会社員が英語で打ち合わせするために必要なノウハウをメモする。

会社員が英語で打ち合わせするために必要なノウハウをメモします。

なお自分の勉強も兼ねて、英語で書きたいと思います。

Let's do a simulation for meeting.

When we come to have the meeitng, we have the purpose such as sharing information, diciding something important. Let's think about the situation for the simulation.

you work in a company and your office will hold its yealry end-of-year-party next month, and you have been put in charge of organizing it. (Where will you go? What do we eat? Will you organize some speeches or games like BINGO?)

Do we just open meetings and brainstorm together with everyone? 

NO! Before starting the meetings, It is good idea that we decide what we are going to talk, how we are going to make steady progress, isn't it?

So here is the list for preparing for the meeting.

Check the aims for a meeting

Make a realisitc agenda

In this case, we need to think about what we have to decide to hold a end-of-year party.

Agenda is going to be like, Objective, Budget, Attendees, Places, Timeschdule, Activities, Acction plan for what you will have decided in a meeting.

We call a part of this agenda Items. For example, Budget is a Item on the Agenda.

So here is the list for the meetings.

Open a meeting 

Greet members in a meeting 

Just say hello. greeting is important.

Dicide who can be a facilitator and timekeeper in a meeting

We make each of members role clear.

State objectives / aims

Please say "our objective today is to ~"

Introduce the Agenda 

Please say like "We will begin with two presentations, and then we will have a discussion."

(If necessary, we will have some presentations)

To pass control to anyone who will have a presentation, tell them like "So let's not waste any more time. Let's begin with the first presentation from anyone"

Share the same understanding with members

Do you really share the same understanding? If you missunderstand anything, it will lead us to reworking later. it is going to be tough.

(If necessary, we decide THEME for what we will have decided)

In this case, we should think about what kind of party we would like to hold, such as "just for fun", "deepen a friendship", "Looking back at the end of year".

this theme is important for next steps in meeting, like when you need to decide the place, activities, time-schedule and so on. 

Share ideas and opinion, and tell the reason to support your opinion ( following a agenda)

Open an item on the Agenda, and disscuss , and then close the item on the Agenda one by one.

Close a meeting

 

The point in the meetings

keep track on time

recap decision

restate member's opinion

elicit ideas from all participants

be ready to disagree with / interrupt

The sentences for meetings

opening items

So, the first point on our agenda is ~

Let's take a look at the next item on the agenda.

Alright, then let's move on to our next topic.

closing items

Ok, that was a very interesting discussion. Any final comments?

Does anyone have anything else to add about that?

Any suggestions? Any other opinions?

manage the progress of meetings 

Let's get back on track.

I think we should return to the main point.

Let's stay focused on the topic.

asking for opinions

~, do you have anything to add?

expressing opinions

Personally, I think it is a great idea.

tentative

I would say that is probablu not the best idea.

balanced

it is difficult to say for sure one way or the other.

partially agreeing

Overall, I think it is a good idea.

OK, that sounds reasonable.

disagreeing

there might be a better option.

disagreeing diplomatically

asling for clarification

.