Running Effective Meetings
B2 Business English · Meeting Management
01 · Warm-Up
Getting Started
How many meetings do you attend in a typical week?
What makes a meeting effective or ineffective?
Have you ever been in a meeting that was a waste of time? What went wrong?
Who should attend a meeting — everyone, or only the people who are needed?
What is the role of the chairperson in a meeting?
Do you prefer face-to-face meetings or video calls? Why?
02 · Vocabulary
Key Vocabulary
| WORD | EXAMPLE |
|---|---|
| agenda | Please review the agenda before the meeting. |
| minutes | Can you take the minutes today? |
| chairperson / chair | The chairperson opened the meeting at 9 a.m. |
| action point | Let's agree on the action points before we finish. |
| follow up on | I'll follow up on this after the meeting. |
| adjourn | The meeting was adjourned until next week. |
| Any Other Business (AOB) | Is there anything to discuss under Any Other Business? |
| time-keeper | We need a time-keeper to keep the meeting on track. |
| on track | Let's keep the discussion on track. |
| wrap up | Let's wrap up the meeting with a summary of action points. |
| put forward | She put forward an interesting proposal. |
| reach a consensus | We need to reach a consensus before moving on. |
| table a motion | He tabled a motion to extend the deadline. |
| go over | Let's go over the main points from last week. |
| take the floor | Would you like to take the floor and present your findings? |
03 · Reading
5 Tips for Running an Effective Meeting
TIP 1: ALWAYS HAVE A CLEAR AGENDA
Before the meeting, prepare and share an agenda with all participants. The agenda should outline the topics to be discussed, the time allocated to each point, and who is responsible for presenting. A clear agenda keeps the meeting focused and ensures that everyone comes prepared.
TIP 2: INVITE ONLY THE RIGHT PEOPLE
One of the most common causes of ineffective meetings is having too many people in the room. Only invite those who are directly involved in the topics being discussed. Unnecessary attendees waste their own time and can distract from the key issues.
04 · Functional Language
Meeting Phrases
Right, let's get started.
Shall we begin?
I'd like to call the meeting to order.
The purpose of today's meeting is to...
Let's go through the agenda.
05 · Video
How to Run an Effective Meeting
Watch the video, then discuss the tips with your partner. Which tip do you find most useful?
Practise the vocabulary on Quizlet06 · Discussion
Discussion Questions
Which of the 5 tips do you think is the most important? Why?
What is the role of the chairperson in a meeting?
How do you deal with someone who dominates the discussion?
What should you do if a meeting is going off-topic?
How do you ensure that action points are followed up after a meeting?
What is the difference between 'minutes' and 'an agenda'?
How has the rise of video conferencing changed the way meetings are run?
What is the ideal length for a business meeting? Why?
How do you prepare for an important meeting?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of standing meetings (no chairs)?