The document provides guidance on ensuring effective communication of instructions from an important meeting to subordinates, suppliers, and clients located around the world. It recommends: 1) Creating meeting minutes and getting approval from superiors; 2) Developing an action plan using project management tools to coordinate deliverables; and 3) Establishing clear communication channels appropriate for each stakeholder group through methods like emails, phone calls, and status updates to ensure understanding and monitor progress.

1. S
You have just participated in an important meeting with
your superior. How will you ensure that every part of the
instructions you received will properly reach all
subordinates, suppliers and clients, located in different
parts of the world?
Marcus Yau
IE Business School Application

2. Before and during the meeting
• Preparation: Understand aims and business case for meeting
• Attendance: Make sure names, position and company of every
participant is noted
• Listen: Take careful notes to aid in
remembering the different topics
during the meeting
• Confirm: Understand who, what, where, how and when are
actions going to be completed by

3. After the meeting
• Summarise: Use minutes to confirm accurate comprehension
with superior
• Ask for acknowledgement and corrections to be reviewed
• Highlight key messages and strategy to follow
• Send the report to all stakeholders with ample time for
corrections, factoring in mind time differences and schedules
• Ensure all notes are clear and succinct for each action point
that each individual is responsible for

4. Action Plan (1)
• Create a plan of action using a a project management tool or
spreadsheet to coordinate and monitor list of deliverables
• Draw on experience of previous projects with similar
instructions and adapt strategy and scope to current project

5. Action Plan (2)
• Establish best practice for vertical and horizontal
communication both internally and externally
• Setup an escalation and crisis management process so that
the appropriate members are able to respond and resolve
issues
• Coherent, clear and concise lines of communication with the
appropriate tone to ensure retention of information.

6. Subordinates (1)
• Ensure subordinates have defined roles and responsibilities to
allocate correct tasks to each persons’ specific skillset
• Assess if each member is correctly trained and ready to
execute the instructions given, if not make sure enough
support is given to complete the task
• Arrange a conference or phone call - may not be possible but
enables instant communication for direction and instant
feedback

7. Subordinates (2)
• E-mail to confirm all points raised and allows each member to
refer back to highlighted issues when they need to
• Consider geographic locations of all members and weekly
meetings or manage by exception – call meetings when potential
risks arise
• Request short status updates or
informal chats to ensure
continued business justification

8. Suppliers
• Prepare an email to highlight the demand and information of the
meeting if necessary
• Phone/Meet suppliers to clarify instructions and discuss any
modifications to products or services needed to help the suppliers
understand what is needed
• Take into account the challenge of global sourcing such as
technical aspects, cost (price and time) timelines and logistics

9. Clients
• Set expectations early and establish a relationship with the client
to communicate in the appropriate language
• Consider the impact and consequences of each decision
• Contact client to explain any unexpected changes of good/services
if any issues arise and how to resolve them
• Gain feedback from client and keep up to date with progress

10. Outcome and Review
Once confident instructions from superior have been acknowledged
and understood, evaluate the execution of agreed actions
If positive:
• Communicate with all parties to acknowledge success
• Review feedback and take suggestions from all parties on how
things could have been improved
If negative:
• Review where the issue has come from and how to solve
• Analyse original instructions with superior and try to adjust
strategy to find ways to improve