Monday, July 4, 2016

In the Clinic at Monthy Staff Meetings

It took me a very long time to actually schedule regular staff meetings for the office. Quite frankly, when the staff was just me and a medical assistant, there was little need to have a formal time set aside to update workflows or disseminate information and address any problems that surfaced. As we added more administrative and back office support, however, there became a crying need to keep everyone on the same page as well as provide a place where general clinic workflows could be handled.

Not that I was consistent, mind you. There were years where three or four months passed between meetings. Even then, the meeting agenda seemed to focus on upcoming changes to our computers or, most often, my efforts to redirect employee behaviors in a non-confrontational manner. As we grew from a staff of two, with one provider, to a staff of four and a half supporting two and a half providers, it just became necessary to be consistent with these monthly meetings.

The first Thursday of the month is the chosen day for this monthly gathering and we try to get things started by 3 pm. We block the schedule out at 1 pm so that the providers are able to finish with any patients coming through the office, and enable all of us to work on our desktops so there is no last minute rush to finish work after the meeting concludes. In order to make the event less threatening, I decided that a light bill of fare, complete with wine might be helpful. Tim had no objection to this, and we encouraged staff to contribute whatever they might like to the meeting snacks.

Little did I know that this would throw a salvo of panic through our otherwise merry little band of coworkers. In an attempt to model the behavior, Tim and I would try to contribute healthy choices like veggies or fresh fruit, cheese, crackers or bread, along with one bottle of red wine, one bottle of white wine and a sparkling cider for those who were interested. All Thursday morning, the banter heard throughout the office swirled around who was bringing what and if someone needed to go out at lunch to pick up anything. By the time we gathered for the meeting, though, we were able to settle in and tackle the agenda.

The biggest hurdle in these meetings besides the food, that is, has been to find a way for Jeannine to be part of the discussions in a meaningful way.  As much as we have worked on her "conversation" skills, she still has a remarkable way of grabbing the floor and launching a stream-of-consciousness stand-up act that covers anything from her organizing the patient confirmation calls, to Danika taking her for a "spa day" sometime in the nebulous future, to how she is going to be getting another job somewhere else because her job at Cleary Medical is too stressful.

Thankfully we are more family than coworkers, so Danika, Andrew, Mary, Maureen and Tim patiently sit and nod as she takes over directing the meeting. At length, however, I have to intervene, at which point she rises from her seat and storms out of the meeting. Understand that our meetings are held in our patient waiting area where there is the most room for all of us to gather, and as she bolts through the door to the reception area, we can all see her running -- flailing, really -- her head tossing from side to side until she disappears to the back office.

As I regain control of the meeting, Jeannine decides that I have not been punished enough. We hear her talking to herself, mostly quoting movies and television programs that are amazingly germane to the situation. Quotes like, "You weren't invited," or "Nobody asked me...." can be heard quite clearly from the back office. It doesn't help that everyone but me starts laughing in a kind and knowing sort of way. Luckily as we are closing in on the end of the meeting, which is reserved for the "I Spied..." comments, and as the staff really look forward to going home right after the meeting, we refocus.

We instituted the "I Spied..." comments for two large reasons. In an attempt to do some team building, I thought it would be a good idea for us to place little handwritten notes in a box, each note beginning, "I spied....." and completed with whatever the person spied someone doing. "I spied Dr. Cleary cleaning an exam room," or "I spied Andrew making Mary laugh," are some of the things shared. This worked well for a time, especially if we had a new person join the staff and wanted to be sure they felt welcomed.

The second big reason we did this was for Jeannine. Many of the comments were about Jeannine helping by making copies, or printing patient paperwork, or just giving hugs and kindness on busy days. So getting to this part of the meeting always brought her back to the waiting room. Not only did she like hearing about how she was truly a part of the team, she also liked when I read her "I Spied" comments about what she sees, hears and appreciates about each of us....and she was not one to leave someone out: each of us could count on hearing about what she had "spied." The most amusing aspect is that many of her comments have nothing to do with clinic doings. Andrew can count on being told that he is "cute and funny." Danika is her "Cheeto" and when will they go out on a spa date again? Mary is "pretty" and she likes hanging out with her. Dr. Cleary is "handsome" and the greatest man. Maureen is "beautiful" and she likes sharing cookies with her. I, well I am her "beautiful Mom" and the "best cook ever."

So for what it is worth, our monthly staff meetings are much more than going through an agenda of items. It is a time for working on those things that will bring better patient care to the clinic. It is a time for us to come together in what I always hope is a relaxed environment to share ideas, concerns and updates on clinical medicine. More than that, it is fun to watch and hear staff as noon approaches, each offering to help each other get work done so that we can get to the meeting sooner and thereby perhaps leave a little ahead of clinic hours closing. Once again, though, Jeannine steals the show. She provides comic relief as she vents her frustrations with me in particular; she celebrates each of us as individuals with her sometimes out of the blue "I Spied..." comments; and she brings us all together as a team by reminding us of our unique talents and value to the clinic.

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