BSBTWK503 Manage meetings
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BSBTWK503_CAC-Learner-Guide.pdf
Learner Guide
BSBTWK503
Manage meetings
Manage meetings
Trainer Manual
BSBTWK503 - Manage meetings (Release 1) 2
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BSBTWK503 - Manage meetings (Release 1)
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Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................ 3
ABOUT THE BUSINESS SERVICES TRAINING PACKAGE ............................................ 4
ABOUT THIS UNIT OF COMPETENCY........................................................................... 6
CHAPTER 1: PREPARE FOR MEETINGS ........................................................................ 7
1.1 Develop Agenda According to Meeting Purpose ..................................................... 8
1.2 Establish and Verify Meeting Requirements with Relevant Individuals .................... 14
1.3 Contact and Confirm Meeting with Participants According to Organisational
Procedures ........................................................................................................................................... 22
1.4 Provide Meeting Papers to Participants According to Task Requirements
................................................................................................................................................................. 24
Key Points: Chapter 1 ....................................................................................................................... 27
CHAPTER 2: CONDUCT MEETINGS ............................................................................ 28
2.1 Chair Meetings According to Organisational Requirements, Agreed Conventions
for Type of Meeting and Legal and Ethical Requirements .................................................. 29
2.2 Promote Participation, Discussion, Problem Solving and Resolution of Issues ...... 44
2.3 Brief Minute-Taker on Method for Recording Meeting Notes ..................................... 54
Key Points: Chapter 2 ....................................................................................................................... 62
CHAPTER 3: FOLLOW UP MEETINGS ......................................................................... 63
3.1 Review Meeting Minutes and Edit, as Required ............................................................... 64
3.2 Distribute Store Minutes and Other Follow-Up Documentation Within Designated
Timelines, and According to Organisational Requirements ................................................ 66
3.3 Report Outcomes of Meetings, as Required, Within Designated Timelines ............ 72
Key Points: Chapter 3 ....................................................................................................................... 75
SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................... 76
REFERENCES................................................................................................................... 77
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About the Business Services Training Package
The BSB Business Services Training Package covers a diverse range of industries and occupations. Business
Services covers a range of cross-industry functions and services supporting the commercial activities of all
industries.
Defining Qualifications
When units of competency are grouped into combinations that meet workplace roles, they are called
qualifications. These qualifications are aligned to the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). Each
qualification will have ’packaging rules’ which establish the number of core units, number and source of
elective units and overall requirements for delivering the qualification.
Delivery and Assessment of Qualifications
RTOs must have the qualifications (or specific units of competency) on their scope to deliver nationally
recognised training and assessment. RTOs are governed by and must comply with the requirements
established by applicable national frameworks and standards. RTOs must ensure that training and
assessment complies with the relevant standards.
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Qualification Training Pathways
A pathway is the route or course of action taken to get to a destination. A training pathway is the learning
required to attain the competencies to achieve career goals. Everyone has different needs and goals, and
therefore requires a personalised and individual training pathway.
Foundation Skills
Foundation Skills are the non-technical skills that support the individual’s participation in the workplace,
in the community and in education and training.
Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF)
This Assessment meets the five ACSF core skills as described in the Foundation Skills mapping.
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About this Unit of Competency
BSBTWK503 - Manage meetings
This unit standard BSBTWK503 Manage Meetings covers 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.
The unit applies to individuals employed in a range of work environments who are required to organise and
manage meetings within their workplace. These individuals may work as senior administrative staff or may
be individuals with responsibility for conducting and chairing meetings in the workplace.
This Trainer Manual is broken up into three elements. These include:
1. Prepare for meetings
2. Conduct meetings
3. Follow up meetings
At the end of this training, you will be asked to complete an assessment pack for this unit of competency.
You will need to access a supervisor, a manager, or your assessor who can observe you perform project or
workplace tasks and verify your competency or performance.
On competent completion of the assessment, you must have demonstrated skills and knowledge required
to manage meetings.
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Chapter 1: Prepare for Meetings
Meetings can be useful or a complete waste of time. They can be quick and achieve goals, or they can simply
cause issues and conflict. Basically, they can be the best or the worst experiences for managers and staff.
This unit of competency is about conducting better meetings so that the outcomes are achieved through
the best practice, and teams are stronger and more cohesive through effective communication.
Meetings are held for many reasons, including making decisions, generating ideas, making plans,
communicating information, and giving and receiving information.
The real trick is in the planning. Like any other business, meetings involve a process. Even the short and
spontaneous meetings between two people will be more consultative and productive if a few minutes of
thought is undertaken prior to the topic discussion. The thought should begin by establishing what it is that
you want to achieve.
In the circumstance of a spontaneous meeting, it may be obvious to both participants what the topic is. But
if there are more participants or decisions of greater magnitude must be undertaken, an agenda is the first
step in the planning process.
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1.1 Develop Agenda According to Meeting Purpose
The most important tool for managing meetings is the agenda. Designing an organised, efficient agenda is
essential to holding a meeting that achieves results. Use meetings to achieve outcomes and generate action
items. If there is nothing to decide and nothing to communicate, cancel the meeting. The agenda should
focus on two things: what needs to be communicated and what needs to be decided and acted upon.
It takes time to create effective agendas. These should be well-thought-out and planned. Agendas are not
descriptive; rather, they are concise, listing events. If well-prepared, a good agenda will influence the
expectations of the meeting participants long before they actually sit at the table.
The format of an agenda may be determined by law, as in the case of shareholder annual general meetings
of public companies but generally, there is a ‘standard’ format which is basically the same used by any
organisation holding meetings.
Agendas may be brief, featuring only the areas of discussion, or they may be longer and more informative.
Regardless, they are designed to assist participants in preparing for the meeting and to follow the order of
business. Space can also be included for note-taking.
In the planning, consider the order in which you place the items; also, consider the importance or amount
of discussion that should be required. This way, you can include effective timelines which will please
participants.
The amount of time includes considering if the item needs to simply be announced (such as previous
minutes, or the receipt of an expected cheque) or is a discussion required? Items which are controversial or
require in-depth consideration will take more time than an announcement.
The placement of items on the agenda involves considering which items are most important and placing
these first, regardless of the anticipated discussion time. This is crucial when there are precise start and
finish times for meetings to ensure that the essential items are dealt with first.
To save time, you may choose to use a Consent Agenda. This is where routine business items are taken
care of in one action. These items would typically include standard, non-controversial, and/or self-
explanatory ones that can be consolidated and approved with one motion and vote. Reports, confirmation
of actions committee meeting minutes and that sort of thing could be appropriate to group together on the
Consent Agenda.
Not all items actually require discussion, and often, many items have been previously discussed, and further
discussion is unnecessary. The time saved by using a scheduled Consent Agenda is considerable.
If you choose to apply this method, ensure that the agenda and any information is distributed to all
participants well in advance of the scheduled meeting date to allow time for participants to examine before
casting their vote. If there is a single item that is discovered to require discussion, it may be removed from
the group during the actual meeting and discussed separately before the vote is taken.
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1.1.1 Increasing Agenda Efficiency
To increase the efficiency of the agenda, decide the overall outcome desired to be achieved as a result
of the meeting and then state this in the agenda. Then, work out what needs to be done to achieve
that result and ensure that these items are included early in the agenda. This kind of detail also keeps
people focussed and reduces digression. Often, the meeting experience can include great discussion
on two entirely separate views – although each group believes they are on track. At some point, the
participants misunderstood the purpose of the meeting.
You can take it one step further by noting the type of action needed for each item beside it on the
agenda. Actions could include a decision, vote, and an assigned person.
You can also add recommended times for each item. However, do not get caught in the trap of over
organising the agenda. Other people may have different ideas on how much discussion should be
permitted or what level of importance each item should have. Remember to be flexible to allow
input and demonstrate the value of the opinions and input of others.
1.1.2 Agenda Items
Typically, an agenda will include the following items:
▪ Correspondence
▪ Date, time, and location of the meeting
▪ Date of next meeting
▪ General business
▪ Major agenda items
▪ Matters or business arising from the minutes
▪ Minutes of the previous meeting
▪ Reports
▪ Statement of the meeting’s purpose
▪ Welcome.
The purpose of the meeting will dictate the items for inclusion. Think carefully and be realistic about
the timing before despatching the Agenda.
Your organisation may have specific requirements for standard meetings. Check to see if there is
such information and if so, closely follow the guidelines.
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Once you have set your agenda, there are more points for consideration and action if you intend to
hold an effective meeting. These include:
▪ The circumstances, mood, atmosphere/background, etc
▪ The implications and needs of the business or project or organisation
▪ The needs of the team or the meeting
▪ Your role, confidence, experience, and your personal aims, etc
▪ Your position and relationship with the team.
1.1.3 Business
There are two types of business that can be covered as agenda items for your meeting. These include
the following:
Adjourned business is the business on the agenda that did not begin or was completed at the meeting.
Adjourned business takes precedence over all other business at the following meeting.
General business, on the other hand, refers to matters or questions raised by the committee. It is
often flagged by a ‘motion on notice’.
Adjourned Business General Business
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Below is an example of a general business agenda item:
Recruitment of a coordinator
The chairperson reported as convenor of the selection panel for the coordinator. He tabled a draft
job description and advertisement. These were discussed by the committee and changes made (a
revised version is attached to these minutes).
‘That the revised version of the position description and advertisement be endorsed, and recruitment
of the coordinator proceed along the lines agreed at the last meeting, and that the National Office is
forwarded a copy of the advertisement and position description for final approval and thanked for
the funding assistance.’
Moved: Partick Grills
Seconded: Fred Bell
1.1.4 Tasks
Your workplace tasks can also be used as agenda items for your meetings. To provide a better idea
of what a meeting agenda with workplace items would typically look like, read the case study below.
Case Study 1.1.4
Your supervisor has recently chaired a meeting with the treasurer and the minute-taker in order
to discuss workplace tasks that needed to be done within the week. Detailed in the meeting
agenda below are the tasks specific to your supervisor, the treasurer, and the minute-taker.
Treasurer: Pay Ozemail account
Chairperson: Proceed with recruitment of coordinator
Minute-taker: Write to the Department of State & Regional Development acknowledging
and accepting funding for coordinator
The chairperson declared the meeting closed at 8.45 pm.
The next meeting is to be held on Wednesday 9 July 1999 from 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm
Confirmed: (Chairperson) Date:
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1.1.5 Sample Formal Agenda
How your formal agenda should look will be determined by your organisation’s policies and
procedures for writing meeting agendas. However, to give you an idea of how a formal agenda is
typically formatted, a sample formal agenda is provided below.
Name of organisation:
Date:
Time: (start and finish)
Location:
Coordinator's report (continued in next page)
Business arising from correspondence
Correspondence - inward and outward
Endorsed by committee
Business arising from minutes
Minutes of previous meeting and confirmation of minutes
Apologies
Chairperson opens meeting
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Chairperson closes meeting
Date of next meeting
General business
New membership drive
Adjourned business
Appointment of new Chairperson
Report from sub-committees
Chook Raffle Handover Arrangements
Treasurer's report
Coordinator's report
Equipment upgrade Future venues for meetings Sponsorship
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1.2 Establish and Verify Meeting Requirements with Relevant Individuals
Before conducting the meeting, you must first establish your meeting requirements. Meeting requirements
refer to items that are needed in a meeting in order for it to be effective and successful.
Some meeting requirements, such as specific agenda items, will vary depending on the style and structure
of your meeting, along with your organisation’s policies and procedures regarding meetings.
Meetings generally have the following requirements:
▪ Style
Style typically refers to how you intend to conduct the meeting. These can include face-to-face
meetings, online meetings, and virtual meetings.
▪ Structure
The structure of your meeting refers to how your information is organised to achieve the purpose
of your meeting.
For instance, when conducting an online meeting, you may want to present your information in a
PowerPoint presentation format to ensure that all participants are able to follow your discussion
points.
▪ Agenda
This refers to the list of items that you intend to discuss to your meeting participants. Your agenda
would typically depend on the type of meeting you wish to conduct.
For instance, an emergency meeting’s agenda would include items that are concerned with a
problem relevant to your organisation. On the other hand, a seminar’s agenda would include items
about a specific subject matter and activities meant to help participants understand a subject matter
better.
▪ Participants
This refers to the personnel that must be present in your meeting. These are the people whom you
intend to discuss a certain topic to in order to provide them with sufficient information about a
task, an issue, or to help them gain new knowledge and skills.
▪ Arrangements
Arrangements refer to items that must be taken into account before a meeting takes place in order
to make sure that the meeting can happen. These include budget, venue, and pre-meeting
documentation.
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To establish your meeting requirements, you must consider a number of factors. These factors are typically
found in your meeting agenda and include the following:
When considering these factors, ask the following questions below. These questions will help you determine
the information you need according to your meeting requirements:
▪ Priorities
o What must be covered in the meeting?
▪ Results
o What do you need to accomplish at the meeting?
▪ Participants
o Who must attend the meeting in order for the meeting to be successful?
▪ Sequence
o In what order will you cover the agenda items?
▪ Timing
o How much time will you spend discussing each agenda item?
▪ Date and time
o When will the meeting take place?
▪ Place
o Where will the meeting be held?
Priorities Results Participants Sequence
Timing Date and time Place
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Aside from establishing meeting requirements, you must also verify these requirements with relevant
individuals. Verification, in this context, refers to the confirmation that these requirements are correct and
needed in the meeting.
Given that definition, you must check with relevant individuals if your meeting has the correct
requirements. The relevant individuals you must communicate with will depend on the meeting you intend
to conduct. For instance, if your meeting’s purpose is to discuss your team’s project progress, you will need
to verify with your team members and supervisor the agenda items of your meeting.
When verifying meeting requirements, there are a number of questions that you must take into
consideration. These questions also follow the factors you must consider when establishing meeting
requirements, which include:
▪ Priorities
o Is this topic appropriate for your meeting?
o Are there other topics that you must cover in your meeting?
▪ Results
o Do you have sufficient agenda items to ensure that you will achieve your desired results
for your meeting?
▪ Participants
o Are these individuals required to attend your meeting?
▪ Sequence
o Is the sequence of your agenda items clear and easy to follow?
▪ Timing
o Are these timeframes sufficient for each agenda item?
▪ Date and time
o Is the date and time of your meeting ideal for all participants?
▪ Place
o Is the location of your meeting accessible to all participants?
With these questions in mind, you can then verify the meeting requirements with relevant individuals
through the following methods:
▪ Email correspondences
▪ Online consultations
▪ Office memos
▪ Face-to-face discussions
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1.2.1 Meeting Style and Structure
These days, the technologies exist to allow most meetings to be held virtually. From conference calls
to web conferencing, and lately even video conferencing, there are many different options to choose
from in determining what type of meeting to run.
In addition to saving time, online meetings are also more environmentally friendly due to the
reduction in the carbon footprint resulting from less travelling to and from meetings. However, there
are times when face-to-face meetings are vastly preferable to remote meetings and vice versa.
Sometimes, the two can be used in parallel.
Virtual meetings (also referred to as online meetings or remote meetings) are an excellent option
when distances between participants are very great. These meetings can be more time-efficient
because travel time is significantly reduced. These meetings can enhance productivity in your
business. In support of online meetings, software can be effectively utilised. The conference login
details may be entered into the location field of the meeting invite so that all participants are aware
of how to access the meeting and can find this information quickly.
However, there are some situations where online meetings simply will not cut it. In particular,
sensitive meetings relating to human resource matters such as grievances, disciplinary action, or one-
to-one meetings with employees should almost always be held face to face, especially if they involve
the sharing of difficult decisions.
In addition, if a meeting involves a presentation or demonstration of any kind, or brainstorming
using a physical whiteboard, inviting some participants to a conference call will not work either.
These callers will get lost when they cannot see the props that the other attendees are referring to.
In this case, only an in-person meeting (or at the very minimum, a video conference) will suffice.
Body language tells us a lot about what others are thinking. It is a key component of communication.
There may be situations where it is important to gauge what a person is thinking through body
language. In these situations, anything other than a face-to-face meeting may be inadequate.
Even if you have an effectively operating distributed team and run your organisation exclusively with
remote meetings, an occasional in-person meeting is highly recommended. It will foster team spirit,
and online interaction is easier after you have met a person face to face.
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Advantages of Online Meetings
▪ Usually relatively cheap to run.
▪ Increase in productivity by saving on travel time to the meeting, if people are not in the
same location
▪ Allow for immediate decisions to be made across vast geographical distances
Advantages of Face-to-Face Meetings
▪ Allow easier understanding of a person’s message in instances where what they say goes
against what their body language shows
▪ Help to provide sensitive feedback or bad news to individuals on a one-to-one basis.
▪ Avoid people multitasking, e.g. working on the computer while attending the meeting –
there is a better chance of getting attendees’ full attention.
Whether remote or in-person, the meeting format must be decided during the meeting planning
phase of the process. Knowing how the meeting is going to be held in advance helps the participants
plan their attendance, arrange their transportation to the meeting, and ensure that they have the right
tools (web, video, etc.) set up to be able to attend.
Another consideration is the reason for the meeting. The reason for your meeting will determine the
style of the meeting. If you choose a less appropriate structure, then the meeting may be less
successful.
Some reasons for conducting a meeting include:
▪ Customer or Client Management:
This meeting could be for a sales presentation, reporting, and negotiations.
▪ Staff Management
Weekly staff meetings are often held to inform of work progress and upcoming jobs, OH&S
issues, and to give and receive feedback.
▪ Project Management
Meetings are held to plan and measure progress, solve problems, and align activities.
▪ Decision Management
Groups and committees hold meetings to share information and planning, all combined
with decision-making and generation of ideas.
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The various types of meetings include:
▪ Topical Meeting
One specific topic is discussed. The topic discussed can include a work issue or a project
task. The participants and format of the meeting depend on the topic being discussed.
▪ Standing Meeting
Standing meetings are regularly scheduled with established agendas. These meetings are
easier to manage, with similar formats and agendas. These meetings are usually conducted
on the same date and time and can be rescheduled if needed. Examples of standing meetings
include weekly check-ins with employees and monthly project meetings.
▪ Presentations
These are highly structured meetings held to inform an audience. In presentations, your
audience may ask questions but are not actively encouraged to participate. Presentations
usually include a moderator and one or more participants.
▪ Conference
A conference refers to a highly structured and moderated meeting. Your audience may ask
questions but are not actively encouraged to participate. Conferences typically take place
over the course of a day and can continue for weeks. These are often formal and must be
planned in advance.
▪ Emergency Meeting
Emergency meetings address a crisis and are arranged with very little notice. Attendance to
these meetings is mandatory and takes precedence over all else. Emergency meetings can be
used to discuss both the internal and external problems of the organisation. An example of
an internal problem is a theft in the building, while external problems, on the other hand,
can include natural disasters.
▪ Seminar
Seminars are educational and led by people with expertise in the subject matter. Participants
in the seminar are expected to gain new knowledge or skills at the end of the seminar.
Topical Meeting Standing Meeting Presentations
Conference Emergency Meeting Seminar
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1.2.2 Who Should Participate?
This will be determined by what is intended to be achieved in the meeting. Too many people could
slow and confuse the decision-making, and too few could result in inadequate representation.
Discuss this with other people who need to be involved and restrict invitations to those who add
value. Ask their opinions. Consider the cost – all participants who ‘down tools’ is a cost to their
organisation. Even when meetings are held out of hours, family and recreational time are lost.
Avoid participants who traditionally do not participate. A copy of the minutes sent to them will help
keep them informed. Just as important, do not hold meetings to simply communicate information –
an email or memo will suffice.
Planning can be done by committees rather than using the whole number of participants and should
include a combination of big picture concept type of participants and the detail people. This needs
to be considered to keep committee meetings effective.
Guests providing expertise or vested interests from other departments may also be considered as
participants. They could bring new information and ideas, and it could cement relationships between
units.
Try and avoid senior officials unless necessary for decision-making because they may unintentionally
intimidate other participants, restricting their input.
The relevant personnel you may want to invite to your meetings can include the following:
▪ Your supervisor/s
▪ Your colleagues
▪ Clients
▪ Suppliers
As mentioned above, this will be determined by the results you want from your meeting. However,
there are other factors that you must consider in determining which personnel in the workplace are
relevant to your meeting. Personnel is relevant when they:
▪ Have sufficient knowledge and understanding of the topics to be discussed
▪ Have the power to make a decision regarding the topics to be discussed
▪ Are able to implement a decision or take a project to its next stage
▪ Are representatives of a group that will be affected by the decisions made at your meeting
▪ Have time to participate in your meeting
▪ Are open to the perspectives and opinions of other participants
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1.2.3 Meeting Arrangements
Having established the purpose and structure of your meeting, you must now either make or confirm
the arrangements to ensure that it flows smoothly and that the participants are well-prepared. First,
determine your budget, and then you can complete the other arrangements with confidence.
Venue:
▪ If possible, hold meetings in the place where your participants have already made
reservations or secured lodging (i.e. a hotel). If the set venue does not offer lodging or its
lodging is too expensive for participants, arrange for cheaper alternative accommodation
nearby.
▪ If possible, get access to audio-visual facilities (in-house or from an outside contractor). Set
up a reception area if appropriate to facilitate registrations.
▪ Catering (in-house or outside contractor)
▪ Space for speakers’ audio-visual preparation if appropriate
▪ Secure a venue contact for assistance before and/or during the meeting
▪ Adequate security for the meeting
Pre-meeting Documentation:
▪ What do participants need to read and consider before the meeting?
▪ What is the timeframe for despatch? This may be able to be sent with the agenda.
Do note that some of the items listed above will not be necessary for smaller meetings.
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1.3 Contact and Confirm Meeting with Participants According to Organisational
Procedures
Your organisation may have standard procedures for notices of meetings. If so, always follow the methods.
If these are not available, remember to allow plenty of time for participants to plan their time and consider
the pre-reading.
▪ Email the Meeting Invitation, the Purpose, and the Location and Time
Request invited participants to accept or decline and make sure that they are aware that if they
accept, they are expected to attend.
▪ Agenda Items
Request that all agenda items be submitted no less than two days before the meeting and estimate
the amount of time they will need to present it.
▪ Summarise All Agenda Items
Once all agenda items are received, create a table with headings ‘Agenda Item’, ‘Presenter’, and
‘Time’. Check that each is directly related to the purpose of the meeting. If an inappropriate request
is made, recommend that this agenda item waits until another meeting. Be realistic regarding the
time you allocate to each presenter. People expect to start and finish on time and tend to get uneasy
when they run over.
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▪ Send Agenda Before the Meeting
This will act as a reminder of the meeting goals, location, time, and duration. The amount of time
before the meeting will be determined by the amount of pre-reading despatched with the agenda.
After identifying and contacting your meeting participants, you must then confirm your meeting with them.
Confirming your meeting allows you to be sure that both you and your participants are clear on the
arrangements of your meeting. This also allows both you and your participants to sufficiently prepare for
the meeting so that it can be conducted effectively and successfully.
There are a number of methods that you can use to confirm your meeting arrangements. These methods
often depend on your organisation’s requirements. Be sure to check your organisation’s policies and
procedures for requirements regarding contacting meeting participants and confirming meetings with them.
There are, however, three common methods of confirming meetings. These common methods of
confirming meetings include:
▪ Face-to-face confirmation
This method of confirmation refers to simply confirming the meeting attendance of your
participants in person. This method of confirmation is often used for informal meetings, and due
to its oral nature, is often followed up by documentation. Documentation can include attendance
confirmation spreadsheets, attendance confirmation checklists, etc.
▪ Meeting confirmation emails
This method of confirmation refers to using email correspondences to confirm meetings with
participants. These confirmation emails are often short, straightforward, and require a reply from
participants so that your attendance is confirmed. These confirmation emails typically contain
information on what the meeting is about, who will conduct the meeting, when and where the
meeting will be held, and any documents you are required to bring to the meeting.
▪ Meeting confirmation letters
This method of confirmation is similar to meeting confirmation emails, but instead of being
electronic, you provide a physical document to each of your participants. Meeting confirmation
letters typically contain the same information found within a meeting confirmation email. Reply
letters from your participants are not required but highly recommended. In the instance where you
do not receive a reply letter, it is possible to rely on the previous methods listed above.
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1.4 Provide Meeting Papers to Participants According to Task Requirements
Meetings can be made more efficient by ensuring that the participants are well informed. Sending all
documentation to be considered in advance of the meeting facilitates this. If the participants come prepared,
time is not wasted informing; rather, decisions can be made more efficiently. This also reduces frustration
sometimes felt by those who are able to read and absorb points more quickly.
Based on your task requirements, you will need to identify the meeting papers you are required to provide
to your participants. Meeting papers refer to documents that ensure that all participants of the meeting are
well-informed about the purpose and discussion topics of the meeting.
There are four different types of meeting papers. These include the following:
▪ Notice
Notices are documents that inform participants about your intention to conduct a meeting. Notices
are often sent to participants in advance to give them sufficient time to prepare for your meeting.
▪ Agenda
Agendas are documents that are typically prepared either by the chairperson or an individual under
the instruction of the chairperson. As discussed in Section 1.1, agendas include the areas of
discussion to be covered in your meeting. These documents are developed to assist your
participants in preparing for your meeting and in following the order of business.
▪ Minutes
Minutes refer to documents that provide an accurate and truthful representation of what happened
in a previous meeting. This helps both the participants and the chairperson see if all items from a
previous meeting have been actioned upon, or at what status the action items are.
▪ Code of ethics/codes of conduct
These documents typically contain a set of principles and expectations that both the chairperson
and participants must adhere to when participating in the meeting. These documents ensure that
the meeting is conducted smoothly and successfully and are typically used in board meetings and
meetings where a public audience are involved.
In order to identify which of these types of meeting papers you must provide based on your task
requirements, you can use the following methods:
▪ Consider the type and style of meeting
Some meeting papers will not always be appropriate for the type of meeting you are conducting.
Likewise, the meeting papers must be appropriate for the style of your meeting. For instance, if
you have an online meeting with a person halfway around the world, sending them a soft copy of
the meeting paper through email would be appropriate.
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▪ Identify the purpose of your meeting
The purpose of your meeting will help you identify what meeting papers you must provide and
distribute in your meeting. The purpose of your meeting typically follows your task requirements
and can help you determine both the structure of your meeting and the meeting papers you can
provide.
For instance, your task requires you to discuss a project task with your team. To complete your
task, you can conduct a topical meeting and provide relevant documentation. Relevant
documentation can include project details, project participants, their roles, and timeframes.
▪ Prepare a handout
A handout is a document with the purpose of informing or providing additional information. In
this context, a handout can provide you with a list of your task requirements and the agenda items
that are aligned with them. Since the agenda items have already been provided, you can then
identify which meeting papers are relevant to your task requirements and distribute them
accordingly.
To better illustrate how you can provide meeting papers to your participants according to your task
requirements, a case study has been provided below:
Case Study 1.4
You have been assigned to inform your fellow employees about workplace health and safety.
Given the educational nature of the task, you are to provide a seminar to other employees.
When preparing your seminar, you think about what you must present in your seminar. Since
your seminar is about workplace health and safety, the items you must present include safety
plans and procedures, workplace risks, and additional documentation. Additional documentation
for your seminar can include workplace inspection reports, incident data, and monitoring and
measurement data.
Pre-reading allows the meeting to focus on problem resolution and decision-making rather than reading or
listening to information which could have been given earlier. This information may include sales figures,
plans, follow-ups, correspondence, or other information requiring time to consider or research.
Selecting the best time to despatch can be difficult. Too early and it may be forgotten or left unread, and
too late and there may be insufficient time to consider. Generally, consider the volume, time for reply or
response, timelines established by the organisation for completion, project timelines, or statutory
requirements as for annual general meetings.
While documents may be attached to an email, posting is a better option. If an acknowledgment of receipt
is required, it is easily obtained. Confidentiality is also preserved. Before despatch, consider the budget
because some methods of delivery are expensive.
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Notes
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Key Points: Chapter 1
• A well-prepared and organised agenda is an important tool for helping groups hold
orderly, efficient meetings.
• Choose meeting methods that are appropriate for the situation.
• Explore other options such as telephone conferencing and videoconferencing before
deciding that a physical meeting is required and decide what sort of meeting is
appropriate for the situation.
• Meeting types include:
o Standing meeting
o Topical meeting
o Presentation
o Conference
o Emergency meeting
o Seminar.
• The relevant individuals must be invited to your meeting, and the meeting requirements
must be established and verified with them.
• Make or confirm the arrangements to ensure that it flows smoothly.
o Budget
o Transport
o Accommodation
o Choosing a Date
o Location
o Meeting Equipment
o Catering
o Pre-meeting Documentation.
• One of the key components of an agenda is the inclusion of supporting information.
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Chapter 2: Conduct Meetings
After making the necessary preparations, you can then proceed with conducting your meeting. Conducting
your meeting seems simple enough, but you must consider that you also have a role to play in facilitating
participation from your audience. Remember that meetings are a form of communication; it is a two-way
process that requires input from both you and your audience.
Other things you must consider are the conventions and requirements for conducting your meeting. Your
organisation might have policies and procedures on the type of meetings you can conduct based on your
meeting’s purpose. As for requirements, there are legal and ethical requirements that dictate how a meeting
must be conducted and what adjustments you can make for your participants.
While these seem to be a lot to remember, it is important to take note of these considerations as they
provide structure to your meeting and can help you conduct your meeting successfully. These
considerations can guide you into being an effective chairperson, facilitating participation and discussions
from your audience.
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2.1 Chair Meetings According to Organisational Requirements, Agreed Conventions for
Type of Meeting and Legal and Ethical Requirements
As mentioned in the introduction of Chapter 2, your organisation may have requirements for chairing
meetings. These requirements are typically found in your organisation’s policies and procedures for
meetings and include information on the purposes of meetings in the workplace and how these meetings
must be chaired. Ensure to check your organisation’s policies and procedures for more information on your
organisation’s requirements for chairing meetings.
Take Bounce Fitness, for instance. Bounce Fitness is a premier fitness centre that caters to businesspeople
from the Central Business District. Bounce Fitness details a number of procedures for chairing meetings,
which include:
▪ General meetings will be chaired by the Director of Bounce Fitness. In the absence of the Director,
the General Manager, or any Department Supervisor will be appointed by the Director prior to the
scheduled meeting.
▪ The Department Supervisor or a case manager appointed by the Department Supervisor will chair
the meeting for Department and team levels.
▪ General meetings require a quorum. Where there is a lack of quorum, the Chair can adjourn the
meeting.
▪ Meetings must start and end at the time proposed at the notice.
▪ Staff members can propose a motion and must vote for a resolution.
▪ The Chair calls for the vote for a resolution. Where a motion is not passed, it will be added as a
motion for the next meeting.
▪ All motions proposed should be relevant to the business of discussion. The Chair has the right to
revoke any motion that is irrelevant or repetitive.
▪ The Chair also takes note of the major decisions made during the meeting.
▪ Staff members have an opportunity to speak to any motion after the Chair opens the floor and for
an allocated period.
Further Reading
The simulated business of Bounce Fitness has supplementary materials relevant
to chairing meetings. You may access these through their website linked below.
Policies and Procedures for Meetings
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Given your organisation’s policies and procedures for chairing meetings, you must ensure that the
conventions for both virtual and face-to-face meetings are in line with your organisation’s requirements.
Conventions refer to a set of rules under which meetings are usually conducted. These rules provide
structure, fairness, and accountability during your meeting. Conventions will not necessarily be the same
throughout every meeting, but your organisation will usually set up their own private set of conventions to
ensure uniformity during your meetings.
The common conventions for these meetings include:
▪ Virtual meetings
o Choose the appropriate technology
Your organisation’s requirements and your agenda will determine the most suitable
meeting platforms you can use for your meeting. Examples of common virtual meeting
platforms include the following:
• Skype
This platform provides basic online group audio and video calls, which is
appropriate for short update meetings such as check-ins. Calls can be recorded
for any participants that cannot attend the meeting.
• Citrix GoToMeeting
This platform allows participants to share screens during the meeting.
GoToMeeting is available on mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones.
• Cisco WebEx
This platform provides an HD video feature, which means that the video output
in the meeting can be of high quality.
• Microsoft Teams
This platform offers video conferencing and file sharing in real-time. In addition,
it allows you to share your screen with other participants so they can see the same
content.
Ensure to review the meeting platforms that are available to you before using them. Some
platforms may lack specific features, such as polls or online whiteboards.
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o Work on specific skills
When chairing a virtual meeting, its success will often depend on you. Due to this, it is
important to learn the skills and tools that can help you chair the meeting effectively. This
would include skills to operate the meeting platform and your interpersonal skills.
For instance, your meeting participants are unfamiliar with each other. Using ice breakers
can encourage your participants to relax and be acquainted with each other before the
discussion. This can include asking them to introduce themselves and share information
about themselves or doing an exercise that helps them know more about each other.
o Spend time preparing
There are a number of items that you must consider when preparing for virtual meetings.
These can include dealing with conflict in the virtual space, keeping the discussion
productive, and technical difficulties at bay. Take these items into account so that you can
prepare sufficiently for your meeting and for any technical challenges that may happen.
Next, decide on your agenda and how much time you will be spending on each agenda
item. For longer items, you can organise your agenda items to ten to fifteen-minute
segments to help keep everyone engaged. Afterwards, schedule your meeting with
everyone’s time zones in mind. Check with your participants if your meeting time is
suitable and ensure to be punctual; just because the meeting is virtual, that does not mean
it is polite to start or finish late.
After making these preparations, you can then send out notices and login details to your
participants. These would include the meeting URL, the agenda, a list of the attendees,
and the meeting’s start and finish times. Be sure to provide these several days before the
meeting to allow your participants to prepare beforehand.
o Set ground rules
Your ground rules will guide the behaviour of your attending participants. For example,
you may ask your participants to log in to the meeting five minutes early so that everyone
can connect and check their audio and video.
Other examples include asking participants to mute their lines until they are ready to speak
and asking everyone to state their names before speaking.
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o Communicate with virtual reality in mind
Facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language are often lost in virtual meetings,
which means your participants will not be able to pick up important communication cues
from them. When chairing a virtual meeting, guide the discussion by asking for a
discussion one person at a time.
For instance, instead of saying ‘Hello everyone, let us begin with introductions. Who wants
to go first?’ you can say, ‘Hello everyone, let us begin with introductions. Emmett, why
don’t you go first, followed by Jan and Dean?’
During the discussion, strengthen your active listening skills by focusing on the person
currently speaking. You can show that you paid attention by asking them a relevant
question or summarising what they said.
When it is your turn to speak in the discussion, ensure to clearly communicate how you
feel through your choice of words. For instance, if you are unsure about something, you
can share it in the discussion and ask for clarification.
o Facilitate involvement from all participants
As chairperson, you must ensure that your participants have sufficient opportunity to
contribute to the discussion. You can do this by pausing regularly during discussions and
asking each participant for their input. This is also known as the Round Robin technique,
which encourages your participants to stay engaged.
Other methods of keeping participants engaged include using activities and questions.
Some meeting platforms, such as Microsoft Teams, have a feature that allows attendees to
‘raise their hand’ virtually to respond to questions.
▪ Face-to-face meetings
o Be punctual
Like virtual meetings, ensure that you start and finish your meeting on time. You can arrive
at the location of your meeting at least fifteen minutes early, which shows respect to your
participants and allows you to prepare before the meeting.
o Restrict the discussion to agenda items
Your agenda provides a structure for your meeting and helps your invitees sufficiently
prepare for your meeting. Discussing topics that are not relevant to your agenda can
confuse your participants and derail your meeting, wasting everyone’s time.
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o Make thorough preparations
As previously mentioned, your agenda determines the preparations required for your
meeting. These preparations can include additional documents, such as reports and project
data. Be sure to create these preparations so that your participants have a better
understanding of your meeting topic.
o Take breaks regularly
If you are chairing a long meeting, ensure to take a break every two hours so that your
participants remain engaged. Aim for breaks around fifteen to twenty minutes long and
meal breaks around thirty minutes long.
o Follow dress code
Should the meeting require a dress code, you must indicate to your participants what kind
of attire is required. For instance, your meeting requires a business casual dress code. A
representative listing of the dress code can be helpful to your participants, as they may
have differing views on what business casual is.
o Speak in turn
Similar to the virtual meeting, having everyone speak in turn helps keep the meeting
organised. Speak only when you have the floor and ask questions during the designated
question period. Avoid interrupting when someone else is speaking or asking a question.
o Listen actively
As mentioned in the virtual meeting conventions, it is important that you strengthen your
active listening skills. You can show that you were attentive through facial expressions,
tone of voice, and body language. Other methods include taking notes and asking
questions.
o Remove distractions
Before chairing the meeting, ask your participants to put away their phones or any other
mobile devices they may have. Let them know that they can access their devices during
breaks to make sure that your participants remain focused on your meeting.
o Do not bring guests
Ensure not to bring unannounced guests to your meeting. Should you bring guests, you
must notify your participants several days before the meeting. Let your participants know
who your guests are and why they have been invited to your meeting.
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2.1.1 Standard Process
Meetings may be conducted using what are considered standard processes, or in the manner dictated
by the constitution of an organisation. Whether an organisation is incorporated or not, meeting
process requires a clear set of rules, based on Robert’s Rules of Order. Robert’s Rules of Order is
the standard for facilitating discussions and group decision-making. Copies of the rules are available
at most bookstores. Although they may seem long and involved, having an agreed upon set of rules
makes meetings run easier. Robert’s Rules will help your group have better meetings, not make them
more difficult. Your group is free to modify them or find another suitable process that encourages
fairness and participation unless your bylaws state otherwise.
Model rules may include:
▪ Committee Meetings
The notice required, quorums, the minimum number of meetings, who should chair and
how voting should be carried.
▪ Annual General Meetings (AGMs)
When they should occur, how office bearers should be elected and items to be on the
agenda.
▪ General Meetings
Amount of notice required, who should chair, quorums, how they can be convened, how
voting should be carried out, passing of special resolutions, and adjournments.
Establish model rules according to your needs. There are no specific processes required even for
incorporated companies.
Further Reading
To know more about Robert’s Rules of Order, you may access the website linked
below.
Robert’s Rules of Order
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2.1.2 Meeting Procedures or Standing Orders
Meeting procedures are based on democratic principles and the government by the will of the
majority. Meetings are more efficient and effective by establishing a clear set of meeting procedures.
The main requirements are:
▪ Decisions are made in accordance with democratic principles.
▪ Minority opinion is respected.
▪ A few overpowering people do not impose their will.
Depending on the needs of your organisation, the procedures can be simple or complex. The basic
meeting procedures are referred to as standing orders and define the methods used to conduct
meetings and debates.
2.1.3 Choosing the Right Level of Formality
The degree of formality required by your organisation is another matter of choice and will again be
reflected in the standing orders. There are occasions when an informal meeting is the best choice.
However, great formality is required when:
▪ There is a new executive or committee
▪ There is a potential for conflict
▪ Some members are disruptive or overbearing
▪ Participants are comfortable with formality and get a good result.
More formality may be warranted when:
▪ The committee is new and/or on unfamiliar ground
▪ A high level of accountability is needed for the project
▪ Milestones and financing mentioned
▪ There is conflict or potential conflict
▪ Disruptive or dominating members are present
▪ Members are familiar with formal procedures, and formality brings the most efficient result.
Meetings can be less formal for problem solving involving creative activities such as brainstorming.
The annual general meeting requires adherence to the rules.
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2.1.4 Quorum
A quorum is the number of participants that must be present for the actions of the meeting to be
valid. It is also to ensure that meetings are democratically representative of members.
Decisions that are made at a meeting without a quorum are not binding on members. Quorums can
vary in number for different types of meetings.
2.1.5 Amendments
Amendments must not conflict with decisions already made – they must be relevant to the original
motion and not introduce new ideas.
Amendments must be handled by the chairperson in the correct order – in sequence as they affect
the various sections of the motion.
Movers are called on to speak in the order in which their amendment affects the motion. Four types
of amendments are:
1. To leave out certain words
2. To leave out certain words in order to add others
3. To add certain words
4. To leave out all the words after the first word `that’ and substitute others with a different
meaning.
Once an amendment is moved, the discussion must be confined to the section of the original motion
which it proposes to alter. The whole motion can no longer be debated.
Besides the question of sequence, the chairperson must keep in mind that some members may be in
favour of one part of the amendment and not the other. After several opinions have been heard
from both sides, the chairperson may ask for one or more speaker from each side – then give the
mover a chance to exercise a right of reply.
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2.1.6 Voting
Actions of the meeting are valid only if there is a quorum; that is because actions must be voted on.
This guarantees that meetings are democratically representative of members. The matter can be
voted on:
▪ At the time
▪ Postponed until a future date
▪ Postponed indefinitely.
A proxy vote refers to a vote that another person makes on behalf of another person. When making
a proxy vote, you will need a written document that provides you with authority to do so. This
document is also known as a proxy vote form.
A casting vote is a vote that is exercised by the chairperson to create a result when the voting is
equal. The constitution should clarify the rules about the use of casting votes.
Voting can be by voice, a show of hands or if necessary, by standing, depending on the size of the
meeting and the closeness of the numbers for and against. A count should be taken again if there is
any doubt about the result.
2.1.7 Keeping it Legal and Ethical
Early in the planning stages, but after you have decided your purpose and type of meeting, thought
must be given to the legal and ethical requirements. These include:
▪ Ethical Requirements
o Codes of Practice
Industry Codes of Practice provide practical guidance and advice on how to achieve
the standard required by Acts and regulations. Codes of practice are developed
through consultation with representatives from industry, workers and employers,
special interest groups, and government agencies.
A Code of Practice is not law, but it should be followed unless there is an alternative
course of action that achieves the same or better standards. Employers, workers,
designers, manufacturers, and suppliers should use the Code of Practice in
conjunction with the Act and regulations.
o Ethics in Business Meetings
It is important to behave appropriately to earn respect and appreciation in and out
of the organisation. This is applicable during meetings, as meetings are important
instances where employees sit together and discuss ideas and opinions that benefit
the organisation.
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There are a number of ethical guidelines that you must consider when participating in
business meetings. These guidelines include:
• Create an agenda before every meeting. Ensure to distribute your meeting
agenda in advance to allow your participants to sufficiently prepare. Your
agenda provides a well-defined plan for your meeting; keep it short and make
sure not to stray from your key points.
• Keep your smartphone on silent mode. Disruptions such as smartphones
ringing in the middle of meetings are considered rude and unprofessional. In
addition to being rude, these disruptions can break the pace of the meeting.
• Always be punctual for meetings. Similar to disruptions from smartphones,
being late is considered rude and unprofessional, as you are wasting your
participants’ time.
• Listen to what your participants have to say. Allow them sufficient time to
deliver their opinions and ideas.
• Speak loudly and clearly when chairing the meeting. Ensure that the meeting
information is being delivered to your participants in a manner that is easy for
them to understand.
• Use whiteboards, projectors, graphs, or slides as visual aids for better clarity
during your meeting.
• Prepare a question-and-answer session to allow your participants to clarify any
doubts they may have.
• Once your meeting has concluded, have your minute-taker prepare the
minutes of the meeting and distribute the minutes to your participants as soon
as possible.
o Public Meetings
These meetings are held to inform the community at large and may be in a group,
by videoconference, or teleconference. Often, they are held in response to
proposed changes in government or community services or property which will
affect the community or a great number of people. Many of these meetings can be
confrontational, and the large numbers may pose a new set of concerns.
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Regardless of whether your meetings are formal or informal, consideration must always
be given to safety. Here are a few points to consider and discuss with your committees:
• If your meetings are held in rented or borrowed premises, find out about public
risk and your liability; arrange public liability insurance coverage; update it
regularly, and remember to always promote injury and accident prevention.
• Consider access and equity issues for gender, disability access, the young, old,
or the infirm — promoting safe meeting access and the environment is just
part of real participation.
Many groups and committees use food and raffles to raise their profile or gather
funds. Be familiar with the legal and local law requirements for food safety or liquor
licensing. Consider the alternatives and model positive behaviour at all times.
• If it is appropriate, be family-friendly, develop a family-friendly policy, and be
accommodating of young or new families. Provide a variety of activities and
roles to encourage greater participation. Consider providing childcare and
encourage all ages for the next generation of committee volunteers.
• Undertake Safety Audits of your facilities at least annually and have First Aid
trained personnel in attendance.
▪ Legislative Requirements
Make sure that whatever you do is legal and give serious consideration to ensuring that you
meet the requirements of the Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986, Work Health
and Safety Act 2011, Privacy Act 1988, and many others that may impact on your meeting
behaviours or topics.
o Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986
The Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 is a piece of legislation that
details government obligations under civil and political rights, discrimination, the
rights of children, and the rights of physically and mentally disabled persons. Of
particular note are the following sections:
• Declaration on the Rights of Mentally Retarded Persons
This section details the rights of mentally disadvantaged persons which aim to
promote their integration in society as much as possible. These rights must be
considered to ensure that the meetings you are chairing are accessible and
easily understood by mentally disadvantaged persons.
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• Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons
This section lists the rights of disabled persons. Similar to the Declaration on
the Rights of Mentally Retarded Persons, these rights are provided to ensure
that disabled persons are provided equal opportunities as able-bodied people.
Further Reading
To learn more about this piece of legislation, access the site linked below.
Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986
o Work Health and Safety Act 2011
The Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act) is a piece of legislation that aims
to protect the health, safety, and welfare of workers in the workplace. All kinds of
workers are protected by this act, and other people who may be affected by the
work that is being done are also covered by it. The WHS Act has set several
requirements businesses must adhere to and integrate into their organisational
strategy, policies, and procedures. These include:
• Consultation with workers
• Incident notification
• Inspector powers and functions
• Issue resolution
• Offences and penalties
Two particular sections of the WHS outline the necessity for communicating work
health and safety information to workers. These are:
• Part 5, Division 5.2 Section 47.1
This section requires business owners to consult with their workers regarding
work health and safety matters as they are likely to be directly affected by
matters relating to these.
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• Part 5, Division 5.2 Section 49a
This section requires consultation in order to identify hazards and assess risks
to health and safety that may arise from the work that is being carried out by
a business.
Section 2.1 of this manual has discussed the consultation process Bounce Fitness has in
place. This is aligned with the requirements set above.
Further Reading
To learn more about this piece of legislation, access the site linked below.
Work Health and Safety Act 2011
o Privacy Act 1988
The Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act) is a piece of legislation that aims to promote
and protect the privacy of individuals. It is particularly concerned about how
Australian Government agencies and organisations handle personal information of
these individuals. One section of the Privacy Act merits further discussion. This is:
• Part II, Division 2, Section 16A
This discusses the situations where it is permittable to share personal
information. By default, the sharing and usage of others’ personal information
should not be done without their consent; however, this section recognises
seven permitted general situations. These are:
1. To lessen or prevent a serious threat to an individual’s life, health, or
safety, or to public health or safety
2. To take appropriate action in relation to suspected unlawful activity or
serious misconduct
3. To locate a missing person
4. To assert a legal or equitable claim
5. To conduct an alternative dispute resolution process
6. To perform diplomatic or consular functions (this only applies to
agencies)
7. To conduct specified Defence Force activities (this only applies to the
Defence Force)
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It is important for your business to make a note of these general situations for
the need to use or disclose personal information may arise and be necessary.
However, it is likewise important to remember that the situations outlined are
all exceptions to the rule.
Further Reading
To learn more about this piece of legislation, access the site linked below.
Privacy Act 1988
o Disability Discrimination Act (1992)
This piece of legislation requires that people with disabilities are able to access and
use places open to the public and to access any services and facilities provided in
those buildings.
People with disabilities can face barriers to attending and participating in public
functions in a variety of ways. They may experience difficulty hearing what is said,
seeing a small print on an invitation, climbing steps to the venue, understanding
signage, or using a restroom in the building.
Public events need to be planned to ensure they are accessible to all members of
the community. Consideration of aspects such as the venue, continuous accessible
path to the venue, invitations, and hearing augmentation is important.
To assist event organisers and function coordinators design, plan and conduct
events that are accessible for people with disabilities, the Disability Services
Commission has produced the booklet Creating Accessible Events.
Further Reading
To learn more about this piece of legislation, access the site linked below.
Disability Discrimination Act 1992
To learn more about the Creating Accessible Events booklet, access the site
linked below.
Creating Accessible Events
By carefully planning your meeting and avoiding the risks, you will step around the legal minefields
and emerge unscathed!
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2.1.8 Defining Terms
There are a number of terms that you may encounter in your meetings. These terms include the
following:
▪ A motion is used to introduce a new piece of business or propose a decision or action. A
motion must be made by a group member (‘I move that......’) A second motion must then
also be made (raise your hand and say, ‘I second it.’) After limited discussion, the group then
votes on the motion. A majority vote is required for the motion to pass (or quorum as
specified in your bylaws.)
▪ A substantive motion is a formal proposal put before the meeting for the purpose of
eliciting a decision. It is worded by the mover to achieve its purpose in each case, but the
chairperson must ensure that the wording is clear before accepting the motion.
Once accepted by the chairperson and seconded, a substantive motion becomes the
property of the meeting and can only be altered by a formal vote to amend it.
▪ Procedural motions are working motions that help the processing of substantive motions
through the meeting. They have fixed wording and are subject to strict conditions about
who can move them and when. They are used to facilitate the business of the meeting. When
dealing with them, it is important to remember that, as presented, they are only motions and
have no validity until a vote has been taken.
A Procedural Motion cannot be moved or seconded by anyone who has moved, seconded
or spoken to the substantive motion or amendment which is ‘the Question before the Chair’,
so when confronted with a Procedural Motion, ask yourself is this person eligible to move
this motion?
▪ An amendment is a change to the detail of a motion. It must never negate the motion.
Anyone can move an amendment, except the mover and seconder of the original motion,
but everyone can speak to the amendment. The mover of an amendment has no right of
reply
▪ A resolution is a formal expression of a decision made in a meeting, agreed upon by
participants through voting.
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2.2 Promote Participation, Discussion, Problem Solving and Resolution of Issues
During meetings, it can be difficult to encourage participation, discussion, problem solving, and resolution
of issues from your participants. In this section, these items will be discussed one at a time, starting with
participation.
Participation, by dictionary definition, refers to the action of taking part in something. You can participate
in a meeting through discussion, problem solving, and resolution of issues. However, discussion, problem
solving, and resolution of issues have their differences, which will be discussed later in this section.
There are six methods of promoting participation in meetings. These methods include:
1. Prepare and distribute your agenda
As discussed in Section 1.1, your agenda provides an outline of the structure of your meeting. A
lack of agenda will lead to a lack of clear understanding of the subject matter of the meeting. This
can cause your participants to feel uncomfortable with participating in your meeting.
You can provide clarity to your participants by sending the agenda to them with a friendly memo.
This allows them to ask any questions beforehand and allows them to feel welcome to offer input
to any additional topics your participants feel should be addressed.
2. Create a safe space for your participants to engage in
This allows your participants to feel at ease, inspiring confidence, and trust from them. One
method of doing this is starting the meeting with positive feedback on your attendees’ performance
in a project.
For instance, your participants consist of your team members. You can start off your meeting by
acknowledging their most recent accomplishment, making everyone feel valued.
3. Be mindful of the time of day
When scheduling your meeting, ensure to schedule it at a productive time of day. Scheduling
meetings too early in the morning can cause your participants to be tired or cranky. You may also
want to avoid scheduling your meetings after lunch when people are feeling full and sleepy. An
exception to this is if your meeting involves an activity that requires your participants to move
around.
It is also not ideal to schedule a meeting towards the end of the day when your participants have
lost steam and are just waiting to go home. A safe window of time to schedule a productive meeting
is between ten o’clock in the morning and one-thirty in the afternoon.
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4. Use the ‘Start, Stop, Continue, Change’ model
The ‘Start, Stop, Continue, Change’ model allows participants to express themselves freely in an
organised manner. The model poses the following questions:
Start your meeting by going through these questions and choosing a volunteer for each one. If
your participants do not readily volunteer for this, consider which of these categories apply to each
person’s strengths and offer that category to them. Be sure to explain to them why you think they
would be a good fit for that category.
5. Introduce a ‘Speaking Object’
Depending on your meeting, it can be helpful to pass an object to each participant when it is their
turn to speak. This object is referred to as a ‘speaking object’ and ensures that each person gets to
participate without interruptions.
If you plan to use a speaking object, be sure to include it in your agenda so that your participants
do not feel put on the spot.
6. Use a feedback/suggestion box
To get a good sense of how your meeting felt to your participants, you can provide them a few
minutes after the meeting to write feedback down. This allows your participants to feel safe in
addressing items that they may have felt uncomfortable speaking about. Ensure to read through all
the feedback and take them into consideration for your next meeting.
What needs to start?
What needs to stop?
What should continue?
What should change?
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Discussion, on the other hand, is a conversation about a particular topic or range of topics, held in a group
of a size that allows participation from all members. You do not necessarily need a leader to have a good
discussion, but you may need to facilitate should you have more than two participants.
The following elements are present in an effective discussion:
▪ All participants have a chance to speak openly
▪ All participants can hear the ideas and opinions of others stated openly
▪ Ideas that are not fully formed can be safely tested out
▪ All participants can receive and respond to respectful, honest, and constructive feedback
▪ Various perspectives are put forward and discussed
▪ The discussion is not dominated by just one person
▪ Any arguments in the discussion are based on ideas and opinions instead of personalities
▪ There is an understanding that all participants are working together to solve a problem, resolve a
dispute, create a plan, make a decision, etc.
In order to promote effective discussion in your meeting, you can use the following methods:
1. Model the behaviour and attitudes you want participants to demonstrate
Also known as role modelling, this method refers to showing conduct that you want your
participants to emulate. These can include respecting everyone equally, admitting when you are
wrong, asking questions for clarification, listening carefully, etc.
2. Use encouraging body language, tone of voice, and words
An example of encouraging body language is leaning forward when someone is speaking. Other
examples include keeping your body position open and approachable and smiling when
appropriate.
3. Provide positive feedback for joining the discussion
As mentioned in promoting participation, positive feedback allows your participants to feel at ease
and inspires confidence and trust from them. You can smile and repeat points made by participants
to show that you value their contribution to the discussion.
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4. Be aware of participants’ reactions and feelings and try to respond to them appropriately
Take note of your participants’ reactions during the discussion. If a participant is offended or
confused, you must respond to them by using ground rules or your own sensitivity. You can discuss
how to make arguments without getting personal or clarifying the topic of confusion with your
participants. This method can help expose and resolve conflict or clarify any misunderstandings.
5. Ask open-ended questions
Open-ended questions require more thought from participants and include reasons or analysis.
These questions cannot be answered with ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and can help the discussion progress into
more productive topics.
6. Control personal biases
Factual errors or inaccurate and offensive ideas may come up during your discussion. It is
important to point these out, but you must also remember that you must not impose your views
upon your participants. You must also make sure to keep your participants from doing the same
and ask them to make rational decisions about the ideas they agree and disagree with. Pointing out
both your bias and your participants’ biases and discussing them allows your meeting to be
objective.
As mentioned above, during your discussion, there must be an understanding that all participants are
working together to solve a problem. Problem solving refers to the process of finding solutions to problems
and involves the following steps:
There are a number of methods you can use to promote problem solving in your meetings. These methods
include the following:
▪ Identify someone in charge
Identify a ‘leader’ for your meeting; this can be you or another employee. This person may be in
charge of a number of responsibilities (e.g. choosing attendees, leading the discussion), but of
particular importance is the role of finalising decisions. They will be in charge of selecting the final
solution and adjourning the meeting.
1 Define the problem
2 Generate solutions and ideas
3 Evaluate and select solutions
4 Implement and evaluate solutions
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▪ Ensure that all participants are familiar with the problem
Your participants must know what the problem is in order for them to come up with solutions. If
your participants are unfamiliar with the problem, you will need to use more time informing them
instead of directly looking for ways to solve the problem.
▪ Facilitate participation
Let your participants know beforehand that you expect their contributions to the meeting. Problem
solving in meetings requires you to share ideas with one another, and if these ideas are not shared,
the problem will not be solved.
▪ Assign ‘homework’
You may want to ensure that your participants are prepared with something to offer to your
meeting. For instance, you can ask your participants to come up with at least one potential solution
to the problem some time before the meeting.
▪ Provide sufficient time for brainstorming
Allow your participants individual time to think of possible solutions. Giving them sufficient time
to brainstorm the problem individually can help them come up with a handful of solutions. In the
event of urgent problems, you can give your participants a few days to consider the issue if possible.
▪ Keep the meeting short
A shorter, pressing time limit such as thirty minutes or even fifteen minutes forces people to
acknowledge the problem and work towards solving it as efficiently as possible. You can schedule
another meeting to explore the problem further if you must. Over the long term, you will see faster
results and less time wasted.
▪ Develop an agenda
As per any meeting, you must create an agenda. Your agenda can be simple, outlining the order in
which your participants will speak, or complex, such as detailing a breakdown of the problem being
discussed. Be sure to send your agenda to your participants in advance and restrict your discussion
to the problem at hand to guarantee a productive meeting.
▪ Listen to all ideas
Listen to each of your participants’ contributions carefully, patiently, and respectfully. This helps
create a more conducive environment for open discussion, allowing effective teamwork with fewer
conflicts and a better chance of coming up with a final solution to the problem.
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2.2.1 Chairperson’s Role
Even with the best organisation, rules, and preparation, if the Chairperson does not manage the
meeting effectively and in accordance with the rules, efficiency and productivity are lost.
The Chairperson is responsible for the use of time, making sure that the actions move the meeting
forward and ensuring that the discussions lead to decisions that can be enacted. They must effectively
manage the people on committees and should be able to develop them as well.
An effective Chairperson will remain impartial, use conflict to generate better solutions, and help
participants to learn and understand the agreed meeting processes. They will ensure that the minutes
are kept accurately, that a quorum is present, that meetings are opened and closed on time and are
conducted in accordance with the constitution, by-laws and standing orders.
Before the meeting, the Chairperson should work with the Minute-taker and committees to develop
the agenda, be familiar with the meeting business and correspondence, and plan for matters that are
likely to arise and the direction that discussion may take.
During the meeting, they should be fair, allowing all participants equal opportunity to be heard, keep
the progress without stifling discussion and select an appropriate time to call for a vote.
2.2.2 Participant Roles
Participants have a serious role to play in making meetings productive. Some of these responsibilities
include:
▪ To be Adequately Prepared
Must have read the pre-meeting documents, sought further information if necessary, and
assessed ideas prior to the meeting.
▪ Participate Politely
Should strive to allow each person to finish his or her thoughts without interruption and to
communicate in a polite and assertive way.
▪ Expression Should be Complete and Concise
Must be respectful of the value of time and use it considerately and with the achievement
of purpose in mind.
▪ Engage Others
Understand the value and wealth of experience when all participants contribute. To be
gracious when opinions differ.
▪ Stay Focused
Focus on the agenda items unless the group agrees to alter the agenda.
▪ Prompt and Punctual
Show respect for each other’s time by arriving on time.
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2.2.3 Communication Problems in Meetings
Sometimes, meetings bog down or do not go very well. Listed below are some of the most common
problems in meetings and some techniques you might use to address them. These solutions may not
work in your situation — use your own judgment.
Common Problems Poss ib le Solut ions
Poor listening
People do not hear each
other clearly.
▪ Leave silence between speakers so everyone can listen carefully to what
was last said and ponder it.
▪ Summarise, paraphrase, or clarify the ideas of the last few speakers.
▪ Point out that people are not hearing each other clearly.
▪ Have a check-in time at the beginning of meetings for everyone to say
in turn what is on their minds so that they will not be distracted by it
later during the meeting.
▪ Try setting up some structured exercises to let people practice listening.
▪ Use communication tools (empathy, active listening, I-messages, loving
gestures, and so on) to minimise agitation that can hinder hearing.
Lack of focus
People talk about different
issues or different aspects
of an issue.
▪ List all of the things that everyone might discuss or all the important
questions that must be considered. Sort them into reasonable categories
and then choose one issue or aspect to talk about first.
▪ Alternatively, break down into smaller groups and have each group talk
about a specific issue or aspect.
Repetition
People repeat themselves
without seeming to get
anywhere.
▪ Acknowledge what others say by summarising, paraphrasing, or
clarifying so they will not feel the need to say it again.
▪ Determine the areas of agreement and disagreement. Finalise
agreements and then focus on the disagreements.
▪ Point out the repetition and ask the repeaters for new ideas. Ask others
for their opinions or ideas.
▪ Suggest another new solution, perhaps even one that is unusual or silly
to stimulate fresh thinking.
▪ Brainstorm new ideas or perspectives.
▪ Redirect the discussion to another issue.
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Common Problems Poss ib le Solut ions
Competition for the best idea
People try to show their idea is
best — usually by belittling
others’ ideas.
▪ Try to de-personalise the discussion. Refer to the ideas by their main
aspects, not by who introduced them.
▪ List the pros and cons of each idea and point out that none is perfect,
and none completely flawed.
▪ Decide together what criteria you will use to evaluate the ideas and then
decide together how well each of the ideas meets each requirement.
▪ Try to combine ideas to incorporate their best parts and avoid their
pitfalls.
▪ Build up each person’s self-esteem by praising them for their hard work
and good ideas.
Verbosity
Some people talk too much or
too long
▪ Break down into very small groups of two or three, so everyone can
talk at length.
▪ Gently interrupt windy speakers. If they cannot be interrupted gently,
then be more forceful. Point out how long or often they speak and ask
them to contain their remarks or speak less often.
▪ Use talking limiters: limit remarks to a set time, restrict the number of
times each person can talk (issue a limited number of talking tokens),
go around the circle and let each person only talk during their turn, and
so on.
2.2.4 Group Dynamics
During meetings, participants will often take on distinct roles and behaviours that have an effect on
others. These are known as group dynamics, and these can be positive and negative. Positive group
dynamics involve trust among each other in the group. Members of the group work towards a
collective decision and hold each other responsible for implementing that decision.
Negative group dynamics, on the other hand, involve the disruption of work due to poor behaviour.
This can include a lack of trust among group members, causing the group to not work towards a
decision. Other instances include the lack of exploration of possible options within the group,
causing the group to make a wrong decision.
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Given that group dynamics involve roles, there are a number of roles that can be present in your
meetings. These roles are organised into three categories:
Maintenance Roles
Maintenance roles involve actions that are meant to create a supportive atmosphere should conflict
arise during the meeting.
▪ Supporter
This role involves expressing supportive comments during the meeting. Using these
supportive comments, the supporter can ease any tension that may arise during the
discussion.
▪ Gatekeeper
The gatekeeper’s role involves intervening when the conversation is being monopolised or
if there are any participants that are too timid to speak up. The gatekeeper restates the
meeting’s ground rules and prominent agenda items to bring back order and structure to the
meeting.
Task Roles
Task roles involve actions by participants that help the meeting progress.
▪ Initiator
The initiator suggests an action during the start of a meeting or when the meeting is at a lull
and needs a kickstart. The actions that the initiator can suggest include a task or a goal which
will be discussed throughout the meeting.
Maintenance roles
Supporter
Gatekeeper
Task roles
Initiator
Information seeker
Consensus tester
Clarifier
Summariser
Hindering roles
Dominator
Unfocused
Degrader
Stubborn
Distractor
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▪ Information seeker
Also known as the opinion seeker, the information seeker focuses on requesting relevant
facts, ideas, and opinions from all participants of the meeting.
▪ Consensus tester
The consensus tester checks if there is a need for more discussion with the group before
advancing to the next agenda item. This role goes in tandem with the clarifier.
▪ Clarifier
The clarifier checks if meeting participants need an increased understanding of a specific
agenda item.
▪ Summariser
As per the name, the summariser provides a summary of the meeting proceedings so far.
The summaries they provide ensure that all participants are at the same level of
understanding of the agenda.
Hindering Roles
Hindering roles involve actions that hinder the meeting’s progress. These roles are often found in
negative group dynamics.
▪ Dominator
The dominator monopolises the discussion, disrupting the flow of the meeting. They often
ask too many questions or simply take too long to get their point across.
▪ Unfocused
The unfocused hinders meeting progress by not being fully present during the meeting. They
do not pay attention to important agenda items which result in a lack of participation from
their end.
▪ Degrader
The degrader creates conflict among the group by attacking others or their opinions. This
causes a lack of trust and cooperation among the group.
▪ Stubborn
The stubborn role hinders progress by being uncooperative, stalling the flow of the meeting
and wasting everyone’s time.
▪ Distractor
The distractor disrupts the progress of the meeting, causing participants to be distracted
from active participation in the meeting. Distractions can include side conversations,
constant background noise, etc.
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2.3 Brief Minute-Taker on Method for Recording Meeting Notes
When chairing meetings, there will be instances where you will need to coordinate with your minute-taker
on how they can record notes for your meeting. Before conducting a meeting, provide the minute-taker
with documents relevant to the meeting (e.g. attendance sheet, meeting agenda, or previous meeting
minutes.) In addition, provide the minute-taker with notes that will remind them of their tasks. If possible,
discuss these tasks with them in detail. These tasks include the following:
1. Preparing for the meeting
Your organisation may have requirements for taking meeting minutes, such as using a specific
format. Check your organisation’s policies and procedures on taking meeting minutes or check
previous meeting minutes for formats that your minute-taker is expected to use.
2. Taking a record of the meeting
Discuss with your minute-taker on how they can take notes at the meeting (i.e. typing notes out
or writing longhand.) If possible, provide your minute-taker with a sufficient meeting minutes
template to help them write structured minutes.
3. Reviewing and completing the meeting minutes
Inform your minute-taker on what sections of the meeting minutes they need to review and when
they should add notes. These notes can be relevant to actions, motions, votes, and decisions made
in the meeting, and can be used for clarification. Once they have completed their review, they
must edit the minutes accordingly so that the minutes are clear, concise, and easy to read.
Should there be any meeting handouts and documents that were distributed and referred to during
the meeting, have your minute-taker include these documents in the final copy of the minutes
instead of summarising these documents.
4. Signing, storing and distributing the meeting minutes
After completing the minutes, have your minute-taker finalise the minutes by signing them. If your
organisation requires other relevant personnel to finalise the meeting minutes (i.e. the chairperson,
the president of the organisation, etc.) have them sign the minutes as well. Check your
organisation’s policies and procedures on taking meeting minutes for specific requirements.
In addition, check your organisation’s policies and procedures for requirements on filing and
sharing meeting minutes. Your minute-taker may be expected to store copies of the meeting
minutes in print, a hard drive, or online (e.g. organisation database.) When distributing meeting
minutes, check on which formats your minute-taker should use (e.g. hard copy or soft copy.) Make
sure that the minutes have been approved by relevant personnel before distribution.
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The items listed below are featured regularly on agendas and can be used to record meeting notes:
Minutes
▪ A brief official record of the business of the meeting.
▪ An account of decisions taken and action to be carried out as a result of the responsibility and date
for completion specified.
▪ A way of ensuring that agreed decisions are implemented, and that action has taken place between
meetings.
Correspondence
▪ Inward correspondence should be grouped by subject and summarised for the committee.
▪ The content of outward correspondence is discussed by the committee and handled by the minute-
taker.
▪ Letters received well before a meeting can be acknowledged, and the writer informed when the
letter would be discussed.
▪ Urgent letters containing important business may require a special meeting or decision by the
chairperson or executive between meetings.
Reports
▪ A minute-taker’s, coordinator’s or sub-committee’s report shows how instructions at the previous
meeting were carried out, other actions that were taken and costs incurred. They also flag new
issues.
▪ A treasurer’s report includes receipts and expenditure for the period, balance in hand and accounts
due. A treasurer’s report at an Annual General Meeting (AGM) is a full audited account.
▪ The annual financial accounts of an incorporated association must be lodged with the appropriate
body after the AGM.
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2.3.1 Minutes
Minute taking is usually based on Robert’s Rules of Order. The committee will decide how formal
and comprehensive it needs the minutes to be. This decision will be influenced in part by the level
of accountability that is required – either by legislative obligations or by the need to report to
shareholders or other funders.
Minutes ensure that a record of decisions and those who agreed to them is kept. In the situation
where a committee or its members are the subject of litigation, the minutes become evidence. For
this reason, formal minutes, once approved and signed as a true and correct record by the appropriate
committee members, are never altered. They also must be kept permanently by the secretary (or
another officer, if appropriate) and their successors.
Finally, minutes are a good means of ensuring that action to carry out decisions occurs between
meetings. Because full minutes take some time to complete, copies for pre-reading can be sent out
beforehand. The summary sheet may be included, which summarises action to be taken, who is
responsible, time for completion, and permitted resources. It gives committee members (and others)
a reminder of the work they have agreed to complete.
When taking minutes, ensure that you are following your organisation’s requirements for minute
taking. For instance, Bounce Fitness has a set of requirements found in their Policies and Procedures
for Meetings relevant to minute taking. These include the following:
▪ A roster of minute-takers must be in place across teams/departments. For general meetings,
the minute-taker will be assigned by the head of each team/department. Minute-takers must
have a copy of the agenda prior to the meeting and must be briefed prior to the meeting.
▪ Motions and resolutions must be documented in verbatim by the minute-taker in a formal
meeting. The content of the meeting minutes for Department/team meetings is upon the
discretion of the Chair.
▪ Upon completion of the meeting, the Manager will review the Minutes taken down by the
minute-taker while referring to the meeting agenda. If necessary, the manager will re-write
the minutes to edit by correcting grammar and spelling errors, and ensuring they accurately
reflect the meeting events. Accuracy of Topics discussed, Timeframes observed, and
Outcomes achieved will also be checked.
Further Reading
The simulated business of Bounce Fitness has supplementary materials relevant to
minute-taking. You may access these through their website linked below.
Policies and Procedures for Meetings
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Minutes can be informal or formal. These often depend on whether the meeting that transpired was
informal or formal. Below are a couple of case studies to better illustrate the difference between
informal and formal minutes.
Case Study 2.3.1
Your organisation is currently planning out a chook raffle, and your team has been assigned to
make arrangements for the raffle. As the team lead, you chair a meeting with your team
discussing these arrangements. Below are the informal minutes for your meeting:
Meeting:
Date:
Time:
Place:
Agenda Item Decision Action to be
Taken
Who
Responsible
Resources
Needed
Data
Completed
Chook Raffle 25 cooked
chooks
will be
raffled
Investigate
the cost of
chickens
Mary Peters Bank Chq 12 June
Handover
Arrangements
Quotes to
be sought
Costs
compared
Beatrice
McElroy
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Case Study 2.3.2
The Cairns Polo Club held a meeting regarding their remaining initiatives and
arrangements. Below is the formal minutes of the meeting:
Minutes of Cairns Polo Club
Wednesday, 8 June 2009, Cairns Community Centre
Meeting: The meeting was opened by President Ms Narelle Northy at 7:00pm
Present: John Burton, Maria Grills, Fred Bell, Patrick Grills, Lee Dawson, Anna Ellis
Apologies: Stuart Dawson
Adoption of the Minutes: ‘That the minutes of the previous meeting be confirmed.’
Moved: Lee Dawson
Seconded: Patrick Grills
Business arising from the minutes: Nil
Correspondence:
A. Inward
1. National President: Update of initiatives
2. Telstra: Internet account
3. National Office: Approval of funding for coordinator
B. Outward
1. Gemma Peast: Request to perform on November cabaret night
2. ‘That the inward correspondence be received, and the outward
correspondence be endorsed.’
Moved: John Burton
Seconded: Anna Ellis
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Reports:
A. Coordinator
No coordinator report pending appointment of coordinator
B. Financial report
(Report attached to these minutes)
‘That the financial report as circulated be accepted and the Ozemail account be paid.’
Moved: Maria Grills
Seconded: Fred Bell
2.3.2 Ensuring Action
Taking and Transcribing Minutes
To effectively take minutes, the minute-taker will need:
▪ The meeting agenda
▪ Minutes from the last meeting
▪ Any pre-reading documents
▪ Constitution and bylaws
Consider using a tape recorder to ensure accuracy. If it is chosen to record the meeting, the
participants must be informed and agree before the recording is commenced.
▪ Sit beside (or close to) the chairperson for help as the meeting proceeds.
▪ Write ‘Minutes of the meeting of (exact association or business name)’, record the date, time,
and place of the meeting.
▪ Circulate a sheet of paper for attendees to sign. (This sheet can also help identify speakers
by seating arrangement later in the meeting.) If the meeting is an open one, write down only
the names of the attendees who have voting rights.
▪ Note who arrives late or leaves early so that these people can be briefed on what they missed.
▪ Write down items in the order in which they are discussed. If item 8 on the agenda is
discussed before item 2, keep the old item number but write item 8 in second place.
▪ Record the motions made, who moved and seconded each.
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▪ Record whether motions are adopted or rejected, how the vote is taken (by show of hands,
voice, or another method), and whether the vote is unanimous.
▪ Record actions taken by the group but do not record details of each discussion.
▪ Transcribe minutes soon after the meeting, when your memory is fresh.
▪ Follow the format used in previous minutes.
▪ Preface resolutions with ‘Resolved, that...’
▪ Write ‘Submitted by’ and then sign your name and the date.
▪ Have the chairperson or executive check the minutes to verify their accuracy, sign, and date.
▪ Place minutes chronologically in a record book and store as required by the organisation.
▪ Consult only the chairperson or executive officer, not the attendees, if you have questions.
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Notes
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Key Points: Chapter 2
• The constitution of an organisation generally creates a framework of rules about
meetings.
• Meetings may be conducted formally or informally, depending on the objective of the
meeting and the circumstances. Meetings that require the taking of minutes are based
on Robert’s Rules of Order.
• Meeting procedure is based on a long tradition of democratic principles and
government by the will of the majority.
• A clear set of meeting procedures can make meetings more efficient and productive
meetings.
• When conducting meetings, it is useful if behaviours are agreed to by participants
before commencement.
• Minutes also exist to ensure that a record of decisions and those who agreed to them
is kept.
• Meeting participants need to know how much decision-making power is being
delegated to them.
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Chapter 3: Follow Up Meetings
Now that you have conducted your meeting, you will have to review your meeting documentation and
distribute them, as necessary. When reviewing your meeting documentation, you must ensure that the
content of these documents is true to what transpired in your meeting. Your documentation must also
provide a truthful and accurate representation of your meeting for a number of purposes that will be
discussed in this chapter.
Before distribution of meeting documentation, you must consider any timelines that your organisation
might have designated for the distribution and storage of this documentation. These timelines are
determined by a number of factors, such as contractual obligations, organisational requirements, or even
your meeting participants.
Documentation aside, you must also report the outcomes of your meeting. These outcomes must be
reported to the relevant personnel within the designated timelines. These timelines are similar to the
timelines designated for distribution and storage of meeting documentation and will be discussed further
in this chapter.
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3.1 Review Meeting Minutes and Edit, as Required
After chairing your meeting, ensure to review your meeting minutes. The information you will review can
include the discussed timeframes, project information, assigned tasks, and so on. Should there be any
inaccuracies, you must edit them to ensure that your meeting minutes are a truthful and accurate
representation of what was discussed during the meeting.
A good method of reviewing meeting minutes is having your minute-taker confirm the items discussed with
all meeting participants. For instance, your minute-taker can read what information they recorded to the
participants, and your participants can point out if there are any inaccuracies.
Another method can be cross-checking the meeting minutes against an audio or video recording of the
meeting. An audio or video recording of the meeting provides an accurate and precise representation of
the meeting, which your minute-taker can use to check if their minutes are inaccurate.
There are a number of reasons as to why you must review your meeting minutes. These reasons include:
▪ Meeting minutes offer legal protection
Meeting minutes are considered legal documents by auditors and the courts. Your meeting minutes
will often contain details that are crucial to keeping your organisation in line with state laws and
backing up tax returns. Legal officials and experts will maintain that if a specific action is not
covered in your meeting minutes, then it did not happen.
Meeting minutes offer legal protection
Meeting minutes offer structure
Meeting minutes promote action
Meeting minutes measure progress
Meeting minutes state ownership
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▪ Meeting minutes offer structure
While there is no exact, standardised format for meeting minutes, it is important that you report
the facts of your meeting in a clear and logical order. Your meeting minutes must contain sufficient
detail on how you and relevant personnel in your meeting arrived at specific decisions.
▪ Meeting minutes promote action
An accurate meeting minutes helps promote action for your team and employees in the
organisation. Your meeting minutes clearly delineate how, when, why, and by whom specific
decisions were made. These help map out a plan for action items and provide important
information to relevant personnel that were unable to attend the meeting.
▪ Meeting minutes measure progress
Because meeting minutes record meeting decisions, this makes your meeting minutes a useful
review document when it comes to measuring progress. Your meeting minutes also act as a tool
for accountability due to clearly specifying who was responsible for a specific task or action item.
▪ Meeting minutes state ownership
Depending on the progression of your meeting, your meeting minutes can be long and detailed or
short and straightforward. During instances when documentation is significant, you may need to
take detailed meeting minutes. This can include votes, specific decisions, action items, and the
persons responsible for these action items and decisions.
To further illustrate the importance of reviewing your meeting minutes and editing them as
required, a case study is provided below:
Case Study 3.1.1
You are currently chairing a meeting to discuss the arrangements of a project with the department
heads of your organisation. Before adjourning the meeting, you have your minute-taker read the
minutes so that you can review them for inaccuracies.
During your review, you notice that there were some items that were not recorded in the meeting
minutes. To correct this, the department heads helpfully repeated the key points of the agenda
items that your minute-taker was not able to record.
Once the meeting is adjourned, you create an action plan to reflect the project agreements made
during the meeting. To ensure that your action plan is true to the decisions made in the meeting,
you review the meeting minutes again.
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3.2 Distribute Store Minutes and Other Follow-Up Documentation Within Designated
Timelines, and According to Organisational Requirements
There are still a few jobs that must be done as soon as possible after the meeting:
▪ Send thanks to presenters (especially non-members).
▪ Draft a formal copy of the minutes as soon as possible after the meeting. This will be meant for
distribution.
▪ Amend the draft and/or approve it.
▪ After approval, distribute minutes to all members and people on the distribution list (also distribute
copies of presentations, after seeking appropriate permission).
▪ Send extracts of minutes to the following individuals:
o Your supervisor
o All participants
o Other personnel as indicated by organisational requirements (e.g. HR personnel)
▪ Ensure records are up to date.
▪ Ensure that minutes are recorded, distributed and stored according to organisational requirements.
You may wish to use some variation on the templates provided below.
Meeting Templates
Name Present
Date
Start Time
Finish Time
Total Time
Venue
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Agenda I tems Processed
Act ion Respons ib le Deadl ine
Date
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Storing Minutes
Minutes are always a permanent record and can be required as a legal document under some circumstances;
particular responsibility must be taken for their recording and secure storage.
▪ What is the organisational policy regarding recording and storage of minutes?
▪ Are they accessible to all, or is this restricted in some way?
▪ How should copies be kept - electronically, hard copy, or both?
▪ If a hard copy is kept, how many copies are kept, where are they kept, by whom and in what order?
▪ If copies are electronic, how are they labelled, filed on the computer and how securely are they
kept?
▪ Are CD-ROMS used primarily or as a back-up?
Every aspect of arranging a meeting and the follow up requires keen attention. By making this investment
in time and planning, you can be assured of the success of your meetings.
Distributing Minutes
Once your meeting has concluded and the meeting minutes have been finalised and approved, the minutes
must be distributed to the meeting participants as soon as possible. Keep in mind that your distribution
methods are typically aligned with the format of the meeting minutes.
For instance, if the minutes are recorded digitally (e.g. Word documents, audio recordings, or videos), copies
of the minutes can simply be distributed to participants through email. In addition, the copies of the minutes
can be uploaded onto the organisation’s cloud storage and their links distributed through email.
Should the meetings be recorded on a physical document, copies of the minutes can be distributed
personally to the participants. Other methods include faxing or mailing copies of the minutes to participants
who were unable to participate and lack access or knowledge to operate the necessary technology.
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When distributing and storing meeting minutes and other relevant documentation, make sure to check your
organisation’s policies and procedures for specific requirements. For instance, Bounce Fitness has a set of
requirements relevant to distributing and storing meeting documentation found in its Policies and
Procedures for Meetings.
These requirements include the following:
▪ Final copies of the updated Meeting Minutes must be distributed to all staff, including to those
who were absent, within seven (7) days for general meetings, and no more than three (3) days for
team/department meetings.
▪ Documents used in the meeting including agenda, minutes and other relevant documents must be
kept in accordance with the organisation’s record-keeping policies and procedures and relevant
legislation.
▪ All Meeting documentation such as Meeting Minutes, Meeting Agendas, Meeting Sign in sheets or
any other documentation used or discussed at the meeting must be stored electronically in D drive
under the context of the meeting. For example; staff meetings must be saved under:
D:Meetings/Staff
Further Reading
The simulated business of Bounce Fitness has supplementary materials relevant to
chairing meetings. You may access these through their website linked below.
Policies and Procedures for Meetings
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Be sure to follow designated timelines when distributing and storing your meeting documentation as well.
These timelines can include the following:
▪ Contractual obligations
These refer to the legal responsibilities of all parties involved in a contractual agreement. For
instance, two parties in a meeting will exchange an item of value, but certain expectations must be
met for the exchange to be completed. These expectations are defined by the terms of the contract
relevant to the exchange.
▪ Formal timeframe set by the organisation
Your organisation may have specific timeframes set for formal meetings. For instance, your
meeting documentation must be distributed to all participants within an hour after the meeting’s
adjournment. Ensure to check your organisation’s policies and procedures regarding meetings for
more information on formal timeframes.
▪ Informal timeframe set by the administrative organiser
The administrative organiser of the meeting may have scheduled a specific timeframe upon which
the meeting will start and end. These timeframes, while informal, are often aligned with the
organisation’s requirements for conducting meetings. During these timeframes, you can distribute
meeting documentation to your participants.
▪ Project timelines
Project timelines refer to the chronological order of events in a specific project. These timelines
provide an understanding of a project at a glance and keep everyone informed at every stage of the
project. Each stage of the project has its own due date and duration, which can dictate when you
must distribute and store your meeting documentation.
For instance, you are currently in the initial development stage of your project, which is due next
week. It would be appropriate to distribute and store meeting documentation within the current
week to make sure that everyone is currently informed. Distributing and storing meeting
documentation later than next week would result in everyone involved, not getting the information
they need in a timely manner.
▪ Statutory requirements (e.g. for annual general meetings)
These refer to legal requirements that you must follow for your organisation’s meeting to comply
with the Corporations Act 2001. According to the Act, if you are required to hold an annual general
meeting, your meeting must be held within eighteen months after registration. Your meeting must
also be held once every calendar year, and it must be held within five months of the company’s
financial year-end.
▪ Timeframe decided by participants
You may not have sufficient time in your meeting to distribute relevant meeting documentation to
your participants. In this instance, your participants can decide a timeframe that is appropriate for
them to receive meeting documentation, during which you must distribute this documentation and
store them, as necessary.
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3.2.1 Follow Up Documentation
Aside from your meeting minutes, you may need other documentation that can help provide more
accurate details of what transpired in your meeting. These are known as your follow up
documentation. Follow up documentation can serve as a reminder of what was discussed in the
meeting and can be useful in the completion of action items. This can also help ensure that there is
ongoing progress on the action items from your meeting.
Documentation may include the following:
▪ Email correspondences
Using email correspondences, you can list the key points that were discussed in your
meeting’s agenda. This can help remind participants of what the meeting was about and
what decisions were agreed upon in the meeting.
▪ Phone call
You can schedule a call with a specific participant to remind them of the action items that
they are responsible for. During this call, you can also ask them for their current progress
on the agreed action items.
▪ Video recording
A video recording is helpful if you have relevant personnel that were unable to attend your
meeting. The recording can also help if there are any agenda items from the meeting minutes
that need clarification.
Email correspondences Phone call
Video recording
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3.3 Report Outcomes of Meetings, as Required, Within Designated Timelines
Following the adjournment of your meeting, you may be required to report the outcomes of your meeting
to certain individuals in your workplace. These individuals can include your direct supervisor, your
department head, the board of directors, or even the owner of your organisation.
When reporting, ensure that you follow the timelines designated for you to complete your report. As
mentioned in Section 3.2, there are a number of designated timelines that you must adhere to. These include:
▪ Contractual obligations
▪ Formal timeframe set by the organisation
▪ Informal timeframe set by the administrative organiser
▪ Project timelines
▪ Statutory requirements (e.g. for annual general meetings)
▪ Timeframe decided by participants
The requirements for the content of your report may vary, so be sure to check your organisation’s policies
and procedures for requirements on reporting. However, there are five common sections of a report that
you can use as a rough guide for reporting. These sections include the following:
1. Executive summary
Also known as an abstract, this refers to a brief summary of the contents of your report. This
typically contains the key points of the outcomes of your meeting and should be no more than
half a page in length.
2. Introduction
Your introduction must provide a summary of your meeting’s main agenda, as well as the
conclusion and outcomes of your meeting.
3. Main body
This is the main part of your report. All details of the outcomes of your meeting must be
included here and organised in a logical structure. In this section, you must make sure to
convey the outcomes of your meeting in the most effective way for communication. You can
use figures and tables, bulleted or numbered lists, or formatting to break up large blocks of
text.
4. Conclusion
Your conclusion must identify the main outcomes of your meeting and any recommendations
you may have for future meetings. Given that your conclusion covers the main outcomes of
your meeting, your conclusion must be brief and structured logically. Similar to the main body
of your report, you can use bulleted or numbered lists to convey your conclusion.
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5. References
This section refers to a list of all the sources you cited in your report. Your references are
typically arranged in alphabetical order; however, your organisation may have specific
requirements on how your references must be arranged. Ensure to check your organisation’s
policies and procedures for writing a report.
After completing your report, you can then report the outcomes of your meeting. Make sure to check your
organisation’s policies and procedures; your organisation may have requirements on how you must report
to relevant personnel in the workplace.
There are two common methods of reporting. These methods include written reports and verbal reports.
Written reports are often filed to relevant personnel in the workplace according to your organisation’s
requirements. For instance, you can file your report through email correspondences addressed to your direct
supervisor within designated timelines.
For verbal reports, you can verbally report the outcomes of your meeting through a briefing with relevant
personnel. During your briefing, you can report the main outcomes of your meeting and provide relevant
meeting papers as required.
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Notes
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Key Points: Chapter 3
• Have the chairperson or executive check the minutes to verify their accuracy, and sign
and date if required.
• Place minutes chronologically in a record book and store as required by the
organisation.
• Instruct the minute-taker to distribute and store minutes as soon as possible after the
meeting.
• Have your minute-taker send a draft copy of the minutes to you for
approval/amendment.
• After approval, distribute minutes to all members and people on the distribution list
(also distribute copies of presentations, after seeking appropriate permission).
• Minutes are always a permanent record and can be required as a legal document under
some circumstances; particular responsibility must be taken for their recording and
secure storage.
• Every aspect of arranging a meeting and the follow up requires keen attention. By
making this investment in time and planning, you can be assured of the success of your
meetings.
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Summary
It takes skill to effectively manage a meeting; a skill that all managers should develop. There is no magic to
making a meeting effective; it takes practice and attention to detail. Knowing when to call a meeting and
when a phone call would suffice is a good start.
One meeting could solve many concerns; this occurs when things need to be discussed at length, when
decision-making involves several people with different experiences or opinions, and when you gather,
collate, and disseminate information to many people.
Occasionally, committees are great for seeking preliminary information. After they report back to the larger
group, the meeting of the larger group becomes more effective.
Regardless of the meeting purpose, planning and organisation are essential if it is to be successful.
“The world rewards
those who take
responsibility for
their own success.”
Curt Gerrish
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References
These are some references that we feel may be of assistance to you in completing the Assessment for this
unit of competency:
• 6 facilitation strategies to solicit participation in meetings. (2019, February 7). PMC Training.
https://pmctraining.com/site/resources-2/6-facilitation-strategies-to-solicit-participation-in-
meetings/
• 8 strategies for group problem solving and creativity. (2017, April 3). Engage for Success.
https://engageforsuccess.org/strategies-for-group-problem-solving-and-creativity
• AllBusiness Editors. (2010, July 1). Five reasons why meeting minutes are important. AllBusiness.Com.
https://www.allbusiness.com/five-reasons-why-meeting-minutes-are-important-4113272-1.html
• Balerio, M. (2013, June 23). Documents that are commonly used in meetings. Pa-Prive.Com. http://pa-
prive.com/documents-that-are-commonly-used-in-meetings/
• Chapter 16. group facilitation and problem-solving | section 4. techniques for leading group discussions | main
section | community tool box. (2019). Ku.Edu. https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-
contents/leadership/group-facilitation/group-discussions/main
• Define contractual obligations: Everything you need to know. (n.d.). UpCounsel. Retrieved November 5,
2020, from https://www.upcounsel.com/define-contractual-
obligations#:~:text=Contractual%20Obligations%20Overview-
• Eisenstein, L. (2019, September 6). How to take minutes at a board meeting. BoardEffect.
https://www.boardeffect.com/blog/how-to-take-minutes-at-a-board-meeting/
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• Juneja, P. (n.d.). Meeting etiquette - codes of conduct while attending meetings.
Www.Managementstudyguide.Com. Retrieved November 5, 2020, from Meeting Etiquette - Codes
of Conduct while attending Meetings (managementstudyguide.com)
• Lash, M. (2018, March 21). What are the requirements of an annual general meeting? LegalVision.
https://legalvision.com.au/requirements-annual-general-meeting-agm/
• Lid, V. (2016, February 10). Group dynamics in meetings - roles played in a group setting. MeetingSift.
http://meetingsift.com/group-dynamics-in-meetings-roles-played/
• Meeting management - organization, manager, type, workplace, situations requiring a meeting. (n.d.).
Www.Referenceforbusiness.Com. Retrieved November 5, 2020, from
https://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Mar-No/Meeting-Management.html
• Mind Tools Content Team. (n.d.). How to run effective virtual meetings: Communicating well with technology.
Www.Mindtools.Com. Retrieved November 5, 2020, from
https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/running-effective-virtual-meetings.htm
• Mind Tools Content Team. (2019). Running effective meetings: Establishing an objective and sticking to it.
Mindtools.Com. https://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/RunningMeetings.htm
• Report writing. (2011). Skillsyouneed.Com. https://www.skillsyouneed.com/write/report-
writing.html
• Report writing: Structure and content. (2018, August 16). Eng.Kuleuven.Be.
https://eng.kuleuven.be/prev/english/education/reporting/structure-content
• Root III, G. N. (2019, January 29). 10 rules for proper business meeting etiquette. Small Business -
Chron.Com. https://smallbusiness.chron.com/10-rules-proper-business-meeting-etiquette-
2857.html
• SkillMaker. (2013, August). Meeting papers. Skillmaker. https://www.skillmaker.edu.au/meeting-
papers/#:~:text=Meeting%20papers%20are%20the%20documents
• What is a conference. (2015). EVenues. https://evenues.com/event-planning-guide/what-is-a-
conference
• What is problem solving? Steps, process & techniques. (2019). Asq.Org. https://asq.org/quality-
resources/problem-solving
• What is the difference between a meeting and a conference. (2018, July 30). E88 Bangkok.
https://e88bangkok.com/difference-meeting-conference/
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