In the Meeting and Post Meeting Activities

Phrases
- In any meeting you should monitor two objects: the time and the agenda. If you don't do that, meetings will take twice as long and the salient points won't be discussed.
- Avoid discussing points there you haven't enough power to make a decision about. Postpone such points to another meeting where the right personnel would be invited.
- Take charge of managing time. Watch the clock every 5 minutes and decide if there is too much time spent on the subject in hand. Keep the meeting agenda in front of you as a guide.
- Keep an eye on the time.
- Start on time, don't spend time on friendly conversation.
- At the start explain to everyone the agenda and your expectations.
- Park additional items - make a note of important additional questions, but don't discuss them if they aren't included in agenda.
- If a topic over runs its allocated time then it is the duty of the chair to curtail the discussion so other points can receive their proper attention.
- To enable this to happen you must keep the agenda in front of you at all times while having an eye on the clock.
- One eye on the agenda, one eye on the clock, both ears to the meeting.
- Write in advance important points and decisions.
- Take notes for yourself using your laptop. This will enable you to send notes to everyone without spending time for retyping.
- Don't write in the notes ideas you can't share with others.
- Use your agenda to make a table of contents for your notes.
- Additionally if the meeting becomes bogged down because two or more participants are hogging the time allotted the chair must take the necessary action.
- How would I deal with this situation?
- In particular the chair must determine if the two sides are likely to reach agreement before the next item is due or should the topic be deferred to a later date.
- Is there anything we haven't covered or anything you would like to bring to the meeting's attention.
- Process and send meeting notes to attendees the same day the meeting has happened.
Vocabulary
- allocated - distribute (resources or duties) for a particular purpose
- allotted - give or apportion (something) to someone
- attendees - a person who attends a conference or other gathering
- bogged down - if you get bogged down in something, it prevents you from making progress or getting something done
- curtail - reduce in extent or quantity; impose a restriction on
- decision - a conclusion or resolution reached after consideration
- deferred - put off (an action or event) to a later time; postpone
- disrupt – interrupt (an event, activity, or process) by causing a disturbance or problem
- duty - a moral or legal obligation; a responsibility
- hogging - take or use most or all of (something) in an unfair or selfish way
- in advance - ahead of time
- in particular - usually
- keep an eye on the time - watch the time
- over runs - goes beyond
- retyping - type (text) again on a typewriter or computer
- salient points - important points (key points)
- table of contents - contents
- take charge of - to be responsible for
- take notes for - to write notes for