Meetings are held when a group of persons comes together to discuss matters of mutual interest. Meetings give members the opportunity to exchange ideas and try to find acceptable solutions to problems.
Meeting are held for various reasons. The chairperson decides on the reason and informs the members. Typical reasons are:
- to make decisions
- to discuss matters relating to the firm
- to pass on information
- to plan activities that will help the company (for example a workshop session)
- to collect ideas from members that will be beneficial to the success of the business
- to give or receive feedback on matters
- to find acceptable solution t problems
- to decide on strategies needed to succeed
- team-building/motivation
Types of Meetings
There are two main types of meetings: formal and informal.
Formal Meetings
General Meeting: A regular meeting of company, society, association or union to which members are invited. General meetings held by companies include AGMs and EGM, described below.
Annual General Meeting: An annual general meeting, commonly referred to as an AGM or annual meeting, is a formal meeting, which is held once a year. This type of meeting is a legal requirement for charities, large companies or voluntary organizations that have company status. An AGM is held every year after giving 21 days' clear notice. This type of meeting deals with issues such as the election of the committee or board members and reviewing the annual accounts. Members are also informed of the company's previous activities and its successes and failures over the past year, as well as future activities.
Extraordinary General Meeting: An extraordinary general meeting, commonly abbreviated as EGM and in some cases known as an emergency general meeting, is a meeting of members of an organization, shareholders of a company, or employees of an official body, which occurs when needed. These meetings are held where an issue arises which requires the input of the entire membership and is too serious or urgent to wait until the next AGM - for example, there is a fire in the organization's premises and members must meet to decide the next step for the company.
Board of Directors Meeting: Board of directors meetings is management meetings of members of the board of directors of a company. These members are responsible for the management, and usually, have the power to make decisions and act on behalf of the company.
Committee Meeting: Committee meetings are held either to give advice or to make recommendations to management. Members are appointed or elected according to requirements. One special type of member is the ex-officio member, who is appointed because of the official position or office they hold. For example, the CEO may be designated as an ex-officio member on all committees. There are several types of committees and they convene meetings for varying purposes.
Types of Committee meetings
Executive committee - an executive committee carries out the actual management of an organization. It has the power to make decisions on the organization's behalf.
Advisory committee - an advisory committee gives advice to the executive committee on matters regarding the firm. The advisory committee may form a sub-committee that will investigate matters and report to it based on the findings. It will give advice to the executive committee.
Ad hoc committee - an ad hoc committee is a short-lived committee, which is set up for a particular purpose. For example, a committee may be set up to plan an event; at the end of the event, the committee no longer exists. Some meetings may be held 'in camera'. This is when the meeting takes place behind closed doors because of the sensitive or confidential nature of the information being discussed.
Informal Meetings
Departmental Meeting: departmental meetings are informal meetings called by heads of the departments or divisions to discuss the progress of the departments, to make plans or even to give instructions.
Staff Meeting: staff meetings are held between a manager and those who report to the manager. They are seen by many organizations as an important venue for communicating with workers directly and efficiently. Some staff meetings encourage and open exchange of dialogue with staff, while others are conducted as more of an 'in-person memo', wherein management retains the majority of the floor.
Terms and Phrases used in Meetings
1. Ad hoc: from Latin, meaning 'for the purpose of', as for example, when a sub-committee is set up specially to organize a works outing.
2. Adjourn: to hold a meeting over until a later date.
3. Adopt minutes: minutes are 'adopted' when accepted by members and signed up by the chairman.
4. Advisory: providing advice or suggestion, not taking action.
5. Agenda: a schedule of items drawn up for discussion at a meeting
6. AGM: Annual General Meeting: all members are usually eligible to attend
7. Amendment: A proposal to alter a motion by adding or deleting words.
8. Any other Business: At the end of a meeting there is often s section for items not covered by the rest of the agenda. These may either be by prior arrangement with the chair or they may be items brought forward by any member of the meeting without prior approval.
9. Apologies: excuses given in advance for inability to attend a meeting
10. Articles of Association: rules required by Company law which govern a company's activities
11. Attendance list: in some committees, a list is passed round to be signed as a record of attendance
12. Bye-laws: rules regulating an organization's activities
13. Casting vote: by convention, some committee chairmen may use a 'casting vote' to reach a decision, if votes are equally divided
14. Chairman: leader or person is given authority to conduct a meeting
15. Chairman's Agenda: based upon the committee agenda, but containing explanatory notes
16. Collective Responsibility: a convention by which all committee members agree to abide by a majority decision
17. Committee: a group of people usually elected or appointed who meet to conduct agreed business and report to a senior body
18. Consensus: an agreement by general consent, no formal vote is taken
19. Constitution: a set of rules governing activities of voluntary bodies
20. Convene: to call a meeting
21. Decision: resolution minutes are sometimes called 'decision minutes'
22. Eject: remove someone (by force if necessary) from a meeting
23. Executive: having the power to act upon taken decisions
24. Extraordinary Meeting: a meeting called for all members to discuss a serious issue affecting all is called an Extraordinary General Meeting; otherwise a non-routine meeting called for a specific purpose
25. Ex officio: given powers or rights by reason of office
26. Guillotine: cut short a debate – usually in Parliament
27. Honorary post: a duty performed without payment, e.g. Honorary Secretary
28. Information, Point of: the drawing of attention in a meeting to a relevant item of fact
29. Intra vires: within the power of the committee or meeting to discuss, carry out
30. Lie on the table: leave the item to be considered instead at the next meeting (see table)
31. Lobbying: a practice of seeking members' support before a meeting
32. Minutes: the written record of a meeting; resolution minutes record only decision reached, while narrative minutes provide a record of the decision-making process
33. Motion: the name was given to a 'proposal' when it is being discussed at a meeting
34. Mover: one who speaks on behalf of a motion
35. Nem con: from Latin, literally, 'no one speaking against'
36. Opposer: one who speaks against a motion
37. Order, point of: the drawing of attention to a breach of rules or procedures
38. Other business: either items leftover from a previous meeting, or items discussed after the main business of a meeting
39. Point of order: proceedings may be interrupted on a 'point of order' if procedures or rules are not being kept to in a meeting
40. Proposal: the name given to a submitted item for discussion (usually written) before a meeting takes place
41. Proxy: literally 'on behalf of another person' - proxy vote
42. Quorum: the number of people needed to be in attendance for a meeting to be legitimate and so commence
43. Refer back: to pass an item back for further consideration
44. Resolution: the name was given to a 'motion' which has been passed or carried; used after the decision has been reached
45. Seconder: one who supports the 'proposer' of motion or proposal by 'seconding' it
46. Secretary: committee official responsible for the internal and external administration of a committee
47. Secret ballot: a system of voting in secret
48. Shelve: to drop a motion which has no support
49. Sine die: from Latin, literally, 'without a day', that is to say indefinitely, e.g. 'adjourned sine die'.
50. Standing Committee: a committee which has an indefinite term of office
51. Standing Orders: rules of procedure governing public sector meetings
52. Table: to introduce a paper or schedule for noting
53. Taken as read: to save time, it is assumed the members have already read the minutes
54. Treasurer: committee official responsible for its financial records and transactions
55. Ultra vires: beyond the authority of the meeting to consider
56. Unanimous: all were in favor
Additional Information Sites
http://www.uolearn.com/minutesofmeetings/minutetakingresources/definitionsofmeetingterms.pdf
http://hullcvs.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/downloads/1283783675AGlossaryofCommitteeandMeetingTermsFactsheet-A4.pdf
http://www.deskdemon.com/pages/uk/information/howto/language
Meeting DocumentsAdditional Information Sites
http://www.uolearn.com/minutesofmeetings/minutetakingresources/definitionsofmeetingterms.pdf
http://hullcvs.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/downloads/1283783675AGlossaryofCommitteeandMeetingTermsFactsheet-A4.pdf
http://www.deskdemon.com/pages/uk/information/howto/language
Notice of a meeting
A notice is used to inform members that there will be a meeting and also to let them know the date, time and venue of the meeting.
Information needed to prepare a notice
When writing a notice use 'who, what, when, where and why' as guides. The information that would be needed to prepare the notice and agenda of a meeting and to ensure that all persons concerned are notified is:
- date and day of the meeting;
- where the meeting will be held;
- time of the meeting;
- topic to be discussed;
- name of members;
- addresses of members
Agenda
An agenda is a list of items to be discussed during a meeting. It can be said to be the tool or instrument used to control the meeting. An agenda is usually included with the notice and is sent to all members to allow them to attend the meeting prepared to participate in the discussions. An agenda usually begins with apologies for absence and minutes of the last meeting. The agenda usually ends with an item in which the date and time of the next meeting are set. If no date is set for the next meeting it is said to be adjourned sine die.
Chairman's Agenda
A chairman's agenda contains more information than the ordinary agenda. A wide space is usually provided on the right-hand side of the paper for the chairperson to make notes which will assist him/her in the conduct of an effective meeting.
Minutes of Meeting
'Minutes of a meeting' is the term given to the written record of business discussed at a meeting. The minutes must be a true record of what had taken place at a meeting and be capable of being called upon for future reference. Minutes serve as a legal paper trail in case of litigation as a record of the factors considered in decision making. They also serve as internal documentation to help provide information to new directors, as a reminder to members of deliberations and actions, and as an update for members unable to attend. Finally, the minutes provide documentation for managers' follow-up.
After the meeting, type the notes and circulate them straight away; send a copy to all attendees, including the date of the next meeting if applicable, and also to anyone who should see the notes. The minutes should be brief or people won't read them, but they must still be precise and clear. Include relevant facts, figures, accountabilities, actions, and timescales.
Minutes are always written in the past tense, using reported speech, for example, The Treasurer raised the question of ...'. Minutes must be precise, unambiguous account to what actually happens at a meeting. The minute must be understandable to someone who was absent from the meeting.
Importance of the contents of the minutes.
Minutes are important as they provide a record of actions points decided at the last meeting and of agreements made. The minutes of a meeting can be used to clarify many issues and also to inform persons who were absent. After the meeting, the minutes should be checked with the chairperson to confirm the accuracy and then circulated to all members of the meeting, both those who attend and those who were absent. Minutes are required in order to:
- confirm any decisions made;
- record any agreed actions to be taken;
- record who has been allocated any tasks or responsibilities;
- prompt action from any relevant attendees;
- provide details of the meeting to anyone unable to attend;
- serve as a record of the meeting's procedure and outcome.
