I. Why an agenda is important. Consider the following items, expand them:

• designed to enable all important and relevant points to be dealt with in good order and good time

• a form of courtesy

• enables participants to make a meaningful contribution

• provides a logical guide for business and discussion

• brings harmony and efficiency to a meeting

• helps restrain participants from speaking out of turn

II. Imagine a formal meeting without an agenda. What could happen? Make a list of six possible situations or outcomes. Compare your list with others you find there. Did others identify similar problems?

III. Discuss the following quotations:

1. “A meeting moves at the speed of the slowest mind in the room” (Dale Dauten)

2. “A meeting is an event where minutes are taken and hours wasted” (James T.Kirk)

3. “I think there needs to be a meeting to set an agenda for more meetings about meetings”(Jonah Goldberg)

1.3. HOW TO CHAIR A MEETING

Starting up

What makes an effective chairperson? Consider the factors below and place them in order of priority. Explain your reasons.

• Take time to prepare for meetings

• Conduct meetings in a business-like manner, keeping to time and following the agenda

• Allow all members the opportunity to voice their opinions

• Summarise all discussion and debates before making any decisions

• Ensure that decisions are accurately made and recorded

• Uphold the organisation’s rules as written in its governing document

• Promote and represent the organisation to others

• Resolve conflicts by discussion and clarification

Read the text below and do the tasks that follow it (paying attention to the vocabulary in bold type).

An Effective Chairperson

The chairperson must control the meeting so that it can reach a successful conclusion and achieve its purpose.

It is your job as a chairperson to begin and end the meeting on time and to make sure that the maximum amount of business is conducted in the minimum of time. The agenda will help to guide the discussion as it lists the order of the main points to be discussed. If there is only one issue to discuss at the meeting an agenda may not be necessary. However in this case you should make the purpose of the meeting clear.

Make sure the discussion is relevant. If participants start moving off the topic or bringing up irrelevant issues, the chairperson must politely bring the discussion back to the point. Once a suggestion has been introduced the group should examine it carefully before moving on to the next point.

All members ought to have an equal chance to participate. The chair asks quiet members questions to find out what their views and ideas on the point discussed are. But being in the chair you should also control people who talk too much or monopolize the discussion. Sometimes personal conflicts may get in the way of achieving the purpose of the meeting. It is important to keep the discussion to the point and not on the personalities of those present.

It is the role of to the person presiding over the meeting to keep the discussion moving. You have to decide when conversation is useful and should be encouraged. But you also have to cut off conversation when it becomes irrelevant. Members may spend too much time on the point or start repeating the same ideas. You may then summarize the discussion and look for areas of agreement. You can ask “Do we agree that …?” or “Then we agree that …?” When necessary the chair points out the action to be taken and the person responsible for it.

It is relevant that all participants understand the discussion. You may have to paraphrase or explain certain points. When chairing a meeting try to be fair and objective in leading the discussion and show an encouraging attitude towards all present. They should feel that their ideas and suggestions are important.

At the end of the meeting the chairperson summarizes the decisions taken. Make sure that all participants understand and agree with the decisions.

In meetings which are controlled from the chair, identical words are used on most occasions. The chairperson needs a certain amount of formal language to make the meeting a success.

Nowadays the chairperson is addressed as:

Mr Chairman… if the person is a man.

Madam Chair… if the person is a woman.

With the Chair’s permission … for a man and a woman.

Exercise 1. Answer the following questions:

1) What is the main task of the chairperson?

2) What must the chairperson ensure?

3) Why will the agenda help guide the discussion?

4) In what case is the agenda not necessary?

5) When must the chairperson bring the discussion back to the point?

6) When can the group move on to the next point?

7) Why should personal conflicts be avoided?

8) What are the responsibilities of the chair at the end of the meeting?

9) Why can the person in the chair not always be addressed as “Mr Chair”?

Exercise 2. Arrange the responsibilities of a chairperson at a formal meeting considering the following points:

Presents the speakers relevant orderly

Presents the agenda

Presents the most important facts

Paraphrases what a participant has said or asked

Explains the purpose of the meeting

Moves to the point on the agenda

Asks for action and sets follow-up tasks

Thanks participants

Announces the next meeting

Controls decision-making

Gets people’s attention and starts the meeting

Asks for repetition and clarification

Presents the most important facts

Summarizes

Asks for repetition and clarification

Opening the meeting	Bringing people into the discussion	Keeping the discussion	Closing the meeting

Exercise 3. Fill in the missing words.

The chairperson tries to c … the maximum amount of b … in the minimum of time. An a … is prepared and given to participants in a … . It l… the order of the main p… to be discussed. If there is no a … the chair makes the p … of the meeting c … . If participants b … up irrelevant i …you b … the discussion back to the p … . Every s … must be examined carefully. Everybody present must have an e … chance to participate and the chair finds out what their v … and i… discussed are. P … conflicts may get in the way of a…. the purpose of the meeting and that is why the discussion must be kept to the p… .The person p… over the meeting keeps the discussion m… . He/she may have to p… and explain certain p… .Sometimes conversation becomes i… and must be cut o… . It is important to find a… of a… . The chairperson must be f… and objective in l… the discussion.

Exercise 4. Read the text about a successful chairperson and fill in the gaps with one of the words below.

Impartially, word, commitment , standing, attend, common, passive, relaxed, persuasion, dynamic, to devote, superior, discretion, integrity, board, maintaining, strategic, participation, demonstrate, external

A successful chairperson is open and_______________, has good inter-personal relationship skills, is equal rather than___________________ and demonstrates a high level of integrity , both in ___________and action. The style of an effective chairperson is usually that of a_______________ organizational leader, rather than that of a___________ director.

The chairperson’s time___________ is significantly greater than that of other directors. The chairperson must prepare for and__________ board and committee meetings, and have the time to interact with the chief executive, to meet with other staff and directors, and carry out ___________functions with stakeholders outside the organisation.

An ideal chairperson should:

have the time_______________ to the role and duties of chairperson;

be a leader with a proven track record in leadership and governance, showing strong leadership skills such as____________, motivation and good interpersonal relationships;

be capable of leading ____________processes, demonstrating objectivity and independence;

have the will and ability to challenge individual board members, as appropriate. The chairperson must also have the______________, skills and self-confidence to lead and control the more forceful directors on a board;

be capable of establishing and ______________appropriate personal relationships with the chief executive;

be a clear and innovative _____________ thinker;

encourage ____________and be a good listener;

be able to clarify issues and _____________summarize view points;

________________personal integrity (not politics) and respect;

demonstrate ____________sense and realism;

exercise good judgement and_____________.

Exercise 5. Translate the following text into English.

Продуктивні збори. Поради для головуючого

Хороший головуючий – це той, хто, завдяки знанням певних фундаментальних правил, надає важливості та проводить збори за правилами, а також підтримує позитивну атмосферу серед учасників зборів.

Дії головуючого повинні бути такими, щоб учасники зборів постійно відчували, що він виконує свої функції компетентно та чесно.

Права головуючого

• Вся дискусія повинна проводитися через головуючого.

• Всі питання спрямовуються через головуючого.

• Ніхто не отримує права голосу, поки його не надасть головуючий.

• Голос головуючого є вирішальним у випадку нічиї під час вирішення питання, проте це не стосується виборів.

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