1. Business Communication One (1)
School of Foundation and General Studies
UGQB3013/UQB3013: BUSINESS COMMUNICATION ONE
Course Leader: Paul Chandra Bose S/O Selvarajoo
Topic 3: Meetings
Introduction to Meetings
One of the most common requirements of business communication is holding meetings in
English. The following sections provide useful language and phrases for conducting
meetings and making contributions to a meeting. Meetings generally follow a more or
less similar structure and can be divided into the following parts:
I - Introductions
Opening the Meeting
Welcoming and Introducing Participants
Stating the Principal Objectives of a Meeting
Giving Apologies for Someone Who is absent
II - Reviewing Past Business
Reading the Minutes (notes) of the Last Meeting
Dealing with Recent Developments
III - Beginning the Meeting
Introducing the Agenda
Allocating Roles (secretary, participants)
Agreeing on the Ground Rules for the Meeting (contributions, timing, decisionmaking, etc.)
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School of Foundation and General Studies
IV - Discussing Items
Introducing the First Item on the Agenda
Closing an Item
Next Item
Giving Control to the Next Participant
V - Finishing the Meeting
Summarizing
Finishing Up
Suggesting and Agreeing on Time, Date and Place for the Next Meeting
Thanking Participants for Attending
Closing the Meeting
The agenda is the key to a successful meeting – it is the roadmap, the guide, the plan.
Studies have shown that up to 70% of meetings either have no agenda or have a poor
agenda which is not helpful. In this article, you will see that there are some steps
which you can take to make sure your agenda will contribute to making your
meeting more productive. There are also hidden advantages. If the agenda is well
constructed, you will also spend less time in the meeting and more time actually
doing the things the meeting determines need to be done
A good meeting agenda will serve as a guide to participants, making the meeting
more efficient and productive. This article provides a sample agenda and
explanation.
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3. Business Communication One (1)
School of Foundation and General Studies
An effective meeting agenda, which states what activities will take place during the
meeting, serves various important functions:

It forces the meeting leader or group to think out what needs to be accomplished

Provided ahead of time (as it should be), the agenda lets people know what to
expect and allows them to prepare as necessary

It provides a blueprint or path for the meeting to follow

It reminds people of what there is left to cover if time gets to be an issue
Public agendas are typically binding – meaning the meeting participants cannot stray
from the items they said they would cover. However, agendas for private organizations
are often flexible (depending on your stated bylaws)
Here is a meeting agenda template with explanations regarding key sections:
The header is particularly useful if participants belong to various groups/organizations,
or if the agenda will be made public record:

Organization Name

Group Meeting Agenda

Location

Date

Starting and Ending Time
The body of the agenda lists the actual items to be covered during the meeting. When
possible, use actionable words such as approve, discuss, adopt, and announce to let
participants know what is expected of them. At the end of each item is a suggested time
allotted (adding up to an hour and a half long meeting), but in reality time allotted will
depend on your group’s particular circumstances.
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4. Business Communication One (1)
School of Foundation and General Studies
NOTICE AND AGENDA

A notice announces an upcoming meeting and states the type, date and time of the
meeting.

It may be written as a part of an agenda or separately
Example,
RITE MASTER GALLERY SDN .BHD.
A meeting of the Creative Resource Department will be held in the main meeting room
on Friday, 4 March 2009 at 9.00 a.m.
Example,
ANGELIC ANCHEE SDN.BHD. (Co.No.6111786388-A)
(Incorporated in Malaysia)
NOTICE OF 3RD ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Notice is hereby given that the 3rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) OF Angelic Anchee
Sdn. Bhd.will be held at the registered Office, No 85, Plaza Seri Serdang, 43000, Seri
Kembangan, Selangor; on 27 March 2009 ( Friday ) at 10.00 a.m.
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5. Business Communication One (1)
School of Foundation and General Studies
AGENDA
An agenda is a list of topics to be discussed at a meeting, Small and informal meetings do
not require an agenda. However, a meeting involving a lot of people or covering a lot of
issues will need an agenda in advance.
An agenda,

Facilitates the meeting

Helps participant to prepare for the meeting

Keeps participants on track once the meeting starts

Structures a meeting so that time is not wasted

Provides opportunities for discussion
An agenda consists of two parts,

Ordinary business – these are the items that appear on the agenda of every
meeting(at the beginning – apologies for absence, minutes of last meeting ,
matters arising ) ( at the end – any other business, date of next meeting )

Special business – these re special matters to be discussed at specific meetings.
They are placed after the items of ordinary business (chairperson ‘s report , open
house , facilities , fund raising reports )
EXAMPLE
AGENDA
1. Apologies for Absence
2. Confirmation of Previous Minutes
3. Matters Arising
4. Chairperson’s Report
5. InterZone Badminton Competition 2009
6. New Coach
7. Purchase of Shuttlecocks
8. Any other Business
9. Date of Next Meeting
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School of Foundation and General Studies
After the list of agenda’s item, the secretary puts down his or her signature on the left
hand side. His or her name and title are indicated below the signature, followed by the
date and a reference
The notice and agenda are normally combined whereby the top section is the Notice
whereas the section after the notice is agenda.
Steps in Making an Effective Meeting Agenda
The meeting agenda has to be effective; otherwise, it will mess up the course of the
meeting. In order to produce an organized and successful meeting, how do you create a
well-written agenda? It must be prepared in advance with careful consideration of the
details that you need to indicate on your agenda.
Considering the components listed above, first indicate the date, time, and the meeting
title on the agenda template. Gather the topics that are up for discussion during the
meeting and itemize them on the outline. Specify the time allocation for each topic and
discussion leaders, if there is a need to.
Provide a space for any additional items or questions that the members will possibly raise
before the start of the meeting. Agenda for a formal meeting includes options such as
“Apologies for Absence”, “Approval of the Minutes from Previous Meeting”, and
“Matters Arising” (from previous meeting).
Once the agenda is all ready, you can start sending out meeting requests along with the
completed agenda. The participants need to respond whether to accept or decline the
meeting. Those who have chosen to join the meeting must adhere to it. You may receive
agenda requests that are sent back with additional items and questions. This is your
chance to finalize the agenda. Lastly, the prepared meeting agenda has to be followed
during the meeting proper.
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7. Business Communication One (1)
School of Foundation and General Studies
Benefits of an Agenda in a Meeting
An effective meeting agenda offers many benefits in a meeting. It communicates
pertinent information about the meeting to the participants and allows time for them to
prepare prior to the meeting proper. It also works as a checklist of the list of attendees,
goals, and topics for discussion to make sure that all the needed information is complete
and covered. Since the agenda indicates the meeting objectives, it keeps the members
focused on the specified goals. Of course, since a meeting agenda serves as a roadmap in
a meeting, it keeps the discussion focused and lets the members stay on track with the
subject matter.
Knowing that a meeting agenda is very important to create effective meetings,
understanding the key concepts and making well-written meeting agenda would
definitely make it easy for everyone to go through the meeting process smoothly and in
an organized manner. A building that is constructed on a strong framework is built on a
strong foundation. This same concept goes true for well-made meeting agenda
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School of Foundation and General Studies
Meeting Minutes Format
These days, many of us find ourselves in the position of taking meeting minutes without a
clue of how to go about it. The following is a guide for making this task easier:

Make sure that all of the essential elements are noted, such as type of meeting,
name of the organization, date and time, name of the chair or facilitator, main
topics and the time of adjournment. For formal and corporate meetings include
approval of previous minutes, and all resolutions.

Prepare an outline based on the agenda ahead of time, and leave plenty of white
space for notes. By having the topics already written down, you can jump right on
to a new topic without pause.

Prepare a list of expected attendees and check off the names as people enter the
room. Or, you can pass around an attendance sheet for everyone to sign as the
meeting starts.

To be sure about who said what, make a map of the seating arrangement, and
make sure to ask for introductions of unfamiliar people.

Don't make the mistake of recording every single comment, but concentrate on
getting the gist of the discussion and taking enough notes to summarize it later.
Remember that minutes are the official record of what happened, not what was
said, at a meeting.

Use whatever device is comfortable for you, a notepad, a laptop computer, a tape
recorder, a steno pad, shorthand. Many people routinely record important
meetings as a backup to their notes.

Be prepared! Study the issues to be discussed and ask a lot of questions ahead of
time. If you have to fumble for understanding while you are making your notes,
they won't make any sense to you later.

Don't wait too long to type up the minutes, and be sure to have them approved by
the chair or facilitator before distributing them to the attendees.
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9. Business Communication One (1)
School of Foundation and General Studies

Don't be intimidated, you may be called upon many times to write meeting
minutes, and the ability to produce concise, coherent minutes is widely admired
and valued.
Example of Minutes Format
Name of Organization:
Purpose of Meeting:
Date/Time:
Chair:
Topic
Discussion
Action
Person
Responsible
1.
2.
3.
It is a meeting framework that keeps the participants in control and focused on the subject
matter or topic at hand instead of getting off the track. In other words, it provides a
meaningful purpose and direction to any type of meeting. A meeting agenda has to be
creative and effective in order to make the meeting a productive one. The facilitator or
meeting organizer must prepare a well-constructed agenda by knowing its components
and the steps in writing an effective agenda.
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10. Business Communication One (1)
School of Foundation and General Studies
Tips for Writing Meeting Minutes
Do you want to be more efficient? Think about your meetings and the meeting notes
that follow them:
When our meetings aren't effective, we waste valuable time figuring out what we are
trying to accomplish in them.
When our meeting minutes aren't effective, we waste the time we spent in meetings.
Without good meeting notes or minutes, we may not remember or recognize:

What we decided in the meeting

What we accomplished in the meeting

What we agreed to in terms of next steps (action items)
And when we can't remember the items above, we end up going in different directions
and then meeting again for the same original purpose!
(Definition: Notes and minutes are the same thing. Minutes are more formal and are often
required by organizational bylaws.)
To avoid wasting your time spent in meetings, be sure your notes and minutes answer
these 10 questions:
1. When was the meeting?
2. Who attended?
3. Who did not attend? (Include this information if it matters.)
4. What topics were discussed?
5. What was decided?
6. What actions were agreed upon?
7. Who is to complete the actions, by when?
8. Were materials distributed at the meeting? If so, are copies or a link available?
9. Is there anything special the reader of the minutes should know or do?
10. Is a follow-up meeting scheduled? If so, when? Where? Why?
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11. Business Communication One (1)
School of Foundation and General Studies
Minutes need headings so that readers can skim for the information they need. Your
template may include these:
Topics
Decisions
Actions Agreed Upon
Person responsible
Deadline
Next Meeting
Date and Time
Location
Agenda items
Do's and Don'ts:
Do write minutes soon after the meeting--preferably within 48 hours. That way, those
who attended can be reminded of action items, and those who did not attend will
promptly know what happened.
Don't skip writing minutes just because everyone attended the meeting and knows
what happened. Meeting notes serve as a record of the meeting long after people forget
what happened.
Don't describe all the "he said, she said" details unless those details are very
important. Record topics discussed, decisions made, and action items.
Don't include any information that will embarrass anyone (for example, "Then Terry
left the room in tears").
Do use positive language. Rather than describing the discussion as heated or angry, use
passionate, lively, or energetic--all of which are just as true as the negative words
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12. Business Communication One (1)
School of Foundation and General Studies
REFERENCES
A Guide to Business Communication (2010) C Bracken Meyers
Business Communication Today (2009) John V. Thill and Coutland L.Bovee
Excellence in Business Communication 9th Edition (2010) John V. Thill and Coutland
L.Bovee
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