Unit of competency:

Participate in workplace
communication

Participate in Workplace meeting and discussion

Participate in workplace meeting and discussions
Prepare yourself for business meetings and follow a few simple rules to make
yourself stand out like a star performer instead of a sore thumb.
•Be Prepared. Prepare for the meeting by reading the agenda and
brushing up on what's going on. ...
•Pick your Battles. ...
•Contribute. ...
•Choose your Timing. ...
•Don't Dominate. ...
•Soften Objections.
Be Prepared
Prepare for the meeting by reading the agenda and brushing up on what’s
going on. If you’re not sure what the meeting’s about, ask someone so you
can prepare. If the meeting is a regular meeting with minutes taken, read
minutes of past meetings to learn what’s already been discussed and
decided. If the meeting is organized, the participants might follow Robert’s
Rules of Order. This includes participants making a motion, one person
seconding each motion, discussion, then a vote called by the meeting chair.
Pick your Battles

If someone makes an error or you disagree with him, think before you
speak. Don’t show someone up if you can correct him later. Even if the
person is a subordinate or someone you don’t like, others in the room will
wonder if you won’t have their back in the future.
Contribute

Don’t leave a meeting without contributing, if it’s appropriate. Some

meetings are primarily for giving information. Others are more interactive.
Either way, take an opportunity to ask a question, make a comment or just
lend your support. Be careful not to appear insincere by simply stroking a
superior. Look for opportunities to make specific comments. If you’re
going to compliment someone, tell the room exactly what you feel is
positive about the idea or information.
Choose your Timing

Don’t be the first one to comment on a presentation or proposal if you’re

not senior management or an expert. Your questions and comments might
be answered by someone else who goes after you and you might learn that
you misinterpreted what was said. Wait until you are confident that your
input is needed and correct before you raise your hand
Don’t Dominate

Even if you have several valuable questions and comments that contribute to
the meeting, don’t dominate the discussion. After you make a point, wait for
others to chime in -- they might make another point you were going to add,
giving you a chance to sit back and contribute later.
Soften Objections

If you see problems with ideas or proposals, try to frame your concerns in a
positive way. Instead of telling someone she is wrong, point out the problem
by asking a question, instead. This gives the person a chance to show they
have the situation covered, and covers you if it turns out you were wrong.
For example, instead of saying, “We can’t produce that many units in one
week,” ask, “How do you see us ramping up production to meet that
demand?”
 Types of Meetings in the Workplace

Workplace meetings are an important element of business management.

Meetings enable you and your employees to communicate and share
information, solve problems or resolve disputes, improve performance,
build teamwork and move projects forward. Workplace meetings can be
formal or informal, and the number of participants can range from two to
several hundred, depending on the size of your company. Your suppliers,
customers and business partners may also participate in workplace
meetings if your company has a policy of collaboration.
Team Member Unite for Project Meetings

Project meetings bring together people from different departments

working on a specific task, such as new product development or business
reorganization. Project meetings take a number of different forms,
including planning and progress meetings, brainstorming sessions or
design and review meetings.
Updates in Staff Meetings

Staff meetings enable you to keep employees informed on issues that affect
their work. Your managers or supervisors hold regular departmental
meetings to update employees on progress or deal with any issues affecting
their department. If there is a major policy change or another issue that
affects the whole company, you may prefer to hold a meeting of all
employees to explain the change. Managers and supervisors also hold one-
to-one meetings with employees to review their performance against
targets. The appraisal meeting may form part of a salary review, an
assessment of individual training requirements or a disciplinary procedure.
Enhancing Communications with Sales Conferences

A sales conference is an important communication and motivational tool.

Sales representatives spend the majority of their time away from the office,
often working alone. Holding a sales conference brings your sales team
together with other members of the company who affect their success, such
as marketing staff, product specialists and senior managers. You can use the
conference to launch important initiatives such as a new product
announcement or a major advertising campaign, as well as communicating
your company’s plans for the next quarter or the next financial year.
Informative Emergency Meetings

If a serious problem, such as a fire or major financial loss occurs, it’s

essential to inform the whole company so that all employees understand
the implications and the changes that will occur. In the event of a serious
fire, for example, employees may have to work in temporary
accommodation with limited access to telephones and other resources. A
major disaster or loss may lead to redundancies or even closure. By
communicating openly in the meeting, you can reduce feelings of
uncertainty in the workforce and avoid the risk of rumors spreading.
 Work with External Partners and Others in
Collaborative Meetings
Some of your employees and managers may work closely with suppliers, customers or
business partners on projects such as joint product development or supply chain
improvements. Bringing external groups into meetings with your employees helps to
strengthen business relationships and gives your employees a greater sense of customer
focus.
There are other sorts of meetings, of course. Shareholder meetings are an opportunity for
senior company managers to meet face-to-face with those holding shares in the company.
Regulatory meetings with government agencies can occur in the workplace or in outside
locations. And of course, office get-togethers to celebrate a birthday or a new baby are an
important means of cementing close social relationships among employees.
Bringing the World Together in Virtual Meetings

As more employees work from home or are increasingly on the move

during the work day, virtual meetings have become an efficient means of
connecting people in different places. In addition to making it easier for
employees to conduct meetings without having to be in the same physical
space, virtual meetings save money, allow you to connect with clients and
partners that live overseas, and save time, which usually also means they
increase workplace efficiency.
7 Interpersonal & Social Skills
for the Workplace
Interpersonal skills are also known as social skills. The process of using
social skills is called socialization. We all learned socialization skills at an
early age. Before we could even talk we were learning socialization skills
from the caregivers around us. In the workplace, social skills are known as
interpersonal skills. Both social skills and interpersonal skills refer to the
same thing—interaction with others.
Here are seven interpersonal skills tips that will help you develop strong
relationships and get along great with people in the workplace:

1. Managing relationships
2. Understanding the feelings of others
3. Cooperating with others
4. Great Attitude
5. Showing respect
6. Appropriate contact
7. Active Listening
 1. Managing relationships
You spend a lot of time with the people at your workplace. If you are a full-
time employee, you can expect to spend 40 or more hours a week with your
coworkers. You can begin to understand why it is so important to have
good relationships with your coworkers and managers! Good relationships
will help you get along well with people and help you to do your job better.
 2. Understanding the feelings of others

The ability to understand and relate to the feelings of others is called

empathy. Having empathy will help you develop strong relationships with
other people. When you have empathy, people feel that you understand
them and how they feel.
 3. Cooperating with others
Cooperating, or working well with others, is an important part of
interpersonal skills in the workplace. Even though each employee might
have his or her own individual tasks and goals, the entire staff or team has
the same goal. That goal is to help the company be successful. Without
cooperation, the workplace can be an unpleasant place, and the company
will not succeed.
 4. Having a Great Attitude

Having an overall positive attitude will affect many aspects of your work. A
great attitude will help you cope with pressure and stress as well as help
you be more flexible in your job. Always sharing a positive attitude will
help you grow in your position and ultimately help you move forward in
your career.
In a previous post, we talk about
5 Ways to Improve Your Attitude and Succeed at Work:

•Avoid negative thinking and complaining

•Spend time with people who have a positive attitude
•Be thankful for your job
•Give yourself a chance to recharge
•Reward yourself for doing a good job
 5. Showing respect
When you show respect for others in the workplace, people will show
respect for you. You can show respect for others by being polite and using
your manners. Always remember to say please and thank you.

When people are talking to you, listen to what they are saying and make
eye contact to show that you are listening. Wait until other people have
finished talking before you respond so that you don’t cause them to forget
what they wanted to say.
 6. Appropriate Contact
Interpersonal skills are not just about the things you say at work, they also
include your actions, or the things you do. The way you act toward people
at work will determine whether or not they feel comfortable around you.
Start by always standing an appropriate distance away from the person
with whom you are talking.
 7. Active Listening

Active listening means you are fully engaged while listening to someone
talk. You’re completely focused on the person speaking. You are giving
them eye contact, nodding, and occasionally asking clarifying questions to
make sure you understand.