In August, I had the pleasure of coaching a fine, young dentist, Dr. Tanya Brown, on crafting and delivering an important speech on how to distinguish your practice. The first key element of her message was how crucial advanced personal leadership in every team member as well as effective interoffice communication was to her overall practice success.
When I asked how she fostered these qualities in her team, she shared a meeting format which had transformed their monthly team meetings from boring, repetitive, and punitive to exciting, informative and fun. To enhance the ease of the speech, we put her process into 6 easy sections... and with her permission, I'll share those with you here:
1. What's right?
Instead of jumping immediately into how things could improve or adding new tasks to the list, this team starts with a half-full glass, a "Good News Report," if you will, which could consist of compliments from patients, expressed gratitude to a fellow team member, celebrating the achievement of a goal, personal pride in mastering a new skill, a positive news report on the economy... anything that is a nod toward that what is already right, healthy, exciting, positive and working well.
2. Where are we?
A review of practice statistics against benchmarks and projections. Each team member reviews an area of the business and facilitates a discussion around the numbers.
3. So What?
One of my favorite questions! This is what makes #2 meaningful... the analysis of what the numbers really mean and steps or ideas they have for course correction or how to maintain the status quo.
4. What needs clearing?
Requests that things be done differently, reminders of past agreements, and feelings that need airing... this is where the truth is kindly cleared ... instead of stuffed.
5. What are we learning?
This is where it really starts to get fun. Her office reports every month on what new things they are learning and how they're growing as individuals and dental professionals.
- Dr. Brown's Book Club: Each quarter the team nominates and votes on a book they feel will enhance their interpersonal, client service, or clinical skills and then discuss the book together the following quarter.
- Peer-to-Peer Instruction: Alternating each month, one team member coaches others on a skill they have mastered and leads a practice session for all.
- New Product Review: In an effort to remain on the cutting edge, someone reports on a new product, technique or service in the industry usually garnered from a rep, journal, or industry meeting.
6. Where's the fun?
As hard as this team works, they play just as hard. Here they discuss what they are doing or have scheduled on the calendar to maintain their solid bond as a great team, have some good, old-fashioned fun, and keep their practice a place they always look forward to coming to every day.
There really is no good reason for your team meetings not to be a monthly event that everyone truly looks forward to. Don't wait for someone else to do it. If they are boring or punitive or unimaginative... stand for something better. Be the change you wish to see.
Thanks Dr. Brown for sharing such powerful tips for elevating and enhancing our team meetings!