Organizing your practice for success: vision setting, decision making, governance, and communications

The ability to make decisions, commit to a plan, and move forward is often the Achilles heel of a medical group. With dramatic changes in the health-care environment, physicians and medical groups are no longer insulated from external forces or the need for good business practices. This article addresses a number of steps that medical practices can use to improve their long-term success: developing an agreed-upon "vision" for the practice, establishing a sound decision-making process, putting into place an effective practice governance structure, and taking steps to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of group meetings.