Business Communication

Meetings

Intro

Give a few reasons for which meetings can be held.

Intro

How often should meetings be called and how long should they be? Give reasons.

Intro

Look at the following words and expressions and discuss their meanings relevant to meetings:

• agenda• minutes• convene / call a meeting• consensus• unanimity • decision-making

1. Setting up a meeting

Every meeting has:

1. a purpose

2. an agenda

1. Setting up a meeting

Every meeting is guided by one of the 4 purposes:

1. informing people

2. analyzing problems

3. generating options

4. decision-making

Follow-up

Discuss some ways in which you can inform people during meetings.

Follow-up

Discuss some ways in which problems can be effectively analyzed during meetings.

Follow-up

Do you think that the most important decisions are made before, during or after meetings? Explain.

1. Setting up a meeting

Techniques for disagreeing collaboratively are based on the quality of listening skills, because:

1. Listening = most important meeting management skill

2. Listening = getting information from others

3. Listening = using our ears, eyes, intuition and feelings

4. Listening actively = requesting more information

5. Listening actively = further exploration

6. Listening actively = asking for clarification

Follow-up

Mention and discuss a few factors that can hinder active listening during meetings. Consider time management, verbal redundancy, personal temperament, the setting etc.

Follow-up

How could you express your reservations to someone else’s ideas during a meeting without sounding confrontational?

1. Setting up a meeting

Participative listening is guided by 4 steps:

1. describe what you like about someone’s idea (= acknowledging the idea)

2. add on something that could take the idea further

3. introduce your concerns, reservations, worries

4. decide where you can go from there

2. The meeting process

First, decide the purpose of the meeting.

2. The meeting process

Second, negotiate the process of the meeting (setting the ground rules for decisions to be made).

2. The meeting process

Types of decision-making:

1. majority vote

2. unanimity

3. consensus

4. deferral

Follow-up

When it comes to decision-making during meetings, discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages of:

– majority voting– unanimity– consensus– deferral (also called ‘referral’)

2. The meeting process

Ground rules for effective meetings:

1. punctuality

2. no interruptions

3. no accusations and personal attacks

Follow-up

How can interruptions be avoided during meetings?

2. The meeting process

Roles performed in meetings:

1. the facilitator/ chairperson– leads the meeting– makes sure people stick to the agenda

2. The meeting process

Roles performed in meetings:

2. the secretary– takes the minutes

2. The meeting process

Roles performed in meetings:

3. the timekeeper – keeps the meeting on schedule– makes sure all agenda items are covered– calls for decisions to be made

Follow-up

Which of the 3 meeting roles below would best suit you and why?

– facilitator/ chairperson– secretary– timekeeper

3. Behavioural styles

As long as:

1. people assume predictable characteristics and behaviours during meetings,

it emerges that

2. such behavioural styles affect the group’s dynamics.

3. Behavioural styles

4 behavioural types:

1. Tellers– are results-oriented– have strong egos– have a penchant for leadership– ‘have’ the answers– tell others their answers– expect others to accept them– are driven by time constraints, goals and results– are not very concerned with process

3. Behavioural styles

4 behavioural types:

2. Sellers– use persuasion to influence others– are not as much driven by results as by being listened to

3. Behavioural styles

4 behavioural types:

3. Dwellers– are concerned with accomplishing tasks harmoniously– care about whether or not they are getting along– don’t like confrontation– are team-oriented– avoid taking risks– do what the team comes up with

3. Behavioural styles

4 behavioural types:

4. Compellers– are detail-oriented– are quiet– like to work alone

Follow-up

Which of the 4 meeting behavioural types below characterizes you most accurately and why?

– teller– seller– dweller– compeller

4. Essentials of successful meetings

A successful meeting is made up of 3 basic ingredients of decision implementation:

1. defining the goal

2. having authority

3. having the ability

Follow-up

Think about some of the meetings you’ve attended.

• How efficiently did they accomplish their goals?

• Was the purpose clear?

• Was anyone’s time wasted?

• How did the personalities of the attendees affect the proceedings?

• “Meetings are indispensable when you do not want to do anything.”

John Kenneth Galbraith

• “People who enjoy meetings should not be in charge of anything.”

Thomas Sowell

• One can either meet or work. One cannot do both at the same time.

Peter Drucker

• Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work.

Peter Drucker