Business Meetings
It is important that ideas and suggestions tabled at formal meetings are voiced at the appropriate time. This is achieved by keeping to the 1 shown on the agenda. For example, there is no 2 in discussing ideas to do with Item Six on the agenda when Item Two has not yet been 3 Such deviations from the agenda may 4 in confusion among the people at the meeting; they may also 5 concentration if they see something as irrelevant.
To make certain that the meeting proceeds in an orderly fashion, it is therefore useful to 6 some ground rules. First, everyone will need to understand that they must 7 their comments to the topic under discussion. The Chair can then encourage one person to speak at a 8 so that any ideas offered can be discussed and 9 Once that person has finished, someone else can put 10 their ideas and so on. If this procedure is adopted, the participants will be able to follow the various issues in a consistent manner, which will help with the decision-making 11 later on. It will also 12 that the quiet people at meetings get a chance to 13 their say, rather than just their more outspoken colleagues. In 14 it is often the quiet people at meetings who generate the best ideas, because they are in the 15 of thinking before they speak.