Reading comprehension

Exercise 1

Complete the sentences from the text.

1. Meetings are not only one of the most important ways for employees to communicate within organizations, but ...

2. You can make your meetings better, and ...

3. Meetings are work, so, just as in ...

4. By distributing the agenda and pre work before the meeting, participants can...

5. Meetings are only as good as...

6. Meeting leaders and participants must actively work to ...

7. Tactfully end discussions when…

8. Discuss any problems during the meeting with other officers; come up…

Exercise 2

When you attend a meeting, what should you do to achieve your own objectives and help make them more effective? Tick the points you agree with.

Before the meeting

· Read the minutes of the previous meeting (and other relevant documents).

· Make up your mind about key issues and be prepared to convince everyone that you are right.

During the meeting

· Make only relevant and interesting points.

· Make sure everyone understands your point of view.

· Speak loudly and repeat your ideas often.

· Listen carefully to other people’s points of view.

· Don’t say anything because you might sound stupid.

· Don’t discuss too much because you want to finish the meeting quickly.

· Avoid any conflicts or disagreements

· Find out what different people think.

· Try to reach a conclusion that everyone can feel satisfied with.

Exercise 3

Put the steps in the logical order. The first and the last steps are correct.

	a. Decide whether you really need to call a meeting.
	b. Postpone discussion until the end of the meeting if debate on an issue runs overtime. Make sure to cover the other issues on the agenda.
	c. Start off the meeting with straightforward, easily resolved issues before heading into thornier ones.
	d. Assemble visual aids such as charts, handouts or slides.
	e. Allocate a specific amount of time for each issue. Use a timer to help monitor the time.
	f. Circulate the agenda in advance to allow attendees to prepare.
	g. Start the meeting at the designated time, regardless of whether everyone is present.
	h. Set definite starting and stopping times.
	i. Prepare an agenda. Explain the goal of the meeting.
	j. Determine who needs to attend. Try keeping the number of attendees small, as large meetings get unwieldy.
	k. Follow up: Circulate copies of the minutes after the meeting to remind everyone of conclusions and action plans.

Listen to a group of new employees at a training session discussing how meetings should be organized. As you listen, complete the note on the elements of meetings.

THE ESSENTIALELEMENTS OF MEETINGS

1. A purpose: ……………………………….. ……………………………….. ………………………………..

2. An ……………………..showing the list of items to be covered

3. ………………………… - the……………………. (or ………………………..) to control the meeting - the…………………….to keep a record of the proceedings - the other participants

4. ……………………………..

5. A…………………………..: normally the…………………..of the meeting

Exercise 1

Match the terms with their definitions.

1 agenda 2 AGM 3 apologies 4 ballot 5 casting vote 6 chairperson 7 conference 8 consensus 9 deadline 10 grievance 11 guest speaker 12 minutes 13 motion 14 proxy vote 15 show of hands

a) a written record of everything said at a meeting b) a deciding vote (usually by a chairperson) when the votes are otherwise equal c) general agreement d) a list of objectives to cover in a meeting e) a suggestion put to a vote f) raised hands to express an opinion in a vote g) the person who leads a meeting h) due date for completion i) a person who joins the group in order to deliver a speech j) annual general meeting k) a vote cast by one person for or in place of another l) item on agenda announcing people who are absent m) a complaint n) a formal meeting for discussion o) a type of the vote usually in writing and usually secret

Exercise 2

Date: 2016-01-14; view: 1016

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