal worlds. Do you get curious about the lives of the strangers sitting next to you? Striking up a conversation with someone you don’t know is an unpracticed art today. It’s not only entertaining to do so, but you’ll always learn something new.

I often must fly to Mexico, which involves spending layover time in Miami, Mexico City and Houston mega international airports. So many cultures. So many languages. So many stories. All with interesting lives. In the past 10 years, the variety of people has rapidly evolved. The United States has become a truly international country. Please note that I do not call it multinational, because we are one nation of many cultures.

Despite the debates surrounding racism, sexism, ageism and all kinds of x-isms du jour, each day I witness just the opposite through observing interactions of everyday people. I enjoy their uniqueness. It’s our different backgrounds that have made this country so strong. We are bound not by one common ethnic culture, so typical of many monocultural countries, but by a united passion for the freedoms our Constitution guarantees. Despite our many ethnic backgrounds, freedom is our common culture, unique to our United States. To ensure the freedom culture, we must embrace respect and trust. When we all agree we are free Americans, that opens us up to hearing our differences. We have the opportunity to earn each other’s respect and trust, even if we disagree.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

DAVE BODEN, DDS, MS FDA PRESIDENT

Dr. Boden can be reached at dboden@bot.floridadental.org.

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I’ve observed this at dental meetings as well. We have a vast range of ages and backgrounds, particularly here in Florida. All have interesting ideas, if only we will listen to each other. Just like our country, diverse backgrounds and ideas are what make the Florida Dental Association (FDA) strong. You don’t have to necessarily agree with someone’s ideas, but as intelligent doctors, we all deserve each other’s respect. Frankly, when it comes to ideas involving dentistry, we need to remind ourselves we have far more in common than different. Our profession is what unites us.

When you meet someone new and different, whether at a dental meeting or anywhere else, smile, offer your handshake and introduce yourself. Be the curious one. Realize that their mind is more important than how they look or speak, and far more interesting.

Enjoy meeting as many of your Florida colleagues as you can. I have. You’ll discover we have many faces in the FDA, but only one culture that counts: We’re all Florida dentists healing our patients.

When we all agree we are free Americans, that opens us up to hearing our differences. We have the opportunity to earn each other’s respect and trust, even if we disagree. ”

IS DIVERSITY REALLY THAT IMPORTANT?

DEBORAH S. MINNIS

Ms. Minnis practices labor and employment law at Ausley McMullen, and she also represents various local government bodies. She can be reached at dminnis@ausley.com.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional legal advice. If you have a specific concern or need legal advice regarding your dental practice, you should contact a qualified attorney. Everyone is familiar with labels of the generation gaps: baby boomers, Generation X, millennials. Baby boomers are ages 57-75, Gen Xers are 41-56, and millennials are 2540 years of age. While boomers made up the largest segment of population in America for many years, they’ve been overtaken by millennials as America’s largest living adult generation. Make no mistake — boomers are still a strong force in the world, but they are an aging group and are on their way out of the workforce, while Gen Xers and millennials are its future.

You’re probably wondering what all this has to do with the topic of this article. While baby boomers continue to have a significant impact in the medical area as patients, the future of a practice, its employees and its patients rests on the shoulders of the millennial generation.

Benefits

While all generations have many significant things in common, there is a real divide in some thought processes among the generations. In contrast to earlier generations, the members of the millennial generation are generally very socially and globally focused. Millennials seem to be more attuned to what would be termed “soft skills,” particularly when selecting employment and service providers. They view soft skills, like the ability to empathize with and collaborate with people who are different from them, as an important indication of the type of work culture or treatment culture they can expect from an employer or a practice. For millennials, a practice’s soft skills often will overshadow its hard or technical skills. One litmus test used by millennials in evaluating a practice’s soft skills is whether there is diversity in the

practice’s staff and patients. Some see a lack of diversity as a negative indicator of whether the practice will be able to understand them or empathize with their concerns and needs.

In addition to acknowledging that diversity is important for a practice to remain competitive in employee and patient recruitment and maintenance in a culture populated by millennials, society in general is a much more diverse and mobile place. Having a diverse workforce can put a practice in the position to have broader patient appeal across the community. Workforce diversity will allow the practice to better understand the needs and concerns of a diverse patient population.

Aside from the practical benefits provided by a diverse workplace discussed above, there are other, less obvious benefits. In many instances, diversity drives innovation and creativity by bringing new ways to look at problems or practices. Having a substantial diversity and inclusion strategy can help organizations attract top talent, decrease employee turnover and increase employee engagement and retention — all resulting in positive outcomes.

Potential Downsides and Legal Considerations

With a diverse workplace, however, come cultural and other differences that can sometimes lead to misunderstandings among employees. Failing to handle misunderstandings quickly and effectively, as well as tolerating racist, xenophobic or insensitive comments about employees’ color or religion, can lead to litigation and potential liability. For practices with 15 or more employees, both Title VII and the Florida Civil Rights Act protect employees from discrimination based on race, color, national origin and religion, in addition to gender. Though smaller practices are not covered by these anti-discrimination laws, unhappy employees or employees who feel or believe they have been mistreated often find other avenues to express their displeasure, perhaps in the form of overtime or whistleblower claims.

Steps to Take

A written anti-harassment policy, even for small practices, is a crucial step in preventing litigation. The policy should state that harassment of any type will not be tolerated. It should provide a clear process for employees who believe they have been subjected to harassment to report it. All reports of harassment should be investigated, and a resolution should be reached with the parties.

Just as important as having a clear anti-harassment policy is setting an example for staff by fostering an atmosphere of inclusion in the office. This can be done by allowing employees to honor cultural and other celebratory events that are a part of their heritage, and by encouraging such activities.

Finally, discourage employees from perpetuating or fostering stereotypes about other nationalities or cultures. This is not a matter of political correctness but is a simple matter of respect for others. In my practice, I have seen instances where comments perceived as offensive were made with no intention of being derogatory or harassing — the individual was, unfortunately, simply repeating misinformation/stereotypes they’d heard.

Maintaining an open-door policy, encouraging all employees to report any issues or concerns, and treating all employees and any concerns in an equitable and fair manner will go a long way toward promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. And yes, diversity really is that important.

“In many instances, diversity drives innovation and creativity by bringing new ways to look at problems or practices.