1. Communicate the basic steps you take to plan and conduct a successful and effective meeting.

2. Identify the relevance, develop confidence to effectively engage in a meeting.

3. Be able to conduct a simple effective 15-20 min meeting on almost any topic.

Module Learning Objectives

Business Meeting Etiquette Training

Walden Pond

Logo inserted here

Pre-activity

1. Please review this cartoon and reflect how it may represent some of your beliefs and reservations when participating in a meeting.

2. Identify some possible weaknesses to the approach taken in this cartoon.

Principle or Rule

1. The floor is obtained by permission from the chairman.

2. The chairman establishes the decision of the meeting.

3. A member yields the floor when they finish speaking.

Meeting Structure

It is essential to understand the structure in which meetings proceed. Take a look at the following:

Who’s Involved?• 1. The Chairman presides over the meeting • 2. A quorum is required to conduct important business • 3. A motion or resolution begins the process of making

a decision

Concepts:• 1. The chairman and the Secretary are the officers of

the meeting.

• 2. A quorum consists of the minimum numbers of members who must be present.

• 3. Motions and resolutions can be adapted or lost in a meeting.

Procedure

1. A motion is moved by a member, it is seconded by another member, it is stated by the chair, debated on by the meeting, put to the vote by the chairman and the chair announces the results of the vote.

2. The chair states that the secretary will read the minutes, the secretary reads the minutes, the chair asks for corrections. After that the chair states that the minutes are approved with or without corrections.

3. The chair asks for the Treasurers’ report, the treasurer gives the information, the chair states that the report is for the information of the meeting if not audited

Interpersonal Skills

1. A person cannot while someone is still speaking try to signal that they want to speak, They must wait until the person finishes speaking.

2. Everyone may speak twice on the same motion on the same day but someone who has not spoken has preference over one who has not spoken.

3. The chair shall try to alternate between speakers who favor and who oppose the motion.

Attitude

In a debate, a member speaks as though they are speaking to the chairnot directly to other members.

When engaging in debates, it can be very easy to become emotional andbegin to take comments personally. A crucial step in avoiding conflictsduring meetings is to pay attention to your own attitude.

View the following video and discuss what you have learned aboutunderstanding your own attitude and how it may influence the way thatyou communicate with others.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBYk8UL_qOg&feature=related

Order of Business•Reading and approval of minutes(information to be added)

•Reports(information to be added)

•Unfinished business(information to be added)

•New Business(information to be added)

Speaking at a meeting

Making and seconding of motion(information to be added)

Debate on the motion(information to be added)

Voting on the motion(information to be added)

Announcing the results of the vote(information to be added)

Debating the motion(information to be added)