The importance of reservation of the meeting room

Reservation of the meeting room requires several steps and answering some questions. Such as determining the number of meeting members, the type of tools needed, and the duration of the meeting. Of we will be happy to help you decide. Where we are working to provide many options throughout the Kingdom.

The concept of meetings

Meetings are the gathering of two or more people in a specific place for deliberation, consultation, and exchange of opinions on a specific topic.

Effective meetings are those that achieve the desired goals in the shortest possible time and with the satisfaction of the majority of members.

No matter how different points of view define meetings, it is a word usually used to denote a meeting of a certain number of people in a place to discuss a specific topic with the aim of reaching a specific goal.

In light of this definition, the pillars of the meeting are the presence of a specific number of people interacting together to achieve a goal, with the availability of appropriate material capabilities.

From here, meetings are an effective and essential means of group participation, through which views are exchanged and benefit from the experiences of others.

The most important types of meetings and their classifications

In terms of duration or time

Periodic meetings

It is the one that is held on a regular basis, it may be weekly, monthly, annual, or otherwise, and an official character dominates it, and examples of it are permanent committees and councils in government departments and companies.

Non-periodic meetings

It is held whenever needed (there is no specific time for holding it) to discuss urgent problems or issues.

In terms of forming

Formal meetings

It is the one whose composition and procedures are governed by specific laws and regulations (the method of voting in the meeting, the right of the majority in issuing the decision, the number of times a member is entitled to speak, and the period specified for the member to speak).

Informal meetings

It is the one whose composition is not governed by specific laws or regulations and is flexible and easy, and there are no rules or principles for discussion or how to make a decision.

In terms of level

Meetings on a global or international level

Such as the meetings of the Arab League, the United Nations, and the African Union.

State level meetings

Such as the meeting of the Council of Ministers and the Shura Council, the General People’s Congress in mass systems.

Meetings at the level of organizations in the private sector

Such as meetings of the boards of directors of companies and institutions, as well as committees formed in companies.

The importance of meetings

Meetings are among the most important means of communication, and their importance lies in their vital role as an effective means of communication in the lives of people, whether at the level of individuals or at the level of organizations, through which the following things can be achieved:

• Achieving complete, comprehensive, extensive, and careful studies of decisions related to major issues, through the diversity of experiences and specializations of members and their constructive discussions based on advice and opinion exchange.
• Reaching collective decisions is characterized by maturity, depth, honesty, and objectivity, unlike individual decisions that depend on personal capabilities and are sometimes characterized by bias and personal interests.
• Coordination between the various aspects of activities and efforts between departments and divisions within the same organization or with other organizations.
• Provide the opportunity for newly experienced employees to come into contact with those older than them with experience, practice, and experience (training).
• Provide the opportunity for administrative leaders and participants in the meeting to communicate their opinions, directives, and points of view to the rest of the employees through the participating members, and at the same time allow the communication of the demands and complaints of the employees.
• Raise the morale of the participating members by giving them the opportunity to express their opinions and ideas and participate in decision-making.

The main stages of the meeting management process

In order for meetings to achieve their desired goals, they must be managed in an effective manner. The process of managing meetings is divided into three main stages:

The first stage: the stage of pre-booking the meeting room

This stage precedes the holding of the meeting, in which attention must be paid to several matters or steps:

1- Determine the purpose of the meeting:

Meetings take a lot of time and effort, but nevertheless, some people call for a meeting because they did not think about appropriate alternatives that could give the same results or because they see that bringing people together can be an element of psychological comfort and a usual way of dealing with matters and avoiding personal responsibility.

With the setting of objectives, the objectives must be formulated before the meeting is held and be known to all. These objectives address the participants in specific words, and each member needs to contribute to them.

There are several goals for the meetings, such as: offering some information, exchanging ideas and opinions on specific topics, working on making some changes in the ways and methods of work, discussing some policies, preparing some reports on a specific topic, clarifying some matters related to work or individuals, or obtaining support Some individuals for some ideas and suggestions…etc.

2- Determine who will be invited to the meeting:

The responsible manager must consider whether he will chair the meeting himself or delegate someone else on his behalf, and in both cases he must remember that the fewer the number of participants, the better, and make sure that several conditions are met by the members to be invited to attend the meeting. The most important of which are the following:-

• Be related to the topics for discussion in the meeting.
• To have experience and knowledge of the subject.
• Has the desire and motivation to participate in the meeting.
• To be able to work for a participatory team.
• To be a democratic type who does not impose his opinion on others.
• Be a strong personality, not a shy type who cannot speak in front of others.

In addition to the previous conditions for the manager responsible for ordering the meeting or whoever is assigned to chair the meeting, he must be aware of the steps and principles of managing meetings and be effective. He expresses his opinions and ideas freely.

This previous step is useful in several matters, the most important of which is: sending invitations and information to those invited to the meeting well in advance of it, so that they can prepare for the meeting well, and choose and arrange the meeting place.

3- Preparing the meeting agenda:

The agenda of the meeting has a very big role in the success of the meeting, and in view of that, he emphasizes that it should not be a paper distributed to the participants before the meeting, like the statements that are distributed in the streets, but rather it should be a working document that acts as a guide that keeps everyone on a certain path and prevents less distraction Topics are important most of the time of the meeting, as it shows that the points of the ideal agenda are: the purpose of the meeting, its date, duration, place of occurrence, the names of its participants, routine discussion topics, difficult or arguable discussion topics, and any other business that arises.

The importance of arranging topics in dealing with them according to their relative importance, determining the time for discussing each topic (if possible), and observing the following rules when preparing the agenda for the meeting.

• Limiting topics related to the purpose of the meeting.
• Taking into account what the participating individuals know about the topics for discussion.
• Work not to prolong the meeting time as much as possible, as studies indicate that the attention and focus of individuals can be maintained if the duration does not exceed an average of two hours.
• Choosing the appropriate time for holding the meeting (9-12) at noon, according to studies, or 2-5 in the afternoon, provided that a light lunch is eaten.

4- Choosing and booking the meeting room appropriately and under the direct supervision of the meeting chairperson.

The success of the meetings requires the availability of a number of important factors in the meeting place, and among these factors are: the appropriate size of the hall for the number of participants, the appropriate arrangement of the meeting table and seats, the availability of all devices and tools necessary to present the topics, the availability of the appropriate degree of lighting, ventilation, and temperature, a plan and cards specifying the seating places for the participants according to importance.

Regarding the form of the meeting, it depends to a large extent on the purpose of the meeting, and the two most appropriate forms are the circular and oval forms, as they allow the greatest amount of interaction between the two communities.

5- Preparing and sending the invitation and necessary information for the meeting:

It is taken into account that this is before the date of the meeting in sufficient time and that the agenda of the meeting is attached to it.

The second stage: the stage during the meeting:

It includes all activities that take place during the period of holding the meeting (the period specified for the beginning and end of the session), and the success of managing the meeting at this stage depends on the quality of preparation for it in the previous stage, and also depends on the extent to which the chairperson and members of the meeting understand the roles required of them and implement them properly Required.

First: The roles required of the members of the meeting:

1. Know the purpose of the meeting and the role it plays in it.
2. Read the information related to the topics of the meeting before attending it in order to participate in the meeting effectively.
3. Attending to the meeting place at the appropriate time, or apologizing and deputizing another member familiar with the matter to attend on his behalf.
4. Not to leave the meeting room during the session except for necessary reasons authorized by the meeting chairperson.
5. Permission to participate in expressing opinion and discussion, and to be objective and free from bias or intolerance.
6. Inquire about unclear or incomprehensible information or topics during the meeting.
7. High willingness to accept and listen to others.
8. Avoid negative attitudes towards the meeting or some of the topics for discussion.
9. Commitment to the etiquette of talking to others during discussion or inquiry.

Second: The most important roles required of the chair of the meeting:

1. Review all instructions, information, and necessary equipment before the members attend.
2. To recall in his mind the four stages that the meeting goes through, and these four stages are:
   • Formation of the meeting: the stage of initiating the meeting, and in this stage the participants study each other and seek to know the positions and backgrounds of others.
   • The stormy stage: is the stage of discussion and response, and in this stage, the participants begin to open up and engage in verbal discussions and challenges, which may lead to poor organization of the meeting.
   • The normalization stage: the stage of working productively, during which ideas develop, compromises are reached, and a clear general framework is established.
   • Performance stage: the results stage, in which the participants generate consensus and obtain results.
3. Opening the meeting at the specified time, taking into account the following aspects: welcoming the participants, giving them the opportunity to introduce themselves, counting those absent, reminding the purpose of the meeting, defining the specific topics for discussion, and emphasizing a commitment to time.
4. Bring up business issues at the specified time, encourage members to express their views, and stimulate their enthusiasm and motivation to participate in the discussion.
5. Paying enough attention to the type of questions raised in the meeting.
6. Directing the discussion and preventing it from deviating from its goal. Stopping the side discussions. Some participants monopolized talking for a long time…. etc.
7. Preserving order within the meeting, and decisiveness in the face of any attempts to divert the meeting from its goal.
8. Enforcing discussion etiquette and discussion rules on participants and not allowing anyone to deviate from them.
9. Choosing the appropriate method to deal with the participants according to the personality style of each of them.
10. Crystallizing the discussions to obtain a consensus on the results, by announcing the points of agreement and writing them down, re-discussing the points of disagreement, and announcing the closest possible results to the agreement.
11. Concluding the meeting on time in a way that stimulates the enthusiasm of the members, taking into account the re-reminding of the members of the objectives of the meeting and what has been achieved thereof, summarizing the most important findings of the meeting in terms of results and decisions, thanking the members for what they have provided, assigning the members to accomplish the tasks entrusted to him, informing the members at the next meeting, if necessary.

The third stage: the post-conference stage:

It is the stage that follows the end of the meeting session, in which several steps are taken, the most important of which are the following:

First: Documentation of the meeting:

Immediately after the meeting ends, printed minutes must be prepared, and the minutes must include the following points:

1. A title indicating the topic of the meeting, the date, and the place where it will take place.
2. A list of the names of the persons participating.
3. Apologies to people who didn’t show up.
4. The name of the meeting chair.
5. schedule of work.
6. A summary of what was decided upon in each item on the agenda.
7. A summary of the distribution of responsibilities by names to the executive procedures.
8. Determine the end of the meeting and the date for the next meeting.

The following aspects must be taken into account when writing the minutes of the meeting: the use of the past tense, the description of facts and incidents only without giving personal opinions, the reference to any executive action in bold letters and next to it the initials of the name or position of the person responsible for it.

After completing the preparation of the minutes and making sure that it is free of errors, he and all the members present sign it and then distribute a copy of it to all the members participating in the meeting.

Second: Evaluation of the meeting:

It is important for the chairperson of each meeting and all the participating members to evaluate each meeting after its completion, with the aim of identifying the problems that the meeting faced and working to avoid them in future meetings.

Reasons for holding meetings:

• Decision-making: Getting all stakeholders together is usually the best way to share knowledge. experience and make the best decisions.
• Communication: The productive meeting allows communication to all parties involved quickly and accurately.
• The ability to innovate: a good productive meeting allows ideas to flow.
• Formation of teams: The formation of work teams cannot be done without holding meetings where relationships are formed.
• Consultation: Meeting is an effective way to consult and see a number of people.
• Welcoming new teachers: Whenever new parties appear in an arena that requires a working relationship approach with others, there is a good reason to meet.

Ensure the effectiveness of your meeting by booking a meeting room

Announcing the objectives of the meeting before it is held

One of the most important features of effective meetings is the announcement of the meeting’s agenda, goals and objectives, and the topics that will be discussed before the start of the meeting itself so that all workers and employees who are targeted to attend the meeting have a general view of the purpose of the meeting and the topics that will be referred to.

According to a famous New York Times report on the highly efficient organization of meetings, the first rule states that every employee should know what they are being brought together for, and what they are supposed to pay special attention to and review before going into the meeting. This rule is achieved through an announcement, document, or official email sent to all team members targeted for the meeting well in advance of the meeting.

Before starting the meeting, its manager should focus on a number of organizational points:

Do not interrupt while speaking to any person in the meeting, no matter how urgent the need to interrupt him. But if the matter is very urgent, it is possible for the person requesting the intervention to ask permission from the speaker and the moderator at the same time.

It is essential that the meeting director stresses that all distractions such as mobile phones or any other sources of disturbance are turned off.

It is important to have tools that facilitate the discussion process for team members, such as providing papers and pens for each individual to take notes, whether the final notes of the meeting or to write down his ideas that he wants to discuss with others when it is his turn. The role of the meeting director is to ask the members to prepare the papers or to prepare a “Word” or “Notepad” file to take notes if the meeting is electronic.

Everyone should participate, not silent people

A condition of a successful meeting is that everyone participates in the conversation, not just listening to the directions or what the director or the session official says, then one or two of the members speak before the meeting ends without the others participating in the conversation and putting forward ideas. This idea – the idea of everyone participating in the conversation during meetings – may be a little intimidating to some, because they may feel overwhelmed by the conversation or feel that they have nothing to add. However, this feeling of pressure on each person who sits down to attend the meeting is in itself a positive feeling, because it will make him more focused and aware of what is being said, and will make him more understanding and willing to participate. The feeling that those present are willing to hear your opinion and input, even if it is limited, will keep your mind active throughout the meeting.

Summarize the most important points of the meeting

Meetings usually last about 60 minutes on average, which makes the level of ideas and topics raised, whether from the meeting manager or the discussions that the attending employees had, complex, varied, and inclusive of many ideas. It is essential that these ideas be summarized as quick, comprehensive points so that they will be a reference for the participants later when trying to recall the most important points raised during the meeting.

The most important points raised in the meeting can be presented on a public platform for all to follow. Or an email is sent to all meeting participants with the most important points of the meeting. This step makes things easier on the one hand, and on the other hand, it is considered an important reference for employees in the event of a controversy that calls for a return to the meeting points for arbitration.

Who will do what and when?

If the meeting is adjourned without defining roles, tasks, and responsibilities, it is not supposed to be called a meeting as much as it is a chat session. Usually every meeting the manager and staff come out with new tasks. Or at least new directions for the coming period, on which a follow-up and accountability methodology is built. Therefore, before completing the meeting, it is necessary to identify the implementation elements or the “action items” that are supposed to be implemented and also to define the tasks for each person who attended the meeting.

The implementation elements are closer to the game plan or the battle plan that is agreed upon by the participants for the next period, otherwise, the meeting as a whole is not really meaningful. Therefore, three questions must be clearly answered: Who does what and when? What is required to be done exactly? Who will carry out this work?, When will he work on it and when will it be delivered? Answering these three questions is the focus of the entire meeting, and leaving the meeting without answering them means nothing but wasting sixty minutes of the life of employees and managers without any real benefit.