Do Business Well

Assuming a meeting is necessary, here are some guidelines for running meetings in an intelligent and decisive manner.

Practical arrangements

If you are elected as either chairperson or secretary, you will be involved in the pre-meeting arrangements. The secretary makes most of these practical arrangements. But he or she should do this in consultation with the chairperson, who needs to be kept fully informed of developments.

Let’s take a look at the when, where and how of an effective meeting: Continue Reading »

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Record decisions

Don’t allow the discussion to reach a hurried and unsatisfactory conclusion. Make sure that the final conclusion is clearly stated.

If a substantial number of group members are still in disagreement, invite them to draw up a minority report. Make sure that decisions are recorded in writing. Within a day or two you may have forgotten the details of even the most important meeting. Writing down decisions ensures that everyone knows what they are supposed to do. In this way your meetings will culminate in action. Continue Reading »

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A meeting is as good as its chairperson. Taking the lead as chairperson calls for all the leadership skills you can muster. You have to act as guide, facilitator and interpreter, all at the same time and without getting your feathers ruffled.

Here is some useful advice:

Prepare a specialised agenda

Make sure that the secretary prepares a special version of the agenda for you during the last few days before the meeting. This should have more information than the ordinary agenda provides.

Spaces on the right-hand side of the paper allow you to add your own written remarks as the meeting proceeds. Make sure that your secretary has given you all the necessary documents that you may need to refer to during the meeting. Continue Reading »

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