Why Your Morning Huddle Feels Like a Waste of Time (And How to Fix It)

This episode continues the conversation from Episode 8 on the clarity gap, this time applied to a specific practice: the morning huddle. Dr. Kassmel and Leisel Bailey, practice manager at Green Mountain Dental, walk through what low-impact huddles actually sound like (reading the schedule, complaining about patients, no set start time) versus what a high-impact, 10 to 15 minute huddle looks like instead. They cover what each role should come prepared with before the huddle starts (hygiene, assistants, front desk, and doctors), a simple three-part structure to run it in (a moment of connection, calibrating the day, and a quick "parking lot" review of small systems issues), and why the team has to understand the why behind the huddle, not just the what. They also name what doesn't belong in a huddle at all: correction, patient complaints, and bigger system conversations that deserve their own time. Listen for the "team rowing in one boat" image Leisel uses to describe what a huddle can and can't fix on its own, and Dr. Kassmel's take on why apologizing to your team for an off day builds trust instead of costing you credibility. Grab the worksheet that goes with this episode at http://summerkassmel.com/podcast-bonus, and if you're ready for more support building clarity into how you lead your team, learn more about https://products.summerkassmel.com/Fo..., Dr. Kassmel's group coaching program for practice owners, run alongside Dr. Karley Schneider.