Types of Meetings

In every organization, holding a meeting is vital for the company’s success. A

meeting is a formal or informal deliberative assembly of individuals called to debate

certain issues and problems, and to take decisions. It provides a better way of

communication for people within the organization to discuss certain matters, sharing of

information, make decisions and take necessary actions.

On the other hand, meetings can become a downfall in an organization if not

planned carefully and executed properly. It can cause a waste of time, resources, and

does not yield productive results. According to Manktelow et al. (2017), “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.”

There are different types types of meetings which can be conducted based on

their purpose. The first step in planning a meeting is identifying what type of meeting to

be done. Every meeting is unique, choosing what type of meeting which is best suited

will help to identify the goals, structure and activities to be taken in the meeting.

Staffs or Team Meetings

A common type of meeting is one in which the executive meets with a member of

his or her staff. These meetings are usually scheduled on a regular basis. For a reason

staffs meeting need to be regular is to:

  Staff meetings help everyone to keep informed

 Staff meetings are vital part for problem solving

 Staff Meetings help to achieve goals and ensure everyone is following

policies & procedures

 Staff meetings play a vital role in leadership

 Staff meetings are an opportunity to provide performance feedback

 Staff meetings are great training opportunites

 Staff meetings provide an opportunity to innovate as a team

 Staff meetings are a chance to bond and celebrate

This type of meeting can also mend morale, increase innovation, cultivate

collaboration, and facilitate feedback. An example of staff meeting, when an executive

may have six people reporting to him and meet with these people as a group every

week. The purpose of this meeting is usually to handle the routine problems that occur

and to review directions, plans and assignments.

Status Meetings

Status meetings are tools for the project manager for monitoring the project, for

developing his team, and for identifying key critical areas of project progress. Status

meetings equalize the pressure between all members of the project team by allowing

each member to share in the burden of others. If a team member feels the extra

pressure from unforeseen circumstances that crops up in his or her own assigned task,

other team members could lighten that load by making adjustments and taking remedial
actions along the course of a status meeting agenda. It is not just an update of the

current status of a project, it is also a remedial tool for addressing negative factors in the

project.

All concerned parties of a certain project participate in a status meeting. Client,

stakeholders, project managers and project team members, are all participants in a

status meeting. The project manager is the one who facilitates the progress of the

meeting. He is the one who plans the agenda and purpose of the status meeting. The

client and stakeholders are there for status updates and for possible additional inputs.

Project team members are the sources of valuable information regarding project

progress.

The project manager calls a status meeting for one or more of the following reasons:

 Project status update

 Guidance of project team towards goals

 For identifying potential project bottlenecks

 To ensure that the project stays on track and within original quote

 Generate ideas between all parties involved particularly client

 Misencounters between involved parties can be avoided

One-on-One Meetings

The type of meeting which is the most frequent in the workplace. These meetings

can take place between coworkers, supervisors and their direct reports, employees and
suppliers, or other combinations. One on one meetings are the most powerful thing a

single manager can do to improve his/her relationship with the direct reports. The

supervisor-employee relationship is the fundamental organizational unit within the

County structure. All teams, divisions and departments are built on those relationships.

This type of meetings are usually conducted every two weeks to serve as a

frequent and individualized communication and it typically last for thirty minutes. One-

on-one meetings may be informal or formal.

The purpose of conducting a one-on-one meeting are:

 Find out about the employee’s current level of morale, stress, etc.

 Track the status of Performance and Development Goals

 Learn if there are obstacles to goal achievement that need to be removed

 Discuss specific issues - either the employee’s, the supervisor’s, or both

 Provide value-added feedback

 Provide coaching

 Share formal and informal information about the unit and organization

Management Meetings

The type of meeting in which management or administrative staff from various

levels in the organization gather to report on their areas of responsibility and learn about

new policies, procedures, and challenges. This meeting may be difficult to organize

because it may involves a big population within the organization and encompasses a
various topics that may not be relevant or interest to some of the participants. These

meeting are usually held on a regular basis.

Management Meetings are called for the purpose of exercising the organization’s

formal power. These meetings evaluate the organization’s operations, identify needs for

change, authorize attention to these needs (often through task forces), approve

recommendations for action, and allocate the resources that make the organization’s

mission a reality (Rogowski, 2013).

Board Meetings

Most large corporations and organizations operate with a board of directors. The

board of directors is a recognized group of people who jointly oversee the activities of

an organization, which can be either a for-profit business, nonprofit organization, or a

government agency. Such a board's powers, duties, and responsibilities are determined

by government regulations (including the jurisdiction's corporations law) and the

organization's own constitution and bylaws. There are usually bylaws, written policies

and procedures that clearly delineate how board meetings are to be conducted.

These type of meetings are formal and held for administrative purposes. It is

typically held at definite intervals (monthly, quaterly, etc.) to consider policy issues and

discuss major problems that could adversely affect the organization. The chairman of

the board conducts the meeting, and strict procedures are followed. An agenda is sent

out before the meeting is conducted.

The usual purposes of board meetings are to:

 Make decisions

 Set policy

 Solve problems

 Plan and evaluate

Ad Hoc Meetings

Ad hoc comes from the Latin words meaning "for this." Ad hoc is either done for

one specific purpose, or in an impromptu, last-minute way. Ad hoc meetings are also

usually called emergency meetings. This type of meetings are conducted to address a

specific issue or situation. They are usually held for for important subjects needing quick

attention and do not have to wait for a planned meeting.The degree of importance of the

issues discussed in such meetings is usually quite high. (Bwalya, 2018)

This meeting serve as an action taken for a particular reason or in a special

situation, such as an ad hoc committee formed to consider a specific, urgent matter.

The committe may meet only one time or several times, depending on its purpose. The

individual who called for the formation of the committe ( or who was elected by the

members of the committee) appoints the meeting leader. When the issue or tasks was

completed, the committe may be disbanded or take another project to be accomplished.

REFERENCES

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Hoc-meeting-How-are-they-organized-and-what-are-they-for

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management meeting?: https://meetingking.com/general-management-meeting/

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http://learningdispatch.blogspot.com/2013/01/management-meetings-

purpose.html

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https://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/RunningMeetings.htm

http://meetingsift.com/the-six-types-of-meetings/

http://www.amy-castro.com/8-reasons-regular-staff-meetings-must/

http://www.teamreporterapp.com/status-meetings-with-best-practices-and-alternatives/