The group can also use the strategic planning session to evaluate whether it needs to make staffing changes or adjust office hours. That was the question researched for six years by James Collins and Jerry Porras, then professors at Stanford University Graduate School of Business. The meeting should occur yearly and should involve all physicians, senior administrators and other key personnel. The meeting will provide a forum for the group to discuss important issues such as the fairness of the compensation system and the group's relationship with local providers. Great organizations never stop stimulating progress in every part of the operation except the core ideology.
Chances are, the answer is no.
Most groups tend to operate under crisis management, spending the bulk of their time dealing with problems that require immediate decisions. The trouble is that those spontaneous decisions often reflect the temporary mood of the decision maker rather than the values and goals of the practice. Compounding the problem, different members of a group often have very different ideas about where the practice should be heading. A member may sincerely believe, for instance, that everyone is content with the compensation system or the retirement plan or the appointment scheduling. Another member, however, may have very different views on each of these subjects.