Health Care Staff Management: Running a Staff Meeting

Common Mistakes Regarding Meetings with Health Care Staff

Staff meetings are quite a useful tool for the management of health care staff, but there are some mistakes that are fairly common regarding the use or purpose of staff meetings. Here are some pointers to help improve the productivity of meetings:

• Irregularity of meetings: Staff meetings are a useful tool when they are for the purpose of increasing staff morale and production. When they are not held on a regular basis, staff may believe that a meeting is only being called due to a problem.
  
• Meetings only for an emergency: When meetings are only during an emergency or when someone has made an error staff get "grooved in" to avoiding or dreading staff meetings and will not usually participate as they should.
• Meetings only for mistakes made: When staff meetings are held for the purpose of correcting one individual in the office, or for putting that person on the spot staff will again begin to dread attendance at meetings and will not be likely to have productive contribution.
• Staff meetings used as a gripe session: Never should staff meetings be used as a tool for the staff to gripe about policies, other staff or administration. Nor should they be an "open forum" for scolding of the staff. (Staff correction should be done on an individual basis only.) "Gripe sessions" can really blow the morale and production of a group in a health care practice.
• Lack of administrative control: When the office manager or dentist conducts a staff meeting, they should be the one to conduct it. There should be a distinct format of the meeting where things are taken up in a specific sequence and that format should be stuck to. If someone begins to take over the meeting or the topic of the meeting, smoothly but with good control, the administrator should "take back the reins" and head up the meeting him or herself. Doing otherwise invites complaints and generally opens the door to a lack of administrative control. Allow staff input, but have that as part of the meeting's format - not the whole meeting.

Hopefully these tips will be useful to you for you and your staff and will help you to improve the productivity of your meetings.

There is quite a bit more information on administrative tools and health care staff meetings, if you would like more information feel free to contact Bill Halverson via the contact links on this blog.

Thanks for visiting!

Health Care Staffing: The First Interview

Health Care Staffing: First Interview with a Potential New Staff Member
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The purpose of a first interview with a job applicant is to get a general idea of whether or not that person would "cut it" as one of the team. There is a successful format for an interview that can be followed - here's what we suggest:

• At any point that obvious signs exist that the person will not be willing to be a full contributor on your health care team, it may be appropriate to cut the interview short. (Some examples of this might be, "I don't have my own transportation." - or - "I must leave by 4:30 every day no matter what...")
  

• Throughout the interview it is important to observe the applicant's overall view of things in general. Do they have an upbeat view or are they serious or nervous? It is important that staff in a health care practice have a positive view on life and a genuine concern for helping others. (That is the most important quality that they could have.)

• What about the appearance of the applicant - Is it very good, good, average or below average?

• Is the person confident and composed? Does he or she have a sense of humor?

• Does the person have experience similar to what's needed in the job being applied for?

• Has the applicant ever worked in a management position? If so, what are the details on this?
  

• What are the applicant's views on this particular branch of health care and the type of position that they would hold in it?

• Briefly describe the position being looked for to the applicant. Is the person excited about doing this job or just mildly interested?

• What is the applicant's viewpoint regarding the pay being offered? Would the starting rate be fine? Any bonus program available - would it suit their needs?

• Go over the required schedule for the position. Get from the person if they would easily be able to accomodate this or not.

• Have the applicant describe one of their funniest moments. While they are talking about it, watch their expressions, their eyes, etc., and take note of this (to write down later on the interview sheet).

Depending on the specific branch of health care that you will be hiring for, these health care staffing first interview suggestions may vary a bit. But generally if this format is followed, at the end of the first interview you will have a good idea of whether or not this person might be a good contributor to your health care team.

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Related Articles:

Dental Staffing: Resumes and Interviews

Dental Manager: The Job

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Whatever your administrative questions or needs are in a health care practice, we can help!

Click Here to Visit Our Website

Click Here to Learn About Our Health Care Job Training Manuals

Healthcare Job Training Manuals

Healthcare Job Training and Training Manuals

Do Job Training Manuals make a difference in a health care practice? Yes, and a big one. Here's why:

When training one or more new office staff (or correcting/helping existing staff) certain questions and frustrations can arise. Trying to run an office on "So-and-so says" and possibly leaving questions or uncertainties unanswered, training manuals solve the problem by eliminating any type of uncertainty on what any job in a healthcare office involves, either in general or for any particular establishment.

Here's what one of our clients had to say about it:

"As Dr. Wade Winker’s office manager, it is my responsibility to fully train each employee when they are hired. The General Policy Manual informs each employee of their rights and responsibilities as team members. The Employee Manual identifies each employee’s specific responsibilities.

Having the manuals at my disposal allows me to correct employees and conduct policy reviews with objectivity for me and the employee. Sometimes the employee will be frustrated that they are being corrected, but their disappointment is directed at the manual (which they agreed to follow upon employment) instead of the supervisor. They quickly realize the error of their way and I end up with a better employee.

The manuals also result in fewer policy questions from employees. I direct them to the policy manual whenever they have a policy question and before long the only policy question they have is, 'Can I use the Policy Manual?'" --Dale LaRue, Office Manager

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Here is a helpful hint for any healthcare practice: Make sure that you have job manuals for training staff and referring to when needed. It eliminates a lot of wasted time, as well as any upsets that may arise. It also makes training new staff much simpler!

Click Here For More Testimonials

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We have 2 resources for Job Training Manuals for Dental and other Healthcare Practices:

1. Healthcare Coaching Website

2. Custom Publications, Inc.

These manuals can be customized for any healthcare practice. In fact, if needed we can come to your office for two days and film a customized DVD for your front and back office while making any necessary changes to the manuals.

If you would like more information on healthcare job training manuals you can visit our websites above, email Bill Halverson at healthcare.coaching@gmail.com or call (505) 417-6250.

Health Care Practice Management: Other Resources

Special Post: Additional Resources for Health Care Practice Management

Here is a list of Resources that may be helpful to you:


Our Websites:

Dental and Health Coaching of the Southwest (Servicing All of the US)

Custom Publications, Inc. - Our website that focuses specifically on our Healthcare Job Training Manuals. (Free report available: "The Ideal Bonus Program")

**Note: These manuals can be customized to meet the needs of any dental or other type of healthcare practice.

Articles and Other Information:

Dental Practice Management: About Policy
Good Management - Key Element to a Successful Dental Practice
Dental Manager: The Job
Dentist Staffing - Resumes and Interviews
Dental Marketing Tips @ Ezine Articles
Dental Office Business: On Form of Policy
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We will be keeping this page updated with all the latest articles and valuable information on Dental Practice Management. Stay tuned!

Dental Coaching vs. Dental Consulting

By Bill Halverson

Dental Coaching is a relatively new term that is currently being used in the dental management consulting field. In my personal opinion the main difference between coaching and consulting is that a management consultant has his or her own technique or past successful ways of helping a professional improve the bottom line of his or her practice and they are skilled at implementing those techniques. If the technique doesn't agree with the professional and/or staff - and the consultant does not have an alternative method for achieving the desired goals, there could be and usually are problems.

The best method of dental consulting is called "coaching" which involves finding out exactly what the professional wants to achieve, figure out the best method for helping him/her get there, review that technique with the doctor, ensure it is something the staff will not abandon ship on and lay out the best way to arrive at the goal. Follow this with one-on-one meetings in person and over the phone once the client is up and running, and is confident that he/she is able to do what needs to be done.

Goals are achieved one step at a a time and the pace is determined by the client - not the coach. Go at light speed or stay within the limits - the point is to match the capability of the client and then help them to get even better!

Coaching is fun - it involves concentration on the positive rather than the negative.

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Call and schedule a free coaching visit to find out if it's right for you:
(505) 417-6250

Or for more information on Dental Coaching & Consulting, visit our website:
Dental Coaching of the Southwest