We All Have the Superpower of CHOICE
By: Candy Velez, CRDH, BSDH, IGNITEDDS Dental Hygiene Coach
When the Hardest Part of Work Isnโt the Work
In many professional environments, the most difficult part of the job is not always the workload, the schedule, or the pressure. Sometimes, it is the way people treat each other.
We often label people by roles:
- This is the dentist.
- This is the hygienist.
- This is the treatment coordinator.
- This is the dental assistant.
In reality:
- This is David.
- This is Dawn.
- This is Candy.
- This is Ronda.
Beyond the roles and titles are people. Every person who walks into the workplace is a human being navigating life, learning, growing, and doing their best with what they know. When we forget that, culture begins to erode.
A powerful question for reflection when engaging with other team members is:
โAm I treating this person the way I would want to be treated if I were in their position?โ
When โThatโs Just How It Is Hereโ Becomes a Warning Sign
Many unhealthy environments hide behind the phrase, โThatโs just how it is here.โ
New team members are often expected to endure:
- Emotional roughness
- Public correction
- Unspoken rules
These behaviors are framed as toughness and dismissed as normal. In contrast, healthy teams do not require suffering as an entry fee.
Most of us have experienced toxic environments at some point in our careers. Many of us have been made to feel small, unsupported, or afraid to ask questions.
Acknowledging that reality matters. However, experiencing toxicity does not mean we are destined to recreate it for others.
The Superpower We All Possess: Choice
As human beings, we have a unique superpower: choice.
The choices we make shape the impact we have and the environment we create. We can choose to:
- Create a toxic experience, or choose something better
- Explain instead of embarrassing
- Guide instead of test
- Correct without humiliating
- Pause instead of react
- Be curious instead of assuming
We can uphold high standards while still honoring a personโs dignity. This is not about lowering expectations. It is about elevating how expectations are delivered.
This is where:
- Maturity lives
- True confidence is built
- Leadership beginsโeven without a title
Shifting the Question
Instead of asking:
- โWhy are people so sensitive?โ
- โThis is just how it isโ
A more powerful question is:
โWhat do we want to create?โ
Consider:
- What kind of environment do we want people to walk into?
- What kind of experience do we want someone to have on their first day?
- What kind of team do we want to be part of?
Culture does not change through wishing. It changes through consistent, intentional choices and actions.
Culture Is Built in Small Moments
Workplace culture is not created by mission statements or posters on a wall. It is created in everyday interactions:
- How someone is greeted
- How mistakes are handled
- How questions are answered
- Whether people feel safe enough to say, โI donโt know yetโ
Small moments, repeated over time, create psychological safety, the foundation of every healthy, high-performing team.
The Impact We Rarely Measure
Consider the ripple effect of our tone and behavior:
- When someone goes home after work, having interacted with us, are they:
- In survival mode, exhausted, and questioning whether they belong.
- Or energized and encouraged?
- Do they sit at the table thinking, โI hate my jobโ?
- Or do they say, โI love it there. I picked the right environment. I canโt wait to go back tomorrow. I have so many ideas I want to bring and share.โ?
People in survival mode cannot contribute at the same level as people who feel inspired.
Inspired people:
- Create
- Problem-solve
- Elevate teams
When people feel safe, respected, and valued:
- Their creativity expands
- Their confidence grows
- Their willingness to contribute increases
The experience we help create does not just shape a single workday; it can shape someoneโs relationship with their career and with themselves.
A Final Reflection
Before reacting sharply, dismissing a question, or proving a point, pause and remember: this is a human being, not just a title or a role.
We cannot change what we experienced in the past, but we can change what we create moving forward.
We have the power to:
- Break toxic cycles
- Make someone elseโs experience better than our own
And when we choose to use that power, we do more than improve workplace culture.
We change lives. And that is real leadership.
Keep Reading: Silence Fuels Negativity, Leadership Requires Communication
