OFFICE AUTOMATION – I OFFICE OPERATIONS 1. SCHEDULING APPOINTMENTS, IMPLEMENTATION OF A PLANNER, MEETING ARRANGEMENTS, AGENDA & WRITING MINUTES With the increasing work pressure and on professionals to manage their work and personal life most effectively, planning is a key area. For planning in modern days there are tools and techniques which can be used for most efficient planning and best utilization of time and resources of an individual . This lesson serves the purpose of educating you about two such techniques or tools which can be used to interact and utilize your energy, resources and time to achieve the best outcomes. Meetings are a commonly used method for information sharing, discussion and decision making. These are a regular feature in most business organizations. The productivity of a meeting depends on meticulous planning of its agenda, its organization, and a careful recording of the decisions taken during the meeting. All these aspects also form part of the lessons.
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Objectives After going through this lesson, you will be able to:
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Appreciate the importance of being proactive Understand how to plan one’s time Understand the need for appointments Schedule Appointments effectively Understand the concept of a Planner Appreciate the significance of a planner Use the planner to organize one’s jobs and duties Better organize one’s personal and professional life Understand the critical role of meetings Appreciate the need for planning the details of meetings Observe due care and caution in planning for meetings Carefully manage the arrangements required for holding meetings Understand the need for preparing and circulating the agenda for the meeting well in advance Write the minutes of meeting
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Introduction Scheduling appointments and planning can help an individual in planning his/her personal and professional life with excellence. Scheduling appointments It is very common to fix up appointments to schedule meetings. It is a frequent practice used in most organizations. It orients individuals to the scheduled meetings well in advance. The chapter brings out the key considerations for effectively scheduling appointments. It will help the student in scheduling appointments appropriately. Planner A planner is a tool to organize one’s various activities. It helps to closely monitor crucial tasks and be aware of their progress. A student can effectively manage his/her official responsibilities by using a planner. Further, its usage extends to one’s personal responsibilities too. Overall, it is an excellent tool for managing one’s personal and professional life. Both appointment scheduling and planner are used to enhance one’s organizational ability. Further, these shall help the student to enhance his/her time management ability. These topics are purely of practical relevance that can be best learnt in a real life scenario. It is suggested that the student take the following steps to learn the most from this lesson.
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Have a look at the appointment diary of an office assistant / manager. Discuss with him/her the ways and means to schedule appointments. Learn from his/her experience of scheduling appointments. Similarly, to learn about the planner, you may look at a planner maintained by an office assistant or an executive. Have a look at all the sections of a planner. Understand the usage of all sections. If you are doubtful about any two sections (e.g. between ‘priority’ and ‘projects’), you must clarify it with the user, in the context of real-life examples. Discuss your learning from this chapter with an office assistant / executive, who may be a friend or a willing colleague. Meetings It is advised that the student should read the lesson thoroughly and then discuss it with a friend or a senior working in a real business set-up. It will be useful for the student to take the views of executives on desirable ways to design agenda, organize meetings and write minutes of the meetings.
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What are Appointments? Normally the word ‘appointment’ is used in the following manner:
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To make an appointment with an executive To make an appointment with a doctor. An appointment for a meeting to discuss one’s promotion issues. An appointment for an interview. The above examples highlight the meaning of the word ‘Appointment’.
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An appointment is a scheduled meeting It is for a well defined purpose Usually it is planned well in advance with the consent of the meeting parties The duration of the meeting is also determined while making an appointment A professional way to keep track of appointments is to record it in a diary or a calendar Simply put, appointment means booking time with someone for a meeting. Certain other important aspects of an appointment are:
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Once an appointment is fixed, normally people commit to it Minor adjustments in the date and the time are acceptable, provided all members agree to it There is a strong expectation that appointments should be honoured. If you have agreed to an appointment, it is kind of obligatory for you to abide by it. It is worthy of repetition minor adjustments are accepted, but the meeting must take place Usually, people don’t refuse or turndown meetings once appointments have been made It is considered against professional etiquette to disregard appointments, regardless of the stature of the meeting parties
Self-Check Questions Select the correct combination 1. Appointment means: a. Scheduled meeting, Defined purpose, Fixed duration, Non Obligatory b. Scheduled meeting, Undefined purpose, Fixed Duration, obligatory c. Scheduled meeting, Defined purpose, Fixed Duration, obligatory d. Random meeting, Random purpose, Fixed Duration, Non Obligatory
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Key Features Some of the key features of an appointment are:
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It is scheduled much in advance. Usually, the purpose of the meeting is stated, at the time of taking an appointment. It is a good practice to confirm the appointment by sending a follow-up e-mail or through a confirmation call. The time and the duration of the appointment may be changed marginally, with the consent of both the parties. It is not legally binding on either of the parties to adhere to the scheduled appointments. However, it is strongly expected that both parties show commitment to the scheduled appointments. In case, a party turns down an appointment, he/she betrays the trust of the other party, thereby losing his/her trustworthiness. If an appointment is scheduled a week or so in advance, it is advised that it be reconfirmed just a day before the date of the actual meeting. Both parties are expected to be fully oriented, prepared and predisposed to the purpose of the appointments.
Self-Check Questions Answer True or False 2. The parties are legally bound to honor an appointment 3. An appointment is recommended to be scheduled some time before the date of actual occurrence of the appointment
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Rationale for scheduling appointments Changes in work culture have necessitated appointments. Some of these changes are:
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the need
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Individuals are preoccupied with their own jobs, and don’t appreciate unannounced meetings. Individuals carefully plan their days to better manage their time. A formal culture has become a part and parcel of an organization’s lifestyle. Longer working hours, competitive pressures, job-imposed pressures of deadlines, all of these have made life stressful. People are hard-pressed for time and are therefore selective about scheduling meetings. Emphasis is laid on planning aspect.
Self-Check Questions Select the incorrect Option 4. Appointment scheduling is an important aspect in professional life due to the following: a. Longer working hours b. Competitive pressures c. Pressures of deadlines d. Informal professional culture
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Scheduling Appointments While scheduling appointments, one needs to take care of the following points:
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The first one hour of the day should be dedicated as the ‘Quiet hour’. This hour is meant for reflective thinking, planning, and mentally orienting oneself towards the day, putting at rest any disturbances/discrepancies that may bother a person. This hour is meant for planning and putting issues in perspective.
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No Appointments should be scheduled during the first hour of the day. e.g. imagine yourself walking into your office at 9:30 a.m. in the morning. Even before you have time for your morning tea, or 5 minutes for the newspaper, or checking your email, you are encountered with a scheduled appointment for 9:45 A.M. In such a situation, you may become frustrated as your prime hour is sucked up in a routine meeting. You would observe that energy levels lower down as the day passes by. Therefore, it is best to reserve the morning prime hours for yourself.
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The time of the appointment usually depends on the purpose of the meeting. Broadly, a meeting may be meant for : o Strategic issues: Issues high in importance o Such issues are intellectually taxing that require your complete attention. Such a meeting may be scheduled when your energy levels are sufficiently high. 11’o clock in the morning may be a desirable time. However, suitable changes may be made depending on one’s personal preferences. o Routine Issues: Low in importance o It is universally accepted, that energy levels taper down after the lunch hour. That hour can be gainfully used for ‘moderate- to-low’ importance meetings. Infact after the meeting when one is sufficiently activated; one is free to get back to relatively important issues. o Urgent issues: Need to be tackled first.
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o Infact if an issue becomes urgent, it may sometimes be required to hold an unscheduled meeting. These issues may need to be tackled first thing in the morning, regardless of one’s preferences. Examples of such issues could be violent activities by the union, theft in the office, pilferage by executives etc. •
Avoid, booking up the last hour of the day in appointments. Keep yourself free in the last hour of the day. As a proactive measure, keep the last hour fluid for any of the following issues: o Urgent issues may crop up needing immediate action. o Keep time to absorb the time spillover of other meetings held during the day. E.g. A meeting scheduled at 3 or 4 ‘o clock may spill over by an additional half an hour or an hour after the scheduled time of the meeting. It disturbs the activities scheduled after the meeting. As a buffer, the last hour of the day should be kept free to absorb such discrepancies from the schedule. o Taking stock of the day’s activities. o Planning for the next day’s activities. o Co-ordinating with the team or issuing instructions to the team members for the next day.
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No two appointments should be scheduled too closely on a time scale. e.g.: Look at the following appointment schedule for a specific day. i. 3 to 4: Meeting with VP sales : ii. 4 to 5: Interview of 3 candidates for the post of computer programmer. In the above example, the two appointments have been scheduled consecutively, one after another. Ideally, some gap should be kept between any two appointments, to absorb time run over of a meeting or other tasks.
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Number of appointments in a day: It is reasonable to establish that 2 to 3 appointments in a day may be adequate for an executive, under ordinary circumstances. The assumption is that the executive would like to balance out one’s office job, other commitments and the appointments on any given day. The exact number of appointments for a day will depend on the comfort level of the concerned person. Some people like to dedicate a complete day in fulfilling appointment commitments and keeping other days free for backroom office jobs. Some people work with a more balance in their schedule, preferring a mix of meetings and backroom jobs.
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Usually, people like to keep Mondays free for scheduling the week’s activities. Similarly, people like to keep Fridays free to wrap up the week’s activities and plan ahead for the forthcoming week. It is considered a good practice to schedule appointments in the middle of the week i.e. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
1.5.1 Appointment calendar It is a well-accepted practice to maintain an appointment diary. All the appointments are noted down in it for later reference. An improvement over it would be to prepare an appointment calendar. An appointment calendar can be prepared for a month, to show at a glance the appointments booked for the month. Given below, is a sample appointment calendar for the month of May ‘2006. 1.5.2 Key Points of the Appointment calendar • • •
On the left, the column of Time Slots displays the various time slots of the day. The top row shows the dates of the month. As a sample, only first 10 days have been shown in this appointment calendar. A ‘*’ mark is used to denote the slots booked in appointments. The calendar below shows that the following slots have been booked in appointments. These slots are : o 1st May : 10:30 to 11:30 o 5th May : 9:30 to 10:30 o 6th May : 1:20 to 2:30
Time Slots
Days of the Month : May 2006 1
9:30 - 10:30 10:30 - 11:30
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* *
11:30 - 12:30 12:30 - 1:30 1:30 - 2:30
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2:30 - 3:30 3:30 - 4:30 4:30 - 5:30 5:30 - 6:30 NOTINGS
1.5.3 Application / usage of an appointment calendar • •
It can be displayed on the bulletin board for ready reference. In the above example * mark is used to show the slots that are booked. Any such symbol may be used to indicate the booked slots. A look at the calendar will show which slots are booked in appointments.
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The calendar can be used for a lot of purposes. You may refer to it when scheduling a new appointment, or when rescheduling or for planning other activities. The calendar serves as a ready reckoner for future scheduling. Depending on the usage, people may choose to make a Quarterly calendar or a Yearly calendar for organizing appointments.
1.5.4 Application and Usage Area •
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It is very common to fix appointments with people, in formal and informal meetings. All around people are busy experiencing scarcity of time. Therefore to ensure you are able to meet a certain person for a particular purpose, the best way is to fix an appointment. Appointments are scheduled in personal life and also in one’s professional life. It will help the student of office management to schedule his/her own appointments and to assist a senior executive in scheduling appointments.
1.5.5 Technological Advancements Increasingly, scheduling software solutions are being used to do the tricky job of scheduling appointments. In fact these days, a range of appointment scheduling software solutions are available. It is always a good idea to make sure you have determined your appointment scheduling needs before choosing an appointment scheduling software solution. 1.5.6 Advantages and Limitations Advantages •
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By making appointments, one is able to meet even seemingly unapproachable people. These individuals may be high ranking officials, people of high stature, or simply very busy people. It helps one to manage other tasks scheduled for a day. It orients one to the purpose of the appointments. It puts the person in the frame of the proposed meeting well in advance. It leads to effective time utilization. Generally, it helps one in better time management. Disadvantages
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Some of its disadvantages are: Scheduling appointments in advance prevents a person from incorporating change of priorities in one’s schedule of activities. It is quite possible that priorities may change much after the appointments have been scheduled. Scheduled appointments impose rigidity on the meeting parties. A deviation from the schedule is usually difficult and not appreciated.
Self-Check Questions Answer True or False 5. The best practice to increase productivity is to have all the appointments in the first hour of the day 6. “Quiet hour” is the time which must be used for planning the day’s activity and it must be the first hour of the day 7. It is advisable to have instantly planned appointments for routine issues Arrange the three categories of issues in the ascending order of appointment planning to tackle them 8. Routine issues, Strategic issues, Urgent issues. Fill in the Blanks 9. The ______ hour of the day must be kept for the crept up urgent issues and must not be scheduled in advance. 10. An appointment ________ can be used for the purpose of maintaining and readily accessing a record of appointments on the basis of time slots over a long period of time. Select the incorrect Option 11. Appointments lead to a. Efficient task management b. Efficient time management c. Mental Orientation d. Wastage of resources
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What is a Planner?
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A planner is like a personal diary that helps a person in organizing various tasks/activities. Since it helps a person in planning one’s affairs, it is called a ‘planner’. It is also known as a personal organizer. In simple words, one can understand the concept of a planner as a diary that contains all important information required for managing one’s tasks.
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Basically, a planner lets you jot down vital information of varied nature in various classified sections. The term ‘sections’ means sets of pages, each one earmarked for a distinct purpose. e.g.: Different sections may have labels like: Meetings, Appointments, and Travel etc. An easy way to understand the concept of sections is to consider them as separate chapters of a book. Just
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as each chapter focuses on a distinct topic, likewise each section has a distinct purpose. •
It is an inventory (storage) tool that serves as an alternative to memory. It allows you to properly manage your activities by keeping track of these through the planner.
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It is basically a tool for self management.
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It can also be seen as an information organizer.
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It is an efficient planning tool.
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The core idea behind a planner is to enable you to consolidate your personal records into a specific place, methodically eliminating "floating pieces of paper."
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Rationale for using a Planner A planner is designed to help a busy executive manage his/her multiple tasks. Increasing work pressures, the need to manage various tasks, stringent deadlines, involvement in various jobs, are all factors, which lay demands on one,’s planning and organizing skills. A planner serves this purpose. Picture of a Planner
Some of the features of the planner shown above are: • • •
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Traditionally, planners are leather-bound, like the one shown above. On the left flap, a series of pockets provide space for credit cards/ personal ID cards etc. Similarly, it is possible to have an accessory for Business cards and photos.
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It has a six –ring, loose leaf binder system. (Note: six rings are seen in the planner.)
Composition of a Planner On the face of it, a planner looks like an ordinary diary, usually leather bound and often a lot thicker. It has plain ruled pages for recording information. It consists of various sections separated by tabs. A tab is a small label, bearing the name of the section, affixed on the top right hand corner. It marks the beginning of the next section and indicates the end of the previous section. As an alternative, a colored sheet or a plastic sheet may be inserted, as a separator between two sections. Physically, it consists of a ring binder that holds all the pages together. It has a loose leaf binder system. The term ‘loose leaf’ means loose paper and the term ‘binder’ refers to the metal ring that keeps the pages intact. It means that the pages put in the planner by the supplier are not permanently fixed. Depending on your need, these may be changed. Specially designed pages can be easily taken out or added in, depending on your specific requirements. e.g. if you are spending most of your time in attending interviews, you may like to have a separate segment for ‘Interviews’ in your planner. It may bear a tab ‘Interviews’. Usually suppliers offer the option of customizing one’s planner. e.g. if you are a frequent traveler, you may like to have more sheets inserted in the ‘Travel’ section. This can be done by adding sheets of paper in this section. This is the advantage of the loose leaf binder system The picture of the planner below highlights the concept of ‘loose leaf binder system’. As you may see in the picture, all the sections are fragmented and it is quite reasonable to assume that these may be assembled with necessary customization. You need to open and close the rings to expand, customise and reshape it
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Self-Check Questions Select the incorrect Option 12. A Planner is a: a. Tool for self management b. Information organizer c. efficient planning tool d. paper consuming tool 13. A planner traditionally has the following features: a. b. c. d.
Leather Bound Pockets for personal/business cards Loose leaf binders Music system pockets
Fill in the Blank 14. A ______________ is used to separate various sections in the planner
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Sections of a Planner Almost all planners contain the following sections:
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Address Book Phone Index To-Do Lists Notes Pages Date Book or daily scheduler Reminders Additionally, certain models of planners may contain one or more of the following sections. These are:
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Priority Projects Travel Finance Meetings Certain standardised information is provided in the beginning pages of an ordinary ‘year diary’. The same information may be provided in the beginning pages of a planner too. It may contain any or all of the following:
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Calendar of previous year, current year and the coming year.
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Yearly calendar at a glance (usually spread over two pages). STD / ISD codes. World Map. Currency of different countries Conversion tables. List of holidays Emergency contact numbers. Contact information of key organisations/ institutions such as hospitals, airports, railways etc. Planners may offer a wide variety of specialized accessories and inserts. Some of the accessories may be; visiting cards holder, pen holder, mobile holder etc.
1.9.1 Accessories Accessory planner pages allow you to customize your planning system. From graph paper to address and phone directories, a range of accessories are available to let customers make their personal planner that suits their needs. A picture of the accessory page is shown below:
1.9.2 Description of various sections of a Planner Address Book: It is used for storing addresses of reference individuals. Address may include residential address, corporate address, and email address. Addresses can be organised/grouped under various categories. You may choose to define your own classification. This makes it easy to find a particular contact later on. E.g. you may like to define your categories as: Clients, suppliers, dealers, financers etc. It is quite possible that this classification helps you to retrieve information easily.
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Phone Index: A phone index is just like an ordinary telephone diary. There is a provision for writing down telephone numbers indexed on alphabets. When you open the phone index section, you will be able to see a side bar showing all the alphabets A to Z, from top to bottom. Actually, the alphabets are written on separate sheets to indicate the pages earmarked for a specific alphabet. e.g.: First page will show ‘A’ written on the top right hand corner. This indicates that all names beginning with’ A’ may be written in these pages. Similarly, pages are provided for all alphabets. To-Do Lists: As the word ‘To-do’ implies, a to-do list is used for listing the jobs one has to do. Also known as the task list, it is a list of tasks to be completed, such as chores or steps toward completing a project. The specific relevance of this label ‘To-do list’ is that, you may simply jot down various tasks that need to be done, as they keep occurring in your mind. Regardless of its complexities and organization details, you may simply keep listing the jobs that flash in your mind, in a ‘To-do list’. Multiple sheets are available in the ‘To-Do list’ section. You may like to make one list for office jobs, and another one for home-related jobs. It is quite possible that you may make different lists for different tasks; e.g. one list for training, one list for recruitment, one for salary revision etc. The objective of the ‘To-do list’ is to allow you to freely pen down the tasks that you need to do, as and when these occur in your mind. You may make a separate list for execution details of various jobs. This list can be used for listing long-term tasks or tasks with an undetermined timeline. The list below is a to-do-list from an appointment scheduling software. Even the paper and pen planners have similar lists except the menu buttons shown below.
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When you accomplish one of the items on a task list, you check it off or cross it off in the boxes given on the left side. Notes Pages: When an idea emerges in your mind, you may record it somewhere. Such information is called a note. You may consider it useful and want to preserve it for later retrieval. Your objective is to record it immediately to be able to access it later. You may not be able to label it as a ‘priority’, ‘finance’, ‘appointment’ or any specific issue. All such information, that is fluid, yet important, may be recorded in the ‘Notes’ pages. Date Book: A date book list shows the various days of the year, with sufficient space to write each day’s plan for a specific date. Your planner may devote one full page for a date or half a page depending on its type and size. It shows you your plan for a particular date. You may have scheduled your day to cover meetings, interviews, maintenance tasks or other issues. You may want to begin your day by going through the Date Book. It’s meant for keeping track of activities scheduled for the day. Reminders: It is a human weakness to forget. However, there are certain tasks, issues that need to be completed as per a designated time schedule that may be scheduled a week, a fortnight or a month ahead. Our inability to adhere to the deadline, may lead to significant loss in terms of money, results, or simply our prestige and honour. When we wish to be reminded of certain tasks, we may write them down in the section ‘Reminders’. If you want to be reminded on a particular date, then it will be more suitable to record it in the ‘date book’. Alternatively, if you have the habit of looking up ‘Reminders’ section daily in the evening at the close of the day, then you may record it in the ‘reminders’ section itself. It is your choice how you want to use this section. You may decide to look up this section every day in the morning, or at the close of the day, or at an interval of 2 days etc. Another possible use of the ‘Reminders’ section is in helping you change your deep-rooted bad habits. e.g. If you have a habit of procrastination, typically postponing jobs, then you can use the ‘Reminders’ section suitably for imposing discipline on yourself. e.g.: If you want to get over your habit of postponing and wish to become more prompt, you may write in the ‘Reminder’ section: ‘You need to be prompt, and immediate in your response. Did you do something differently today, to become more prompt? ‘Such a reminder everyday to yourself will most likely help you in changing your bad habits. 1.9.3 Additional Sections Priority The term ‘priority’ means what should be done first. The term ‘priority’ contains the word ‘prior’ which means ‘before’. You may best understand the meaning of the term ‘prior’ from this example e.g. she boarded the bus ‘prior’ to me. Another example could be: He was interviewed ‘prior’ to me. Therefore
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the term ‘prior’ means ‘before’. Hence, the term priority means what must be done now. Projects A project is a major task towards a purposive end that requires human, financial, and material resources for its execution. It may require crossfunctional involvement of people across departments. It is quite possible that you are involved in many projects simultaneously, that may be at different stages of completion. Since, a project is usually a team activity; your role may be minor or major in a particular project. You may list down the various projects on separate sheets of the planner section. For each project, you may write the following details: Brief description of the project, your role, Time deadlines, Stages of progress. A brief description of the project will give a brief outline of the project. E.g. enforcing punctuality in the staff. Within the broad definition of the project, you need to pinpoint your personal role. E.g. your role may be to prepare a monthly report of latecomers to the office. Thereafter, ‘time deadlines’ will give you an indication, when you need to compile the report and send it. Similarly, brief details of all projects may be systematically recorded in this section. Meetings Meetings are a regular feature in most business organizations. Probably, everyone working in an organized set-up would have been involved in a meeting sometime or the other. It is important to note that a meeting is an organized gathering meant for solving a specific problem or to take a decision etc. Its purpose is fulfilled if and only if all the members come sufficiently prepared for meetings and act upon the decisions taken in the meeting. However, it is commonly observed, that people conveniently slip into the mode of callousness, when going for a meeting. This habit of non-seriousness can be combated in a large measure if you carefully record its agenda and resultant decisions in a systematic manner. You may carefully note down the following details on one single page of this section for your benefit. Infact by doing so, you will contribute to the fruitfulness of meetings and to your functioning personally. The following details may be recorded for each meeting: Scheduled date, Purpose, chairperson, participants, agenda in brief, preparation required, any documents to be carried, minutes of previous meeting (in brief) etc. By doing so, you will be able to prepare in advance for the meeting and participate in its proceedings productively. Once again, it may be repeated,
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that the benefit of careful recording all details is that it gives you a clear picture of each meeting. It will help you to focus better on each meeting and be alert and active while the meeting is on.
1.10 Guidelines for using a planner You would have understood by now that the basic principle of a planner is careful and systematic recording of information that enables close monitoring of important tasks/ issues. Certain guidelines on using a planner will help you to use your planner effectively. These are: • • •
A core technique to using the planner system is to begin each day with fifteen minutes of ‘solitude and planning’. The methodology is to record the plans and use these as guides to organize oneself and act accordingly. In simple words, follow this principle to use your planner effectively : Write what you must do. Do what you write down. By following this simple principle, you will be able to discipline yourself and organize your jobs effectively.
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You should not scribble illegibly in your planner. Purposively, write neatly and clearly. If you write clearly, you will feel like taking out that page later on for reference. However, if your planner is full of unclear, messy notes, you will not feel like turning those pages and retrieving the information. e.g. when you read a book, you feel like reading it again because, it is written neatly and clearly. Remember, printed letter has authority and commands respect. This is why all official documents are printed. However, your planner can’t be typed out everyday. Nevertheless, if you can write in it neatly, you are more likely to access the information regularly and use it effectively.
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Impose discipline on yourself: Record the relevant information regularly in your planner. You should not be ad-hoc in its usage. E.g. you may sometimes not feel like getting into detailed recording of information, hence you may skip recording the information once or twice. This will reduce the effectiveness of a planner as an organizer. You must be disciplined enough to treat it as a formal document and record information when it should be. Write briefly: Write briefly using simple language. Unnecessary details should be avoided as these occupy a lot of space.
1.11 Application and usage area •
Planner is widely used in corporate set-ups, professional organizations and for personal use too. It may be used by senior executives or by lower level
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operational employees. It is useful for anyone who wants to conduct one’s jobs in a planned manner. A planner allows you to collect and record essential information in a secure manner, so you can get the details off your mind and focus on other things. A planner is used to keep track of important events. For the very detail oriented person, a planner that includes time slots for every hour, or even half hour, throughout the day may be a handy tool. For the person that plans far in advance, the week or month at a glance style may be preferable. Planners offer different formats to fit the planning preferences of different individuals. Its various designs allow you to plan the next month, the next year, or the next five years depending on your choice. Advancements Increasingly, paper-and-binder personal organizers are increasingly being replaced by electronic personal digital assistants (PDAs) and personal information manager software. Pocket size electronic organizers are also available, especially to suit the needs of a frequent traveler.
1.11.1 Advantages and Limitations
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Advantages: It helps in planning and organizing various tasks. It is handy, easy to carry, having a professional appearance. It consolidates all the sections in a single diary. It is possible to customize it to one’s need. Limitations: It requires self-discipline to use it effectively. Man is basically impulsive by nature, which makes it difficult for him to be disciplined consistently. Planners are costly, as compared to the prices of simple notebooks or diaries. It is time consuming to record all information, including one’s thought processes, in a planner.
Self-Check Questions Fill in the Blank 15. In a planner an unimplemented idea or relevant information is stored as a _________________ in a section named _________________ 16. The section of planner that helps the user in being more prompt and keep track of the pending and incoming tasks is a. Address Book
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b. To-Do List c. Reminders d. Date Book 17. In the project section of the planner select the detail which is not needed a. Role in project b. Project timelines c. Stage of process d. User height 18. Select the option which is not a part of planner usage a. Legible writing b. Meaningful and planned notes c. Disciplined following d. Decorative outer covering 19. Get the wrong option Planner is a. Used by corporate people for tracking meetings , etc. b. Used to keep track of important events c. Used to play by children d. Used to keep the personal information.
1.12 Meeting & Arrangements 1.12.1 What is a Meeting Meeting is an organized forum where members meet to discuss a pre-decided agenda. Members give their inputs and analyze the pre-determined issues. The discussions in the meeting lead to a decisive course of action. A meeting is usually called by the chairperson of the meeting. The most important objective of a meeting is to decide a purposive and focused course of action. 1.12.2 Objectives of a Meeting The primary objectives of a meeting are: • • • •
To promote action To respond to change To resolve disagreements To decide between alternative courses of action.
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1.12.3 Other reasons for holding meetings are • •
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To bring people together: People like to meet in work situations. It will help you to relate what you are doing to the work of others. To evaluate information: A meeting is not the best means to disseminate information. However, it is a good forum for evaluating information. The judgment of a group is often more balanced than that of a single individual. To Inspire: When groups make decisions together in a meeting, they feel energized and motivated with the support of other group members.
1.12.4 Organising a meeting Ninety percent of an effective meeting happens before it takes place. Any meeting, even the briefest or the most informal , will benefit from preparation, if only a few notes scribbled on the back of an envelope. A more formal meeting involving more than a few people, must be organized thoroughly. 1.12.5 Aspects of a Meeting • •
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Chairperson / chair: The chairperson also known as the chair heads the meeting. The chair sets the agenda for the meeting Purpose of the Meeting: What is the objective behind calling the meeting? Why the meeting is being called? What is the need? Ex: The meeting is being called to improve the discipline in the office. The statement of purpose leads to the agenda for the meeting Agenda: What will be discussed in a meeting ? The agenda will directly be derived from the purpose of the meeting. Ex : To improve the discipline in the office , the policies, past practices, exceptional cases, leadership issues, cultural aspects may be discussed Members (depends on the agenda): Based on the agenda, the list of members is chalked out for the meeting. Ideal number for an internal business meeting is between six to nine
1.12.6 Preparation required for a meeting
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Date of the Meeting o The date of the meeting should be close enough to register in people’s memories, and far enough ahead to allow them to prepare for it. o Monday mornings are not suited for holding meetings as it is the beginning of the week when everyone is organizing the week’s activities.
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The Venue Certain aspects of the venue that require attention are: o Heating, Lighting, Air Conditioning and Ventilation. o Seating Arrangement: Chairs – Number, comfort level. o Tables – Size, flexibility and sturdiness. o Equipment and power points. o Acoustics o Arrangements for Telephones and Intercoms within the meeting hall.
o Layout of the furniture governed by the style of the meeting. ( See Annexure 1 for formats of types of meetings and corresponding furniture layout ) •
Time of the meeting Everybody knows that certain times of the day are better than others for alertness. Ergonomic research suggests that the best time for making decisions is late morning. Ideally meetings may be scheduled in the first half of the day. Meetings at the end of the day might spur people to make rapid decisions, which may not necessarily be good ones.
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Duration of the Meeting No meeting should extend beyond 90 minutes. If you must go on longer, include time for breaks, refreshments or meals. Information to be sent to the participants The following documents should be sent to the members before the meeting . o Notice of the meeting along with its schedule. o Copy of the Agenda : Distribute the draft agenda, with invitations for contributions from members. It is called the draft agenda, indicating it is subject to change to incorporate suggestions. o Minutes of the last meeting. o Relevant reports and latest data for their use.
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You may prepare a table for effective meeting administration. It is a guide to timely preparation and follow-up actions required for the meeting. A sample is shown in Annexure 2 at the end of the lesson. 1.12.7 Arrangements before the meeting •
To liaise with the participants o Can they attend ? o Do they need travel guidance ? o Do the outstation participants require aasistance in making hotel reservations ? o Would they like to have some papers distributed to the members before the meeting? o What equipment will be required if making presentations ? o Any other clarifications required regarding the agenda of the meeting.
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Equipment o o o o o o o
LCD Projector with a white screen. White board and board markers. Over head projector. DVD players. Video Recording facility. Speakerphones for the participants. Cordless / collar mike. 21
o Laptop o UPS o Other requirements as desired by the participants. Backup arrangement in case of breakdown of equipment or loss of power: Make sure you know where to go for help in the event of a breakdown. •
Stationery (if required) o o o o
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Note pads Folders containing background information of meeting. Pencil, pen, eraser, Pins, Clips etc. Transparencies, Markers, Post-it pads, Highlighters etc.
Refreshments o Arrange for refreshments depending on the time and the duration of the meeting. Inform the catering staff of the break timings. o Check for any special dietary requirements.
1.12.8 Day of the Meeting You should arrive at the meeting amply prepared. Possible needs will include: • • • • • • • • •
Spare Agendas ( or revised agendas ) Spare copies of all supporting papers Notepaper Flipchart paper and pens Stapler and paper clips Pens and pencils List of participants Name plates of chairperson, members. Badges
Self-Check Questions 20. What is the purpose of a meeting? 21. Can a meeting bring people together? 22. What is the role of the chairperson in a meeting? Answer True or False 23. One of the primary objectives of a meeting is ‘to promote action’
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1.13 Agenda 1.13.1 What is an agenda? An agenda for a meeting is the proposed plan of action for a meeting. It consists of the issues to be discussed in a meeting. It orients all the members towards the issues that will be discussed in the meeting. It is the responsibility of the chairperson of the meeting to pre-determine the agenda for the meeting. An Agenda of a meeting should be circulated to all the members well in advance so that the members can do the necessary preparation before the meeting. It helps the members to meaningfully participate in the meeting. 1.13.2 What is included in an agenda? The most formal of agendas will include: • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Title of Meeting Miscellaneous Details Date, Time and Venue Apologies for absence Special factors ( participants who are only involved in a small part of the meeting , people who have to arrive late or leave early ) Matters concerning Previous Meeting Minutes of Previous meeting Matters arising from previous meeting Items to be discussed in the current meeting. Motions relating to the above Reports from sub-committees Contributions from guest speakers Any other business Date, Time and Venue of next meeting
1.13.3 How to plan an agenda? • • • •
An Agenda lays out a broad plan for the meeting. The items or the agenda should be in a logical order. Linked items should be kept together. An agenda gives information about the tasks to be handled at the meeting. It should indicate what is the task and how it will be tackled. It should be worded in a language that will help the participants to prepare . Example: The example shows how to frame the language of specific tasks. Item: 3 New IT Network (This indicates very little about the exact issue to be discussed in the meeting.) The information is incomplete. 23
It may be reworded as: Sanjay to present quotations and essential specifications of systems under consideration. Team to agree on system to be recommended for purchase. (This gives complete information to the participants.) 1.13.4 What course should an agenda follow The agenda should follow a natural shape: •
• •
The most ‘difficult’ items – those requiring maximum discussion – will be best placed in the middle (one third part) of the meeting , when the group’s physical and mental alertness are at their peak. Routine items or urgent items which can be dealt with quickly , can be put first. The easiest items – those of greatest interest , or presentations by guest speakers – can be kept towards the end.
1.13.5 Planning an agenda (Acknowledgments to D. Sharman, The Perfect Meeting)
GROUP CONCENTRATION
ITEMS REQUIRING MAXIMUM
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‘Easier Items’: Interesting Matters.
Middle 1/3rd Of Meeting; (Group is at Peak Of Alertness )
Easy Items: Announcements, Routine Items, Urgent but brief business
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60
90
Time duration ( in minutes ) 1.13.6 Certain Do’s of an agenda • • • • • • 24
An agenda should be in written format. It should lay down a clear plan of the meeting. It should be worded clearly, in simple language. It should provide complete information so that it evokes minimum queries from the members. It should provide adequate coverage of the issues proposed for discussion in the meeting. Remove any unnecessary items.
• • •
Give detailed titles to each item. Give timings to each item . Indicate any specific speakers to an item.
Self-Check Questions 24. 25.
What is an ‘Agenda’? Is ‘Time of Meeting’ included in the ‘Agenda?
1.14 Minutes Minutes are a record of facts, decisions, and agreed actions during the meeting. These provide a summary of the meeting, a guide to action by the members and a useful link between the current meeting and the next one. In a way the minutes are a constant reminder to the members about the decisions made in the meeting. Really speaking, clear, focused minutes can go a long way in committing people to action. Your aim must be to keep the minutes as brief as possible. Lengthy minutes will not be read. Their very name suggests something brief: a summary of events. 1.14.1 Minute taking It is desirable that you should be able to listen effectively and take clear notes, for writing the Minutes of the Meeting. Your ability at listening and effective note taking will determine your effectiveness at framing the minutes of the meeting. These aspects have been explained below : 1.14.2 Listening The following points will give you a clear guideline to listen effectively. • • • • •
Listen for facts and ideas, not merely to the words. Listen for actions : performed , suggested or agreed. Intervene to clarify a point that’s unclear. Ask if you don’t know what has been decided, or what action will be taken. Summarize each item from your minute notes before moving to the next.
1.14.3 Note – taking •
Your task is to note ideas, facts, decisions and actions. Your notes should make these clear at once.
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• • • •
• • • •
You cannot listen and take notes at the same time. Your primary task is to understand what is going on. Most of your time in the meeting should be spent listening. You should take notes only intermittently. Don’t note down the hidden intentions of others even if you can sense it. Note down each idea as it is mentioned, with the initials of the speaker if necessary. Leave plenty of space for ideas and add related comments as they arise during the course of the meeting. You may use distinct boxes for decisions, agreed actions, and information to be forwarded to non-attendees. Follow the course of discussion, no matter where it goes . Listen creatively for key ideas and the connections between them. Don’t slip into the mode of writing long sentences, or recording complete dialogues. Your final note should be brief, structured and highly focused: It will make writing up the minutes far quicker and easier. The notes that you take during the meeting will be your base document for preparing the minutes of the meeting. These notes are summarized further to arrive at the main ideas. The summarized notes can then be used to frame the Minutes of the meeting.
1.14.4 Summarizing a discussion • • • • • • •
What took place? Who was responsible? What has not been done? What had changed since the last meeting? What must be done? What decision has been taken? Are there serious disagreements? By whom? On what grounds? What action will be taken? When? Where? By whom?
1.14.5 Writing the minutes Write the minutes as soon as possible after the meeting: within 24 hours if possible. They should follow the agenda exactly: with identical numbers and item headings. Check with the chairperson, on matters of layout and style. These might include: • • • • • • • • • 26
The name of the meeting The venue, date and time The name of chairperson, administrator, and participants, quorum. Apologies for absence Minutes agreed and signed. Issues raised. Summaries of each item Summaries of submitted reports Motions and amendments
• • • • •
Proposer’s and Seconder’s name for each motion or amendment. Voting numbers/List of voters. Decisions agreed : with names and deadlines Venue, date and time of next meeting Date of writing minutes, with the signature of the chairperson. The administrator’s signature is a welcome addition. Lay out the minutes as attractively as possible. Allow a wide left margin and plenty of space between items. Highlight actions to be taken: Perhaps using bold type, underlining, by placing them in a column on the right hand side, or by listing them on a separate sheet.
1.14.6 Constructing a Minute Background You must put the item in context for readers who were not at the meeting. The item title may be self sufficient. Otherwise, indicate briefly how the matter arose. Discussion How much to include? There is no need to attribute specific statements to particular individuals unless you are advised to do the same by the chair. You should take care to include references to: • • • • • • • •
Recent Events Dates and Place names Names of People met or interviewed Legal necessities Agreements or contracts Policies Documentation (reports, correspondence) Names of departments or other organizations Decision A summary of what has been agreed. There is no need to add lengthy reasons or justification for the decision. Action What is to be done; by whom; when; and where. Actions to be highlighted. Paragraphs Each major contribution to the item will have a separate paragraph. Use subparagraphs for substantial amounts of important detail, or lists of points. As a rough guideline, try not to extend any block of text to more than four lines.
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Sentence Length A sentence becomes too long if it contains too many ideas. Begin by identifying its main idea. Secondary ideas can be expressed in separate sentences. It is useful to note that the most important ideas should be expressed briefly and clearly. The real meaning of an important idea often gets lost in long winding sentences. Unnecessary Dialogue Avoid the ‘He said, She said ‘syndrome. Weed out verbs like: reported, discussed, explained, proposed, expressed concern, suggested, confirmed, requested , asked, introduced and so on. Observe the example shown below. • • • •
Mr.Kapoor reported that he had spoken to the importers on Thursday….. Pankaj and Srinivas discussed the downturn in sales figures….. Ridhima suggested that the options seemed clear. Shivani disagreed….. Sunita expressed concern to Shuchi that her team was underperforming. Shuchi told Sunita….. Have you inadvertently slipped into recording what was said – rather than facts or thoughts? What can you remove? What could you put differently or more briefly? It may be reworded as shown below:
• • • •
Mr.Kapoor spoke to the importers on Thursday….. Sales figures fell….. The options for action became clear. Shuchi’s team is not underperforming. Passive verbs Very often minutes are written in the passive voice, which is not a preferred mode. Of course minutes must be unbiased, but this does not mean that every verb should be passive. Example:
• • • • •
Many points of view were expressed …. It was agreed that ….. It was thought necessary to ….. The resolution however was not passed … The plans were considered at considerable length…. Passive verbs do a poor job at allocating / attributing responsibility for an action, idea, thought or a decision. Wherever possible, substitute active verbs which cut down the length of sentences and accurately allocate responsibility.
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Everybody expressed their point of view ….
• • • • •
The committee agreed that ….. We must …. It was thought necessary to ….. The resolution failed….. The meeting considered the plan at length…. If you observe carefully, the minutes written above have the following advantages :
• • •
Direct and pinpointed responsibility. It appears more real and easy to understand. It makes the message very clear. Tense Though it is often recommended that the minutes should be in the past tense, however , that should not be taken as a golden rule. Don’t feel that you must rigorously avoid the use of present tense. The result will be unnatural, cumbersome and almost unreadable. Example
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Tanya presented a report on current car fleet usage. She revealed that some sales staff had been claiming for unreasonably high mileage figures. After considerable discussion, it was agreed that Tanya would continue to monitor expense forms and would report back to the team at the next meeting. The minutes, after all, are dated: there is no reason why statements of current information should not be put in the present tense:
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Some sales staff is still claiming for unreasonably high mileages. Use the future tense for actions to be taken:
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Tanya will continue to monitor expense forms and report back at the next meeting. The resulting minute is still accurate; it is now also much easier to read. Ambiguous wording Points made clearly in the meeting may become dangerously ambiguous when condensed into a minute. Watch for: Vagueness Example: Following are some of the examples of ambiguously worded minutes. The missing information is mentioned below for you to note :
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Most departments are still failing to supply figures …..
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(Which departments exactly?) •
Several managers have commented adversely on the new system … (Who are they?)
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Some of the machines are still failing regularly (How many?)
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Staff elsewhere have been notably successful …. (Where?)
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Problems recently / in the near future / at some point ….. (When?)
1.14.7 During the meeting •
Time limit: You can also be invaluable in helping to keep the discussions within predecided timelimits. You may do them in consultation with the chairperson.
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While you are in the meeting, consider how the meeting’s progress should be recorded. Don’t be hidebound by tradition : consider how the minutes of the meeting can be improved.
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In case a point is not clear to you …. Have clarity beforehand about your authority to intervene and clarify points unclear to you. If the system is silent about it, use your discretion whether it is appropriate to seek clarification or not. If you understand the proceedings, you will be able to take more meaningful notes of the meeting.
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Summarise at the end of each item with details of decisions and actions agreed.
1.14.8 What minutes do not include? Minutes are not a word-by-word description of all that is said in a meeting. A word to word copy of all that is said in a meeting, is not written in the minutes, A record of every spoken word is a transcript, not the minutes of a meeting. 1.14.9 Guidelines to effective minute taking Yours will be the definitive record of the meeting. The minutes must satisfy everybody who attended. Concentrate on facts, decisions and actions, and you will be less likely to go wrong. Give yourself time to check the minutes before presenting them to the chair and distributing them. Check paragraphs, sentence length, unnecessary dialogue, passive verbs and the use of tense.
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1.14.10 Guidelines for effective organization and conduct of meetings • • •
• • • • •
Some tasks may be dealt with more efficiently in mini-meetings before and after the main meeting , without wasting the group’s time. It is a wise idea to involve the administration department when preparing for a meeting. Encourage members to participate in the meeting. To quote John deButts, Chairman of American Telephone and Telegraph: ‘A successful meeting depends on how much everybody participates , not on how long it is.’ The more you try to pack into an agenda, the less you will achieve. Identify the unnecessary items that can be dealt with outside the meeting. If something is worth discussing , it should be on the agenda. If a critical problem arises at the last moment, alter the agenda accordingly. It is usually done at the Chair’s discretion. You , as an organizer of the meeting should know : o The purpose of the meeting. o Who is attending o What will go on the agenda, and the purpose of each item. o Background information to help you take the minutes.
Self-Check Questions Answer True or False 26. Minutes of the Meeting are record of facts, decisions, and agreed actions during the meeting? Fill in the Blank 27. A record of every spoken word in meeting is called as ________? 28. When should Minutes of the Meeting be written?
1.15 Application and usage area The diagram given below highlights the critical role played by Meetings in transacting business, monitoring progress, and initiating changes.
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Meeting
Evaluation
Action
Change The Meetings Cycle
Meeting Meetings are very often conducted to monitor the current performance, take stock of the progress of teams, implement new ideas, inspire team members, initiate change moves and also to sense the mood of the members. However, most meetings fail to achieve the potential inherent in a collective forum due to faulty planning. Agenda An agenda of a meeting forms the base document for members to prepare before the meeting. Members of a meeting prepare themselves with regard to the issues listed in the agenda before participating in a meeting. It helps all members to reach a common ground of understanding before they begin reasoning out various issues. The responsibility of holding a successful meeting rests on its members. Hence, it is all the more crucial for all members to be well versed with its agenda. In the absence of an agenda, the meeting becomes directionless as members feel aimless, confused, as if they are being merely drifted away by the direction of the wind. Minutes of the Meeting Meetings are judged by their results. The results of a meeting are recorded in the minutes of the meeting, which are circulated to all. Hence, the importance of the minutes of the meetings. You can think of the minutes of the meeting as a constant reminder to members to take ownership for the responsibilities allocated to them and to commit themselves to the collective decisions taken in a meeting.
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1.16 Advantages and Limitations •
• • •
Advantages Decisions made by a meeting carry more weight than those made by an individual. Disadvantages Groups are not good at analyzing problems which require expert knowledge or subtle reasoning. Decisions in a group are made more slowly and expensively. Sometimes meetings may be held more out of habit than for the purpose of transacting clear-cut business.
1.17 Assignments 1.17.1 Class Assignments Assignment 1 Plan your schedule for next day’s activities in your office, include meeting with you manager, training on some business unit and delivery of a critical item to the customer. 1.17.2 Home Assignments Assignment 1 Prepare a monthly schedule for a senior executive of a finance company. Keep up slots for all types of issues, meetings, activities and conferences. Generate the inputs from the clients (Other companies looking for finance or may be individuals), and prepare a priority list of the tasks, and plan them accordingly. Planning must effectively cater to the following activities and tasks: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Conferences Business Presentations Routine back office tasks Meetings (internal, external, miscellaneous) Recreation The schedule must be to effective enough to distribute the work load evenly for the month. Assignment 2 Plan a project for a software company using a planner. This shall include the time schedules of various phases of the project, client interfacing and updating the client, setting up meetings and presentation with the client on the 33
various phases of the project. Project specifications as defined by the company The phases of the project: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Project Requirement Specification development Functional Specification internal closing and client closing Design Specification internal closing Development Testing Delievery Plan the tentative time schedules of each phase and customer update meetings for effectively following up and implementing the project in time
1.18 Summing Up Scheduling Appointments & Implementation of Planner With the advent of the modern life style and more professional attitude, it has become very important for each individual to live a planned life, and the planner and scheduler act as the most appropriate tools for this . With the knowledge imparted by the lesson to the readers, they can very well plan their activities in personal and professional life with the fine details and understanding of the planning concepts.
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• • • • • • • • •
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Meeting A meeting is an organized gathering of people for a specific purpose, usually for discussing predefined issues. Meetings conclude with some decisions, action plans agreed by its members. A meeting is headed by a chairperson, who steers the course of the meeting. He/she ensures that the meeting proceeds as per the agenda. The following preparations should be done before the meeting. o Sending relevant information to the participants (date, time venue, agenda, other documents) o Liaisoning with the participants. o Arrangements for the meeting (fixing up the venue, equipments, refreshments. Agenda An agenda is a broad plan for a meeting. It is circulated to the members much before the meeting. Members are expected to prepare for the meeting on the basis of the agenda. An agenda consists of the following details : Title of the Meeting , if any Date, time, venue and tentative duration of the meeting Members present, absent etc. Minutes of the previous meeting Items to be discussed in the meeting.
• • •
• • • • • • •
Any reports Plan for the next meeting. The issues for discussion may be placed in the following order in the agenda. o Routine items or urgent items which can be dealt with quickly, can be put first. o The most ‘difficult’ items can be best placed in the middle of the meeting. o Easiest items /Interesting issues/Presentations of routine nature/ sharing of views etc can be placed towards the end of the meeting. o It should be in writing, using short simple sentences. o It should be complete in all respects. Minutes Minutes are a brief summary of the proceedings of the meeting. These can be used as a guide for future action by the members. Minutes consist of the following information about a meeting : Background information (date, venue, time, information on members etc ) Discussion (specific issues, reports ) Decisions taken. Action points Certain guidelines on minutes construction o Use simple language o Make short sentences o Divide the reports into paragraphs. o Avoid recording unnecessary dialogues. o Use active voice in framing the sentences. o Avoid using ambiguous words.
1.19 Answers to Self-Check Questions 1. c 2. False 3. True 4. d 5. False 6. True 7. False 8. Urgent Issues, Strategic Issues, Routine Issues 9. Last 10. Calendar 11. d 12. d 13. d 14. TAB 15. Notes, Note Pages 16. c 17. d 18. d 19. c
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20. To promote action, To respond to change, To resolve disagreements, To decide between alternative courses of action. 21. Yes. 22. To head the meeting and set the agenda for the meeting. 23. TRUE. 24. It is the proposed plan of action for a meeting. 25. Yes. 26. TRUE 27. A transcript. 28. As soon as possible after the meeting.
1.20 Terminal Questions 1. What do you understand by the term appointment? 2. On an ordinary day, how would you like to divide your day between appointments and execution of regular office jobs? 3. What is the significance of using an appointment calendar? 4. What do you understand by the ‘loose leaf binder system’ used in planners? What is the use of this system in making the planners user-friendly? 5. What is the relevance of having various sections of a planner? 6. How does a planner assist in better organization of work? 7. What preparation is required to conduct an effective meeting? 8. How can members contribute meaningfully to a meeting? 9. What is the significance of an agenda in conducting an effective meeting? 10. Discuss some of the key considerations for conducting an effective meeting? Discuss this aspect with a working secretary to frame your answer. 11. What is the significance of the ‘Minutes of a meeting’ in determining the success of a meeting? 12. ‘Minutes of a meeting are a link between two meetings’. Discuss.
1.21 Glossary • •
•
•
•
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Scheduling: Slotting a task/activity/ job into a timetable. Appointment: A scheduled meeting for a clearly stated purpose, for a predetermined duration. It is usually fixed well in advance with the consent/ convenience of all the members. Taking an appointment means booking predesignated time in advance. Normally, while booking time, the purpose is also highlighted. Quiet Hour: Usually the first (working) hour of the day meant for planning one’s activities of the day. This period can also be used for reflecting on past day’s jobs and learning from it. Planning:To prepare for an activity / issue / task well in advance. It may include arranging for the necessary resources to execute an activity or simply gearing up oneself mentally towards the demands of the job. It has a futuristic orientation. Strategic Issues: Issues that are high in importance and require careful analysis. Decisions made on strategic issues have long term effects, ranging
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•
•
•
•
•
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over 5 to 7 years or longer. e.g.: Decision to hire a senior level person, Decision to purchase a costly machine, decision to buy new office premises etc. These issues need to be carefully scrutinized. Routine Issues: These are the day to day issues that do not require much attention in terms of time, energy or decision making skills. These issues can be easily discussed and decided even when energy levels are low. Examples of routine issues could be: Arrangements for a department meeting, Addressing employee’s queries on forthcoming training, deciding the details of a training programme, conducting an employee satisfaction survey etc. Urgent: The term ‘urgent’ is used in context of ‘time scale’. ‘Urgent’ means something that ‘must be done now’. An urgent task requires immediate attention. e.g. it is urgent to reach the office at the time of interview. Urgency is established regardless of the importance of the task. Continuing with the same example, the interview may be for a job not too much of your liking. Nevertheless, since there is a scheduled time for the interview, it is urgent to make it on time. Sections of a Planner: A section is a part of a planner with a pre-designated title. E.g. of sections are Finance, Meetings, priority etc. The user can classify the information according to various sections given in a planner. Each section consists of a set of pages for writing. These could be 10 or 15 or 20 pages per section depending on the specific planner. Meetings: A gathering of selected individuals to discuss certain issues of common interest. The agenda of the meeting is planned in advance. Discussions proceed as per the agenda of the meeting. Each participant contributes to the discussion in a meaningful way. The meeting ends with some decisions or conclusions agreed by the participants. Agenda: A document that describes the planned conduct of the meeting. It focuses on the tasks to be covered during the meeting , alongwith the allocated time for discussion. It even covers miscellaneous details like members present, members absent , date of previous and subsequent meeting etc. Minutes of Meeting: A record of crucial decisions taken during the meeting. It contains the summary of meeting , that is also a guide to action for members after the meeting is over. The entire output of a meeting is captured by the minutes of meeting which focuses on major discussions, action points decided, responsibilities allocation, future agenda etc. Chair: The chairperson of the meeting.
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