The Team Huddle allows all team members to anticipate potential situations, concentrate on solutions, and understand the daily goals of the practice. The huddle also ensures that the team is less stressed, which can in turn enable a smooth and focused day.

The huddle should not last more than 10 minutes and must be conducted every business day, ideally in the morning before the first patient arrives.

Here is how it works effectively:

– All full-time employees need to be present. Record notes for part-time members arriving later in the day.

– Bring charts for the day to the meeting and go through what patients    need during their visit: pharmaceuticals, pans/fmx, pending treatment acceptance.

– Keep the huddle short and sweet. Have each team member be in charge of a certain discussion during the team huddle.

– Huddle is not a time to discuss personal conflicts…the huddle should focus on specific day-of operations of the practice.

– Look for openings in the schedule, emergency times, identify new patients, review treatment plans, unique patient situations, financial arrangements, verify insurance coverage, look for family members who need to schedule appointments.

– Discuss and update the marketing strategy of your practice: social media, referral program, e-mail collections.

– Effective questions like:  What happened yesterday we can improve on? What success stories from yesterday? are great ways to open up communication.

– Finally, discuss the production per day, and per month and list out 2-3 ways that production can be improved.

If you need help getting started, please let me know. I can help. Also- if you have Dentrix practice management software, there is an AMAZING report that you can print every day that will allow you to analyze and customize what you want to discuss during the team huddle. The report is a great way to stay focused on what you wish to accomplish during the huddle.

Happy Dentistry,

Gab.