Everyday business dealings

Lesson 10

Conducting a Business Meeting

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1. DIALOGUE Ω disk 2-04

Listen to the dialogue and note the numbered expressions.

(a morning meeting in an office)

Leader: OK, everyone. Please take your seats⁸⁸. We need to get started. Thank you all for coming today⁸⁹

First, I need to mention that two people are away on business trips today. Also, I have been informed that several people will be late due to another meeting, which should finish shortly⁹⁰.

Today's agenda⁹¹ includes several topics of new business which need our immediate attention: 1) the naming of the new product line; 2) the hiring of a part-time employee to help out in the front office; and 3) the purchasing of new computers.

Is there any old business⁹² that needs to be reported?

Employee A: Yes, the conference which everyone asked about at the last meeting will take place at the end of the year. If anyone is interested in attending, please fill out a travel voucher⁹³ from the personnel department.

Leader: Thank you. Anything else?⁹⁴ ...OK, let's get started with the new business items. First, please look at the handout⁹⁵ in front of you. There are five suggestions for the new product's name.

Please think about these and choose the one you like the most, and give it to my secretary by Wednesday.

Employee B: If we think of an alternative name, can we submit it for consideration?

Leader: Actually, no. The deadline⁹⁶1 for the name is Thursday, so we will have to go with the suggestions we already have. Does anyone else have any comments or questions? ...Good. Next, please refer to the three resumes⁹⁷ in front of you. We had over 50 people apply, but have narrowed it down to these three people. We need volunteers to interview these candidates. If you are interested, please see me after the meeting.

Finally, we desperately need to update our computer system. I have had several people already volunteer to research prices and models in order to choose the most practical and economical system to suit our needs. If no one has any objections, I'll go ahead and let them begin...

All right...I think that about does it. Does anyone have anything to add? ...No? Thank you all for coming today. Please don't forget to give your new product line name selection to my secretary; and anyone interested in being on the interviewing committee, please see me⁹⁸. Have a nice day.

⁸⁸ Please take your seats. = Often, before a meeting begins, people will mill around, drinking coffee and chatting with the other members of the meeting. This phrase is a way to call a meeting to order.

⁸⁹ Thank you all for coming today. = It is important to start the meeting off on a positive note. It's always a good idea to welcome everyone by thanking them for attending.

⁹⁰ The members may be wondering where everyone is. The leader informed the other members to put them at ease.

⁹¹ agenda = list of items to be discussed at the meeting.

⁹² old business = issues discussed at the previous meeting which need to be reported at this meeting.

⁹³ travel voucher = most companies require employees to fill out a form to attend conferences, etc. held during work time. It's a type of "permission" slip from the company.

⁹⁴ Anything else? = Does anyone have anything to add?

⁹⁵ handout = a paper listing important points that the leader of the meeting wants to cover in detail.

⁹⁶ deadline = the day or time by which a job must be done.

⁹⁷ resumes = papers containing the qualifications and work history of the potential employees.

⁹⁸ At this point, the leader summarizes the meeting to remind everyone of what was discussed and decided.

2. COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

Answer the following questions with short answers from the dialogue.

1. What three things need to be discussed at the meeting?

2. What "old business" item was mentioned at the meeting?

3. How many suggestions were there for the new product's name?

4. When is the deadline to turn in their choice for the new product's name?

5. How many applicants were there for the front office position?

3. MATCHING

Match the best combination of sentences from Column A and B.

COLUMN A	COLUMN B
• May I attend the seminar? • Can you lead the meeting? • Is there any "new" business?	- Yes, if you fill out a travel voucher.
- Any "old business"?	• Yes, I own an old business. • No. The business is actually new. • Yes, in the last meeting we didn't decide the date of the seminar.
• Please take your seats. • The deadline is tomorrow. • Please read the resume.	- Is it OK to sit anywhere?
- Thank you for coming today.	• I haven't come back yet. • No problem. It was my pleasure. • Are you coming back today?

4. MINI-DIALOGUES Ω disk 2-05

Listen and fill in the blanks and then role-play the dialogues with a partner.

A: A: ( )...please take your ( ) so we can get started. Thank you all for coming today. Let me review today's ( ) for you. First, we'll have the ( ) read from the last ( ). Next, we'll go over any old ( ) that needs to be taken care of before proceeding to new business. There are ( ) items that we need to discuss today. The most ( ), perhaps, is the new office policy regarding smoking in the office. From today, smoking will only be allowed in the designated areas. Any ( )?

A: Does anyine have ( ) to add today? B: Yes, I was wondering when we wre ( ) to decide next year’s ( ). A: Well, as soon as ( ). Would you like to be in ( ) of it? B: Yes, I can do that. If ( ) would give me their ( ), I can make a ( ) and present it at our next meeting. A: Great. Anything else?... No?... OK, that’s it for ( ). Thank you all for ( ).

A: Good ( ), everyone. I ( ) all of you coming today. This meeting will be short. I need to ( ) a couple of quick ( ) with you. First, there is an opening in the front-office and we are now taking ( ). If you can recommend ( ), please let me know. We'll review the resumes, and call in the strong ( ) for an ( ) in two weeks. B: What is the position's ( ) exactly? A: It is "administrative assistant." Any other ( )?

5. PAIRWORK-PRACTICE

Fill in the blanks using the words from the box. Each word is only used once.

Message A

month volunteering office agenda seats started away national everyone meeting Hello, ( ). Please take your ( ) so we can get ( ). First on the ( ) is to decide who will represent our ( ) at the ( ) convention next ( ). The person will need to be ( ) for about four days. If anyone is interested in ( ), please see me after the ( ) finishes.

Message B

coming item handout leader week need today deadline questions project ( ) we have several things that we ( ) to take care of. Thank you all for ( ) in early today for the meeting. Please look at the agenda and the ( ) in front of you. The first ( ) is in regard to our next project and we need to decide which people will be participating. We need a group ( ), and three members. The ( ) for completion is next July. Are there any ( )...? Good. If you want to be a part of this ( ) group, send me an e-mail by the end of the ( ).

6. READING. AMERICAN BUSINESS CULTURE

Conducting a Business Meeting Ω disk 2-06

The ability to lead a successful business meeting is a valuable skill for any businessperson to develop. The leader, also called the "chair," has the duty to make sure that the meeting flows smoothly, while encouraging active participation by the meeting's members. The chair has to act as moderator, making sure that the meeting stays focused and on time.

A clear and detailed meeting "agenda" (a list of items to be discussed) helps greatly in making sure that the meeting's objectives are met. The main purpose of the meeting must be clearly stated in the agenda; there Is nothing more maddening than to attend a meeting where it seems that no clear agenda is being followed. The members need and want to know what will be discussed during the meeting.

Always start the meeting on time and make sure it finishes on time. As the moderator, it is up to you to keep people on track and not allow any one person to "hog" the floor. It is Important that everyone has an opportunity to speak and express his/her opinions. Drawing contributions from everyone in attendance will allow for more dialogue to take place on specific issues.

As people bring up ideas and suggestions, be sure to jot them down on paper in order to summarize what was discussed later in the meeting. Sometimes it is helpful to restate people's points of view or to ask a person leading questions to show that his/her opinion is indeed important.

When addressing particular issues, it is best to state the problem as positively as possible. Your attitude and body language will decide the tone of the meeting. If you react cheerfully and positively to issues and problems that come up, the members will most likely mirror your behavior.

A good meeting leader will assign tasks to a variety of people and delegate responsibilities to capable members. Frequently ask for volunteers rather than arbitrarily assigning duties in a dictatorial fashion. People are less likely to be helpful if they feel they have no choice in the matter.

Make sure everything is correctly recorded in the minutes. As the leader, people will look to you for all of the answers; memories fade quickly, so it is very important that a record is kept of what took place.

Answer the following questions using information found in the essay.

1. What is an agenda?

2. What does drawing contributions from everyone at the meeting allow?

3. Why is it important to keep accurate minutes of a meeting?

UNIT 4