How to Do an English Business Meeting
Business meetings are held with the purpose of discussion, disseminating information and sharing ideas. Varied cultures run meetings differently, as protocol and local customs differ. Knowing how to run a meeting can make things go more smoothly and lessen the risk of inadvertently offending anyone or missing any important information or steps that need to be covered. English business meetings follow a fairly specific set of steps.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Arrange the room so that everyone can see each other. A conference table is a good idea, as everyone sits around the table and no one is sitting behind anyone else. In America, the person running the meeting (called the "chair") typically sits at the head of the table. Provide water and glasses on the conference table. If the meeting is early in the day, offer coffee and donuts or pastries as well. Meetings later in the day may call for snacks such as small sandwiches or cookies.
-
2
Hand a copy of the agenda to each person as he enters the room. The agenda lists all of the topics that will be covered in the meeting, giving each person an idea of what to expect next. Attendees should switch off cell phones when entering the meeting room.
-
-
3
Start the meeting at the designated time. It's considered bad manners to arrive late. Welcome everyone and thank the participants for attending. Introduce any new people or go around the room and have each person introduce herself. If an important person is missing from the meeting, the chair should make apologies and explain the absence. For example, "The director of sales could not make it today because he is attending a conference in Washington."
-
4
Read the previous meeting's minutes (a list of what took place during that meeting) and ask if anyone has any questions or has anything to add. If there are not additions or objections, approve the minutes, saving a copy for the records.
-
5
Introduce the main topic for discussion. The chair should explain the main points of the topic and then ask for input from the group. If the meeting begins to lose focus and people start talking about other issues, the chair refocuses everyone and keeps the discussion relevant. The chair also must keep an eye on the clock so the meeting does not run past its scheduled end time.
-
6
Vote if there are any issues to resolve. If the business meeting's purpose was to decide on one of two ways to proceed, call for a vote. Each member of the meeting will state his preference or raise a hand when asked for a "yes" or "no" vote, and the majority wins.
-
7
Make announcements, if any. Discuss the time, date and place for the next meeting. Discuss any upcoming events and celebrations, such as conferences, training, birthdays, new babies or retirement parties.
-
8
Conclude the meeting by thanking everyone for attending. The chair should remain until everyone has departed and then stay to tidy up the area, stack chairs, put away snack materials and turn off the lights.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Participants should appear interested and engaged, not sleepy. It's considered bad manners to yawn obviously, tap a pencil or otherwise seem bored or uninvolved. Sit upright, make eye contact and stay alert.
Meeting participants should not interrupt each other, and they should allow the senior attendees to speak first.
References
Resources
More Like This
Comments
-
I am very happy in EPG TRANSIT.
