Control: Taking Charge of Your Team Huddles

Fellow physicians, remember when Janet Jackson sang about taking control of her life and making her own decisions? Well, it's time to channel that same energy and take control of your team huddles instead of letting them control you!

Just like Janet knew she had to take charge to get what she wanted, you need to take charge of your huddles to get the VBC results you want.

The Problem with Most Team Huddles

The Out-of-Control Huddle:

• No clear agenda or leadership

• Conversations that go nowhere

• Team members who don't participate

• Meetings that feel like a waste of time

• No follow-up or accountability

The Micromanaged Huddle:

• One person (usually the physician) controlling everything

• No input from team members

• Rigid format that doesn't adapt to needs

• Team members who feel powerless and disengaged

Taking Control (The Janet Jackson Approach)

Control Your Purpose: Every huddle should have a clear mission:

• Improve patient outcomes through team coordination

• Identify and address VBC opportunities

• Solve problems collaboratively

• Celebrate successes and learn from challenges

Control Your Format: Structure that empowers everyone:

• Consistent timing and duration (10 minutes max)

• Rotating leadership roles

• Clear agenda with specific topics

• Action items and accountability

Control Your Energy: Make huddles something people want to attend:

• Start with patient success stories

• Focus on solutions, not just problems

• Encourage participation from everyone

• End with clear next steps

The Control Framework (Structured but Flexible)

Minute 1-2: Patient Spotlight Team member shares a VBC success story:

• "Thanks to our care coordination, Mrs. Garcia's diabetes is now well-controlled"

• "Our proactive outreach prevented Mr. Johnson's ER visit"

• Connect the story to team efforts and VBC goals

Minute 3-5: Daily VBC Focus Review today's opportunities:

• High-risk patients scheduled

• Care gaps to address during visits

• Follow-up coordination needed

• Special patient needs or concerns

Minute 6-8: Problem-Solving Power Address challenges collaboratively:

• What barriers are we facing?

• What solutions can we try?

• Who can help with specific issues?

• What resources do we need?

Minute 9-10: Action and Accountability Clear next steps:

• Who's doing what by when?

• How will we follow up?

• What support is needed?

• When will we check progress?

Giving Your Team Control

Rotate Leadership:

• Different team members lead different segments

• Nurses share clinical insights

• MAs discuss workflow improvements

• Front desk addresses scheduling challenges

• Care coordinators highlight patient needs

Empower Decision-Making:

• Let team members propose solutions

• Give authority to implement improvements

• Support creative problem-solving

• Celebrate initiative and ownership

Share Information:

• Explain the "why" behind VBC goals

• Share performance data and trends

• Discuss payer expectations and requirements

• Connect individual roles to overall success

When You Have Control

Team Empowerment:

• Everyone understands their VBC role

• Team members take initiative

• Problems get solved quickly

• Communication improves throughout the day

Patient Impact:

• Better care coordination

• Fewer missed opportunities

• Improved quality outcomes

• Enhanced patient satisfaction

Practice Success:

• VBC metrics improve consistently

• Team morale and engagement increase

• Efficiency and productivity rise

• Financial performance follows quality

This Week's Action Item

Take control of your team huddles this week:

1. Set a clear purpose and agenda for each huddle

2. Implement the 10-minute Control Framework

3. Rotate leadership roles among team members

4. Empower your team to make decisions and propose solutions

5. Follow up on action items and accountability

Stop letting huddles control you - take control of them! You've got this. You have everything you need to take control of your team huddles and transform them from time-wasters into game-changers.

What's worked in your practice? Share your huddle victories (and failures) in the comments - your experience could be exactly what another physician needs to hear.