Unit-III

Corporate Communication
Corporate Communication
Corporate communication is a management function that offers a framework for the
effective coordination of all internal and external communication with the overall
purpose of establishing and maintaining favourable reputations with stakeholder
groups upon which the organization is dependent. Corporate relates to a large
company or group.

The word corporate derived from latin word ‘’corporatus”which means form into body.
Corporate means collocations of culture,identity, image,planning and its structure. The
process of becoming a corporation, called incorporation, gives the company separate
legal standing from its owners and protects those owners from being
personally liable in the event that the company is sued (a condition known as limited
liability). Incorporation also provides companies with a more flexible way to manage
their ownership structure.

Communication
‘Communication is a dynamic process of interaction that involves the effective
transmission of facts, ideas, thoughts, feelings and values’ - Keith Davis

 7% WORDS -Words are only labels and the listeners put their own interpretation
on speakers words
 38% PARALINGUISTIC - The way in which something is said - the accent, tone
and voice modulation is important to the listener.
 55% BODY LANGUAGE - What a speaker looks like while delivering a message
affects the listener’s understanding most.

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Total Communication Process

 Ideation-sender’s knowledge and ability

 Encoding-process of changing information into some form of logical and
coded message i.e., medium, form, usage
 Sender-barrier free, tone, pitch
 Message – must be intellectual and emotional components and right
vocabulary, arrangement of sentences plays vital role
 Channel –oral, written, electronic, technical or verbal – nonverbal
 Decoding- interpretation and analysis of a message
 Receiver – free from assumptions, focused listening
 Feedback – reaction of the receiver and ensures the understanding of the
message, questions, gestures

Barriers in Communication

 Unwillingness to say things  Disagreement between verbal

differently and non-verbal messages
 Unwillingness to learn new  Negative Self Image
approaches  Lack of Feedback
 Lack of Self-Confidence  Lack of Motivation and Training
 Lack of Enthusiasm  Language and Vocabulary Level
 Prejudice

The 6 C’ Mantras

 Clarity of thought – objective , medium, choosing the right word, jargon

 Completeness – no ambiguity, no abrupt expressions
 Conciseness – brevity, no repetition, organize well, coherence
 Courtesy – answer promptly, omit irritable expressions, apologize sincerely,
follow official etiquettes, respect elders, ladies, seniors
 Correctness – be authentic, be factual, follow time limits, use correct style , do
not give out-dated information
 Consideration – no gender bias, no negative expressions

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Models of Communication:
There are many models of communication developed by noted theorists of different disciplines.
Among the theorists, Aristotle, Lasswell, Shannon, Weaver, Rileys, Westley, Gerbner, Rothstein,
Schramn, Berlo, Osgood, Johnson, Cherry are the renowned ones. Some important and well-
known models are discussed below. There are three models of communication like:

1. Linear model 2. Interactive model 3. Transactional model

Linear Model: (Laswell’s -1948):

There is a bit of a debate about the Linear Communication model and how it recognizes (or
does not recognize) the concept of feedback. The linear model’s behavior is belied by its name,
where a sender encodes a message via a channel and the receiver decodes the message. It is
straight-line communication found typically in mass communication; think television, radio,
newspapers, etc. According to this model, there is no means for immediate feedback.

The model was based on the five questions below, which effectively describe how
communication works.

Interactive Model:
The main flaw in the linear model is that it depicts communication as a one-way process
where speakers only speak and never listen. It also implies that listeners listen and
never speak or send messages.

Schramm (1955) in Wood (2009) came out with a more interactive model that saw the

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receiver or listener providing feedback to the sender or speaker. The speaker or sender
of the message also listens to the feedback given by the receiver or listener. Both the
speaker and the listener take turns to speak and listen to each other. Feedback is given
either verbally or non-verbally, or in both ways. The same thing happens during a
telephone call, or even an email.

Transactional Model:

The main drawback in the interactive model is that it does not indicate that
communicators can both send and receive messages simultaneously. This model also
fails to show that communication is a dynamic process which changes over time. The
transactional model shows that the elements in communication are interdependent.
Each person in the communication act is both a speaker and a listener, and can be
simultaneously sending and receiving messages.

Throw in some noise, and it would be a wonder whether any message is conveyed successfully
in this environment.

There are three implications in the transactional model:

i. “Transactional” means that communication is an ongoing and continuously

changing process. You are changing, the people with whom you are
communicating are changing, and your environment is also continually changing
as well.

ii. In any transactional process, each element exists in relation to all the other
elements. There is this interdependence where there can be no source without
a receiver and no message without a source.

iii. Each person in the communication process reacts depending on factors such as
their background, prior experiences, attitudes, cultural beliefs and self-esteem.

Communication in an Organization:
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 An organization’s structure influences the communication patterns within the
organization. The structure of an organization should provide for communication in
three distinct directions: downward, upward, and horizontal. These three directions
establish the framework within which communication in an organization takes place.

CEO/MD

Manager Manager

Asst. Manager Asst.Mnager Asst.Manager

Channels of Communication

The structure of an organization should provide for communication in four distinct

directions: 1.Downward 2.Upward 3. Horizontal 4.Grapevine.

1. Downward Communication:

Traditional views of the communication process in organizations have been

dominated by downward communication flows. Such flows transmit
information from higher to lower levels of the organization. Organizational
leaders, from central office administrators to building-level administrators,
communicate downward to group members through speeches, messages in
company bulletins, company board policy manuals, and company procedure
handbooks.

General Purposes of Downward Communication:

1. Implementation of goals, strategies, and objectives. Communicating

new strategies and goals provides information about specific targets and
expected behaviors. It gives direction for lower levels of the organization. For
example: "The new reform mandate is for real. We must improve the quality of
product if we are to succeed."
2. Job instructions and rationale. These are directives on how to do a specific task
and how the job relates to other activities of the organization. It will enable to
coordinate individual and departmental objectives with organization-wide goals.

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 3. Procedures and practices. These are messages defining the school organization's
policies, rules, regulations, benefits, and structural arrangements in order to get
some degree of uniformity in organization practices

4. Performance feedback. Departmental progress reports, individual performance

appraisals, and other means are used to tell departments or individuals how well
they are doing with respect to performance standards and goals. For example:
"Mary, your work on the computer terminal has greatly improved the efficiency
of our department."
5. Socialization. Every organization tries to motivate staff members to adopt the
institution's mission and cultural values and to participate in special ceremonies,
such as parties and United Way campaigns. It is an attempt to get a commitment,
a sense of belonging, and a unity of direction among staff members.

The downward flow of communication provides a channel for directives,

instructions, and information to organizational members. However, much
information gets lost as it is passed from one person to another. Moreover, the
message can be distorted if it travels a great distance from its sender to the
ultimate receiver down through the formal school organization hierarchy.

2. Upward Communication

The behaviorists have emphasized the establishment of upward

communication flows. In an organization, this refers to communication
that travels from staff member to leader. This is necessary not only to
determine if staff members have understood information sent
downward but also to meet the ego needs of staff.

1. Problems and exceptions. These messages describe serious problems

and exceptions to routine performance in order to make the leader
aware of difficulties.

2. Suggestions for improvement. These messages are ideas for improving task-related
procedures to increase the quality or efficiency of organization members.

3. Performance reports. These messages include periodic reports that inform the leader
how individual organization members and departments are performing.

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4. Grievances and disputes. These messages are employee complaints and conflicts that
travel up the organization hierarchy for a hearing and possible resolution. If the
grievance procedure is backed up by the presence of a collective bargaining agreement,
organization members are even more encouraged to express true feelings.

5. Financial and accounting information. These messages pertain to costs, accounts

receivable, interest on investments, tax levies, and other matters of interest to the board,
central administration, and building-level administrators.

Ideally, the organizational structure should provide for both upward and downward
communication flows. Unfortunately, communication from the bottom does not flow as
freely as communication from the top. Some barriers to effective upward communication in
a company are as follows.

 Administrators fail to respond when staff members bring up information or

problems. Failure to respond will ultimately result in no communication.
 Administrators tend to be defensive about less-than-perfect actions. When staff
members see this defensiveness, information will be withheld.
 The administrator's attitude plays a critical role in the upward communication
flow. If the administrator is really concerned and really listens, then upward
communication improves.
 Physical barriers can also inhibit upward communication flow. Separating an
administrator from her staff members creates common problems.
 Time lags between the communication and the action can inhibit upward
communication. If it takes months for the various levels of administration to
approve a staff member's suggestion, upward communication is hindered.

The following are some methods of improving the effectiveness of upward

communication in an organization.

 The open-door policy. Taken literally, this means that the administrator's door is
always open to staff members. It is an invitation for staff to come in and talk about
any problem they may have. In practice, the open-door policy is seldom used. The
administrator may say: "My door is always open," but in many cases both the staff
member and the administrator know the door is really closed. Typically, this does
not occur in a learning organization.
 Counseling, attitude questionnaires, and exit interviews. The leader can greatly
facilitate upward communication by conducting nondirective, confidential
counseling sessions; periodically administering attitude surveys; and holding exit

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 interviews for those who leave the organization. Much valuable information can be
gained from these forms of communication.

 Participative techniques. Group decision making can generate a great deal of

upward communication. This may be accomplished by the use of union-
management committees, quality circles, suggestion boxes, site-based councils, and
the like.

 The ombudsperson. The use of an ombudsperson has been utilized primarily in

Europe and Canada to provide an outlet for persons who have been treated unfairly
or in a depersonalized manner by large, bureaucratic government. More recently, it
has gained popularity in American state governments, the military, universities, and
some business firms.
 The union contract. A prime objective of the union is to convey to administration the
feelings and demands of various employee groups. Collective bargaining sessions
constitute a legal channel of communication for any aspect of employer-employee
relations. A typical provision of every union contract is the grievance procedure. It is
a mechanism for appeal beyond the authority of the immediate supervisor.

3. Horizontal Communication:

Upward and downward communication flows generally

follow the formal hierarchy within the school organization.
However, greater size and complexity of organizations Horizontal communication
Increase the need for communication laterally or diagonally
across the lines of the formal chain of command. This is referred to as horizontal
communication. Here information is for coordination— to tie together activities within
or across departments.

Horizontal communication falls into one of three categories.

 Intradepartmental problem solving: These messages take place between members of
the same department in a company or division in a company -wide organizational
system and concern task accomplishment.
 Interdepartmental coordination: Interdepartmental messages facilitate the
accomplishment of joint projects or tasks in a company or divisions in a company -
wide organizational system.
 Staff advice to line departments: These messages often go from specialists in academic
areas, finance, or computer service to organizational -level administrators seeking help
in these areas.

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In brief, horizontal communication flows exist to enhance coordination. This horizontal
channel permits a lateral or diagonal flow of messages, enabling units to work with
other units without having to follow rigidly up and down channels.

4. Grapevine Communication:

In addition to formal communication flows and

networks within healthcare organizations, there are
informal communication flows, which have their own
networks. Employees have always relied on the oldest
communication channel—the corporate grapevine. The
grapevine is an unstructured and informal network
founded on social relationships rather than
organizational charts or job descriptions. According to some estimates, 75 percent of
employees typically receive news from the grapevine before they hear about it through
formal channels.

The typical pattern is a cluster chain, whereby a few people actively transmit rumors to
many others. The grapevine works through informal social networks, so it is more
active where employees have similar backgrounds and are able to communicate easily.
Many rumors seem to have at least a little bit of truth, possibly because rumors are
transmitted through information-rich communication channels, and employees are
motivated to communicate effectively. Nevertheless, the grapevine distorts information
by deleting fine details and exaggerating key points of the message.
Amanager’s responsibility is to utilize the informal network selectively to benefit the
organization’s goals.

Types in grapevine:

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A communication is a plan or a strategy:

Every business, specific brand, or project needs a communication plan or strategy. It

does not have to be ultra professional, neither exhaustive nor very detailed. However, it
should somehow be thought-through. Corporate communication is a discipline often
neglected in an organization. The focus lays on other departments that have their direct
impact on a company’s health, finances, sales, HR, and marketing (although the latter is
also cutting budgets). Although these specialties are indeed a key for an organization to
stay alive. Lack of corporate communication might be as fatal and sudden as a heart
attack. A corporate communication strategy has a huge impact on your corporation’s
visibility and reputation.

There are many techniques and possibilities for drawing up a corporate

communication strategy, and all of them probably prove their effectiveness. The most
important thing is to have some kind of communication guidelines in place, and
keeping in mind the following key elements in the process of drawing up your strategy.

 Identify the purpose of your communication: why do you want to communicate

and what do you expect to get out of it for your business?

 Identify your target audience: to whom do you want to communicate? Which

target audience might benefit the most from your information?
 Design your message: what do you want to talk about? What are the content,
mood and language of your message?
 Identify the channels: reach your audience by placing your message where they
will read it.

The basis of corporate communication is all about the above four key elements for
getting your message across. But a part of these key elements, there are several other
steps to undertake to make sure your company’s corporate communication avoids
pitfalls and keeps its positive effect on your reputation.

Check your resources: do you have the budget and the (right) people in place for your
communication campaign?

 Anticipate issues and obstacles: draft a crisis plan so you’ll know exactly what to
do when a crisis occurs. Who takes responsibility for what?
 Identify your relations with media, consumers, clients, suppliers and other
stakeholders: who will help you spread your message?
 Create an action plan: bring all previous steps together, and take action.

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  Evaluate your corporate communication strategy: make it more effective every
time you implement it. What went wrong, what did you overlook and what was
effective?

Business Deliberations (considerations /discussions):

Deliberation is defined as a period of slow and careful thought, consideration, and
actions. The word deliberation derived from Old French word ‘deliberation’ and from
Classical Latin ‘deliberatio’.
Judicial decision making process during which members of a jury go over the facts of
the case after hearing the evidence, closing arguments, and the judge's instructions.

Meetings:

A meeting is a gathering of two or more people that has been convened for the purpose
of achieving a common goal through verbal interaction, such as sharing information or
reaching agreement. Meetings may occur face to face or virtually, as mediated by
communications technology, such as a telephone conference call, a skyped conference
call, or a video conference.
In a meeting, two or more people come together to discuss one or more topics, often in
a formal setting. One dictionary defines a meeting as an act or process of coming
together as an assembly for a common purpose.
A common structure for formal meetings, agendas and minutes
Formal meetings tend to follow a certain structure. Well-written minutes follow the
same structure as the meeting, which is also the structure outlined in the agenda.
Knowing the purpose of each of the formal items in a meeting will help get your
meeting off to a good start and you will have a better idea
of what to include in the meeting minutes.

Structure of Meeting:
 Attendance: Names of attendees and apologies may
or may not be read out at the start of the meeting.
Either way, the attendance should always be noted
in the minutes. This part may also be
called Welcome or Apologies.
 Arrangement of the agenda: Here attendees have an opportunity to suggest new
items not already on the agenda.

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  Confirmation of minutes: The minutes contain the process, effort, and result of
the present and previous meeting.
 Matters arising: Follow up of action items and any unfinished businesses from
previous meetings are dealt with in this part. Also called Business
arising or Matters arising from the minutes.
 The main gathering of the meeting: These are all the main agenda items of the
meeting. Without the main items, there would not be much reason to hold the
meeting. This part is sometimes split up further into parts, such as reports, items
for discussion, and items for decision.
 Next meeting: This includes setting the date for the next meeting and may also
include a summary of the actions that need to be done before the next meeting.

The agenda outlines the structure of the meeting:

The meeting structure will be outlined in the meeting agenda. It is a good idea to
always have the agenda in front of you and tick off each item once it has been dealt
with, to make sure nothing important is left out. There is no need to start from scratch
when writing the meeting minutes. Simply make a copy of the agenda file, then delete,
change and fill in text as necessary.

What about informal meetings?

If your meeting is less, formal it may not include all the formal items listed here. It may
not even include any of the formal parts. Even when that is the case, the minutes
should always include the attendance.

Common types of meeting include:

 Ad hoc meeting, a meeting called for a special purpose

 Board meeting, a meeting of the Board of directors of an organization
 Investigative Meeting, generally when conducting a pre-interview, exit interview or
a meeting among the investigator and representative
 Kickoff meeting, the first meeting with the project team and the client of the project
to discuss the role of each team member
 Management meeting, a meeting among managers
 Off-site meeting, also called "offsite retreat" and known as an Away day meeting in
the UK
 One-on-one meeting, between two individuals
 Pre-Bid Meeting, a meeting of various competitors and or contractors to visually
inspect a jobsite for a future project. The future customer or engineer who wrote the

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 project specification to ensure all bidders are aware of the details and services
expected of them normally hosts the meeting. Attendance at the Pre-Bid Meeting
may be mandatory. Failure to attend usually results in a rejected bid
 Staff meeting, typically a meeting between a manager and those that report to the
manager
 Team meeting, a meeting among colleagues working on various aspects of a team
project
 Work Meeting, which produces a product or intangible result such as a decision.
,

Effective Meeting Strategy:

There are good meetings and there are bad meetings. Bad meetings drone on forever,
you never seem to get to the point, and you leave wondering why you were even
present. Effective ones leave you energized and feeling that you've really accomplished
something.

So what makes a meeting effective? Effective meetings really boil down to three things:

 They achieve the meeting's objective.

 They take up a minimum amount of time.
 They leave participants feeling that a sensible process has been followed.
If you structure your meeting planning, preparation, execution, and follow up around
these three basic criteria, the result will be an effective meeting.

The Meeting's Objective

An effective meeting serves a useful purpose. This means that in it, you achieve a
desired outcome. For a meeting to meet this outcome, or objective, you have to be clear
about what it is. Too often, people call a meeting to discuss something without really
considering what a good outcome would be.

 Do you want a decision?

 Do you want to generate ideas?
 Are you getting status reports?
 Are you communicating something?
 Are you making plans?
Any of these, and a myriad of others, is an example of a meeting objective. Before you
do any meeting planning, you need to focus your objective.

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To help you determine what your meeting objective is, complete this sentence:

At the close of the meeting, I want the group to ...

With the end result clearly defined, you can then plan the contents of the meeting, and
determine who needs to be present.

2. Use Time Wisely

Time is a precious resource, and no one wants their time wasted. With the amount of
time we all spend in meetings, you owe it to yourself and your team to streamline the
meeting as much as possible. What's more, time wasted in a meeting is time wasted for
everybody attending. For example, if a critical person is 15 minutes late in an eight
person meeting, that person has cost the organization two hours of lost activity.

Starting with your meeting objective, everything that happens in the meeting itself
should further that objective. If it doesn't, it's superfluous and should not be included.

To ensure you cover only what needs to be covered and you stick to relevant activities,
you need to create an agenda. The agenda is what you will refer to in order to keep the
meeting running on target and on time.

To prepare an agenda, consider the following factors:

 Priorities – what absolutely must be covered?

 Results – what do need to accomplish at the meeting?
 Participants – who needs to attend the meeting for it to be successful?
 Sequence – in what order will you cover the topics?
 Timing – how much time will spend on each topic?
 Date and Time – when will the meeting take place?
 Place – where will the meeting take place?

3. Satisfying Participants that a Sensible Process has been Followed:

Once you have an agenda prepared, you need to circulate it to the participants and get their
feedback and input. Running a meeting is not a dictatorial role: You have to be participative
right from the start.

Perhaps there is something important that a team member has to add. Maybe you have allotted
too much, or too little, time for a particular item. There may even be some points you have
included that have been settled already and can be taken off the list for discussion.

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Whatever the reason, it is important you get feedback from the meeting participants about your
proposed agenda.

Once in the meeting, to ensure maximum satisfaction for everyone, there are several things you
should keep in mind:

 If certain people are dominating the conversation, make a point of asking others for their
ideas.
 At the end of each agenda item, quickly summarize what was said, and ask people to
confirm that that's a fair summary. Then make notes regarding follow-up.
 Note items that require further discussion.
 Watch body language and make adjustments as necessary. Maybe you need a break, or
you need to stop someone from speaking too much.
 Ensure the meeting stays on topic.
 List all tasks that are generated at the meeting. Make a note of who is assigned to do
what, and by when.
 At the close of the meeting, quickly summarize next steps and inform everyone that you
will be sending out a meeting summary.
After the meeting is over, take some time to debrief, and determine what went well and what
could have been done better. Evaluate the meeting's effectiveness based on how well you met
the objective. This will help you continue to improve your process of running effective
meetings.

You may even want to get the participants feedback as well. Depending on the period, this
debriefing can be done within the meeting itself or afterward.

Finally, prepare the meeting summary. This will be forwarded to all participants and other
stakeholders. It is a record of what was accomplished and who is responsible for what as the
team moves forward. This is a very crucial part of effective meetings that often gets overlooked.
You need a written record of what transpired, along with a list of actions that named
individuals have agreed to perform. Make sure someone is assigned to take notes during the
meeting if you think you will be too busy to do so yourself.

Negotiation Skills
Negotiation is a process of bargaining in which two parties, each of which has
something that the other wants, try to reach an agreement on mutually accepted terms.
It is a method by which people settle differences and it is a process by which
compromise or agreement is reached while avoiding argument and dispute. In any
disagreement, individuals understandably aim to achieve the best possible outcome for
their position (or perhaps an organization they represent). However, the principles of
fairness, seeking mutual benefit and maintaining a relationship are the keys to a
successful outcome.

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Why Negotiate?

It is inevitable that, from time-to-time, conflict and disagreement will arise as the
differing needs, wants, aims and beliefs of people are brought together. Without
negotiation, such conflicts may lead to argument and resentment resulting in one or all
of the parties feeling dissatisfied. The point of negotiation is to try to reach agreements
without causing future barriers to communications.
Stages of Negotiation

In order to achieve a desirable outcome, it may be useful to follow a structured

approach to negotiation. For example, in a work situation a meeting may need to be
arranged in which all parties involved could come together.
The process of negotiation includes the following stages:

 Preparation  Negotiate towards a Win-Win outcome

 Discussion  Agreement
 Clarification of goals  Implementation of a course of action

1. Preparation
Before any negotiation takes place, a decision needs to be taken as to when and where a
meeting will take place to discuss the problem and who will attend. Setting a limited
time-scale can also be helpful to prevent the disagreement continuing. Undertaking
preparation before discussing the disagreement will help to avoid further conflict and
unnecessarily wasting time during the meeting.
2. Discussion
During this stage, individuals or members of each side put forward the case as they see
it, i.e. their understanding of the situation. Key skills during this stage
include questioning, listening and clarifying. Sometimes it is helpful to take notes
during the discussion stage to record all points put forward in case there is need for
further clarification. It is extremely important to listen, as when disagreement takes
place it is easy to make the mistake of saying too much and listening too little. Each
side should have an equal opportunity to present their case.
3. Clarifying Goals
From the discussion, the goals, interests and viewpoints of both sides of the
disagreement need to be clarified. It is helpful to list these factors in order of priority.
Through this clarification, it is often possible to identify or establish some common
ground. Clarification is an essential part of the negotiation process, without it

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misunderstandings are likely to occur which may cause problems and barriers to
reaching a beneficial outcome.
4. Negotiate Towards a Win-Win Outcome
This stage focuses on what is termed a 'win-win' outcome where both sides feel they
have gained something positive through the process of negotiation and both sides feel
their point of view has been taken into consideration. A win-win outcome is usually the
best result. Although this may not always be possible, through negotiation, it should be
the ultimate goal. Suggestions of alternative strategies and compromises need to be
considered at this point. Compromises are often positive alternatives, which can often
achieve greater benefit for all concerned, compared to holding to the original positions.
5. Agreement
Agreement can be achieved once understanding of both sides’ viewpoints and interests
have been considered. It is essential to for everybody involved to keep an open mind in
order to achieve an acceptable solution. Any agreement needs to be made perfectly
clear so that both sides know what has been decided.
6. Implementing a Course of Action
From the agreement, a course of action has to be implemented to carry through the
decision.
Informal Negotiation
There are times when there is a need to negotiate more informally. At such times, when
a difference of opinion arises, it might not be possible or appropriate to go through the
stages set out above in a formal manner. Nevertheless, remembering the key points in
the stages of formal negotiation may be very helpful in a variety of informal situations.
In any negotiation, the following three elements are important and likely to affect the
ultimate outcome of the negotiation:

1. Attitudes 2. Knowledge 3. Interpersonal Skills

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EFFECTIVE MEETINGS

Meetings are important facet of corporate life. A group of people from an organization
participate in a meeting as they may have to come together to get a specific task done. It
also serves as a vehicle for individual advancement and organizational achievement.

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Apart from the professional purposes, the meetings fulfill fundamental human need for
socializing and communication. It reflects the organizational culture. A well run
meeting has a facilitator, a leader, members and a recorder. Each role has specific
responsibilities. If every role is not filled or its responsibilities not met, the likelihood of
a successful meeting is greatly diminished.

1. Leader : The leader is the person who calls the meeting. It is his or her responsibility
to:

 Set the agenda

 Select the participants
 Handle the preparations

The leader can provide information and express opinions throughout the meeting.

2. Facilitator: The facilitator is the person who actually conducts the meeting. It is the
responsibility of the facilitator to:

 Keep the group focused

 Encourage everyone to participate
 Protect people from personal attack
 Suggest alternative approaches

The facilitator is neutral and neither contributes nor evaluates ideas.

3. Recorder: The responsibilities of the recorder may include:

 Taking notes
 Creating minutes
 Writing on the flip chart
 Accurately compiling the business of the meeting

Like the facilitator, the recorder is neutral and does not evaluate or contribute ideas.

4. Meeting Member: Every person in the room has the responsibility to actively
participate. This is the role of meeting members. They are expected to:

 Contribute ideas
 Express opinions

Keep the recorder and facilitator neutral. It is possible to play multiple roles during a
meeting.

Elements of Effective Meetings:

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  Time
 Duration
 Agenda
 Venue
 Participants
 Minutes

Time:

Start at the right time: choose time during which the participants are at their best. Do not call a
meeting on Mondays or Friday/Saturday afternoons as participants will have little motivation.
Do not schedule the meeting immediately after lunch. Start at a fresh and active hour and end at
a natural time like lunch break or tea break.
Allow ample of time for preparation: make sure that participants get sufficient time to prepare.
This will enable them to provide the required data of related issues. Agenda should be
circulated at least one day prior to the meeting.
Avoid surprise meetings: no body appreciates surprise meetings. On the spot meeting interrupt
the flow of the work day. Negative feelings prevail in such meetings.

Duration

 The appropriate duration depends on the type of meeting, on the number, complexity,
and sensitivity of agenda items.
 The greater the number of participants, the shorter the meeting should be.
 Allow sufficient time for breaks

Agenda
It is the single best predictor of a successful meeting.the agenda keeps the meeting on course
and helps to ensure that the stated objectives are accomplished.it also serves as an planning tool
for participants and control tool for the leader.a written agenda or the list of items that need to
be discussed in the meeting should be distributed in advance.
Guide lines to prepare agenda:

 Limit the number of items – 3-6 is a good rule of thumb.

 Don’t dwell on the past
 Allocate ample of time for each item
 Include sufficient detail – specific information that the participant need to prepare. For
eg., instead of an agenda item ‘advertising budget’ ,it can be -‘allocate the advertising
budget among print,radio,TV etc.
 Include – name of the organization or dept. , date ,time, venue, items to be discussed

Participants

 Identify the right people to attend the meeting

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  They should have enough knowledge of the subject to make a meaningful contribution
to the meeting
 Those with the power to make decisions or approve projects
 Those responsible for implementing decisions
 Those who need information
 Optimal meeting size:

S. No Meeting type Max. no. of participants

1 Problem solving 3-5

2 Decision-making 6-10
3 Informational 20-30
4 Presentation 20-30
5 Motivation no limit

Venue and setting

 A well–fit meeting room can enhance productivity, promote creativity and make
participants feel relaxed.
 Check the basics – lighting, power supply, functioning of electronic gadgets like laptops,
LCDs etc.
 Depending the number of members arrange the seating order. Boardroom style will be
suitable for annual or general body meetings

Minutes

Minutes are written record of what happened at a meeting. They serve as a useful tool to
remind the members what actions they need to take as a result of the discussion. This will
contain:
 Information such as when and where the meeting was held
 Resolutions passed
 Bullet point list of decisions taken
 A narrative report of conversation that took place

Productive Meetings: Principles of the Leader

Everyone participates in meetings or is the host of a meeting. Many are productive and
others are a complete waste of time. We have developed a list of techniques for

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planning and holding effective meetings that will turn you into a top performer in your
profession and organization.

1. Define meeting objectives. The meeting should have a specific purpose that you
should communicate before you start.
2. Do research before the meeting. Know the audience. Anticipate attitudes and
positions. Speak the language of the participants.
3. Schedule breaks. Nobody can concentrate on a business meeting forever. Have a
15 minute break every two hours.
4. Open with a brief statement of the meeting purpose. Your statement should be
short and to the point. Never express your opinions in the opening statement or
participants will think they are only there to approve your ideas.
5. Lead the meeting. Many people are afraid of taking control. Everyone wants a
leader and you should take charge of your meeting.
6. Start on time and finish on time. A perfect way to establish your control of a
meeting is to start on time. Each item on the agenda should have a time limit.
Stick to it religiously.
7. Make sure the meeting is formal. Stick to this rule and you will make decisions
by a majority and not by loud vocal minority.
8. You decide who speaks. This way all opinions will be heard. You will be able to
silence the domineering participants and draw out the silent ones.
9. Never lose control of the meeting.
10. Never take notes yourself. You will be able to deal with questions immediately
rather than being distracted.
11. Provide written documents. At the meeting summarize the document, do not
read it. Make sure the meeting is used to answer questions and make decisions.
The meeting is not used to review what everyone already knows.
12. Document action items. Deal with issues one at a time. Document what items
must get done before the next meeting.
13. Move quickly through topics. Do not stay too long with one topic or participants
will begin to think nothing is getting done.
14. After a particularly dull meeting, assign one or more people to prepare
arguments against the prevailing viewpoint for your next meeting on the same
topic.
15. Humor can be used to help put people at ease, make bad news easier to accept
16. In closing the meeting, the leader should sum up what has been accomplished
and what remains to be done.

Managing conflict

Conflict is inevitable when people with varying views meet. Infact it is a mistake if it is
discouraged. In case of diffidence, the leader should gently bring the participant into

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the discussion and make it clear that the person’s input is valuable. The leader should
remain neutral in most of the discussions and avoid his influence. Later he can advocate
his point.

Handling emotions

The leader should be conscious of the hidden agenda – unspoken motives and
aspirations of the members.try to settle the conflicts and emotions by making positive
and encouraging comments. The leader should consider the following:

 Don’t monopolize the discussion

 Ask open ended questions
 Control participants reminding the purpose
 Encourage introverts
 Recognize differences in individual styles
 Change the seating arrangement

In this way, a planned meeting will make a difference altogether.

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