Structuring Effective Meetings

Content

This online course aims to equip lecturers at the University of Bremen with the tools necessary to hold effective meetings in English. The first half of the workshop will cover how to prepare for a meeting, how effective meetings are structured, and how to listen actively. It will also consider the role of gender and culture in communication, and how meeting holders can create a more inclusive and culturally-sensitive meeting environment.

The second half of the course will consist of practising different types of meetings. This will include participants trying out the different roles they may be asked to hold in future meetings, such as being the chairperson or the minute-taker. It will also involve practising practical skills such as setting and following an agenda, encouraging participation and constructive outcomes, and summarizing both progress as well as outstanding issues.

The course will be held synchronously for the most part, although there may be sections where participants are asked to work on their own for brief periods of time. This ties in with the general aim of the workshop to be as practical as possible and to maximise the time available for ‘active’ practice, feedback and questions. The workshop will run from 09:00 to 17:00, with a one-hour lunch break, and participants will be sent a Zoom link and course materials a week or two before the course takes place.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be more confident and skilled in organizing and holding structured meetings focused on productive outcomes.

Goals:

• Ability to prepare for a meeting
• Knowledge of how to structure a meeting
• Recognition of gender bias and cultural communication styles
• Awareness of how to encourage participation and constructive outcomes
• Greater skills in active listening

Methods:

• Powerpoint presentations
• Individual and pair work
• Class discussion
• Practical exercises
• Videos

Please note that this is not a general language course and that in order to participate, participants need to have at least B2 level English. This is important so that you are able to follow the workshop easily and are able to fully participate in its activities. For this reason, we would like to kindly ask you to now follow this link and complete a short self-assessment by reading the descriptors for B2 level English. If your level does not fully correspond to B2 level English, we would ask you to not participate in this workshop at this time.