MANAGEMENT OF MEETINGS-AN OVERVIEW Institute of Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya (ICPSK) 31 MARCH, 2016

THE OBJECTIVES OF THE SESSION To appreciate why meetings are held To understand the role of key persons in the management of meetings To appreciate the value of proper documentations relating to meetings.

NO PEOPLE, NO MEETING

FIRST THINGS FIRST BASIC CONSIDERATIONS: Meeting - an assembly of people for a lawful purpose (Sharp V Dawes-1876) Proper Convention, Constitution and Conduct resulting into validity of meetings.

WHEN SHOULD MEETINGS BE OR BE NOT HELD? - AN ACTIVITY 1. List at least five items to support the holding of a meeting 2. List at least five items that make the holding of a meeting unnecessary. (See Appendix A)

MAKING THE MEETING PRODUCTIVE Identify the purpose of the meeting (What do you want to achieve?). No purpose, No meeting. Have an agenda for the meeting. Helps to focus the discussions and minimize deviations. Can be used to maintain the sense of the meeting Invite the right people for the meeting

WHEN PURPOSE OF MEETING IS CLEAR…… It helps to put participants in a participative and working mood It helps to minimize confusion and frustration associated with unfocused meetings It helps to increase productivity of participants because they are motivated and raring to go It helps to facilitate prior preparation, even if psychologically

EXCITING, FULFILLING……..?

I WISH I COULD LEAVE NOW…..

IT HAPPENS TO EVERYONE

YEAH, THAT LOOKS IT

HAVING AN AGENDA Helps participants plan their contribution, relevancy and use their time effectively Helps to assign roles to participants, including identifying relevant external resource/facilitator Helps to budget for time. People have other things to do beyond the meeting Helps to facilitate the flow of events/logical arrangement of agenda items Helps to facilitate control of the meeting in all aspects- results desired, nature of contribution, provision of leadership, etc

INVITE THE RIGHT PEOPLE Those who can effectively contribute to desired outcome, either as experts or knowledgeable in the subject Those who hold sense of responsibility, even under divergence opinions Those who help to provide objectivity in the meeting (eg focus on issues, not personalities) Legality of proceedings is achieved It enhances commitment to the issues before the meeting

SOME THINGS TO DO Hold meetings only because they are necessary. You may generate problems that did not exist Copies of documents needed at the meeting should be made in advance. Don’t hold the meeting as people wait for copies Have a strategy to deal with impromptu issues arising which were not in the agenda Set a kind of time limit to be spent on each agenda item and honour it.

SOME THINGS TO DO-CON’T Have the courage to reschedule the meeting to deal with unfinished business Minimize interruptions, eg from mobile telephone calls Stick to the agenda to run the meeting. Issues cropping up during the meeting can be taken for inclusion in the next agenda Identify someone to record the proceedings of the meeting Make follow-ups. People must report on tasks assigned to them

SOME THINGS TO DO-CON’T Determine decision-making method, eg voting, consensus, persuasion, etc All decisions desired should be made at the meeting. Nothing outside the meeting Identify suitable venue and sitting arrangements Start meetings on time

BLANK

PREPARING FOR MEETINGS Establish dates for the meeting/annual work plan important Give notice for the meeting Prepare the agenda Prepare and distribute board papers Work on all logistics relating to the meeting- venue, transport, etc.

MEETINGS ARE GOOD BUT NOT ALWAYS THE BEST OPTION

PREPARING FOR MEETINGS- BEWARE…….

ACTIVITY: PREPARING FOR MEETINGS Who carries the biggest responsibility in the process of preparing for meetings and how? Chairman Secretary Chief Executive Officer?

NOTICE CONVENING THE MEETING “Notice is hereby given of the extraordinary general meeting of the Company to held at the Sarova Panafric Hotel, Nairobi on Thursday, 31 March, 2016 at 8.30 am. Signed ( Notice has been signed by Chairman for CS ) J Yogo Secretary” (Discuss the notice)

NOTICE SHOULD ……… Observe the agreed regulatory/legal provisions: the notice period, entitlement to receive notice, mode of circulation of notice, etc Ensure supporting resource is notified as well. These include officers whose presence is helpful as advisers or providers of information. Do not inform them at the last minute and expect them to be useful to the meeting.

SOURCES OF AGENDA ITEMS May be prescribed Board’s work plan arising from its mandate Previous Minutes, eg deferred items Correspondences Suggestions from participants/members Emergencies Current events, eg in the economy

PREPARATION OF THE AGENDA Secretary to prepare in liaison with Chairman and CEO, well in advance. Avoid developing agenda at the meeting. Arrange them in a logical flow/priority order. Include manageable number of items. The rest can be deferred to the next meeting. Beware of agenda items arising at the meeting and how to deal with them.

ROLE OF KEY PEOPLE AT MEETINGS 1. Chairman – provides overall leadership, play an aggressive facilitating role; 2. Participants/Members – contributions on the agenda on the table, raise comments, interrogate given information, etc. 3. Secretary – facilitate preparation, convening, logistics, take notes, implementation of actions, etc. 4. Other Staff members – provision of technical support in preparation of board papers.

BREAKTIME