Minutes of the meeting

Conducting Interactive Meetings and Writing Minutes
Conducting Interactive Meetings and Writing Minutes

I.  Steps in Planning a Meeting

II.  Setting the Agenda

§Elements

§Order of agenda items

§Example

v

III.  Participating in Meetings

§The Chairperson

§The Secretary

§The Participants

IV.  Resolving conflict

§Possible outcome

§Win-win assumptions

v

V.  Writing Minutes of Meeting

§Elements

§Producing minutes

§Example

v

VI.  Strategies to Improve Your Listening

         Effectiveness

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

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.

4.  Picking the convenient time and the   location

§Time of day

–Morning versus afternoon

§Venue

–Comfort and convenience

–Seating

–

5.  Preparing notice of meeting

v

6.  Sending out documents

v

7.  Copying minutes of last meeting

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 timeline

8.  See Samples

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 

Participating in Meetings

vThe Chairperson

§Before the meeting

§During the meeting

vThe Secretary

§Before the meeting

§During the meeting

§After the meeting

vThe Participants

§Before the meeting

§During the meeting

§After the meeting

Each participant has a role to play in a meeting as follows:

THE CHAIRPERSON

vBeforehand:

§Establishing purpose 

§Deciding if a meeting is necessary

§Choosing participants 

§Preparing agenda

§Circulating agenda etc.

§Checking arrangements

v During the meeting:

Open the meeting:  invite introductions if necessary; state the purpose of the meeting; present the agenda.

Move to first agenda item

Invite someone to speak

Bring others into the discussion

Interrupt / Control if necessary

Ask for repetition and clarification

Paraphrase (restate using own words) & Summarize (brief general statement)

Move to the next point

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

THE SECRETARY

vBeforehand:

§Helping distribute the agenda to participants

§Checking physical arrangements

§Preparing stationery and necessary documents etc

§Booking venue

vDuring the meeting:

§Taking notes for the minutes

§Providing information to chairperson and participants if needed

vAfter the meeting:

§Writing up the minutes

§Checking accuracy of the minutes with the chairperson

§Circulating the minutes to participants before the next meeting

THE PARTICIPANTS

vBeforehand:

§Reading the agenda and any other pre-meeting documentation

§Preparing for the meeting

§Confirming availability

§Being punctual to the meetivDuring 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

vAfter the meeting:

§Following up with any action agreed during the meeting ng