Step 3. Compare your ideas about duties and responsibilities of a chairperson with the ideas of Hilary Rhodes, a management consultant who specializes in meeting skills that are presented in the text below.
Read the three parts of the text paying attention to the words in italics. Then answer the questions given below.
A. BEFORE THE MEETING.
A good chairperson has to be a goo d organizer. What they do before the meeting is as important as the meeting itself. They should make sure the agenda (the list of things to be discussed) is complete by asking those involved what should be on it and then circulating (distributing) it to everyone concerned. They should check thevenue making sure the room will be free, without interruptions until the end of the meeting.
B. DURING THE MEETING.
The chairperson should be a good timekeeper. They should start the meeting on time without waiting for latecomers. They should appoint a minute-taker to takethe minutes, making that opinions and action points (where participants agree to do something) are noted.
They should make sure each point on the agenda is allocated the time it deserves and should keep to the timetable. When the time allocated to one point is up, the chair should make sure that discussion moves on to the next point, even if the issue has not been completely covered or resolved (decided).
The chair should make sure that each participant has the chance to make theirpoint, and should deal tactfully with disagreements, making sure that each side feels their point of view has been noted. They should also try to avoid digression s, where people get off the point.
Finally, they should ensure the meeting finishes on time or early.
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C. FOLLOW-UP.
After some meetings it is necessary for the minutes to be circulated, especially if there are some action points that particular people are responsible for.
At the next meeting, the chair should ask for the minutes to be read out and see if all agree that it is an accurate record of what happened, and see if there are anymatters arising (any points from the last meeting that need to be discussed). And they should check what progress has been made on the action points from the previous meeting.
Exercise 1. Answer the following questions:
1. What is the general idea of the text given?
2. What do you think is the most important information for a would-be chairperson?
3. What information do you think is the least important, if any?
4. What qualities does a good chairperson need?
WRITING.
Exercise 2. As a management consultant specializing in meeting skills, write the Recommendations section of a report to the MD outlining your practical suggestions for improving personal skills in making successful meetings.
READING.
Exercise 3. Read the article thoroughly. While reading use an English-English dictionary to find the meanings of the unknown words, then think about the translation of the words into the Russian language.
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Make a list of these words for further discussion in the classroom.
Then do the tasks about the text given below.
I DONT KNOW HOW TO CHAIR A MEETING!
Ive been asked to chair a meeting about the Christmas office party. But Im incredibly nervous as Ive never chaired one before. Is there a secret for success?
You may never have chaired a meeting but as youve probably been to lots youll have seen it done well and badly. Think about the things that please and annoy you and build on them. Make sure everyone has the agenda well in advance, and check that you know enough about the participants and issues to be discussed. Arrange for the room to be cool rather than warm; people will be less likely to sleep.
See yourself as a referee whose job is to ensure fair play through careful watching and listening. You must ensure that the timid have a chance to say what they want; deal in a diplomatic way with the argumentative and to be kind to the person you have asked to take notes. Getting that individual on your side is essential if you want the record to reflect your desired outcomes. Its normal to suggest what should be left out of the minutes and now any difficult bits should be phrased.
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Make sure you stick to the time you have allowed for each point and keep things moving by not letting people wander off the subject. Get decisions made and recorded, even if its only to postpone matters until the next meeting. If someone is being difficult, defuse things by offering to continue the discussion personally at a more appropriate time.
If the meeting is likely to be more than a couple of hours long, try to include a break at the mid-point; it acts as a marker and stops people getting restless.
Aim is to leave everyone feeling they have had a chance to say what they wanted to say and gain lasting and well-deserved popularity by finishing when you said the meeting would finish.
Exercise 4. Read the article again. Replace the following phrases in the article with the correct expressions from parts A and B above.
| 1. | make sure everyone has the agenda well in advance | |
| 2. | the room | |
| 3. | to say what they want | |
| 4. | in a diplomatic way | |
| 5. | the person you have asked to take notes | |
| 6. | time you have allowed for each point | |
| 7. | wander off the subject | |
| 8. | when you said the meeting would finish |
Exercise 5. Match the verbs 1-7 with the nouns a)-g) that they go with.
| 1. | take | a) | a minute-taker | |
| 2. | appoint | b) | the minutes | |
| 3. | circulate | c) | time | |
| 4. | allocate | d) | the agenda | |
| 5. | move on | e) | to the next point | |
| 6. | avoid | f) | on time | |
| 7. | finish | g) | digression |
WRITING.
Exercise 6. Do the written translation of the article I dont know how to chair a meeting! for your senior manager. He would like to have the whole of the translation.
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IT IS INTERESTING TO KNOW.
In some cultures the main role of the chairperson is to control the meeting. This may include sticking to an agenda, keeping order and making sure that the meeting does not overrun. In other cultures the function of the chairperson might be to encourage participation and agreement. What is the main function of a chairperson in meetings in your country?
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| Consensus-oriented | Results-oriented |
| In difficult situations, the chairperson may focus on compromise and mediation. | In difficult situations, the chairperson may attempt to control the meeting and use formal rules to keep order. |
| The chairperson may define their role as that of helping to achieve agreement or consensus. | The chairperson may define their role as that of helping to achieve objectives or decide on a series of action points. |
How to deal with difficult situations during the meeting.
Part 2. DIFFICULT SITUATIONS AT THE MEETING.
A. DIFFERENT TYPES OF BEHAVIOUR.
Exercise 1. Look at the following examples of behaviour that a chairperson might have to deal with in a meeting. Which situation(s) should the chairperson deal with most urgently?
Discuss what strategies the chairperson could use in each situation:
1. A participant looks bored and is not contributing to the discussion.
2. Every time anyone makes a suggestion, one participant responds with a negative comment. They say why an idea wont work, but dont make any positive suggestions.
3. Two participants keep having private, whispered discussion during the meeting.
4. A participant doesnt want to listen to anyone elses ideas. They keep interrupting and try to dominate any topic discussed.
5. A participant is not very willing to give an opinion.
6. A participant keeps introducing irrelevant topics to the discussion.
B. DEALING WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE.
Exercise 2. Look at the suggestions below for dealing with difficult situations and choose the response that you think would work better.
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1. Help calm a difficult situation by acknowledging how the person feels.
a) Youre obviously pretty angry about this.
b) I can see that you feel strongly about this.
2. Try to find out why the person is being difficult.
a) Can you explain why you are feeling this way?
b) Why are you being unreasonable?
3. Show that you understand.
a) I can sympathise with your concerns.
b) I realise why youre panicking about that.
4. Encourage quiet participants when they contribute, even if you dont agree with their ideas.
a) Thanks for your suggestion, but you really need to think it through a bit more.
b) I think the basic idea is good, but perhaps we could discuss some of the details.
5. Be firm if people try to use the meeting to speak about personal grievances.
a) This isnt the best place to discuss this.
b) Leave your personal differences out of this.
C. INTERRUPTING AND HANDLING INTERRUPTIONS.
Different styles of interrupting apply in different situations.
Appropriacy depends on place, context and the people involved.
For example, internal meetings or meetings with clients, friends, status of relationships, formality, urgency, time considerations, conventions, agenda, style of discussion etc.
Generally, the more informal the meeting, the more likely that interruptions will be acceptable.
In large formal meetings, interrupting may be reserved only for the chair.
Interruptions can have different intentions:
a) to ask for clarification;
b) to add opinion;
c) to ask for more details;
d) to change the direction of the discussion;
e) to disagree.
In some cultures, people like to work in a sequential manner, finishing one task before starting the next. Such people dislike being interrupted in the middle of a task and having to consider something else. In other cultures, people can happily handle several tasks at once. This means they dont mind interruptions. These different attitudes can affect the way meetings are run.
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Exercise 3. Read the following discussion in the European sales office of an American off-road automobile manufacturer (Amass). It concerns the advertising plans for the launch of a new truck, the Rodeo 4 PLUS. Manager, Matt Haslam, is explaining his ideas.
Mark the following statements as True (T) or False (F).
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| True | False | |
| a) | The truck will be sold to professions users of off-road vehicles. | ||
| b) | It is not going to be used as a mass market on-road vehicle. | ||
| c) | Matt wants to keep the same agency they have already used. | ||
| d) | Matt used his own research to help him make decisions. | ||
| e) | Changing advertising agency would cost 50% more. | ||
| Paolo: | So, Matt, the next item on the agenda is the 4 PLUS advertising campaign. Tell us about your ideas for this. |
| Matt: | Okay. The central idea is that the Rodeo 4 PLUS is a new direction, a truck with no limits. The point is |
| Rosa: | Excuse me, Matt, just a moment. Thats a big claim |
| Matt: | Of course its big! The truck offers a total solution and thats |
| Paolo: | One moment! Can we start with a few basics? |
| Matt: | Sure. |
| Paolo: | Lets just clarify who the audience are, whats the target group? |
| Matt: | Professionals, people who need a professional workhorse for a truck. Later, we go for a more mass market. Thats the big idea of the 4 PLUS. |
| Paolo: | Yes, so, a professional market first, then the mass market, an on-road vehicle. |
| Matt: | Right. Now, as I said a month ago, I want to talk about agencies. |
| Rosa: | You plan to use our usual agency, CMA? |
| Matt: | Listen. Weve been advised by independent consultants that we need a fresh marketing style. Our contract with CMA is almost through. We have an opportunity to take on a new agency. |
| Rosa: | But why? CMA have been okay in the past. |
| Matt: | We need fresh ideas, a new style. This product is different. We want to capture a specialist market and then move for a more mass market. This is new territory a diff |
| Rosa: | Yes, but Matt, if I can interrupt you again. Were talking serious money here. Weve got to be careful |
| Matt: | The costs are not going to be much higher . |
| Paolo: | What! Most agencies charge a lot more than CMA. |
| Matt: | Thats not true. In terms of total advertising budget. A new agency isnt going to increase our costs by more than 5%. But we can talk about costs later. |
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| Rosa: | Its the most important thing |
| Matt: | Rosa, listen, can I just say what I want to say? Can I say what the consultants said? Later the costs, the market, the advertising, but let me tell youI think its important to understand what the experts have said. So, let me explain that first. No more interruptions |
| Rosa: | Okay, go on then. |
| Matt: | Right. Weve been working with a marketing consultancy with huge experience in off-road and four wheel drive trucks. |
Exercise 4. Read the conversation again. Choose the interrupting phrases and write them down in the order in which you read them. There should be nine of them.
1. .
2. .
3. .
4. .
5. .
6. .
7. .
8. .
9. .
Exercise 5. a) Discuss the style of the Amass meeting.
b) How does Matt handle the interruptions? Does his approach change at any point during the extract?
c) Did you think the interruptions are appropriate?
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QUICK COMMUNICATION CHECK. (optional)
Exercise 6. Stating opinion.
Complete the following phrases.
1. It s to me that the price is too high.
2. I t.. the price is too high.
3. I b.. the price is too high.
4. In my o.., the price is too high.
5. In my v.., the price is too high.
Exercise 7. Asking for opinion.
Complete these exchanges using one of the words in the box.
think, interesting, great, agree, hear, opinion (2), right, information
1. Whats your (a) .... on this?
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2. Its a (b) . idea.
3. Do you have any particular (c) .. on the subject?
4. Its (d) ., but I need more (e) .
5. Mark, can we (f) from you on this?
6. I (g) with Madeleine, shes absolutely (h) ....
7. Lets hear what others (i) ...
Exercise 8. Interrupting.
Underline the correct word to complete these sentences.
1. Can I say/tell/talk something here? I think
2. Excuse me, Mr Chairman, I want to interrupt/disagree/not agree with what Mr Ancram has said.
3. Im sorry, may I add/interrupt opinion? It seems to me.
4. Thats not the true/true sure!
5. Im afraid/pardon/sorry but Id like to go/move on/continue another point.
Exercise 9. Handling interruptions.
Replace the marked words in the sentences below with words or phrases in the box that mean the same.
talk about, return, not talk about, interrupt, finish, anything to do with, go ahead
| 1. | Can I come in here? Sure, say what you want to say. | |
| 2. | Paul, one point Please, let me conclude what I was saying. | |
| 3. | But the agreement is for six months! Can we come back to that point later? | |
| 4. | Can I ask about the insurance? Thats not really relevant to the topic. | |
| 5. | We should discuss the contract. Can we leave that today? I think thats for another meeting. |
ITS INTERESTING TO KNOW.
Attitude to silence during discussions.
We can distinguish between three styles of communication: Anglo-Saxon, Latin and Asian.
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Anglo-Saxon: People feel uncomfortable when there is silence. When one person stops speaking, another stars. It isnt polite to interrupt.
Latin: People are very talkative and feel uncomfortable when there is silence. People friendly interrupt each other. This is not impolite but shows interest in what the other person is saying.
Asian: There is often a silence between the moment when one person stops speaking and the next person begins. It is a sign of respect for the other person if you take time to think silently about what they said.
Part3. DISCUSSION TECHNIQUES.
A. HEDGING
Hedging is when you avoid disagreeing directly. To hedge, you could say:
1. I take your point about punctuality, but clocking in and out would not be very popular.
2. I understand what youre saying about the needs of each department, but each department must be treated in an appropriate way.
3. I see/know what you mean, but we must look at the human factors as well as the numbers.
4. I hear where youre coming from on this, but we must remember this is an advertising agency, not a car factory.
B. CHECKING UNDERSTANDING, INTERRUPTING, REFERRING BACK.
| a) | To interrupt someone politely: | Can I come in here? Sorry to interrupt you, but If I can just stop you for a moment |
| b) | To refer back to what was said: | As we were saying earlier To go back to what I was saying... To go back to what X was saying earlier |
| c) | To check that you understand what someone has said: | Are you saying that ? Are you suggesting that ? If I understand (you) correctly Are you implying that ? If I follow you |
C. AGREEMENT, CONSENSUS OR COMPROMISE?
Hilary Rhodes is talking about how to deal with agreements and disagreements. It may be possible to reach agreement or to reach an agreement about something, or at least come to a consensus: something that most people can agree with.
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It may be possible to compromise or to find a compromise: an agreement where people accept less than they wanted at first. Or perhaps the differences are so great that there will just be disagreement. Something in particular that you disagree about is a disagreement.
AGREEING
| Strong agreement: | a) Youre perfectly right. The costs involved must be incredible. b) I couldnt agree more. We got our latest recruits after we won the industry award for best advertisement. c) Precisely. Creativity comes to some of our people in the middle of the night. d) Exactly. We have to look at the company as one unit. f) Absolutely. Its the output, not the input, that counts. |
| Mild agreement: | a) You may be right there. Weve already ten per cent over budget. b) Thats true, I suppose. There must be some limits on when they work. c) I suppose so. They seem to arrive and then go straight out again to eat. |
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DISAGREEING.
| Mild disagreement: | a) Thats not really how I see it. Everyone should be allowed to work in the way thats best for them. b) I dont really agree. The prizes important, but people would come to work for us anyway. c) I cant really go along with you there. I think we need to see people at their desks actually working. d) I think youre mistaken. If the designers get to work late, they dont go out for lunch. e) Im afraid I cant agree with you there. All you financial people do is worry about costs. |
| Strong disagreement: | a) Im sorry, but thats out of the question. You cant expect people to go home at ten and come back at nine in the morning. b) I think youre wrong. The design departments costs are justified because of our high quality work. The costs of other departments are not justified. c) Of course not. The latest figures Ive seen show that the project is within budget. d) Thats absurd. There must be some sort of control on when people work. e) Thats ridiculous. Each department has very specific needs. |
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D. INVITING PEOPLE TO SPEAK
| Inviting someone to start: | a) Would you like to open the discussion, Greta? b) Perhaps you would like to get the ball rolling. Greta. c) Greta. Would you like to kick off? |
| Asking for someones opinion: | a) What about you, John? b) What are your feelings on this, Keith? c) What do you think about this, Keith? d) What are your views on this, John? |
| Asking for everyones opinion | a) Whats the general feeling on this? |
E. MAKING YOUR POINT.
| The participants use some of these expressions: | |
| Head of human resources: | I believe the design department needs a certain amount of freedom, but there are limits |
| Head of design: | As I see, I cant run the design department as if it was the accounts department. |
| Chief financial officer: | In my opinion, theyre going much too far. I cant bear to think of the costs involved. |
| Senior designer: | Of course, we are sensitive types and need to be given the freedom to work how we like. |
| Other types of making your point include: | a) The way I see b) Its clear to me c) Personally, I think d) It looks to me as if e) Obviously, |
Note: You use Of course and Obviously to introduce an idea, but also to show that you think other people will be aware of it already.
Be careful, as this can sound rude.
F. CONCLUDING.
Carla Eagleton sums up and brings the meeting to a close: Right. Im afraid were running out of time so were going to have to stop there. To go over whats been said, there is a disagreement about timekeeping and budgets in the design department. Ive listened to both sides of the argument. I think I can sum it up by saying that its a problem of creativity versus control. I think youll just have to agree to disagree. Ill let you know my decision about the solution to this problem by the end of the month. So unless anyone has anything else to add, I think thats it. Thank you all for coming.
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G. SUMMARISING
Exercise 1. Read the following text to find out:
a) three recommendations on how a meeting should end;
b) what should happen after a meeting.
Regardless of the type of meeting (information or decisionmaking), it is important to close with a restatement of objective, a summary of what was accomplished, and a list of agreed action that needs to be taken.
After the meeting, it is essential to follow up with action. A brief memorandum of conclusions should be written and distributed. Inform appropriate people who did not attend the meeting about essential decisions made.
Finally, each meeting should be viewed as a learning experience.
Future meetings should be improved by soliciting evaluations and deciding what action is required to conduct better meetings.
From Marion Haynes, Effective Meeting Skills.
PRACTICE FILE.
Practice 1. Internet Research.
Search for the keywords effective meetings to find out more about what you need to do to run successful meetings.
Practice 2. Internet Research.
What are the essentials of a successful meeting? Search for the keywords golden rules of meetings to find out.
Practice 3. Below are a series of topics. Ask colleagues for their views and note if their opinions are weak, strong or neutral. If asked, give your views on the subjects either strongly or fairly weakly.
a) Arms trade
b) Testing cosmetic products on animals.
c) The quality of television broadcasting.
d) Nuclear power.
Practice 4. This task in based on a discussion about investment in public transport. Work in pairs. Choose File card 1A or File card 1B.
File card 1A. Your position in the discussion is basically to support investment in public transport. Do this by referring to:
Ø environmental benefits;
Ø improvements in quality of life;
Ø public transport is cheaper;
Ø cars are heavy consumers of raw materials;
Ø people want improved transport.
