“We try to educate staff. Every morning I come up with a topic for the day, something current. And after we discuss that, we go straight into the meeting. I’m not filtered either, I don’t sugarcoat it. You cannot come to a meeting and assume, or say, ‘I don’t know.’ If you say you don’t know, you have to back that up, and say, ‘but I will find out when the meeting is over.’”

— Donald Morris, CNHA, Administrator, Midway Nursing Home, Bloomfield, CT

“If the meeting starts on time, and ends on time. My success has been with smaller groups, maybe six to eight people. I facilitate it in a way where they end up teaching more of the meeting than I do.” 

— Connie Clauson, Vice President of Operations, Baruch Senior Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI

“Engagement, it gets me out of my seat and keeps me involved. A lot of our meetings are retreats, so we use Post-it® notes and roundtable groups to keep it fun.”

— Dave Fulcher, CEO, Milwaukee Catholic Home, Inc., Milwaukee, WI

“I think the purpose of the meeting has to be outlined first and foremost — what we are trying to accomplish. And the right players have to be at the table, and there needs to be a ‘right’ time. When you have 30 minutes it’s more digestible. And the facilitator has got to be organized.”

— Julie Britton, DNP, MSN, RN-BC, GCNS-BC, FGNLA, Vice President of Clinical Operations, Genesis HealthCare, Kennett Square, PA

“If it’s very open, and everyone can say what’s on their mind. That helps a lot.”

— Teresa Wood, Director of Nursing, Attica Long-Term Care Facility, Attica, KS

“I believe a meeting is successful when everyone can leave on the same page, and all of the information is presented across the board. I think if everybody can take away the plan, the vision, then that’s a good meeting.”

— Joe Tomasino, Admissions Director, VMP Healthcare and Community Living, Milwaukee, WI

“I prepare for meetings by having a goal in mind, and have some sort of timeline. I know also that I want to stay open-minded to maximize the talent in the room.”

— Connie Tostevin, MSN, RN-BC, LNCC, Chief Nursing Officer, Ohio Living, Columbus, OH