MODULE 6 BUSINESS MEETINGS

DR. JOANNE S. CONCEPCION

Writer

At the end of this module, you will be able to:

1. Explain the elements of an effective meeting and use appropriate techniques in

conducting these;
2. Identify and explain electronic meeting alternatives;
3. Define the responsibilities of the office professional for meetings and
conferences.
4. Prepare minutes.

Introduction

Organization’s goals, plans, problems, discussion of issues and present solutions

are often communicated and delivered to all employees through meetings. Meetings are
essential part of the life of every organization and your ability to run effective meetings
with your management skills is a critical part of your success in meeting management.
According to Calkins, et al. approximately 50 percent of the upper-level executive’s time
may be spent in meetings while 25 to 35 percent for lower-level managers time. With
the team approach that is now being used in many organizations. The office
professional also may spend a number of hours each week in meetings. Since all of
these hours are costly to the business or organization, it is important that meeting time
be spent as productively as possible. Yet a survey revealed that meetings were not
used to serve its purpose since 34 percent of the meetings have no agenda; 38 percent
of the meetings, were not all of the items were addressed even when there was an
agenda; 41 percent of the meetings, no follow up action was assigned; 54 percent
nonessential personnel were involved and 64 percent, no time frames were set for the
meetings

As an office professional, you will have the responsibility of assisting your

supervisor plan and schedule all types of meetings and conferences. This module will
help you develop the knowledge and skills to assist your supervisor in holding meetings
that are productive for all members and thus, an efficient use of organizational time.

Meeting Effectiveness

A meeting may be considered effective if:

 There is a need to conduct a meeting;

 All participants clearly understood the stated purpose;
 The appropriate people are called to attend the meeting;
 There is a prepared agenda;
 All members participate;
 Expected outcomes are achieved as results of the meeting.

Unnecessary Meetings

Most of us have attended several meetings that were ineffective. Many times,
meetings are called that are not appropriate and should never be held. Meetings are not
good idea when:

 There is no clearly defined purpose for the meeting

 No consideration has been given to the people who need to be in attendance
 Confidential or sensitive personnel matters must be addressed
 There is inadequate data for the meeting
 There is insufficient time to prepare for the meeting
 The information could be communicated more effectively by memo, fax, or
telephone
 There is a considerable amount of anger and hostility in the group and people
need to calm down before coming together

Necessary Meetings
 Calling a meeting can be appropriate when:

 A group needs to be involved in solving a problem or making decision.

 An issue arises that needs clarification
 Information needs to be given to a group
 Communication needs to occur quickly with a large number of people.

Notice that in each of the situations given above there is an underlying purpose
for the meeting. Once a purpose is identified, considerable planning needs to occur
before the meeting is effective; he or she must understand the role and be well
prepared for the meeting. The participants also have a role to play. The participants
must understand the need and purpose of the meeting, prepare before the meetings,
and be active participants during the meetings

MEETING TYPES

TRADITIONAL MEETINGS

Meetings that are traditional include staff meetings, projects team meetings,
customer/client meetings, board of directors meeting, seminars, conferences,
and conventions

Staff meetings. The most common type of meeting where the executive
meets with members of his or her staff. These meetings are usually scheduled on
regular basis like weekly which the purpose is usually to handle the routine
problems that occur and to review directions, plans, and assignments.

Committee meetings. In most businesses, a committee or task force is

formed to deal with a specific issue or problem. Once the problem is solved, the
task force is disbanded. In other words, the task force has a beginning and
ending time. It is organized for purpose; once the purpose is accomplished, it no
longer exists. A committee may also be established for an ongoing purpose. For
example, due to COVID-19 pandemic, your company created a health and safety
committee that meets regularly to identify and address safety concerns that may
affect the operation of the company. Since safety is ongoing concern, the
committee functions from year to year.

Project team Meetings. You learned earlier that project teams are used
frequently in organizations today. These teams are organized around specific
project to be accomplished. For example a project team may be organized to
determine a system of automation to be used in a paperless record management
system. Once the project has been completed, the team may be disbanded or
take on another project to be accomplished.
 For a sample team meeting, please watch the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ecd9OhMf73k

Customer/Client meetings. Your employer will probably hold meetings

with customers or clients. These meetings generally will be with only one or two
people. For example, a lawyer may meet with the client to discuss the case. An
engineer may meet with a customer to discuss the design of a product

Board of Directors meetings. Large companies and organizations like

Corporations operate with board of directors. Board meetings are conducted
based on bylaws, written policies and procedures. Boards meet once a month or
less. The chairman of the board conducts the meeting and strict procedure are
usually followed. An agenda is sent out before the meeting noting the items to be
covered, if the organizations is a public entity in which an open meeting rule
applies, notice of the meetings is posted according to legal procedures.

A sample board meeting is linked here for you to watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfP5N9Yc72A

Conventions and conference.

 Conventions are usually formal, annual meetings of members of a

professional group. A convention can involve hundreds or even thousands
of people. Planning and executing a convention is so complicated that
meeting consultants are often hire to assist in carrying out the details.
 A conference is a meeting in which there is discussion on certain issues or
topics. For example a conference or seminar may be held on topics such
as conflict management, written communications and union negotiations

ELECTRONIC MEETINGS

The growth of team work, national and international organizations, and

communications technology has contributed to our need for ability to
communicate with individuals in remote locations. Telecommunication technology
provides alternatives to face to face meetings through several electronic options
referred to as teleconferencing. Teleconferencing is a general term applied to a
variety of technology-assisted, two way interactive communications via telephone
lines, fibers optics, or microwaves. The three main types of teleconferencing are
audio conferencing, videoconferencing and data conferencing. Many of the
meetings listed in the previous section as traditional meetings may also be
conducted in an electronic format
 Audio conferencing. Is a type of conference in which an unlimited
number of participants use an audio conferencing unit to participate in a meeting.
This unit may be simple as telephone with speakerphone capabilities, which
provide hands free communication and the amplifying and projecting of the
speaker’s voice. These phones today have superior sound quality that allows
speakers to participate from almost any part of the room. A conference operator
may also assist individuals by setting up a call among group individuals. You may
set up this call by contacting the conference operator through your local
telephone service, giving the individual the date, time, names, and numbers of
the people who will be participating in the audio conference. Advantages of the
audio conference include the ability to

 Assemble individuals on short notice, assuming their schedules allow

 Connect individuals at any locations, nationally and internationally
 Use telephone technology that is readily available to almost everyone

A primary disadvantage of audio conferencing is the lack of visual input however

visual input can be achieved through the use of facsimile equipment such as fax
machine. In addition, visual message can be written on an electronic blackboard.
This blackboard allows individuals to write on the surface and the information to
be transmitted over telephone lines to distant location participation can add or
change the visual input through an electronic blackboard that has been set up at
their locations. In other words, the blackboards allow for interactivity

Videoconferencing is a system of transmitting audio and video

between individuals at distant locations. Videoconferencing maybe transmitted
from a PC-based application or by the use of numerous pieces of equipment that
have been set up in a specially equipped room.

Data Conferencing. Enables two or more people to communicate and

collaborate as a group in real time using the computer. Software is available to
assist you in data conferencing. For example, google meet, zoom and Microsoft
teams may be downloaded free from the internet. Virtual Conferencing links
participants through the internet and chat rooms to transmit information and
discuss issues.

This software allows participants to

 Share a program running in one computer with other participants in the

conference. Participants can review the same data or information and
the actions as the person sharing application works on the program
 Exchange information between shared applications through a shared
clipboard , transfer files, and collaborate on a shared whiteboard
  Send files to conference participants by keying text messages or record
meeting notes and action item as s as part of the collaborative process.
One participant may have a private conversation with another person
using the “whisper’’ feature of the software.

Advantages of electronic meetings:

 Savings in travel costs, travel time meals, and hotel rooms
 Presentation of a considerable amount of information concisely
through sophisticated audio and video technology
 Bringing together people with expertise in a number of different areas
to discuss problems of mutual concern with a minimum of effort
 Providing information from the conference to individuals who are not
in attendance at the conference
 Huge environment savings in less pollution of air through cars,
planes, and trains

Disadvantages of electronic meetings:

 Less spontaneity between individuals due to family structured

environment
 More formal in nature
 Inability to see body language of all participants at any one time;
 inability to pick up small nuances of body language over the monitor
 Little or no socializing time between participants
 Less chance for effective brainstorming on issues

INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS

International meetings are becoming quite common with the multinational

corporations that exist today. These meetings may be either face to face or
electronic. In either situation, you cannot forget that cultural differences do exist,
such differences must be understood and respected. Otherwise, you might have
an international incident rather than the resolution to a problem. International
meetings are more formal in nature. Hierarchical considerations must be known
and dealt with appropriately

Here are a few general suggestions for what to do and what not to do in
international meetings
 Greet each person properly. Do not ignore greetings merely because the
meeting is electronic. Greetings become doubly important in such a
situation
  Do not use first names of participant even though it it’s our custom
 Do not use slang
 Avoid gesturing with your hands many people take offense such gesture
 Watch your body language; remember that this duffers from one culture
to another. Make certain you do not mean through your body language
 Use an interpreter if necessary
 Do not mistake a courteous answer for the truth—yes does not always
mean yes and no may not mean no

ROLE OF MEETING LEADER

A meeting leader is someone who has the skills in running a meeting, who
understands the need and purpose of the meeting and have the ability to engage in
effective conversation on the issues at hand. The leader must be able to bring closure to
the agreed objectives and make the purpose and objectives be clearly established.

For example, assume that an executive of the company calls a meeting. He or

she determines what the purpose is before the meeting and makes that purpose clear in
writing. Although the executive may be the leader of the meeting, he or she may choose
someone else to preside at it. Once the purpose of the meeting is established and sent
out in writing to the participants by executive, it is the leader’s responsibility to reiterate
the purpose at the beginning of the meeting.

The leader should lead a balanced and controlled discussion by:

 Keeping the participants focused on the agenda.

 Manages time. The leader must begin and end the meeting on the
established time as stated on the notice of meeting. The leader is
responsible for maintaining these time commitments
 Encourage Participants. Once the meeting begins, the leader is
responsible for seeing that all individuals participate. Let the participants
know that you and the group value their opinions. Help them feel
comfortable enough to speak up. Make it easy for everyone to contribute.
Respect each comment that is made.
 Limit the domination of any one person in the meeting
 positively reinforce all individuals for their contributions
 Keep the discussion moving toward the objectives and outcomes
determined.
 Handle Conflict using conflict resolution techniques and guidelines
 Clarify communication barriers if a conflict arises. Ask that participate
define their terms if there are not clear to the group
  Concentrate on building a team with the group, stress collaboration rather
than competition.
 Bring Closure to the Objectives

Evaluating the meeting is as important as planning the meeting. The meeting

leader may want to ask participants individually how they felt meeting went. In
any case, the leader should ask questions such as the following of himself or
herself after the meeting:

 Were the attendees participatory?

 Was the nonverbal behavior positive?
 Were the participants exhibit a high energy level?
 Was the purpose of the meeting satisfied?
 Were appropriate decision made?
 Can I improve on how I handled the issues, the people, or the meeting in
general?

If the meeting is a relatively formal one, the leader may ask participants to fill
out an evaluation form.

ROLE OF MEETING PARTICIPANTS

Just a leader has responsibilities, so do the participants. Their roles are much
broader than attending the meeting. Their responsibilities begin before the meeting and
continue after it.

Before the meeting, participants are responsible for:

 Responding to the meeting notice in timely manner

 Reading any materials sent out before the meeting
 Evaluating the materials sent out in relation to the purpose of the meeting
 Calling the executive to clarify any question that they might have before
the meeting

During the meeting, participants are responsible during the meeting for:
 Being on time
 Adhering to the agenda
 Making contributions
 Listening to other participants contributions and responding
 Respecting the leaders role
 Not dominating the discussion
 Being nonjudgmental of others comments
 Being courteous to each individual in the meeting
  Taking notes, if necessary

After the meeting. Once the meeting is over, the participant’s responsibilities do
not necessarily end. The participants may be responsible for some research,
study or act on before the next meeting. The participants may also be also be
asked to work with a small group of people in bringing back a recommendation to
the next meeting, whatever follow up is necessary by the participant, he or she
must be committed to carrying out those responsibilities

THE EXECUTIVE’S ROLE IN MEETINGS

The executive has several roles in meetings, which includes:

 Determine the Purpose
 Set the Objectives
 Deciding who should attend
 Planning the agenda
 Setting the time and place

THE OFFICE PROFESSIONAL’S ROLE IN MEETINGS

 Gather information
 Make calendar notations
 Reserve the meeting room
 Notify participants
 Prepare the agenda
 Prepare materials for the executive
 Prepare materials for the attendees
 Order equipment
 Determine the seating arrangement
 Order food and beverages
 Follow up on the meeting notice
 Check the room temperature
 Prepare to present

DURING THE MEETING

Usually, your major responsibility as a secretary or administrative

assistant during the meeting:

1. Greet Guest. Your role is to make the participates feel comfortable

and welcome. Keep a smile on your face, and introduce the guest to
 the appropriate individuals make sure that they also know where to
hang their coats and the locations of the nearest restrooms

2. Assist the Leader in Observing Parliamentary Procedure. In

formal meetings it becomes important assuring that the proceedings
go smoothly. Knowledge of parliamentary procedure can help you not
only in your job but also in your professional activities outside of work,
such as IAAP (International Association of Administrative
Professionals) meetings.

3. Take Notes and Minutes. Always take time before the meeting
begins to look over the agenda and any handout materials to be able
to take better notes. A laptop computer may be utilized to record the
proceedings of a meeting. Another method of recording is using a tape
recorder and transcribe the minutes after the meeting was adjourned if
you use a tape recorder, you need to note the names of individuals
who make motions, second motions and so forth ask each individuals
who speaks to identify himself or herself. Without some identification
of the individuals you will not complete the minutes properly. It is a
good idea to sit next to the person who will conduct the meeting so
that you can hear what is being said. You will want to note names of
the people in attendance and those who are absent.

If you are taking notes for a meeting that is relatively informal, your
notes should include the following;
 Date, time, and place of the meting
 Members present and absent
 Actions that were taken at the meting
 Follow up necessary after the meeting and the individuals
responsible for doing the follow up
 Date of the next morning

If you are taking minutes of an organizational meeting such as board

meeting or a professional group, the proceedings are recorded in a
more formal manner. Items should be included in the minutes are:
 Date, time, and place of the meting
 Name of the presiding officer
 Members present and absent
 Approval or correction of the minutes from the previous meeting
 Reports of committees, officers, or individuals
  Motions made, with the name of the person making the motion,
the name of the person who seconds it, and an indication of
whether it passed or failed
 Items on which action needs to be taken and the person
responsible for taking the action
 A succinct summary of the important points of each discussion
 Adjournment of the meeting
 Name and title of the person who will be signing the minutes
along with a signature line.

4. See that foods and beverages are served. You must be alert on to
the time the food needs to be served (snacks and lunch) so you can
coordinate with the caterer if the food does not arrive as planned.

5. Handle special problems. Some problems may be, difficulty

hearing or understanding the speaker, it is a good idea to pre-arrange
some type of signal with the person presiding in case you need to
have something repeated. For small group of attendees, you may
immediately ask the person’s name if you are unsure who made the
motion, it is better to interrupt during the meeting than to try to find out
after the meeting. Another case, is if there is an emergency message
that must be delivered to someone in the meeting. If you are
responsible, do it unobtrusively as possible. If you don’t know the
recipient, give the message to the presiding officer. You may also
need an assistant to help you with several responsibilities during the
meeting.

AFTER THE MEETING

Once the meeting is over, your responsibilities do not end. You must see
that the minutes are prepared and distributed and that all routine follow up
duties are handled.

Prepare the notes or minutes

As you have learned previously, notes of a meeting are not as formal as

minutes. There is no set form for minutes; however, here are some
general guidelines:
  Minutes may be single or double spaced. Margins should be at
least 1 inch. If the minutes are to be placed in a bound book, the
left margin should be 1 and half inches.
 Capitalize and center the heading that designates the official title of
the group.
 Use subject captions for ease in locating various sections for
minutes.
 Establish when the meeting was called to order; indicate whether it
was a regular or a special meeting.
 Give the name of presiding officer.
 Capitalize word such as Company, Corporation, and Committee in
the minutes when they refer to the group conducting the meeting.
 Use businesslike language. Do not include personal opinions or
comments. If gratitude is expressed for an individual or a group, it
should take the form of a resolution
 Give the name of each speaker and a summary of what the
speaker discusses
 List any motions made verbatim
 Minutes may or not be signed. Minutes of board meetings and
minutes of professional associations are signed. However, routine
minutes of meeting within a business are not signed. If minutes are
to be signed, a signature line should be provided.
 Strive to complete the minutes in final from and distribute to the
participants within 24 hours of the meeting.

If you are preparing minutes of a corporate meeting, you should follow the
rules outlined in the bylaws of the corporation.

Perform Routine Follow Up Duties

Some duties you need to perform after the meeting are:

 Checking the meeting room to see that it is left in good order. All
equipment should be returned. Tables and chairs should be
restored to normal room arrangement. Pick up all papers and
materials left in the room
 If the room needs to be cleaned, notify the cleaning staff
 Any individuals who were not present but were given duties or
assignments at the meeting must be notified
 Items that require future attention should be written on your
electronic calendar
  Forms should be processed for those participants who have
incurred reimbursable expenses
 Any items that need to be considered at the next meeting as a
result of the proceedings of the current meetings should be noted
on the next meeting agenda

For a sample conduct of meeting, watch and observe the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPhKhTI0Lss

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAr_t2OsEdc

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE OFFICE PROFESSIONAL FOR CONFERENCES

AND CONVENTIONS

A conference or convention is much larger in scope and number of participants

than a meeting. As an office professional, you may be involved in helping to plan
conference or convention. Planning a national convention, for example, takes months of
work. You will not have the total responsibility for planning this type of function, but you
may be involved in a number of task that take numerous hours to complete.

BEFORE THE CONFERENCE

The planning you do before a conference is extremely important. Good

planning will assure a smooth, successful conference; poor planning will result in
disorganized, ineffective conference. You must know your role in planning and carefully
consider all the details.

 Arrange for Meeting Facilities. You need to consider the size of the room
based on the number of participants, video presentation equipment,
computer, sound system, tables and chairs, white screen for presentations

 Contact Outside Speaker. Since some professionals book their speaking

engagements months in advance, you should contact them as early as
possible. Before making any final arrangements, determine the speaker fee
ask the speaker to provide with a resume, a photograph and a biographical
sketch and information about any special room arrangements and
equipment. Give the speaker the following details:
 Date, time, location of the conference
 General information about the organization
 Purpose of the conference
 Number of people expected to attend
 Nature of audience expected
  General guidelines or subject matter for the presentation
 Expenses that will be paid (hotel, meals and transportation)
 Make hotel and travel reservations
 Plan and conduct registration
 Assist with planning and arranging meals and receptionists.
 Prepare evaluation forms

DURING THE CONFERENCE

At a conference, you are the representative of your company, you must maintain
outstanding public relations image at all times and keep a smile on your face and
handle even the most difficult issues with poise and confidence.

Your responsibilities during the conference may include running errands, assisting in
getting messages to participants, and being on hand to help solve problems that
occur. During a presentation, for example, speaker may have trouble with computer
or a piece of multimedia equipment. Your job may be to get technician to repair the
equipment. You may also be asked to deliver emergency messages to individuals
during the conference. Other responsibilities may include:

 Escorting speakers to the appropriate room

 Preparing and distributing an attendance list
 Collecting evaluation form
 Maintaining expenses records

AFTER THE CONFERENCE

After the conference, your basic duties involved responsibilities for cleanup and
follow-up. You may need to see that:

 Out of town guests and speakers are assisted with transportation to the
airport
 Letters of appreciation are sent to presenters
 Expense reports are processed by conference participants

You also may be responsible for seeing that proceedings of the conference are
published and mailed to the participants. Generally, you will not be responsible for
the actual writing of the conference proceedings, but you may be called upon to
work with the conference session. Participants may be charged a fee for a copy of
the conference proceedings. If individual sessions are taped, the participants who
are interested in receiving a copy of the tape may be charged in a fee for it. If papers
are read at the conference, each speaker usually is asked to submit paper prior to
the conference. Copies of the paper may then be provided for the participants at the
 meeting, as a final responsibility, you may be asked to keep record of problems that
occurred and make recommendations for future conferences.

References:

Balachandran, V., Chandrasekaran V., Office Management, McGraw Hill International

Edition, 2010

Calkins, P. Hanks, J. Procedures for the Office Professional, Fourth Edition, 2000.

De Vera, Nimfa, Office Procedures (Simplified)

Miranda & Gow, Office Management Principles and Practices, Fourth Edition

Activity 1

Form a group with 5 members and conduct a meeting. Each member will
be a presiding officer and a secretary. Observe your roles before, during and after
the meeting. You will submit the following:

1. Narrative reports of your observations in the conduct of meeting:

before, during and after.
2. registration/attendance and pictures/documentations
3. minutes of meeting.

SELF ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS

_____________1. The most common type of meeting where the executive meets with
members of his or her staff. These meetings are usually scheduled
on regular basis

_____________2. Large companies and organizations like Corporations conduct

meetings based on bylaws, written policies and procedures.
_____________3. Someone who has the skills in running a meeting, who understands
the need and purpose of the meeting and have the ability to engage
in effective conversation on the issues at hand

_____________4. Are usually formal, annual meetings of members of a professional

group. It can involve hundreds or even thousands of people.
Planning and executing this is so complicated that meeting
consultants are often hire to assist in carrying out the details.

_____________5. A meeting in which there is discussion on certain issues or topics.

_____________6. The transcript of the proceedings of the meeting.

_____________ 7-9 Example of software available to assist you in data conferencing.

_____________ 10. A system of transmitting audio and video between individuals at

distant locations. It maybe transmitted from a PC-based application
or by the use of numerous pieces of equipment that have been set
up in a specially equipped room.

ANSWERS TO SELF ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS

1.Staff meeting
2.Board of Directors meeting
3.Meeting leader
4.Conventions
5.Conference
6.Minutes of meeting
7.Google meet
8.Microsoft teams
9.Zoom
10. Videoconferencing