1. Practice Change Fellowship
Developing Effective Leadership tools:
Parts 1 and 2
Making Meetings Work – Creating an Effective Agenda and Managing your Meeting for Success
Cheryl Phillips, M.D., AGSF
CMO On Lok, Inc

2. Building an Effective Agenda

3. Essential Elements of an Agenda
Purpose
Place: location, time, date, call-in number (as indicated)
Invitees
Time for introductions, as needed
Topics
Timing and scheduling
Defining responsible person (s)
Wrap up

4. Conf Room 1-4, Buhler Building
Sample Agenda
Pharmacy Work Group
May 2, 2007
1-4 pm
Conf Room 1-4, Buhler Building
Purpose: Review Annual Preferred Formulary Use
Invited: Greg Sachs: chair, David Ruben, Todd Semla, Cheryl Phillips
Staff: Nancy Lundebjerg
Time Item Action Responsible
1:00 Introductions All
1:10 Consent Calendar X G. Sachs
a. Minutes
b. UM report: I Care Med Group
c. Recommended changes to mail order Rx list
1:15 Drug Recommended for X
Addition to Formulary D. Ruben
C. Phillips
1:45 Drugs Recommended for X
Removal from formulary
2:15 “Educational Detailing” T. Semla
2:25 Wrap-up and evaluation G. Sachs
Next Meeting
June 6, 2007

5. Making the Agenda Work for You
Balance Time and Topic
Consider the order:
Priority topics
Topics likely to take extra time
Send out the agenda prior
Define the action items
Distribute support materials
Use Consent Calendar, as appropriate, for reports and simple approvals

6. Common Errors We all Make
Too many topics, not enough time!
“Pop-up” agenda items at meeting
“Didn’t see that one coming…” Extended discussion time
“So, what do you need me to do?”
“Wow, that’s not what I heard!”
“Are we done yet?”

7. Background to Successful Meetings
Great meetings don’t just happen.
Is it karma? Is it merely the “right mix of people”?
We can’t always predict the outcome of a meeting, but we can certainly have a significant role in guiding the process.

8. Essential Elements to a Successful Meeting
Preparation work before the meeting
Leadership during the meeting
Oversight to assigned work after the meeting

9. Before the Meeting Determine the type of meeting
Decide the purpose of this specific meeting and what you want to accomplish.
Plan and distribute the agenda
Review and distribute all related materials, including Consent Agenda items

10. Before the Meeting (cont’d)
Meet with key stakeholders
Review action items from the previous meeting.
Anticipate potential conflict

11. During the Meeting Manage time (including starting and stopping)
Set the tone with welcomes and introductions
Review the agenda
Lead the discussion and keep it on track

12. During the Meeting (cont’d)
Ensure that “all voices are heard”
Oversee the recording of the meeting
Clarify work assignments, times lines and accountabilities
Lead wrap-up and meeting evaluation

13. Leading Effective Discussions
Open the Discussion
Listen
Ask for Clarification
Summarize Points
Test for Agreement
Close the Discussion

14. Part A Nominal Group Technique: Generating Ideas
Define the task in the form of a question
Clarify the question that will provide both the purpose and the intended outcome of the discussion
Allow time to generate ideas.
List ideas without discussion as to whether they are “good” or “bad”
Clarify each of the ideas listed, make sure everyone understands the intent or wording.

15. Part B Nominal Group Technique: Moving to Decision
Eliminate/combine overlap ideas
Use process to rank as a group
Reach conclusion based on group input
Check for “heart burn”.

16. Voting is not the same as data collection
Remember…
Consensus does not mean agreement
Voting is not the same as data collection

17. Working Towards Successful Consensus
Practice active listening
Encourage all team members to participate.
Seek out differences of opinion
Avoid quickly choosing a solution; understand the question first
Consider the time needed.
Check understanding.

18. Strategies to Minimize Indecisiveness
Get the agenda out early.
Involve key decision-makers
Work on a series of decisions. This can help get to the “big picture”

19. After the Meeting
Effective minutes need to include the following elements:
The name of the meeting and the date, place and time
Who was in attendance A list of the agenda items covered
A summary of the motions or decisions
A BRIEF summary of key discussion points
Assignments: what is assigned, who is responsible and when it is due

20. Discussion

21. Suggested Resources
Fisher, Roger; Ury, William; Getting to Yes; Penguin Books, 1991
Kotter, John; Leading Change; Harvard Business School Press, 1996
Lencioni, Patrick, Death by Meetings, Josey-Bass publ., 2004
Lippincott, Sharon; Meetings: Do’s, Don’ts and Donuts; Lighthouse Press, 2002
Scholtes, Peter; Joiner, Brian; Streibel, Barbara; The Team Handbook; Joiner Associates, 1996
Ury, Wm, Getting Past No, Bantam, 2003