COMMUNICATION LANGUAGE LEVEL 2

Learning Outcome 2: Conducting Business Meetings

MEETING

The following are some definitions:

 A meeting is a gathering of two or more people that has been convened for the
purpose of achieving a common goal through verbal interaction.
 A meeting is a coming together of (generally) two or more people to exchange
information in a planned manner and discuss issues set out before them to arrive at
decisions, solve problems etc
 A meeting is a gathering which brings together a number of people within a system
with a definite communication purpose
 A meeting can be defined as a gathering of people for a discussion toward a
common goal or objectives. For example, campus students meet in groups normally
of around ten students to tackle certain assignment left behind by their instructors.
These are normally gathering of people with objective of various ideas and issues. They are
effective tools in decision making. A meeting is successful if members show up and
participate actively and their decisions taken into consideration during implementation. It is
an organized association.
They provide an opportunity for;
 Sharing information
 Making suggestions
 Providing feedback
TYPES OF MEETINGS

1. Formal meetings
2. Informal meetings
FORMAL MEETING

Formal meetings are held with strictly laid down rules contained in company’s articles.
Such meetings require a quorum (minimum number of people who must be present for a
meeting to start). They take place after notices have been sent to the members. The

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members must be provided with the items to be discussed at the meeting. A record of such
meetings must be kept by the secretary.
a) Annual General Meeting (AGM)

These are business meetings that are held once in a financial year. Several schools carry
out annual general meetings where all parents are invited. In annual general meeting all the
stakeholders in the business are invited. They must however be provided with notice or
agenda of the meeting. Some of the business at such meeting might include:
 Receiving the director’s and auditor’s reports
 Examining the accounts and balance sheet
 Appointing or re-appointing directors and so on
b) Board meetings

These are meetings held as often as they are required by individual organs in an
organization or institution. Members to this board attend the meetings. Minutes are normally
by the chairperson of the board. The members discuss issues of importance to their board.
Examples of board meetings are held in various institutions. Some of the business at such
meeting might include:
 Assessing the development of the company’s business
 Agreeing to acquire additional capital
 Receive reports from various committees
 Appointing senior staff and so on
c) Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM)
An extraordinary general meeting (an EGM is also called an emergency general
meeting) can also be defined as a meeting of shareholders which is not an Annual
General Meeting. It is held when some urgent issue becomes about the company
arises or any situation of the crisis and it requires the input of all senior executives
and the board. An EGM might be called to deal with any of the following:
 The removal of an executive
 A legal matter
 Any matter that can’t wait until the next shareholders meeting

Another difference between an annual general meeting and an extraordinary general

meeting is that an annual general meeting can be only held during business (working) hours
and not on holiday, while an EGM can be carried out on any day including holidays.

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INFORMAL MEETINGS

These take the form of brainstorming or discussion sessions, where strict agenda may not
be followed and minutes may not be kept. Strict rules or regulations are not followed.
However, it is considered a good business practice to issue members with agendas.
Departmental meetings

They are held by heads of departments or manage of certain sectors. All the staff in that
department are invited to attend the meeting. The information to be passed is included in
the department’s reports. They allow various departments to work efficiently by holding such
meetings to clarify areas of importance and the way forward.
Statutory meetings

These meeting required by the law, they are usually held before a change in a leadership.
Members discuss the conduct of the previous leaders and scrutinize their special results
and reports. The decisions in statutory meetings are legally binding.
Other types of meetings include:

 Working parties’ meetings

 Management meetings
 Advisory meetings
 Peer meetings
 Kick off
 Staff meetings
CHARACTERISTICS OF MEETINGS
Characteristics of meetings to include:
a) Clear purpose
b) Participation
c) Recording of minutes
d) Clear resolution
Terms used in meetings

 Agenda
 Minutes
 Quorum

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  Notice
 Chairperson
 Secretary
 Participants

- Agenda which is the issue to be discussed in a meeting

- Minutes which are records of activities taking place and the decisions made.
- Quorum which refers to the required number for attendance for decision or meeting
to take place
- Notice which is a formal notification to members
- Chairperson who is the person who presides over a meeting
- Sectary keeps records, takes notes and handles general clerical work.
- Participants-people taking part in the meeting (individuals)

PROCEDURES/GUIDELINES FOR CONDUCTING MEETINGS

 Provide notice to members earlier.

 Agenda given to members in advance.
 Finding a venue and inform the members in advance.
 The meeting starts when the chairperson calls into order.
 He or she declares the meeting opened at whatever time it should start.
 The secretary starts writing minutes.
 He or she (secretary) records the names of members citing whether present or
absent.
 Secretary reads minutes of the previous meeting.
 The chairperson reads the day’s agenda to be discussed by members.
 Members discuss the agendas while the secretary writes main points (taking
minutes).
 The chairperson closes the meeting and states the time for next meeting.
FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN CONDUCTING THE MEETINGS

Factors to consider when conducting the meetings to include:

a) Duration
b) Advance notice
c) Relevant participants
d) Appropriate venue

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 e) Time
f) Agenda
g) Appropriate venue
DURATION
The duration of the meeting should also be within reasonable for mental aptitude. A
meeting which is unnecessary long wears participants down
ADVANCE NOTICE
Participants to the meeting need enough time for them to reschedule other
engagements in order of priority. A hastily convened meeting, unless it is of emergency
in nature should be discouraged because people caught off-guard either, do not bother
to attend the meeting or come to the meeting ill-prepared
RELEVANT PARTICIPANTS
Only invite people who are essential to the meeting. Balance the attendee mix so ideas
are expressed in a respectful way and others’ perspectives and issues are taken into
reasonable account. This not only keeps the meeting on course, it avoids wasting
attendees’ valuable work time. After you identify all the players, share the agenda in
advance and provide added context by communicating distinct roles and expectations.
The success of the deliberations depends on the active participation of the participants
APPROPRIATE VENUE
The venue of the meeting should be ideal for the purpose of the meeting for instance the
boardroom for a management meeting. The venue should be comfortably accommodate
the participants and should be free from distractions; hence conducive to discussions.
TIME
The time of holding the meeting should be in general convenient to the participants. It
would be inconvenient for people of some religious persuasions to conduct business
meetings on the Sabbath. Monday mornings and Friday afternoons would not be
convenient times for holding meetings.
AGENDA

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 The agenda enables the participants to prepare thoroughly for the meeting. It also
shows the sequence of the discussion items. The accompanying notice gives details of
the venue, day and time of the meeting.
PREPARATION FOR MEETINGS
 Understand the purpose of a meeting as well as the role and what is expected
for you
 Make some notes about any input you would like to make
 Carry a note book and a pen so that you can note down important points
 Be positive as you go for the meeting
 Expect anything not less, not more.

ADVANTAGES OF MEETINGS

a) People can air their views or grievances.

b) People avoid inconveniences caused by individual decisions.
c) People get solutions to their problems.
d) People can ask for assistance in tasks that are difficult to perform.
e) Relationship and unity in an organization is promoted through interaction.
f) Encourages sharing of ideas.
g) People’s ideas are respected.
h) Solves conflicts and reduces tension.
i) Improvement in performance of an organization is attained through ideas shared
in meetings.
j) Self-assessment. Members can evaluate their own opinions beliefs and attitudes
in the light of others.
DISADVANTAGES OF MEETINGS

a) Costly in cases where one has to travel to different places to attend meetings.
b) Wastage of time in case the agenda of the meeting is not met or people fail to
contribute to the meeting effectively
c) Slow implementation of activities or task since it has to be approved by
members in the meeting. It has follow certain procedure
d) Demands personal appearance for the meeting to take place.
e) Slow decision making because members has to raise opinions and serious
points to be noted down. The members have to decide on which to follow and
what to forego. This is not an easy task since members will want their opinions
considered.

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 f) Overdependence on other members to come up with effective and suitable
idea.
FORMAT OF WRITING MINUTES

 Topic
 Introduction
 Members present
 Members absent with apology
 Members absent
 Agenda
 AOB (Any Other Business)
 Conclusion
 Recorders signature
MINUTES
The following are some definitions:
 Minutes are notes that are recorded during in a meeting.
 Minute is an official written statement of the motions and resolutions taken in
a meeting.
 Minutes are the live written record of a meeting.
PURPOSE/IMPORTANCE OF WRITING MINUTES

 Serves as a reminder of decisions

 Offers evidence in the event of a lawsuit
 Helps to avoid or minimize misunderstanding/conflict on what was
agreed/discussed
 Create history of the organization
 Prevent discussing the same issues
 Members who were absent know what was discussed
 Serves as a future references

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TYPES OF PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR ROLES
Types of participants to include:
a) Chairman/chairlady/chairperson
b) Secretary
c) Participants (members present)

ROLES OF THE CHAIRMAN AT MEETINGS

1. The chairperson: controls the deliberations of the meetings; he/she is the authority
through which members speak in a meeting.
Roles and duties:
a) Draw the agenda in liaison with the secretary (the chairman takes all major decisions
after consulting with the secretary)
b) Ensure the meeting is duly constituted and there is a quorum (the number of
members who at least comprise the majority)
c) Control the meeting in accordance with the standing orders and any other legal
requirements that apply
d) Take the business in the order it appears on the agenda
e) The chairman sees to it that the meeting is not overshadowed by irrelevant
discussions
f) The chairman ensures that previous minutes are read before the commencement of
the meeting
g) He/she also makes sure that the minutes read are correct
h) The chairman will clarify any misunderstanding that erupts during the course of a
meeting
i) The chairman lets members of the meeting know whether progress is being made or
not
j) The chairman of a meeting is responsible for putting matters to vote if consensus is
not reached
k) After a vote has been held, it is the chairman’s responsibility or rather duty to declare
the voting results
l) Ascertain the sense at the end of the discussion on an item and ensure the decision
reached is properly recorded

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Characteristics/Qualities of a good chairperson
a) Knowledgeable in meeting procedures and regulations
b) Impartial, treating all members the same, give them same chance to speak, neutral
c) He/she must have good communication skills
d) The chairman must be capable of making good decisions without differing
e) The chairman must be one who isn’t prone to being dissuaded

Chairman can be elected by the committee or endorsed by the requirements of the

constitution.
Note: these days, people are gradually replacing the name “chairman” with the term “chair”
because “chairman” is considered sexist
ROLES OF THE SECRETARY AT MEETINGS
2. The Committee Secretary: The committee secretary assists the chairperson.
Roles and duties
a) Advance the notice of the meeting and its agenda preparation and office
arrangement
b) Receiving apologies and drawing up final agenda
c) Advice on application of the standing order and other legal matters during the course
of the meeting
d) Record the proceedings of the meeting accurately, distribute minutes, and follow up
any decision taken after the meeting
In most cases, the committee secretary is not a formal member of the committee and
therefore has no voting rights or any formal role to hold discussions in the meeting.
Characteristics/qualities of a good secretary
The following are some characteristics/qualities of a good secretary:

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 a) Strong communication skills
b) Attention to detail
c) Loyal and committed
d) Integrity and professionalism
e) Good secretaries know when and how to take an appropriate action
ROLES OF THE PARTICIPANTS AT MEETINGS

3. Participants: Those invited to take part in the meeting. Can be:

a) Organization members
b) Committee members
c) Ex-officio members
d) Invited guests
e) Technical specialist
Roles and duties
a) Make a good effort to attend meetings
b) Listen carefully to others
c) Help keep the discussion on topic
d) Address your remarks to the group rather than the facilitator
e) Suggest other items to be discussed
f) Do take part in the discussion.
Guiding Procedures for Meeting deliberations
In order to maintain order, certain rules and procedures need to be followed. These are
consistent with the protocol observed by most meeting and these include:
a) Acknowledging that the speaker is in charge
b) Speaking through the chair – waiting for permission to speak, addressing the
remarks

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 c) Keep to the point – avoid pursuing own agenda
d) Interrupt other speakers only for procedural reasons
e) Wait for the speaker to introduce the item and end the debate
There are formal and informal rules that may influence the conduct of members in a
meeting. The degree of formality depends on the social interaction or organizational culture
upheld in the organization.

Meetings to be effective must follow proper structures from the planning stage to the post-
meeting stage. The rules must be followed throughout the period and proper protocol
observed.
DOCUMENTS OF MEETINGS
a) Notice: done before the meeting, a notice is a formal announcement given to members
inviting them to a meeting (Chikoti, 2008). Can be presented in an advert, memo, letter,
card, etc.
Elements:
_ Name of organization committee
_ An inscription of ‘NOTICE’

_ Title of the nature of the meeting

_ Brief announcement of the details of the meeting, reference to the status of the
last minutes request for submission of agenda item.
_ Contact details of the convenor i.e. for apologies or clarification
b) Minutes: factual record of the proceedings and resolutions of the meeting
Importance of minutes
_ Record of the meeting
_ Prevent discussing the same issues
_ Members who were absent know what was discussed

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 _ Can be used as a precedent to future decisions
c) Reports: reports from different departments/sections etc
Types of Minutes
Types of minutes to include:
a) Resolution minutes
b) Narrative minutes
c) Action minutes
_ Resolution minutes: focus on agreements made in the meeting

_ Narrative minutes: record individual arguments/contributions

_ Action minutes: written where different assignments, duties/ responsibilities

have been given and to who, the word ’action’ is written after the point in the right
column.

Formats of Minutes

_ Minutes must be as concise as possible, summarizing the debate and stating the
resolution.
_ Motions and amendments including the proposer and the seconder of the motions
should be recorded. Minutes must explain the strength of votes by indicating those
who voted for or against a motion.

Minutes must also record the following items:

_ members present, apologies before the meeting
_ confirmations and amendments of previous meeting’s minutes
_ matters arising from the previous minutes, correspondences, or any other business
_ the starting and finishing time

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Structure of minutes
Header
Declaration
_ Nature of minutes
_ Committee name
_ Venue, day, time
Attendance
_ Present
_ Apologies
Body
_ Written according to agenda
_ Point for, e.g. 1.0, 2.0, 2.2, etc .
Ending
_ Name and signature of chairperson & secretary
_ Date of adoption of minutes
_ Distribution list of recipients

Model Minutes:
a) Include an agenda.
b) Members present and apologies.
c) Clear numbering of main issues or sub-numbering.
d) Record action decisions in a way that they stand out, for example by using italics or
bold
e) Action decisions should state who is responsible for a task and by when.
f) Should include a summary of action decisions and referrals.
g) Minutes should be distributed within one week of the meeting.

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The minutes-writing process
_ Take detailed, accurate notes during the meeting.
_ Minutes are written out using the notes taken. Make consultations wherever
necessary.
_ Minute language: reported speech (action verbs):
a) The chairman welcome...
b) The member referred
c) The committee was reminded
d) The issue was discussed
e) The Accountant reported
f) It was noted
g) The problem was resolved
h) A member queried
i) The secretary requested
j) Agreed/disagreed
k) Apologies of absence were received from

The agenda: Latin word, meaning ‘things to be done’

_ Includes items of business to be discussed at the meeting
_ The arrangement of items on the agenda indicates the order of business to be taken
at the meeting
_ Given to members in advance:
a) in order for them to know what will be discussed
b) in order for the members to add or subtract items
c) in order for the members to come prepared to the meeting

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The agenda must include the following items:
a) Time and place of the meeting
b) Apologies for absence
c) Provision for confirmation of the minutes of the previous meeting (amend/adopt)
d) The provision for reporting any correspondence received
e) A subject heading of each item of business
f) Any Other Business (AOB) section to allow members to voice out issues outside
those outlined on the agenda
g) The date of the next meeting

The chairman as his/her own agenda:

a) Title ‘Chairman’s agenda
b) Items are followed by explanatory notes:
_ Background to the item
_ Reference to past discussions
_ Action expected in relation to the action
WAYS OF COLLECTING MINUTES
Ways of collecting minutes to include:
a) Note taking-this is where you use note pad and pen to collect minutes
b) Recording-this is where you use recorder to collect minutes

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TERMINOLOGY OF MEETINGS

Ad hoc From Latin, meaning “for the purpose of”, as for example, when a sub-
committee is set to organize a particular activity.
Adjourn To stop the discussion of a meeting before reaching a conclusion so
that the discussions would be continued at a later date.
Advisory Providing advice or suggestion, not taking action.

Apologies Excuses given in advance for inability to attend a meeting.

Bye-laws Rules regulating an organisation’s activities.

Casting vote When two sides are deadlock, a chairperson may record a second or
casting vote to ensure a decision is made.
Consensus Agreement by general consent, no formal vote being taken.

Co-opt When a member is appointed to a committee and not elected, as is

the usual method.
Ex officio Given powers or rights by reason of office.

Honorary post A duty performed without payment.

Lobbying A practice of seeking member’s support for a motion before a

meeting
Motion The name given to a proposal when it is being discussing at a
meeting.
Mover One who speaks on behalf of a motion.

Nem. Com From Latin, literally no-one speaking against.

Opposer One who speaks against a motion.

Point of information The drawing of attention in a meeting to relevant item of

fact.
Point of order The drawing of attention to a breach of rules or procedure

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Postpone To change a day of a meeting before the meeting starts

Proposal The name given to a submitted item for discussion before a meeting
takes
Proxy Literally, on behalf of another person-a proxy vote, therefore it means a
member attending a meeting or doing something in the meeting for instance voting on
behalf of another.

Contacts: +265884139177/+265995226508/+265883337391

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