Meetings, teams and Meetings, teams and negotiationsnegotiations

Chapter 13Chapter 13

Main TopicsMain Topics1.1. Principal types and purposes of business meetingsPrincipal types and purposes of business meetings

2.2. Advantages and potential difficulties of meetingsAdvantages and potential difficulties of meetings

3.3. Main features of formal meetingsMain features of formal meetings

4.4. Terminology associated with formal meetingsTerminology associated with formal meetings

5.5. The agenda and the minutesThe agenda and the minutes

6.6. The tasks involved in chairing a meetingThe tasks involved in chairing a meeting

7.7. Informal meetings: Team workingInformal meetings: Team working

8.8. Brainstorming techniqueBrainstorming technique

9.9. The rise of the virtual teamThe rise of the virtual team

10.10. The negotiation processThe negotiation process

Type Primary purpose Example

Briefing To deliver information CEO presents financial results to investment analysts

Investigatory To gather information Board of Inquiry interviews witnesses to a serious accident

Advisory To provide information Panel of experts advise government department on new legislation

Consultative To voice opinions Manager asks her staff how they feel about a proposed profit-sharing scheme

Executive To make decisions Board of trustees agrees a new strategic plan for hospital trust

Meetings: Principal types and purposesMeetings: Principal types and purposes

Identify the type and Identify the type and purpose of meetings purpose of meetings related to the following related to the following issue: issue:

The people living near The people living near the airport demand that the airport demand that all flights’ departures all flights’ departures and arrivals be stopped and arrivals be stopped between 22.00 – 05.00.between 22.00 – 05.00.

Advantages of meetingsAdvantages of meetings

Offer opportunity forOffer opportunity for

instantaneous feedback and instantaneous feedback and intensive flows of verbal and intensive flows of verbal and non-verbal communication.non-verbal communication.

rapid exchange of ideas and rapid exchange of ideas and group synergies which can group synergies which can generate better solutions than generate better solutions than individuals working alone or individuals working alone or communicating through less communicating through less intensive channels.intensive channels.

Potential difficulties of meetingsPotential difficulties of meetings

Messages criss-cross around the Messages criss-cross around the meeting room and are highly meeting room and are highly vulnerable to noise and incorrect vulnerable to noise and incorrect de-coding. de-coding.

Each attendee arrives with his or Each attendee arrives with his or her own information, pre-her own information, pre-conceived ideas, feelings and conceived ideas, feelings and prejudices. prejudices.

Limited attention spans and Limited attention spans and selective perception of each selective perception of each individual can lead to different individual can lead to different interpretations. interpretations.

Potential difficulties of meetings (continued)Potential difficulties of meetings (continued)

Discussions and arguments can Discussions and arguments can become highly personalised.become highly personalised.

Loss of direction – drifting into Loss of direction – drifting into unrelated topics, becoming unrelated topics, becoming hijacked. hijacked.

Misallocation of time leaving Misallocation of time leaving insufficient time for the main insufficient time for the main business issues. business issues.

Most important issues rushed Most important issues rushed through by an over-tired chair.through by an over-tired chair.

Etc.Etc.

Every month, each employee in your department is expected to give a brief oral presentation on the status of his or her project.

However, your department has recently hired an employee with a severe speech impediment that prevents people from understanding most of what he has to say.

As department manager, how will you resolve this dilemma? Please explain.

The main features of formal meetingsThe main features of formal meetings

established rules and established rules and proceduresprocedures

written records of written records of previous meetingsprevious meetings

usually a specified usually a specified membership who are membership who are invited to participate.invited to participate.

Terminology associated with formal meetings (1)Terminology associated with formal meetings (1)

Term Explanation

Agenda Document which lists the topics to be discussed.

Adjournment A break in the meeting before all of the agenda items have been covered.

Amendment A small change or improvement that is proposed, seconded and put to the vote.

AOB Any Other Business. The things that are discussed at the end of an official meeting that are not on the agenda.

Ex officio members

Individuals appointed to a committee by virtue of the office they hold, rather than by direct appointment or election.

Matters arising

This is a standard agenda item, referring to items from the previous meeting's minutes that require further discussion or clarification.

Minutes Document that, once approved by meeting attendees, is intended to provide a record of the meeting.

Terminology associated with formal meetings (2)Terminology associated with formal meetings (2)

Motion A proposal that is discussed and voted on at a meeting.

Point of order

If someone thinks that the meeting is not following its written rules, he can point it out to the chair by calling 'point of order'.

Proxy A proxy is someone acting on behalf of a person who is unable to attend the meeting.

Quorum This term refers to the minimum number of members or delegates required for a meeting to proceed. If attendance falls below that number at any time in a formal meeting, it is deemed to be inquorate and business must be suspended.

'Through the chair'

It is normal practice for all comments at a formal meeting to be addressed via the chair, rather than in direct exchanges between members.

Ultra vires This legal term derives from the Latin, meaning 'outside the powers'. It refers to decisions or actions that fall beyond the remit of a particular committee.

Considerations when preparing the agenda

Logical sequenceLogical sequence

Simple items firstSimple items first

Consensus items firstConsensus items first

Late arrivals and Late arrivals and early departuresearly departures

Figure 13.4 Sample agenda and notice of meeting

Sample agenda and notice of meetingSample agenda and notice of meeting

Writing up the minutesWriting up the minutes

Types of minutes:Types of minutes:

Verbatim minutes – word for wordVerbatim minutes – word for word

Narrative minutes – summary of discussion, Narrative minutes – summary of discussion, decision taken and action point arisingdecision taken and action point arising

Resolution minutes – stating only what was Resolution minutes – stating only what was agreedagreed

Being a successful chair (1)Being a successful chair (1)

Before the meeting – tactical planningBefore the meeting – tactical planning

Consider the purposeConsider the purpose

Postpone if not enough items/key peoplePostpone if not enough items/key people

Avoid overloading agendaAvoid overloading agenda

Check venue for seating, equipment etc.Check venue for seating, equipment etc.

Read papers and reportsRead papers and reports

Being a successful chair (2)Being a successful chair (2)

During the meeting – diplomacy and time During the meeting – diplomacy and time managementmanagement

Time-keep strictly to ensure all business is coveredTime-keep strictly to ensure all business is coveredTactfully and assertively control hijackers etc.Tactfully and assertively control hijackers etc.Ensure fair contribution from participantsEnsure fair contribution from participantsRemain calm and objectiveRemain calm and objectiveEnsure secretary has recorded decisionsEnsure secretary has recorded decisionsSummarise issues and seek consensus Summarise issues and seek consensus Ensure all action points are agreedEnsure all action points are agreed

Being a successful chair (3)Being a successful chair (3)

After the meeting – prompt follow-upAfter the meeting – prompt follow-up

Review minutes and ensure they are Review minutes and ensure they are circulated to the circulation list.circulated to the circulation list.

Check the previous ‘action’ column before Check the previous ‘action’ column before the next meeting and seek confirmation as the next meeting and seek confirmation as to whether the named individuals have to whether the named individuals have done what was required.done what was required.

At your last department meeting, three people monopolized the entire discussion. What can you do at the next meeting to encourage other department members to voluntarily participate?

What is the difference between a team and a group?What is the difference between a team and a group?

AA team team is a group that combines a is a group that combines a joint purposejoint purpose and a and a shared sense of responsibilityshared sense of responsibility..

Informal Meetings:

Team-working

Benefits of team-workingBenefits of team-working

An effective team canAn effective team can

Solve complex Solve complex problemsproblems

Stimulate creativity Stimulate creativity and innovationand innovation

Increase motivationIncrease motivation

Brainstorming techniqueBrainstorming technique

A popular and well-established technique for creative A popular and well-established technique for creative problem-solving and generating novel ideas. problem-solving and generating novel ideas.

General principles for successful brainstorming:General principles for successful brainstorming: Appoint a ‘facilitator’ Appoint a ‘facilitator’ Ask everyone else to call out any ideas that come Ask everyone else to call out any ideas that come

into their headsinto their heads Once the initial flow of ideas is exhausted, begin to Once the initial flow of ideas is exhausted, begin to

link similar words on the board and drawing out link similar words on the board and drawing out common themes to consolidate the ideas.common themes to consolidate the ideas.

Finally, seek agreement on which of the new ideas Finally, seek agreement on which of the new ideas is the most promising.is the most promising.

The rise of the virtual teamThe rise of the virtual team

Virtual teams tend to be formed if Virtual teams tend to be formed if

face-to-face contact is impossible face-to-face contact is impossible

face-to-face contact is not cost-effective face-to-face contact is not cost-effective

specialists are spread in different countries specialists are spread in different countries or regions.or regions.

Virtual’ teams exploit the full range of electronically Virtual’ teams exploit the full range of electronically mediated communication channels.mediated communication channels.

NegotiationNegotiation

A form of persuasive communication,

that may include anything, from two

parties engaged in bilateral discussion,

to a large number of participants

engaged in many cross-cutting

exchanges.

The Negotiation ProcessThe Negotiation Process

Initial relationship-building activity

The exchange of task-related information

Persuasion and bidding/counter-bidding

Concession and agreement