Philosophy and Mission

An Inc. article by Josh Spiro provides insights on a company's philosophy, saying, "any company can sell Product X or provide Service Y, but what differentiates you from everyone else in your field is your company's philosophy. A company's philosophy is a distillation of its culture or ambience into a group of core values that inform all aspects of its business practices."¹ Furthermore, it is a motivation and belief that all parties in the company can achieve a greater good as a whole than their individual parts; however, each individual part needs to believe, wholeheartedly, and feel appreciated for their contributions to the success of the whole. The philosophy should flesh out the mission statement, which is pitchy and almost slogan-like, into core ideas or values that the company and its members hold dear and adhere to in their business dealings. The philosophy should reflect a positive, self-motivating statement of betterment for day-to-day decisions that help in achieving the company's goals and objectives, and provide for a solid basis of practice. Spiro defines a mission statement as one that "should succinctly summarize what you do or what your aims are. As an example, Google's stated mission is ‘to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful'." Both mission and philosophy should aim to speak to the greater good the company as a whole can provide society, culture, or specialized communities of interest.

Dental laboratories provide a unique and personal opportunity to aid in the overall health of the patients they serve with treatment modalities, workflows, technology, and restorative materials. Similarly, they can produce a success trajectory to the dentist clients they serve and provide a unique ability to engage in a meaningful and larger pathway that elevates and aligns those who share similar core values. What are your laboratory's core values and how are you participating in the larger view point? That is your laboratory's philosophy and mission statement. And how are you communicating, motivating, and recognizing those employees who are aligned with your company's philosophy? Perhaps, "now" is the best time to contemplate and develop or reevaluate your laboratory's philosophy and mission statement, one that everyone can prevail and feel valued by.

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1. Spiro J. How to Create a Company Philosophy. Inc. https://www.inc.com/guides/create-a-company-philosophy.html#:~:text=Any%20company%20can%20sell%20Product,aspects%20of%20its%20business%20practices. Published March 18, 2010. Accessed January 11, 2021.