The article this week focuses on helping us identify different categories of meetings that may take place in an organisation. We will also explain basic procedural tools used to run meetings. Let’s begin by defining what a meeting is. We could consider it as the bringing together of all parties concerned with an issue. People usually convene to talk about issues of common interest.
Meetings can be both formal and informal, depending on the setting. While some meetings admit all members of an organisation – and may thus be termed ‘general’ – others are restricted to select members of a committee. There are management board meetings – only to be attended by members of staff that are management personnel; executive council meeting – by members of the executive council; departmental meeting – by members of a specific department, etc. That said, what are the different categories of meetings?
For one, meetings can be regarded as regular, special or emergency. It is usually the circumstances that birth their occurrence that determine what kind of categorisation we give them. For regular meetings (also known as statutory), an organisation may convene once a month. Some decide to have this on the last Wednesdays of every month. For others it might be on Thursday or on Friday. The point is that such general meetings are usually convened only once a month. For special meetings, issues requiring attention outside of the general interest may be considered. To illustrate: an organisation may want to raise funds for a project. A special meeting may be convened for this purpose. They may not have to wait until the time for the regular meeting to convene. There are also emergency meetings, which happen when there is an unexpected event that occurs. Such events require urgent interventions, and there is usually a tense mood at such gatherings. Meetings for any special purposes may also be convened.
Regardless of the form a meeting takes, there are fundamental tools required for its smooth running. It is no rocket science that a notice of meeting, meeting agenda and minutes of meeting are the basic tools for holding a meeting. As the name implies, a notice of meeting simply conveys the intention to hold a meeting. Depending on the kind of meeting it is, its circulation would be to the intended participants of the meeting. Why is the notification of meeting important? Everyone is busy. So, if there is an intention by a department to hold a meeting, there is need to communicate that promptly so that all are in the know. With that people can plan what their itinerary would look like and block the dates on their calendars. Usually, short notices lead to poor meeting attendance. Even where people in the organisation know the likely date for regular and or other meeting types, it still behoves those responsible (usually the administration secretary or the human resource personnel) to issue out a notice of meeting. In the notice, inform people of the venue, date and time of the meeting. And ensure it is signed off. Such documentation makes it harder for anyone to say they didn’t know about the meeting.
An agenda of a meeting details what activities would take place during the meeting. The chairperson of the meeting has a strong voice in the crafting of the agenda. Why is it important to send out an agenda of a meeting before it is held? This is because people need to be prepared and not feel like they’re put on the spot at the meeting. When the agenda is sent out, it is usually accompanied with the minutes of the previous meeting held. That way, people can synchronise the past with the current and be better prepared to give meaningful contributions at the meeting. What’s the format for the meetings? In most organisations, a move for adoption of the agenda is made. Afterwards, any important issue erroneously omitted in the agenda could be discussed before the meeting starts proper. Usually, at regular meetings, a chairperson’s opening remarks are taken. This is then followed by an adoption of the minutes of the previous meeting and discussion of any matters arising from the minutes, before the substantive issues of the current meeting – those listed on the agenda – are considered.
The minutes of a meeting is an official record of all that happens during a meeting. This is an important tool, as it is in most contexts considered a legal document. This is why the previous minutes of a meeting are usually adopted as the correct record of the proceedings at that meeting before a new one begins. Is there a standard format for writing the minutes of a meeting? Well, yes, there are basic structures to incorporate in the document.
For example, the following information must be documented: at the top of the page, title of the meeting and details of the place and time where it was convened; this is usually to be followed by the names of all members of the group holding the meeting (their positions/offices held are written out alongside their names) – at this point it should also be shown whether they all were present or if some sent their apologies or were absent/away with or without apologies; following this is the list of substantive issues to be discussed. There is also a provision for any other business (AOB) before a motion for adjournment is made. Such move marks the closure of the meeting. In some cases, a new date for the next meeting is decided there and communicated to all.
In the next article, I will show a sample of each of these meeting tools and go on to explain some of the technical terms associated with meetings.
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