The morning meeting is part of a productive day in an orthodontic team. First and foremost, I recommend if you are not doing a morning huddle, start one. A team works best with a game plan. We have goals, and we need daily habits that help us reach them. Even experienced teams need to communicate and collaborate each day to achieve great results. The morning huddle allows us to review the day ahead and bring focus on the essential things. Be proactive, inspire and lead for significant success.
Who runs the meeting?
A meeting should have structure and some key elements, so it is not just going through the motions. You will also need engaged participants. If the doctor runs the meeting, pass on this duty to the team and empower leaders across your organization. Whether you have a large or small practice, each orthodontic office has departments that should prepare and report each morning. When the team members know they own the meeting and participate each morning, their engagement will increase.
What do you cover?
Each department should cover what is important to note each day. Don’t just cover negative issues, but also review potential wins and opportunities to be stellar. Even though we are digital, I like a printout of the day’s schedule to note referrals, special notes on the patients, and potential obstacles we need to overcome.
In our practice, we discuss the schedule, new patients, clinical appointments, and financial updates. The scheduling team kicks us off and reports the weeks out every morning. This way, the clinical team, TC, and doctor know the availability for future appointments.
The TC(s) should brief about each new patient. Doctors should notate crucial elements to each new relationship you are bringing into the practice. Remember, each new patient is an opportunity to awe and amaze a new family. If you get to know them and what they are here for, your case acceptance will increase.
The clinical team can report on each column for highlights in the day. Who needs TLC? Who can we thank for a referral? What potential bottlenecks are in the schedule that we can prepare? I also like to review which patients are over the estimated treatment time and alert the doctor on these. This allows us to focus on what needs to get done for case completion.
Our financial team will discuss any account concerns and update us on our contract starts coming in. Keep motivation towards your goals, and the team can look for opportunities for the same day starts.
What’s special today?
We work with a team that needs pep talks or ice breakers at times. Do you have a new team member? There is a substantial opportunity for them to tell everyone something about themselves. Sometimes a motivational quote or endearing story helps set a better tone for the day. There are special days for patients, and we can celebrate birthdays or other moments that bring opportunities to have fun!
Start each day on time and prepared for “go” time with an effective morning huddle. Empower and engage your team to run these very effective meetings. Make it a habit and see your goals become ever more achievable.
