MEETINGS
What is a Meeting
A meeting is a coming together of (generally) three or more people to
exchange information in a planned manner and discuss issues set out
before them to arrive at decisions, solve problems, etc.
A meeting can be formal or informal. As regards a formal meeting there
are set rules for convening it and conducting it, with a written record of
its proceedings. It requires a notice which is a call, an invitation to
attend it. It has an agenda or list of things to deal with, and the outcome
is systematically written in the form of minutes. An informal meeting can
be without any written notice, for instance, a staff union meeting in the
lunchroom to discuss a picnic.
A meeting has a convener who calls it and a leader or chairperson who
directs it.
Understanding the different types of meetings
This note explores the types of meetings, and how each can be
utilized by leaders who perceive meeting management as a way to
enhance their companies’ efficiency, productivity, and profitability.
As the English saying goes ‘horses for courses’ - and meetings are
no different. They are inseparable from corporate life, but it is
important to choose the right types of meetings for each specific
purpose. Different types of meetings play pivotal roles in varying
areas of business.
However, meetings are, all-too-often, poorly managed, and as a
result, the types of meetings that are used often are not fit for
purpose. Many of us are accustomed to having too many
meetings and very few executives are given the necessary training to
address meeting management specifically, which perhaps explains
why so many struggles to manage meetings effectively.
Mastering meeting management is key to establishing competitive
advantage, and the first step to conquering any discipline is to
understand it. As meetings are so ubiquitous, it is challenging to
dedicate the necessary time to fully understanding the nuances of
the different types of meetings and their functions.
In this note, an introduction is given to the types of meetings,
exploring how each can be utilized, in the hope that busy leaders
can begin unpicking their approach to meeting management to begin
putting their meetings to good use, enhancing their companies’
efficiency, productivity, and profitability.
Formal vs. Informal Meetings
Before we dive into the specifics of the different types of meetings,
there is one significant distinction that we should start with: Formal
vs. informal.
The large majority of meetings fall into the
meetings, despite what most people think.
meetings are held far less frequently but have
impact. Let's establish a working definition of a
category of informal
By contrast, formal
perhaps the greatest
formal meeting:
 A formal meeting is any pre-arranged meeting between two or
more people which:
 Takes place for achieving a common, stated objective
 Takes place at a designated date, time, and location
 Follows a clear meeting agenda
 Is recorded in meeting minutes to recount discussions, votes,
and action items.
However, an informal meeting is any meeting between two or more
people which does not satisfy all of the above criteria. From this, you
can see that the large majority of business meetings that take place
are informal meetings, which is contrary to conventional wisdom.
Formal meetings: From strategy to progress
With our working definition of formal meetings, we can look deeper
into the different types of formal meetings that are commonly held in
the world of business. These include:
1. Management Meeting
Perhaps the most frequently-held formal meetings are management
meetings. These happen at different intervals depending on the
organization but are usually either monthly or quarterly. In these
meetings, the meeting agenda will usually include an update from
each department on performance, evaluations of annual goals and
targets, and votes on key decisions, such as the implementation of
new software or the hiring of a new member of the leadership team.
In enterprises, these meetings will usually be led by a Chief
Executive Officer and will include other members of the top tiers of
management, including VPs or the C-Suite. Minutes for these
meetings are recorded, and in some cases are distributed (in
redacted forms) to the wider organization so that everyone remains
aligned.
2. Board of Directors meeting
A company's Board of Directors is accountable to shareholders and
is responsible for having oversight of a company's performance. As
with management meetings, these are held at different intervals but
are typically quarterly or bi-annual meetings that comprise
individuals who either have a vested interest in a company's
performance and can provide specialist input to the way an
organization is run. These individuals often hold more than one
board mandate, and therefore are exceptionally time -scarce.
Therefore, these meetings need to be well-organized and very
structured, giving ample time for individuals to prepare thoroughly.
3. Committee meeting
In many organizations, committees are formed around specific
issues that require more attention than can be adequately given in a
Board of Directors meeting. These committees will meet more
regularly than the board does and will report on their progress at
each BoD meeting. They will usually comprise members of the board,
along with subject-matter experts in the area that they are formed to
work upon. For example, a Board of Directors might assemble a
specialist committee around digital transformation, to overhaul an
organization’s approach to IT and its infrastructure. As such, it
would be sensible to include a Chief Digital Officer in this
committee, even though they might not sit on the board of the
organization.
4. Shareholders' meeting
A shareholder's meeting, also known as an annual general meeting
(AGM) in some cases, is a meeting of all of those with a financial
interest in an organization. These usually happen either annually or
bi-annually and are an opportunity for the leadership of a company
to give a progress update, as well as a chance for shareholders to
ask questions of the management. The overall objective is to report
on the performance of the organization in the prior period, and
outline the strategy for the next, to gain the shareholders' buy-in.
5. Strategy meeting
Strategy meetings can be held at various levels within the
management of an organization. In some cases, a strategy
meeting might form part of a regular management meeting, however,
it is, more often, a separate formal meeting that is held either
annually or quarterly between the leaders of an organization.
The purpose of this meeting is to determine the organizational
strategy for some time (often the year or quarter ahead) and involves
the most senior stakeholders from each department or division, who
then cascade the strategy down to their areas of expertise.
Informal meetings: Key to culture and teamwork
Informal meetings represent the large majority of meetings that take
place in the world of business. Whether it is a regular 1:1 with a
manager or a catch-up with a colleague over coffee, these meetings
are not only ubiquitous, but are crucial to the performance, culture,
and employee experience of an organization. In contrast to formal
meetings, they do not always have a robust agenda, and no minutes
are taken, however, this does not undermine their significance to the
way a business functions.
The different types of informal meetings
1. Brainstorming
As the adage goes, “two heads are better than one”. Gathering with
other individuals to brainstorm ideas is something that has taken
place for millennia, and while the processes that surround these
interactions have grown more sophisticated with time, the
fundamentals remain unchanged. A brainstorming meeting often
includes a range of stakeholders, either from within a department or
across functions, the objective of which is to put fresh ideas on the
table and discuss them as a group. These discussions usually take
place around a given topic, such as the development of a new
product or planning a new marketing campaign. The different points
of view help the driver of an initiative to refine their approach and
their understanding, as well as inject creativity into the process.
2. Problem-solving
Problem-solving is a part of daily corporate life for nearly everyone,
and so it follows that problem-solving meetings are a mainstay in
your diary. Problem-solving meetings are informal, but they are no
less important as they help reduce roadblocks and enable initiatives
to be driven forward. Ordinarily, they would include subject-matter
experts in the area being discussed, as well as members from a
project team or department who are facing the issue in question. The
outcome of this meeting will, in many cases, be a clear route forward
or a clearer idea of who to involve to surpass the obstacle in
question.
3. Training
Training is another type of informal meeting that - in many cases - is
incorrectly classified as a formal meeting. While training might
satisfy some of the criteria that fall under formal meetings, it does
not usually involve writing meeting minutes and instead is a
collaboration between whoever is training, and their trainee, to
ensure that knowledge is imparted.
4. Progress updates
If organizations are to be productive and achieve, then evaluating
progress is vital. Therefore, holding specific meetings for progress to
be reported upon is highly recommended. As opposed to general
management meetings, progress update meetings will involve a wider
range of stakeholders who are responsible for driving different
initiatives. In these meetings, they will each take it, in turn, to report
on the progress that has been made, the blockers that have arisen,
and the projected timeline for the remainder of the initiative. These
meetings should be held reasonably regularly - likely monthly –
however, if your organization works in weekly or fortnightly sprints
then it might make sense to hold these meetings more regularly.
5. Team Building
Another type of informal meeting that is integral to organizational
success - especially in times of remote working and hybrid
meetings - is a team-building meeting. In team-building meetings
you have the opportunity to connect with your team, and for your
team to connect, as human beings. While this is a great way to
ensure that you are all aligned behind a vision and mission, it is also
just as important to mix in some fun. Ice breakers are a good way to
get the relaxed atmosphere established, and it can also be a nice
idea to include some games and an opportunity for coffee - or even a
few drinks.
6. Coffee chats
Coffee chats are often overlooked as a type of meeting when really,
they are crucial to developing and maintaining your organization’s
culture - especially during times of remote working. A coffee chat is
a 15 or 20-minute conversation between two people to introduce
themselves, have a general catch-up, and connect as human beings.
They are a great way of getting to know people from across your
organization - many of whom you don’t have the opportunity to
interact with during your day-to-day work.
In distributed or remote teams, these conversations replace the
infamous ‘watercooler conversations’ which are often lost when
employees are no longer co-located. By taking a short break in your
day to have a virtual coffee with someone you perhaps don’t know as
well, individuals are helping to foster and bolster the culture of the
organization and create connections that wouldn’t otherwise exist all of which are good for business.
Effective Meeting Management: Horses for courses
It is important to choose the right types of meetings for each specific
purpose. Therefore, when arranging a meeting - whether formal or
informal - it is important to think about the meeting design, the
objectives of the meeting, and whether the type of meeting you are
arranging is fit for the purpose.
For example, as a leader, arranging a coffee chat to receive an
update on the progress of an initiative will not necessarily be
received positively by your team members as they will feel
blindsided, and using time in your formal management meeting to
have general catch-ups with colleagues will also likely frustrate
rather than delight other meeting participants.
Therefore, it is essential that you recognize the different types of
meetings that are available - think of them as tools at your disposal and select the most appropriate forum for the objectives you are
trying to achieve.
CLASSIFICATIONS OF MEETINGS:
Meetings are broad in three forms:
(i) Informative, where the purpose is to give information to the
participants about a new scheme, product, etc.
(ii) Consultative, in which the members are consulted to solve a problem.
(iii) Executive, in which decisions are taken by those empowered to do so.
In practice, most of the meetings serve more purposes than one. Some
additional classifications of meetings are – meeting for negotiation
purposes, meeting for giving instructions, etc.
Purpose of a meeting:
The purposes of holding meetings are listed here in a skeleton form:
To reach a common decision/agreement
To solve a problem
To understand a situation, exchange ideas and experiences
To inform, explain, and present ideas
To give and get feedback on new ideas
To give training
To plan and prepare for action
To resolve differences and misunderstandings
To generate enthusiasm and seek cooperation
To review past performance and evaluate it
To create a feeling of continuity and solidarity in a body’s work.
In this mechanical age, the union is strong, and united work is done
using meetings. It is estimated that worldwide, millions of meetings are
conducted every day, and their number and usefulness are on the rise.
That is why although many negative remarks are made about the use of
meetings; on the whole, we find that meeting is a useful device for
collective decision-making and action.
Advantages of Meetings:
(i) Save time: Since one can meet several people at a time interactively, a
meeting can save time.
(ii) Addressing groups: One can divide the audiences according to their
background and need, and address them, group, by the group.
(iii) Cope with information explosion: New technology and new
regulations are coming thick and fast. Meetings enable us to cope with
this situation.
(iv) Social and emotional support: Members get personal support from
each other when they meet and exchange ideas.
(v) Feeling of being consulted: Members get the feeling that they have
been consulted and this is useful in getting their intelligent and willing
cooperation.
(vi) Democratic functioning: Democracy aims at achieving all people’s
welfare through all people’s involvement. This is possible through
meetings.
(vii) Idea development: Ideas are systematically cross-fertilized, analyzed
and improved by a group.
(viii) Defusing troublemakers: By the collectivity of constructive forces,
troublemakers can be isolated in a meeting and positive action got going.
The opponents of a plan get a forum to voice their opposition, which can
be overcome before a group of supportive people.
(ix) Bolder decisions: Collectively we can take more adventurous
decisions because of united strength.
(x) Various interest groups represented: In a meeting, many interest
groups can be represented and minorities can also be given due
attention.
(xi) Preventing mistakes: A meeting helps to avoid mistakes by a
collective and many-angled focus on issues.
Disadvantages of Meetings:
1. Time-consuming: Meetings require several people to come together at
the same time and place. This costs time because other work has to be
set aside for the sake of the meeting.
2. Inability to arrive at a decision: Just as “two heads are better than
one,” it is also true that “too many cooks spoil the soup.” The multiplicity
of views and personal stubbornness of members may prevent a meeting
from deciding that a chief executive may take alone.
3. Lack of seriousness: Many meetings suffer from the drawback that
members come unprepared and feel that the others will do the thinking
and talking. They feel they can take a free ride. “Everybody’s job is
nobody’s job.”
4. Inexpert chairing: Just as an airplane is steered by a pilot, a meeting
is piloted by the chairperson. His lack of skill and personal
failings/biases may fail a meeting.
5. Expensive: Meetings are expensive to arrange – they require a place,
paperwork, prior communication, and travelling by the attendees.
6. Open to disruption: A meeting is prone to be disrupted by an element
that is opposed to its objective. There are times when one passenger’s
refusal to adjust himself delays the entire flight. The same for meetings.
The spirit of give-and-take may be missing in some participants.