Name of the Student: Kishwar Fatima

Reg # 0000122759

Student I.d : 0000122759

Course Code : 5002

Semester: Autum 2021

Topic: Strategies for Group Meeting

Acknowledgement

A good project involves the hard work of many people including the students as
well as the Course Instructor. While working on this project I have received
unconditional support and guidance from many people. I want to thank all of
them. Among all of them, I have received tireless collaboration from my course
instructor Mr. Javed Iqbal Sb.

I have learned many useful things from this Assignment. Timely guidance and
constant support have pushed me to successfully complete this Assignment. I am
really grateful to be a part of this Course under the able guidance of Mr. Javed
Iqbal & I convey my heartfelt regards and appreciation for his sincere co-
operation on this Assignment.

Yours faithfully,

Kishwar Fatima.
 Strategies for Group Meeting
 Introduction

A) What is a Group Meeting:

Generally speaking, A Group Meeting is a forum in an Organization that is Planned, Organized &
Executed by the Members to Discuss Issues, Take on & assign responsibilities & to report back
on the progress of various on-going projects. It is through Group Meetings that everyone can
stay informed of the latest happenings & be updated of what is happening around in their
Workspace.

Meetings can occur face-to-face, but increasingly business and industry are turning to
teleconferencing and video conferencing options as the technology improves, the cost to
participate is reduced and the cost of travel including time is well managed. Regardless how
members come together as a Team, Group or Committee, Group Meeting Leaders need to
define purpose in advance with an Agenda.

B) Purpose of a Group Meeting:

Working in a Group is not always one of the easy things to do. Groups or Teams work on a
common goal yet from different Angles, Objectives & may be Geographic locations. It is
therefore important to have Group Meetings on frequent planned intervals so that the Teams
organize in an Environment where they can have overall view of the Progress being made with
respect to a specific Task, Agenda or Assignment being conducted.

C) Benefits of a Group Meeting:

The success of any Organization depends on the collaboration of its Members. Without
Teamwork, it is hard to achieve the Organization’s goals. In a place where the meetings are non-
existent, most of the Team Members will have no idea of what is going in the Organization. In
this case, it is important to have a team meeting frequently to achieve the Business Objectives.

 Important Sub-Topics:

How to conduct a Group Meeting:

Before we proceed with the basics of Conducting a Group Meeting, We need to establish some
fundamentals of a Group Meeting.
 A) Before The Meeting:

 Before start of any Meeting its Facilitators make sure Agenda, Purpose & Objectives is decided &
prepared for Group Members.

 Send out the last held Meeting’s minutes to the Group members earlier well before the next
meeting.
 Send out the Agenda for the current meeting at least one week in advance so that all Group
Members become familiar to the Topic & Contents of the Meeting.
 Send out reminders for the meeting the day before and the day of the meeting so that all
members of the Group ensure their presence.
 Schedule the meeting in an MIS or a similar program so everyone receives a reminder
electronically, promptly & conveniently.
 Make sure the Group Members know their role and requirements prior to the Meeting.
 Make sure all participants know one another before discussion starts.
 Formal communication styles & reference to the agenda can help reinforce the time frame and
tasks.
 Make sure notes taken at the meeting are legible and can be converted to minutes for
distribution later to Group Members / Team.
 Keep the discussion on track as the chair or leader of a meeting.
 Establish the Meeting Points & make sure that everyone is on-board on them, Any Ambiguities
should be discussed & cleared out but staying on course with the Agenda of the Meeting.

B) During The Meeting:

 Manage the agenda and progress of the group, Adjust time, Tasks & Processes, Give the group
feedback on progress.
 Keep the meeting objectives before the group, Ensure that all participants and ideas have a
chance to be heard.
 Help the group reach consensus and make decisions in other ways. Encourage the group, Help
the group resolve differences.
 Help the group plan for follow up, Ensure that next steps, who's responsible for doing
What & due dates for follow up are clearly established before the meeting ends.
 Help the group evaluate the Meeting, Offer Evaluation Questions for the participants to
Answer, usually in writing & covering both Task & Process aspects of the meeting.

C) After The Meeting:

 Ensure written minutes are prepared and distributed quickly, Often the facilitator is the best
person to take responsibility for quick preparation and circulation of a record of the meeting,
including:
 Date, Objectives, Participants, Decisions or outcomes, Follow-up assignments.
  Practical aspects with respect to the Topic:

A) How To Introduce in Group Meeting:

If it is certain that everyone in the room knows Everybody involved, then, of course,
introduction is not necessary but still its better that everybody knows who is who & where in
the Group Meeting.

While Introducing Try to Explain:

 Who will facilitate the Group during the whole meeting or certain parts of it.
 That who will be proposing Processes for the group to use in getting work done.

If it is not sure how well they know each other, ask one or two of the participants before the
Meeting begin. If any participants do not know any others, it is best to have at least quick
introductions.

If participant introductions are needed, there are three recommended ways to conduct them:

Deal-I:
If most participants already know each other or if the meeting is a half-day long or shorter, ask each
participant to introduce him or herself by giving:
1, Name
2, Organization or office
3, Nature of current work assignments

Deal-II:
If most participants do not know each other well, need to get to know each other to a significant level;
Ask each participant to introduce him or herself giving:
1, Name
2, Organization or office
3, Nature of current work assignments
4, Relationship to the issue being worked on in the meeting (interest in it, experience with
it, etc.)

Deal-III:
If most participants do not know each other well and/or need to develop strong relationships within the
group session, for example, a group that is expected to become a Team, a more extensive set of
introductions is useful. Ask each participant to work with one other person he or she doesn't already
know and have each person take five minutes to interview his or her partner
to find out:
1, Name
2, Organization & Nature of current work assignments
3, one interesting or important thing about him or herself not entirely related to work
 B) Explain the Purpose of the Meeting:
That is; the outcome it is intended to accomplish, in one statement if possible, for example:

 Develop the groundwork for a strategic plan to guide the team's work over the coming Year.
 Share information about current activities among the various group members organizations.

C) Present the objectives for the Meeting:

Describe what specifically participants are expected to accomplish, in 3 or 4 statements, for example:
 To assess where things currently stand in each key program area.
 To develop broad strategies for moving the program forward over the coming year.
 To create a plan for continuing the planning process after the meeting is over and
Everyone is back at work.

D) Explain the Meeting & Facilitation Approach:

What participants can expect to happen in the meeting, for example?

 This meeting will have various sessions each day in which information and ideas will be
presented to the whole group. There will also be daily breakout sessions in which more specific
information will be presented and discussed. And, there will be planning sessions every day in
which each team meets with its facilitator to work through the planning process using
information gained in the other sessions.

E) Review the Agenda:

What is planned to happen when & how each Agenda item will be handled. Since Agendas have to be
somewhat flexible.

F) Review Administrative Information:

How meals will be handled, where bathrooms are located any after-hours events that have been
planned, any paperwork requirements of participants, etc.

G) The Right Time for Meetings:

Different meetings should be held at different times. Some short meetings are best in the morning, so
people can take action on items discussed in the meeting during the day also they may be more
talkative. On the other hand, having meetings after lunch may not be the best time. People become
naturally lethargic as they digest their meals and they may be less expressive & less inspired. Late in the
day may not be very good either, as people are tired, especially if some of them have been traveling. Its
better to check with your group & try to find the best times that they prefer so everyone is at their best.
 H) Have someone take Notes & Circulate Minutes:

Meeting Minutes are important and ensuring someone is taking notes is a crucial element of the most
effective meeting strategies. Important decisions are made at meetings, and it’s essential that everyone
at the meeting & their Teams are on the same page. Instead of each person taking their own notes,
which generally only concern their responsibility have one person take detailed notes and circulate
minutes. This ensures that no one has misinterpreted what was said at meetings and that there is a
record of which important action items were decided.

I) Follow-Up on Meeting:

The meeting cannot be a success without following up afterward to make sure action is taken on the
decisions that were made. Distribute the notes made / took during the meeting to both the meeting
participants and anyone else in the organization who needs them And set up a process for tracking
action items and due dates so things don’t slip through.

 Review of Theoretical & Practical Situations:

A) How To Extract Key Points From A Group Discussion:

For participants to get the most from group meetings, they need a chance to sort out the key points
from the various thoughts that may be brought out. A quick way to do that is to summarize key points
from time to time and at the end of the discussion using either of the following techniques.

Deal-I:

Get Participants To Identify Key Points, Ask the participants to summarize what points stand out to them
from the discussion by posing such questions as:
 What key points have emerged so far in this discussion?"
 What are ideas you will take away from this discussion?"
 What should we conclude from this discussion?"

Deal-II:
Identify Key Points & to suggest additional summary points to those made by participants, or at times,
summarize the discussion to ensure that certain points are highlighted.

Check with the group to be sure you have captured their main ideas accurately and completely.
 B) Facilitate Team Building:
Research shows that people working in teams can be far more productive & produce better quality of
work than people working alone.

It is important to understand the differences between a group of people who happen to be working
together or participating in a meeting and a team. Because of these differences plays an even more
important role in the success of teams than it does in the success of groups.

Compared to most Groups, Teams:

 Work together as a Group for a longer time

 Make more decisions by Consensus among themselves
 Work with greater Autonomy & Freedom
 Feel a more acute responsibility for producing desired results
 Develop and maintain stronger Relationships.

C) How to Give Instructions For Small Group Work:

It is important that participants have a clear & complete understanding of what the purpose of a
Group discussion is what they are expected to do and how long they have to do it. Therefore:

Step 1:

Explain the purpose of the small group work, Start small group discussion instructions by reviewing
orally a written statement of the purpose of the discussions.

Step 2:

Instruct the groups on the Task, Give clear step-by-step instructions for what participants are to do; also
give instructions both orally and in writing. Most small group discussions are well served by providing
participants with clear, written discussion points to help them stay on track.

Step 3:

Set a time limit, Tell participants how long the discussions are to last; let them know approximately how
much time they should spend on each major part of the discussion if there are several discussion points,
and write down the time at which the exercise will be concluded.
For example, you might say:
"You have one hour to work in small groups. Try to manage your time so that you have about 20
minutes or so for each of the three discussion questions. Be ready to reconvene at 3:00."
Step 4:

Instruct groups on roles--Instruct participants to identify one or more people within each small group to
perform any needed roles within the breakout session.
For example: Who will record the discussion on flip charts. Who will keep track of the time. Who will
report to the rest of the participants on the results of the discussion after it is completed.

Step 5:

Check for understanding, Check to be sure the instructions are clear. To help speed the instruction
process and improve the clarity of instructions, list the information’s in Steps 1 through 4 mentioned
above on flip charts and review each element verbally. Post the instruction flip charts and leave them
posted throughout the work period so participants can refer back to them if needed later.

D) Understanding Team Formation:

Group Meeting facilitator need to have a sound understanding of group dynamics in order to be of real
help when working with Teams. Teams have an especially challenging task in the early stages of their
Developments, Five stages of development have been identified:

Stage 1:
Forming:

In Group Forming the members of the team meet one another and begin exploring their roles in the
team, their relationship with one another as team members and ideas about how the team will operate.
Even if the team members already know each other, if they are just beginning to work in this team, the
forming stage still occurs.

Stage 2:
Storming

In Storming members of the team begin to understand their differences, encounter divergent ideas
about their task, their roles, and the processes by which they will do their work.

Stage 3:
Norming

In Norming members of the team begin to recognize a common interest in the team and it task, develop
common goals for the team, clarify roles of individuals within the team, and develop strategies for
working together smoothly.
Stage 4:
Performing
In performing stage, the members of the team work productively to achieve their goals and carry out
their work. This stage is generally characterized by productivity: a sense of progress and Achievement.

Stage 5:
Adjourning
In adjourning stage; members of temporarily established Teams, having completed their Task,
prepare to disperse. This stage is generally characterized by reluctance to part: Group members
review their experiences, together evaluate their accomplishments and often arrange to keep in
touch.

Merits, Demerits, Deficiencies or Strengths of the Organization with

respect to the Topic
Group Meetings are one of the most controversial topics in the workplace. Some people hate them,
while others believe they are necessary for successful Teams to work together.

There are some Advantages:

 Opportunity to problem solve together

 Ability to make everyone feel included
 Time to get everyone aligned about a topic
 Some people find them relaxing compared to doing independent work (I’d say that’s actually a
disadvantage)
 It allows for more ideas to be shared.
 It promotes a common direction.
 It can increase efficiency.

There are also some Disadvantages:

 Meetings take a lot of time away from being productive

 People are invited to meetings when they aren’t needed there
 The loudest people in the room can dominate the conversation
 Unless takeaways are written down after, decisions made in the meeting aren’t recorded
 It can create conflicts among members.
 It can lead to loss of Resources.
 It poses the risk of having a free-rider in the group.
Conclusion & Recommendations:
Effective group meetings are the ones that keep everybody involved engaged, provide with the correct
& relevant information and give a direction to achieve Organization Goals & Objectives.

If Organizations want to increase their odds of Success, then they need to have effective and regular
Group Meetings. Group Meetings are a vital & important source of Information sharing among Team
members & its frequency needs to be managed promptly by the Organizers to have a lasting & profound
impact as desired.

Annex (If Any)