Just Two Minutes: Meetings

Bite-sized dental wisdom in under 2 minutes.

Are Meetings Actually Useful?

I might get some hate on this topic, but let’s be real—most people hate hosting meetings, and most people hate attending them. So why do we do them? Because some consultant said you have to have a monthly meeting with the whole team, weekly meetings with your team leads, and quarterly half-day meetings for strategic planning. Meetings for the sake of meetings.

But let’s start from scratch: Why do we need meetings to begin with?

“To build a good office culture!” Wrong. Culture is built daily through actions, not through an hour of everyone sitting in a room. If meetings are your only source of culture, you’ve got bigger problems.

“To make sure everyone’s on the same page.” Sort of. If communication is solid, your team should already know what’s going on. Meetings should just be there as a quick check-in, not the only way people find out what’s happening. If everyone’s lost until the next meeting, there’s a bigger problem with how you’re communicating daily.

So, when are meetings actually necessary? 

Meetings are tools for solving quantifiable problems and creating actionable solutions. Not to talk endlessly about ideas, opinions, or vague suggestions. They’re about using data to highlight issues and deciding what action items will fix them.

Here’s how to make meetings actually work:

1. Identify the Problem (with Numbers, Not Feelings): Meetings should only happen when there’s a problem to solve, not when “Sally feels our patient experience could be better.” If the data shows our new patient experience scores are down, then that’s a real problem. Identify why with specifics, and make solving that the focus of the meeting.

2. Define Actionable Steps: If a meeting doesn’t end with clear action items, it was a waste of time. Every meeting should produce a concrete list of actions that specific people are accountable for. None of this “let’s work on it” nonsense.

3. Keep it Short and to the Point: Meetings don’t need to be 60 minutes or half a day. Focused meetings should be as short as possible—get in, address the issue, assign tasks, and get out.

4. Set a Cadence Based on Needs, Not Habit: Forget the weekly or monthly requirement just because that’s what’s “recommended.” Meetings should only happen when there’s something specific to address. That might mean skipping a month or even several weeks if things are on track.

5. Hold People Accountable, Not Rehash the Agenda: Every meeting should begin with a review of action items from the previous one. If people aren’t following through, that’s a bigger issue than the next topic on the agenda. Meetings should be about progress, not just discussion.

In short, meetings aren’t about filling time or checking a box. They’re about fixing real problems, assigning ownership, and following up on progress. The fewer, the better, as long as they’re solving real issues.

-Dr. Alex

P.S. If this is you…you have too many meetings.