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CHAPTER 8

Effective Meetings

Resource Guide

The opening page of each chapter in Communicating at Work lists desired learning outcomes. The

Resource Guide will assist you in locating activities and resources from the text and Instructor Manual

that are relevant to each objective.

Chapter Objectives

Resources

Describe various types and purposes of meetings.

Key terms: information sharing; problem–solving

and decision–making meetings; ritual activities.,

Instructor’s Manual online:

Classroom Activities: 1

Describe the various types and characteristics of

virtual meetings.

Key terms: conference calls; web conferences;

video conferences; and collaborative technologies

In the text:

Activities: 1

Culture at Work: Collaboration in Cyberspace

Instructor’s Manual online:

Discussion Launchers: 1,2

Classroom Activities: 2

Identify reasons to hold (or not hold) a meeting.

In the text:

Activities: 2, 3

Career Tip:

How to Handle “Time Waster” Meetings

Ethical Challenge:

Dealing with Opposing Viewpoints

Instructor’s Manual online:

Discussion Launchers: 3-6

Classroom Activities: 3

Construct a complete meeting agenda.

Key terms: action items; agenda; meeting minutes

In the text:

Activities: 4

Career Tip:

Members Can Be Leaders, Too

Instructor’s Manual online:

Discussion Launchers: 7

Classroom Activities: 4, 5

Identify methods to balance participation of

members, keep discussion on track and create a

positive atmosphere.

Key terms: parliamentary procedure; consensus;

majority vote; minority decision; expert opinion;

In the text:

Activities: 5, 6, 7

Culture at Work:

International Business Etiquette

Career Tip:

How to Take Meeting Minutes

brainstorming; nominal group technique; overhead

questions; direct question; motions; reverse

questions; relay questions.

Career Tip:

Reframing Complaints in Meetings

Case Study: Device–Free Meetings

Self–Assessment: Meeting Effectiveness Checklist

Instructor’s Manual online:

Personal Reflection for Journaling

Discussion Launchers: 8-14

Classroom Activities: 6–12

Effectively bring a meeting to a close and follow

up appropriately.

Instructor’s Manual online:

Discussion Launchers: 15–18

About Chapter 8

The ability to conduct and participate in meetings is essential for members of today’s workforce.

Effective meetings can build morale and boost creativity, yet ineffective meetings waste precious time in

business. This chapter promotes an appreciation for the importance of conducting meetings effectively in

today’s organizations.

After explaining different types of meetings (information–sharing, decision–making, ritual, and

virtual) this chapter presents guidelines for determining whether calling a meeting is appropriate. The

focus then shifts to the steps required to construct an agenda and plan a meeting. The skills for opening,

conducting, closing, and following up after a meeting are explained. Skills for conducting a meeting focus

Opportunities can be found throughout this chapter to apply previously taught skills in the context of

meetings. For instance, the section on ritual activities relates to Chapter 1 material about informal

networks and physical contexts. This chapter’s discussion of encouraging participation can be linked to

listening styles and gender and minority interaction in Chapters 3 and 4. Writing quality meeting goals

Personal Reflection for Individual Journaling

Picture yourself in your mind’s eye at the last meeting you attended. If you were an outsider

observing your nonverbal and verbal interaction, what would you notice? Your descriptions

should be specific and measurable. What intended and unintended messages were you sending?

Would this outsider think you were helping or hindering the group process? Why?

Discussion Launchers

1. Explain the differences between a group and a meeting. Can a group exist if it doesn’t meet? Can

a true meeting occur if the attendees are not all part of a group?

2. Talk to someone who works in a job that you are interested in. Ask her or him to describe the

purposes, types, and importance of meetings in which she or he participates.

3. When have you felt most satisfied with a meeting you attended? Why?

4. When have you felt most dissatisfied with a meeting you attended? Why?

5. How would you complete the following: I [usually, almost always, often, almost never, never]

6. Under what circumstances should a meeting be avoided and the problem solved by some other

form of communication? Can you give some examples?

7. How many meetings that you attend have printed agendas? Do you always or ever have printed

agendas one or more days in advance of the meeting? What are the effects of having or not

having an agenda?

8. In your experience, what should a leader do to start a meeting off on the right foot? Can you

recall some exemplary beginnings? What made them so?

9. Can you think of meetings that started off poorly? Why? What could/should have been done

differently?

12. What do people do to discourage others from participating in meetings? What things really

discourage you from participating?

13. What are the most important things a leader can do to keep a discussion on target? In your

opinion, what should a leader never do?

14. If, starting tomorrow, all guidelines in the text for calling and conducting meetings were

followed, what immediate changes would occur in your life? In the organizations you belong to?

16. What do you think you, as a participant, can/should do when the group’s work isn’t done, but the

scheduled time for the meeting is up?

17. What do you appreciate most in terms of follow–up after a meeting? What do you think is the

responsibility of the leader? Of each participant?

18. Have you ever attended a meeting that had an unsatisfactory ending? Explain why you thought it

was unsatisfactory, integrating concepts from this chapter.

Classroom Activities

1. Types of Meetings:

Objective: Students will become more familiar with the frequency and types of meetings held in

organizations in today’s workplace.

Procedure: Write the titles of the following meeting types on the board: information–sharing; problem–

Class Discussion: After all students are seated, ask questions about each type of meeting, such as:

• What similarities do you see among the topics of the meetings in this category?

• What differences do you see among the topics of the meetings in this category?

• Based on this sample, which meetings seem to occur most? Is this a representative sample? How

do you know?

• By a show of hands, how many of you noted meetings that actually accomplished all or most of

2. Virtual Meetings and Face–to–Face Meetings

Objective: Students will experience first–hand the advantages and disadvantages of meeting face–to–face

versus virtually. This is an important lesson in today’s high–tech world, where old–fashioned face–to–face

meetings are sometimes shunned in favor of texting, even though face–to–face communication is a richer

medium and is far more appropriate for tackling complex issues.

Procedure: Divide the class into six groups. Give each group the same task, such as creating five quiz

questions (with correct answers indicated) covering the material in the current chapter of this text.

Whatever task you assign should require some level of interdependence. Groups will have 10 minutes to

3. A Meeting: To Have or Not to Have?

Objective: The purpose of this activity is to identify circumstances and apply criteria to determine the

advisability and necessity of holding a meeting.

Procedure: In small groups, ask students to generate a collective list of four or five meetings they have

student explain what was accomplished during the meeting he attended. Using the criteria in the text, ask

the group to decide by consensus whether each meeting was necessary. There might be some lively

debate if the student feels the meeting he or she participated in was necessary and the class does not.

4. Agendas: Proposed and Actual

Objective: The purposes of this activity are to provide an opportunity for students to compare agendas

with actual meeting discussions and to help students establish more realistic agendas through a critical

analysis of the actual meeting process.

Class Discussion: The following questions could be used to lead class discussion:

• How closely did the agenda adhere to the guidelines in the text?

• Would you suggest any modifications to the agenda?

• What were the differences among the agenda, the students’ observations, and the minutes of

the meetings?

• If there were major differences, why did they occur?

• If the group got off track, what communication skills could have prevented them from

5. Preparing an Agenda

Objectives: This activity should assist students in the development of skills for writing agendas and

provide them an opportunity to examine a variety of agenda types.

Procedure: Choose an issue about which students could create an agenda. For example, you could assign

students to prepare an agenda for a class meeting to decide the speaking order for upcoming speeches and

• Which agendas are most effective? Why?

• Which would be easiest to follow?

• Which would be hardest to follow? Why?

6. Participation Bean Bag

Objective: Students will gain practice in participating in a discussion that stays on track and encourages

everybody to contribute. This exercise is also a good bet when students are gripped by some national,

local, or campus event that is distracting them from class topics.

Procedure: Place students in groups of seven to nine members. Ask each group to select a topic of

interest they would like to discuss. Provide a bean bag or a similar object for each group. The group’s task

is to hold a discussion in which all members have a chance to participate. Begin the conversation by

stating, “Today, we will talk about XXXXX.” As you toss the bag to one of the students, ask “Tanya,

what are your thoughts on this?” Tanya must use a linking device to show the continuity between your

Variation 1: You may distribute a list of linking phrases before beginning the conversation. Examples

include, “As you said,” “To the contrary,” “Just like you,” “I agree with you, and I would like to add,”

“There’s one point I have a question about,” and “I see what you’re saying, but I’d like to return to a point

that was brought up earlier.”

Variation 2: You may appoint one or two observers who will write down the rhetorical devices students

Class Discussion: Debrief this exercise by asking questions such as:

• Did this conversation follow a typical path? Why or why not?

• Why did this seem phony? How could you learn these conversation skills without

first practicing them in a way that feels phony?

• Did this format force you to listen to the people speaking before and after you?

• Although this highly structured format we used today might not be appropriate, how

7. Mock Meeting*

Objective: This activity gives students a chance to practice running a meeting.

Procedure: Arrange all chairs in a large circle. Begin by asking what types of meetings students have

participated in and what the strengths and weaknesses of those meetings have been. Typically, most of the

HR director, marketing and advertising manager, research and development manager and an

administrative assistant who will take notes. The students will conduct a role– play of a monthly board

meeting.

Before beginning the meeting, have students create an agenda (this can be written on the board). Limit the

number of items on the agenda so the class can cover them during one session. Review the guidelines in

the text for opening a meeting. Then ask the president of the board to open the meeting. After the

president completes the opening, analyze the process in terms of the guidelines from the text. Next,

review guidelines for conducting the meeting. Proceed with the agenda items. Feel free to coach the

Alternative: If students are unfamiliar with what goes on at a corporate board meeting, they could role–

play a parent discussion group about child–raising or a student group whose task is to improve the

appearance of the campus.

Class Discussion: After completing the meeting, discuss the students’ experiences. You might want to

ask questions such as:

• In what ways was this meeting effective and ineffective?

• Which of the guidelines from the text seem easiest to master?

• Which seem hardest to apply effectively?

• Are some guidelines more essential than others?

• How can you gain more practice using these guidelines?

• If you are a low–level employee, what could you do to improve the meetings in your

organization?

*Adapted from Roberta Gilroy, Salt Lake Community College

8. Nominal Group Technique

Objective: To apply the nominal group technique as a method for generating a list of alternatives.

Procedure: Use the nominal group technique to generate a list of vital issues and/or new concepts

(buzzwords) in business and industry today. You might begin by asking, “What do you think are the most

important issues and new concepts in the workplace today?” Examples are diversity, hiring competent

people, training employees, working in groups, downsizing, and total quality management. Then have

2. Now, post all ideas on a large sheet of paper.

3. Discuss all ideas so they are clearly understood by everyone, but not criticized.

4. After all ideas are discussed for clarity, silently and individually rank–order the ideas from

most to least important on a post–it note. (Put a “1” by the most important, “2” by next in

5. Then, tally the items, and decide on a rank–order for the group’s list of the five or six most

important items.

Alternative: Choose a matter you are willing to turn over to the class—dates of test or presentations,

Class Discussion: This activity will produce a list of issues the class believes are most important to

American business today. You might use these issues as the basis of research, reading, or group–

presentation assignments.

9. Reflective Thinking Sequence

Objective: Students will learn to use each of the steps of the reflective thinking sequence.

Procedure: Divide students into groups. Provide students with a list of potential problems, such as those

listed on the page titled “Potential Group Problems” located at the end of this section. Instruct each group

to select a problem. As an alternative, you can ask groups to solve a problem that one of their members is

currently experiencing in a small group they belong to, such as a work group, living group, or class group.

Each group should then discover the best solution they can for the problem they have chosen by working

through each step of the reflective thinking sequence. Students will not be able to complete steps 6 and 7

Class Discussion: After groups have completed all steps of the process, review their application of the

reflective thinking process.

• Elicit examples of their problem definitions. Analyze the definitions to be sure they’ve been

stated as focused, open–ended questions.

• Discuss groups’ analyses of their problems. Were they able to uncover a variety of

perspectives from the people experiencing the problem? Did they find any positive aspects of

the problem? Did they discover any potential causes? What variations of the problem exist?

• How many criteria did each group establish? Are the criteria reasonable? Did the criteria

specify realistic deadlines and budgets? Did the group attend to relational criteria (e.g.,

ensuring that each person affected by the solution will feel reasonably satisfied and that the

solution does not favor the needs of one constituent over another)?

• Was the group able to brainstorm freely without entering into a discussion of the merits or

drawbacks of any solutions at this stage? Did the group encourage radical thinking? Did the

group discourage anyone’s comments at this stage?

• Did the group take the time to consider each solution in terms of all the proposed criteria?

Did this help them discover an effective solution? Why or why not?

• Is the implementation plan realistic? Is the plan detailed enough to serve as a plan of action?

Did the group take the time to tease out any potential negative consequences and describe

how to manage them if they should occur?

• Did the group specify a time and method they could use in the future to evaluate whether the

10. Applying Decision Making Methods

Objective: The purpose of this activity is to provide students with an opportunity to apply group

decision–making skills.

Procedure: Don’t prescribe a specific decision–making method for this activity. Divide the class into

groups of five or six students. Give them these directions: “You have 35 minutes to reach a decision

recommending the spending of up to $50,000 for your university or college to improve its recruiting

efforts in local high schools. Your group must come up with a budget detailing how the money is to be

Class Discussion: After the groups reach their decisions, discuss the methods they used to make their

recommendations.

• How did they decide on the method they used?

• How did they decide it was the best method for this situation?

• Did any group members want to change the way they were deciding?

11. Comparing Decision–Making Methods

Objective: Students will compare advantages and disadvantages of various decision–making methods.

Procedure: Divide the class into five groups. Assign each group one of the decision–making methods

identified in the text. Allow students a few minutes to review the description of their method. Then assign

the entire class the same open–ended decision (either hypothetical or real) to be made. For example, you

could ask the class to decide how to format their next exam, how to distribute participation points for the

Class Discussion: Discuss students’ experiences with each method of decision making.

• Was your assigned method effective for this task? Explain.

• If not, what type of task might have been better suited to this method?

• Was your assigned method enjoyable? Which methods do you think might be most

enjoyable? In which situations?

• Was your assigned method efficient? Would this method always be efficient/inefficient?

• Did your method provide the best possible solution? Why or why not?

• The next time you participate in a decision–making group, how can you help them select the

best possible method for making their decision? Be very specific.

Potential Case Studies for Reflective Thinking Process Activity

A. The Food Drive: Our local food banks are short of important food items this year. You are a group of

college students. With Thanksgiving (Easter) approaching, you would like to help the food bank gather

additional food.

to devise a communication project that will help the class use the theories and skills they have been

reading about in the text. The project you suggest must cover one and only one of the topics you’ve

studied so far in this class.

C. Peer Tutoring: You are a group of college students who function as peer tutors. A nearby high school

E. Working Hours: You work with a team of 15 coworkers. Each of you works four hours a day, five

days a week, during either the morning, afternoon, or evening shift. Your manager has left it up to the 15

of you to work out who will work which shift. No one really wants the evening shift. Right now, the six

workers who are married are refusing to work the evening shift, arguing that they need time to be home

with their spouses. They claim that their family needs are more important than the wishes of the

Additional Resources

Kaner, S. (2007). Facilitator’s guide to participatory decision–making. Hoboken, NJ: Jossey–Bass

Business & Management.

Provides concrete suggestions as well as a discussion of helpful mindsets for facilitating

participative meetings. Includes a section about understanding and dealing with difficult

situations.

Kelsey, D. & Plumb, P. (2004). Great meetings! Great results. Portland, ME: Great Meetings, Inc.

DVD

Be Prepared for Meetings. 24 min. Kantola Productions.

Part of the Toastmasters International Communication series, this video teaches techniques for all

parts of meetings.

Foundations of communication: William Jurma on the Importance and Technique of Discussion. (21

min). The Educational Video Group.

Part of an NCA–sanctioned series. A distinguished scholar introduces class material and

generates discussion.

Web

American Society for Quality: Nominal Group Technique

http://asq.org/learn–about–quality/idea–creation–tools/overview/nominal–group.html

When and how to use NGT.

Evaluation Research Team

http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/evaluation/pdf/brief7.pdf

Advantages, disadvantages, and how–to for NGT.

A host of articles on effective meeting management.

Municipal Research and Service Center of Washington

http://www.mrsc.org/subjects/governance/council/parliament.aspx

Summarizes key aspects of Robert’s Rules.

Office of Quality Improvement (Univ of Wisconsin–Madison)