AADOM News |4 min read

A Team Meeting Outline for a Goal Oriented Practice

Tiffany Dalton, FAADOM with text, "Real-world insights from AADOM authors"

If you’re like me, you sometimes struggle in conducting team meetings that bring valuable information and are also engaging for your team. Most likely, the team does not want to be lectured. Rather, they want to be heard and given guidance on practice needs and expectations are.

To better engage my team, I decided to create a series of “micro-goal” meetings.

At these sessions, we collectively created goals for both the practice and each individual team member. Having these goal conversations in place before the COVID-19 shutdown really solidified our unity as a team and helped us navigate the closure to come out ahead on the other side.

Team meeting outline example

We start our meetings by discussing what our practice focus is going to be. Together, we decided on the theme of Raising our Ambitions and Deepening our Discipline.

We can accomplish this together by:

  • Visualizing our why.
  • Seeking clarity in our goals.
  • Being mindful of our role in the practice.
  • Being thoughtful of patient and team members’ needs.
  • Focusing on a direction.

To figure out how to make these goals possible, we must ask what it is that we want. Most practices could agree that they aim to:

  • Increase productivity.
  • Strive for clinical proficiency and practice efficiency.
  • Cultivate a positive team culture.
  • Deepen patient relationships.

The goal is to find a way to accomplish all of these missions while maintaining a healthy work/life balance! To do so, we must ask our team, “How do we get what we want?” Have a conversation to figure out how to make these connections with the purpose of service.

Set SMART goals

As a team, set some SMART goals! This method is proven to help people set and achieve their vision. SMART goals should also include HOW you will achieve the goal.

In other words, what you’ll do to get from where you are to where you want to be.

For those who may not be familiar with SMART goals (or if you need a refresher,) they include:

  • Specific: Clearly defined and detailed.
  • Measurable: Easy to determine whether the goal was accomplished. Track it!
  • Attainable: Something you can accomplish with hard work and skillset.
  • Relevant: Aligned with your other goals. What is your focus?
  • Time-based: Linked to a time frame. Set a deadline!

Once we clarify the direction we’re going and apply the SMART goal system, we put it to work.

Each team member gets a small notebook (to be used for all team meetings). We then created our first #3PGoals! This is a fun little hashtag to represent a goal in each of the following areas:

PERSONAL: Something you would like to accomplish for yourself

PROFESSIONAL: Thinking of your role in dentistry, what skills would you like to enhance?

PRACTICE: What aspect of THIS practice would you like to grow? What will your contribution be?

The benefits of setting team goals

Involving your team in your practice goals is crucial in getting them to commit to practice growth. Allowing them to also focus on their own professional development will deepen their commitment and passion in their role.

Encouraging them to work on their own personal goals not only shows them that you care for them as an individual and are committed to their success, but it also lights a fire within them that will impact their performance at work.

Each team member wrote their top #3PGoals on a mini whiteboard, where they were visible for them to read and review each day. It also held them accountable as each of their teammates could also see these goals.

It’s encouraging to have people cheering you on.

Although a lot of our practices have taken a hit due to world events, it’s not too late to set clear and measurable goals. Involve your team to get the commitment you need to be successful. Together, you will all be #Winning2020!


Meet the Author

Tiffany Dalton in a black blazer and white top in an officeTiffany Dalton, FAADOM is the practice administrator for Murdock Family Dentistry… This text opens a new tab to the practice’s website… in Billings, MT. She is also the president of the Yellowstone Valley, MT AADOM Chapter… This text opens a new tab to the chapter’s website….

She has a passion for helping people find the tools for personal and professional growth and hopes to be an inspiration to others.

When she is not in the office, Tiffany enjoys event and party planning, singing, and spending time with her family in their gardens.

 

 

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