Pitchrate | Putting MEAT in Your Meetings

Email:
Password:
or log in with your favorite social network:

NOTE: If you don't have a profile and want to sign up with your social network, please click the appropriate icon in the sign up box!

Jackie Bailey

Jackie Bailey is a business coach, consultant, recruiter, professional speaker, and blogger. Jackie works with all businesses to build teams and recruit new team members. Jackie will enhance a dental or medical practice by assessing, training, and coaching. Key traits attributed to Jackie Baile...

Category of Expertise:

Business & Finance, Health & Fitness

Company:

Emerald City Consulting

User Type:

Expert

Published:

08/13/2011 02:53pm
Putting MEAT in Your Meetings

Putting M-E-A-T in your MEETINGS
Staff Meeting Agenda Items
1 Recent Movies Seen
2 Nordstrom Sale
3 Vacation Pictures
It’s unlikely that any dental practice would plan to have a discussion on the topics
listed in the agenda above. Yet these topics often become the main course for staff
meetings, instead of the dessert. Putting more MEAT in your meetings will provide the
nutrition needed in every dental practice, and yield the sweet taste of success!
M-E-A-T is an acronym to illustrate four key aspects of successful meetings:
Motivation~Education~Articulation~Triangulation
Craved a staff meeting lately? It’s possible when they are a place to share
necessary information; establish goals and action plans; implement systems for problem
solving; and define accountability. Successful staff meetings cause the participants to
leave the meeting feeling full and satisfied. The result is stronger and more trusting
relationships with each other and patients.
Staff members and doctors will have more Motivation to attend and participate in
staff meetings when it’s time used well. Having specific agenda items to discuss will
promote efficient time management. There are many types of meetings that involve the
staff—thus each of the meetings listed below is considered a “Staff Meeting”. The
general purpose to each of these meetings is Education.
The Huddle
When working toward a better practice, success is achieved more readily when
The Huddle is held each morning. The Huddle has several objectives:
1. Communicate proactively about the schedule
2. Strategize ways to prevent scheduling problems
3. Educate staff on important issues such as production, collection and new
patients for the day
4. Coordinate team efforts for greatest time management
The Numbers Meeting
The Numbers Meeting, held once a month, provides opportunity to compare goals
to actual accomplishments in regard to production, collections, new patients, and account
receivables. Educating all on how to monitor these numbers and interpret the
information is essential.
The Training Meeting
The Training Meeting, held twice a month, allows time to share knowledge
gained at continuing Education seminars, on-line courses, or articles found in dental
periodicals. It’s also a time for team members to develop better verbal skills when
negotiating payment arrangements, scheduling new patients, or asking for referrals. The
Training Meeting is also a forum to practice clinical skills or cross-training.
The Teamwork Meeting
The Teamwork Meeting, held once a month, is for agenda items that don’t fit the
other meeting types. The Teamwork Meeting is for discussing HR policies, updating job
descriptions, recognizing achievements, or celebrating an event.
Having specific agenda items to discuss at each of these meetings ensures a more
focused and productive meeting every time. Gone will be the days when you wonder
what to talk about at your staff meetings! Motivation and Education will make staff
meetings more successful. Next is to implement the process with Articulation.
Articulation is about having clear expectations and a detailed outline of what
happens before, during, and after each staff meeting. An agenda is vital to define the
topics to be discussed and the amount of time for the discussion. *Email
jackie@emeraldcityconsulting.com to request a copy of an agenda.
During the meeting, team members should be Articulate in sharing ideas and
solutions; and exhibit positive body language. Listening will foster a climate of respect
and commitment by all to follow through with action items after the meeting.
The last bite of the M-E-A-T acronym is Triangulation. This term refers to three
roles needed at each staff meeting:
The Facilitator makes sure that preparations are made for the meeting, prints the
agenda and runs the meeting
The Recorder takes notes regarding items discussed, the outcomes, and then
posts the notes in a visible place until the next meeting.
The Participants are everybody participating fully by off

Keywords

staff meetings, leadership, employees
Please note: Expert must be credited by name when an article is reprinted in part or in full.

Share with your colleagues, friends or anyone

comments on this article

Powered by: www.creativform.com