Business meetings

Business meetings

(How meetings should be conducted, efficient meetings, advantages and disadvantages of face-to- face meetings and virtual meetings, sophisticated meetings technology)

Meetings can be useful, productive tools, but only if conducted properly. Meeting should be properly laid out with an agenda and a time frame. The first step to a productive meeting is to be well prepared for it. Every meeting should have an agenda, which is circulated in advance in every attendee of the meeting. This means defining the objectives and required outcomes of the meeting in an agenda. This agenda lets the meeting attendees know exactly what to expect. Include the topics that will be covered during the meeting in as much detail as necessary. All the equipment needed for the meeting should be easily available. This may include audio/visual equipment such as a laptop, a Wi-Fi network connection, an LCD, and a microphone (if necessary). Some meeting organizers like to provide refreshments such as coffee, tea, water, or cookies to the attendees. The chair-person is responsible for the success of a meeting, he is also a moderator and it is the moderator’s job to help the meeting move along if conversation gets stalled on one particular topic. A chair-person should also ensure that everyone should have a chance to speak at meetings. In every meeting should by someone taking the minutes. The meeting should be for a fixed length of time.

Face to face meeting have more advantages than disadvantages. So firstly, I would like to mention some of the advantages, for example you can get facial expressions and hand gestures more easily. You can develop trust and respect, people feel more comfortable with each other and deadlines become more important. You can enable tailored solution for your business client. You can definitely make a greater impact on client’s perception. During this meeting, you get instant feedback. This is crucial, particularly in the development of something, which needs teamwork. On the other hand one of the biggest cons is that you need to be in the same place at once. The good thing about a virtual meeting is that people from different parts of the globe can meet and discuss things without having to waste money and time travelling long distance.

Virtual meetings could lead to some misunderstandings either because of lack of communication. All the members can easily participate in virtual meetings. There will be no such thing as absent because you can join wherever you are. Virtual meetings are best in an instant meeting that you don’t have to go to the office and be present. Just a good connection and you can have the meeting at home. The biggest disadvantage of virtual meeting is that everyone attending the meeting must have video conferencing equipment and software. It is required that all of the members have their own equipment in a virtual meeting. Face to face meeting only requires the presence of people. Hard to communicate in case of poor line, internet or equipment quality.The connection of the on the internet can be interrupted by many aspects in time (bad weather).