SpeakingMeetings

Culture in Meeting

There are several factors that can contribute to a successful meeting. With a partner, look at the following rules and arrange them in order of importance by writing number in the boxes. Exclude any you do not agree with. Discuss how each one might be achieve.

Effective Meetinga. An agenda should always be prepared and distributed to all participants in advance.

b. Before you start the meeting, it is sometimes useful to agree on ground rules.

c. A speaker should make sure he or she has equal eye contact with all participants.

d. It is important that someone chairs the meeting.

e. Everyone should have the opportunity to express their opinion – no one should do all the talking.

f. Constant interruptions should be discouraged.g. People should only talk about items on the

agenda.h. If you don’t understand what is being said, you

should always say so.i. It is important to use clear and concise language.k. Meeting should be kept short and to the point.l. A professional manner should be maintained at

all times.m. It is useful to confirm the outcome of the

meeting in writing.

Read a text about meeting in Brazil. It focuses on different elements from those you discussed in. Analyze how each stage in Brazilian meeting compares with the way things are done in your country.

You and your counterpart(s) will exchange business cards at the beginning of the meeting. Brazilians will often bend over a top corner of a card, in a gesture that “personalize” its presentation.

At first, the conversation will be informal. You’ll start off by talking about other topics. Your counterpart will almost certainly ask if you would like a cafezinho( a glass of water and/or fresh juice), and enquire about your trip.

Brazilians are simultaneously emotional and shrewd. In the course of sizing you up, they’ll observe not only the quality of your shoes, let’s say, but also how simpático (nice, amenable) you seem.

Once the initial niceties have taken place, maybe after ten or fifteen minutes, you can start presenting you business – in a straightforward, pleasant manner.

Direct your comments to the whole group but particularly to the highest-ranking individual and decision-maker. Answer questions openly, don’t appear defensive, and never “talk down” to anyone in the room.

If you (wisely) arranged your meeting for 10AM or 2PM, you might find that, at its conclusion, everyone will go out to lunch, or drinks, or dinner together. If you’re invited along, it’s a good sign.

E. Herrington, Passport Brazil

Managing Discussion

Work in pair. You are in the middle of a discussion about a pay review. Follow the framework. Then Swap roles. Improvise a similar discussion about performance bonuses.

Student A Student B

Join the discussion by suggesting a 2% increase in salary.

Emphasize the point that you think 2% is too high.

Start to suggest another figure, but stop when B interrupts you,

Interrupt A in the middle of the sentence.

Deal with the interruption and continue with what you were saying.

Complete the following phrases to match the headings. For example:

To manage interruption:

Can I finish what I was saying?

We were in the middle of discussing something.

1. To keep to the point:

…………………..the point?

I think we’ve………………….

2. To ensure other people get to speak:

Mark,……………say something now?

Mark, what……………….?

3. To ask for clarification:

Could you be……………….?

I’m sorry, but…………………