BSBTWK503 Manage Meetings

BSBTWK503

Manage meetings

Learner Guide

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Table of Contents

Unit of Competency .......................................................................................................................... 3

Application ........................................................................................................................................... 3

Performance Criteria ............................................................................................................................ 4

Foundation Skills .................................................................................................................................. 5

Assessment Requirements ................................................................................................................... 6

1. Prepare for meetings ..................................................................................................................... 7

1.1 – Develop agenda in line with stated meeting purpose .................................................................... 8

Preparing an agenda ............................................................................................................................ 8

Allow others to contribute to agenda ................................................................................................ 10

Activity 1A .......................................................................................................................................... 11

1.2 – Ensure style and structure of meeting are appropriate to its purpose ........................................ 12

Types of meetings .............................................................................................................................. 12

Formal or informal meeting ............................................................................................................... 12

Activity 1B .......................................................................................................................................... 14

1.3 – Identify meeting participants and notify them in accordance with organisational procedures .. 15

Identifying meeting participants ........................................................................................................ 15

Notifying participants......................................................................................................................... 15

Participant requirements ................................................................................................................... 16

Activity 1C .......................................................................................................................................... 18

1.4 – Confirm meeting arrangements in accordance with requirements of meeting ........................... 19

Confirming meeting arrangements .................................................................................................... 19

Organising accommodation and transport ........................................................................................ 20

Meeting arrangements for those with special needs ........................................................................ 20

Activity 1D .......................................................................................................................................... 21

1.5 – Despatch meeting papers to participants within designated timelines ....................................... 22

Despatching meeting papers ............................................................................................................. 22

Activity 1E........................................................................................................................................... 23

2. Conduct meetings ....................................................................................................................... 24

2.1 – Chair meetings in accordance with organisational requirements, agreed conventions for type of

meeting and legal and ethical requirements ......................................................................................... 25

Introduction to meeting ..................................................................................................................... 25

Legal and ethical requirements ......................................................................................................... 26

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Activity 2A .......................................................................................................................................... 28

2.2 – Conduct meetings to ensure they are focused, time efficient and achieve the required outcomes

............................................................................................................................................................... 29

Responsibilities of chairperson .......................................................................................................... 29

Time-efficient meetings ..................................................................................................................... 29

Activity 2B .......................................................................................................................................... 31

2.3 – Ensure meeting facilitation enables participation, discussion, problem-solving and resolution of

issues ...................................................................................................................................................... 32

Interacting with participants .............................................................................................................. 32

Ensuring inclusivity ............................................................................................................................. 32

Activity 2C .......................................................................................................................................... 34

2.4 – Brief minute-taker on method for recording meeting notes in accordance with organisational

requirements and conventions for type of meeting .............................................................................. 35

Taking minutes ................................................................................................................................... 35

Format of minutes ............................................................................................................................. 35

Including all relevant information ...................................................................................................... 36

Activity 2D .......................................................................................................................................... 37

3. Follow up meetings ..................................................................................................................... 38

3.1 – Check transcribed meeting notes to ensure they reflect a true and accurate record of the

meeting and are formatted in accordance with organisational procedures and meeting conventions 39

Transcribing meeting ......................................................................................................................... 39

Gaining participant feedback ............................................................................................................. 39

Activity 3A .......................................................................................................................................... 41

3.2 – Distribute and store minutes and other follow-up documentation within designated timelines,

and according to organisational requirements...................................................................................... 42

Distributing minutes .......................................................................................................................... 42

Storing minutes .................................................................................................................................. 42

Activity 3B .......................................................................................................................................... 44

3.3 – Report outcomes of meetings as required, within designated timelines ..................................... 45

Reporting outcomes of meetings....................................................................................................... 45

Activity 3C .......................................................................................................................................... 47

Summative Assessments ........................................................................................................................ 48

References ............................................................................................................................................. 49

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Unit of Competency

Application This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to manage a range of meetings including overseeing the meeting preparation processes, chairing meetings, organising the minutes and reporting meeting outcomes. It applies to individuals employed in a range of work environments who are required to organise and manage meetings within their workplace, including conducting or managing administrative tasks in providing agendas and meeting material. They may work as senior administrative staff or may be individuals with responsibility for conducting and chairing meetings in the workplace. No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

Unit Sector Administration – General Administration

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Performance Criteria

Element Elements describe the essential outcomes.

Performance Criteria Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.

1. Prepare for meetings

1.1 Develop agenda in line with stated meeting purpose 1.2 Ensure style and structure of meeting are appropriate to its

purpose 1.3 Identify meeting participants and notify them in accordance

with organisational procedures 1.4 Confirm meeting arrangements in accordance with

requirements of meeting 1.5 Despatch meeting papers to participants within designated

timelines

2. Conduct meetings 2.1 Chair meetings in accordance with organisational requirements, agreed conventions for type of meeting and legal and ethical requirements

2.2 Conduct meetings to ensure they are focused, time efficient and achieve the required outcomes

2.3 Ensure meeting facilitation enables participation, discussion, problem-solving and resolution of issues

2.4 Brief minute-taker on method for recording meeting notes in accordance with organisational requirements and conventions for type of meeting

3. Follow up meetings 3.1 Check transcribed meeting notes to ensure they reflect a

true and accurate record of the meeting and are formatted in accordance with organisational procedures and meeting conventions

3.2 Distribute and store minutes and other follow-up documentation within designated timelines, and according to organisational requirements

3.3 Report outcomes of meetings as required, within designated timelines

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Foundation Skills

This section describes language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills incorporated in the performance criteria that are required for competent performance. Reading:

➢ Identifies and interprets information from complex texts including legislation, organisational policies and procedures

➢ Compares final output with original notes to check for accuracy.

Writing: ➢ Addresses the context, purpose and audience when generating a range of texts ➢ Prepares complex texts from notes using appropriate structure, and accurate spelling, grammar

and punctuation ➢ Records notes of meeting proceedings according to organisational requirements

➢ Edits and corrects own work to ensure accuracy. Oral Communication:

➢ Participates in verbal exchanges using appropriate style, tone and vocabulary for audience, context and purpose

➢ Listens for specific information during meetings

➢ Asks questions and listens to responses to clarify understanding. Numeracy:

➢ Recognises and interprets numerical information related to timeframes and budgets. Navigate the work of work:

➢ Recognises and responds to both explicit and implicit organisational procedures and protocols and legislative/regulatory requirements.

Interact with others:

➢ Selects the appropriate form, channel and mode of communication for a specific purpose relevant to own role

➢ Cooperates with others as part of familiar activities, playing an active role in facilitating group interaction.

Get the work done:

➢ Applies formal processes when planning complex tasks, producing plans with logically sequenced steps, reflecting an awareness of time constraints

➢ Recognises and takes responsibility for addressing predictable problems in familiar work contexts.

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Assessment Requirements

Performance Evidence Evidence of the ability to: ➢ Apply conventions and procedures for formal and informal meetings including:

o developing and distributing agendas and papers o identifying and inviting meeting participants o organising and confirming meeting arrangements o running the meeting and following up

➢ Organise, take part in and chair a meeting ➢ Record and store meeting documentation ➢ Follow organisational policies and procedures. Note: If a specific volume or frequency is not stated, then evidence must be provided at least once. Knowledge Evidence To complete the unit requirements safely and effectively, the individual must:

➢ Outline meeting terminology, structures, arrangements ➢ Outline responsibilities of the chairperson and explain group dynamics in relation to managing

meetings ➢ Describe options for meetings including face-to-face, teleconferencing, web-conferencing and using

webcams ➢ Identify the relevant organisational procedures and policies regarding meetings, chairing and

minutes including identifying organisational formats for minutes and agendas. Assessment Conditions Assessment must be conducted in a safe environment where evidence gathered demonstrates consistent performance of typical activities experienced in the general administration field of work and include access to: ➢ Reference material in regard to meeting venues and technology, catering and transport suppliers ➢ Organisational policies and procedures for managing meetings ➢ Office supplies and equipment ➢ Computers and relevant software ➢ Case studies and, where possible, real situations. Assessors must satisfy NVR/AQTF assessor requirements. Links Companion volumes available from the IBSA website: http://www.ibsa.org.au/companion_volumes - https://vetnet.education.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=11ef6853-ceed-4ba7-9d87-4da407e23c10

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1. Prepare for meetings

1.1. Develop agenda in line with stated meeting purpose

1.2. Ensure style and structure of meeting are appropriate to its purpose

1.3. Identify meeting participants and notify them in accordance with organisational procedures

1.4. Confirm meeting arrangements in accordance with requirements of meeting

1.5. Despatch meeting papers to participants within designated timelines

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1.1 – Develop agenda in line with stated meeting purpose

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

➢ Develop an agenda that is appropriate to the participants and meeting purpose

➢ Provide others with the opportunity to contribute to meeting agenda.

Meetings are used in a wide variety of workplaces in order to achieve a particular outcome. The actions

required to successfully prepare for and lead a meeting will vary depending on their purpose and what

you hope to achieve from it. Meetings can, for example, be singular events to provide people with

information, introduce new people to the organisation, or to launch a new product or campaign. They

can also be organised regularly and involve the same participants, such as to review customer service

practices or to plan workplace tasks for the coming week. Depending on your role within a company,

you might be required to prepare and attend meetings daily,

weekly, or monthly.

Preparing an agenda

One of the first things you should consider during the

preparation of a meeting is the agenda. An agenda could be

summarised as what you will be focusing on during the

meeting, such as the topics that will be discussed and the

questions that you hope to gain answers to. Meetings without

a clear agenda are generally more difficult for participants to

contribute in as they lack direction and focus. Furthermore, the

time it takes to relay information to participants or gain their

thoughts is much longer.

To establish the meeting purpose, you could ask yourself the following:

➢ Why have you been asked to prepare and conduct this meeting?

➢ What questions need to be answered?

➢ What issues need to be solved?

➢ Who will be attending the meeting?

➢ What information needs to be provided to attendees?

➢ When was the last occasion a meeting was held involving the participants?

Creating agenda documents

An agenda will usually be transferred into a physical document so that it can be distributed and viewed

by participants in advance of the meeting taking place. This enables people to prepare or print out any

documents if necessary or to simply start thinking ahead about issues they would like to discuss.

The format of the agenda should be considered in relation to the meeting purpose and the expected

level of formality. For example, you might decide to simply send a particular work team a list of topics

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that will be the focus of an upcoming meeting, or a detailed table with timings, objectives, and

responsibilities could be included.

Consider the following when developing an agenda:

➢ Ensure the topics are relevant to those that will be attending – you should only aim to

discuss themes or issues that are significant to all attendees. Remember that

participants at the meeting may have had to put their own work to one side in order to

attend; they should not waste their time having to listen to topics that do not affect

them. Additionally, people may have lost focus and interest by the time it comes to

talking about a matter that is important to their role

➢ Focusing agenda on the role of employee – even when you are discussing a common

theme within an organisation, such as reducing waste, it might be more beneficial to

further break down topics to make them more applicable to work teams. Taking the

example of reducing wastage, the issues that have occurred and potential solutions are

likely to differ between departments, so you might find it is more appropriate to focus

several individual meetings on particular work teams

➢ Present items in an agenda as questions rather than

statements – when possible you should aim to list

agenda topics as questions as this enables attendees

to consider answers and come prepared with their

ideas for discussion. Providing a question also usually

provides more insight, e.g. ‘how can we improve

response rates following customer queries?’ would be

a more suitable agenda topic in comparison to

‘improving response rates.’ While the first example

offers people with something they can consider

answers for, the second is more ambiguous and does

not suggest the response rates that need to be improved. For example, it could be in

relation to customers, suppliers, intra-department, etc. Posing topics as questions also

has the added benefit that it make it easier to recognise when it has been answered

during the course of the meeting

➢ Provide rough estimates of timings – in addition to highlighting the time and date that

the meeting will take place, it could be useful to include the length of time that each

section of the meeting will take. This enables partakers to consider the length of time

that they may be expected to speak about certain topics, and thus they can better

prepare for the meeting

➢ Highlight preparation needs and provide materials – when there is a requirement for

participants to prepare prior to the meeting, you should let them know what is

required in the agenda. You might state certain documents that need to be printed and

brought to the meeting, or items that need to be read.

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Allow others to contribute to agenda

Whenever possible you should aim to include others within the process of preparing for a meeting. If

regular team meetings take place within the workplace, it should not be one person who is responsible

for deciding on topics as this may result in other important issues being ignored. Management figures

and team leaders may suggest areas within the business that could be improved, while other team

members may also suggest issues that they have noticed or potential areas for improvement.

You could create a forum within the workplace where suggestions for discussion are put forward, or you

might decide to send an email to all attending employees in advance to ask for anything they would like

to be included on the agenda.

There may also be occasions where it is necessary to develop an agenda in collaboration with others.

For example, when new recruits are joining the organisation, you would need to communicate with

team leaders so that information relating to their job role can be provided.

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Activity 1A

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1.2 – Ensure style and structure of meeting are appropriate to its purpose

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

➢ Prepare a meeting with a style and structure that suits the purpose and participants

➢ Adapt the style and structure of a meeting depending on the expected level of

formality.

Before organising a meeting, you will need to know your organisation’s and/or the originator’s

requirements for the meeting. You should check which type of meeting is intended to be held with the

appropriate person. You ought to also establish the purpose of the meeting as this will help you to make

the correct decisions when you organise the details for the meeting.

Compile a list of the tasks to do and the contacts that you will need to liaise with. Each meeting type will

have its own needs.

Types of meetings

Once you know the type of meeting, you can start to make the appropriate arrangements. You will also

need to know how many people will be invited to attend, as this will have an impact on the room

requirements.

Types of meetings may include:

➢ Annual general meeting (AGM) – employees, management and members of an

organisation meet to discuss various business matters

➢ Board meeting – a formal meeting involving the board members of a business. They

are often held at regular intervals

➢ Face-to-face – all meeting participants are at the same location. This is widely seen as

the best way to engage everybody in conversation

➢ Staff meeting – are often conducted at regular intervals and involve teams and

departments sharing information or discussing

future plans

➢ Teleconference – this is often used when the

intended participants are unable to attend in

person, such as if they live abroad or a

significant distance away. The meeting can

take place through phone or video

➢ Videoconference - similar to a teleconference,

but specifically involves the use of a video.

Formal or informal meeting

The style and structure of a meeting should be considered in relation to the expected level of formality.

While you should always aim to prepare a meeting that is professional and has clear aims within a

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business environment, you might find that certain meetings can be more flexible in terms of the style

used. The level of formality should also have an impact on the type of language used by the individual

leading a meeting.

Formal meetings

Board meetings or AGMs are for example likely to be formal and require a structure that needs to be

followed. Important details will usually be presented such as financial and operational information to

key stakeholders. For this reason, the meeting may require equipment that enables the demonstration

of visual data. Minutes are also more likely to be taken in formal meetings.

Informal meetings

Regular staff meetings may take more of an informal approach. They could take place daily or weekly,

and while they should still consist of an agenda with clear objectives to ensure conversation remains

focused, the amount of time spent preparing for the meeting should not be extensive. Additionally,

team members should be allowed to speak freely when they feel they have something valuable to add

to the conversation. More structured meetings might instead state that one member of senior

management will speak for a specific period of time before other attendees can ask questions or seek

clarification.

Some meetings may need to be self-managed, for example, a brain-storming meeting to generate ideas

for a campaign, or when discussing work tasks within departments and a more interactive format is

needed.

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Activity 1B

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1.3 – Identify meeting participants and notify them in accordance with organisational procedures

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

➢ Identify the people who are required to attend a meeting in order to accomplish the

meeting purpose and objectives

➢ Notify participants of the need to attend the meeting and provide them with all

necessary details

➢ Establish whether participants have any special requirements that need to be taken

into account when preparing for the meeting.

Identifying meeting participants

As someone who is responsible for preparing meetings, a crucial requirement is to establish the people

who need to attend. Think about who is required in order to accomplish the meeting purpose, reach

objectives, or solve issues.

Identifying participants may involve:

➢ Considering who will be affected by meeting outcomes

➢ Speaking with team leaders

➢ Reading employee lists

➢ Recognising business stakeholders

➢ Viewing training history of employees

➢ Locating and reading past meeting

➢ Reading reports to identify employee performance

➢ Communicating with a company lawyer, for example, to establish who is legally

required to attend.

Notifying participants

When you organise a meeting, you must notify all participants of the details as soon as you are you are

aware of them. The information that you are required to share may be dictated by organisational

procedures, and this is likely to be dependent upon whether the participants are internal or external to

the company. You might need to share extensive information with people who are unfamiliar with the

business.

For example:

➢ The purpose of the meeting

➢ The time and date that the meeting will take place

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➢ The location of the meeting, including directions

➢ Transport methods for reaching the meeting location

➢ Anything that they should bring to the meetings

➢ Contact details for the individual organising the

meeting.

This will strike up a rapport with participants and will provide them

with a point of contact for the intended meeting. The method you

choose to communicate meeting details should take into account the

likelihood of the participant viewing the communication. A range of

options could be used such as email, telephone, letter, social media

group, etc.

However, when arranging meetings with people who work within the

organisation or regularly attend meetings, there is less of a need to

provide details regarding the business premises location. Additionally,

you may be able to use a workplace messaging system to inform participants that they are required to

attend a meeting. Events could also be created if all employees use the same mailing system, and this

has the added benefit of providing attendees with a reminder prior to the meeting taking place.

Participant requirements

When notifying participants of the meeting details, your organisational procedures may also necessitate

you to establish if they have any special requirements. If there will be catering involved during the

meeting or over the course of the day where multiple meetings are taking place, you should question

whether participants have any dietary requirements.

Attendees may have special dietary requirements such as:

➢ A food allergy to a particular ingredient e.g. nuts

➢ Vegetarian diets - exclude meat or animal ingredients to some extent but include plant

foods

➢ Vegan diet – an extreme form of vegetarianism as it completely excludes foods of any

animal origin

➢ Gluten intolerance – people with gluten intolerance must have a gluten free diet.

Obvious sources of gluten include bread, pasta, cakes, etc.

If participants do not work within the organisation, you might ask them to respond regarding dietary

needs through phone or email for example. Such information could then be saved in a workplace

register which can be kept for future reference.

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Special needs

You may also have to make arrangements for individuals who have special needs. This might be

required for example if the individual has a physical disability, if they have speech impairments, or if

they cannot speak fluent English.

The actions that you may be required to take in such circumstances will be looked at in more detail in

the next chapter.

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Activity 1C

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1.4 – Confirm meeting arrangements in accordance with requirements of meeting

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

➢ Confirm meeting arrangements with all relevant personnel within the workplace

➢ Make arrangements for participants with special needs.

Confirming meeting arrangements

Meeting numbers

After you have identified and made contact with the meeting participants, there will be a need to

confirm meeting arrangements with colleagues and those who are responsible for ensuring everything

is in place for the meeting to run successfully. You might receive notifications regarding those who can

attend the meeting and others who will be unable to attend. This is one of the crucial factors to confirm

as the number of participants will have implications on the room chosen for the meeting to be held and

the resources required.

Specific resources and equipment

What will be required for the meeting? For example, will you require

video/data projectors, whiteboards and teleconference set-up?

If you are booking a venue that regularly hosts meetings it is most

likely that they will have a large screen and data projector facility for

showing presentations. You are still best to check these details in

case the equipment is not suitable. Alongside this, you may need to

check that there is an adequate sound system, and if needed

internet access.

If you are hiring equipment, check that the items can be delivered in good time before the meeting and

that someone is there to look after the equipment and set-up as required. You may need to request

your facilities department or ICT department to assist with your preparations. This may involve them

showing you how to set-up and use equipment, or making sure that they are free on the day of the

meeting to ensure everything is working properly.

Voting procedures

There may be certain meetings where a decision or multiple different decisions need to be made. This

could be in a board meeting where attendees have to vote to decide on an individual who they feel is

the most capable of performing a certain role.

Your organisational procedures may state that some business decisions should be based on using a

private voting system, as this will prevent people becoming influenced by others. Check with your

manager/appropriate person if you need to arrange this kind of set-up.

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Catering needs

When participants are visiting the organisation for a meeting or when meetings will be taking place over

an extended period, you will need to inform the personnel responsible for catering about the number of

people who have confirmed numbers and any special dietary requirements.

Organising accommodation and transport

At certain times you may need to book or arrange accommodation for participants. It could be that you

have a small number of participants that are travelling a long distance or that the meeting is over a two-

day period. Your organisation may use an external company to arrange this, or you may need to book

accommodation yourself.

Your organisation may book accommodation regularly with one or two establishments and you may be

able to arrange this fairly easily. Other times, you may need to research for accommodation and you

should consider the particular participant requirements, cost and proximity to the meeting.

You may also be tasked to arrange for transport, such as taxis or train tickets. Once again, take into

consideration the cost and times of arranging transport. Book in advance and secure costs as much as

possible.

Meeting arrangements for those with special needs

As highlighted in the previous section, after communicating with participants, you may find that

arrangements need to be made to ensure those with specific needs can attend and fully take part in the

meeting.

These special arrangements may be:

➢ Access:

o parking – does the participant need to park in an area that makes it easier to

access the entrance to the building where the meeting will take place?

o security clearance – do you need to inform relevant security personnel that there

will be an individual parking in a particular place or using a certain entrance?

➢ Using:

o assistive technology – this could include mobility devices such as wheelchairs, or

assistive devices for vision, hearing, or speech

o electronic presentation media – you might have to present some information in

electronic formats for some individuals

o interpreters – for those who are not fluent in English

o visual information and diagrams instead of written material.

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Activity 1D

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1.5 – Despatch meeting papers to participants within designated timelines

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

➢ Send all relevant documentation to participants within designated timelines.

Despatching meeting papers

Remember that it is not just logistical factors that need to be arranged prior to a business meeting

taking place. As highlighted in section 1.1, for participants to demonstrate an interest and contribute

their thoughts in a meeting, you will need to provide them with information about the meeting content

in advance. This will involve informing them about the agenda and could incorporate sending them a

detailed plan of the topics that will be discussed and questions that need to be answered.

Meeting papers could include:

➢ The meeting agenda

➢ Minutes of the previous meeting

➢ Reading sources

➢ Customer feedback summary

➢ Financial summaries

➢ WHS policies

➢ Relevant industry legislation.

Sending papers such as the meeting agenda also enables participants to have the time to prepare their

own documentation.

Designated timelines

When conducting workplace meetings, your organisational guidelines may dictate the length of time

that you should ideally despatch documents in advance. The time period could also vary depending on

the type of meeting being conducted. You are more likely to send out relevant information and

documents in advance before an AGM than you are for a regular staff meeting. Make sure you provide

plenty of time for attendees to prepare work or read through materials before any meeting, though;

they could be busy with other aspects of work.

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Activity 1E

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2. Conduct meetings

2.1. Chair meetings in accordance with organisational requirements, agreed conventions for type of

meeting and legal and ethical requirements

2.2. Conduct meetings to ensure they are focused, time efficient and achieve the required outcomes

2.3. Ensure meeting facilitation enables participation, discussion, problem-solving and resolution of

issues

2.4. Brief minute-taker on method for recording meeting notes in accordance with organisational

requirements and conventions for type of meeting

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2.1 – Chair meetings in accordance with organisational requirements, agreed conventions for type of meeting and legal and ethical requirements

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

➢ Chair meetings based on organisational requirements

➢ Lead various different types of meeting within the workplace

➢ Abide by legal and ethical requirements when conducting a meeting.

Introduction to meeting

Prior to you making an opening statement or introduction, you should make a few checks to ensure the

meeting can commence and it will not be interrupted to sort any issues. You should make sure that

everyone who is expected to be present at the meeting has shown up. This could involve viewing a

singing sheet and comparing the names with the list of expected participants. You might also decide to

speak with a receptionist or person responsible for administration just prior to the meeting to establish

whether anyone has had to make a late cancellation. When meetings occur regularly and involve the

same employees, it should be more straightforward to recognise when someone is absent, and you may

be able to contact them to see if they are on their way.

The leader or facilitator may then remind the participants of

the objectives of the meeting and what should be achieved by

its conclusion. It is also important for people to be aware of

how the meeting will take place. Will there be a presentation

followed by a group discussion? Will each participant be given

a particular period of time to share their thoughts? Will a

brainstorming session take place where anybody can

contribute their opinions at any time? Regardless of the

meeting, as a chairperson for a meeting, you should remind

everybody of the ground rules.

Meeting rules could be stated in organisational procedures, and may include:

➢ Listen to others while they are speaking

➢ Avoid interrupting others

➢ Do not insult the opinions of fellow attendees

➢ Avoid dominating the proceedings

➢ Procedures for voting on decisions.

Changing style for type of meeting

You will be expected to change your manner and actions in accordance with the type if meeting you are

chairing. If for example, you are leading a staff meeting that takes place every one or two weeks, the

participants should be familiar with proceedings and what is expected of them. You might use your role

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to establish what has been happening within a department since the last meeting and encourage

attendees to think of solutions to potential problems.

If a teleconference or video conference was taking place, the skills and actions required would differ.

You would need to ensure that participants in all locations have the chance to speak. There may be an

additional need to remind individuals of the importance of not interrupting each other due to potential

delays in audio transfer between locations.

Legal and ethical requirements

When leading a meeting, you ought to keep various legal and ethical requirements in mind. When

business decisions are required or motions have been put forward by meeting participants, you may

need to quickly decide whether the implications are possible within the law.

Types of laws to consider include:

➢ Competition laws

➢ Consumer laws

➢ Product liability regulations

➢ Environmental legislation

➢ Privacy laws.

You should also be fully aware of anti-discrimination legislation. You may need to interrupt the

conversation if you feel that comments being made are discriminatory or if business actions being

discussed would contravene legislation.

The Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 makes it unlawful to discriminate because of:

➢ Race

➢ Colour

➢ Sex

➢ Religion

➢ Political opinion (in employment only)

➢ National extraction or social origin

➢ Age

➢ Medical record

➢ Irrelevant criminal record (in employment only)

➢ Impairment

➢ Marital status

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➢ Mental, intellectual or psychiatric disability

➢ Nationality

➢ Physical disability

➢ Sexual preference (in employment only)

➢ Trade union activity (in employment only).

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Activity 2A

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2.2 – Conduct meetings to ensure they are focused, time efficient and achieve the required outcomes

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

➢ Conduct focused meetings that enable participants to discuss matters to achieve

required outcomes

➢ Lead meetings that are completed within the designated time.

Responsibilities of chairperson

The chairperson has a number of responsibilities during the meeting to make sure that the discussion is

helping to cover the issues or topics that have been noted on the agenda.

These include:

➢ Adding to the discussion

➢ Challenging negative or discriminatory comments

➢ Suggesting a short break is taken when participants

begin to lose focus

➢ Preventing a small number of people from

dominating discussions

➢ Asking people who have not had a chance to speak to

contribute their opinions

➢ Making sure that final decisions are made on

business actions and policies

➢ Summarising the meeting including the decisions that have been made and the actions

required by participants.

When a decision needs to be made within a meeting, such as how to resolve an issue or the direction a

business team will take, it will usually be the role of the chairperson to make a final decision or choose

the ideas that will be put forward to a vote. In order to do this, taking notes and listening to all positions

impartially should lead to the best decision being made.

You should weigh up all contributions impartially and assess whether they would be beneficial decisions

to take forward. If you are to have the ultimate say in something that is going to have an impact on

other meetings participants, ask for their thoughts. Do they agree with you that the direction being

taken or issue resolution is the correct one?

Time-efficient meetings

One of the crucial things to control as a chairperson in a meeting is the time. Business teams and

departments may be relying on a number of decisions being made during a meeting within a given time

period. Failing to cover everything within a meeting can therefore be damaging to an organisation and

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might lead to employees questioning your ability to lead future meetings. As well as needing to make

sure everything in the agenda is discussed within the given time period, attendees may only have a

certain amount of time they can spend in a meeting; going over the planned time could irritate people

and may result in them having to leave before all matters have been deliberated.

To ensure meetings are time efficient, you could do the following:

➢ Start on time rather than waiting for

latecomers

➢ Prevent the conversation from straying off topic

➢ Stop someone from speaking for too long

➢ Assign someone to take responsibility for time

keeping

➢ Select issues that could be moved to a future meeting if necessary.

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Activity 2B

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2.3 – Ensure meeting facilitation enables participation, discussion, problem- solving and resolution of issues

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

➢ Manage meetings to ensure that all attendees have the opportunity to contribute their

thoughts

➢ Use meetings as a means to resolve issues.

Interacting with participants

Even when you are the designated chair of a meeting, you should attempt to interact with others in a

positive and professional manner. This will help to prevent a barrier being created where participants

do not feel fully comfortable with contributing their thoughts.

Positive and professional interactions may include:

➢ Greeting everyone upon the start of a conversation

➢ Using the name of attendees when known

➢ Acting fairly by treating all participants with the

same level of respect

➢ Complementing employees on their work and

contributions when appropriate

➢ Providing constructive criticism when needed

rather than becoming insulting or angered

➢ Being honest with employees

➢ Note taking can demonstrate professionalism as it shows you are taking the points

being made seriously and you are more likely to respond to any issues being raised

➢ Speaking with language that is appropriate to the recipient, for example refraining from

using specialist terminology that may not be understood

➢ Using eye-contact appropriately.

Ensuring inclusivity

As noted in section 2.2, there are a number of actions a meeting leader can take to ensure that a wide

range of perspectives are received and everyone has the chance to participate. Think about the most

effective method of ensuring that all participants have the chance to speak. For example, if a meeting

was taking place to discuss employee perspectives on a recent product launch and any issues that have

resulted, you might decide to go around the room and provide everyone with a short amount of time to

speak.

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When there are large numbers of people within the meeting, another approach could be to separate

them into smaller groups. This way, attendees can share their perspectives in more detail and someone

within the group can then summarise all opinions with the wider meeting group.

Problem-solving within meetings

Many problems and issues can arise within businesses that need to be resolved promptly. Meetings can

act as a valuable method of doing this because it enables employees to contribute why they feel the

issues have arisen and build off each other’s perspectives.

Allowing brainstorming to take place is one method you could adopt to resolve issues. You might stand

at the front of a room and write the ideas of attendees on a flip board and after all ideas have been put

forward, the best ideas can be decided upon that are most likely to solve problems. If you hold a role of

superiority, such as being a team leader and the participants are team members, then you might

individually choose the problem-solving technique which is most likely to work. Putting ideas to a vote

can also be useful, though, as it demonstrates that the opinions and needs of employees are valued by

the business. Remember though that the best resolutions could be a collection of different

recommendations

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Activity 2C

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2.4 – Brief minute-taker on method for recording meeting notes in accordance with organisational requirements and conventions for type of meeting

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

➢ Consult minute-taker regarding what needs to be noted down during a meeting

➢ Ensure that minutes are produced using a format as required by organisational

procedures.

Taking minutes

As mentioned previously, taking minutes can act as a valuable method

of recording what transpired during a meeting and the future actions

that have been agreed upon by participants. They can also serve as

evidence to provide protection for employees who act on decisions

made in the course of the meeting.

When you hold the responsibility of conducting a meeting and ensuring

that the conversation remains focused on the agenda, it may not be

possible to also keep detailed minutes. Therefore, allocating someone

the role of minute-taker will help to make sure that a physical record of

the meeting can be accessed after it has concluded.

You should brief the minute-taker before the start of the meeting to inform them of the organisation

requirements for what they should be taking note of. This may vary depending on the purpose of the

meeting. Generally, the role of the minute-taker is to take accurate notes during the meeting, tidy-up

the notes after the meeting so that they make sense to others, distribute the minutes to all relevant

personnel, and store the minutes for future use.

Format of minutes

The required format of minutes may be dictated by organisation procedures, as this means could be

established by using organisational templates or using previous minutes to determine the required

format.

Minutes may include:

➢ Meeting details (e.g. title, date, time, location)

➢ Agenda items

➢ Apologies

➢ Names of absent and attending participants

➢ Approval of the record of the previous minutes

➢ Matters arising from the previous meetings

➢ Decisions made

➢ Actions to be taken

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➢ Items to be discussed

➢ Date of the next meeting.

To record your notes, you must decide on the best method to use. You can take notes by pen and

paper, or on an electronic device such as a tablet or laptop.

Including all relevant information

Many organisations will allocate the role of minute-taker to a different employee for each meeting.

Therefore, you may need to provide the individual with advice on how to ensure all important details

from the meeting are included. It will not be possible to write down every single comment made during

the meeting, so approaches should be shared to make it easier for the minute taker to perform their

role.

These may include:

➢ Writing lists rather than full sentences

➢ Using abbreviations

➢ Asking for clarification:

o when multiple topics are being discussed

at the same time

o before the group moves on to the next

agenda item

➢ Using subheadings

➢ Recording all the key decisions and actions.

Concluding a meeting

After everything on the agenda has been completed or when you have run out of allocated time for the

venue, you should end the meeting according to organisational procedures. When participants do not

all work for the same organisation, you should pass around a list for people to add their contact details

so that they can be sent the minutes. You might also advise them on when the next meeting will take

place, as well as asking the group whether there is anything they would like to be discussed at this

point.

Do not forget to thank everyone for attending, and especially the minute-taker for providing their

assistance. It might be necessary to allocate the role of minute-taker to someone for the following

meeting or ask someone to volunteer.

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Activity 2D

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3. Follow up meetings

3.1. Check transcribed meeting notes to ensure they reflect a true and accurate record of the

meeting and are formatted in accordance with organisational procedures and meeting

conventions

3.2. Distribute and store minutes and other follow-up documentation within designated timelines,

and according to organisational requirements

3.3. Report outcomes of meetings as required, within designated timelines

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3.1 – Check transcribed meeting notes to ensure they reflect a true and accurate record of the meeting and are formatted in accordance with organisational procedures and meeting conventions

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

➢ Review transcribed meeting notes to ensure they provide an accurate record of the

meeting.

Transcribing meeting

After the meeting has taken place, the minute-taker should type up notes as soon as possible so that

everything that has been discussed will be fresh in their minds. Where abbreviations or shorthand

writing has been used, the minute-taker will also be more likely to recognise what they meant if notes

are transcribed promptly.

As the person who has chaired the meeting, you should also offer your assistance to the minute-taker

during the time they are transcribing, such as if they realise they forgot to record details of a particular

part of the meeting.

Checking transcribed notes

After the notes have been fully transcribed, you should read

through them carefully to make sure that they reflect what

actually took place in the meeting. There may be occasions

where the minute-taker misjudged the conversation and did not

understand the actions that are to be taken. You could then

speak with the individual and suggest that some changes are

made.

The meeting notes should also be proofread to make sure there

are no spelling mistakes, which is particularly significant when

they will be distributed to participants external to the

organisation.

Gaining participant feedback

You might decide to ask for feedback at the end of the meeting, as at this point the thoughts of

participants will be fresh and you will be able to gain responses from everyone. However, you ought to

consider the most appropriate method for gaining feedback and the aspects that you would like

responses on. You could ask people to provide a verbal response of how they felt the meeting went and

what they have taken from the meeting. Alternatively, you could create and hand out a feedback form,

as this could result in more detailed and honest responses, particularly when participants are not part of

the same work team or have not met each other in the past.

Further methods of receiving comments after a meeting include:

➢ Through an online workplace forum

➢ Through email

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➢ Introducing a feedback box

➢ Speaking with participants individually.

Once all responses have been gained, you might decide to summarise the opinions of participants and

assess what they have gained from the meeting. This will help you in deciding whether the transcribed

notes are a true and accurate record of the meeting. Additionally, people may provide comments that

they forgot or were unwilling to bring forward during the meeting, which nonetheless could prove

valuable in terms of meeting the required outcomes.

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Activity 3A

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3.2 – Distribute and store minutes and other follow-up documentation within designated timelines, and according to organisational requirements

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

➢ Distribute minutes to all meeting participants and to those who could not attend within

designated timelines

➢ Store minutes and other documents according to organisational requirements.

Distributing minutes

After minutes have been transcribed and thoroughly checked, you will need to distribute them to

various different people.

There are two key reasons for sending out minutes:

➢ Participants from the meeting are unlikely to be able to remember everything that was

discussed and specific actions that are required. The minutes can serve as a valuable

reminder for those in attendance

➢ There may have been people who were unable to attend the meeting, such as if they

were unwell or busy with another task. The content of the meeting could still be

pertinent to these individuals and reading the minutes can make sure they are up to

date with business proceedings.

Printing copies

If you are printing copies, you will need to check how many copies

are needed. Make sure you have collated all names and addresses of

the intended recipients and keep a note of where and when you

send the final copies out. You could also email the participants to

inform them of the dispatch date.

Emailing meeting minutes

It may be that you need to send this by email as an electronic file. Make sure you have a list of the

participant's email addresses, and ensure that if you send this as one email, that no email addresses or

recipient’s personal details are on view in the message. This is especially important for any external

business contacts. Make sure you blind copy recipients to fulfil data privacy requirements.

Time-frames

The minutes may need to be sent within a certain time-frame. Keep a record of when the final print-

run/file was prepared and sent.

Storing minutes

Once you have dispatched the final minutes, make sure that you file all work associated with the

meeting in the correct place. You will need to keep a record of the task from organisation to post-

meeting tasks. Your office should have a dedicated filing system for storing work, but if you need to

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create a filing system, make sure that you follow your organisation’s procedures and file work logically

and clearly.

You will most likely have a set place on your computer system to store any electronic files for the

meeting, make sure that all information is saved and stored and that any personnel that need access

have the access to these files and to any paper copies that you have filed.

If any work is confidential in nature, ensure that only authorised personnel can view files and

documentation. You may need to lock file cabinets (storing the key in a safe and secret place within the

work site for speed of access) and restrict file permissions on your computer system. If in any doubt as

to the confidentiality of information, check this with your manager/appropriate contact person.

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Activity 3B

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3.3 – Report outcomes of meetings as required, within designated timelines

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

➢ Report outcomes of meetings to necessary people within the workplace.

Reporting outcomes of meetings

After you have gained feedback from participants about their perspectives on the meeting and minutes

have been transcribed and distributed, you might have to report the outcomes of the meeting to

management figures within the workplace.

If you are conducting a meeting involving employees from a single department within the workplace,

the outcomes of the meeting could have implications on the way other departments have to operate.

You could send relevant individuals the meeting minutes, or you might need to send them a condensed

version of the meeting content that covers the key decisions that have been made.

Reporting to management

Management figures will also have an interest in what has taken place in team meetings or meetings

involving stakeholders such as suppliers or customers. They will want to keep informed regarding the

relationship the business has with these key people.

You may need to provide managers with the following information:

➢ The purpose of the meeting that took place

➢ The participants involved in the meeting

➢ The topics that were discussed

➢ Any issues or suggestions brought forward

by stakeholders

➢ Ideas suggested to improve business

practices

➢ New policy ideas

➢ Actions that will be taken

➢ Date of next meeting

➢ Matters to be discussed at next meeting.

Designated timelines

Make sure that you communicate meeting outcomes within designated timelines and using the correct

method.

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You might be required to:

➢ Debrief senior figures face-to-face

➢ Conduct follow-up meetings

➢ Write a summary, and:

o email it to the necessary people

o hand it to the necessary colleagues.

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Activity 3C

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Summative Assessments

At the end of your Learner Workbook, you will find the Summative Assessments.

This includes:

➢ Skills assessment

➢ Knowledge assessment

➢ Performance assessment.

This holistically assesses your understanding and application of the skills, knowledge and performance

requirements for this unit. Once this is completed, you will have finished this unit and be ready to move

onto the next one – well done!

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References

These suggested references are for further reading and do not necessarily represent the contents of

this unit.

Websites

Chairing meetings - http://www.diycommitteeguide.org/resource/chairing-meetings

Designing an agenda - https://hbr.org/2015/03/how-to-design-an-agenda-for-an-effective-meeting

Organising and running a meeting - https://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/files/cd/other/fs9729.pdf

Organising successful meetings - http://www.seedsforchange.org.uk/meeting

Problem solving meetings - http://www.dcarnegietraining.com/resources/effective-problem-solving-

meetings

Recording meeting minutes - http://www.whatmakesagoodleader.com/meeting-minutes.html

Time-efficient meetings - http://www.forbes.com/sites/victorlipman/2013/03/01/5-simple-steps-to-

more-efficient-effective-meetings/#368b21c521cc

All references accessed on and correct as of 24/10/2016, unless other otherwise stated.