Ideas That Work: Prize Drawings Spice Up Staff Meetings

It can be difficult to keep busy employees present — physically and mentally — during staff meetings. That’s why leadership at Heartland Surgery Center in Kearney, Neb., offers three separate gift card drawings at every gathering to keep attendees engaged. One drawing awards a team member who was mentioned on patient satisfaction surveys. Another recognizes an employee who received a shout-out message on a bulletin board from a colleague who posted about how they went above and beyond to help the team or care for patients. The third — called the “Survivor Award” ­— is given to a team member who stays until the end of the meeting because staff at high-volume facilities have busy and demanding professional and personal lives that can cause them to cut out early, according to Tracy Hoeft-Hoffman, MBA, MSN, RN, CASC, Heartland’s administrator. “They need to finish up tasks in their work areas, pick up kids from school or leave for an appointment,” says Ms. Hoeft-Hoffman. The chance to win a prize gives staff an incentive to stay until the end of the meeting if their other responsibilities can be put off for a few minutes. OSM