Action Ideas for Increasing Staff Participation at Meetings by Susan Keane Baker
Oh no. It's time again for the dreaded staff meeting. You've worked on the agenda, you've estimated how much time each discussion item should take, you've even brought in donuts. And you know that some of your colleagues are going to sit there stone faced throughout the meeting. What are they thinking? That they could be getting their real work done if not for these meetings you insist on having? Are they replaying last night's episode of Law and Order in their minds? Or have they, unbeknownst to you, mastered the skill of sleeping with their eyes open? Something needs to be done!
Encouraging greater staff participation is risky, because it means giving up some of your control. But your meetings will be more relevant, and better learning experiences for everyone - including you. To increase participation at meetings, consider the following strategies:
Give your listeners a reason to care by taking time to explain why the subject being addressed is important. And be excited yourself about the topic and the meeting. Don't serve donuts every time - create some anticipation by providing interesting refreshments. If your local newspaper or magazine publishes a "best of" column, purchase the items there and bring it in along with the article. "Here is the best coffee cake in the city, according to the Boston Globe."
Make it easy for staff to contribute agenda items whenever it occurs to them. At Dr. Paul Quartararo's practice in Stamford, CT, a box marked "Agenda Items for Staff Meeting" was conspicuously visible at the registration area. As patients raised questions or concerns, staff members could jot a quick note and toss it into the box. This was far more effective than someone asking before each meeting: "Anything you want to talk about at the staff meeting?" The typical response had been, "Oh yeah, there was something, but now I forget what it was."
Elton Mayo wrote: The extent to which we do or do not fully contribute is governed more by attitude than necessity, fear or economic influences." You can change attitudes by letting your staff become the experts by involving them in some advance research. Ask them to contact colleagues at two other organizations to see how an issue is being addressed. When patient-related issues arise, ask them to take on the role of the patient. One manager purchased ear mufflers and asked for volunteers to wear them around their home for a weekend. The employees found that they began to agree with statements without understanding them, and started to give any answer rather than saying - for the ninth time - "What did you say?" The reports of their experiences made for lively conversation at the staff meeting, with the result that all staff members were alerted to speak more slowly, repeat their questions, and even write down questions when they received a nonsensical reply from a patient.
Hold a dress rehearsal. Ask staff members for their ideas in one-on-one discussions. When you hear something that would benefit everyone, ask the person to state their thoughts again when the group meets. If someone expresses fear about speaking in front of the group, ask permission to quote them in the meeting. "When Frank and I spoke about this, he mentioned ..."
Place staff members' names on the agenda as co-presenters. A new policy is listed as being discussed by a physician leader and a staff person, for example. Both should be aware of this of course. The physician and staff member should have a conversation ahead of time during which the physician reviews the policy and the staff member plans the reaction. The staff member's role can be to co-present the information or be the first to respond with questions or comments.
Present the information in different ways. Tie the topic to something you read in the newspaper. In a January 2001 Training and Development article titled "Ten Steps to Being Positively Engaging," Basil Deming suggested that meeting participants be asked to paraphrase or explain what has just been said. If they can't do it after hearing it, they can't be expected to do it later, such as back on the job. Deming recommended vignettes, case studies, role play or simulations as techniques that can take information from dull and dry to dynamic and relevant. Ask participants to recap what is already known before delving into the new material. Deming's example: "Last week, we learned from Human Resources that there are two types of adverse actions. What are they?" (Reply) "Yes, performance based and conduct based actions. What does the term performance-based action mean?' (reply) "Yes, the problem lies in a person's performance of job duties, for example, repeatedly failing to meet reasonable work deadlines. This morning, we're going to take a closer look at performance-based actions."
When a staff member makes a presentation, take the time to send a personal note of thanks. This will inspire future contributions. I once worked with a Vice President of Nursing, Terry Roderick. Whenever I made a presentation for the hospital's board of directors, Terry would send me a handwritten note afterwards telling me what she liked about my presentation. At one point, I wrote back to her: "Terry, I have to do a good job - because I want you to send me a note!"
Ask for advice from those who attend. "What could we do to make the staff meetings more interactive?" Commit to trying the ideas you hear.
The participation you create through these techniques will mean that no one will be sleeping at your meetings!
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