Meetings: agenda setting
This module focuses on the language of meetings, which are central to business communication. Most meetings have an agenda - a list of matters to be discussed in the meeting. When you decide what to talk about in the meeting, you 'set the agenda'. The person in charge of the setting the agenda and running the meeting is the 'chairperson'.
Imagine that you are the chairperson in a meeting. It is the start of the meeting and you are telling your colleagues about the items on the agenda. What phrases might you use?
Check your understanding by reading the scripts below:
And then we’ll
see if there’s any other business.
OK, everybody thank you all very much for coming today.
If we could go through each of them in order.
And finally we need to look at the staffing levels for the project.
Just three things on the agenda today.
First of all we need to discuss our aims for the project.
Right let’s start with item number one.
Meetings: interruptions
Meetings - Interruptions Quiz
Instructions: Finish the sentence with the correct phrase.
Imagine that you are in a meeting and you disagree with someone over an issue. How might you make your point politely?
Check your understanding by reading the script below::
Complete the following sentences by underlining the correct word from the options given. Scroll down for the answers.
During the meeting, the managers asked everyone present to give them [ agreement / feedback / information ] on the presentation that they’d just seen. Some people said that they strongly [ disagreed / unhappy / prohibit ] with the new direction that the media company was taking. They said that they would be much [ comfortable / happier / prefer ] if there were more opportunity to discuss the plans before any final decision was reached. In his role as[fireman / editor / director ], Tim Peacock said that he would look into the possibility of holding workshops to allow more time for discussion between staff.
Meetings: any other business
Business meetings typically end with the chairperson asking if there is ‘any other business’. This is an opportunity for anyone present to raise an issue that isn’t on the agenda. After any other business, the chairperson closes the meeting.
Imagine that you are a chairperson ending a meeting with any other business. What might you say or hear?
Check your understanding by reading the script below:
Instructions: Finish the sentence by chosing the correct words and writing them into the empty boxes.
1. Well, we’re almost at the end of the meeting so is there
__________ ______________ _____________ ?
say / other / thoughts / business / all / any / things
2. Just before we go on to the next point,
__________ ____________ _________ ______________ _________ _________ .
nothing / to / say / like / now / something / I / don't / would
3. Does anyone have anything they want ________ __________ before we close the meeting?
on / at / raise / to / question / rise
4. Just looking in the diary, I see there are a couple ______ _________, so we may need to reschedule our next meeting.
errors / in / conflicts / at / of / mistakes
Meetings: language expert
Meeting style and etiquette can change from country to country, company to company, and even from meeting to meeting, but generally speaking, it is important to be polite in meetings, even if the meeting is quite informal in tone.
Preparing for meetings
Participating in meetings which are conducted in a foreign language can be nerve-wracking – people may speak very quickly, they may use words that you do not understand, they may have strong accents, or they may talk about topics which are outside your area of expertise.
All these factors can make meetings difficult, but if you prepare for meetings by studying the agenda, researching the topics that are likely to be discussed, and preparing vocabulary that you think you might need during the meeting, you will feel more confident and your performance in the meeting will be better
This module focuses on the language of meetings, which are central to business communication. Most meetings have an agenda - a list of matters to be discussed in the meeting. When you decide what to talk about in the meeting, you 'set the agenda'. The person in charge of the setting the agenda and running the meeting is the 'chairperson'.
Imagine that you are the chairperson in a meeting. It is the start of the meeting and you are telling your colleagues about the items on the agenda. What phrases might you use?
Check your understanding by reading the scripts below:
Meeting - Agenda Setting Quiz Instructions: The following sentences are in the wrong order. Cut them out and re-arrange them, or simply write them in the correct sequence so they all make sense. Scroll down for the answers. Secondly we want to have a look at the production budgets. |
OK, everybody thank you all very much for coming today.
If we could go through each of them in order.
And finally we need to look at the staffing levels for the project.
Just three things on the agenda today.
First of all we need to discuss our aims for the project.
Right let’s start with item number one.
Meetings: interruptions
In business meetings it is sometimes necessary to interrupt a speaker. This is possible but it should be done politely. We'll be looking at some ways you can do this.
Imagine that you are in a meeting, and you want to interrupt to ask a question or make a comment. How might you do it?
Check your understanding by reading the script below:
Sean:
|
First of all, the book re-launch.
I just wanted to remind everybody that we will be re-launching the
fairy-tales range with new modern covers, and that this is going to happen at
the beginning of next month. It's important that we get this right and there
have been quite a few…
|
John:
|
Actually Sean, can I just ask you – sorry to hold the meeting up – can I ask you about those dates,
because I thought that this was going to be published the month after next,
and I understand that everybody has got their dates, but I do feel quite strongly that we’re bringing this out too
soon.
|
Sean:
|
Well, any other thoughts before I comment on that?
|
Carrie:
|
I don’t think we’ve got any choice at all about it. If the radio programmes are going out at the
beginning of next month, we’ve got to launch the book at the same time if
we’re going to have any sales impact.
|
Meetings - Interruptions Quiz
Instructions: Finish the sentence with the correct phrase.
1.
___________ , I would like to begin by saying
that the company profits are up on last year's figures.
A To begin at
B First of all
C And start with
D And for starters
2. ___________ about the plans for next month's meeting?
A Can I hear you
B Can I clarify you
C Can I ask you
D Can I include you
3. ____________ , but I just wanted to clarify a couple of points before continuing.
A Sorry to hold the meeting up
B Sorry to hold the meeting down
C Sorry to hold the meeting around
D Sorry to hold the meeting along
4. ___________ that all of the staff members should have an opportunity to give their opinion about the company review.
A I don't feel very strongly
B I am feeling quite strongly
C I am feeling more strongly
D I do feel quite strongly
A To begin at
B First of all
C And start with
D And for starters
2. ___________ about the plans for next month's meeting?
A Can I hear you
B Can I clarify you
C Can I ask you
D Can I include you
3. ____________ , but I just wanted to clarify a couple of points before continuing.
A Sorry to hold the meeting up
B Sorry to hold the meeting down
C Sorry to hold the meeting around
D Sorry to hold the meeting along
4. ___________ that all of the staff members should have an opportunity to give their opinion about the company review.
A I don't feel very strongly
B I am feeling quite strongly
C I am feeling more strongly
D I do feel quite strongly
Meetings: agreeing and disagreeing
Inevitably, people will agree and disagree
with one another during meetings. It’s important to make your position in a
debate clear, while being polite to people you disagree with.
Imagine that you are in a meeting and you disagree with someone over an issue. How might you make your point politely?
Check your understanding by reading the script below::
Sean:
|
The office move, as you know, the
plans have been up by the main exit for a week now. I just wanted to see what kind of feedback you’ve got.
|
Tim:
|
Yeah, Sean, I’m sorry, but I really strongly disagree with the new floor plan. I think
it's divisive to separate the secretaries and the assistants out from the
editors and managers. I’d be much happier if we could be located in teams.
|
Carrie:
|
Actually, I think Sean is right. I’ve been chatting
to some of the secretaries and they’re quite keen to all be sitting in the
same area, and, speaking as an editor, I think I’d like to be with other
editors so that we can bounce ideas off each other and things. So I think Sean’s floor plan is right.
|
Complete the following sentences by underlining the correct word from the options given. Scroll down for the answers.
During the meeting, the managers asked everyone present to give them [ agreement / feedback / information ] on the presentation that they’d just seen. Some people said that they strongly [ disagreed / unhappy / prohibit ] with the new direction that the media company was taking. They said that they would be much [ comfortable / happier / prefer ] if there were more opportunity to discuss the plans before any final decision was reached. In his role as[fireman / editor / director ], Tim Peacock said that he would look into the possibility of holding workshops to allow more time for discussion between staff.
Meetings: any other business
Business meetings typically end with the chairperson asking if there is ‘any other business’. This is an opportunity for anyone present to raise an issue that isn’t on the agenda. After any other business, the chairperson closes the meeting.
Imagine that you are a chairperson ending a meeting with any other business. What might you say or hear?
Check your understanding by reading the script below:
Sean:
|
Okay - any other business?
|
Will:
|
Yes, I would like to say something. An
illustrator came in last week, and I think she's very good and it would be
wise to put her on our books.
|
Sean:
|
… okay …
|
Will:
|
I would like to be able to show her drawings and her portfolio
in the next couple of days. If that’s all right...
|
All:
|
That sounds good…
|
Sean:
|
Yes, I'll look forward to seeing those. Right, I think that’s probably about it, but anybody got anything else that they desperately want to raise before we wrap up?
|
All:
|
Nope.
|
Sean:
|
No? Okay. We'll be having another meeting, but there are a couple of conflicts in the diary so I think the best thing is if I
email the date of the next meeting.
|
Meetings - Any Other Business Quiz
1. Well, we’re almost at the end of the meeting so is there
__________ ______________ _____________ ?
say / other / thoughts / business / all / any / things
2. Just before we go on to the next point,
__________ ____________ _________ ______________ _________ _________ .
nothing / to / say / like / now / something / I / don't / would
3. Does anyone have anything they want ________ __________ before we close the meeting?
on / at / raise / to / question / rise
4. Just looking in the diary, I see there are a couple ______ _________, so we may need to reschedule our next meeting.
errors / in / conflicts / at / of / mistakes
Meetings: language expert
Meeting style and etiquette can change from country to country, company to company, and even from meeting to meeting, but generally speaking, it is important to be polite in meetings, even if the meeting is quite informal in tone.
If you are interrupting or disagreeing with people, it is even more important
to be polite: your views are more likely to be respected if you present them in
a professional and non-confrontational (non-argumentative) way.
There
are several ways to make what you say sound more polite and less
confrontational:
Use 'can' or 'could'.
In unit 4, John says; 'Sean, can I just ask you…?'
In Unit 1, Alex says 'If you could go through them in order…'
Both expressions above are more polite than simply saying 'I want to know…' or 'Go through them in order…'
In unit 4, John says; 'Sean, can I just ask you…?'
In Unit 1, Alex says 'If you could go through them in order…'
Both expressions above are more polite than simply saying 'I want to know…' or 'Go through them in order…'
Use 'would like'
In unit 2, Tim says '…I'd like to be with other editors…'
In unit 3, Will says 'I would like to be able to show her drawings…'
This sounds much more polite than 'I want…'
In unit 2, Tim says '…I'd like to be with other editors…'
In unit 3, Will says 'I would like to be able to show her drawings…'
This sounds much more polite than 'I want…'
Say 'sorry'
In unit 2, Tim says: 'I'm sorry, but I really strongly disagree…'
In unit 4, John says: 'Sorry to hold the meeting up'
This is a very common way to 'soften' what you say. Tim and John are not really apologising for what they say - using 'sorry' is telling the listener: 'I'm going to say or do something you might not like, so please don’t get upset'.
In unit 2, Tim says: 'I'm sorry, but I really strongly disagree…'
In unit 4, John says: 'Sorry to hold the meeting up'
This is a very common way to 'soften' what you say. Tim and John are not really apologising for what they say - using 'sorry' is telling the listener: 'I'm going to say or do something you might not like, so please don’t get upset'.
Use 'just'
In unit 2, Sean says: 'I just wanted to see…'
In unit 4, John says; 'Sean, can I just ask you…?'
The word 'just' gives the listener a message that you are not asking them to deal with something difficult or time-consuming; that it is not going to be a problem.
In unit 2, Sean says: 'I just wanted to see…'
In unit 4, John says; 'Sean, can I just ask you…?'
The word 'just' gives the listener a message that you are not asking them to deal with something difficult or time-consuming; that it is not going to be a problem.
Use 'I think' or 'I feel'
In unit 4, John says: 'I do feel quite strongly that we're bringing this out too soon…'
and Carrie says 'I don’t think we’ve got any choice…'
These phrases have the effect of softening what they are saying, by presenting their ideas as opinions, not orders or instructions.
In unit 4, John says: 'I do feel quite strongly that we're bringing this out too soon…'
and Carrie says 'I don’t think we’ve got any choice…'
These phrases have the effect of softening what they are saying, by presenting their ideas as opinions, not orders or instructions.
Acknowledge people
In unit 1, Alex says; 'Okay everybody, ….' '…as you can see…'
In unit 2, Tim says; 'Yeah Sean, ….'
It's important to acknowledge the other people in the meeting, by using their names, or words like 'you', 'we', 'everybody', 'my colleagues' etc. If you don’t use these words and expressions, you may give people the impression that you are rather detached and/or authoritarian.
In unit 1, Alex says; 'Okay everybody, ….' '…as you can see…'
In unit 2, Tim says; 'Yeah Sean, ….'
It's important to acknowledge the other people in the meeting, by using their names, or words like 'you', 'we', 'everybody', 'my colleagues' etc. If you don’t use these words and expressions, you may give people the impression that you are rather detached and/or authoritarian.
Preparing for meetings
Participating in meetings which are conducted in a foreign language can be nerve-wracking – people may speak very quickly, they may use words that you do not understand, they may have strong accents, or they may talk about topics which are outside your area of expertise.
All these factors can make meetings difficult, but if you prepare for meetings by studying the agenda, researching the topics that are likely to be discussed, and preparing vocabulary that you think you might need during the meeting, you will feel more confident and your performance in the meeting will be better
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