WHY SHOULD YOU PLAN TEAM MEETINGS?
Clear and consistent communication is the only tool a team has to improve how it works together! Do not miss this great opportunity to make your team the best it can be. Good team management is creating the format for structured and well-planned meetings where effective communication takes place, resulting in increased productivity and reduced stress. Through productive meetings, everyone stays informed. If a team is not a cohesive force moving in the same direction, then there will be many individual agendas competing against each other and productivity will be greatly reduced, and stress and confusion increased.
One cannot successfully run a business and/or manage a team if one does not take time to discuss the status of the business with employees. For instance, discuss what is working, what is not working and brainstorm solutions. A doctor can think of himself as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and his team as his “board of directors,” designed to help him run a profitable practice. The CEO and board of directors should meet regularly to discuss the status of the practice vital signs and systems that are most important for its success. Depending upon the size of the team, everyone may be on the board or, if there is a very large team, then the board would consist of a few key leaders who manage the different departments/systems. The remaining employees would be the shareholders who also have a financial interest in the practice being profitable. All should be present at the company’s board meeting to be informed on how the business is doing and what they can do to help make the practice a success.
Meetings should take place in the office and not in a restaurant over lunch. It is more difficult to discuss confidential practice information (production and collection status) and/or address team issues in a public atmosphere. It is great to go out to lunch as a team, but it is best to do so just for fun and enjoy the camaraderie.
Different types of meetings:
Morning huddles
Monthly meetings
Quarterly department meetings
There are certain behaviors that should not be allowed during team meetings because they will quickly reduce the effectiveness of the meetings. Below are examples that are best to avoid during meetings because they are a waste of the doctor’s resources and the “board of directors” time:
Conversation veers off the topic and the meeting becomes a social session.
Not all key people are present.
An agenda is missing or leaders choose not to stick to the agenda.
Turns into a gripe session instead of solving the problem. Don’t let this happen. This is destructive.
When you can see this starting, stop the discussion and follow the “problem solving formula”:
WHAT is the problem? Identify and define the exact problem you would like to solve.
What are the CAUSES? Brainstorm all causes. Do not discuss the problem.
Discuss possible SOLUTIONS?
What is the BEST SOLUTION? How to implement final solution?
Holding morning, monthly and department meetings on a regular basis, as described in this blog, is preventive team maintenance, thus, good team management.
To discuss more reasons why team meetings are important or how to make your dental practice run like a well-oiled machine, fill out our “free consult” form to speak with an LCP team member. We look forward to creating your dream practice with you.