Topic 1.12.1 Communication in Meetings

COMMUNICATION IN MEETINGS

1.Warm up

What types of meetings do you usually attend at work? How do their purposes differ?
Which kind of meeting do you find most effective, and why?
What challenges do people often face in meetings, and how can they be solved?

2A. Vocabulary – Types of meetings

What type of meetings do you have in your business?

Which ones do you attend?

3A. Collocations with ‘meeting’

3B. In pairs, discuss the questions below.

4A. Meeting problems and solutions

Study the meeting problems.

Things are behind schedule.
A few participants are dominating the meeting.
Meetings are often used to deal with immediate problems.
Key people don’t attend.
People don’t follow through on action plans, tasks and decisions after the meeting ends.
The participants are getting side-tracked.

4B. Now match the words from the sentences to their definitions.

4B. Now study the solutions below and match them to the problems in Ex.4A.

Invite opinions from quiet individuals in private.
Go back to the original question or re-state the purpose of the meeting.
Make sure to include at least one item for discussion that focuses on something strategically important, but not urgent.
If meetings are only used for announcements and information sharing, there may be better ways to share the information (e.g. email). In this way, meetings will seem worth attending.
Place topics that require more discussion at the very beginning of the agenda.
Provide written action plans– people usually need to see in writing what action is required of them and by when.

5.Role plays

Role Play 1: Catching Up When Behind Schedule

Scenario: A project team is behind schedule on a deadline.
Roles: One participant is the project manager, and others are team members.
Task: The manager must discuss the delay, identify causes, and suggest ways to get back on track.

💡 Key phrase practice: “We’re behind schedule, so we need to prioritize tasks.”

Role Play 2: Managing a Dominating Participant

Scenario: A team meeting where one participant is dominating the discussion.
Roles: One participant plays the overly talkative person, while another acts as the chairperson.
Task: The chairperson must politely involve others in the discussion and manage the balance.

💡 Key phrase practice: “I appreciate your input, but let’s hear from others as well to ensure everyone has a say.”

Role Play 3: Dealing with a Difficult Situation

Scenario: A client is unhappy with a service, and the account manager must deal with their complaint.
Roles: One participant is the frustrated client, and another is the account manager.
Task: The manager must handle the complaint professionally and find a resolution.

💡 Key phrase practice: “I understand your concerns, and I’ll deal with this issue immediately.”

Role Play 4: Identifying Key Points in a Meeting

Scenario: A team is discussing a new strategy, but the meeting is losing focus.
Roles: One participant acts as the facilitator, ensuring that the key points are addressed.
Task: The facilitator must guide the conversation back to the most important topics.

💡 Key phrase practice: “Let’s focus on the key objectives so we stay on track.”

Role Play 5: Following Through on Promises

Scenario: A manager assigned tasks in a previous meeting, but some people didn’t follow through on their commitments.
Roles: One participant is the manager, and others are employees giving updates.
Task: The manager must check progress and discuss why certain tasks weren’t completed.

💡 Key phrase practice: “It’s important to follow through on commitments to keep the project moving forward.”

Role Play 6: Avoiding Getting Side-Tracked

Scenario: A meeting is supposed to be about a budget report, but participants keep getting side-tracked with unrelated topics.
Roles: One participant is the chairperson, ensuring the meeting stays focused.
Task: The chairperson must redirect the conversation when it drifts off-topic.

💡 Key phrase practice: “Let’s avoid getting side-tracked and return to the main agenda.”