See Also: How to Conduct a Meeting Show People attend meetings for a wide variety of reasons, including work, personal interests and leisure activities. Most people will have to participate in meetings at some point in their lives, and many people do so on a regular basis. Meetings can take place at work, within an organisation, a sports group, a Parent Teachers Association, church group or one of a myriad of other committees. This page examines how meetings are structured in a formal situation. It explores how good preparation and an effective chairperson may contribute to the success of a meeting, giving a sense of direction or purpose. Some meetings leave the participants feeling they have wasted their time as little has been achieved and this can be due to many reasons. This page looks at the reasons why meetings may be less successful and provides help and advice to enable you to get the most out of the meetings you're involved with. What is a Meeting?For the purposes of this page, a meeting is the coming together of three or more people who share common aims and objectives, and who through the use of verbal and written communication contribute to the objectives being achieved. The Purpose of MeetingsMeetings are an important organisational tool as they can be used to:
While meetings may differ in size, content and approach, effective meetings all have the following three elements in common:
Components of MeetingsA meeting can be divided into the following three main components:
Types of MeetingsThere are many different types of meetings; here we focus on those used to:
Informing MeetingsThese are the most straightforward meetings where one member, usually the chairperson, has factual information or a decision which affects all those present, which he/she wishes to communicate. Such meetings tend to be formal as their aims are to give the members a real understanding and to discuss any implications or how to put such information to best use. Consulting MeetingsThese are meetings used to discuss a specific policy or innovation and can be used to get participants' views of such a policy or idea. An example could be:
Problem Solving MeetingsThese meetings are dependent upon the chairperson describing the problem as clearly as possible. Members should be selected according to their experience, expertise or interest and then given as much information as possible to enable them to generate ideas, offer advice and reach conclusions. (See also:Problem Solving) Decision Making MeetingsThese types of meetings tend to follow an established method of procedure:
(See also: Decision Making) Many organisations, clubs and societies hold regular meetings to enable members to report and discuss progress and work in hand, to deliberate current and future planning. Such meetings can contain elements of each of the four above examples. Of prime importance for the success of any meeting is the attitude and leadership of the chairperson. In a meeting, the chairperson is the leader and, as such, has to perform the same function as the leader of any working group. For a meeting to be effective, the chairperson has to:
Before any meeting, the chairperson should ask and resolve the following questions:
What is the Purpose of the Meeting?All meetings must have a purpose or aim and the chairperson must ask questions, questions as:
Is a Meeting Appropriate?The chairperson should always consider whether a meeting is necessary or if some other means of communication is more appropriate,for example memos or emails targeted to individuals inviting comment. Unnecessary meetings may waste time, lead to frustration and negativity and may lower motivation to participate in future meetings. How Should the Meeting be Planned?This will very much depend on the type of meeting to be held. There should be some rationale behind every meeting, no matter how low-level or informal, and this will largely dictate the content and indicate how planning should proceed. Who Will Attend the Meeting?This is often decided by the nature of the meeting itself. In a small organisation, a meeting could well include all members of staff, whereas a working party or committee meeting will already have its members pre-determined. In a large organisation or department, staff attending might well be representing others. It is important that the full implications of such representation are realised by the individuals concerned as they are not merely speaking for themselves. Meetings outside the workplace may include members of the board of directors or other interested parties. What Preparations are Needed for the Meeting?If maximum contribution is to be forthcoming from all participants, the purpose of the meeting should be recognised by all. The most tangible expression of this is the agenda which should be circulated beforehand to all those invited to the meeting. The agenda should:
The Agenda: This is the outline plan for the meeting. In most formal meetings it is drawn up by the secretary in consultation with the chairperson. The secretary must circulate the agenda well in advance of the meeting, including any accompanying papers. The secretary also requests items for inclusion in the agenda. Regular meetings often start with the minutes from the last meeting followed by 'matters arising' which forms a link with what has happened in the previous meeting. Most meetings conclude with 'any other business' (AOB) which gives everyone the opportunity for any genuine last minute items to be raised; though more formal meetings may have AOB items listed on the agenda. An example of an agenda might be:
There can, of course, be more items on the agenda. You can find out more on our page: Agenda Setting. |