Avoid common meeting management mistakes

During the last couple months, many new medical staff leaders faced for the first time a challenge which with even the most experienced leaders struggle--chairing a meeting. I was recently reminded of how difficult it is to run an efficient and productive meeting while participating in a telephone conference.

The meeting began a few minutes later than planned. Fifteen minutes into the meeting, a committee member joined the meeting. After announcing her presence, she asked the group what they had discussed and decided up to that point. The meeting chair made the mistake of wasting 10 minutes of the committee's time by reviewing this information for the latecomer.

Here are a few guidelines that will help you avoid common meeting management mistakes like the one mentioned above:

• Cancel the meeting if there isn't a good reason to meet. 
• Time the agenda. Assigning a time frame in which to discuss each agenda item will ensure that you don't try to cram a two-hour meeting into one-hour.
• Work with the individual who will be supporting the meeting to ensure that members are prepared for the meeting (i.e., they receive and review in advance the meeting materials).
• Ensure individuals responsible for specific agenda items are ready to present that topic.
• Respect the punctual committee members by always starting meetings on time.  No excuses.
• If you have allotted 15 minutes for an agenda item--and the committee can't reach a decision concerning that topic--table the item for a special meeting on that particular issue.  (This idea alone might get the committee to reach consensus).  You may also opt to assign two to three committee members to research the issue and bring back a recommendation at the next meeting.
• Limit non-productive and/or emotional discussion.  This is tough but a timed agenda will help limit this type of discussion.
• Consider the use of an LCD projector (rather than always using paper meeting packets) to focus the group's attention on the agenda item under discussion.  This eliminates the noise and nuisance of riffling through the agenda packet.
• If individuals come to a meeting late, never review agenda items that have already been concluded.
• Always end meetings on time.  No excuses.
• Thank committee members for their participation.

Until next week,

Vicki L. Searcy, CPMSM
Practice Director, Credentialing & Privileging
The Greeley Company
vsearcy@greeley.com
www.greeley.com