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Communicating at Work: Principles and Practices for Business and Professions, 7/e
Ronald B. Adler
Jeanne Marquardt Elmhorst

Effective Meetings

Chapter Overview

Meetings are a common event in most organizations. They occupy large amounts of time and cost the business a great deal of money. Some meetings are aimed at sharing information; others are of a problem-solving nature; still others serve a ritual function that confers status on members, builds cohesiveness, and provides an informal channel of communication.

Meetings should be held only when the job at hand is beyond the capacity of one person to handle, requires a division of labor, and has more than one right answer. If misunderstandings or resistance to a decision is likely, it is also wise to hold a meeting to overcome those hazards. Well in advance of each meeting, members should receive an agenda that announces the time, length, and location of the session; those who will attend; background information on the topic; goals for the meeting; and any advance work members need to do.

Once the meeting is called to order, the chairperson should announce the goals of the session, review necessary background information, show how members can help, preview how the session will proceed, and identify any time constraints. The participation of quiet members can be encouraged by using the nominal group technique, giving everyone a chance to speak, and using questions. When discussions wander off track, the chairperson and other members can regain focus by referring to time pressures, summarizing and redirecting the remarks of the members who have digressed, using relevancy challenges, and promising to deal with tangential issues after the meeting. The tone of meetings can be kept positive if members make an attempt to understand one another by asking questions and paraphrasing and if they enhance the value of one another's comments. Effective meetings are conducted in a manner that reflects the rules of the cultural norms of the participants.

The meeting should be closed when its scheduled time is completed, when the group lacks resources to continue, or when the agenda has been completed--whichever comes first. The chairperson should give the group warning that time is almost up and then summarize the meeting's accomplishments and future actions. Group members should also be thanked for their contributions. The chairperson's activities after the meeting has concluded include building an agenda for the next session, following up on other members, and honoring his or her own commitments.