1. Business English Lecture 11

2. Synopsis Business Meetings, Planning- Execution and Minute Writing
1. Meeting: Essential Meeting elements
2. Questions for planning a meeting
3. The need for agendas/ Sample
4. Pre-meeting tasks
5. During meeting tasks
6. Post-meeting tasks
7. Common Disruptive task
8. Dealing with Loudmouths
9. Preparing the minutes

3. Synopsis 10. What to include in the minute
11. Taking minutes / guidelines – sample
Writing minutes
Effective reception / listening and understanding barriers

4. Business Meetings Planning, execution, and Minute Writing

5. What is a Meeting? Meeting
A scheduled gathering of group members for a structured discussion guided by a designated chairperson

6. Essential Meeting Elements

7. Questions for Planning a Meeting
Why are we meeting?
Who should attend the meeting?
When should we meet?
Where should we meet?
What materials do we need?

8. The Need for Agendas Agenda
The outline of items to be discussed and tasks to be accomplished during a meeting
An agenda . . .
is an organizational tool.
helps members prepare for a meeting.
is a time management tool.
provides a measure of success.

9. A Business Meeting Agenda
Purpose of Meeting
Names of Group Members—present or absent
Date, Time, and Place
Call to Order
Approval of the Agenda
Approval of Previous Meeting’s Minutes
Individual and Committee Reports
Unfinished Business
New Business
Announcements
Adjournment

10. Sample Discussion Agenda

11. Chairperson’s Pre-Meeting Tasks
Notify members
Distribute materials
Remind members
Prepare for discussion

12. Chairperson’s Tasks During the Meeting
Begin on time
Delegate minutes
Follow the agenda
Facilitate the discussion
Provide closure

13. Chairperson’s Post-Meeting Tasks
Evaluate the meeting
Distribute the minutes
Monitor assigned tasks

14. Common Disruptive Behaviors
Nonparticipants
Loudmouths
Interrupters
Whisperers
Latecomers
Early Leavers

15. Dealing with Loudmouths
How to deal with loudmouths:
Acknowledge that you understand their positions.
Interrupt them and shift the focus to other members.
Tell them the group needs input from everyone.
Assign them side-line tasks (e.g., taking minutes) that shift them from talking to listening and writing.

16. How to Deal with Disruptive Behavioral Problems
Nonparticipants: __________________________________________________ _____________________________________
Interrupters: __________________________________________________ ______________________________________
Whisperers: __________________________________________________ ______________________________________
Latecomers and Early Leavers: __________________________________________________ ______________________________________

17. Preparing the Minutes The minutes of a meeting are . . .
the written record of a group’s discussion and activities.
legal documents as well as historical records of organization business.
a way to share what happens with members who don’t attend.
a way to prevent disagreement over member assignments and group decisions.

18. What to Include in the Minutes
Name of the group
Date and place of meeting
Names of attending members
Name of the chair
Names of absent members
Time the meeting was called to order
Time the meeting adjourned
Name of person preparing the minutes
Summary of discussion and decisions including action items

19. Taking Minutes
Write clear statements that summarize the meeting’s main ideas and actions.
Word decisions, motions, action items, and deadlines exactly as the group makes them.
If in doubt, ask the group for clarification.
Attach the agenda and any reports to the final copy of the minutes.

20. Guidelines for Taking Minutes
Report the facts and all sides of a discussion accurately.
_________________________________
Always keep in mind that the minutes are a public record of the meeting.

21. Sample of Informal Minutes

22. Writing Minutes

23. Conducting Interactive Meetings and Writing Minutes
I. Steps in Planning a Meeting
II. Setting the Agenda
Elements
Order of agenda items
Example
III. Participating in Meetings
The Chairperson
The Secretary
The Participants

24. Conducting Interactive Meetings and Writing Minutes (cont’d)
IV. Resolving conflict
Possible outcome
Win-win assumptions
V. Writing Minutes of Meeting
Elements
Producing minutes
Example
VI. Strategies to Improve Your Listening
Effectiveness

25. Steps in Planning a Meeting
1. Determining the purpose
Information sharing
Decision making
Identifying issue / brainstorming
Persuasion and negotiation / discussion
Decision
Problem solving
Identifying solution(s) / brainstorming
Evaluating solution(s) / discussion
Choosing best solution(s) / decision

26. Steps in Planning a Meeting (cont’d)
2. Selecting the participants
Key contributors
Decision makers
3. Setting the agenda
Frames the structure of the meeting.
Consists of a list of items to be discussed.
Distributes meeting content in advance for better contribution.
Allows chairperson to keep the meeting focused and achieve its purpose.
Presents items in order they appear and the limit allocated by the chairman.

27. Steps in Planning a Meeting (cont’d)
4. Picking the convenient time and the location
Time of day
Morning versus afternoon
Venue
Comfort and convenience
Seating
5. Preparing notice of meeting
6. Sending out documents
7. Copying minutes of last meeting

28. Setting the Agenda Elements of the Agenda 1. To : Involved personnel
2. From : Chairperson
3. Date : Date of the meeting
4. Subject: Brief description of the meeting
5. Issues to be discussed
6. Person responsible for any designated issues
7. Designated time line
8. See Samples

29. THE GRABBIT INSURANCE COMPANY AGENDA
TO: All Members of Staff
FROM: Joe Chan (Chairperson)
DATE: 23 February 200-
SUBJECT: Monthly Staff Meeting
A meeting of all members of staff will be held on Monday 3 March 2000 at 10 am in the conference room. It will last about one hour.
1. Apologies for absence (JC)
2. Minutes of the last meeting (JC)
3. Matters arising (WW)
4. Measures to be taken to cut running costs (SY)
5. How the measures are to be implemented
6. Any other business
7. Date of the next meeting
Ms T Tam
Secretary to the chairperson
Distribution: Willie Wong Sanny Yeung
Charlie Wu Billy Bunter
Susie Wong Venus Pong
Peter Perks Joesph Tse
Source: Adapted from NLM

30. Participating in Meetings
The Chairperson
Before the meeting
During the meeting
The Secretary
After the meeting
The Participants

31. Participating in Meetings (cont’d)
Each participant has a role to play in a meeting as follows:
THE CHAIRPERSON
Beforehand:
Establishing purpose
Deciding if a meeting is necessary
Choosing participants
Preparing agenda
Circulating agenda etc.
Checking arrangements

32. Open the meeting: invite introductions if necessary; state the purpose of the meeting; present the agenda.
Move to first agenda item
During the meeting :
Invite someone to speak
Move to the next point
Bring others into the discussion
Interrupt / Control if necessary
Ask for repetition and clarification
Paraphrase (restate using own words) & Summarize (brief general statement)
Conclude the discussion: summarize the decisions/ points raised make sure tasks are delegated
Ask if there is any other business
End the meeting and fix the next meeting date
Source: Adapted from NLM

33. Participating in Meetings (cont’d)
THE SECRETARY
Beforehand:
Helping distribute the agenda to participants
Checking physical arrangements
Preparing stationery and necessary documents etc
Booking venue

34. Participating in Meetings (cont’d)
During the meeting:
Taking notes for the minutes
Providing information to chairperson and participants if needed
After the meeting:
Writing up the minutes
Checking accuracy of the minutes with the chairperson
Circulating the minutes to participants before the next meeting

35. Participating in Meetings (cont’d)
THE PARTICIPANTS
Beforehand:
Reading the agenda and any other pre-meeting documentation
Preparing for the meeting
Confirming availability
Being punctual to the meeting

36. Participating in Meetings (cont’d)
During the meeting:
Making relevant and productive contributions
Asking for clarification if necessary
Being prepared to justify opinions
Being attentive and listening
Being aware of your and others’ body language
After the meeting:
Following up with any action agreed during the meeting

37. Resolving Conflict  Win-lose  Lose-lose  Win-win Possible outcome
Win-win assumptions
 Win-lose
Mutual satisfaction possible
Parties willing to cooperate
Parties can be trusted
 Lose-lose
 Win-win

38. Writing Minutes of Meetings
About minutes
Can be defined as a written record of the business transacted at a meeting.
May well have some legal and authoritative force.
Must summarize the major contributions to the discussion in such a way that each speaker’s interactions are recorded
Must be clear about what the speaker “meant”, not just what the individual “said”
The process of minutes writing is a process of interpretation, not just repetition

39. Writing Minutes of Meetings (cont’d)
Check that the minutes
Provide a true, impartial and balance account of the proceedings;
Are written in clear, concise and unambiguous language;
Are concise and accurate;
Follow a method of presentation which helps the reader assimilated the content.

40. Writing Minutes of Meetings (cont’d)
Elements to be included in a minutes:
Heading (including where and when the meeting was held)
Present (who was there)
Apologies of Absence
Minutes of the previous meeting (note any corrections and state the minutes were accepted as a true record of the meeting [with the above corrections, where applicable])
Statements of what actually occurred at the meeting
Any Other Business (AOB)
Who was the chairperson and who the secretary
The time the meeting adjourned and when the next meeting is to take place

41. Writing Minutes of Meetings (cont’d)
Types of minutes writing:
Narrative minutes [Click for example]
A summary of the discussion leading up to a decision.
Useful for meetings that a more detailed record of the discussion is preferable.
Resolution minutes [Click for example]
Actual resolutions are emphasized, but only give brief details of the discussion itself.
Opinions stated, conflicts among members and disagreements are treated off-record.
Action minutes [Click for example]
Record the decision made on the issue and the action (what) to be taken (by whom) and (when).
(See Supplementary Reading for examples)

42. Strategies to Improve Your Listening Effectiveness
Second language listening problems
Native speaker accents and pronunciation
Speed: Perceived pace of native speaker delivery
Inability to predict because of unfamiliarity with
Concept / subject matter
Terminology
Cultural references
Sustaining concentration

43. Listening Skills Meetings

44. Strategies to Improve Your Listening Effectiveness (cont’d)
Strategies to strengthen your academic/Professional listening skills
Before the Meeting
1. Prepare yourself
mentally:
- Write down one thing you already know
about the topic
- Listen to confirm
2. Prepare the subject area
- Reading in advance to establish a context
3. Predict what you
will hear (outline
format)
- Write down 2 or 3 questions related to
the topic: 2-3 things:
1. You expect to find out
2. You would like to know
3. You didn’t understand from the reading

45. Strategies to Improve Your Listening Effectiveness (cont’d)
During the Meeting
1. Listen for key words
- Don’t write down everything
- Leave lots of white space on the page
- Use a numbering system
2. Listen for
organizational
signposts
- First of all / next / a further point / finally
- One… Two…
- First… Second…
3. Listen for summaries
and for repeats
- To sum up
- In summary then
4. Wake
- Mind drifting?
5. Link to what you
know
- Write notes to yourself:
1. Examples
2. Comparisons

46. Strategies to Improve Your Listening Effectiveness (cont’d)
After the Meeting
1. Review
- Read over your notes as SOON as you
can after the lecture
- Use hours between classes!
2. Transform
- Manipulate the information in some way:
1. Chart
2. Diagram
3. Mind map

47. Meeting Evaluation

48. Post-Meeting Evaluation
Was the meeting’s goal clear?
Was the agenda useful and followed?
How prepared were group members?
Did everyone have an equal chance to participate?
Did members listen effectively and consider different points of view?
Were assignments and deadlines made clear by the end of the meeting?

49. Additional Evaluation Questions
What other evaluation questions would you add to those on the previous slide?
Example: Did the meeting begin and end on time?
Example: ________________________

50. Writing Minutes of Meetings
Can be defined as a written record of the business transacted at a meeting.
May well have some legal and authoritative force.
Must summarize the major contributions to the discussion in such a way that each speaker’s interactions are recorded
Must be clear about what the speaker “meant”, not just what the individual “said”
The process of minutes writing is a process of interpretation, not just repetition

51. Format for Writing Minutes
Date and place listed
Names of the participants
All the main points are summarized and numbered
Avoid bias when recording items

52. Writing Minutes of Meetings (cont’d)
Elements to be included in a minutes:
Heading (including where and when the meeting was held)
Present (who was there)
Apologies of Absence
Minutes of the previous meeting (note any corrections and state the minutes were accepted as a true record of the meeting [with the above corrections, where applicable])
Statements of what actually occurred at the meeting
Any Other Business (AOB)
Who was the chairperson and who the secretary
The time the meeting adjourned and when the next meeting is to take place

53. Writing Minutes of Meetings (cont’d)
Check that the minutes
Provide a true, impartial and balance account of the proceedings;
Are written in clear, concise and unambiguous language;
Are concise and accurate;
Follow a method of presentation which helps the reader assimilated the content.

54. Writing Minutes of Meetings (cont’d)
Types of minutes writing:
Narrative minutes
A summary of the discussion leading up to a decision.
Useful for meetings that a more detailed record of the discussion preferable.
Resolution minutes
Actual resolutions are emphasized, but only give brief details of the discussion itself.
Opinions stated, conflicts among members and disagreements are treated off-record.
Action minutes
Record the decision made on the issue and the action (what) to be taken (by whom) and (when).

55. Distribution of Meeting Minutes
Send the minutes the next day
Copy all relevant individuals
Make sure the chair person approves the minutes
Update the status of issues
Provide updated minutes to meeting attendants prior to follow up meetings
Taking the minutes is an important role usually assigned to a dedicated secretary. However, the role may also be rotated among the normal meeting attendants. If the minutes are done correctly the meetings will be more effective and documented.

56. Business English Language Expansion
PH 1- 5

57. Which of these characteristics are the most important
for a good salesperson?
Really listens to the customer
interested
in…
fr…
friendly
Smiles all the time
Knows a lot about their products k…
knowledgeable
Has a smart appearance
presentable
pres…
You feel you can trust him/her
trustworthy
tr…
Slide 3 – This is great but I’m a little concerned about the amount of text in the rubric, do you think it could be shortened? How about which of these characteristics are the most important for a good salesperson? The rest can then be covered in the teacher’s notes. We might also want to run the penultimate characteristic over two lines so that all the items in the right hand column are aligned.
competent
Can explain the USP of the product
com…
Gives the customer time to think
pa…
patient
Good at making the customer believe in the product
per…
persuasive
Makes small talk
ch…
chatty

58. Which questions can you think of?
Which model?
Which make would you like?
How many doors would you like?
What about the engine?
What optional extras would you like?
Are you planning to travel long
distances?
7 What about the colour?
Slide 4 – I’d suggest cutting the number of questions down here. The students can then pick out the ones they hear in the first stage of the activity and the teacher could then play the recording again and ask students to note down any other questions that they hear. This would mean that we could reduce the amount of text on the screen and also allow the activity to be extended. What do you think?

59. Listening Activity

60. Listening Exercise
Activity
Answer discussion

61. Review Business Meetings, Planning- Execution and Minute Writing
1. Meeting: Essential Meeting elements
2. Questions for planning a meeting
3. The need for agendas/ Sample
4. Pre-meeting tasks
5. During meeting tasks
6. Post-meeting tasks
7. Common Disruptive task
8. Dealing with Loudmouths
9. Preparing the minutes

62. Review 10. What to include in the minute
11. Taking minutes / guidelines – sample
Writing minutes
Effective reception / listening and understanding barriers