From Here
A meeting is a coming together of (generally) three or more people to exchange information in a planned manner and discuss issues set out before them to arrive at decisions, solve problems, etc.:
VA meeting can be formal or informal. As regards a formal meeting there is set rules for convening it and conducting it, with a written record of its proceedings. It requires a notice which is a call, an invitation to attenIt has an agenda or list of things to deal with, and the outcome is systematically written in the form of minutes. An informal meeting can be without any written notice, for instance a staff union meeting in the lunch room to discuss a picnic.
A meeting has a convener who calls it and a leader or chairperson who directs it.
Types of meeting:
Meetings are broadly of three type
(i) Informative, where the purpose is to give information to the participants about a new scheme, product, etc.
(ii) Consultative, in which the members are consulted to solve a problem.
(iii) Executive, in which decisions are taken by those empowered to do so.
In practice, most of the meetings serve more purposes than one. Some additional classifications of meetings are – meeting for negotiation purpose, meeting for giving instructions, etc.
Purpose of a meeting:
The purposes of holding meetings are listed here in a skeleton form:
To reach a common decision/agreement
To solve a problem
To understand a situation, exchange ideas and experiences
To inform, explain, present ideas
To give and get feedback on new ideas
To give training
To plan and prepare for action
To resolve differences and misunderstandings
To generate enthusiasm and seek cooperation
To review past performance and evaluate it
To create a feeling of continuity and solidarity in a body’s working.
In this mechanical age, union is strength, and united work is done by means of meetings. It is estimated that worldwide, millions of meetings are conducted every day, and their number and usefulness is on the rise.
That is why although many negative remarks are made about the use of meetings; on the whole we find that meeting is a useful device of collective decision-taking and action.
Advantages of Meetings:
(i) Save time:
Since one can meet a number of people at a time interactively, a meeting can save time.
(ii) Addressing groups:
One can divide the audiences according to their background and need, and address them group by group.
(iii) Cope with information explosion:
New technology and new regulations are coming thick and fast. Meetings enable us to cope with this situation.
(iv) Social and emotional support:
Members get personal support from each other when they meet and exchange ideas.
