Oraal Communicatiion

At Work
W UNIT 7 COM
MMUNIICATIO
ON IN MEETIN
M NGS

Objectivess
After study
ying this unitt, you should
d be able to:

● Undersstand formall meeting proocedure;

● Distingguish betweeen various tyypes of meettings;
● Create an agenda aand prepare minutes
m of thhe meetings;and
● Undersstand key atttributes of efffective meeetings.

Structure
7.1 Introdduction
7.2 Meettings: An oveerview
7.3 Types of Meetinggs
7.4 Meetting Preparattions
7.5 Minu
utes of the M
Meeting
7.6 Featuures of Produuctive Meetiing
7.7 Inputt-Process-Ouutput Model
7.8 Manaaging Confliicts in Meetinngs
7.9 Meetting Etiquettees
7.10 Effecctive decisionn-making inn group comm
munication
7.11 Summ
mary
7.12 Keyw
words
7.13 Self-A
Assessment Questions
7.14 Referrences and F
Further Read
dings

7.1 IN
NTRODU
UCTION
N
Meetings are
a a central form of team m communiccation in orgganisations. During
meetings, leadership
l iss establishedd, goals are shared andd purposes defined.
d
Studies shoow that poorrly – run meeetings are im mprudent annd less than 50% of
time spent in meetings is considereed effective and useful. They are thee major
roadblocks that restrict many grouups from beecoming team ms. This exxtensive
misuse of people’s tim me and enerrgy can be prevented iff we learn how to
better desiggn, run, and pparticipate in
n meetings.

Meetings that
t are prodductive prodduce useful outcomes. They have a high
level of participation
p n, positive energy, pproductive collaboration
c n, and
meaningfull conversatioons. Meetinggs, despite thheir critiquees, are here to
t stay.
Managers must
m find w
ways to makke meetings more produuctive in orrder for
them to runn smoothly.. This unit focuses
f on ccommunicattion in meettings. It
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cation discusses the concept and types of meetings and the role of meetings in Communication
in Meetings
effective decision making.

7.2 MEETINGS: AN OVERVIEW

A meeting is a group communication in action around a defined agenda, at a
set time, for an established duration. Essentially designated as a
communicative episode, meetings involve framing agenda, establishing
participation criteria, channel selection, and establishing the norms of
speaking. They can be effective, ineffective, or a complete waste of time.
Meetings can occur face-to-face, but post-COVID business houses and
industries are turning to video-conferencing as it saves cost and time of
travel. Regardless of how you come together as a team, group, or committee,
you will need to define your purpose in advance with an agenda. Irrespective
of the types of meetings, certain objectives are common to all meetings.
These are:
● Sharing information
● Improving productivity
● Resolving communication gaps
● Addressing the concerns of employees
● Forming policies
● Clearing doubts
● Addressing staff grievances
● Obtaining feedback

All these objectives if met, the meeting can be productive in nature. Meetings
are important as they help in collective decision making and provide an
opportunity to discuss issues of importance and provide feedback.

7.3 TYPES OF MEETINGS

Let us now discuss some major types of meetings which will help us
understand the importance of communication in meetings. Meetings are
purpose intensive activities. They can be:

The daily meeting, also known as a stand-up meeting, is a gathering of

people who work on the same project with a common goal and make
decisions informally by general agreement.
The weekly or monthly meetings, where members work on different but
parallel projects, and where there is a competitive element and a greater
likelihood that the chairperson will make the final decision.
The occasional, infrequent, or special project meetings are composed of
people whose normal jobs do not bring them together and whose work has
little or no relationship to the others. They are only united by the project; the
meeting exists to promote and motivate the project's success. Despite the fact
that actual voting is uncommon, each member effectively has a veto.
101
Oraal Communicatiion The first of
o these threee types of meetings,
m w
workforce typ
pe, is probaably the
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most comm mon. Surprisingly, it is also
a the mostt likely to suucceed. Operrational
imperativess usually ennsure that iti is brief, and
a the parrticipants' previous
experience of working together enssures that communication is good.

The other two

t types arre entirely diifferent issuees. In these meetings, alll kinds
of human crosscurrent
c ts can throww the discusssion off tracck, and misttakes in
psychology y and technnique on thhe chairpersson's part can c undermiine the
meeting's goals.
g Furtheermore, these meetings are likely to o bring togetther the
more senioor members of the organ nisation and result in deecisions that have a
significant impact on the organiisation's effi ficiency, proosperity, and even
survival. As
A a result, tthe lessons of
o this articlle are primaarily aimed ata these
higher-leveel meetings.
ngs can also bbe classifiedd based on thhe focus areaa. These can be:
The meetin
● Status--update meettings
● Decisioon-making m
meetings
● Planninng meetings
● Collaboration meetings
● Problem
m-solving m
meetings
● Brainsttorming meeetings
● Team-b
building meetings
● Debrieef meetings
● Innovaation meetinggs

Status-upd date meetinngs: The foccus area of such meetinngs is desirability.

Usually, thhe ‘stand-up meetings’ or
o weekly/monthly meettings fall undder this
category.
Decision-mmaking meetings: The focusf of suchh meetings is
i trying to find
f out
the flaws/ddefects in thee decision-m
making proceess. This is important too avoid
the ‘spot-llight effect where onlly one partt is lookedd upon andd other
opportunitiies are misseed.
Planning meetings:As
m s the name suggests theese meetings are based on the
plan of actiion i.e. whatt, when, how
w, where a paarticular deccision is to be
b made
and implem mented. Thiss requires thee plan to be known to th he participannts who
will be a paart of the impplementation
n process.
meetings is trying to achieve a
Collaborattion meetings: The focuus of these m
mple.collaboorating for a marketingg campaign where
mutual goaal. For exam
collaboratio
on is done with all th
he relevant documents and technoological
know-how at a place.
Problem-solving meettings: The focus of theese meetings is to analyyse the
cause of thhe problem and try to resolve thee issues. Thhese are coonvened
usually durring emergenncies when a situation neeeds a solution.

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cation Brainstorming meetings: Such meetings are informal in nature and have a Communication
in Meetings
friendly atmosphere. In such meetings, every participant feels that s/he can
contribute even though the idea may not work.
Team building meetings: The focus of these meetings is to create an
atmosphere where people come together as a team. The concern for each
other and caring attitude is developed. Even in the virtual set-up, the bonding
can be developed.

Debrief meetings: The focus of these meetings is on the future of the

organisation through information sharing. These are also known as feedback
meetings.

Innovation meetings: In the present day scenario, which is complex,

dynamic and competitive, such meetings have become all the more
important. The focus of such meetings is on innovative ideas to come up with
innovative products.

Every meeting has its importance and forms a major part of communication
thereby helping the organisations to sustain in the competitive world.

Activity 1
List different types of meetings based on focus area and give one example of
each.
…………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………

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7.4 MEETING PREPARATIONS

The ability to work and communicate effectively in groups is a skill. How
you perform in meetings provides a cue to how competent you are and how
ready you are to assume responsibility, work in teams, and solve problems.
Meetings can have one or more purposes which may be to review progress,
assign responsibilities, make decisions, etc. A large part of what makes a
meeting successful occurs in the preparation phase. Poor planning and
mismanagement may turn meetings into a waste of time. Hence pre-
preparation can help participants make the best possible use of everyone’s
time. Although meetings differ by department or unit, there are seven key
accountabilities expected of chairs or team leaders before a meeting takes
place. Each is explained in detail below:

1) Clarity of purpose and aims

Every meeting is called with a purpose. A clearly stated purpose highlights
the key decisions that must be made or actions that must occur at the meeting.
103
Oraal Communicatiion The purposse of a meetiing should be stated at thhe top of thee meeting aggenda at
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least two days
d before tthe meeting. The purposse should be specific andd to the
point like:
● Iden
ntify priorityy goals for next year;
● Exaamine and uppdate producct launch critteria;
● Deccide how to ppromote a ceertain producct.
2) Createe an agendaa

Effective meetings
m are disciplined and to havee a disciplinned meeting a well-
prepared aggenda is a must.
m It is likke a roadmaap or a bluep
print. It helpps focus
the group'ss work towards achieving desired outcomes at a a specific time.
Good agennda items prrovide focuss and structuure for a meeeting. For a well-
drafted ageenda, create a committeee to help thhe chair deciide the item ms. This
can also bee done by seending out a call for ageenda items before
b the meeting.
m
The following is the tem
mplate for thhe agenda:
AGENDA TEMPLAT
TE

DATE:
TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT::
DATE:
START TIM
ME: END TIME:
LOCATION
N:
AGENDA:: TIME
E LEADER EXPECT
TED
OUTCOME
A
B
C

3) Schedu
ule the meetting

Making a list of attenndees is onlyy a part of the processs while plannning a

meeting. Frrom the timee of approachhing attendeees for seekinng their avaiilability
until schedduling a meeeting, calenndars can fill up quickly.To reducce turn-
around timme, it is advisable doingg some pre-work. It neccessitates seelecting
essential peeople who m
must attend. When
W askingg for meetingg times, try to
t be as
clear and concise
c as ppossible, eliiminating anny ambiguitty or assum mptions.
Next, it innvolves eithher scheduliing or notiifying them m of the meeeting's
schedule annd location.
A meeting site can be chosen once an ideal day d and timee have been agreed
upon. A grrid can be prrepared. Estaablish at whhat time the meeting willl begin
and end. Iff the meetinngs are longg, include a short 10-15 5 minutes break in
1044 between.
cation 4) Share Agenda Communication
in Meetings
Distributing the agenda ahead of time helps participants to prepare questions
and formulate opinions. There are legal bindings too for posting meeting
agendas on time. Every agenda should be accompanied with a clear cover
letter stating the objective of the meeting and expected outcomes.

5) Circulate Additional Information

Provide enough information before meeting so that people come with a
general familiarity with the issues to be discussed in the meeting. It will be a
good idea to share URLs if possible. People have a tendency to ignore long
and detailed content. Share information in a succinct outline.

6) Location
Ensure that the room/ location is complementing the kind of environment you
prefer for the meeting. Room arrangements can make a big difference in how
well a meeting goes or does not go. Most important is that participants can
see and hear each other. The seating arrangement should be such that the
interaction enhances the flow of information and ideas rather than create
communication barriers.

Activity 2
Recall any meeting you have attended in the past. Using the following
checklist, assess how well the meeting was conducted:
● Is the meeting held at the right place?
● Does the meeting fulfil a specific purpose?
● Was the location and seating arrangement appropriate?
…………………………………………………………………………………
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7.5 MINUTES OF THE MEETING

Secretary is responsible for preparing the minutes of the meeting (MoM).
Minutes are a formal record of what was discussed in the meeting. It has to
be transcribed and circulated to each member soon after the meeting ends.
Often, the draft of the minutes is circulated to all participants for their inputs
before finalizing. Once ratified, minutes serves as a reference for the decision
made and form a base for further action.
● Minutes are formal documents hence they should be written in the formal
style. The tone used in writing minutes should be neutral. It demands a
high level of accuracy, objectivity and concreteness. General opinion,
hearsay and informal talks cannot be the part of minutes.
105
Oraal Communicatiion ● To maaintain an impersonal, neutral toone and maaintain objeectivity,
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minutees are writteen in the paast tense annd passive voice.
v Minuutes use
reporting verbs like said, stated
d, illustratedd, explained,, suggested, etc.
● To connclude, the mminutes of th he meeting aare importannt documentts and a
high deegree of seriiousness is reequired whille drafting thhem.
The followwing is the template fo or making minutes of the meetinng. The
template caan be modified as per thee requiremennt.
MINUTES
S TEMPLATE

Name of th
he organisattion:

Nature of the
t meetingg:

Day and Date:

D

Time and Place:

P

Name of Chairperson
C n:

Members present:
p

Agenda off the Meeting:

Resolution
ns:

Thanks to the Chair:

7.6 FE
EATURE
ES OF PRODUC
P CTIVE MEETING
M G
The first step
s to makee your orgaanisation prooductive beggins with efffective
meetings. The
T key to making thee most of thhe time spent in a meeeting is
ensuring thhat all meetinngs adhere to
o six core prrinciples:

1) Meetin
ng should have a leaderr
By leader, we do not mean
m a boss or a senior pperson in thee organisatioon. Any
person whoo calls the meeting sho ould generaally be the meeting
m chaair or a
leader. It is
i the leaderr’s responsibbility to disstribute the detailed ageenda in
advance, asssign responnsibilities, esttablish grounnd rules, mooderate discuussions,
and handle difficult peoople.

2) Purpose should be well defin

ned
It is imporrtant for thee chair of thhe meeting to have a clear
c idea of
o what
outputs s/h
he is expectiing from thee meeting. IIt is imposssible to get a good
1066
cation outcome if you are yourself not sure about what outcomes you want. It is a Communication
in Meetings
good practice if the leader articulates the goal of the meeting in the
beginning.

3) Well-defined Agenda
Each meeting should have pre-decided agenda items created by the meeting
leader and sent out at least 24 hours before the meeting. Each item should
have a time for discussion mentioned clearly in the agenda. This helps keep
meetings structured and disciplined. Additionally, it also helps
wallflowers/introverts to prepare and participate.

4) Time Management
Research states that people hate long meetings. When it comes to scheduling
a meeting, it is better to go short than long. This can be done by assigning the
time limit to each agenda beforehand. This forces the meeting’s participants
to stick to the agenda item rather than shifting the discussion in a different
direction.

5) Participants should come prepared

Each agenda item has a person assigned who is responsible to carry out the
discussion. It is important that the person responsible should come prepared.
Along with the person who is responsible, all participants need to prepare as
well, by reading through the agenda and any pre-reads, along with thinking
about any questions they have related to that agenda.

6) Leader should be a Moderator

Meetings are criticized for losing focus. People start checking their mobile
phones, emails, etc., start talking with each other or even bring the discussion
out of track by talking on irrelevant issues, etc. The meeting leader needs to
address these issues as they come up. S/he needs to redirect conversations
when they go off-track and ensure people follow the ground rules of the
meeting.

Activity 3
Each one of you may have attended meetings at some point of time.Recall
any meeting you have attended in the past. Ask yourself how effective that
meeting was and how you would grade it on a scale of 1-10.
If you scale it poorly, identify what were the frustrations you experienced
with the meeting and if you scale it as an effective meeting, what elements
made that meeting effective?
…………………………………………………………………………………

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Oraal Communicatiion Features of
o successfull meetings
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● Time plays
p an impportant role. Start
S and endd the meetinngs on time.
● Remem
mber all opinnions are vallid.
● Avoid side converssations.
● Don’t encourage
e annything unreelated to the agenda.
● Avoid commotion..
● Issues discussed shhould remain
n in the room
m i.e. maintaaining confiddentiality.

7.7 IN
NPUT-PR
ROCESS
S-OUTPU
UT (IPO)) MODE
EL
Meetings can
c be termeed as a form m of group communicaation. They are the
most effecttive ways forr sharing thee informationn between thhe members. Input-
Process-Ouutput theory starts with members ciirculating thhe ideas to achieve
a
desired outcomes. It haas the follow
wing features:
1) Meetinng IPO (Inpuut-Process-O Output) is a structured approach
a to ensure
meetinngs are produuctive and usseful.

2) IPO foollows a sttraightforwarrd process that beginss with the desired

outcom
mes, then mooves onto thhe process thhat will be used
u to accoomplish
them, and
a finally too the inputs for each proocess step.
3) By maaking the ddesired outco omes and pprocess visib ble, IPO immproves
meetinng engagemeent and creattes clarity, allignment, an
nd results.

How to creeate an IPO

O Model?
Each step in the IPO O model has
h its own importancee where membersm
communicaate with eachh other to deecide the perrception of the
t group. TThe IPO
model is considered too be a cybeernetic system which means
m it is a closed
circuit. Figuure 1 shows how an IPO
O model can be created.

•What is req
quired?
Ou
utputs •Decisions, plans

•Howw will these inpuuts be

Processs used to create the ou
•Agennda
utput?

•What
• will be usseful to

Inp
puts create these outtputs?
•Examples:
• Repo ort, data,
etc.

F
Figure 1: Inputt-Process-Outtput Model

The IPO model

m starts with settingg goals thenn brainstorm
ming to deveelop the
1088 inputs to acchieve those goals.
Inp
put: This innvolves shariing of inform
mation and bbrainstorminng to achievee the Commmunication
in
n Meetings
ou
utputs.
Prrocess: Thiss identifies the
t objectiv ves which aare to be acchieved and the
meeans to achieeve those objjectives.
Ouutput: This involves thee response for
f making decisions
d an
nd how they can
be implementeed to achievee the outcom
mes.
Disclaimer: IP
PO will work
k only if thee team appliies it effectiively duringg the
meeeting.

Thhe model wiill be effectiive if the coonvener can assign the specific
s rolees to
thee members of
o a meeting as given in figure
f 2.

Manag ges Captures Notic

ces how Calls bre
eak

Energy Monitor
Keeper

Time e discussions
d s te
eam when n
Keeps trrack Observer participates needed d
Scribe

Records
of agenddas Mon nitors
K

minutes
how
w team
Time

beh
haves
Ti

Figure 2:
2 Roles of thee members of a meeting

Th
he interesting
g part of thiss model is th
hat it starts w
with setting th
he goals. i.e.. the
ou
utputs and theen the wholee process beegins to havee the inputs to t achieve thhose
ou
utputs thereby
y making it a loop of acttivities.

Th hieve the targets

his model is significant as it helps the organisaation to ach
efffectively.

7.8 MA
ANAGING
G CONF
FLICTS IIN MEET
TINGS
Diversity in paarticipating members
m lik
ke qualities, affiliations, and viewpooints
in meetings arre ideal to prroduce the best
b decisionns. Howeverr, this particcular
feaature sows the seeds of o discord. ItI is an impportant aspeect of probllem-
sollving and making
m decisions. It's a natural
n by-pproduct of trrying to reacch a
connsensus on a topic orr situation. Each particcipant will have a uniique
perrspective onn the problem, as weell as diverrse values, priorities, and
preeferences. During
D the coonversation, these
t differeences are broought to lighht.

Efffective deccision-makinng and prooblem-solvinng require conflict. You Y

im
mplicitly ackn
nowledge th he benefit off diversity, tthe very samme diversity that
gu
uarantees connflict. To fullly benefit frrom the colleective judgm
ment of all off the
grooup memberrs, they musst be willingg to differ, pointing ouut mistakes, and
eveen argue.

Deefinition of Conflict
C

A variety of definitions
d exist for con
nflict. The beest one is given by Hoccker
and
d Wilmot: 109
Oraal Communicatiion “Conflict iss an expresseed struggle between
b at least two inteerdependentt parties
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who perceiive incompattible goals, scarce
s resouurces, and intterference frrom the
other party in achievingg their goals”.

Positive an
nd Negative Outcomes of Conflict

Conflicts in
i meetings have both h positive aand negativee outcomes.. Some
potential beenefits of conflict are:

1) It can produce a b
better understanding oof issues and
d people

Human beiings have a tendency to assume thaat people seee things and feel as
they do. When
W in the m
meeting, partticipants discover differeent opinionss on the
issues, they
y become unncertain aboout their ownn position, seek
s activelyy to get
more informmation abouut the issue, are
a able to taake the persppective of thhe other
members, and
a make ann informed deecision.

2) Confliicts can be m
motivating

Conflict in meetings acctively invollves people. They pay cllose attentionn to the
issue.

3) Confliicts can prod

duce better decisions

Conflicts teell us that ppeople disag

gree, then w
we explore why
w they diisagree.
Eventually,, the group finds flaws and tries too work uponn them so that
t the
outcome saatisfies everyyone.

4) Confliicts can prod

duce cohesiiveness amoong group members
m

When the participantss experiencee and resollve conflictss successfullly, the

members develop ties that
t hold the group togetther.

Although thhe conflicts are beneficiial, we all haave seen how

w harmful thhey can
be.

● Confliccts can causee bad feelinggs

● Peoplee at times, w when disagrreeing with each other, lose their ttemper.
They might
m use hurtful
h langu
uage that maay cause bad feelings and
a can
spoil reelationships forever.

● Confliccts can loweer group coheesiveness.

● Not alll conflicts leead to groupp cohesiveneess. If people feel that thhey are
not vallued in the group,
g m not like to contributee.
they may

● Confliccts can be deestructive

Major unreesolved connflicts may lead to tim me waste witthout reachiing the
decision. Therefore
T it is importannt to managge the confflict and maake the
meetings prroductive.

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cation
7.9 MEETING ETIQUETTES Communication
in Meetings

Meetings place you in front of employees and employers with whom you
may not work on a regular basis. As a result, how one acts in the meetings
could create a lasting impression.BarbaraPachter, a career coach and author
of the book “The Essentials of Business Etiquette” suggests following 10
meeting etiquette you should know:

1) Be on time

To avoid wasting the time of yourself and others, make sure you come on
time. It is beneficial to come prepared for the meeting ahead of time.
2) Make introductions

To know others and to let others know you, it is a good tradition to begin a
meeting by introducing each member to the team. It should always start by
introducing the person of the highest rank first.
3) Have a strong agenda

Strong agenda helps to keep the discussion on track. It is the facilitator’s

responsibility to get the discussion back on track if it gets off track.
4) Sit appropriately

The way you sit in the meeting helps you get involved and heard.
5) Speak up

Meetings are called to hear your opinions on issues. Do not sit quietly. Add
your thoughts related to the topic being discussed and contribute
qualitatively.
6) Understand the unwritten speaking rules

Some rules are universal.You may disagree with people, but rude and
aggressive interjections may damage your reputation. Learn to interrupt
politely.
7) Do not take phone calls during the meeting

It’s very bad manners to talk on the phone whilst others are discussing
something important. If the call is urgent, make an excuse and leave the
room.

8) Do not drink and eat during the meeting

It is ok to eat or drink during the meeting if it is served to everyone. Avoid

eating and drinking personal stuff as it may make noise or give off smells that
are disruptive.
9) Clean up after yourself

It is unprofessional to leave the place dirty after yourself.

111
Oraal Communicatiion 10) Do nott save all yoour question
ns for the en
nd
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Ask your questions
q at tthe appropriiate time. Keeeping all thhe questions for the
end may make
m others uuneasy as theey might likee to end the meeting
m on time.
t
These etiquuettes if, adhhered to, enh
hance the proofessional beehaviour andd makes
the meetinggs productive.

7.10 EFFECTIIVE DEC

CISION-M
MAKING
G IN
G
GROUP C
COMMU UNICATIION
Every orgaanisation's grrowth is driv ven by the aability of maanagement too make
effective deecisions. Thhe quality off decisions depends
d larg
gely on the efficacy
e
of communnication withhin the organ nisation. Forr decision maaking, meetiings are
held at varrious levels in the orgaanisation. Heence, comm munication pllays an
important role
r in reachiing an effecttive decisionn.

Small grouup communiccation referss to the act oof communiccation amonng three
or more peeople for a common go oal or purpoose. They arre used in different
settings succh as work ggroups, sociaal events or influence grroups. Smalll group
communicaation is an essential
e parrt of group decision
d maaking and meetings
m
are a way in which grooup communnication workks. Thereforre, it is impoortant to
understand small grouup communnication for effective deecision-makking. In
terms of buusiness com mmunication, small grouups are limiited to achieeving a
specific objjective. Smaall groups fuulfil three diffferent needss of an indivvidual –
instrumentaal, interpersoonal and idenntity needs.

Let us disscuss the fuunctional thheory of sm mall group communicaation to

understand how commumunication pllays a role inn the effectiv
ve decision-m
making
process.

Functionall theory of communicat

c tion

The functtional theorry, also called the functional theory of group

communicaation, is a sset of statemments, belieffs, and claimms that atteempt to
explain howw and why ccommunicatiion affects thhe quality off decisions made
m by
a group. Itt explains hoow commun nication influuences grouup decision-m making
and how coommunicatioon should bee structured to make bettter decisionns. This
theory wass first proposed by Dennnis Gouran and Randy Hirokawa inn 1983.
They state that three innfluences sh
haped the thheory - John n Dewey's work
w on
reflective thinking,
t Roobert Bales' work on intteraction proocess analyssis, and
Irving Janiss' work on w
watchful deciision-makingg.

In 1910, Joohn Dewey proposed a method forr problem-solving in hiis book

‘How We Think’.
T In thhis method he
h suggestedd that reflective thinkingg is the
key to solving a problemm and gave five steps which
w are as follows:
f

● Finding the difficuulty or probleem

● Where and what iss the problem
m
● Propossing possiblee solutions
1122
cation ● Determining the consequences of the solution by reasoning and Communication
in Meetings
implication
● Accepting or rejecting a solution by experimenting or observing them

The second influence was of Robert Bale in his work Interaction Process
Analysis (IPA) and he stated that small group communication is influenced
by the ability of group members to deal with functional problems. He
identified four functional problems which are–Adaption, Instrumental
control, Expression and Integration. Adaptation and instrumental control
relate to decision-making termed as task concerns. Whereas, expression and
integration relate to the management of relationships termed as socio-
emotional concerns. Bales suggested that a balance between these two is
necessary for making a better decision. In IPA, he highlighted 12 categories
out of which six were related to task functions (i.e. decision-making) and the
other six are related to socio-emotional concerns.

Bales' work highlighted the role of interpersonal behaviour and personality in

group communication. In 1970, Bale developed the Three Dimensional
Model of Interpersonal Personality in the book SYMLOG (System for the
Multiple Level Observation of Groups) which was considered to be an
extension of IPA. This model helps in determining the personality of group
members. In the present scenario, SYMLOG has been used as a tool to
determine the different behaviour and personality of individuals as
considered deemed fit for different organisational roles.

The third influence is Irving Janis’s work on vigilant decision making. He

suggested that groups sometimes fail in making effective decisions because
of the pressure to reach a consensus on each team member during meetings.
According to his work, a vigilant group should follow the following steps to
reach a solution:

● Analyse all possible alternatives or solutions

● Analyse objectives to be achieved
● Examine all risks and benefits of alternatives
● Search all relevant information
● Unbiased processing of information
● Reassess alternatives concerning risks and benefits
● Planning implementation of selected alternatives along with contingency
plan

Each of these influences highlights the functional nature of the

communication. Hence, according to the functional theory, a group should
adopt the following practices to achieve the purpose of a group meeting and
make an effective decision:

113
Oraal Communicatiion ● Iden
ntify the typpe of solutionns that the problem
p requuires. The soolutions
At Work
W
are based on whether thhe group iss seeking to t address a fact,
specculation, vallue, or policyy issue.
● Asssess the qualities of an effective soolution. Mem mbers of thee group
shouuld create crriteria that th
he preferred alternative must
m meet.
● Mem mbers of thee group shouuld come upp with a widde range of ppossible
alteernatives for the problem
m.
● Memmbers shoulld critically evaluate all alternatives to determinne what
makkes an effeective soluttion. This criterion im mplies that group
memmbers have the
t necessary y skills, knoowledge, and
d objectivity..
● Chooose the alteernative that fulfils the criteria
c for an
n effective solution
s
whiile comparinng all availabble alternativves.

In light of these
t practicces, communnication playys three diffeerent roles inn group
communicaation – posittive, disrupttive and couunteractive. Each
E of thesse roles
is defined as
a follows:

● Possitive role: T
The group is able to com
mplete the funnctional
requ
uirements suuccessfully.
● Disruptive rolee: It serves too create roaddblocks that obstruct or
vent the grouup from meeeting any of the requirem
prev ments for efffective
deciision-making.
● Couunteractive role: It serv ves to nullifyy or neutralisse a communnicative
act that has hadd a disruptivee effect

It is evideent that commmunicationn is used inn a differennt sense to resolve

conflicts annd reach a coonsensus in group meetiings. Howevver, this theoory was
criticised by various researchers on n various issuues. One succh issue relaates to a
lack of connsideration fo
for how indiv viduals interract outside the group orr create
sub-groups. Another crriticism revo olves aroundd the fixed seet of conditiions for
functional communicattion. Furtheer, the questtion of how a decision can be
judged as good
g or bad llimited the th
heory.

In responsee to these crriticisms, Goouran and H Hirokawa revvised the thheory in

their book ‘Communiccation and Group G Decission Makingg’. They addded the
relational dimension
d oof groups in the proceess of decission-makingg. They
introduced three dimeensions – Affiliative,
A C
Cognitive annd Egocentriic. The
affiliative dimension
d sttates that gro
oup memberrs are undulyy preoccupieed with
relationshipps. The cognnitive dimennsion states that inform
mation processsing is
hampered. The egoccentric dimeension states that peersonal mottivation
dominates group goalss. These dim m limit thee entire process of
mensions may
decision-m making to reaach an effecctive decisioon. Thereforee, as a respoonse to
mensions, thhe functional theory was extended further.
criticism annd these dim
The follow wing practicces were suuggested, inn addition to t the initiial five
mentioned above:

1144
cation ● Make it apparent that group members want to make the best decision Communication
in Meetings
possible.
● Identify the resources that are essential to make such a decision.
● Identify the potential barriers to overcome.
● Specify the steps that must be taken to complete the task.
● Establish rules of interpersonal communication.
● Utilize appropriate solutions to overcome affiliative, cognitive, and
egocentric restrictions that hinder the successful completion of basic
task needs.
● Examine the group's decision-making process and, if necessary, revise
any solutions reached.

These theories give an idea of how groups perform in the meetings and based
on the performance of groups the decision is taken.

7.11 SUMMARY
Meetings have both advantages and disadvantages. To make effective use of
meetings, a number of things need to be reviewed. The first and most
important one is to identify the meeting’s objective. Once it is clear, it is
important to consider pre-meeting arrangements. This involves: who should
be invited to the meeting, what should be the agenda, which additional
information should be shared with the participants, and what should be the
physical/ virtual arrangement. Overlooking any of these may impact the
effectiveness of the meeting.

The unit highlights that conflicts are inevitable in meetings and are also
essential for productive output. Handling the conflicts effectively will bring
positive results which can be achieved by following proper meeting etiquette.
The unit also discusses various theories for effective decision making.

7.12 KEYWORDS
Conflict: It is the interaction that occurs when the point of view and
behaviour of one person do not match with others.

Agenda: It is a list or outline of things to be considered or done.

Time Keeper: It is a person appointed to mark and announce the time

Scribe is a copier of manuscripts.

Energy monitor: It is a person who monitors the engagement levels of

attendees.

Moderator: S/heis one who presides over an assembly, meeting, or

discussion.

115
Oraal Communicatiion Meeting Environmen
E nt : It includdes both thee time and places
p a meeeting is
At Work
W
held.

Norm: It iss an unwritteen, overloadeed, or poorlyy run meetinng.

7.13 SE
ELF-ASS
SESSME
ENT QUE
ESTION
NS
1) From thet list giveen below, iddentify meeeting types. Carry out internet
i
researcch to learn abbout the need and purpose of the givven meetingss:

a) Intternal projecct review meeeting

b) Bo
oard of Direcctors meetinng
c) Toown Hall meeeting
d) Media brief

2) Think about the prroject you worked on with others. Sttep back andd reflect
on the meetings yyou had with h the projectt team mem mbers. How did the
environnment, topiccs, and particcipants conttribute to thee communicaation at
those meetings?
m

3) How can a conflictt be positive in meetingss?

4) Remem mber a meetting in whicch you handdled conflict?? Have you tried a
uniquee approach? W
Was that connflict turnedd out to be poositive?

7.14 REFEREN
R NCES AN
ND FUR
RTHER READING
R GS
8 ways to add value to meeting gs: Making a strong contribution. (n.d.).
https://www
w.mindtools.com/pages//article/8-waays-value-meeetings.htm
Company meetings:
m 4 types of company
c meeetings. (20021, Februarry 11).
iEduNote.ccom. https://w
www.iedunoote.com/com
mpany-meetinngs(n.d.).
Forbes. https://www
w.forbes.com
m/sites/maryaabbajay/202
20/01/20/9-w
ways-to-
make-your--meetings-mmatter/?sh=18
8f139b53831
Gist, M. E., Locke, E. A., & Taylor, M. S. (1987). organnisational beehavior:
Group struucture, proceess, and effeectiveness. JJournal of Management,
M , 13(2),
237-257. htttps://doi.orgg/10.1177/01149206387001300204
Hall, R. H. (1991). orrganisationss: Structurees, processees, and outtcomes.
Pearson Coollege Divisiion.
How to ru un a meetiing? (1976,, March 1)). Harvard Business Review.
R
https://hbr.o
org/1976/03/how-to-runn-a-meeting
D J. (1986).. Group poolarization: A critical review andd meta-
Isenberg, D.
analysis. Journal
Jo of P
Personality and
a Social P Psychology, 50(6), 11411-1151.
https://doi.oorg/10.1037//0022-3514..50.6.1141
Make stafff meetings more
m inclusivve.(2015). SSuccessful Fuundraising, 23(12),
2-2. https:///doi.org/10.11002/sfr.302249

1166
cation Meetings | Business communication: Communication, business writing, Communication
presentations, employment communication. (n.d.).Lumen Learning – Simple in Meetings
Book Production. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/sac-
businesscommunication/chapter/15-3-meetings/
Mosvick, R. K., & Nelson, R. B. (1996).We've got to start meeting like this:
A guide to successful meeting management. Jist Works.
Pachter, B. (2013). The essentials of business etiquette: How to greet, eat,
and tweet your way to success. McGraw Hill Professional.
Wilmot, W. W., &Hocker, J. L. (2010). Interpersonal conflict (p.
384).McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

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