Neil H. Baum, MD, presented “Conducting Effective Staff Meetings” for the Grand Rounds in Urology audience in January 2022.
How to cite: Baum, Neil H. “Conducting Effective Staff Meetings.” January 2022. Accessed Nov 2024. https://grandroundsinurology.com/conducting-effective-staff-meetings/
Conducting Effective Staff Meetings – Summary
Grand Rounds in Urology Contributing Editor Neil H. Baum, MD, Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School, gives advice on how urologists can improve staff morale in their practices with effective staff meetings. He explains that a highly motivated staff is one of the pillars of a successful practice and argues that the purpose of staff meetings is to get staff feedback, identify problems, introduce new ideas, and enhance morale. Dr. Baum notes that key elements of running effective staff meetings include circulating an agenda, taking notes, preparing a to-do list, and sending out notes within a day or two of the meeting. He particularly focuses on the importance of bringing “sparkle” to staff meetings by, for example, having staff share the best things that have happened to them in the practice since the previous meeting, or by acting out relevant scenarios. Dr. Baum emphasizes providing an environment that is fun, rather than an environment where everyone is moving from one crisis to the next. He also gives suggestions on how to improve performance reviews, recommending that urologists try to do one with each staff person every three to four months and have them complete a worksheet with questions about their goals before each review. Dr. Baum also suggests periodically surprising staff with fun activities to show appreciation. His bottom line is that by taking good care of staff, a urologist ensures that staff will take outstanding care of patients.
For more commentary on practice management from Dr. Baum, visit his Improving Your Urology Practice page.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neil H. Baum, MD, is a Clinical Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is also a retired urologic surgeon. Additionally, Dr. Baum serves as the Medical Advisor to Vanguard Communications Group. Dr. Baum is the author of Marketing Your Clinical Practice - Ethically, Effectively, and Economically, which is in its 4th edition, has sold over 175,000 copies, and has been translated into Spanish. He also wrote The Complete Business Guide to a Successful Medical Practice, which was published in 2015. Dr. Baum was the columnist for American Medical News for more than 25 years. Dr. Baum also wrote the popular column, “The Bottom Line,” for Urology Times for more than 20 years. He is a requested speaker each year to the Practice Management Seminar for the American Urological Association (AUA), where he discusses techniques for making urology practices more efficient and more productive. He has written more than 9 books on practice management and over 250 peer-reviewed articles on various urologic topics. Dr. Baum is also the medical advisor to Vanguard Communications Group.
