6 steps to more effective staff meetings

Editor’s Note: Welcome to “Eye Catching: Let's Chat,” a blog series featuring contributions from members of the ophthalmic community. These blogs are an opportunity for ophthalmic bloggers to engage with readers with about a topic that is top of mind, whether it is practice management, experiences with patients, the industry, medicine in general, or healthcare reform. The series continues with this blog by Joy Gibb, ABOC, an optician at Daynes Eye and Lasik in Bountiful, UT. The views expressed in these blogs are those of their respective contributors and do not represent the views of  Ophthalmology Times or UBM Advanstar.

 

Are you looking for an inexpensive and effective way to build team morale and improve the overall experience of your patient?  Look no further than consistent staff meetings!

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In a 2013 survey of eye-care professionals by the Better Vision Institute, respondents ranked staff meetings as the number one way to increase employee morale.  Team members cited the importance of good communication, having a clear understanding of how the business is doing, and what is expected of them as things they desired from practice owners.  The key to making staff meetings successful and enjoyable is in the preparation.

Step 1: Purpose

Decide first what the purpose is for your meeting.  Staff meetings can be great times to review policy and procedure, train and educate about product, set and review goals, and plan for upcoming events or potential scheduling conflicts. 

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You will also want to be thoughtful about what actions you want your staff to take after the meeting and if they will be motivated to perform better as a result of the meeting.  Using the answers to these questions will help you in the planning and coordinating of your meeting.

Step 2: Coordinating

Choose a day of the week and regularly hold your staff meetings during that time.  I often encourage staff meetings to occur in the morning prior to the start of seeing patients.  Consider delaying when you schedule your first patients by an hour just one day a week.  Your staff will appreciate not having to come in early, stay late, or give up a lunch hour, and the revenue you may lose in chair time will be made up for in better skills and communication in the staff, which can translate to better customer service for your patients. 

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