Features of a business meeting plan

The purpose of the meeting is to change the activities of personnel in a certain direction through communication, with the setting of specific tasks and specified results.

Preparation of a program for various types of meetings depends on their type, the tasks set and the range of issues to be resolved in its process.

When drawing up a meeting plan, the first thing to do is formulate an agenda, the development of which is based on the topic and objectives of this meeting. The agenda indicates the main speaker and co-speakers, the time and place of the meeting. Next, the main composition of participants is determined and invitations are sent out in the appropriate form.

When preparing a business meeting, regulations are developed that provide for all procedures and elements with their deadlines.

When drawing up a meeting plan, it is first necessary to pose questions that are relevant to the majority of those invited (managers, specialists, employees, workers). It is customary to rank questions according to the degree of difficulty from more voluminous and complex to simpler.

When planning a meeting, the agenda indicates the issues that will be raised at the meeting, the names, initials and position of the persons reporting on a particular issue.

Composition of participants and its formation

The second step in the meeting planning process is to determine the composition (list) of participants who have a direct interest in the issues being addressed or have knowledge on the topics being discussed.

There are some rules for preparing and conducting meetings that can increase its effectiveness:

1. Mandatory designation of the topic and the result to be achieved in the process. The speaker must have a clear position, pre-thought-out arguments and recommendations for obtaining results in order to convince employees of the correctness of the decision being made.
2. A carefully thought out agenda containing a list of items to be discussed, which must be arranged in a specific order. Practice has shown that it is more effective to arrange questions not according to their importance, but according to a psychological principle. The topic that opens the discussion should be easier to solve so that after its successful solution, staff motivation will increase significantly. Issues that require heated discussion should be carefully thought out and correctly placed on the list. It is also necessary to define the desired end result with which the meeting should end. In the process of discussing the most difficult to understand and complex topics, the use of visual materials is recommended, since understanding of the question posed improves when not only hearing, but also vision is involved.
3. Facts regarding the agenda must be provided to meeting participants in advance, so all necessary documents are prepared before the meeting takes place.
4. At the preparation stage, a way to communicate to participants about the meeting is thought out. Invitations are sent to employees, which specify the topic and objectives of the meeting. Participants who are unable to attend the meeting should be provided with information on the progress of the discussion and minutes of the meeting, which will improve efficiency.
5. In the process of drawing up a meeting plan, a place is thought out, which is of great importance, since nothing should distract during the discussion

Introduction

1. Meetings

1.1 Types of meetings

1.2 Preparing the meeting

1.3 Setting the agenda

1.4 Meeting participants

1.5 Preparation of documents for the meeting (reports, information materials)

2. Preparation of documents during meetings

2.1 Transcript and phonogram

2.2 Logging

2.3 Electronic document management and meetings

Conclusion

Applications

Appendix 1 Sample order for holding a meeting

Appendix 2 Meeting agenda

Appendix 3 Agenda of the operational meeting

Appendix 4 Invitation (notice) to the enterprise

Appendix 5 Extract from the protocol

Bibliography

Introduction

The topic of our research is “Features of document preparation during operational and scheduled meetings.”

Management activities, as a function of an organized system, can be built on the principles of unity of command and collegiality. In institutions, organizations, and firms built on the principles of unity of command, all management decisions are made individually by the manager and bears personal responsibility for them.

In organizations built on the principles of collegiality, decisions are made by the team by a majority vote. But even in organizations built on the principles of unity of command, managers often have to deal with tasks that require the involvement of many specialists to exchange information, identify opinions on emerging problems and jointly analyze difficult situations.

Collective discussion and decision-making are carried out at congresses, conferences, plenums, symposiums, meetings, meetings of collegial bodies, meetings, etc. These events may be periodic or one-time in nature.

In the definitions of all forms of collegial activity there is the word “meeting”, from the verb to confer, that is, to come to an agreement, consult, jointly discuss something with someone. Synonyms for the word “meeting” are five-minute meeting, meeting, operational meeting, planning meeting. Thus, a meeting is understood as a type of management activity in which a certain number of participants gather in a predetermined place at a specified time to discuss and make decisions on previously posed issues./3, p.99/

Almost each of us has had to participate in various meetings more than once. And probably many have heard the following statement from colleagues: “It’s another meeting, but when will we work?” Every day hundreds of thousands of meetings are held in our country. But, unfortunately, this is the case when quantity does not translate into quality, because the principle “the more, the better” clearly does not work here. Only effectively held meetings can give a noticeably tangible result and influence the quality of the enterprise./3, p.103/

The critical stage is documenting the meeting, that is, recording the process of discussing the issues included in the agenda.

During the meeting and after its end, it is necessary to collect texts of speeches that were not submitted in advance. The progress of the meeting can and should be transcribed, recorded, recorded, and recorded.

1.1 Types of meetings

Meeting is a meeting, a meeting devoted to the discussion of a special issue or several issues.

The types of extended meeting are:

Symposium - an extended meeting on a special scientific issue;

Conference - an extended meeting, for example, among scientists, politicians;

Congress, congress - a meeting of a wide composition, usually of a regional, all-Russian or international scale.

Within a particular enterprise, depending on the main task, the following types of meetings are distinguished:

Operational;

Instructional;

Problematic.

The classification of meetings can be based on other criteria, for example, frequency: scheduled, unscheduled.

In addition, according to the nature of the meeting, they are divided into the following types:

Dictatorial - characteristic of an authoritarian type of management, when only the leader conducts the meeting and has actual voting rights, the rest of the participants are given only the opportunity to ask questions, but not express their own opinions;

Autocratic - based on the leader’s questions to the participants and their answers to them; as a rule, there are no discussions, only dialogue is possible;

Segregated - the report is discussed only by the participants selected by the leader, the rest listen and take note of the information presented;

Discussion - free exchange of opinions and development of a common decision; the right to make a decision in the final formulation remains with the manager;

Free - a clear agenda is not adopted, sometimes there is no chairman, sometimes it ends with a decision, but mainly comes down to an exchange of opinions./3, p.104/

By gathering together, meeting participants have the opportunity to express their point of view on the topics discussed, convey the information they possess to all meeting participants, discuss controversial issues, and consider alternative solutions. It’s not for nothing that they say that truth is born in a dispute.

But the meeting is an expensive undertaking. Keep in mind that if your organization has an hour-long meeting with eight people every day, that means one employee is getting paid just for attending the meetings. The meeting should not be considered as a way to inform employees, it is the optimal means of assessment and decision making. A collective decision has more weight than an individual decision. Therefore, a meeting is ideal where it is necessary for the team to participate in discussing a problem and finding solutions, where it is necessary to consider different points of view. /3, p.105/

1.2 Preparing the meeting

The success of a meeting depends 90% on the quality of its preparation. Any meeting, even the shortest one, will benefit from preliminary work.

The employee responsible for preparing the event must first find out:

Purpose of the meeting

Key questions to discuss

List of participants,

Place, time and form.

Let us note that in a number of organizations there is a certain procedure for holding meetings, which can be enshrined in special Regulations. In this case, the task is greatly simplified.

If several people are involved in preparing the meeting, then, as a rule, the enterprise issues an order to hold the meeting, which determines the composition of the working group and the plan for its preparation (see Appendix 1).

1.3 Setting the agenda

Drawing up the agenda is the task of the chairman, but its documentation falls on the shoulders of the secretary.

The agenda is drawn up only after the purpose of the meeting has been determined. In this case, the goal must be clearly formulated, have logical completeness and an unambiguous interpretation. The agenda should include a small number of issues so that they can be discussed in detail at the meeting. But, unfortunately, this requirement is not always met and the agenda is overloaded, which makes it impossible to prepare and discuss all issues thoroughly. The principle “less is more” applies here. Therefore, always try to get rid of minor issues that can be resolved outside the meeting.

The agenda is usually drawn up in written (printed) form. Of course, meetings can be held without a pre-prepared list of questions, but in this case they should at least be brought to the attention of the meeting participants orally. I don't think anyone would argue that a written agenda is a more effective form and allows everyone to focus on what needs to be done: before the meeting, during the meeting, and after the meeting. It is the plan for the event. Without it, meetings often turn into general discussions where participants don't focus on key issues. Many witnesses to unprepared meetings have more than once had to deal with such a situation when someone urgently requested information from their subordinates, and the rest were forced to waste time waiting. Such shortcomings negatively affect the rhythm of the discussion, and, consequently, its effectiveness.

There are two diametrically opposed opinions regarding how issues should be placed on the agenda.

According to the first point of view, issues should be arranged in order of importance and complexity. The arguments here are as follows: at the beginning of the meeting, employees are more active, they are not yet tired and, therefore, it is better to discuss the most important and complex issues at the beginning.

Adherents of the second point of view believe that issues that require extensive discussion and elaboration are best addressed in the second third of the meeting, when the physical and mental performance of the participants reaches its peak. Current issues that do not require much time can be resolved first, and the easiest issues, interesting and enjoyable things can be left at the end.

Based on work practice, we can recommend adhering to the second point of view, because starting with simpler questions, you can set a certain rhythm, because they do not require detailed elaboration, employees do not have time to get tired discussing them - they serve as a “kind of warm-up” before working on more complex problems. When the main work is done and the audience’s attention wanes, you can move on to discussing more interesting issues that do not require stress (in the last third of the meeting), for example, about organizing a corporate event in honor of the company’s anniversary or about the results of participation in an exhibition.

• Preparing the meeting
• Start of the meeting
• Organizing a discussion
• End of the meeting
• Trouble in meetings

Meetings are used to exchange ideas, opinions, and intellectual capabilities between management and staff. But meetings can also be ineffective, useless, and negatively impact the work process. If you know how to conduct a meeting correctly, then it will be more successful.

A lot depends on the meeting. During the planning meeting, staff report on their actions, and management sets future goals. Effective meetings are used as feedback from staff. However, the main goal of the meeting should be to increase the productivity of the work process for both the individual employee and the entire company. There are a number of mechanisms that affect the efficiency of an enterprise that need to be put into operation:

• The principle of synergy. The synergy effect is the advantage of the whole compared to the sum of the individual parts.
• and modern psychology has long used this principle. But it appeared quite a long time ago, even in old proverbs we can see the effect of the synergy effect - “one head is good, but two are better.” This principle often demonstrates its merits in practice. The benefits from the joint work of several specialists will be higher than from the individual work of each. The synergy effect makes employees work more efficiently and harmoniously, as they represent one whole. In this case, the quality and adequacy of proposals turns out to be much higher. Therefore, it is better to discuss work issues together with the team.
• The principle of cohesion. One specialist can do a lot, but a whole team of specialists can do even more. The main thing is that employees are confident in their goals and do everything possible to achieve them. That is, they were motivated to get results. But professional teams do not appear out of nowhere; they need to be formed. This is why organizing meetings exists - a tool for creating staff motivation and stimulating the process of achieving goals. During planning meetings, the respect and trust of employees and management increases, and the process of personnel training occurs. Building a high-performing team depends on the quality of your meetings. If you want to achieve well-coordinated teamwork, then pay attention to meetings. The principle of clarity. The unknown is one of the most powerful demotivators. The goals and objectives of the company must be clear to the performer, otherwise his performance decreases and his resistance increases. Transparency of future plans and tasks is one of the rules how to run an effective meeting

. Here all the goals, their necessity and the desired result are discussed. This way you can reduce the resistance of personnel to an unknown and incomprehensible task.

How to Run an Effective Meeting

• There are a number of meeting types that differ in their purpose. The success of the entire planning meeting directly depends on the choice of how to conduct the meeting. If the leader forgets the purpose of the meeting, then productivity can be forgotten. Here are the main types of meetings:
• Training meeting. It's a conference. Fulfills the educational goal, meeting participants receive the necessary knowledge and improve skills.
• Explanatory. It is necessary to increase the clarity of decisions made by management, to explain the motivation for their point of view and to convince the rest of the staff of the correctness of the chosen position.
• Problematic. The meeting is necessary to identify specific problems and determine ways to solve them.

These features of meetings apply not only to meetings in the usual form, but also to large meetings or press conferences, to private conversations between colleagues or a boss with a subordinate. In any case, it is necessary to follow the rules for a successful and effective meeting.

Preparing the meeting

Not only the meeting itself, but also the preparation affects the effectiveness. The manager should remember the rules for preparing and conducting meetings in order to increase efficiency.

Start of the meeting

The meeting must begin at the specified time. The manager needs to give an introductory speech, which will describe the topic of the planning meeting, the stages of the meeting and set goals and objectives. It is necessary to convince employees of the importance of the identified problems, this creates an incentive for discussion. You can immediately pose problematic questions that will be discussed. To increase motivation, it is necessary to interest listeners in the discussion, to establish a connection between the final result and the interests of employees. This way, you can convince even those who initially thought the meeting was useless to participate in the discussion.

Necessarily involves keeping a protocol. This can be done by one of the subordinates. All meeting participants must be familiar with the rules for working on the assigned task. It is better for all work topics to be in front of your subordinates, so write them on the board in advance.

Organizing a discussion

There are several options for organizing a discussion. For an effective and efficient discussion, it is necessary to create a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. You should not delve into bureaucracy and officialdom - this may negatively affect the desire to cooperate. It is important to remain calm during the discussion. Determine the order of the meeting in such a way that the discussion gradually gains momentum, leading to the ideal final result.

The manager’s point of view should not be an axiom for employees, otherwise a fruitful discussion will not work. It is necessary to listen and take into account the opinion of everyone present on any of the problems raised. The meeting methodology does not recommend using categorical phrases like “you are completely wrong,” because this not only negatively affects the subordinate’s self-esteem, but also demotivates him to make decisions and participate in further discussions.

Often managers evaluate any proposal or idea that appears immediately during the discussion process. On the one hand, this can be useful. But excessive criticism can destroy the creative intentions of team members and reduce their motivation to put forward proposals. Then it’s worth adding to the meeting plan brainstorming method. In this case, everyone can contribute to the discussion, propose any idea that will not be discussed during the brainstorming process. Criticism of the proposals will follow.

The leader must ensure that the discussion is always conducted in the direction he needs. Often employees begin to wander off to the side and discuss unrelated issues. Then you should carefully return them to the desired path. This must be done delicately so that the participant in the discussion does not lose interest.

But how to conduct meetings, how to argue if the arguments can offend the interlocutor or even humiliate him? There are several rules of competent debate that should be used during meetings.

• Even if you are annoyed, you should not raise your voice. You need to speak clearly and slowly.
• Your arguments should be addressed not to your opponent, but to everyone present. This way you will achieve a business atmosphere that will have a beneficial effect on the discussion process.
• Focus on those aspects that you share with your opponent. Give an example and justify your position. Then you can move on to ideas that are not close to you. Formulate all your complaints in the form of questions to your interlocutor.

If the manager knows how to ask questions, then he can count on effective meetings. Questions allow you to highlight points that have not yet been touched upon and move from one topic to another. This way you can more clearly understand the position of your interlocutors and get their opinion on a particular issue.

The discussion leader should not initially insist on your point of view, should not impose his opinion on other participants in the discussion. It is possible that the positions of some employees may remain unvoiced, since people are often afraid to argue with their superiors. And you should always listen to opposing opinions, because this is the only way to come to the most reasonable decision.

Even a neutral position on a certain issue can be stipulated. It is better to present your opinion in the form of a question “Maybe we need to discuss this point of view...” or in the form of a third-person statement “I heard that...”

End of the meeting

At the end of any discussion, the leader should summarize the results of the discussion and determine what will be done to implement the accepted proposal.

The meeting scenario should end in a positive way. This way, the participants in the discussion will be able to realize that their participation in the discussion was not in vain, that the meeting has achieved some progress.

All results of the discussion must be recorded. Copies of the minutes should be given to those employees who were absent from the meeting but must participate in reaching the decision made.

Communication style role of the leader in the team have a direct impact on the result. If the company is dominated by the totalitarian opinion of the boss, then it is impossible to achieve a friendly discussion. Management must maintain a collegial style of communication with subordinates, then open discussion of maximum efficiency is possible.

General rules for holding meetings

A high position of leadership requires constant interaction with a wide range of subordinates, delegation of authority and responsibility. Any decision must be submitted for general discussion. Therefore, meetings cannot be avoided. The manager should not have a negative attitude towards planning meetings; this is the only way to get the maximum benefit from the discussions. A few simple rules on how to conduct effective meetings will help you.

• Take the time to prepare for the planning meeting. All you need to do is make a plan for the business meeting and outline the end result. It won't take much time, but it will have a positive effect. Distribute the order of speakers.
• Many professionals try to fill the allotted time with unnecessary conversations, even if their thoughts can be expressed in a few sentences. The leader must clearly understand the essence of the speech and separate it from unnecessary “husk.”
• Emotional statements always have a negative impact on the outcome of the meeting. Try to avoid excessive emotionality, this way you can save time on discussion.
• Subject matter specialists should not use specific vocabulary. This makes the discussion less understandable for other participants. Require the use of simple and accessible terms and concepts.
• The manager’s opinion should be hidden from subordinates until the end of the discussion, so as not to win the opinion of opponents to one’s side.

Trouble in meetings

Unfortunately, even in the most thoughtful meetings, bad things happen. This may be a conflict or a dead end in the discussion. There is no need to lose your head, any trouble can be resolved. In conflict situations, it is important to find the reason for the parties’ disagreement, that is, to carefully monitor the progress of the discussion.

When a speaker speaks, you need to take into account not only the meaning of his words, but also the phrases and metaphors used, body language, and emphasis on certain thoughts. If you can record all this, then the conflict can be easily resolved using special methods.

If a deadlock occurs in the discussion, it is worth once again reminding the meeting participants of the subject of the discussion and its purpose. It is possible that the purpose of the discussion with subordinates is unclear, or you have not provided enough information. Please fix this issue. Some aspects may be exhausted, so check with the group whether this discussion should continue. Often you need to move on to the next step. Unresolved issues can be brought up to the next meeting, or come back to them later. Also, a break is one of the requirements for how to conduct a meeting properly.

If the participants in the discussion are silent, then do not try to fill the pause. Find out why it happened. Often silence is caused by the behavior of the manager or lack of information. Ask employees if they need any explanation. A modern method is often used for this – storytelling.

Often the group does not want to discuss this or that issue, trying to move on to other topics. In this case, it is necessary to show that you are committed to communication, and the opposite point of view should also be voiced. Make it clear that any opinion will be appreciated. Praise the first speaker. But you need to strictly follow the rule, otherwise you will lose the trust of the team.

Sometimes the discussion revolves around one or more topics. Ask the group if they have any further opinions on the issue already raised. Check to see if they understand the purpose of the meeting.

When conflict arises, it should be made clear that all emotions must be kept outside the meeting room. Remind rules for business meetings. The audience's attention should be focused on the purpose of the meeting, and not on the antics of individual speakers. Try to return a positive tone to the discussion and focus the audience's attention on the agenda. Please note to employees that at the moment there is no discussion of the proposals of the meeting participants, but only the putting forward of their ideas. This way you can get rid of unwanted criticism and reactions to it. To get out of a conflict, you can use test questions.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

Modern business is impossible without various types of negotiations. Business meetings are an opportunity for management to convey the main goals and objectives to all structural divisions at once, receive feedback and, based on the data received, adjust the action plan for the company.

Meetings are a kind of business management tool that constantly needs to evaluate effectiveness and analyze the results achieved.

Business communication, business conversations, meetings, negotiations, discussions: as a form of business communication

Business communication should be distinguished from ordinary communication, since the former pursues a specific goal and has strict ethics of behavior, while the latter may not have any basis or reason.

There are many forms of business communication, the main ones include:

• business conversations - represent the exchange (or one-way transfer) of information on specific issues of business functioning. This can be direct communication or indirect (using Internet technologies, telephony). This type of communication involves its continuation in the form of negotiations or meetings;
• meetings are a larger form of communication, in which, as a rule, company employees (usually heads of structural divisions) are involved to resolve strategic issues for business development;
• negotiations - have a specific goal and are aimed at discussing important issues, concluding agreements, contracts, signing documents important for both parties;
• discussions - an open discussion of important issues of the company, the main tool of which is “brainstorming” (generation of ideas by all parties), as a result of which non-standard approaches to solving problems may arise.

In addition to the listed forms, there is a whole range of them: business interviews, disputes, meetings, correspondence, presentations, conferences. They all have their own specifics, but comply with the same rules of business ethics.

Business meetings: tasks, goals, topics

Business meetings are held in order to develop a specific solution to a pressing problem or task. In addition, at meetings, department employees can share with management their ideas on possible solutions to any issues. This form of communication allows you to comprehensively see the situation in the company, its weaknesses and strengths, contributes to the entry of new people into the team, their acquaintance with the corporate culture and norms adopted in the organization.

The main goals and objectives of the meetings are:

• maintaining company policy, as well as its development and communication to all employees;
• integration of the actions of all services and divisions in accordance with the strategic goal of the company;
• identifying new tasks and assessing the effectiveness of already implemented campaigns;
• resolving emerging issues.

The topics that are present at meetings can be completely different.

In Russian practice, it is customary to hold planning meetings at least once a week. Thus, department heads report on the work done during the week and set plans for the next one (or receive tasks to implement within the upcoming work week).

The reason or topic for an unscheduled meeting can be a number of issues that arise in connection with the dynamic and changing external environment in which companies have to operate.

Types, types and classification of business meetings

Business meetings can vary in form, topic and persons present.

Their main classification is presented below:

• by belonging to a specific area: administrative meetings (to resolve problematic issues), scientific (conferences, symposiums, seminars organized and conducted to resolve current issues in the scientific field), political (congresses and meetings of members of certain political movements) and mixed types;
• by scale and number of participants: international (with the involvement of foreign partners, specialists, experts in a certain field), national, regional, city;
• at the location of the event: offsite and local meetings;
• according to the regularity of holding: periodic, permanent meetings.

In addition to the presented classification, meetings can be divided into problem-based, operational and instructive.

Problem meetings are aimed at finding optimal solutions to problems in a short time.

Operational (or they are also called control rooms) are aimed at obtaining data on the current situation of the company. All information from subordinates is accumulated by department heads and then transferred to the chief executive of the organization. This is data on the extent to which plans were implemented, goals were achieved, and tasks were solved. The main difference between such meetings and all others is their regularity, the constancy of the list of participants and the possible absence of a meeting agenda (that is, its detailed plan).

Instructional meetings have the reverse order in contrast to control rooms - all information in a directive format goes down from the manager to direct subordinates, and is then transmitted along the vertical power structure in the organization to specific performers of certain tasks. Such information includes management orders that may affect the current progress of the organization, new rules, norms of behavior, and deadlines for completing specific tasks.

Preparation, organization and holding of business meetings

In order for the meeting to be effective, it is necessary to carefully consider its main points: the purpose of the meeting, the main tasks, the stages of the event. Only under such conditions can you benefit from the meeting.

Unfortunately, many of them are carried out only because it is customary in the business environment. Regular meetings and meetings at the beginning of the week with management in many companies have become routine and have lost their meaning.

However, large companies that strive to develop and win large market shares approach this issue with great scrupulousness:

• the list of meeting participants is determined;
• its agenda is developed for a long period, to which adjustments are made over time;
• priority remains given to strategic objectives, on which department heads report.

Stages and technologies of conducting a business meeting

Each meeting has two main stages: preparation and actual holding.

At the first stage, the relevance of the event is determined, its goals and objectives are set, a list of participants is formed, reports and presentations are prepared in accordance with the agenda.

At the second stage, issues in which all those present can take part are covered directly according to the existing agenda. As a rule, the company's management is the chairman of the meeting and sets the tone for it, gives the right to speak, and stops the discussion if it goes beyond the scope of constructive discussion.

In addition to the main stages, a meeting may include a decision-making stage if it involves solving a problem. This can happen through discussion or voting.

Business meeting plan example

With a detailed meeting plan in hand, you can confidently know that it will be effective.

Such a plan may include:

• welcoming speech from the manager - summing up the results for a certain time (quarter, month, week);
• coverage of the problem, justification of its relevance for the company;
• organizing a brainstorming session to solve it;
• assessment of all available options;
• accumulation of options for solving the problem;
• voting or other decision-making option on the use of specific tools to resolve the problem;
• determining the boundaries of solving the problem: deadlines, responsible persons, methods.

During the meeting, it is important to record its main points in order to be able to return to a particular issue and consider it in more detail.

Business meetings at exhibitions and congresses of the Expocentre

One of the effective means of promoting products is holding business meetings as part of exhibitions and congresses held at the Expocentre Fairgrounds. Business meetings of this format are somewhat different from others. If the management team of one enterprise gathers at a regular meeting, then during the exhibition any manufacturer has a unique opportunity to comprehensively solve the problems of the enterprise and invite all suppliers and distributors of products.

Specially equipped rooms for business meetings and congress halls of the Expocentre Fairgrounds are designed for different numbers of people. Therefore, there are no problems with accommodating all participants. Using the MatchMaking system, you can agree on the time of the meeting in advance. Presentation technology will make the meeting more eventful and complete.

DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A MEETING SYSTEM IN MEDIUM BUSINESS COMPANIES
Sergeeva E., Sukhanova I.M., Skriptunova E.A.
“Referent Secretary” January 2008

Among the various activities of a manager, the greatest amount of time, and in isolation from the rest of the work, is absorbed by meetings. Surveys show that, depending on management level, meetings take up to 80% of time. However, when consulting organizations, we often come across the fact that meetings are practically not used by modern Russian managers as an effective management tool. However, proper management of a meeting turns it into one of the most powerful management levers. The following tasks can be resolved through the meeting:

• identify staff opinions about planned and occurred events;
• exchange information necessary for work;
• discuss and analyze difficult situations and problems;
• exchange experiences and interesting developments;
• make decisions on complex issues;
• coordinate actions; distribute tasks taking into account the opinions of performers;
• monitor the situation, control the implementation of instructions;
• develop the business skills of participants (for example, practice presentation or discussion skills);
• increase the level of motivation (by including staff in the decision-making process; by being able to explain certain decisions);
• increase team cohesion.

In this article we will look at practical tools for building and implementing an effective meeting system: types of meetings, their goals and content, procedures for preparation, conduct and analysis. Let's look at common mistakes, because he who is forewarned is forearmed. We will also dwell on the problems typical for medium-sized companies and the possibilities of meetings to resolve them. In conclusion, here are some interesting examples of meetings from foreign experience.

So, speaking about the development and implementation of a meeting system, let's understand what it is? System is a set of elements arranged according to a certain structure in order to solve the main goal. In this case, the elements are meetings that are interconnected and aimed at solving certain problems of the organization. All meetings can be divided into four types:

• Operational
• Reporting (final)
• By development
• Problematic

Let's look at each type of meeting in detail: goals, frequency, notification procedures, preparation and holding of the meeting, actions that should be taken after the meeting, as well as common mistakes and their consequences for organizations.

Operational meetings

Goals and content of operational meetings:

1. Informing staff about news and events taking place in the company.
2. Discussion and decision-making on issues of current activities, taking into account the opinions of participants.
3. Exchange of opinions and setting tasks, instructions for current activities, coordination of work.
4. Checking (monitoring) instructions from previous meetings.
5. Resolving questions from participants regarding current activities.
6. Other questions (for example, you can plan to hear a report on an event, for example, participation in an exhibition).

How often and for how long should operational meetings be held?

Frequency, as a rule, is once a week for a duration of 1 - 1.5 hours, and daily for a duration of 10-15 minutes.

So-called five-minute meetings are effective at the middle level of management, for example, as a form of meeting in a department where all employees perform the same type of work.

How to carry out a notification. Additional notification is not required, since the regulations (day of week, time, duration) are standard. If it is impossible to attend a meeting for a valid reason, the participant informs the chairman or secretary. It is important not to cancel or reschedule meetings; this increases the discipline and importance of these events. Employees should be aware that the meeting will not be canceled under any circumstances.

How to prepare for a meeting. When preparing for a meeting, the manager draws up a plan where he records the main issues that need to be discussed.

It is useful for the manager to have a separate meeting notebook, where during the work process throughout the week he can write down issues that need to be raised at the meeting, then preparation is even more simplified.

Half an hour to an hour before the meeting, the manager needs to review the minutes of previous meetings, his notes for the week, this will allow him to adjust the meeting plan.

The secretary must prepare the room and provide the meeting with standard protocol forms, if any are used.

Participants prepare for the meeting by completing the required forms and reports. A day or two before the meeting, they need to check whether all instructions have been completed and submit plans and reports in writing.

Conducting an operational meeting.

The agenda for the operational meeting is standard. The same issues are discussed in the same sequence. This keeps things organized and speeds up the process. Non-routine questions are best left to the end of the meeting. It is better to build the agenda in such a way that the simplest issues are discussed in the first third of the meeting, it is better to plan complex issues for the middle of the meeting, and leave the most interesting and pleasant issues for the end of the meeting. This is due to the patterns in the work of groups, when the peak of performance occurs in the middle of work.

The leader is most active; he manages the process and monitors its productivity. It is important that all participants are included in the discussion and listen carefully. The facilitator can control this process using questions.

After the meeting The secretary must process the minutes of the meeting and distribute it to all participants.

Common mistakes

- Operational meetings are not held at all.

The main argument that we hear is why, if any questions arise, we quickly resolve them individually with the contractor. With this approach (all issues are resolved as they arise), up to 20% of working time is spent on discussions, and managers and more experienced employees are often distracted by different employees on the same issues.

In organizations where operational meetings are not held, as a rule, there are many problems associated with corporate culture. For example, there are several groups, each with its own subculture, employees are disunited, conflicts are frequent, rumors are widespread, interaction between departments is not built, information is lost.

Another common problem of organizations that do not practice operational meetings is low controllability and low authority of the leader. The staff rarely sees and hears their leader, does not understand what he does, and does not know current priorities. As a result, the manager-subordinate relationship becomes more and more distant, and a feeling of alienation develops when everyone struggles alone with their problems. Management’s assignments are not fulfilled, and sometimes the manager, due to fears that his assignment will be ignored, gives fewer and fewer instructions.

- Strict rules for holding meetings are not observed.

For example, meetings are not held every week, but occasionally, on different days of the week, at different times. This leads, first of all, to a decrease in discipline. With this approach, it is very easy to avoid meetings altogether, citing the fact that an important meeting, negotiations, or something else has already been scheduled for that time. A tight schedule makes it impossible to avoid meetings. Holding meetings regularly on the same day of the week disciplines employees, forces them to work, evenly distributing the workload, because every week it is necessary to report on these instructions, so there is no opportunity to postpone unpleasant, uninteresting or difficult work until later.

- Meetings are too long.

This happens for several reasons:

• The meeting was poorly prepared, no plan was drawn up, issues were discussed as they arose, no recording was kept, and some topics were discussed more than once.
• The leader does not feel when it is necessary to stop the discussion or move it into a constructive direction. This happens if the manager is not ready to make a decision, or has an overly liberal management style, or does not have the skills to conduct group discussions.
• Minor issues are brought to the meeting, which can be resolved more easily and quickly on an individual basis.
• The meeting is not of a very businesslike nature; the participants simply communicate on production-related topics.

Elimination of all of the above reasons falls within the direct competence of the manager leading the meeting.

It is also important to invite the optimal number of participants to the meeting. It is considered optimal for 6-10 people to participate in the meeting. With a smaller group, the meeting is sometimes not of a sufficiently businesslike nature and often the participants do not have enough information to make a decision; with a larger group, it is more difficult to manage the discussion process, parallel discussions arise, and some participants are distracted.

- Decisions made are not controlled

It often happens that the meeting has passed, decisions have been made, everyone feels a sense of satisfaction and goes to their workplaces to deal with current affairs. Somehow everyone forgets about the decisions made.

The easiest way to achieve increased controllability (that is, an increase in the percentage of implementation of decisions made) is to introduce a form of control over instructions, and include a procedure for reporting on instructions in the meeting regulations. If a task is given at one meeting, the performer must know that at the appointed time the execution will be checked and he will need to report to everyone.

Also, the reason for non-fulfillment of an order is the lack of a deadline and, which also happens, the executor. Usually such instructions sound like this: “We need to make a report on sales dynamics.” Who needs? When? As a result, everyone has the right to think that the task was not given to him.

- The meeting does not start at the scheduled time

If the manager waits until everyone has gathered and only then starts the meeting, this very quickly discourages the entire team. There are more and more delays and sometimes it comes to the point that you have to call employees and personally invite everyone. The problem can be solved quite simply. Once you need to inform the staff that now they will not wait for anyone, and being late will be regarded as a violation of discipline. After this, it is necessary to strictly adhere to the stated principle. Moreover, it is important that there are no exceptions for anyone, even if this is a leading employee or he must speak first. Once employees understand that the manager's intentions are firm, tardiness will gradually stop.

Reporting (final) meetings.

Objectives and content of the reporting meeting:

1. Summing up (including financial results) of the company’s work for a certain period (month, quarter, year).
2. Hearing reports from managers on work performed.
3. Setting goals for the new period.
4. Approval of work plans.

Duration and frequency: It is recommended to hold such meetings at the beginning of each reporting period (once a month or quarter) with a total duration of 1.5 – 2.5 hours. It is advisable to hold two final meetings - one on reports, the other on plans.

Alert:

The secretary notifies the participants a week in advance about the date, time, duration and agenda of the meeting, collects from the participants the documents that need to be presented at the meeting and, if necessary, distributes them to other participants. Documents for study must reach participants no later than 1 day before the meeting.

How to prepare for the final meeting. In preparation for the meeting, the facilitator creates a plan and agenda. It is necessary to monitor the process of preparation for final meetings in advance (at operational meetings), obtain and analyze financial indicators in advance. It is especially important to prepare for setting new goals for the next period.

Department heads should prepare reports and draft plans for the meeting.

After the meeting it is important to make adjustments to reports and plans, coordinate and approve plans, and distribute approved documents to all participants.

Common Mistakes

- There are no plans and reports in the organization in principle.

Many managers believe that plans and reports are rudiments of the past; they do not know how to use this tool not only to set tasks and evaluate the results obtained, but also to motivate staff.

- Managers report on the work done, but plans are not discussed at meetings.

In this case we are dealing with a typical example of reactive control. After something happens, a reaction follows. It is clear that in this case it is difficult to talk about management as such. Employees decide for themselves what to do, and the manager only evaluates what happened. Naturally, he is not always satisfied with the result obtained.

- Reports and plans are drawn up in free form, they are difficult to compare and consolidate into a single document.

Evaluating reports is difficult because different indicators are used. This allows employees to use the metrics that are most beneficial to them and report well. The manager is often misled and cannot adequately assess the work done.

Development meetings

Objectives and content of development meetings:

1. Identify and discuss pressing problems.
2. Develop possible solutions to problems.
3. Discuss ways of possible development of the organization (goals, strategy).
4. Discuss other strategic management issues.

Duration of such meetings depends on the issue being discussed and usually takes from 1 to 3 hours. Frequency - as necessary, but not less than 2 times a year.

Alert:

A week in advance, the secretary notifies participants of the date, time, duration and agenda of the meeting. The secretary collects documents from participants that need to be presented at the meeting and distributes them to other participants if necessary. Documents for study should reach participants no later than 2-3 days before the meeting.

Preparing for a Development Meeting should be quite serious. The main thing is to determine what result needs to be obtained from the discussion and clearly state the goals of the meeting. Next, select adequate methods for solving the assigned problems. You can invite a group facilitator to organize the meeting. Analytical reviews, tables, and graphs on both internal indicators and market development are prepared especially for such meetings.

Actions after the meeting:

Everything that was developed during the meeting must be recorded and summarized after the meeting for use in decision-making. After this, distribute the approved documents to all participants.

Common mistakes

Most often, development meetings are poorly prepared; participants do not have the necessary information and management knowledge, and do not understand the essence of strategic management. If several such meetings do not lead to concrete results, managers tend to abandon them and make strategic decisions alone or with 1-2 like-minded people.

Problem meetings

Goals and content of problem meetings:

1. Make a decision on a local issue.
2. Discuss the situation.
3. Conduct a brainstorming session and collect proposals on any issue.

Duration and frequency. Problem meetings take from 30 minutes to one hour and are held as needed.

Alert:

The secretary notifies participants of the date, time and issue under discussion 1-2 days before the meeting. The secretary prepares the necessary documents on behalf of the manager.

Preparation. In preparation for the meeting, the facilitator draws up a plan for the meeting and selects a form (discussion, brainstorming, group interview, filling out questionnaires, presentation).

Meeting participants prepare their ideas and proposals on the topic of the meeting.

Actions after the meeting:

Common mistakes

Problem meetings are used quite rarely, although they have good potential not only as a tool for solving a specific problem, but for increasing group cohesion and forming a single conceptual field.

Now let's turn to the problems that most mid-market companies face. Let's look at them in light of what we already know about meetings and decide which meetings can help us work on a particular problem. So, the main problems can be described as “nepotism”, growth crisis and stagnation.

"Nepotism" characteristic of companies at the stage of their inception and manifests itself in close relationships between team members. Almost all decisions are made outside the framework of labor relations. “Meetings” arise spontaneously and are in the nature of friendly communication and discussion of emerging issues over a cup of tea, and in the case of solving operational issues they come down to “meetings” in the corridor. The consequence of this is a loss of control over processes and a low level of responsibility ( “We’ve already discussed this”...« I made an agreement with him, and he…»… etc.). What components can make up a meeting system at this stage? Due to the above, it is imperative to establish regular operational meetings with the fixation of deadlines for those responsible for certain instructions. If you have a cohesive team, problem-solving meetings will be useful for solving complex problems facing a nascent business. And of course, we cannot ignore development meetings, which at this stage may be held more often than usual, for example, once a quarter.

Developing rapidly, companies lose established connections, do not have time to adapt to new conditions, and are faced with growth crisis. A growth crisis occurs when the ratio of old employees to new employees becomes approximately equal. The consequence of this is the erosion of corporate culture and discord in the interaction of departments. Meetings are only operational in nature; there are no explanatory or informational functions. At this stage, it is important to hold problem meetings. A structured discussion and exchange of experience will help new employees quickly get up to speed, learn certain rules and regulations adopted in the company, and also (and this is no less important) prove themselves.

Further development may lead to stagnation, the state of stagnation that a company often experiences at the stage of “bureaucratization”. In such companies, meetings are held systematically, but do not give the desired result. Why? The company no longer sees development prospects behind clear and regulated actions. Proposals for improving activities, a creative approach to solving production problems are often “extinguished”, as they violate the everyday, familiar order. Meetings in such a situation can act as a tool to combat stagnation and stagnation. It is worth inviting various specialists (in information technology, business processes, production optimization) who will be able to look at the situation from a new angle; use new approaches (for example, organize regular retreats on strategy or problem-solving groups), invite trainers-moderators. The search for solutions that can move the company off the ground, give it a new breath, and the opportunity to move to a qualitatively new level should come to the fore.

When building a system of meetings, the first thing that is necessary is to determine the goals of the system and, based on these goals, determine how many and what kind of meetings need to be held in the company and how they will be related to each other.

The purpose of the meeting system is determined by each organization depending on the goals and objectives facing the company. Although meeting goals are fairly standard, each company has different priorities at the moment, and meeting goals vary accordingly. For example, at the inception stage of a company, the main goals of the meeting system are to develop a development strategy, form a team, and unite. While during the implementation of changes, the main emphasis will be on disseminating information within the company and explanatory work.

In addition, when building a meeting system, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of each level of management. The basis of meetings at the highest level (“Board of Directors”) is the development and adjustment of strategic decisions and control over their implementation. While the goals of meetings with department managers are primarily to communicate these decisions and approve operational tasks. At the department level, meetings are of an introductory nature; most issues are resolved immediately. Here it is important to collect information from the field, announce the results of the work, and calculate specific actions.

Elements of the meeting system (meetings themselves) differ in the composition of participants, tasks to be solved, frequency, recording of results, etc. The required type is determined based on the goals of the system and the specific tasks for a given group of meetings. For example, daily planning meetings in departments require the presence of all department employees, control using a standard form of key indicators and are aimed at solving operational problems. And, for example, for the financial department, the information function is of great importance, i.e. coverage of new legislative acts, discussion and exchange of information on emerging issues. Such meetings require preliminary preparation of documents and facts.

Next, you need to determine which meetings are interconnected and how they influence each other. For example, weekly department meetings should be held later than operational meetings with the first person so that department heads can quickly disseminate the information received.

If the company has already developed a certain system of meetings, then in order to improve its efficiency it is necessary to periodically (for example, once every two years) audit it, identify and eliminate bottlenecks. Some meetings may lose their relevance and it makes sense to abandon them, while others may need to change the format or frequency of holding. It is also important to check the composition of meeting participants, as any company undergoes structural changes over time.

The first meetings under the new scheme should be monitored and analyzed based on the following criteria:

• Basic rules (are they followed by all group members)
• Protocol (by whom and how it is conducted)
• Participation (are all participants integrated into the discussion process)
• Time parameter (whether the participants comply with the general time frames and regulations, how issues that require additional consideration are resolved).
• Conflict situations and compliance with business ethics (to what extent they manifest themselves during the discussion process, how they are resolved.)

After analyzing the first meetings, it may be necessary to make adjustments and additions. This is often due to the specifics of the work of the meeting participants. For example, sales staff, people who can speak well and a lot. Sometimes, behind beautiful words it is almost impossible to discern real actions. Therefore, it is important to keep them as close to facts and statistics as possible. On the contrary, production employees often get lost in specific tasks; it may be necessary to switch them to discussing development prospects and strategic objectives. To analyze meetings, we offer you a specific form (Appendix).

The documented results of the meeting serve as a source of analysis of the work of the meeting system and the company as a whole. You can track the effectiveness by the following points:

• Decisions made (specific presentation, unambiguous wording, absence of decisions that duplicate already approved organizational norms)
• Deadlines and compliance with them
• Performance discipline

In conclusion, I would like to draw attention to some interesting methods of conducting meetings.

For example, in the USA, a method used to increase the effectiveness of meetings is that a serious person in a business suit with a briefcase comes to the meeting. He takes one of the empty seats and... doesn’t do or say anything else. No one introduces him or explains the situation. For some time, those around you are silent, waiting to hear standard speeches about prospects. As a result, after a certain period, employees themselves take the initiative and begin to discuss their pressing issues, but the presence of such an important and mysterious person mobilizes them and sets a strict, official tone. In our conditions, you can somehow identify the person present, for example, an external consultant, and call on those gathered to discuss the planned issues. The effect, as a rule, is exactly the same.

The Japanese Ringese decision-making method is that a document is not adopted until all departments and employees who are somehow connected with it have expressed their opinion. This allows you to take into account all possible factors, after which it is adopted as a constitution and is no longer adjusted. This fits into the cultural traditions of the country, including the management culture. In the context of business development in our country, this method is partially implemented as part of organizational development activities. For example, when solving a problem of optimizing business processes, employees from all departments participating in one business process can be brought together. If this is sales, then the composition of participants may be as follows: General Director, Commercial Director, Sales Department, Accounting Department, Warehouse Workers. The entire sales process is discussed and agreed upon down to the smallest detail. Who, which department, and to what extent is responsible for this or that element of the business process. Who, when, to whom, and in what form gives instructions and orders. What documents and in what form should be drawn up. In the process of such work, the main contradictions between departments are resolved, and the final decision is made on how this or that process is built. Naturally, over time, when the internal structure of the company changes, changes may be made to the operating technology, but until then, the agreed business process remains unchanged and is observed by all participants.

Meetings - meditations: immersion in a certain emotional state in which participants imagine, for example, pictures of the future of the company or the reverse process, when participants look at the present from a wonderful future that has come true - this is another non-standard approach. Such joint events will unite the team, and employees will have common experiences. The peculiarity of this method is the opportunity to see the organization from a new point of view, to go beyond the standard perception. This method is suitable for problem and development meetings. Practiced by consultants at seminars on organizational development when developing a vision of the future and mission of the company.

Another approach to holding meetings is very strict regulation and the introduction of rules that cannot be violated under any circumstances. For example, each participant is given exactly three minutes during which he must report on the results of his department’s work for the week. At the same time, he is not limited in any way in terms of funds. He can come with printed blanks, he can draw on the board, he can hand out tables to the participants. The main thing is to keep it within three minutes. Or a rule is introduced that at each meeting each participant is obliged to make 3 proposals for improving the company’s work. Or report on 3 of your successes over the past week. Sometimes meetings are held standing, in a room where there are no chairs. After participants master any of these methods of conducting meetings, it begins to have a strong mobilizing effect on them and energizes them.

Thus, we examined practical tools for building an effective meeting system, taking into account the specifics of medium-sized businesses, and gave several interesting examples of holding meetings from foreign experience. We are confident that now, if you approach building a meeting system with your existing knowledge and creativity, you will be able to create your own methods to increase the efficiency of both the meeting system itself and your company’s business as a whole.

Application

Order control form

following the results of the operational meeting “___” ___________200_

Sections in the control sheet can be selected depending on the need to control certain issues and depending on the specifics of the organization.

If the task is not completed, a note is made to postpone the deadline or impose sanctions. When summing up the results of a period, it can be useful to analyze who most often did not meet deadlines or did not cope with the assigned task. Sometimes, based on such data, one can judge professional unsuitability - both tasks and the quality and timing of their completion are recorded. Also, analysis of these forms allows us to draw conclusions about the workload of employees; perhaps someone cannot cope with tasks due to the fact that they are overloaded and physically do not have time, while someone else is only half loaded.

Application

Assessing the effectiveness of the meeting