Types of Meetings

Vocabulary

core skill – основополагающие навыки

productive – эффективный, плодотворный

to call a meeting– созывать собрание

staff meeting – собрание персонала, производственное совещание

one-on-one meeting – встреча один на один

kickoff meeting– стартовое совещание, предстроительное собрание

interim meeting – промежуточное собрание

water cooler- бачок с питьевой водой (перевернутая пластмассовая бутыль с краном, из

которой наливают охлажденную питьевую воду. Обычный предмет оборудования

офисных помещений)

scheduled appointment– запланированная встреча

topical meeting– тематическое совещание

annual meeting – ежегодное (отчетное) собрание

emergency meeting – экстренное совещание

merger - слияние, поглощение

moderator– председатель собрания

Managing meetings effectively is a core skill every manager should develop. Although there's no mystery to what makes a meeting productive, it all starts with knowing when to call a meeting, and why.

How do you know it's time to call a meeting? What type of meeting is it? What's the purpose of the meeting? Here are some typical situations when a meeting may be called for.

You're managing a project.Projects tend to require meetings at various stages: at the beginning, as the project plan is coming together, and at regular intervals while the work is being done. Toward the end of the project, depending on its size, daily meetings could be necessary.

You're managing people. Many bosses call weekly staff meetings in addition to weekly one-on-one meetings with their direct subordinates. These meetings provide a chance to review the work performed in the previous week and look ahead to what will be performed in the coming week.

You're managing a client. Many types of companies, especially professional services firms, make presentations to clients: sales presentations, kickoff meetings, interim meetings, and final presentations. Present relationships with other companies also typically involve periodic meetings.

Problems are arising.If a project is getting off course, interpersonal conflicts are escalating, or any other emergency occurs, it's time to call a meeting.

What type of meeting is it?

The purpose of the meeting should help determine the appropriate format. A quick question at the water cooler or a visit to someone's office may take the place of a meeting. The length and formality of the meeting will vary depending on how many people are invited, the size of the company, and who's leading the meeting.

The basic types of meetings are as follows.

Standing meeting. A regularly scheduled appointment, such as a weekly one-on-one with a boss or a department.

A project meeting of employees involved in a particular activity. Such meetings take place at intervals until the project is over so the format and agenda of these meetings become relatively well established.

Topical meeting. A gathering called to discuss one subject, such as a work issue or a task related to a project.

Annual meeting: where shareholders discuss the company’s annual report.

Emergency meeting ( EGM): extraordinary general meeting: a shareholders' meeting to discuss an important issue such as a proposed merger, a crisis.

Presentation. A highly structured meeting where one or more people speak and a moderator leads the proceedings. The purpose is usually to inform. Attendees may have an opportunity to ask questions, but typically their participation is limited.

Conference. A highly structured, moderated meeting, like a presentation, where various participants speak following a fixed agenda.

Seminar. A structured meeting with an educational purpose. Seminars are usually led by people with expertise in the subject matter.

WORD STUDY

Ex. 1. Study the different meanings of the following words and use them to translate the sentences.

a)projectn1. проект, план; программа

2. задание исследовательского характера для школьников или студентов

3. муниципальное жильё

b)projectv1. выдаваться, выступать

2. проектировать, разрабатывать, составлять проект

3. планировать

4. прогнозировать, предполагать

5. проецировать

1. You can project the picture onto an empty white wall.

2. He projected a system of rules to which he strictly adhered. (строго придерживался)

3. We're doing a project on pollution.

4. The book is projected for publication in March.

5. The project is funded by Welcome plc.

6. Four towers projected from the main building.

7. Inflation is projected to rise by 5% next year.

8. In Toronto, large projects house largely immigrants and refugees, and lower-income

Canadians.

Ex. 2. Match the words listed below with their definitions.

_____ meeting _____ staff meeting _____ kick-off meeting _____ presentation _____ conference _____ appointment _____ agenda _____ moderator _____ emergency

a. a list of the subjects to be discussed at a meeting b. an arrangement for a meeting at an agreed time and place, for a particular purpose c. a meeting between a manager and those that report to the manager d. someone whose job is to control a discussion or an argument between people e. an unexpected and dangerous situation that must be dealt with immediately f. an event at which you describe or explain a new product or idea g. the first meeting with the project team and the client of the project to discuss the role of each team member h. a meeting for consultation, exchange of information, or discussion, especially one with a formal agenda i. an event at which people meet to discuss and decide things

Ex. 3. Complete the following sentences with the appropriate terms from the list below.

staff meeting	work meetings	management meeting
off-site meeting	one-on-one meeting	team meeting
kick-off meeting	topical meeting	board meeting

1) _____________ are meetings which produce a product or intangible result such as a decision.

2) _____________ is typically a meeting between a manager and those that report to the

manager (possibly indirectly).

3) _____________ is a meeting among colleagues working on various aspects of a team project.

4) _____________ is a meeting called together for a special purpose.

5) _____________ is a meeting among managers.

6) _____________ is a meeting of the Board of directors of an organization.

7) _____________ is a meeting between two individuals.

8) _____________ is also called "offsite retreat" and known as an Awayday meeting in the UK.

9) _____________ is the first meeting with the project team and the client of the project to

discuss the role of each team member.

Ex. 4. Find the English equivalents to the following words and phrases.

созывать собрание ___________________________________________

равные интервалы ___________________________________________

непосредственные подчиненные _______________________________

предоставлять возможность ___________________________________

демонстрация товара перспективному покупателю ________________

межличностные конфликты ____________________________________

руководить собранием ________________________________________

акционеры __________________________________________________

ежегодный отчет _____________________________________________

участники собрания ___________________________________________

координированное собрание ___________________________________

компетентные люди ___________________________________________

COMPREHENSION

Ex. 5. Find the false sentences and correct them using the information from the text.

1. Managing meetings effectively is a core skill every manager should develop.

2. Projects tend to require meetings only at the beginning.

3. Toward the end of the project, depending on its size, monthly meetings could be necessary.

4. Many types of companies, especially professional services firms, make presentations to

clients.

5. If a project is getting off course there is no need to call a meeting.

6. The length and formality of the meeting do not depend on how many people are invited.

7. Attendees may have an opportunity to ask questions, and their participation is not limited.

Ex. 6. Answer the questions.

1. What is a core skill every manager should develop?

2. What are typical situations when a meeting may be called for?

3. What is a standing meeting?

4. Many types of companies, especially professional services firms, make presentations to

clients, don’t they?

5. What other reasons to call a meeting can you name?

6. What determines the appropriate format of a meeting?

7. What do the length and formality of the meeting depend on?

8. What is a topical meeting?

9. What is the purpose of a presentation?

10. What is a conference?

11. Do participants of a conference follow a fixed agenda?

12. What are the reasons for calling an emergency meeting?

13. Who usually leads seminars?

Ex. 7. Read and translate the dialogue where colleagues are discussing a meeting they have just come out of.

Anil: I thought it was very productive.

Juliet: Well, I thought it was a complete waste of time. I didn't hear anything I didn't already know.

Barbara: I agree with Anil. I felt we had some very useful discussions, and that we reached an agreement that was good for both sides. We certainly covered a lot of ground. It was incredible the number of things we got through.

Juliet: But there were too many digressions. John was rambling and kept wandering off the point. He just uses meetings as a chance to show off. Just like a lot of men: he just wanted to show how powerful he is and what a good talker he is.

Anil: But to be fair, the chair really kept things moving: she encouraged people to be brief and to stick to the point and we achieved a lot in a short time. Anyway, I learned a lot and I think they listened to what we had to say.

Ex. 8. Find in the dialogue appropriate English phrases for the following:

Мне кажется, собрание было очень плодотворным. Мы обсудили много вопросов. Председатель следила за тем, чтобы люди были краткими и говорили по существу. Но было слишком много отклонений от темы. Я думаю, собрание было напрасной тратой времени. Джон много и сбивчиво говорил и все время отклонялся от темы.

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