1 Discuss the following questions.

Meetings

Introduction

1 Discuss the following questions.

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

2. What is the role of the chairperson?

3. Why are so many meetings unsuccessful?

2 Describe a meeting that you have attended recently. How effective was it and why?

Vocabulary

Complete the following sentences with appropriate words from the list.

agenda casting vote consensus minutes circulate

apologies chairperson items arising conduct

1 In all formal meetings and most informal meetings, there is a ……………. Whose job it is to …………… the business of the meeting and to ensure that the meeting’s objectives are achieved.

2 It is helpful in both formal and informal meetings to have an ……….., listing the points that are to be discussed. It is usual to ………. This in advance so that participants can prepare adequately for the meeting.

3 If there are too many ………….. on the agenda, it is inevitable that the meeting will be over-long and so less effective.

4 After formal meetings, the secretary writes up the …………, an official record of the discussion that has taken place.

5 If you cannot attend a meeting, it is customary to send your ………… to the chairperson, who reads out the names of any absentees at the beginning of the meeting. After naming absentees, the chairperson may ask if there are any matters ………… out of the minutes of the last meeting.

6 When decisions must be taken, the chairperson hopes there will be a …………on what should be done. Otherwise, a vote must be taken and sometimes the votes for and against are equal. If this happens, the only way to break the deadlock is for the chairperson to give his or her …………..

Text 1. Make meetings work for you

Do you dread meetings more than Monday mornings? Do you find them boring, unproductive and far too long? Meetings are central to most organizations; people need to know what their colleagues are doing and then take decisions based on shared information and opinions. How well you present yourself and your ideas, and how well you work with other people, is crucial to your career.

Running a meeting

Only call a meeting if you (and your colleagues) are quite clear about its purpose. Once you are certain of your objective, ask yourself whether it could be better achieved through alternative means, such as memo. Meetings called on a routine basis tend to lose their point. It’s better to wait until a situation or problem requires a meeting. If in doubt, don’t waste time having one.

If you’re sure a meeting is the solution, circulate a memo several days in advance specifying the time and place, objectives, issues to be discussed, other participants and preparation expected. Meetings should be held in the morning, if possible, when people are usually more alert, and should last no more than an hour. Six is the optimum number of participants for a good working meeting. Inviting the whole department (more than 10) increases emotional undercurrents such as, ‘Will my suggestions be taken seriously?’ Larger meetings can be productive as brainstorming sessions for ideas, provided participants can speak freely without feeling they will be judged.

A successful meetings always leads to action. Decisions should take up the bulk of the meeting minutes, including the name of the person delegated to each task, and a deadline for its completion. Circulate the minutes after the meeting and again just before the next one.

Draw out quieter members of the group. Encouragement helps create a relaxed and productive atmosphere. Do not single out any individual for personal criticism – they will either silently withdraw, upset and humiliated, or try to come up with excuses rather than focusing on the problem in hand. Save critical comments for a private occasion.

If you’re talking for more that 50 per cent of the time, you’re dominating the meeting.

Attending a meeting

However informal the meeting, it always pays to prepare a few key points in note form to put across or discuss. If you’re unprepared, you will not be able to concentrate on what your colleagues are saying and others are less likely to listen to you because you will either waffle or sound hesitant.

Don’t memorize notes or read them out like a sermon. This inhibits your natural gestures: the eye contact and body language that is essential to effective communication. If you cannot answer a question, don’t be afraid to say, ‘I don’t know but I’ll find out and get back to you by …’ (give a definite date). Phrase your criticism and proposals positively. Seek to offer solutions rather than to complain.

Arrive early and sit close to the chairperson to ensure that you aren’t ignored. If you’re late, apologize and find a seat quickly and quietly. Don’t try to sneak in as if you are invisible.

Read the text and complete the following chart.

chairperson	DOs	DON’Ts
1. have a clear purpose	1. go on for more than an hour
2.	2.
3.	3.
4.	4.
participants
1.	1.
2.	2.
3.	3. sneak in if you’re late
4.

Text 2. Meetings

The group meeting as a method of informing and decision-making is as old as a man, and has existed ever since people began to work in groups. However, during the last decade or so, it has become increasingly prevalent. This growth is due mainly to the fact that organizations have become larger and more complex, which has led to such a level of specialization that all the information needed to make decisions in this increasingly complex business society can no longer be adequately assimilated, evaluated and decided by one person or specialized area, without reference to other areas in the organization.

Furthermore, research on attitudes and motivation of people at work has shown that they need to be involved, informed and be able to participate in the decisions that affect them. Group participation is in vogue; and the wheels of modern industry are turned by committees.

And yet, according to experts, of all the thousands of meetings that take place daily up and down the country, only 1 in 10 works efficiently. The other 9 presumably cause frustration and cynicism. In fact, many people view the appointment of a committee as a waste of time and energy and as a delaying tactics on the part of those who are willing to pay ‘lip service’ to an idea, but are unwilling to actually do something. Perhaps you have experienced wasted hours in group meetings and agree with them. But the problem is not so much the meetings but the people who attend them – the leader and the participants.

Successful business meetings depend in large on the skillful leadership and participation of everyone involved. In very large meetings, over about 20 members, it is often customary to adopt a fairly formal method of dealing with the items on the agenda and controlling the conduct of the meeting. This formal procedure, sometimes called parliamentary procedure, is intended to help maintain a degree of order. However, any restriction on the interaction of participants is bound to affect the quality of discussion and decision-making. Many bodies are required by law to conduct their meetings according to established conventions, or ‘standing orders’.

Any meeting which makes decisions should certainly record how the decision comes about, what final decision is reached and who is responsible for the action or who the responsibility for the action is delegated to. Minutes provide a useful reference on the history of a committee’s business, reducing the possibility of disagreement. For this reason properly constituted meetings in legally based organizations are required to keep minutes.

Normally, taking minutes is the responsibility of a secretary, but any other person can be responsible for it. Minute writing is not an easy task but there are some basic do’s and don’t’s which make the task much easier. So, during the meeting:

- record the date, place and time of the meeting;

- record who has attended and from whom apologies for absence have been received;

- identify topics of discussion using the agenda as your guide;

- plan your minute-taking on the basis of a short title which summarizes the topic, a brief summary of the discussion, decision taken and action required;

- give each minute a consecutive reference number;

- clear up ambiguous points before it’s too late;

- write in note-fashion, and unless required, avoid word-by-word recording.

Vocabulary

in vogue = in fashion

frustration = disappointment

lip-service = not to be sincere, honest

agenda = a list of matters/questions to be discussed

to be bound to = should

body = organization

established conventions = established rules, order

standing order = a rule or order governing the procedure (регламент)

to keep minutes = keep an official record of the proceedings of a meeting, conference etc.

a minute = an item in a document

consecutive = one that follows

ambiguous point = unclear question

in not-fashion = in the form of notes

Task 1. Comment on the following statements, agree or disagree with them.

1. A meeting brings together a group of the unfit, appointed by the unwilling to do the unnecessary for the ungrateful.

2. A meeting is a group of people who keep minutes and waste hours.

3. A meeting is a meeting of people to decide when the next meeting will take place.

4. A meeting is a group of people who singly can do nothing and collectively decide that nothing can be done.

Task 2. Study a sample of the formal minutes, refer to it in the next task.

The Minutes

Board Meeting of Greenwood Ltd

Wednesday; 10 December, 2007; 10.30 a.m.

Present: Mr. Ashley (in the Chair) Ms. S. R. Cilgroy

Mrs. B. Coulgate Mr. N. W. Langram

Mr. T. A. Thorn Mr. R. G. Sheddon (Secretary)

Apologies for absence were received from Mr. P. Green and Miss Shelton.

01 Minutes of the last meeting

Minutes of the meeting held on 13 August, 2007 were taken as read, and signed by the Chairman.

02 Matters arising from the minutes

02.1 Mr. Thorn reported that all supervisors had been issued with leaflets outlining the details of the Employees Share Option Scheme. They had been asked to ensure that all employees received a leaflet, and to explain the scheme to all members of their section. This should be completed by 15 January, 2008 as requested by the Board.

02.2 Mr. Sheddon reported that all the necessary alterations had been made to the Pension Scheme and that each employee would be seen personally by the Personnel Department. These interviews were scheduled to start on 16 January, 2008.

03 Reaction to the Employee Share Option Scheme

03.1 Noted that the only real opposition received had been submitted by employees absent from work during the week that the consultative meetings have been held.

03.2 Resolved that these employees should be seen personally by their Department managers.

04 Staff restaurant construction

04.1 Noted that the building work on the restaurant and snack bar would begin on 31 January and it was expected to be completed by the middle of February. Resolved that both restaurants should be redecorated, in view of the architect report. Redecoration would begin immediately upon the building work was completed.

05 Date of next meeting. The date of the next meeting of the board of directors would be Wednesday, 15 January, 2008. In the absence of any other business, the meeting closed at 11.45 a.m.

Signed

S. Ashley

Managing Director 10 December. 2007

noted – констатировали

resolved – постановили

Task 3. Divide into two groups. Each group will use one of the situations below. In each group decide on a chair and a secretary, complete the agenda with necessary data, and have a brief meeting. Use a sample of minutes as a model to compose yourn own minutes. Compare the results of your meeting with the other group.

The Meeting

To identify ways to reduce company costs

Time:

Place:

Participants:

Agenda

1. Staff cuts.

2. Reducing the research budget.

3. Cutting salaries and running costs.

Tips fore the Chair

· Start and end on time

· Introduce objectives, agenda and speakers.

· Define time limits for contributions.

· Control discussion, hear all views.

· Summarize discussion at key points.

· Ensure that key decisions are written down by the secretary.

· Define actions to be taken and individual responsibilities.

Tips for Participants

· Don’t talk at the same time as someone else is speaking; pause for a second or two to make

sure the other person has really finished.

· When asking a question, make it clear whom you are addressing it.

· If someone asks a question, always reply, even if you don’t have immediate answer.

· Don’t hold side meetings with other people.

Meeting phrase

1. Thank you for coming.
2. It’s … o’clock. Let’s start.
3. We’ve received apologies from …
4. Any comments on our previous meeting?
5. You have all seen the agenda.
6. There are three items on the agenda.
7. There is one main item to discuss.
8. Stating objectives …
9. We are here today to decide / consider …
10. Our objective is to discuss different ideas …
11. What we want to do today is to reach a decision
12. The background of the problem is …
13. The point we have to consider is …
14. I’d like to ask Mr. … to tell us about …
15. I know that you’ve prepared a statement on …
16. Sorry to interrupt, but …
17. I am not sure I understood the point about …
18. I’d like to emphasize the fact that …
19. Let me make a proposal …
20. Can I summarize that?
21. Ca we go on to talk about …
22. Let’s move on to the next point.
23. I think we have covered everything.
24. So, we’ve decided …
25. I think we can close the meeting now.
26. That’s it. The next meeting will be …
27. It remains for me to thank you for …

Text 3. Meeting Internationally

The European community is now a single market; does it mean that all differences have been wiped away? For some of the legal differences, yes! For cultural differences, no!

The anecdote at the opening of a meeting may fly well with the American audience. However the French will smile, the Belgians laugh, the Dutch will be puzzled, and the Germans will take it literally. Humour does not travel well. In some countries, such as Britain, joking is often used to relieve tension, in others, such as Germany, it might be regarded as flippant or unprofessional. Sean O’Casey, the Irish playwright said that the Irish turn a crisis into a joke and a joke into a crisis.

And then there are the French, who are very attentive to hierarchy and ceremony. When first meeting with a French businessperson, stick to ‘monsieur’, ‘madame’, or ‘mademoiselle’. The use of first names is disrespectful to the French. If you don’t speak French fluently, apologize. Such apology shows general respect for the language and dismisses any stigma of American arrogance.

The formality of dress can vary with each country also. The Brit or the Dutchman will take off their jackets and literally roll up their sleeves; they mean to get down to business. The Spaniard will loosen his tie, while the German disapproves. He thinks they look sloppy and unbusinesslike. He keeps his jacket on and buttoned up throughout the meeting. So does the Italian, but that is because he dressed especially for the look of the meeting.

Germans, Dutch and Danes will be well prepared for the meeting. They will expect briefing papers which they will study and amend and whose implications they will meticulously research. British, Italian, Spanish, Irish and Greek participants will skim through the papers on the plane and some may still be leafing through them at the meeting. Participants from the USA, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands will expect to keep to the agenda. Participants from Portugal, Greece and Italy will free to introduce unscheduled topics at any time.

With all that, did the meeting decide anything? It was, after all, the first meeting. The Brits were just exploring the terrain, checking out the broad perimeters and all that. The French were assessing the other players’ strengths and weaknesses, and deciding what position to take at the next meeting. The Italians also won’t have taken it too seriously. For them it was a meeting to arrange the meeting agenda for the real meeting. Only the Germans will have assumed it was what it seemed and be surprised when the next meeting starts open-ended.

(From: B. Day “The Art of Conducting International Business”)

Vocabulary

flippant – легкомысленный

stigma – позорное клеймо

arrogance – высокомерие, надменность

sloppy – небрежный

to amend – вносить поправки

meticulously – скрупулезно

to skim through – быстро просматривать

to explore the terrain – изучать обстановку

perimeters – зд., возможности

open-ended – незавершенный

Text 4. Pitfalls of International Meetings

More than six years ago the US futurist John Naisbitt wrote: ‘…the more technology in his society, the more people want to get together.’ But even he could not have envisaged the dramatic growth in the number of international meetings over the past few years.

Unique with all these meetings, which range in size from a few to more than a thousand, is that many of the participants leave their culture to meet in another. Unfortunately, what is not unique is that many of the meetings fail to accomplish their objectives to a very high degree.

The purposes of these meetings are varied, ranging from exchanging information to rewarding performance and creating opportunities for professional development. Often, as in the case of IBM Europe and other companies, the meetings are staged to introduce new products and make a sales pitch to top customers. IBM tries to get its top customers away from their normal business environment and gather them in a location that creates an atmosphere that ‘puts them in the right frame of mind and then allows us to do some high level selling’.

During the past year, I have attended a number of international meetings and witnessed first-hand serious administrative and planning problems, all of which undermined the chances of success.

A classic bungle (=error) was the arrival of participants’ material three days after one meeting ended. In another case, the audio visual equipment required by a presenter was delivered as the meeting was ending. At yet another meeting, the audio visual equipment was the wrong format, and the presenter was unable to show his video tapes.

International meeting organizers are sometimes guilty of even the most fundamental blunders. For example, at one meeting, pork was the only meat served to the many Moslems attending. At a three-day seminar, staged by an American company, the absence of any scheduled social activities drew complaints from the many European participants.

Company gatherings often show the most serious shortcomings. One very ‘process’ oriented meeting reflected the corporate culture. It encouraged small group discussions and group reports. Many of the participants wanted, and were expecting, more formal presentations by senior executives.

International meetings can be costly to stage, especially if there are poorly organized and fail to achieve the desired results. To have any chance of success, the foremost issue to consider is the purpose of the meeting. Only when that has been clearly articulated can organizers begin to plan the meeting and determine whether it has been a success.

At international meetings with participants from many different cultures, unique issues are bound to arise. For example, the timing of meals and the selection of the menu, the listing of names and titles, the use and language of business cards, the necessity of interpreters or translators and getting materials through customs are all factors that must be taken into account by the organizers.

It’s especially important to allow participants who travel long distances sufficient time to rest, physically and mentally, before the meeting begins. One large US-based organization ignores this completely, expecting travelers from Europe after a nine-hour-plus flight to attend a four-hour meeting the day they arrive. The following day, meetings are scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. and continue until 10 p.m. Most European participants are exhausted by the demanding regime and find that they benefit only marginally from the meetings.

A mini-checklist for any international meeting should begin with efforts to identify the nationalities of potential participants and make provisions that cater to their specific cultural needs.

Warnings to avoid national stereotypes, condescending (снисходительный) attitude and above all jokes, which are easily misunderstood, are among the tips given to organizers and speakers at international meetings by Dr Ernest Dichter, a motivational psychologist. He suggests that honoured attendees should be welcomed and that, when appropriate, deference (= respect) should be shown to participants because of their high-ranking positions.

Speakers making presentations in English at an international meeting in a country where it is not the national language, should tailor their presentations so that they will be understood by the entire audience. There are important considerations for persons responsible for the introduction of speakers. For example, personal information or the sharing of insights about one’s family life, which is common in North America, is not appropriate in Europe or Asia.

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