Do you need to feel more confident using English during business meetings?
During this fast-paced 60-minute webinar you will learn vocabulary, phrases and pronunciation used by native English speakers to set up and start successful meetings.
+ Arranging a time and place to meet
+ Dealing with last minute changes
+ Language for organizing meetings
+ English used for describing meetings, participants and roles
2. SUMMARY
•Arranging a time and place to meet
•Dealing with last minute changes
•Language for organizing meetings
•English used for describing meetings, participants and roles
3. Meetings..meetings...meetings
an occasion when people come together
intentionally or not intentionally
We're having a meeting on Thursday to discuss
the problem.
I'm afraid she's in a meeting - I'll ask her to call
you back later.
a group of people who have met for a
particular purpose
The meeting wants to look at the proposal again.
4. Meetings
“You can either work or meet. You can‟t do both at the same time.”
Peter Drucker
“Meetings are indispensable when you don't want to do anything.”
John Kenneth Galbraith
“A meeting is an event where
minutes are taken and hours
wasted.”
James T. Kirk
5. Opinions
There are only three good reasons for holding a meeting
-brainstorming
-delivering information
-gathering information
Ask yourself „why am I having this meeting and what do I want to
accomplish?‟
Poorly organised meetings waste people‟s time.
Poorly organised meetings only serve to de-motivate people.
6. The Language of Meetings
What do these words and phrases
mean?
matters arising
emergency
monthly
chair
agenda
participant
item
reach a consensus
Which of the above can go with the
word ‘meeting’ to make phrases? What makes meetings
effective?
an emergency meeting
a monthly meeting
chair a meeting
7. Prepare for a Meeting
A written agenda
The objectives are clear to everyone present
Good planning
Good time management
Everyone is given an opportunity to contribute
Effective control from the chairperson
8. Organizing a meeting
Look at this list of things you have to do to organise a meeting.
To Do
1. Circulate the agenda
2. Set a date and time
3. Notify the participants
4. Email the minutes of the last meeting
5. Book a room for the meeting
6. Write the agenda
7. Prepare the agenda
8. Check people‟s availability
9. Arranging a time and a place by email
Hi Anne Marie
Dear Paulo, Sorry to hear about Friday. Don’t worry.
Thank you for the mail. Unfortunately, on Monday lunch will be fine. I’ve been in
Friday it will not be possible for me to touch with Kat and Dimitri and they are
attend the meeting we had scheduled. fine about coming into my office about
nine. We’ll talk about the sales report
I have had an unforeseen set of then. We’ll need about an hour to go over
circumstances arise which mean that my it and then I’ve booked a table at Verdes
attention elsewhere is unavoidable. for lunch.
Would it be at all possible to rearrange I’ve attached the agenda.
the meeting at your earliest convenience?
All the best
With sincerest apologies.
Anne Marie Paulo
10. Arranging a time and a place by telephone
Are you still OK for Monday?
It‟s taking place at the 4 Seasons Artista Hotel.
We‟ll have to put the meeting off till Wednesday.
We‟d better meet on Tuesday instead.
We‟re holding the meeting in Manson Suite.
It looks as if Friday is going to be difficult.
We could move it to next week.
Is it possible to change the date?
Room 411 has already been booked out.
11. Last Minute Changes move it to next week.
Last We could
Minute
Changes Is it possible to change the date?
We could move it to next week.
It‟s been moved to the boardroom.
Is it possible to change the date?
It‟s been moved to the boardroom.
It‟s been delayed till 4.45.
It‟s been delayed till 4.45.
We‟ll have to postpone the meeting.
We‟ll have to postpone the meeting.
We‟ll have to cancel the meeting.
We‟ll have to cancel the meeting.
We‟ll have to call it off.
We‟ll have to call it off.
12. The Agenda
Review employee benefits Agenda
overhaul Management Meeting
Room 304, Concord Building
Compare areas for cuts 10 am 22nd November
Decide course of action and 1. Apologies for absence
policy 2. Minutes of the last meeting
3. Matters arising
AOB
Managers’ Meeting 4. Employee benefits and perks
5. AOB
To reduce costs in the HR department. 6. Date for follow up meeting
DATE: 15th August 2011
PLACE: Boardroom 11th Floor Summary
PARTICIPANTS: Sean Martin(IT), Craig •Benefits
Jones (Marketing), Joan Connell (Ops.) •Cuts
•Action
AGENDA •Lunch
13. The Language of Meetings (2)
1. Hi guys. Welcome to the meeting today. Quickly review the last meeting
2. So we‟re just going to go straight in now.
3. So just need to set a time for us to come Discuss AOCB
back...so diaries when everyone is free.
4. Does anyone have any matters arising
State the objectives of the meeting
from the last meeting?
5. So we‟ve heard from everyone. What
we‟ll do is have a look at each idea. Apologize on behalf of those not able
6. You should have a copy of the minutes of to make the meeting
the last meeting
7. Has anyone got any other competent Discuss items from a previous
business? meeting
8. ...and make some apologies for any
absences.
Welcome the participants
9. The last time we were here we
discussed...
10. I‟m glad everyone was able to make it. Introduce items and speakers
Sum up the content of a meeting
14. Some Tips
Use a PAT approach to meetings. A meeting has to have:
•Purpose
•Agenda,
•Timeframe
You should be able to define the purpose of the meeting in 1 or 2 sentences at most.
Set an agenda. List the items you are going to review/discuss/inspect. Assign a time
limit to each agenda item and identify the person responsible to speak or moderate.
Set a timeframe; at the very least set a start and end time. I also recommend setting a
duration for each item in the agenda.
Meetings need to start on time. Don't wait for stragglers to show up. When someone
arrives late, don't go back and review what has already been covered. That just wastes
the time of the people who showed up on time for the meeting.
If the meeting organizer/sponsor doesn't show up on time, consider the meeting
cancelled and go back to work. How long to wait for the organizer to show up varies
among companies. Wait no longer than 5 minutes.
15. Some Tips
Someone, other than the meeting organizer, should keep minutes of the meeting.
How detailed these are depends on the nature of what is being discussed and the
skill of the available note taker. If you set an agenda in the first place, as you
should have, the note taker can use that as an outline. The minutes should record
who attended, what was discussed, any agreements that were reached, and any
action items that were assigned.
Soon after the meeting, usually within 24 hours, the minutes of the meeting should
be distributed to all who attended, any invitees who did not attend, and anyone
else effected by the discussion. Email is a great vehicle for distributing them.
Distributing the minutes informs those not at the meeting of the progress that was
made and reminds everyone of their action items.
Every meeting should have a "topic keeper". I like to ask for a volunteer at the
beginning of the meeting. The topic keeper's job is to interrupt whenever the
discussion strays from the topic under discussion. These new topics can either be
tabled until later or scheduled for their own meeting. There is a fine line between
what are amplifying remarks about the topic under discussion and what is a
tangential topic. The meeting organizer can decide.
16. Let’s get started
Right then. I think we should___________. Can you listen please? Right then.
________________, we‟re here to _________on the main issues from the last
departmental meeting. As you can see, there are _______ on the agenda and we
have the room until 4.30... so let‟s try and stick to the agenda. Brian could you start
by outlining the areas finance __________we look at for cutting to achieve the
15% we agreed needs to implemented.
get started
three items
have suggested
as you all know
stick to the agenda
reach a decision
Right then. I think we should get started. Can you listen please? Right then. As you
all know, we‟re here to reach a decision on the main issues from the last
departmental meeting. As you can see, there are three items on the agenda and we
have the room until 4.30... so let‟s try and stick to the agenda. Brian could you start
by outlining the areas finance have suggested we look at for cutting to achieve the
15% we agreed needs to implemented.
