Lecture 8 Meetings

Problems People Often Feel Puzzled

• Why are meetings so important?• Why do meetings end up in failure?• How to get ready for meetings?• How to make pre-meeting plans?• What are the factors affecting the

effectiveness of meetings?• What are the strategies of effective

and efficient meetings ？

Purpose of Meeting

• Exchange information• Give instruction• Solve problem• Make decision

Types of Meetings

• Negotiating • Informing • Problem-solving • Decision-making • Exchanging

Organization of the Meeting

• Pre-meeting preparation

• Meeting process control

• Post-meeting follow-up

Pre-meeting Preparation

• Identify the necessity of the meeting

•Set the objective of the meeting

•Get ready with the documents •Select the chairperson •Decide upon participants •Book the meeting room

Principles of No Meeting

• If there is already a weekly meeting

• If the cost of meeting is too high

• If there is a better way than holding a meeting

• If there is nothing very important

• If you are the only person to make a decision, or to how to deal with the problem correctly

• When the information is to be communicated to many people simultaneously

• When there is a need to either praise or criticize a group of people in public

• When more people are necessary to make a decision

• When you want to know about the performance of the departments

• When you delegate tasks to a group of people

Principles of Holding Meetings

Documents

• Agenda

• Minutes

Principles of Designing Agendas

• List the topics• Decide on the priority• Be practical • Make proper adjustment• Provide background materials

Minutes • Name of the meeting • Place and date• Duration • Organizer • Participants • Absentees • Opening speech by the chairperson• Process of the meeting • Resolution • Time and place of next meeting

Layout of the Meeting Room

Auditorium type U type

Round table typeOblong table type

Classroom typeV type

Meeting Process Control

• Announce the theme and purpose of the meeting

• Put forward the topic according to the agenda

• Give everyone the opportunity to air views• Control the discussion• Abide by the pre-set time• Summarize points upon the end of the

meeting• Identify the topics and time for next meeting

Post-meeting Follow-up

• Make sure the minutes are correct• Distribute the minutes or bulletins• Resolutions making clear about the

name of the person in charge of the task, time and standard

• Make known the date and time of next meeting

• Supervise and check how well the work was being carried on

Roles in the Meeting

• The chairperson

• The secretary

• Other participants

Quality the Chairperson Should Bear

• Sharp and clear thinking

• Articulate

• Communicative

• Active listening

• Responsive

• Analytical

• Fair and open-minded

• Humourous

Major Responsibility of the Chairperson

•Get well prepared before the meeting

•Announce the beginning of the meeting

•Put forward the topics of the meeting

•Control the process of the meeting

•Summarize the meeting

•Follow up the result of the meeting

Major Responsibility of the Secretary

Correctly take down the main points of the meeting

Distribute the meeting bulletinIdentify the implementer, he necessary

resources and the deadline of the taskSit on the right-hand side of the

chairperson

Other Participants

• Be clear about the purpose of the meeting

• Be familiar with the contents of the meeting

• Be ready to make a speech

• Be compliant with the rules of the meeting

Common Obstacles in Meetings

• External environment

• Transforming process

• Language

Factors on Effectiveness of Meetings

• Inappropriate time

• Vague purpose

• Longer than necessary

• Easy issues made complicated

• Talkative  

Strategies for Effective Meetings

•Be practical

•Be clear about the purpose and objectives

•Choose appropriate participants

•Work out reasonable agenda

•Arrange the logistics properly

•Control the pace

•Distribute the bulletin

Communicative Skills in the Meeting

• Be positive• Lear to listen • Get rid of complaints and dissatisfaction• Develop good EQ• Try to encourage more• Grasp skills of asking questions• Enhance personal communicative ability

Finish the exercises of this chapter

Simulate real situations