Hold effective meetings-no, really effective.

STEP 4.

Hold effective meetings-no, really effective.

Reading 4

Read the text and answer the questions.

We have all been to them- the meetings that drag on, people who ramble,agendas written on the back of an envelope or spur of the moment, any-other-business surprises, lack of information, insufficient notice.

As a manager you will have to hold meetings. Make them effective. Decide in advance what the objective of the meeting is and make sure you meet that objective.

Basically, meetings only have four purpose:

-to create and fuse a team

-to impart information

-to collect information (and make decisions).

-to brainstorm ideas (and make decisions)

Some meetings might well take in one or more of these, but you should still be aware of that and add it into your objective. If your meeting is to impart information, then do it and get the hell out. If it’s a discussion about that information you want, then that’s a different type of meeting and as such should have different objectives. Be aware that some meetings are there to help your team meet each other, bond, socialize together, find out about each other and see you in your true role as team leader.

If you want your meetings to be effective, then remain firmly in control –no wishy-washy democracies here. You are the manager and you are in charge – end of story. To be effective you shouldn’t allow anyone to reminisce, ramble, rabbit on, refuse to shut up or relax. Keep’em moving fast and get them out of the door as soon as you can.

You don’t do any other business-ever. If it’s important it should be on the agenda. If it isn’t, then it shouldn’t be there at all. Any other business’ is invariably someone trying to get something over on someone else. Don’t allow it-ever.Hold all meetings at the end of the day rather than at the beginning. Everyone’s anxious to be off home and it keeps meetings shorter; at the beginning of the day everyone has ages to digress and chat. Unless of course it is a bonding meeting; you can cheerfully hold them at the beginning of business.

Start all meetings on time. Never wait for anyone. Never go back over stuff for latecomers. If they’ve missed something vital they can get it from others after the meeting and it’ll learn ’em to be on time next time. Useful tip –never schedule meetings to begin exactly on the hour, always say 3.10 rather than 3 o’clock. You will find people will always be more punctual if you set an ‘odd time’. Try 3.35 if you want to be really wacky.

Schedule the meeting far enough in advance-but not too far-so that no one can say they had something else on. Confirm the day before with everyone to make sure they have remembered and can make it.

You decide who keeps the minutes –and make sure they do, and to your liking. You don’t have to be bossy or aggressive about this, just firm, friendly and utterly in control.

If meetings are getting too big – more than six people – start to subdivide them into committees and get your committees to report back.

And most important of all-engrave this one on your heart-all meetings must have a definite purpose. At the end of the meeting you must be able to say whether or not you met that purpose. Oh yes, and hold all meetings on uncomfortable chairs –that speeds things up considerably.

Questions

1. What are the main reasons for holding a meeting?

2. What makes a good meeting?

3. How much of the working week do you think managers should spend in meetings?

Vocabulary 4

1. What do these words mean? Illustrate the use of the words below with the examples from the text.

drag on

ramble

insufficient notice

objective

impart information

reminisce

rabbit on

wacky

confirm

keep the minutes

be bossy

fuse a team

brainstorm ideas

agenda

-wishy-washy

2. Complete the table with appropriate forms of the words.

Verb	Noun	Adjective
Socialize Subdivide Hold Digress Miss Chat Remain

3. Complete the following sentences with appropriate words from the list:

minutes, agenda innovative, information, objectives, meeting, decision, to be in charge of, innovation,

IBM has layers and layers of management to check and verify each.

On the --------- you will see there are three items.

It’s better to wait until a situation or problem requires a.

The marketing department ------------------ the sales force.

--------------- is expensive and risky, and sometimes more expensive than acquiring or merging with other successful------------ firms.

Obviously, ------------ occasionally have to be modified or changed.

The Company Secretary is to keep Registers of Directors and Members, arrange for proceedings at Director’s and shareholders meeting, prepare notices for the calling of these meetings, write ------- and reports.

People need to know what their colleagues are doing and then take decisions based on shared ----------------.

Translate into Russian.

Start all meetings on time. Never wait for anyone. Never go back over stuff for latecomers. If they’ve missed something vital they can get it from others after the meeting and it’ll learn ’em to be on time next time. Useful tip –never schedule meetings to begin exactly on the hour, always say 3.10 rather than 3 o’clock. You will find people will always be more punctual if you set an ‘odd time’. Try 3.35 if you want to be really wacky.

1. Which of the following claims do you agree with?

Meetings have four purposes:

-to create and fuse a team

-to impart information

-to brainstorm ideas

-to collect information

2. Working in groups, discuss the following statements.

Which ones do you agree or disagree with? Present your views to the class.

A)Hold all meetings at the end of the day rather than at the beginning.

B)Useful tip-never schedule meetings to begin exactly on the hour, always say 3.10 rather than 3 o’clock.

C)You decide who keeps the minutes

D)Make sure every point on the agenda ends up with an action plan – no action plan means it was just a chat.

Е)If meetings are getting too big-more than six people –start to subdivide them into committees

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