The age-old adage "dress for the job you want, not the one you have" could be just as appropriate for the associates throughout your multiple-location practice as it is for anyone. Have your associates dress for the image you want your practice to convey. We're all for individuality and fashion as unique forms of expression. However, we'd have to be completely out of touch if we fail to acknowledge how much our image conveys to others, especially in a clinical environment.

At GPN, we believe in rising to the occasion when it comes to professionalism and patient satisfaction. How believable are we in hoodies, sweatpants or a Hello Kitty scrub top? Rather than putting our best sneaker forward, we should implement a dress code that will impress those who walk through our doors. Given the unique profession in which we practice, along with being a respected medical clinic, we also need to be perceived as trusted fashion consultants too.

Making sure that everyone throughout all of your locations dresses for success and conveys a professional image not only accomplishes the goal of patient satisfaction, but will also increase our own satisfaction and confidence as well as those of your associates.

You own your expertise by literally wearing it on your sleeve as you dress for work each day. Your team members do too. So, let's dress out and replace our funky sneakers with funky frames while making our clothes reflect our professionalism and even create some practice branding along the way. Remember in high school when the football or basketball teams would "dress out" on game day? In real life, it's game day every day, and we came to win.

Up Your Game
Here are some suggestions for helping your associates change their mismatched casual clothes for a uniform image that conveys your practice's brand and professionalism.

Choose one representative from each location to be included in decision making. You may want their input on introducing a few different colors, long-sleeve and short sleeve options, deciding on appropriate footwear. Also, find a company you would like to work with, one that provides quality apparel with the option of adding logos and branding. While there are plenty of companies that specialize in these offerings, GPN has had success with LogoUp.com.

Added benefits of a uniform policy include enhanced self-image, increased professionalism, productivity, punctuality and a unified team feel at the office. Adding logos to your associates' uniforms also increases branding opportunities for your practice and creates a consistent experience among all of your locations.

A consistent wardrobe across all locations can instill pride, convey professionalism and reinforce your brand.

Evan Kestenbaum, MBA


Jolan Yow

Evan Kestenbaum, MBA, is chief information officer and Jolan Yow is a success coach with GPN, Exclusive Provider of The EDGE. Contact them directly at clientservices.gpn@gmail.com.