WebinarMeeting in English

Session 2Meeting Procedures

LANGUAGE REVIEW

hold a meetingmatters arising emergencymonthlychairset an agendaparticipant itemreach a consensus an emergency meetinga monthly meetingchair a meetingdeliver informationgather informationbrainstorming

an occasion when people come together intentionally or not intentionally

We're having a meeting on Thursday to discuss the problem.

SUMMARY

 •Chairing a meeting

•Useful phrases used in meetings

•Following the agenda

•Following up your meeting

•Reporting content

•The grammar of reporting

Chairing a Meeting

facilitateopen a meetingapologiesestablish authoritychair-chairman-chair personthe agendaensure a clear purposeget down to businessgo through points

Right then. I think we should get started. Can you listen please? Right then. As you all know, we’re here to reach a decision on the main issues from the last departmental meeting. As you can see, there are three items on the agenda and we have the room until 4.30... so let’s try and stick to the agenda. Brian could you start by outlining the areas finance have suggested we look at for cutting to achieve the 15% we agreed needs to be implemented.

Useful Language

1. And...and finally

2. Well, as you know, we're here today to...

3. We’ll come back to that at a later date.

4. come up with solutions

5. Okay everyone, let's get started

6. Did everyone receive a copy of the agenda ?

7. send apologies

8. There are 3 items to discuss...

9. I’d like to hand over to...

10. As you can see

Useful Language

Okay everyone, let's get started. Sylvie sends her apologies. She's tied up with the American visitors working on the new branding project. She’ll join us a bit later.

Well, as you know, we're here today to look into ways of streamlining operations as a result of recent negative feedback and to come up with some cost-cutting solutions.

Did everyone receive a copy of the agenda ? Good. Well, as you can see, there are 3 items to discuss : the recent operational problems that we've been having; the various outsourcing options that are on offer and, finally, the cost-cutting solutions that head office have sent us. Would anyone like to add anything to the agenda ?

I'm sorry Mike, but I don't think that really comes under the scope of today's meeting. We'll come back to that at a later date, if you don't mind.

Okay, at this point, I'd like to hand over to Emmanuelle who's going to kick off with a review of the recent operational issues that clients have complained about and the solutions that he's come up with. Emmanuelle.

Opinions

How often have you seen an agenda left totally aside? The meeting starts off well but becomes embroiled in a particular topic (perhaps the first item on the agenda) and ends when time runs out.

A chairperson

•assesses the importance of each item on the agenda

•allots time to each topic as required

•If one issue begins to dominate the chairman takes control

•suggests a further meeting to discuss the issue at a later date (or that the main parties concerned could continue the discussion at the end of the meeting)

•sometimes calls for a decision and then moves on to the next topic.

•needs to stay alert and make sure that the issue has been given an adequate and impartial hearing within the allotted time.

The Agenda-the Chair’s Friend

The meeting agenda is a roadmap for the meeting. It lets participants know where they're headed so they don't get off track. Most importantly, the meeting agenda gives a sense of purpose and direction to the meeting.

All agendas should list the following:

•Meeting start time•Meeting end time•Meeting location•Topic headings•Include some topic detail for each heading•Indicate the time each topic is expected to last•Indicate which meeting participants are expected to be the main topic participants

The Agenda

Review employee benefits overhaul

Compare areas for cuts

Decide course of action and policy

AOB

AgendaManagement Meeting Room 304, Concord Building10 am 22nd November

1. Apologies for absence2. Minutes of the last meeting 3. Matters arising4. Employee benefits and perks5. AOB6. Date for follow up meeting

Managers’ Meeting

To reduce costs in the HR department.

DATE: 15th August 2011PLACE: Boardroom 11th FloorPARTICIPANTS: Sean Martin(IT), Craig Jones (Marketing), Joan Connell (Ops.)

AGENDA

Summary•Benefits •Cuts•Action•Lunch

Meeting Follow-up

During or after the meeting?

Start on time

Take the minutes

Schedule the next meeting

Follow up email

Follow up call

Outline actions to be taken

Hello Sylvie,Sorry you couldn’t make it to the meeting. I think it went according to plan.

I’m going to contact the management team to outline how the cuts will effect their departments and inform them that we have decided to replace Emma Gibson as head of operations. We will be having an urgent meeting to decide which of her team will take over the role.

Emmanuelle put his suggestions to the meeting regarding staff and benefit cuts. We’ll have to give specific details in the next meeting.

Jeremy

Follow Up

MEMOManagement Meeting

_________________________14th Octobercc. Jeremy Banks, Imogen Gold, Emmanuelle Dalton

•JB-to contact departmental managers re. details of staff cuts, Emma’s removal

•IG-to arrange meeting for management to put forward possible replacements

•ED to present financial ramifications of cuts

•SB to send more detailed outline of proposals

Reporting

agreedarrangeddecidedmanagedofferedpromisedrememberedforgothopedplanned

IJeremySylvieEmmanuelleThe chairmanMy assistantThe meeting

hold the meeting next Thursday.contact departmental heads.managed to ensure she could attend the next meeting. decided to replace the operations manager.planned to outline the financial aspects of the cuts.promised to circulate the memo.

to

Reporting

Jeremy agreed to contact departmental managers.

Sylvie arranged to hold the meeting next Thursday and to ensure she’d attend this time.

The meeting decided to replace the operations manager.

Emmanuelle planned to outline the financial aspects of the cuts.

My assistant promised to circulate the memo.

I intend to send you a PDF with useful language.

Minutes?If you think that distributing minutes with assigned action items and due dates will make your meetings effective, think again.

My experience is that many meeting participants fail to look at the minutes until the day of the next meeting. (This assumes that the meeting recorder distributed the minutes before the day of the next meeting.)

To make meeting follow-up work, you need to develop a culture of accountability that makes it not okay to show up at the next meeting with action items incomplete. Barring a culture change, the meeting leader needs to follow-up with participants regularly between meetings to ensure action items are under way.

The Minutes of the Meeting

Written record of the main events at a meeting.

Include

Names of participantsPurpose of the meetingDate-time-placeBrief summary of reportsDecision on any action items. Care should be taken in the wording of the agreed-upon decision. If uncertain, check with the team to be sure the wording of the decision is accurateAdditional decisionsAssignments made include name of person assigned an item needing follow up, its completion date, and the expected reporting dateTime meeting concludedDate of next meeting, if known

Minutes-do’s and don’ts

1. write minutes soon after the meeting--preferably within 48 hours. That way, those who attended can be reminded of action items, and those who did not attend will promptly know what happened.

2. skip writing minutes just because everyone attended the meeting and knows what happened. Meeting notes serve as a record of the meeting long after people forget what happened.

3. describe all the "he said, she said" details unless those details are very important. Record topics discussed, decisions made, and action items.

4. include any information that will embarrass anyone(for example, "Then Terry left the room in tears").

5. use positive language. Rather than describing the discussion as heated or angry, use passionate, lively, or energetic--all of which are just as true as the negative words.

6. have a new year filled with productive meetings captured efficiently in crisp, clear meeting notes!

Meetings in English

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