Is everyone on board?
Is your team well prepared to take on the day, support you and your goals to create a great patient experience while building a productive schedule? Have you empowered your team to be a strong and worthy ally in meeting your goals? Morning huddles are a great opportunity to motivate the staff to play a larger role in the growth of the practice, build team cohesiveness, and increase overall communication throughout the practice.
Come prepared
Each team member should come prepared to share key information. A careful review of the charts and schedule the day before will keep your huddle running on time. Keep in mind that the goal of the huddle is to create a productive day with everyone on the same page. When you ask for input through eye-to-eye contact with your team you send the message, “I care about your input and welcome your contribution.” This gives your team the freedom to contribute to the overall success of your practice. The team feels more connected and sets a tone for cooperation. Avoid allowing the morning huddle to become a “gripe session” as this will defeat the purpose and possibly set the day into a negative spiral.
Establish a clear purpose for your huddle. The huddle is not a forum to address long-term goals or strategies…it’s a one day philosophy!
Have a plan
A great huddle needs to be completed in less than 15 minutes each morning. Set a consistent dialogue that can be followed:
1. Assign a front desk person to share
- Progress towards production goals
- Any patients with financial concerns they need to meet privately with
- The next available Doctor and Hygiene opening
- Patients that should not be prescheduled in hygiene due to a high no-show rate
- New patients on the schedule should be reviewed so every team member can welcome them!
2. Allow each hygienist and assistant to run down their schedule verbally. Be sure to note:
- Changes to the schedule regarding scheduled treatment or need for x-rays, intra-oral photos, or narratives for crown and bridge preps to ease insurance processing
- Outstanding treatment
- Medical concerns the entire team needs to know (e.g. latex allergy)
- Reasons to celebrate (e.g. birthday, new grandchild, retiring soon), possible chair conversions between hygiene restorative chairs, challenging times in the schedule where help may be needed
3. The Doctor then:
- Shares the best emergency times
- Sets the tone for a successful day
If you haven’t utilized a huddle in your practice, or found it to be ineffective in the past, consider setting a new goal to incorporate an efficient, effective morning huddle the entire team looks forward to!
Do you have a Morning Huddle Agenda? No? Reach out to the Practice Support Team for a template.
Your success is our success. Please reach out to us anytime.
Learn more, visit the Practice Support Team page, call 1.800.665.5323 or email us at PracticeSupportTeam@BurkhartDental.com
Category: Practice Consulting
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