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  MEETING TIPS: AUSTIN VILLAGE EYECARE’S 10 STEPS

IMPLEMENT OFFICE HUDDLES

SHORT MEETINGS GET EVERYONE ON THE SAME PAGE

KESHAV BHAT, O.D.

CONSIDER THIS: It’s Monday morning, doctors and staff members focus their energy on patients. Bottlenecks develop within an hour. A visual field report is missing. One patient needs an interpreter. By lunchtime, the entire staff is running behind. Sound familiar?

Office huddles, short, daily coordination meetings with your staff, help to avoid this situation. Our office team reviews that the day’s patients’ insurance information has been pulled and verified. We also make notes on individual patients, for example, to compare our 11 a.m. presbyope’s current multifocal lens and a new multifocal.

Here are 10 steps to a positive and productive daily huddle.

1 SET PRECEDENCE

Nothing takes precedence. Huddles allow the team time to discuss a plan of action for the day, which is why it is imperative everyone, including doctors, be expected to be there and be on time.

2 SETTLE ON A CONSISTENT TIME

It’s important “huddle time” becomes a part of everyone’s daily routine. It might take some experimenting to figure out what is the right time. We meet 10 minutes before patient care begins.

3 HOLD IT IN CENTRAL LOCATION

For example, you might simply gather in the eyewear gallery or your reception area.

Dr. Bhat’s staff at morning huddle.

4 DESIGNATE A LEADER

Identify the staff member responsible for leading the huddle and have him or her put together a structured agenda initially. After a few weeks, the huddle will run itself.

5 IDENTIFY THE CHAMPION

A huddle champion is an attendance enforcer who provides daily discipline. It’s best if the champion is a physician or office manager. Once the huddles gain momentum no extra effort is required.

6 EXPERIMENT WITH AGENDA

Everyone at the huddle is expected to take part in sharing pertinent information affecting patient flow. Set a specific agenda of topics, such as any staff shortages for the day, to be addressed.

7 LIMIT TIME

Limit huddles to seven minutes or less. I’ve found this keeps the meeting focused and prevents team members from becoming long winded.

8 EVERYONE STANDS

This helps keep the meeting short, so you can get back to seeing patients.

9 GIVE THANKS

John Foley, a former lead solo pilot with the Blue Angels, has said that all the Blue Angel pilots, following a practice or performance, would gather for a debriefing where they acknowledge any mistakes made. All speakers end their turn with the phrase, “Glad to be here.” Try adapting this tradition to your huddle.

This can be a tough point for new members of your team. At our office, I initiate this by giving thanks, most often on the last workday of the week.

10 FINISH POSITIVELY

Share a recent positive survey or review to finish the meeting.

Utilizing these steps will help your team and patients reap the rewards of practicing a positive and productive daily huddle! OM

DR. BHAT practices at Austin Village Eyecare in Matthews, N.C. He opened the practice in 2007.