Types of meetings

one-to-one meetings (job interviews, employer-

employee talks, sales meetings, various business dialogues) small-group meetings (discussions with colleagues/ co-workers/ co-members of certain groups, training sessions etc.) large-group meetings (annual general meetings (AGM), conferences symposia, congress meetings etc.)

Elements of Business Meetings

Participants
Group leader Topics Business areas Feedback

Purposes of business meetings are extremely variated

to co-ordinate activities
to make decisions to transmit information for training purposes for problem-solving exchanging information exploring an issue persuading people hidden objectives

Number of participants:
between 5 and 9 - most desirable for many purposes

However, the size of the meeting depends on its objectives. for problem solving and decision making: 5 or fewer members for training/ information transmission:15 -20 up to 30 members

Types of meetings

Executive/ command meetings Discussion/consultative/advisory meetings Colleague meetings Committee meetings Bargaining/ negotiation/ trading meetings

people come together to discuss something of mutual advantage; each side has to feel that it has something to gain; the point of attraction is the win-win nature of the meeting; everyone should feel that has achieved the better of the deal (regardless of the true outcome).

Progress/ review meetings

Type

Primary purpose

Formal example Chief executive presents financial results to investment analysis

Informal example Project manager explains the task to a newly-formed team

Briefing

To deliver information

Investigatory

To gather information

Board of Enquiry Architect and interviews witnesses to a structural engineer visit serious accident construction site to resolve technical problem

Advisory

To provide information

Panel of experts advise government department on new legislation

Human resources manager consults two colleagues on a disciplinary case

Consultative

Voice opinions

Community leaders Manager asks their speak at public enquiry stuff how they feel into new airport runway about a proposed profit-sharing scheme Board of trustees agrees a new strategic plan for hospital trust Emergency workers at the scene of a fire decide on the best course of action.

Executive

Make decisions

Informal meetings
7 points to consider with informal meetings Business etiquette demands that the person calling the meeting should be the senior The chair should decide the time, place and agenda The chair must make the purpose of the meeting clear to the attendees Punctuality is a must The chair should strive to ensure the meeting stays within a set framework or agenda so that it is kept as short and effective as possible record the proceedings inform

Tuckman model of team dynamics

= an account of four distinct patterns of communication taking place during the assumed life-cycle of a team

Stage Forming

Outline of activity Individuals meet and begin to establish team composition, purpose (task) and process (i.e. ways of working). Disagreements emerge over task and process issues, potential for internal conflict and hostility.

Indicative patterns of communication? Fairly open and multilateral exchange of messages, as team members seek initial indication of capabilities and roles. Strong evidence of bilateral persuasive communication as arguments and counterarguments are exchanged.

Storming

Norming

Team establishes agreed Greater attention to bilateral standards regarding feedback as team leaders purpose and process confirm consent and establish roles Team concentrates on Regulated multilateral achieving its common exchanges between team purpose, while members engaged in agreed maintaining process roles. dimension. Focus on completion of Combination of intensified task and dissolution of the multilateral exchanges and team. some unilateral direction that is pulled together, followed by bilateral leave-takings.

Performing

Adjourning

Team role Chair

Primary contribution Organises, co-ordinates and seeks to retain teams focus and involvement.

Implied communication task Monitors and co-ordinates messages between team members. Generates persuasive bilateral and multilateral messages directed at team members. Synthesises messages from diverse internal and external information sources. Analyses primarily cognitive task-related messages within the team. Assesses and generates primarily affective, process-related messages within the team. Analyses primarily cognitive task-related messages within the team. Receives bilateral messages (i.e. instructions) and avoids distraction from other internal exchanges. Engages in bilateral exchanges of persuasive messages beyond the boundaries of the team.

Team leader

Initiates, provides leadership and drives team towards achieving task.

Innovator

Creates novel ideas and solutions in support of the task

Monitorevaluator Team Worker

Provides objective assessments of performance in relation to stated purpose. Encourages other members, fosters team morale and reduces negative emotions.

Completer

Maintains a check on outcomes in relation to project milestones and deadlines. Carries out much of the practical work required to achieve stated purpose.

Implementer

Resource investigator

Establishes external contacts to secure resources in support of stated purpose.

Multi-Cultural Aspects International Business Meetings

Time
Hierarchy Meeting Etiquette and Mannerisms Expectations of Meetings Take a Relaxed Approach to Meetings Multi-Cultural Meetings

Business Negotiations
Negotiating Goals: Contract or Relationship
Win/Lose or Win/Win, is also known as distributive

or integrative bargaining Personal Style: Formal or Informal, relates to how negotiators interact with counterparts at the table Communications: Direct or Indirect, relates to the literature's claims that people from certain cultures tend to adopt direct and simple methods of communication

Business Negotiations
Time Sensitivity: High or Low, relates to cultural

differences in attitudes towards time and the length of time devoted to the negotiation itself Emotionalism: High or Low, relates to the differing views between cultures as to the appropriateness of displaying emotions, as these differing cultural norms may be brought to the negotiating table Form of Agreement: General or Specific, relates to the culturally specific preference for the form of written agreement the contract takes

Business Negotiations
Building an Agreement: Bottom Up or Top Down,

relates to the culturally different processes for developing agreements Team Organisation: One Leader or Group Consensus, relates to the culturally specific ways different groups organise themselves and how decisions are made within the group. Risk Taking: High or Low, relates to research indicating certain cultures are more risk averse than others