Let’s be real—too many dental practice meetings are nothing more than a checkbox. For the team, they often feel like a snooze fest.
I know because I used to sit in those very meetings.
Thirty years ago, I was the team member doodling in the margins, zoning out, wanting so badly to feel connected to the mission. I had ideas, drive, and a hunger to contribute, but the meetings I sat through left me feeling invisible. A few voices dominated while the rest of us sat in silence, unheard and untapped.
That moment stuck with me.
Fast-forward to today: I’ve lived every side of those meetings—team member, operations director, and meeting leader. I’ve built them, delivered them, and yes, watched them flop. For years, I blamed disengaged teams for not listening or applying what I taught… until the truth hit me:
It wasn’t them. It was me.
I wasn’t connecting across roles, generations, or learning styles. I was leading meetings through my own lens, never pausing to ask: What if the experience wasn’t designed for them at all?
That realization changed everything.
The Hard Truth: Meetings Are Expensive
If your meetings aren’t moving your practice forward, they’re holding it back. Every meeting pulls the doctor away from chairside, takes your team off the phones and out of ops, and represents a major investment of payroll, opportunity cost, and time.
Consider this: U.S. organizations lose an estimated $37 billion annually to unproductive meetings—with some studies placing the number closer to $399 billion once overhead and lost productivity are factored in. A single hour-long meeting with five people can cost over $300 in salaries and opportunity costs. Across a year, that’s a staggering price tag for gatherings that fail to deliver.
So, shouldn’t your meetings provide a measurable return?
Ask yourself: Are your meetings aligning your team, reinforcing systems and values, solving real problems, and inspiring progress? If not, it’s time for a reset.
Rethinking the Meeting Model
That reset led me to create a meeting approach I call FL!P, a simple framework that reimagines meetings as active, engaging, and productive experiences. After years of trial, error, and observation, I found that the most effective meetings combine what used to work with what works now.
When you FL!P the experience, you FL!P the outcome:
Focus on the goal – Begin with a clear purpose and measurable outcome.
Leverage interactive learning – Ditch the lecture; engage the team directly.
Ignite engagement through play – Use scenarios and role-play to make learning stick.
Personalize to your practice – Design around your team’s goals and pain points.
This approach isn’t abstract theory—it’s a mindset shift. It asks us to be intentional about how we gather, communicate, and reinforce culture.
Why This Perspective Matters
I’m not someone who used to be in dentistry—I’m still in it. I know the grind, the pressure, and the realities of leading a team because I live it alongside mine. I also know what it takes to earn genuine buy-in from everyone, not just a select few.
Meetings don’t have to drain energy or morale. When they’re designed to connect people to purpose and give every voice a place, they become one of the most effective leadership tools in a practice.
For Practices Big and Small
Whether you’re running a solo practice with a tight-knit team or managing a multi-location group, the principles behind FL!P can adapt to your scale and style.
In smaller practices, this framework strengthens trust and communication—often within morning huddles or biweekly check-ins.
In larger organizations, it can unify messaging and maintain engagement across teams, departments, or locations.
The goal is consistency without fatigue—meetings that keep people aligned and motivated rather than burned out.
Does It Actually Work?
The short answer: yes.
Studies show that 71% of employees feel most meetings are inefficient or unproductive. Yet practices that apply intentional structure—whether through FL!P, V.E.G.A.S., or similar engagement models—see measurable shifts in performance, communication, and morale.
The most meaningful results often show up in culture. Teams start looking forward to meetings not for the snacks, but for the sense of progress and connection they create. When people feel seen, heard, and included, they don’t just attend—they engage.
Lessons from V.E.G.A.S.
One of the most energizing ways I’ve applied this mindset is through themed retreats, like Bet on V.E.G.A.S.—a model inspired by how immersive experiences can reignite creativity and collaboration.
The V.E.G.A.S. compass stands for Vision, Engagement, Grit, Adaptability, and Sustainability—five qualities every practice needs to thrive in today’s changing environment. In these retreats, teams explore real practice challenges through play, discussion, and problem-solving that connects the dots between systems, people, and results.
This concept isn’t new. Walt Disney applied a similar principle in the 1950s, using “edutainment” to help children learn faster and retain more. The same idea applies to adults in professional settings: when people are immersed and enjoying the experience, learning sticks.
The Bottom Line
Every practice already invests time and resources in meetings. The question is—are you seeing a return?
With just a few intentional shifts, meetings can evolve from timewasters to growth engines—helping you strengthen culture, improve communication, and build the kind of alignment every thriving practice needs.
