LECTURE 7
TEAM COMMUNICATION
‘APPLICATION OF FORMAL MEETINGS IN THE WORKPLACE’
PRESENTER: MRS. MAINO
(REVISED: AISOLI-ORAKE,2015)
WHAT IS TEAM COMMUNICATION?

Team communication is the interaction that
takes place among the members of a work team
or group .

Effective communication is vital to the success
of the group in performing its role as well as to
the morale and work enjoyment of its members .
BENEFITS

Identity and cohesion – as the team members
share ideas , engage in professional debate and
work towards resolutions , they form important
bonds that strengthen their problem solving
abilities as a unit .

High engagement – Effective team
communication contributes to high engagement
among team members , which leads to happier
employees and strong performances.

Strong performance –when team members
interact regularly they tend to lay ideas and
challenges on the table for group discussions.
Doing so allows building of good ideas into great
ones. It also creates opportunities to ‘nip
potential problems in the bud’.
Effective team communication is the key to high
performance and productivity in the workplace .
When each person clearly understands his or her
role , listens well to instructions , offers updates
and insights and gives progress reports; leaders,
individual team members, and the collective unit
are more aware of what has been done and what
remains to be completed.
This lecture uses formal meetings as an example
of team communication.
A meeting is the gathering of a minimum number
of people or quorum to discuss particular topics
and to plan further actions as a result of
decisions made in a meeting.
There are six (6) common types of meetings:
(i)
(ii)
status update meetings
information sharing meetings
(iii)
decision- making meetings
(iv)
problem solving meetings
(v)
innovation meetings
(vi)
team- building meetings
Meetings play an important role in your
professional life and there are meetings that
address various needs in the workplace.
Basic procedures include arranging a meeting,
notifying those to be present, recording
business, and any meeting follow-up
procedures.
Discussions will include:
➢ Notice
of meetings
➢ Agenda
➢ Order of business
➢ Types of meetings
➢ Function and powers of the chairperson
➢ The secretary
➢ The treasurer
➢ Minutes
Notice of meeting – how notice must
be given to inform members when a
meeting is to be called.
➢ Includes the following:
➢
➢ Name
of the organisation
➢ Date of meeting, and time
➢ Place for the meeting
➢ General nature of business to be
discussed
➢
Agenda – list of things to be
discussed at the meeting.
➢ Preparing
➢
➢
➢
the agenda
Minutes of previous meeting
Other issues of discussion
Objectives for preparing agenda:
➢ To ensure all items of importance will be
dealt with and decisions made in order
➢ To give notice to all members of what
business is to be discussed so that there
are no surprises.
➢ Any Other Business
 Order









of Business
Opening by Chairperson
Apologies read by Secretary
Minutes of the previous meeting
Correspondence
President’s report
Treasurer’s report
Other matters to discuss
Date of the next meeting
Close of meeting
Other types of meetings include:
➢
➢
Annual General Meetings or A.G.M.
➢
Inaugural Meetings
➢
Committee Meetings
➢
Extraordinary Meetings
➢
Function and powers of the
Chairperson
➢ Calls
for the meeting.
➢ Determines that the meeting is properly
organised and the quorum is present.
➢ Must be well informed of the business
and object of the meeting.
➢ Preserves order in the conduct of those
present.
➢ Confines discussion to agenda items
within reasonable time limits.
➢ Decides whether decisions made are in
order.
➢
Functions and powers of the
Chairperson cont…
➢ Ensures
that everything is in order
before the meeting and that a quorum is
present before starting the meeting
➢ Main
role is that the meeting is run in an
orderly and productive way by
impartially controlling the moving and
the seconding of proposals or motions
and any amendments.
➢
The Secretary’s duties include:
➢ Preparing
notices for the meetings and
agenda in consultation with the
Chairperson and other members of the
organisation.
➢ Arranges
anything to do with the meetings.
➢ Assists
Chairperson in the conduct of the
meetings.
➢ Takes
minutes at meetings.
➢
The Treasurer:
➢ Keeps
all money belonging to the
organisation safe.
➢ Keeps an accurate record of income
and expenditure.
➢ Prepares regular reports on the finances
of the organisation, and a balance sheet
at the end of the year, to be presented
to the members at the A.G.M.
 The

Members’ Role:
Although it is the responsibility of the
Chairperson to keep order in a
meeting, members should observe
common courtesy as well as the rules
laid down for meeting procedures.
The main rule affecting members at a
meeting is that of speaking through
the Chairperson.
Any statement that is made to the
other members should be preceded by
the words: Mr /Madam/ Chairman/ Sir,
etc.
Terminology – Meeting Procedures:
1.
The Motion
Each formal proposal for
discussion at a meeting is called a
motion & the member who puts
forward the proposal is called the
mover of the motion.
2.
The Seconder
The member who agrees with the
motion put forward is called the
seconder.
3. The Amendment
If someone is not happy with the
motion & wishes to alter the wording
or add or delete words, that person
can ask to propose an amendment to
the motion.
4. The Vote
When the Chairperson feels that
sufficient discussion has taken place
on a motion, the members are asked
to vote.
5.
The Casting Vote
If voting on a question is equally
divided between ‘for’ and ‘against’,
that is, a deadlock situation has
arisen, the c/person may have a vote
called the casting vote. The casting
vote is a very powerful tool and should
only be used to retain the status quo,
that is, the position that existed prior
to the motion requesting change.
6. The Resolution
Once the motion is voted for, and is
carried, it is resolved and becomes a
resolution.
# All motions, whether resolved or
lost, are recorded in the minutes.
Yes, meetings are important in
maintaining Good Communication in the
Workplace, but for an organisation to
see maximum benefits of formal
meetings, every individual member
needs to understand his/her role in a
meeting.
➢
Minutes –Usual form:
➢ Time
for opening of meeting is recorded.
➢ Attendance is recorded.
➢ Apologies for those unable to attend.
➢ Minutes of the previous meeting.
➢ Correspondence should be tabled and
any discussions noted.
➢ Financial statements are noted.
➢ Resolutions made.
➢ Time of closing the meeting is noted.
End of Lecture!
Aisi, M. (2013). Meetings. LA 204 Lecture
Power Points. Lae: CDS Dept. PNGUT.
McHugh, S,. And Pollard, J. (1996). Business
communication. A short course (2nd
Ed.). Melbourne: Longman.
Sar, L. (2012). Meetings. LA 204 Lecture
Power Points. Lae: CDS Dept. PNGUT.
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