Dos and don'ts for meetings

Making meetings productive

Many dentists have a negative attitude toward meetings. Often, doctors feel nothing is ever accomplished. Unfortunately, these same practices often have genuine morale problems.

Strive for solutions. An ideal staff meeting can make all the difference in office morale. Keep in mind that the meeting is about identifying the challenges and creating solutions. The end of the meeting should always feel upbeat, like "We have things handled. Everyone is doing a great job. We're hitting our goals. Let's go!"

Don't let the meeting become negative. Remember, a little complaining is OK. It helps some people let off steam. However, the meeting needs to accomplish something useful. Otherwise, the meeting ends with the sense of "Well, we just depressed ourselves enormously. Let's get out there!" Let's face it -- a meeting like that isn't even worth having. Be the positive force that makes meetings productive.