How to run effective Staff Meetings

Staff meetings are invaluable when they are done right, and are a waste of time or even worse when they are not.

The obvious benefits of weekly meetings are so that you know where you are, where you are going, and how you are progressing. If you do not have weekly staff meetings you cannot course correct.

I heard a mind boggling statistic. When N.A.S.A. sends up space craft up to the moon, they spend years and billions of dollars figuring, calculating and recalculating their plan of action. As soon as the craft is launched they spend 97% of the time “course correcting!” These are the brightest minds in the world and they are spending most of their time course correcting.

If you are not having weekly meetings there is no way for you to effectively course correct; which is really fine for many offices because many doctors don’t even have a realistic course. They are like a ship without a rudder, letting the patients run the insane asylum, with no real understanding of where they are, where they want to be or how to get there.

Don’t be like a ship without a rudder. Do have efficient and effective weekly meetings.

I also recommend that you meet with your staff for a minute or two before you start your morning adjusting session. Go over any things that you need them to do AND give them an opportunity to ask you for guidance on any questions they may have. One of the classic blunders doctors make is they rush into the office, do the classic “DUMP” on their staff and rush to the adjusting room to start adjusting. Our staff HATE US when we do that to them. Trust me; I live with my office manager!

This is a business, treat it like one. Show up a few minutes early, have time to course correct, give your staff the respect they deserve and they will respect you by doing a good job.

Meet with your staff for just a minute right after the morning session before you go to lunch. See if there is anything you need to know about, or if they need any information from you. Again, course correct. If you do not do this, your staff will often have to just sit around and wait to get things done. It is frustrating, a colossal waste of time, and a major cause of staff infection.

Repeat these same two mini-meetings before you start up for your evening shift and after you finish at the end of the day.

Remember, staff meetings are not meant to be whining sessions. If your staff has a problem, you want to teach your staff how to bring up the issue in a constructive manner so they do not bring the whole group down. (This especially goes for you, the captain of this ship.) Teach them L.A.A.S.R., let them know when they bring up a potential problem they must also attempt to bring up a solution. It may not be the solution you end up adopting, but at least it keeps them looking in that direction and does not allow the meeting to turn into a rag session.

I go into great detail about how to run effective staff meetings and the importance of each aspect of the meeting in my “How to Build a Dream Team” series.

If you are ready to have the practice of your dreams you must be willing to Build the Dream Team Staff!

I would strongly recommend purchasing the “How to Build a Dream Team” workbook and audio series where I go into great detail about how to TURN YOUR STAFF INTO A DREAM TEAM- Build a team that carries you on their shoulders, a team that is not only highly trained, motivated and driven, but one that holds them selves capable and accountable and literally pushes you to do your best. The secrets of how to get the doctor treated like a ROCK STAR and the staff like ROADIES! And the patients as the RAVING FANS! Can you imagine your staff excited to get new patient referrals into your office and do what ever it takes to get you to the next level? Making your DREAM TEAM into PROFESSIONALS that will drive the practice to new heights BETTER then you could ever do on your own!!

This course gives you everything you need to build a Dream Team

1. Detailed Bonus System

2. Importance of Behavioral Studies

3. Performance Appraisal System

4. Staff Meetings

If you realize how important it is to run effective staff meetings I would strongly suggest that you take it to the next level and Build Your Dream Team!

The following is a copy of an article from an organization I belong to called “Coachville,”. Take a moment to review it and see if it stimulates any ideas for the perfect staff meeting just for you and your team.

The Top 10 Tips to Make Your Staff & Review Meetings More Effective and Fun

Many studies have shown that according to people who attend meetings, the majority of meetings are considered to be a waste of time. This view is even more prevalent when regular staff meetings or review meetings are considered. However with some thought, and use of the techniques below, you can hold effective meetings that will meet your business objectives as well as energize and strengthen your team.

Use the top ten below to make your meetings more effective for everyone, while still having fun.

1. Define the purpose of your meeting.

   Take a step back and think about why you need to have the meeting. A clear definition of purpose will lead you to a clear structure for the meeting. Some common purposes are: communication of information, problem solving, decision making, strengthening relationships, building alignment, and sharing of best practice. Make sure that all participants understand and buy-in to the purpose of the meeting.

2. Set a clear agenda.

   Once you have defined your purpose you can create an agenda to achieve it. List the subjects that need to be covered each with an allotted time, and an indication of outcome. Distribute the meeting agenda well in advance of the meeting together with any background information that people need to read.

3. Set the tone.

   As the leader of the meeting you set the tone and model the desired behavior. Are you formal or informal, light hearted or serious? Each of these styles will set a different tone. The leader needs to show each participant that they are being listened to and respected. A warm genuine approach will facilitate cooperation and collaboration.

4. Start and end your meetings on time.

   Practice good time keeping habits by starting on time, keeping to time limits for agenda topics and ending on time. This means that sometimes you will need to begin your meetings before all the participants are present. If you get into the habit of waiting for people to arrive, you will encourage regulars to start to come late as they know the meeting will not start on time. Ending on time is respectful to all participants of the meeting.

5. Have fun.

   Encourage people to communicate in an appropriate but playful way. A serious idea does not have to be heavy hearted and morose.

   Laughter is an energizing force. Contrary to old school beliefs, time is not necessarily wasted by adding levity and humor.

6. Balance control and flexibility.

   Run the meeting, but do it with balance. Your role is to keep the meeting on track, moving towards achieving its purpose and agenda.

   But be flexible enough to explore a new idea or approach even if at first it does not seem to move towards achieving your objectives.

7. Allow for some creativity and spontaneity.

   In planning the meeting agenda allow time for creativity and spontaneity. Ask questions of the team to get feedback on issues and ideas. Listen closely to what is being discussed as this will create an atmosphere conducive to idea generation and creativity.

8. Review understandings and actions.

   At the end of the meeting review the agreed actions and agreements. Actions need to be specific and include who is responsible, what other resources are needed to accomplish the tasks and the timeline for completion. One of the most discouraging situations is when there is a lack of good follow through and many of the good ideas generated appear to have fallen into a black hole.

9. Hold other meetings.

   Sometimes meetings get bogged down with important issues that would be better addressed outside the current meeting. This often happens when you need one or all of the following: other people, more information, more time or a different environment. When you see the meeting getting bogged down, bring the discussion to a close and take an action to address the issue in a separate forum.

10. Review and evaluate.

    On a regular basis review and seek feedback on how well the meeting is being received and if it is achieving its purpose. If it is not, try a different approach using the techniques above. Alternatively consider bringing in a professional coach/facilitator to intervene.

    About the Submitter:
    Submitted by Doris Kovic, who can be reached at doris@leadinginsight.com, or visited on the web at www.LeadingInsight.com | © 2001 CoachVille

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    Russ Rosen, D.C. – Mar 09, 2003