What is an "enlarged" meeting?

1. Overview of meetings

The meaning and role of meetings

Organizing meetings, referred to as "running meetings", is one of the important parts of secretarial work.

What is a meeting? Simply put, a meeting is a gathering of three or more people to discuss or resolve a certain issue or issues. A conversation or discussion between two people is called a conversation or a meeting. A conversation between three or more people without a host and no central topic is called a chat.

In addition, when many people gather together, there are also moderators or organizers, but not to discuss or solve problems, but to show a certain spirit or strength, or for the same goal. Organized activities are also called "meetings". The former such as celebrations, welcomes, denunciations, etc.; the latter such as sports meets, trade fairs, memorial services, banquets, dances, etc. These "meetings" are just gatherings, "meetings without discussion", and are different in nature and function from the "meetings" we are discussing here.

Usually, it takes a certain amount of time to hold a meeting at a certain location, and a formal meeting must have a complete and accurate name that reflects the content, nature, personnel, time, location, etc. of the meeting.

(1) Meetings can be divided into different categories according to different standards.

According to the content and nature, it can be divided into congresses, working meetings, academic conferences, joint meetings, etc.; for example, according to the form of the meeting, it can be divided into group meetings, symposiums, report meetings, etc.: According to the participants’ Components can be divided into party committees, boards of directors, press conferences, etc.; according to the number of people and scale, they can be divided into large meetings, medium-sized meetings, and small meetings; according to the rules or dates of meetings, they can be divided into regular meetings and temporary meetings; In addition, there are classifications based on conference scope, region, and time.

(2) The role of meetings.

No matter what the meeting is, the discussion should always focus on the central topic, and we always hope to clarify some problem, or solve some problem, or get some results. In short, to achieve the expected goals, this is in terms of the overall role of the meeting. For example, through communication, new information is obtained; through discussion, brainstorming, learning from each other's strengths, and forming correct opinions; through voting, decisions or resolutions are made by majority or unanimously; by listening to other people's reports or speeches, being inspired or educated, etc. wait.

The role of the meeting should also be understood from the role of each participant. There are generally three types of meeting participants:

One is the host or convener of the meeting, one is the formal member who participates in the meeting, and the other is the person who is invited to participate or attend. All three types of personnel should play their respective roles.

There is another type of person who is neither a host nor a formal participant, nor an invitee or an attendee, but they all participate in the meeting. The secretary serves the meeting from beginning to end and plays an irreplaceable and important role in supporting and ensuring that the meeting achieves the desired results. That is the secretary.

Elements of a meeting

Generally speaking, a meeting has six elements, namely: participants, host, topic, name, time, and location. They are introduced separately below.

Attendees

Attendees are formal members participating in the meeting, including the host and the secretary, but do not include other service personnel at the venue. When people are called to a meeting, it takes a certain amount of time and energy, and time and energy are benefits and wealth to a certain extent. They can only be created and cannot be wasted. Therefore, in principle, people who participate in meetings should do so: not too many who should attend and not too many who should not.

Specifically, participants should have necessity, importance, and legitimacy.

Necessity. This means that participants must be people directly related to the meeting, that is, they must be within the scope of the meeting. People who have the right to understand the meeting, put forward opinions, express attitudes, and make decisions; or people who can provide information, deepen discussions, and directly help the meeting achieve the expected results.

Importance. This refers to participants who, although not necessarily and directly related to the meeting, are conducive to the progress or expansion of the effect of the meeting. These people are usually invited on a temporary basis.

Legitimacy. This refers to some important meetings where participants must have legal status and legal qualifications.

For example: Attendees of the People's Congress must be people's representatives at all levels elected in accordance with the law; first of all, the party's congress must be party members, and secondly, they must be representatives elected by all party members of party organizations at all levels; attendees of the company's board of directors or shareholders' meeting Must be a director or shareholder duly identified in accordance with the company's organizational law and articles of association, etc.

Some conference organizers do not pay attention to the necessity, importance and legitimacy of attendees. Instead, they only care about grand spectacle and excitement, or use meetings to climb up and build relationships. The opening ceremony, closing ceremony, photography, banquet, souvenir distribution, and tours were all very exciting. But the formal meetings were sparse and deserted. The result is not just a huge waste. It may even dilute or interfere with the theme of the meeting. This approach should be opposed.

Moderator

The moderator is the host and guide during the meeting, and is often the organizer and convener of the meeting. It plays an important role in the normal development of the meeting and the achievement of expected results. plays a leadership and guarantee role.

The meeting host is usually an experienced, capable and knowledgeable person, or a person with considerable status and prestige. There are generally two situations: one is the ex-officio host, which is determined by his position and status, that is, by the organization's charter or regulations. For example: the unit's regular work meetings are chaired by the unit leader, party organization meetings are chaired by the party secretary, and the board of directors is chaired by the chairman. If the moderator is unable to preside over the meeting for some reason, he may also entrust a deputy or other corresponding person in charge to preside over the meeting.

The other is a temporary host. For example, various representative meetings, or joint meetings of several units or regions, are elected or negotiated by the representatives. For particularly important meetings, a corresponding number of presidiums need to be formed, and the members of the presidium will preside over the meeting collectively or in turns. In addition to small meetings, the host of large and medium-sized meetings usually requires the assistance of a secretary-general or secretary when hosting the meeting.

Issue

Issue. It is the topic to be discussed at the meeting, the topic to be studied, or the problem to be solved. Topics must be necessary and important, as well as clear and feasible. Only by conducting discussions and research around such topics at the meeting can it be easier to gain knowledge or make the final vote. Therefore, the topics of each meeting should be as focused and single as possible, not too numerous or too scattered. In particular, it is not appropriate to discuss many unrelated issues at the same meeting, which will distract the participants and is not conducive to solving the problem.

Issues usually arise in two situations: one is designated by the leader based on needs; the other is proposed by the secretary after research and synthesis of information. and then approved by the leadership.

For some major representative meetings, representatives first put forward "proposals", which are summarized by the secretary or secretariat. It must then be submitted to the Presidium or a special "Proposal Review Committee" for review and approval before it can become a formal topic included in the meeting agenda. Therefore, the issue must also have legitimacy.

Name

Formal meetings must have an appropriate and precise name.

As the saying goes, if the name is incorrect, the words will not be correct. The name of the conference must be able to summarize and display the content, nature, participants, sponsor or organization, time, session, location or region, scope, scale, etc. of the conference.

The meeting name must be expressed in precise and standardized words. It is used not only for "meeting notice" before the meeting to make the participants aware and prepared; it is also used for publicity after the meeting to expand the effect of the meeting; and it is also used during the meeting to create cohesion and < /p>

Lan Yan is confused.

The names of large and medium-sized conferences are made into banners and slogans, which are placed above or behind the conference podium as the logo of the conference, referred to as the "monogram". The full name of the monogram must be used and cannot be omitted at will to avoid confusion and misunderstanding.

Time

Meeting time has three meanings: first, it refers to the time when the meeting is held; second, it refers to the time and number of days required for the entire meeting; third, it refers to the time limit of each meeting .

The meeting time. When is the most appropriate time to hold a certain meeting? Many factors need to be considered. The first is need. For example, a weekly work meeting is usually held on the afternoon of the weekend. One week is about to end and the next week is about to begin, which is conducive to connecting the past and the next. The annual employee representative meeting should be held at the beginning of the year. It is not only conducive to summarizing the work and production results of the previous year, but also conducive to discussing and deploying the work and production plans for the new year, and passing various budgets. Some conferences, such as agricultural production and school education, are inherently seasonal or quarterly.

The second is possible, i.e. preferably at a time when every attendee can attend. For example, some companies in Japan hold briefing meetings for cadres from various departments, often half an hour before leaving get off work, rather than at the beginning of work. The third factor is suitability, which means taking into account climate, environment and other natural and social factors.

Meetings take time, they can be long or short, try to be as concise as possible. It can range from a few minutes to tens of minutes; it can range from a few days to more than ten days. Meeting organizers should estimate the required time as accurately as possible and write it down in the meeting notice to facilitate planned arrangements by participants.

Meeting time limit. It is best to keep each meeting to no more than one hour. If longer is required, breaks should be arranged.

Location

Meeting location, also known as "meeting address". It refers to both the region, urban and rural areas where the meeting is held, and the specific venue where the meeting is held. In order for the meeting to achieve the desired results, many factors must be considered when choosing the best venue for the meeting.

International or national conferences must take into account political, economic, cultural and other major factors, and are generally held in the capital Beijing or other central cities such as Shanghai, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Xi'an and other places.

Professional meetings should be held in urban and rural areas with professional characteristics to facilitate on-site inspections. Small, frequent meetings are arranged in the unit's conference room. When choosing a venue, you should also consider factors such as venue facilities, traffic conditions, security, climate and environmental conditions.

2. Preparation before the meeting

After the leader determines the elements of the meeting, the top secretary should start making preparations. Preparation before the meeting is very important, and no omissions or mistakes are allowed. Sufficient preparation before the meeting is the guarantee of the success of the meeting.

Meeting plan and cost budget

Meetings require manpower, material and financial resources, and often take up some work and production time. In order to integrate and promote meetings with daily work and production instead of conflicting and depleting each other, meetings must be planned. Meetings are also a kind of input and output. Although the input is often tangible and the output is often intangible, we always strive for the maximum output with the minimum investment. Therefore, meetings should be costed, budgeted, and included in the meeting plan.

(1) Meeting plan.

The meeting plan should first clarify the purpose and tasks of the meeting, determine the name of the meeting, attendees, host, scale, specifications, convening time, required time, location, agenda, etc., that is, the six elements of the meeting concretize.

Secondly, the meeting plan should clarify what preparations should be made for the meeting, what documents are needed, how the venue will be arranged, whether food, accommodation, vehicles, and other activities such as visits, cultural entertainment, etc. will be arranged. ’

Determine again the staff and service personnel of the meeting, and if necessary, set up a preparatory group, temporary secretariat or preparatory committee.

The meeting plan is formulated and proposed by the secretary. After review and approval by the leader, the secretary or secretariat will organize the personnel. Execute separately according to plan.

Small meetings within agencies and units should also be planned so that members of the organization know what to do and make arrangements in advance. Department meetings should be reported to the office at least one week in advance. The office will make overall arrangements and make a weekly meeting schedule so that the work of various departments will not conflict with each other. Leaders can also participate in department meetings selectively and plannedly, which is conducive to the overall work. carried out smoothly.

(2) Meeting cost budget.

For large and medium-sized conferences with obvious investment, especially those that span regions and last for more than one day, costs must be calculated and budgeted.

Meeting costs include two parts:

① "Explicit costs".

That is, the obvious expenses of the meeting, such as venue rental fees, document and material fees, transportation fees for participants, food and accommodation fees, activity fees, and wages of service staff, etc. These costs can be clearly calculated and are directly consumed.

②"Hidden costs".

That is, the labor value lost by participants by participating in the meeting, a cost that is generally not noticed by people. The value of this part of labor is calculated as three times the hourly wage multiplied by two. Its meaning is this: the value of a producer's labor is at least 8 times his salary. You must make some preparations before attending the meeting, and there is time for thinking and recalling after the meeting, so it must be multiplied by 2. The calculation formula of meeting cost is: meeting cost = X+2J×N×T

Where, T stands for time (hours).

So, to convene a medium-sized conference with about a hundred people, across regions, and lasting 3 to 5 days, the total cost of the conference will reach tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of yuan. Some countries and some large companies always post the meeting cost budget table at the door of the conference room every time they hold a meeting, so that every participant will know how much the meeting will cost as soon as they enter the door, so as to work together to improve the efficiency of the meeting. Therefore, some meetings whose goals and effects are not very obvious should be held less often or not at all. Although top secretaries have no decision-making power, they should have a clear mind and a correct attitude. You can put forward your own opinions.

For meetings where document preparation is more important, top secretaries need to prepare documents in advance

There are two major types of meeting documents:

One type is for study and reference at the meeting Documentation. Such as the relevant policies, guidelines, regulations and plans of superiors. As well as professional and technical information, etc. Some of these documents cannot be taken away by the participants after the meeting, and the secretary should do a good job in recycling them.

The other category is the documents produced by the meeting itself. Such as: opening remarks, work reports, speeches, meeting minutes, meeting briefings, meeting decisions

meeting minutes, closing remarks, meeting summary, etc. Among them, the opening speech, work report, and leadership speech must be prepared before the meeting, while other documents are formed during the meeting or at the end of the meeting.

This type of document can be taken away by participants for further study or communication and implementation.

(1) Opening speech.

The opening speech is a speech made by the chairman of the meeting at the beginning of the meeting. It is generally of a preview and ceremonial nature and is relatively short. The content generally includes three aspects:

① Welcome the guests and participants.

② Give a brief introduction to the content, tasks and purpose of the meeting.

③I wish the meeting a success.

(2)Work report.

The work report is the main document of the meeting, and the main content is often the central topic discussed at the meeting. The work report must have substantive content, which can be a review and summary of the results, experience, and shortcomings of the previous stage of work, or it can be a plan, budget, deployment, or outlook for the subsequent stage of work. The work report must be both comprehensive and focused. The length is generally longer, ranging from a few thousand words to tens of thousands of words, depending on the content.

(3) Speech.

This refers to the speeches of other participants in addition to work reports. The speech should also have specific content, but it is not as comprehensive as a work report. Instead, it should be a background introduction, or financial expenses, or personnel management, or professional background, or other issues of concern to the meeting. etc. Some meetings have limited speaking time, and speeches should generally not be too long. Some speeches are written by the spokesperson himself, while others are drafted by the secretary and then revised and finalized.

(4) Other meeting documents.

In addition to these three documents, top secretaries must also prepare technical and procedural documents used for meetings, such as: meeting notices, meeting agendas, schedules, work and rest schedules, lists of participants, Address book, group list, housing schedule, staff list, vehicle schedule, etc.

(5) Preparation procedures for meeting documents.

Generally, the leader first determines the key points according to the meeting content and objectives, and then gives instructions to the secretary. Top secretaries collect information according to the leadership's instructions, write a first draft, and submit it to the leader for review. After the leader reviews it, he puts forward his opinions and returns it to the secretary for revision, or he can revise it himself. top notch. The secretary will revise it and submit it to the leader again, who will approve it and issue it. The secretary or clerk prints and binds the signed documents into official documents. The procedures are as follows:

Meeting preparation

The overall requirements for the venue are: clean, quiet, bright, well-ventilated, suitable in size, fully equipped, safe and confidential. The specific requirements are as follows:

(1) Venue layout

In addition to requirements such as cleanliness, quietness, brightness, ventilation, and safety, the venue should also consider the shape, size, and arrangement of tables and chairs. Waiting for arrangement. Small meetings can be arranged in general conference rooms, which are square, rectangular, round, oval, etc. A rectangular or oblong conference table is placed in the center of the conference room. One or two pots of flowers can be placed in the center of the table, and documents, stationery, and tea cups can be placed on the four sides. Around the table are placed armchairs, the number of which depends on the number of people. The position of the chairman is generally at both ends of the conference table, depending on the direction of the door, usually on the left side of the door.

Multilateral conferences use round conference tables or polygonal tables because there is no priority between seats on a round or polygonal conference table. Large and medium-sized meetings are arranged in the conference hall, and the fan-shaped conference hall has better effect than the rectangular one. A rostrum and podium are arranged in front of the conference hall. The rostrum should use a rectangular table with a white, sky blue or other color table top. Hang the monogram above or behind the stage. The monogram usually uses white characters on a red background, but companies can also use gold characters on a red background. The podium should not be too large or too high, and should be in proportion to the speaker's body. Flowers and bonsais can be placed in front of the podium to make the podium appear harmonious in color and pleasing to the eye. Facing the rostrum are the seats for the participants, and there should be tables and seats. It is convenient for placing documents and taking notes. The seats should not be too crowded to facilitate entry and exit activities. For seminars and symposiums, tables and chairs can be arranged in a semicircle or small square shape. In addition to documents and materials, drinks and fruits can be placed in front of the table. Multiple microphones should also be prepared to facilitate participants' speeches and multi-directional communication at the same table. The size of the venue should be suitable for the number of people. It is better to be too small than too big. If the venue is too large, it will appear loose, and it will easily lead to late arrivals and early departures, which is not conducive to producing good meeting effects; if it is too small, it will appear compact, making it easy for people to concentrate. Full of emotions.

For work meetings or meetings of the same system, the seats of the participants are in order of their positions. The higher the position, the closer to the chairman's seat. They sit on both sides, with the left high and the right low, and the front is high and the back is low. For meetings such as seminars and symposiums, participants can sit wherever they want without assigning seats. Important large and medium-sized meetings should be divided into groups according to regions, systems, units, etc., and seats should be assigned in advance. Participants should be led to their seats by secretaries or service personnel.

(2) Podium seats.

The rostrum seats at major meetings should be arranged carefully. The rostrum seats are arranged in one row or several rows depending on the number of people. The first row of seats should be an odd number. The order of seats should be determined by the position of the presidium members and their importance to the meeting. The same principle applies to invited distinguished guests or guests who are arranged to sit on the rostrum.

The person in the middle of the first row is the chief. Next is the left position, and again is the right position - first left and then right, left high and right low. Mainly in the front row. The last row is next, and so on for the others. Place name tags in front of seats to facilitate seating.

(3) Venue facilities.

All facilities in the venue must be prepared before the meeting, such as amplification, recording, playback, records, video, photography, projectors, projectors, lighting, fans or air conditioners, recording paper, and stationery , tea sets, etc. Instruments, equipment, etc. should be repeatedly checked and debugged in advance (such as the volume of the loudspeaker

) to avoid temporary malfunctions or errors.

(4) Other preparations.

For longer meetings, meals and accommodation should be provided for participants. There should be medical staff on duty outside the venue. Those coming from afar should prepare a pick-up vehicle. If the meeting is to be disseminated through the news media, a publicity outline should be prepared. Important meetings should have security personnel and confidentiality measures. Any arrangements in the meeting plan such as visits, inspections, excursions, etc., or gifts of pictures, materials, souvenirs, etc., should be prepared before the meeting.

Preparation of meeting agenda and procedures

(1) Agenda.

Meetings usually have one or several related topics. If there are multiple topics, the top secretary should organize the agenda based on the internal relationship, priority, and order of these topics, print it in writing, which is the agenda, and distribute it to the participants before the meeting.

(2) Program.

In addition to the agenda, the meeting content also includes some ceremonial, structural or agenda-specific content and items, such as announcing the start of the meeting, playing music, opening remarks, group discussions, speeches, and closing words, announce the end of the meeting, etc. Arranging these items and content of the first meeting in an orderly manner, that is, stylizing it, is a program, and making it into a document is a program list. It is best to list the time schedule in the program schedule, specific to the time and minutes.

(3)Schedule and work and rest schedule.

For meetings lasting more than one day, a schedule and work and rest schedule should also be drawn up.

①Schedule.

That is, all the contents of the meeting (including visits and entertainment activities) are divided into units (such as morning, afternoon, evening) or hours (from what time to what time) for several days of the meeting. Short text expressions, made into tables.

② Work and rest schedule.

That is, make a table of your daily living, dining, attending meetings or other activities, resting, etc. time schedule. The arrangement of work and rest time should take into account factors such as the balance between work and rest, the characteristics of winter and summer seasons.

The formulation of meeting agendas, procedures, schedules, and work and rest schedules reflects sufficient preparation for the meeting and rigorous planning, so that participants and service personnel can be well aware of it, so that the meeting can proceed in an orderly manner. This is a necessary guarantee for the success of the meeting.

Sending of meeting notice

After everything is ready before the meeting, the meeting notice should be sent in time. Small meetings of the unit can be notified verbally, by phone, or in writing. Written notice must be sent for meetings outside units or across regions, and invitations or invitation letters may be sent for invitational meetings.

The following content should be stated in the meeting notice:

①The time of the meeting, required time or duration, and location (meeting address).

②Meeting name and main topics.

③Participants.

④What preparations must be made.

⑤Registration date, location, pick-up method, etc.

⑥Signature of the convening unit, date of notification, and official seal.

In order to accurately count the number of participants and prepare accordingly, invitational meetings should be notified at least 7 days in advance with a receipt.

The reply receipt must contain the following content:

①The invitee’s name, gender, age, work unit and address, position or title.

②Whether to attend the meeting.

③ Reservation standards.

④Submit the title of the paper or the name of the data.

⑤Registration of return travel and boat tickets, etc.

Meeting notices can be sent by mail (including email), fax, or personal delivery. For important invitees, written notices or invitations can be sent, followed by telephone consultation and confirmation.

The notification with a return receipt should take into account the round-trip time of the mail. The invitees should consider and prepare the time and send it in advance accordingly, but not too far in advance to avoid being forgotten by the other party.