Plan, manage and conduct meetings

Meeting conduct

Communicating ground rules

In order for people to remember the ground rules the chairperson may decide to:

• List your primary ground rules on the agenda
• Review them periodically or when new participants come to meetings
• Keep the ground rules posted on documents.

Meeting conduct

Appropriate behavior

The type of behaviour that should be encouraged includes:

• Listening effectively and actively to others
• Being open to other’s suggestions
• Ensuring that everybody is clear about what is being said and expected
• Mediating to ensure that amicable solutions are reached
• Negotiating issues so that all participants feel a consensus has been reached.

Meeting conduct

Inappropriate behavior

The type of behaviour that should be discouraged includes people who:

• Interrupt
• Domineer proceedings
• Manipulate a group.

Present information and ideas clearly

As the meeting commences, each agenda item will be introduced, discussed and actioned.

Each agenda item must be discussed:

• In a clear and concise manner
• With an agreed outcome
• In the allocated time.

Present information and ideas clearly

What is a motion?

• A motion is normally a one-sentence statement that specifies the issue to be discussed
• After the issue is discussed participants are asked to vote on it
• These two processes together make a motion.

Present information and ideas clearly

Different types of motions

There are two main types of motions:

• Independent

An independent motion will deal specifically with the business raised at the meeting

• Procedural

These motions generally relate to procedures as opposed to a direct agenda item.