How to get the most out of your PCN leadership and management meetings

Are you brand new in your post and unsure of what to discuss in your leadership and management meetings? Or are you just uncertain of where to prioritise your focus for the week? Tara Humphrey offers her advice

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on Primary Care Network Specialists

It goes without saying that weekly leadership and management meetings are important for your PCN. Below are some top tips to ensure you get the most out of them.

The purpose of this meeting is to ensure that everyone on the team:

• Stays in regular communication, which is vital for a highly effective team
• Remains on the same page
• Can make and sign up to a plan to address any urgent and important tasks
• Is aware of the priorities for the week, month or quarter
• Is aware of each other’s workload and of what’s happening outside of the PCN, which may impact on their engagement with you and the network

These meetings can also;

• Provide an opportunity to follow up with your Clinical Director if you are waiting on them for information
• Facilitate a sense of teamwork and camaraderie
• Provide clarity

When should these meetings take place?

It really doesn’t matter. Pick a day and time and stick to it. Create a reoccurring meeting invitation and make it non-negotiable.

The meetings can take place either face-to-face or online. Make it easy for people to attend.

The meeting will typically last 30 – 60 minutes, but Humphrey encourages meetings to be scheduled for 60 minutes as there is usually quite a lot to discuss.

A 30-minute meeting may leave you feeling rushed but do whatever works best for you.

Who should be in your meetings?

• The Clinical Director
• The PCN Manager
• Deputy PCN Management
• The PCN Coordinator
• The Lead Practice Manager
• A GP Clinical Lead

What should you discuss in your weekly meeting?

To get you started, Humphrey proposes you chair this (as the PCN Manager) and:

• Ask everyone to share one highlight from the last week (work or non-work-related). It’s always good to start the meeting off positively and this works really well as an ice-breaker. It also provides you with an opportunity to get to know your colleagues better (and have a better understanding of what’s important to them).
• Highlight any urgent or important emails which require your colleagues’ input before you can respond.
• Raise awareness of any outstanding, key actions.
• Discuss the upcoming priorities and what’s most important for the week ahead. These could involve any, or all, of the following:
• Finances
• Supporting a new starter
• Completing a report or submission
• Dealing with a complaint
• Preparing for a board meeting
• Compiling a newsletter and / or sharing progress within your network
• Important diary commitments
• Issues relating to particular areas of the DES contracts

Be clear to identify:

What is the priority? Why is it a priority? What are the actionable next steps?

What support do you or others need?

How to capture your meeting actions

Humphrey suggests you create a simple actions log within an Excel document to keep track of the actions. Ensure that you document any important decisions that were made for your own records, and as part of the PCN governance process.