Managing Meetings

In this chapter, we will cover the preparation required of the chair before a meeting and the terminology and legal requirements associated with meetings.

Introduction to Meetings   

Meetings frequently occur within any business or organisation, so you must have the knowledge and skills required to chair meetings that are efficient and productive while fulfilling all of the associated requirements.

As you will learn, meetings have varying degrees of formality, and some include specific requirements that must be met before the meeting can be considered valid. This section will explain how to meet the appropriate requirements and chair organised, productive, and complete meetings.

Types of Meetings   

There are various types of meetings that you may be called on to chair throughout your career, some being very informal and others having specific legal requirements.

The terminology used in and about meetings may seem new and unusual. Therefore, it is best to start by learning the types of meetings you will encounter and the jargon that should be used when conducting or recording them.

As mentioned, particular meetings will be informal or casual, while others will follow a formal format and have associated legislative requirements that need to be fulfilled to validate the meeting.

Some of the meeting types that you might encounter are:

• Inaugural meetings: The first meeting held for an organisation, committee, project, etc.
• Annual General Meeting (AGM): An AGM is a gathering that occurs once a year for a company’s interested shareholders. An annual report is generally presented, and items on the agenda may require voting.
• Extraordinary general meetings: A shareholder meeting called outside of the company’s scheduled Annual General Meeting (AGM). Is sometimes called a special general meeting or emergency general meeting.
• Director of board meetings: Those who sit on the board of an organisation meet to discuss various items.
• Standing committees: Committees meet outside general meetings (often without time constraints) to discuss issues relating to the committee and the impacts on the organisation. These include committees such as finance, auditing, facilities and so on.
• Team or department meetings: Staff of the team/department meet to discuss team/department issues such as changes to procedures, financial updates, upcoming projects, impending deadlines and so on.
• Offsite planning/ development/ strategy meetings: These meetings can be for teams working on an organisation’s overall strategy, finalising company values (including vision and mission), working on a large project, or even developing overarching ideas or teambuilding. They can go for half a day or full, and some might even go for several days. Sometimes, they will include guest speakers or external stakeholders.
• Daily catch-up meetings: These can have many different names depending on your organisation. You might know it as a huddle, de-brief, day-in-review and many others. This is generally a small meeting with your team and is a chance for you to raise anything you might need help with. These tend to be informal and brief.

Meeting Terminology   

Terminology frequently employed when arranging and conducting meetings includes: 

• Motion: Motions are the foundation of the group decision-making process and constitute a formal request (from a participant) to do something.
• Mover: The person who proposes the motion.
• Amendment: A proposal to change a motion; for example, adding, removing or replacing words.
• General Business: This is a heading on the agenda under which the items needing to be raised during the meeting are listed.
• Other business: This item is generally reserved for the end of a meeting and provides an opportunity for those at the meeting to suggest additional matters/items for discussion.
• Quorum: This is the minimum number of people who need to attend the meeting for it to be considered valid.
• Standing Order: This comprises rules that outline the way the business of the meeting should be conducted.
• Agenda: The plan/schedule for the meeting – generally includes a list of items to be discussed, the order in which they will be discussed and who is responsible for them.
• Apologies: Formal notifications of people who could not attend the meeting. These are generally submitted before the meeting is due to start.
• Chairperson (chair): The person who runs/manages the meeting and its agenda.
• Minutes: The formal recording of what was discussed in a meeting. Generally, one person is responsible for minute-taking, ensuring consistency across all meetings.
• Business arising: These items are usually carried over from things recorded in the minutes of the previous meeting.
• Minutes: A formal record of what occurred at the meeting and decisions made.

Meeting arrangements 

Meeting arrangements refer to the things that need to be done beforehand for the meeting to occur. For example, everyone can attend, and all of the resources needed for the meeting are available.

Making the necessary arrangements beforehand is essential. Failing to do so could prevent the meeting from proceeding as planned, not being as effective as it could be or scheduling additional meetings to make up for what was missed in the first one.

The types of meeting arrangements could include, but not be limited to:

• Participants: deciding who will attend the meeting.
• Location: organising where the meeting will be held.
• Equipment: arranging specific equipment or software needed as part of the meeting.
• Agenda: ensures your meeting has an appropriate structure.
• Set-up: arriving at the venue early to ensure everything is set up correctly. 

In addition to the above other arrangements, such as venue accessibility and timing, can influence if people will attend. It is important to also consider the specialist needs of attendees and the duration of your meetings.

You must ensure your meetings comply with legislative and organisational requirements. While some meetings are informal, others are formally structured and subject to legal requirements that must be met for the meeting to be considered valid.

Legislation

Laws about working conditions and discrimination cover everyone employed in Australia. The key point is to treat everyone fairly and with respect. Various Federal, State and Territory laws influence how we treat people and communicate with them in the workplace.

Australian legislation that will influence how you manage meetings includes, but is not limited to:

Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986: Covers discrimination based on race, religion, criminal record, trade union activity, sexual orientation, marital status, impairment and disability.

• Age Discrimination Act 2004: Protects from discrimination based on age.
• Racial Discrimination Act 1975: Covers unlawful discrimination based on race, colour, nationality or ethnic origin. It also covers acts of racial hatred.
• Sex Discrimination Act 1984: Protects people in various areas against unlawful discrimination based on marital status, sex, pregnancy, family responsibility, and sexual harassment.
• Privacy Act 1988 and Australian Privacy Principles: Promotes and protects the privacy of individuals and regulates how large organisations handle personal information.

The Annual General Meeting 

The primary purpose of an Annual General Meeting (AGM) is, among other things, the submission of an association’s financial statement to all the parties present.

Secondary and adjoining purposes include the receipt of committee reports on activities of the association during the prior fiscal year, the election and appointment of bearers of office and committee members, and the receipt and consideration of various required financial statements and reports.

The role and conduction of an AGM for a private company can be very different to that of a publicly listed company. 

Public listed companies (and the Australian Stock Exchange) are subject to rules and regulations concerning how their meetings are run. 

There is, in fact, no requirement for a proprietary company to hold an AGM, although many choose to do so. However, under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), public companies with one or more members must hold an AGM at least once per calendar year. They must be held within five months of the company’s financial year-end, and the primary focus is to present financial results to shareholders and stakeholders alike. 

Public companies have 18 months from registration to host their first AGM.

A private company is only required to provide 21 days’ notice for an AGM, whereas a publicly listed company must give at least 28 days’ notice.

Australian Meeting Laws 

General meetings in Australia are governed by Part 2 of the Corporations Law Act (2001).

Additional considerations include the organisation’s constitution, case law and ASX Listing Rules (if the company is listed).

A general meeting must be convened and conducted properly (legally) to be considered valid. The most common legal considerations include legislative guidelines about:

• the provision of proper notice (e.g., time periods, the content of the notice and required recipients)
• meeting quorums (the minimum number of people who must be present to validate a general meeting)
• how and when meetings are to be adjourned
• voting rights and proxy voting rights
• meeting resolutions
• the chair of the AGM must allow time for questions or comments about the remuneration report and company management
• questions can also be asked of the company’s auditor
• the keeping and the storing of meeting minutes.

A company must present the following documents at their AGM:

• The company’s annual financial report
• Director’s report
• Auditors report

Policies and procedures outline conventions that need to be followed and influence what can and cannot be discussed during a meeting and how they are discussed (i.e., how attendees behave during discussions). Your workplace will have information about these requirements, such as its:

• policies, procedures and protocols around communication in the workplace
• code of conduct
• organisational reputation and culture
• Policies: The rules your workplace wants you to follow to ensure its mission and vision are carried out.
• Procedures: The step-by-step instructions your workplace wants you to follow to implement its policies.

Organisational policies and procedures aim to represent the interests of people attending meetings and those not at the meeting. 

In some instances, formal policies and procedures are required by law for some organisations (e.g., they must have an agenda, a chairperson and formal minutes). These ensure meetings are transparent and participants are accountable.

Organisational policies and procedures for meetings may not be required by law but may be in place to improve transparency, protect stakeholders or ensure attendees can participate equitably.

For smaller organisations or informal meetings, the attendees typically agree on the policies and procedures, usually during the first meeting if they occur regularly.

In larger corporations, policies and procedures help protect the rights and interests of company shareholders, ensuring they receive equitable treatment. They also help to ensure organisational integrity and ethical behaviour.

Code of Conduct

A code of conduct outlines an organisation’s rules, values, ethical principles and vision, providing clear standards and expectations of how everyone behaves and does their job. 

As attendees representing your organisation, complying with a code of conduct during meetings contributes to its reputation.

Use the following questions to check your knowledge.