BUSINESS MEETINGS

CONTENTS

Basic vocabularyEffective meetingsStructure of meetingsUseful language & downtoningMemo, agenda, minutesRoleplays

BASIC VOCABULARY

A MEETINGVENUECHAIRPERSONAGENDAITEMSAOBMINUTES

COLLOCATIONS?RB, p. 5

EFFECTIVE MEETINGS

What is the purpose of your meeting?

How do you prepare the agenda?

Who should attend the meeting?

How much time is available for each item?

How could the meeting be kept on track?

What is the outcome of the meeting? Who is

responsible for what?

MEETINGS THAT PEOPLE ENJOY*

meeting as part of a three-step process

1) PREPARE 2)RUN 3) FOLLOW-UP

Make notes:purpose of the meetingreasons for (not) meeting‘cast’ your meetings action agenda

* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1QWPTYTCyo

SIX SECRETS OF EFFECTIVE MEETINGS*

DON’TSETPROVIDEALLOCATE /KEEPSTART/ENDCAPTURE

* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSft2OeMmzQ

THE STRUCTURE OF MEETINGS

Let’s get started, shall we?

Thank you all for coming!

Have you all got a copy of the agenda?

The purpose of today’s meeting is …

The first item on the agenda is …

I’d like to finish by 5.

THE STRUCTURE OF MEETINGS Typical language

What do you think about that, Joe?

Frankly, I don’t think we should back the project.

I don’t agree with you …

What exactly do you mean?

Excuse me, if I may remind you of …

Why don’t we…?

Let’s see a show of hands. All those in favour?

So, we’ve agreed that…

To sum up…

I think we’ve covered everything.

Handout + RB p. 6, 7

VIEWING

http://australianetwork.com/businessenglish/stories/ep04.htm

HANDOUT

DOWNTONING

making your point firmly but politely softening your points by avoiding aggressive,

uncompromising and confrontational language

“You must reduce the price or else…”

RB p.8

DOWNTONE:1. We won’t give you a discount.

2. You must finish the report!

3. Your prices are way too high.

4. These figures are false!

5. He is not available.

6. We can’t deliver the goods in two weeks.

7. I can’t agree and that’s it.

8. You must sign the contract today!

9. So, we’ll find another buyer!

10.We’ll sue you!

MEMO, AGENDA, MINUTES

Which document…

outlines the items that need to be discussed?contains the highlights, points of agreement,

decisions and action points?gives information?

Sample documents: RB 9, 10, 11

BUSINESS MEETING ROLE-PLAYS AS COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

peer interaction maximizes students’ own and each other’s learning experience structured on the principles of “positive interdependence” and “individual accountability”

(Johnson, Johnson, Smith, 2007)

How can you overcome problems encountered in the preparation of presentations in BE1?

How is team spirit created?

BUSINESS MEETING ROLE-PLAYS

1. Teacher input & practise in class

2. Group formation (dates)

3. Selecting the topic (office hours)

GROUP MEETING 1

1. Reading the case study

2. Assigning roles

3. Organizing the structure / Writing the script / Writing the text for each role

GROUP MEETING 2

1.Rehearsal

2.Fine-tuning and coordinating roles

GROUP MEETING 3

1.Main rehearsal

THE ROLE-PLAY15 minutesagenda, minutes, additional material (?) even distribution of speaking timegroup feedback/individual feedback

MEETINGS ARE A MATTER OF PRECIOUS TIME RB p. 12

reasons for unproductive meetings

suggestions for effective meetings

What does the author say about the following?

opportunity costs a perishable good

objectives diffusion of responsibility

set a definite ending time assign credit or blame

an agenda pre-meeting prep tasks

handouts