Meeting
Learn about how to process a meeting: Discuss and understand its steps, and some relevant questions relating to this topic.
Part 1
Warm-up
Answer the questions
What did we discuss in the last lesson?
Have you ever planned, arranged or managed a meeting? How did it go?
In your opinion, what is the purpose of meeting?
Part 2
Reading comprehension
Read this introduction to a meeting.
Explain what does the chairwoman mean by the phrases in bold?
- Right … I think we should start now. Robert, Alice … could you …? Robert…? Thanks.
- OK, so, is everybody here? Who are we waiting for? Hmmm … well, I think we’ll have to make a start without them. We’ve got a lot to get through this afternoon.
- Right, well, as you know, the purpose of today’s meeting is to see where we are with the marketing plan, and to work out what we still need to do before the launch, which is now just six weeks away.
- By the end of the meeting, we need to have a list of firm action points for the next month. Hopefully we’ll then need only one more meeting next month to tie up any remaining loose ends.
- Did everyone get a copy of the agenda I sent round? OK, good.
- As I say, we’ve got a lot to get through, so please let’s stick to the agenda. I’ve set aside two hours for this meeting, and we really can’t afford to run over. Ideally, we can cover everything in an hour and a half. Does that sound reasonable?
- Ah, Helena, come and take a seat. We started without you.
- So perhaps we can get the ball rolling by going through the list of action points from the last meeting.
- Bory, you were going to look into the costs of the various options that came up last time. Could you tell us what you found out?
Answer
Make a start without them: Begin the meeting even though some people are not present.
Get through: Complete all the items or tasks.
Work out: Figure out or determine.
To tie up: Finalize or complete.
Remaining loose ends: Unfinished tasks or details that still need to be resolved.
Sent round: Distributed to everyone.
Stick to the agenda: Follow the planned schedule or list of topics.
Set aside: Reserve or allocate time for a specific purpose.
Run over: Exceed the planned time limit.
Cover everything: Address all the topics or items.
Get the ball rolling: Start the process or discussion.
Look into: Investigate or examine.
Came up: Were mentioned or discussed.
Mini exercise:
Now match the nine steps in the meeting introduction (1–9) to the descriptions (a–i).
Can you think of other phrases for the nine steps?
Stating the desired outcome.
Introducing the first point on the agenda.
Getting people’s attention, interrupting small talk
Handing over to the first speaker.
Dealing with non-attendees.
Dealing with a late arrival.
Explaining time limits and procedures.
Stating the purpose
Checking people have seen the agenda.
Answer
- c
- e
- h
- a
- i
- g
- f
- b
- d
Part 3
Discussion
Now, answer the following questions related to the introducing above.
Why do you think the chairperson started the meeting without waiting for everyone? Do you think this was a good decision?
Why is it important to say the purpose of the meeting at the start?
Do you agree that having clear outcomes is essential for a productive meeting? Why or why not?
Why is it important to make sure everyone has seen the agenda? How does this impact the flow of the meeting?
Why do you think the chairwoman decided not to criticise people for being late? Do you agree with her decision?
Do you think setting a time limit for a meeting is helpful? Why or why not?
Why is it good to start by talking about what was done in the last meeting?
Part 4
Extended discussion
Let’s use the vocabulary you’ve learned during the lesson and talk about the following topics/questions freely!
Teacher helps student expand and correct the answers
Do you have to attend meeting regularly?
Why are business meetings important?
Do you think regular meetings at work are a waste of time? Why? Why not?
What can be done in order to make meetings more effective?
Do you think we should allow small-talk during the meeting or not?
Are any of your meetings online? Is this better or worse than face-to-face meetings? Do they save a lot of time?
Do meetings always start and finish on time at your work? If not, what are the reasons?
Review
Let’s review the lesson with teacher
New words in the lesson
Learn about how to open the meeting.
Discuss some questions related to topic: Meeting in the workplace.
See you next lesson
Homework
Listen to this video and answer questions below:
- What is the main topic of the video?
- List the five tips mentioned in the video for dealing with meeting overload.
Copy link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp3Msfw90BE
