Tip of the week: Set up the room strategically before committee meeting

Meeting room setup can significantly affect the effectiveness of your medical staff committee meetings. Therefore, the meeting planner should arrive at the committee meeting room 10-20 minutes prior to the meeting start time to ensure that the room is set up appropriately.

The following are important points to consider when assessing the room:

• Seating arrangement: Round and rectangular tables facilitate group discussions, whereas theater seating discourages input but can be great for didactic presentations. Seating arrangements may be altered at different times during a meeting. For example, leaders may want to begin with theater seating for briefings, announcements, or an expert’s presentation and then move to a table or rearrange seats to encourage discussion or brainstorming.
• Equipment and materials: Meetings often involve special equipment and materials. It’s the meeting planner’s responsibility to ensure that everything necessary is on hand and is working properly. If participants or outside experts are presenting during the meeting, find out in advance whether they’ll need specific equipment—such as whiteboards, flip charts, slides, computers, and projectors—and support personnel to operate the equipment.

This week’s tip is from Medical Staff Leadership Essentials: A Guide to Developing Leadership Skills and Recruiting the Next Generation by R. Dean White, DDS, MS.