Meetings That Produce Results

"Why doesn't anything happen after meetings?"

"I hate our staff meetings—all anyone does is gripe!"

"Talk, talk, talk—I want some action from our meetings."

If these conversations sound familiar, try a page out of our colleague Isabel's play book. These ideas can help you schedule meetings that will translate into positive improvements in your bottom line.

Conducting Effective Business Meetings
By Isabel Stoltzman, Consultant

Meetings can be powerful vehicles to help advance communication, coordination and decision making within a practice. When planned and executed correctly, they can be incredibly effective and efficient. When they are poorly arranged and conducted, they are simply a waste of time and can actually de-motivate the very team you are trying to bring together.

Here are ten quick ideas to improve the meetings in your practice:

• Just because the weekly staff meeting is scheduled every Friday at 8 does not mean you must have a meeting—weekly, Fridays, at 8, or at all. Unless you have determined and prioritized key issues affecting the practice’s productivity where decisions and action plans are necessary, cancel the meeting.

• Meetings must have a meaningful agenda and should be distributed to all attendees in advance. This allows a clear road map to follow and helps those attending to prepare. Ask for feedback on future agenda items so everyone’s concerns are considered. (This does not mean every suggested agenda item is given a slot—it must pass the priority test.)

• Have some meetings with staff only and others with the doctor in attendance. Prioritize subject matter accordingly.

• The agenda should have no more than three main points and they should all be related to the practice efficiency and patient experience. It should not serve as a planning session for Bonnie's birthday or the staff Christmas party.

• Start and end on time. A good amount of time is 30 minutes. That is plenty of time if you stay on task and stick to three main points. Don't put more than you can handle in the agenda.

• Maintain the focus and keep participants on track. Be vigilant about conversations not pertaining to the subject matter. What a patient was wearing yesterday, or who the aesthetician is dating is interesting but not relevant. The purpose of the meeting should be, "Here are our problems…" "What are some solutions?" "Pick the best one." If a new subject comes up, either "park it" on next week’s agenda or take it "off line" and discuss it with the individual to whom it pertains.

• Don't have a meeting for anything you can accomplish faster otherwise. If email, a phone call or a quick one-on-one discussion can handle the issue, do that.

• Encourage participation of everyone at the meeting—even if the subject is not their responsibility. Your medical assistant may have a terrific idea about how to better express patient appreciation. Often, those not responsible for certain tasks, have a fresh set of eyes.

• Determine, assign and record action items. Meetings are about making decisions. What? Who? When? How? At the conclusion of the meeting, quickly review the decisions made, who is responsible and when the task will be complete.

• As soon as possible, record the meeting notes and distribute them to those attending. Make a copy for the doctor’s inbox.