MEETINGS

MEETINGS

Meetings are useful means of group communication. The success of a meeting depends on the following points.
1. Clearly define the purpose of the meeting. It helps to take a quick decision without any avoidable loss of time or money.
2. Distribute the agenda among all the members. It makes the participation in the meeting effective.
3. Restrict the number of invitees to make the meeting productive.

Chair person at a meeting:
1. The chairperson has to observe punctuality. It is always good to start a meeting on time and close the meeting in time.
2. The purpose of the meeting should be defined clearly.
3. Meeting should begin with a positive approach. Participants should know that they are present for a specific purpose and they are going to make their distinct contribution.
4. Chairperson should be impartial taking no sides and revealing no prejudices.
5. Contribution should be drawn from all the members.
6. Chairperson should control the meeting in such a way that only one person should speak at a time.
7. The chairperson should ask questions to pull out details and ask members to elaborate certain points.
8. Frequent summaries are essential to check which points have been completely discussed and resolved and which points demand more attention.
9. Before concluding the meeting clear statement should be made about the decisions arrived at.
10. Along with the decisions, disagreements should also be stated clearly.
11. Chairperson should clearly indicate how the decisions at the meeting are to be implemented.
12. The meeting should neither drag on unnecessarily nor come to an abrupt close.


Participants at a meeting:
Participants should attend a meeting with positive contribution. The points that help participants to give a good performance are as follows.
1. Participants should attend the meeting well prepared.
2. They have to study the agenda thoroughly.
3. If participants wish to use any written or visual aids to make contribution effective, they should prepare them well in advance.
4. If the participant is not an experienced shaker, it is advisable to write out full points and practice the speech from notes.
5. Participants are supposed to speak at most appropriate time.
6. They should control negative impulses and always think positive.
7. Participants should try to understand others’ point of view as they expect others to understand them.
8. Care should be taken to avoid; lecturing, patronizing, condemning as they give others the impression hat they are ignorant fools.