Lecture 10: Conducting Meetings: Documentation for Meetings

Lecture 10: Conducting Meetings: Documentation for Meetings
Personal communication, whether one-to-group (as in a meeting or conference) or one-toone
(as in an interview), is a useful medium for information exchange at all
organizational levels.
When the participants at a meeting leave the room thinking that the meeting was a waste
of time or that nothing was accomplished, both time and money have been lost. But
meetings can be effective and productive. The key is to have a system that ensures
success.
A. Establish a Corporate Policy Regarding Meetings and Conferences.
A company-wide policy regarding meetings and conferences helps eliminate
unnecessary meetings and provides procedures for running meetings
effectively. The corporate policy on meetings should address the following
areas:
1. Meetings should be called only when a decision needs to be made.
Routine meetings (i.e., weekly) should be cancelled if agenda items have
not been identified. Meetings that are „informational‟ usually can be
handled by memos.
2. Invite only those individuals who can make a positive contribution to the
decision-making or the problem-solving activity.
3. Agendas should be distributed before each meeting so that those attending
can prepare for the meeting. If there is insufficient time to distribute an
agenda, list the agenda items on a flip chart or a blackboard at the
beginning of the meeting.
4. Begin an end meetings promptly at the scheduled times.
5. After each meeting, distribute a set of minutes to the participants within 24
hours of the session. Be sure to list the action items, the person(s)
responsible for their accomplishment, and the dates for completion.