Organising a Graduation Celebration Meeting in a Diploma Place - Speech or Presentation Example

Organise a Graduation Celebration Meeting in a Diploma Place Name: Course: Institution: Date: Organise a Graduation Celebration Meeting in a Diploma Place Members of the graduation committee The committee in charge of organizing for the graduation ceremony at the University of Cambridge will be responsible for the planning, development and implementation of the program. This will hover require a team of qualified personnel who possess the skills and experience necessary in successful organization of the meeting. The committee will include the following officials: The chairperson who will be responsible for calling and chairing all meetings as provided for by the dictates of the group. In addition, he will also be responsible for the acceptance of minutes of previous meetings with approval form members Organizing Secretary who will be responsible for the identification of meeting venue and communicating to the rest of the members on matters related to the meeting. He or she will be responsible for minute taking and safekeeping of all records from the meetings Interest coordinator will be responsible for the creating an association between the external environment and the graduation celebration organizing committee. This will include addressing the concerns and needs of the committee with those of the external parties such as the diploma place, and the graduates. Planning officer will be responsible for organization of events regarding the graduation celebration. This will include acquisition of venue and making any payments on behalf of the committee. Each member of the committee will have the responsbility of heading all of the positions before the graduation ceremony. This is aimed at proving the members with the necessary skills and experience that are considered essential in the organization of events and tin the management of meetings. Meeting arrangements Venue All the meetings for the organization of the graduation celebration will be held in the Communication Lecture Hall within the university premises. This will happen with exception of unavoidable circumstances. The choice of this venue was because it is easily accessible considering that all members of the organizing committee are members of the university who reside within the institutions premises making it convenient (Gaines 2010, p. 4). The university lecture hall I was considered an essential venue because it is suitable for the participants because it is familiar and this makes it easier for the committee members to brainstorm and develop sustainable and effective ideas. As a contingency plan, the success of the meetings will also be based on the use of internet technology especially in situation where unavoidable circumstances will make it relatively difficult for members to enhance in physical meetings at the lecture halls. All the members of the committee have been registered to become members of a group in Facebook. This is a members-only group and the organizing secretary of the group has been charged with the responsbility of managing the social networking platform. Through this meeting platform, members have the permission of seeking clarification on different issues to ensure the success of the graduation ceremony. In addition, the platform also provides an instant technique of sharing information and receiving instant feedback from concerned members hence improving on the efficiency of communication and the ability of the committee to succeed in the execution of its mandate. Date and time for regular meetings The meetings planning for the graduation celebration will be occurring after every three days. From 4.00 pm to 5.30 pm. The time allocation for the meeting is considered sufficient for the members because it provides them with appropriate duration of organizing their activities after lecture hours have been completed. The time set of the meeting are however flexible depending on the prevailing situation in the institution or the meeting venue. In addition, flexibility of the time will also be dependent on the availability and the level of commitment by members in the execution of personal or meeting related activities. In such situations, it will be the responsbility of the chairperson through the permission of other members to reschedule the meeting to the most appropriate time. Scheduling will be considered a necessity in situations where quorum will be considered insufficient to make essential meeting decisions (Gaines 2010, p. 8). For the meeting to be conducted it is a requirement that at least two thirds of the members must be present. Communication technology for meetings and preparation of relevant documentation for participants The success of any meeting process is dependent on the means of communication employed by the official in the organizing committee. The chairperson is the head of the committee and this makes him one of the main decision makers in the committee. However, for successful communication, this committee will employ both vertical and horizontal communication approaches to ensure that the decision making process is all-inclusive (Heibutzki 2013, p. 1). The agenda of every meeting will be developed and circulated to all members before the meeting. The process of developing the agenda will be through brainstorming sessions on the Facebook group. This will allow members to share their ideas on the progress of the meetings, activities that have been accomplished and pending. The provision of such information will provide the organizing secretary will ideas on items to include and exclude in the agenda (Heibutzki 2013, p. 1). Upon completion of the structuring process, the organizing secretary will prepare and circulate the complete agenda. This makes it easier to conduct meetings because members are already aware of the expectations and their responsibilities. The short messages service (SMS) will also be used in communicating to members about the venue or any possible changes. This will provide a platform for members to acquire information even when they are in locations where they cannot access the internet (Gaines 2010, p. 10). In addition, members can also provide instant feedback to the organizing secretary concerning their availability or possible absence. This platform will allow for delegation considering that members can provide information or give duties to other members in situations where they are expected to be absent from meetings (Gaines 2010, p. 10). Both SMS and social networking platform will also be used in communicating any changes made in terms of meeting venue or agenda hence keeping members updated. Minutes Minutes are considered as essential in meeting because because they provide information on the progress on the meetings with regard to the main objective of the meetings. Effective minute taking depends on the ability of the minute takers to note relevant information communicated during the meeting (Gaines 2010, p. 6). This includes the agenda of the meetings, members present and absent, any in attendance. In addition, through the minutes, it will be possible for the minute taker to record information concerning matters arising from the previous minutes and the response given by members regarding those matters. The minute taker will also have the responsbility of recording the proceedings of the meeting according to the agenda. Upon completion of the meeting, the minute taker will reorganize and edit the minutes before revising and storing it for the next meeting. The relevance of minutes in any meeting arises from the understanding that they provide guidelines for subsequent meeting sin terms of the agenda of the meeting and the possible actions that participants in the meeting must take to ensure success of their mandate. The positions of the organizing committee will be held on a circulatory basis. This means that by the end of all meetings every participant in the meeting will have played the role of a chairperson and the role of a minute taker. The main objective is to ensure that they acquire relevant skills and experiences which are essential in the management of meetings. In term of the process of recording minutes and the format used During the meeting, the minute taker will use the following format in recording minutes Meeting date and time The objective of the meeting The name of the chairperson Action items Decisions made In the process of minute taking, the focus will be on action item and this will detail the type of action, the responsible participants and the time of executing action. Preparation of a notice of meeting The notice of meetings on the organization of the graduation celebration will take the format of an internal memo. This will be an essential technique of informing all the concerned parties of the request for a meeting while stating the reasons for the meeting. The successful notice for meeting gives members the date, venue, time. Through the notice of meeting, it will be possible for participants in the meeting to have an understanding of the objective and the agenda of the meeting prior to the event (Gaines 2010, p. 7). In addition, it will also provide them with a platform of seeking relevant information that will serve the purpose of actualizing the objective of the meeting (Gaines 2010, p. 7) Style and structure of the meeting Agenda The success and productivity of any meeting is dependent on the availability of a written format in the form of agenda, this outline provides a description of the issues that will be addressed during the meeting. Prior to the convention of the meeting, the chairperson with the help of the organizing secretary and other members of the group will brainstorm on possible issues to be discussed and the agenda will be developed and circulated top all the participants (Gaines 2010, p. 1). The use of agenda in guiding the meeting is an essential time saving mechanism because other participants of the meeting must structure their presentations prior to the meeting. The use of the agenda as a tool in the meeting will also help the chairperson of the group in the facilitation process. Furthermore, by using an agenda it will be easier for the minute taker to structure minutes in an effective and understandable manner (Gaines 2010, p. 1). This will ensure that the meeting does not lose its purpose with regard to organizing the graduation celebrating. Introduction of reports At the beginning of the meetings, the chairperson will begin with a brief overview of the objective soft e meeting while at the same time proving details of the anticipated outcomes. Under the directive of the chairperson, the organizing secretary will present minutes of the previous meeting to the members with the objective of informing members of the progress and the duties that they were to accomplish before the current meeting (Heibutzki 2013, p. 1). The presentation of minute will however be ignored in situations of emergency meeting where notice of meeting is given to discuss a specific issues. Upon presentation and conformation of minutes by members, the chairperson will request report from various members of the team who aware assigned responsibilities. The presentation of reports will however be done in accordance with the agenda items. The role of the chairperson during the presentation of reports will be to ensure that members do not digress from the intended objective. One strategy of keeping time and maintaining the purpose of the meeting is by ensuring that every speaker focuses on the agenda(Heibutzki 2013, p. 1) . In the process of the meeting, the chairperson will have the authority of revisiting the issues and assigning more personnel to gather information about any issue at the end of the meeting (Heibutzki 2013, p. 1). Summary Upon completion of discussion on the main agenda items, the chairperson will provide a summary of the major points discussed and ask members to agree on the possible actions to be taken. Every participant will be assigned with a responsbility and they will be requested to leave the meeting with written action plans which indicate the tasks they should accomplish before the next meeting together with the deadlines of completion. Legal and ethical requirements The initial meeting will involve informing members of their rights and responsibilities as members. Through such awareness, it will be easier for the members to understand their responsibilities in relation to the existing codes of practice. An effective meeting will be those where members understand the expected code of conduct while in meetings (Langbert 2013, p. 1). This will involve the development of ground rules on how the participants are expected to behave with regard to the realization of the objective of the meeting (Hamlett 2015, p. 1). These meetings target successful organization of graduation celebration. This means that there is need to focus on the best techniques which when applied can provide satisfaction to the graduates with regard to competing their course. It will be the responsbility of the participants to identify codes that defining their behaviour (Keliher 2015, p. 1). Allowing participants to set the codes will be effective because they understand their boundaries and the expected outcomes of the meeting. Personal values, personalities and existing social norms will play an essential role in the development of these values (Hamlett 2015, p. 1). When organising meetings, there is need to consider the existing legislations relating to the organization of public meetings. This is because legally it is expected that the participants in the meeting will want their thoughts and decision on possible meeting outcomes to be accepted by other members and acted upon (Langbert 2013, p. 1). Freedom of expression will therefore serve as an essential legal aspect because through this freedom it will be possible for members to engage in open discussion and develop effective approaches that can enhance the purpose of the meeting with regard to organizing graduation celebration (Hamlett 2015, p. 1). The consideration of all members as equal in the meeting will also be an essential ethical and legal approach to ensure the success of the meeting. Embracing equality will ensure that all members feel accepted and appreciated by the leadership. Meeting facilitation Effective facilitation of the meetings will involve all the participants working together with the objective of accomplishing the goals of the meeting within the specified timelines. This will be successful with equal input of all the members. This will be realized by organizing the flow of meeting agenda, communicating and upholding the values set by the team on the process of communication with one another. These values will be used as the ground rules for members to ensure success (Buzan 2009, p. 1). The facilitation process with the direction of the chairperson will use the procedural, behavioural and problem solving approaches. The procedural approach will be essential in the provision of the guidelines essential in conducting a successful meeting. This will involve developing a plan on agenda development for every meeting (Buzan 2009, p. 1). This will involve deliberation on the list of activities that must be addressed in every meeting to ensure the realization of the objectives of the meeting. Effective management and facilitation of meetings is also possible when every participant is assigned roles. The procedural approach will also provide a platform for recording and organizing information about the meeting hence keeping members updated and providing them with a platform of monitoring and evaluating progress (Langbert 2013, p. 1). The behavioural; technique is also essential in ensuring that the meetings meet the intended objective. The process of facilitating meeting using this approach will allow the chairperson to encourage participation among members (Langbert 2013, p. 1). Encouraging participation provides an open platform for members to understand the technique of handling problems while ensuring that they uphold respect for all members in the meeting. The existing ground rules in the form of values will also provide members with an opportunity of understanding the objectives of the meetings, the existing time lines of operation and the expected legal and ethical requirements (Buzan 2009, p. 1). The problem solving technique will be essential in the promotion of time management and the realization of the objectives of the meeting. This will be enhanced by brainstorming among members of the group. A dedicated brain storming process will enhance the ability of the participants to perceive the existing challenges from an objective perspective. In addition, through this process it will be possible for participants to understand the essence of sharing ideas with other members of the group (Page 2012, p. 5). The problem solving approach will enhance the ability of the participants to engage in effective mind mapping because it will ensure that they understand the existing problems, develop a strategy on how the problem will be addressed in accordance with the objectives of the meetings (Scholtes 2011, p. 16). Through mid-mapping, it will also be possible for members to agree to create a platform that where they can learn to trust one another without the possibility of developing any negative repercussions. The promotion of consensus is considered as a time saving initiative provided by the problems solving techniques. During the meetings consensus will be developed when essential information such as decisions, points of action are recorded and shared with all members (Scholtes 2011, p. 14). Procedure of meetings Preparation for sessions Identify the purpose of the meeting Identified desired outcomes Participants Venue Time Agenda Opening session Review objectives Encourage participation Problem solving Brainstorming Clustering Prioritizing Wrap-up and closure Allocate tasks Identify responsible person Allocate due date for completion Tasks Tasks Person responsible Existing problems Solved problems Budgetary allocations Graduation venue Interest coordinator The grounds is on high demand Paid grounds fee 1,000 Graduation date Organizing secretary Decision on joint gradation party To host open house or closed celebration Time for the celebration set Booking photographer Chairperson Unaffordable photographers Graduands encouraged to come with personal cameras Booking entertainment Organizing secretary Expensive bands and DJs The local school band will serve entertainment purpose 1,000 Shopping for food and other ceremony items Interest coordinator Different taste and preferences of food 5,000 Drawing a final budget for the graduation Organizing committee Huge budget deficit Elimination of unnecessary expenses 20,000 References Buzan, T. 2009. Exercises for relaxation mind map. Retrieved online from www.mindmapart.com on April 9, 2016. Keliher, Rebecca. 2015. What goes into a successful Homeschool Graduation Day? http://hedua.com/blog/plan-homeschool-graduation/ Langbert, Leslie. (2013). Effective Facilitation for Productive Trainings and Meetings. https://reachmilitaryfamilies.umn.edu/book/export/html/1143 Page, P.A.G. 2012. Facilitation Techniques. Commonwealth Center for High Performing Organizations, Charlottesville, VA. Scholtes, P.R. 2011. The Team Handbook (2nd. Ed). Joiner Associates. Gaines, Lynne. 2010. Planning and Running a Successful Meeting. Boston College Graduate School of Management: Ceridian Corporation Hamlett, Christina. 2015. How to Conduct an Effective Planning Meeting. California State University. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/conduct-effective-planning-meeting-17755.html Heibutzki, Ralph. 2013. Structure of a Business Meeting. Michigan State University. http://work.chron.com/structure-business-meeting-10730.html Read More