MEETINGS

What do you know about these aspects of meetings? Importance of meetings today Importance of meetings today Types of meetings Types of meetings Reasons for holding meetings Reasons for holding meetings Drawbacks of meetings Drawbacks of meetings

Commonly used words/expressions: call call arrange arrange schedule schedule hold hold cancel cancel postpone (put off) postpone (put off) reschedule reschedule attend attend moderate moderate chair chair +a meeting

People involved the chairperson the chairperson chairman, chairwoman, chair (n., v.) Jim will chair (v.) the meeting next week. And who is chair (n.) today? the participants the participants the secretary (?) the secretary (?)

Chairing a meeting The chairperson is in charge of: Chairing a meeting The chairperson is in charge of: Opening the meeting: introducing the objectives, agenda, participants, procedure, timing and output Opening the meeting: introducing the objectives, agenda, participants, procedure, timing and output Facilitating and moderating: interrupting & encouraging the speakers Facilitating and moderating: interrupting & encouraging the speakers Controlling (time & agenda) Controlling (time & agenda) Summarising (what has been said or agreed) Summarising (what has been said or agreed) Concluding (defining action points and closing) Concluding (defining action points and closing)

Agenda a list of subjects to be discussed at a meeting a list of subjects to be discussed at a meeting the meeting’s function regarding each topic: the meeting’s function regarding each topic: “to receive a report on” “to receive a report on” “to approve sth.” “to approve sth.” purpose: to speed up the meeting purpose: to speed up the meeting to keep everyone to the point usually circulated in advance to all participants usually circulated in advance to all participants the usual format: the usual format: minutes of previous meeting minutes of previous meeting matters arising matters arising items items any other business (AOB) any other business (AOB)

Participants (Attendees) Participants take part in the discussion Participants take part in the discussion giving and seeking opinions agreeing and disagreeing interruptingcommentingsuggesting giving mini-presentations

The secretary (?) is responsible for recording the... names of the participants names of the participants topics discussed topics discussed arguments in favour and against (pros & cons) arguments in favour and against (pros & cons) decisions made decisions made voting details voting details action points (who, what, when) action points (who, what, when) date, place, time of the next meeting date, place, time of the next meeting... and distributing the minutes within a reasonable time

Administrative considerations (Meeting paperwork) Writing a memo Writing a memo Writing the agenda Writing the agenda Taking the minutes (writing up the minutes) Taking the minutes (writing up the minutes)

Homework Please, buy Reader 2 (2008/09) Please, buy Reader 2 (2008/09) (on sale in Mikrorad starting Tuesday) Read p 5 and do the exercise on p 7 Read p 5 and do the exercise on p 7

MEETINGS – vocabulary exercises ___ chairperson ___ agenda ___ item ____ AOB ___ minutes ___ venue ___ consensus 1. a list of subjects to be discussed at a meeting 2. a person who is in charge of a meeting 3. an official written record of what is said and decided at a meeting 4. an abbreviation for “any other business” 5. a place where a meeting is held 6. one of the subjects to be discussed at a meeting, written on the agenda 7. agreement between all the people at a meeting

Match the nouns to the verbs to get collocations agenda meeting minute-taker minutes consensus circulate an/the ________reach a/--- ___________ draw up appoint a/the _________ schedule put offtake the/--- __________ cancel a/the ___________keep the/--- attendchair

A: Hi, John. Do you know that Louise wants to sazvati sastanak for tomorrow? B: Really? What’s on the dnevni red? A: Staff lateness again, I’m afraid. And the second točka je razno, of course. B: What about the mjesto održavanja sastanka? A: Your office, I checked. 9 a.m. B: Oops. Will she predsjedati sastankom? A: Yes, as usual. But she told me you would be the zapisničar. B: Me? Voditi zapisnik?

A: Yes, Sandy is on a sick leave, so she had to odrediti novog zapisničara. B: All right then. I just hope there will be a konsenzus on what needs to be done. A: Me too. And I hope she won’t odgoditi sastanak again. B: You never know. See you then. A: See you.

LANGUAGE FOCUS Make your point firmly, but politely Downtoning Making suggestions/proposals

Is this appropriate in meetings? “Finish the report by tomorrow!” “Finish the report by tomorrow!” “You cannot take a day off!” “You cannot take a day off!” “You must come to work earlier than you normally do.” “You must come to work earlier than you normally do.” Or can we make it sound more polite?

How to downtone our statements? “we” / “let’s” (rather than “you”) perhaps / maybe a bit / just / a little / slightly would / could / may / might I’m afraid... Use of “negatives” or “opposites” to soften the meaning

Downtoning (cont.)

Downtoning (cont.) a little/slightly/a bit/, may/might, “ The price is a little too high for us.” “The price is slightly too high for us.” “The price is a bit too high for us.” “The price is just too high for us.” “The price may be too high for us.” “The price might be too high for us.”

Downtoning (cont.) could, would, it won’t be bad if, I’m afraid “I wonder if you could reduce the price.” “Would you be prepared to reduce the price?” “It won’t be bad if the price is lower.” “I’m afraid the price is too high for us.”

Making suggestions/proposals advise, suggest, why don’t we... shall we... I advise you to read the report first. I suggest reading the report first. I suggest that we should read the report first. I suggest that we read the report first. Why don’t we read the report first? Shall we read the report first?

Assignment Downtone the three statements used on slide 17. Use two different downtoning devices for each (tot. 6 statements). Downtone the three statements used on slide 17. Use two different downtoning devices for each (tot. 6 statements). Home reading - R: p.5 Home reading - R: p.5