How to Lead Effective Meetings - Essay Example

AC 1 Based on the fact that meetings bring together people with different experiences and ideas, they creates a good opportunity through which theparticipants can communicate on the various issues among themselves. Major purpose of a meeting is to communicate information. This entails giving, gathering and exchange of ideas among the participants of the meeting. Within the work place, it is essential that managers provide their employees with an opportunity through which they speak their mind out. Such opportunities can only be attained through meetings. The second purpose of a meeting is to contribute to management control. This implies that managers have the opportunity of discussing various issues and challenges that affects their duties thus coming up with sustainable solutions. Thirdly, meetings are focused at making decisions and solving problems. Based on the various duties undertaken by the employees as well as the management team, it is essential for them to meet and come up with strategies to deal with the challenges arising during their duties. Through monthly meeting at Peytons General Supplies, we as the employees and the managers have ample opportunities that we use to share ideas on various issues that affect our performance. AC 1.2 Agenda is a list of items that need to be discussed by the participants in order to achieve the objectives of a meeting. Being a form of early warning system, agenda helps the participants of a meeting to be prepared on how to deal with the various topics that will be covered in the meeting. To achieve the goals of the meetings, it is fundamental for the participants to be well prepared before a meeting. Thus, the main role of agenda is to provide the participants with the information in order ensure they are prepared. An agenda works as a time table that is followed by the participants during a meeting (Barnlund, 2008). An agenda is structured into three major items. The first one is common items that include apologies for absence, minutes of last meeting and matters arising. The second part is specific items that include accounts, special reports and appointments. Thirdly, an agenda has concluding items that includes any other business (AOB) and the date of next meeting. For a meeting to be successful in meeting its aims, all the three items of the agenda must be covered. AC 1.3 Once a decision to hold a meeting is reached, it is vital for managers to know who should attend the meeting. There are various groups of people who should participate in a meeting. These includes, those who need to be consulted, those who can provide essential information, those who are prepared to talk and listen, those who can play a major role in a follow up action, parties interested in the issues covered and people who have the experience and knowledge that is needed by other participants in the meetings. For example, by engaging individuals with extensive skills on the issues that will be covered in the meeting, it is possible to attain the goals of the meeting (Robbins et al, 2011). Additionally, it is important for the managers to invite individuals with legal qualifications in order to ensure that matters covered in the meeting comply with the law. The success of a meeting is guaranteed if the process becomes all inclusive. AC 1.4 Prior to a meeting, Peytons General Supplies department managers ensures adequate preparation. Meeting preparation takes four major steps. First, the managers identify the reasons of holding the meeting. In this way, they ensure that the meetings have clear goals. Secondly, the managers identify who should attend the meeting. Based on the reason for holding a meeting, managers are able invite the collect people with the necessary skills. Thirdly, the organizers come up with the location of the meeting. This entails considering the location of the participants, the atmosphere of location and the security of the place among other factors. Fourthly, the organizers come up with the appropriate time when the meeting will take place. This involves considering the availability of the people who are invited for the meeting and the level of activities within the organization. Section 2: Understanding how to manage a meeting AC 2.1 The chair person of a meeting is the individual who runs the meeting during its progress. Being the chair person of Peytons General Supplies monthly meetings, our managing director major responsibilities is to ensure that the meeting keeps to its purpose, follows the outlined agenda, time is properly managed, managing debate and ensuring that all the participants are involved in the debate thus making them to feel valued. On the other hand, secretary duties entails taking notes of the decisions and the discussion during the meeting, writing up the notes in to formal document that is then presented to all the participants. In addition, the secretary is responsible for keeping the file consisting of past meeting minutes. Individuals in a meeting have various duties that they should undertake. These includes thorough preparation, making clear and positive points, remaining silent if they do not have anything to talk about during the meeting, arguing they case in a firm way, observing clearly and avoiding making personal statements that indicates order. AC 2.2 In his duties as the chair person of our monthly meetings, the managing director emulates a meeting protocol that contributes to the success of the meetings. The first step is making a decision to hold a meeting. This is done in corroboration with senior departmental managers. The second procedure is to invite the participants taking into consideration their skills and usefulness in the meeting process. Thirdly, the chair person together with the secretary and other organizers engage in booking the venue of the meeting. In our organization, most of the meetings are held within the company premises but firms can hire the venue from other parties. The fourth procedure is preparing agenda and sending them to the participants (Schramm, 1954). The fifth stage is to hold the meeting. This procedure includes following the agenda, taking of the notes by the secretary and monitoring of the entire process by the chair. The last procedure is sending of the minutes to all the participants. In this way, the participants are aware of all the subjects that are covered in the meeting thus making them to fully participate in the process. AC 2.3 Meetings can be positively or negatively affected by various issues. Positive actions that have positive results in the meetings includes talking to point by the participants, proper debate resulting to making of swift decisions, contribution of all the participants, reaching of consensus, open discussions and addressing of diversified issues that are effectively addressed by the members. By ensuring that authorities of the participants are not limited during the monthly meetings in Peytons General Supplies, the managing director ensures that every member is provided with adequate opportunity to participate in decision making process. On the other hand, meetings are negatively impacted by aspects such as dealing with insignificant issues for a long time, failure to address important issues effectively, inadequate chairing of the meeting by the leaders, extending the meeting for a long period of time, unnecessary arguments and failure to reach conclusions. In addition, domination of the meeting by few people who have the experience or higher interest of the issues being covered in the meeting may negatively impact on the meeting thus making it difficult to achieve the purposes. AC 2.4 One of the major purposes of a minute is to provide permanent record of all the issues that are agreed after a meeting. Some of the issues that are indicated in a minute include the names of the individuals who attended the meeting, points made by the contributors, decisions made during the meeting and the major argument contributed by the participants. Additionally, it indicates the actions taken and when they will be commissioned. On its part, action plan makes clarification on various issues. For instance, it indicates the person responsible for the actions taken, who is to carry out the action, when the action will be completed, providers of the feedback after the action, individual tasks during the action and who will inform the individuals absent during the meeting the impact of action on their decisions. References Barnlund, C. 2008. A transactional model of communication. New Jersey: Transaction. Robbins, S., Judge, T., Millett, B and Boyle, M. 2011. Organisational Behaviour. New York: Pearson. Schramm, W. 1954. How communication works. The process and effects of communication . Illinois: University of Illinois Press. Read More