Performance Criteria

Element Performance Criteria

Elements describe the Performance criteria describe the performance needed to
essential outcomes. demonstrate achievement of the element.

1. Prepare for meetings 1.1 Develop agenda in line with stated meeting purpose
1.2 Ensure style and structure of meeting are appropriate to its
purpose
1.3 Identify meeting participants and notify them in accordance
with organisational procedures
1.4 Confirm meeting arrangements in accordance with
requirements of meeting
1.5 Despatch meeting papers to participants within designated
timelines

2. Conduct meetings 2.1 Chair meetings in accordance with organisational

requirements, agreed conventions for type of meeting and
legal and ethical requirements
2.2 Conduct meetings to ensure they are focused, time efficient
and achieve the required outcomes
2.3 Ensure meeting facilitation enables participation, discussion,
problem-solving and resolution of issues
2.4 Brief minute-taker on method for recording meeting notes in
accordance with organisational requirements and
conventions for type of meeting

3. Follow up meetings 3.1 Check transcribed meeting notes to ensure they reflect a
true and accurate record of the meeting and are formatted
in accordance with organisational procedures and meeting
conventions
3.2 Distribute and store minutes and other follow-up
documentation within designated timelines, and according
to organisational requirements
3.3 Report outcomes of meetings as required, within designated
timelines
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Foundation Skills
This section describes language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills incorporated in the
performance criteria that are required for competent performance.

Reading:
 Identifies and interprets information from complex texts including legislation, organisational
policies and procedures
 Compares final output with original notes to check for accuracy.

Writing:
 Addresses the context, purpose and audience when generating a range of texts
 Prepares complex texts from notes using appropriate structure, and accurate spelling, grammar
and punctuation
 Records notes of meeting proceedings according to organisational requirements
 Edits and corrects own work to ensure accuracy.

Oral Communication:
 Participates in verbal exchanges using appropriate style, tone and vocabulary for audience,
context and purpose
 Listens for specific information during meetings
 Asks questions and listens to responses to clarify understanding.

Numeracy:
 Recognises and interprets numerical information related to timeframes and budgets.

Navigate the work of work:

 Recognises and responds to both explicit and implicit organisational procedures and protocols
and legislative/regulatory requirements.

Interact with others:

 Selects the appropriate form, channel and mode of communication for a specific purpose
relevant to own role
 Cooperates with others as part of familiar activities, playing an active role in facilitating group
interaction.

Get the work done:

 Applies formal processes when planning complex tasks, producing plans with logically
sequenced steps, reflecting an awareness of time constraints
 Recognises and takes responsibility for addressing predictable problems in familiar work
contexts.
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Assessment Requirements
Performance Evidence

Evidence of the ability to:

 Apply conventions and procedures for formal and informal meetings including:
o developing and distributing agendas and papers
o identifying and inviting meeting participants
o organising and confirming meeting arrangements
o running the meeting and following up
 Organise, take part in and chair a meeting
 Record and store meeting documentation
 Follow organisational policies and procedures.

Note: If a specific volume or frequency is not stated, then evidence must be provided at least once.

Knowledge Evidence

To complete the unit requirements safely and effectively, the individual must:

 Outline meeting terminology, structures, arrangements

 Outline responsibilities of the chairperson and explain group dynamics in relation to managing
meetings
 Describe options for meetings including face-to-face, teleconferencing, web-conferencing and using
webcams
 Identify the relevant organisational procedures and policies regarding meetings, chairing and
minutes including identifying organisational formats for minutes and agendas.

Assessment Conditions

Assessment must be conducted in a safe environment where evidence gathered demonstrates

consistent performance of typical activities experienced in the general administration field of work and
include access to:

 Reference material in regard to meeting venues and technology, catering and transport suppliers
 Organisational policies and procedures for managing meetings
 Office supplies and equipment
 Computers and relevant software
 Case studies and, where possible, real situations.

Assessors must satisfy NVR/AQTF assessor requirements.

Links

Companion volumes available from the IBSA website: http://www.ibsa.org.au/companion_volumes -

https://vetnet.education.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=11ef6853-ceed-4ba7-9d87-4da407e23c10
 Page |3

1. Prepare for meetings

1.1. Develop agenda in line with stated meeting purpose

1.2. Ensure style and structure of meeting are appropriate to its purpose

1.3. Identify meeting participants and notify them in accordance with organisational procedures

1.4. Confirm meeting arrangements in accordance with requirements of meeting

1.5. Despatch meeting papers to participants within designated timelines

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Activity 1C
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1.4 – Confirm meeting arrangements in accordance with requirements of

meeting

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

 Confirm meeting arrangements with all relevant personnel within the
workplace

 Make arrangements for participants with special needs.

Confirming meeting arrangements

Meeting numbers
After you have identified and made contact with the meeting participants, there will be a need to
confirm meeting arrangements with colleagues and those who are responsible for ensuring everything
is in place for the meeting to run successfully. You might receive notifications regarding those who can
attend the meeting and others who will be unable to attend. This is one of the crucial factors to confirm
as the number of participants will have implications on the room chosen for the meeting to be held and
the resources required.

Specific resources and equipment

What will be required for the meeting? For example, will you require
video/data projectors, whiteboards and teleconference set-up?

If you are booking a venue that regularly hosts meetings it is most

likely that they will have a large screen and data projector facility for
showing presentations. You are still best to check these details in
case the equipment is not suitable. Alongside this, you may need to
check that there is an adequate sound system, and if needed
internet access.

If you are hiring equipment, check that the items can be delivered in good time before the meeting and
that someone is there to look after the equipment and set-up as required. You may need to request
your facilities department or ICT department to assist with your preparations. This may involve them
showing you how to set-up and use equipment, or making sure that they are free on the day of the
meeting to ensure everything is working properly.

Voting procedures
There may be certain meetings where a decision or multiple different decisions need to be made. This
could be in a board meeting where attendees have to vote to decide on an individual who they feel is
the most capable of performing a certain role.

Your organisational procedures may state that some business decisions should be based on using a
private voting system, as this will prevent people becoming influenced by others. Check with your
manager/appropriate person if you need to arrange this kind of set-up.
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Catering needs
When participants are visiting the organisation for a meeting or when meetings will be taking place over
an extended period, you will need to inform the personnel responsible for catering about the number of
people who have confirmed numbers and any special dietary requirements.

Organising accommodation and transport

At certain times you may need to book or arrange accommodation for participants. It could be that you
have a small number of participants that are travelling a long distance or that the meeting is over a two-
day period. Your organisation may use an external company to arrange this, or you may need to book
accommodation yourself.

Your organisation may book accommodation regularly with one or two establishments and you may be
able to arrange this fairly easily. Other times, you may need to research for accommodation and you
should consider the particular participant requirements, cost and proximity to the meeting.

You may also be tasked to arrange for transport, such as taxis or train tickets. Once again, take into
consideration the cost and times of arranging transport. Book in advance and secure costs as much as
possible.

Meeting arrangements for those with special needs

As highlighted in the previous section, after communicating with participants, you may find that
arrangements need to be made to ensure those with specific needs can attend and fully take part in the
meeting.

These special arrangements may be:

 Access:

o parking – does the participant need to park in an area that makes it

easier to access the entrance to the building where the meeting will take place?

o security clearance – do you need to inform relevant security personnel

that there will be an individual parking in a particular place or using a certain
entrance?

 Using:

o assistive technology – this could include mobility devices such as

wheelchairs, or assistive devices for vision, hearing, or speech

o electronic presentation media – you might have to present some

information in electronic formats for some individuals

o interpreters – for those who are not fluent in English

o visual information and diagrams instead of written material.

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Activity 1D
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1.5 – Despatch meeting papers to participants within designated timelines

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

 Send all relevant documentation to participants within designated timelines.

Despatching meeting papers

Remember that it is not just logistical factors that need to be arranged prior to a business meeting
taking place. As highlighted in section 1.1, for participants to demonstrate an interest and contribute
their thoughts in a meeting, you will need to provide them with information about the meeting content
in advance. This will involve informing them about the agenda and could incorporate sending them a
detailed plan of the topics that will be discussed and questions that need to be answered.

Meeting papers could include:

 The meeting agenda

 Minutes of the previous meeting

 Reading sources

 Customer feedback summary

 Financial summaries

 WHS policies

 Relevant industry legislation.

Sending papers such as the meeting agenda also enables participants to have the time to prepare their
own documentation.

Designated timelines
When conducting workplace meetings, your organisational guidelines may dictate the length of time
that you should ideally despatch documents in advance. The time period could also vary depending on
the type of meeting being conducted. You are more likely to send out relevant information and
documents in advance before an AGM than you are for a regular staff meeting. Make sure you provide
plenty of time for attendees to prepare work or read through materials before any meeting, though;
they could be busy with other aspects of work.
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Activity 1E
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2. Conduct meetings
2.1. Chair meetings in accordance with organisational requirements, agreed conventions for type of
meeting and legal and ethical requirements

2.2. Conduct meetings to ensure they are focused, time efficient and achieve the required outcomes

2.3. Ensure meeting facilitation enables participation, discussion, problem-solving and resolution of
issues

2.4. Brief minute-taker on method for recording meeting notes in accordance with organisational
requirements and conventions for type of meeting
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2.1 – Chair meetings in accordance with organisational requirements, agreed

conventions for type of meeting and legal and ethical requirements

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

 Chair meetings based on organisational requirements

 Lead various different types of meeting within the workplace

 Abide by legal and ethical requirements when conducting a meeting.

Introduction to meeting
Prior to you making an opening statement or introduction, you should make a few checks to ensure the
meeting can commence and it will not be interrupted to sort any issues. You should make sure that
everyone who is expected to be present at the meeting has shown up. This could involve viewing a
singing sheet and comparing the names with the list of expected participants. You might also decide to
speak with a receptionist or person responsible for administration just prior to the meeting to establish
whether anyone has had to make a late cancellation. When meetings occur regularly and involve the
same employees, it should be more straightforward to recognise when someone is absent, and you may
be able to contact them to see if they are on their way.

The leader or facilitator may then remind the participants of

the objectives of the meeting and what should be achieved by
its conclusion. It is also important for people to be aware of
how the meeting will take place. Will there be a presentation
followed by a group discussion? Will each participant be given
a particular period of time to share their thoughts? Will a
brainstorming session take place where anybody can
contribute their opinions at any time? Regardless of the
meeting, as a chairperson for a meeting, you should remind
everybody of the ground rules.

Meeting rules could be stated in organisational procedures, and may include:

 Listen to others while they are speaking

 Avoid interrupting others

 Do not insult the opinions of fellow attendees

 Avoid dominating the proceedings

 Procedures for voting on decisions.

Changing style for type of meeting

You will be expected to change your manner and actions in accordance with the type if meeting you are
chairing. If for example, you are leading a staff meeting that takes place every one or two weeks, the
participants should be familiar with proceedings and what is expected of them. You might use your role
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to establish what has been happening within a department since the last meeting and encourage
attendees to think of solutions to potential problems.

If a teleconference or video conference was taking place, the skills and actions required would differ.
You would need to ensure that participants in all locations have the chance to speak. There may be an
additional need to remind individuals of the importance of not interrupting each other due to potential
delays in audio transfer between locations.

Legal and ethical requirements

When leading a meeting, you ought to keep various legal and ethical requirements in mind. When
business decisions are required or motions have been put forward by meeting participants, you may
need to quickly decide whether the implications are possible within the law.

Types of laws to consider include:

 Competition laws

 Consumer laws

 Product liability regulations

 Environmental legislation

 Privacy laws.

You should also be fully aware of anti-discrimination legislation. You may need to interrupt the
conversation if you feel that comments being made are discriminatory or if business actions being
discussed would contravene legislation.

The Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 makes it unlawful to discriminate
because of:
 Race

 Colour

 Sex

 Religion

 Political opinion (in employment only)

 National extraction or social origin

 Age

 Medical record

 Irrelevant criminal record (in employment only)

 Impairment

 Marital status
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 Mental, intellectual or psychiatric disability

 Nationality

 Physical disability

 Sexual preference (in employment only)

 Trade union activity (in employment only).

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Activity 2A
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2.2 – Conduct meetings to ensure they are focused, time efficient and achieve
the required outcomes

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

 Conduct focused meetings that enable participants to discuss matters to
achieve required outcomes

 Lead meetings that are completed within the designated time.

Responsibilities of chairperson
The chairperson has a number of responsibilities during the meeting to make sure that the discussion is
helping to cover the issues or topics that have been noted on the agenda.

These include:
 Adding to the discussion

 Challenging negative or discriminatory comments

 Suggesting a short break is taken when

participants begin to lose focus

 Preventing a small number of people from

dominating discussions

 Asking people who have not had a chance to

speak to contribute their opinions

 Making sure that final decisions are made on

business actions and policies

 Summarising the meeting including the decisions that have been made and the
actions required by participants.

When a decision needs to be made within a meeting, such as how to resolve an issue or the direction a
business team will take, it will usually be the role of the chairperson to make a final decision or choose
the ideas that will be put forward to a vote. In order to do this, taking notes and listening to all positions
impartially should lead to the best decision being made.

You should weigh up all contributions impartially and assess whether they would be beneficial decisions
to take forward. If you are to have the ultimate say in something that is going to have an impact on
other meetings participants, ask for their thoughts. Do they agree with you that the direction being
taken or issue resolution is the correct one?

Time-efficient meetings
One of the crucial things to control as a chairperson in a meeting is the time. Business teams and
departments may be relying on a number of decisions being made during a meeting within a given time
period. Failing to cover everything within a meeting can therefore be damaging to an organisation and
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might lead to employees questioning your ability to lead future meetings. As well as needing to make
sure everything in the agenda is discussed within the given time period, attendees may only have a
certain amount of time they can spend in a meeting; going over the planned time could irritate people
and may result in them having to leave before all matters have been deliberated.

To ensure meetings are time efficient, you

could do the following:
 Start on time rather than waiting for
latecomers

 Prevent the conversation from straying

off topic

 Stop someone from speaking for too

long

 Assign someone to take responsibility for time keeping

 Select issues that could be moved to a future meeting if necessary.

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Activity 2B
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2.3 – Ensure meeting facilitation enables participation, discussion, problem-

solving and resolution of issues

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

 Manage meetings to ensure that all attendees have the opportunity to
contribute their thoughts

 Use meetings as a means to resolve issues.

Interacting with participants

Even when you are the designated chair of a meeting, you should attempt to interact with others in a
positive and professional manner. This will help to prevent a barrier being created where participants
do not feel fully comfortable with contributing their thoughts.

Positive and professional interactions may include:

 Greeting everyone upon the start of a conversation

 Using the name of attendees when known

 Acting fairly by treating all participants with

the same level of respect

 Complementing employees on their work

and contributions when appropriate

 Providing constructive criticism when

needed rather than becoming insulting or angered

 Being honest with employees

 Note taking can demonstrate professionalism as it shows you are taking the
points being made seriously and you are more likely to respond to any issues being
raised

 Speaking with language that is appropriate to the recipient, for example

refraining from using specialist terminology that may not be understood

 Using eye-contact appropriately.

Ensuring inclusivity
As noted in section 2.2, there are a number of actions a meeting leader can take to ensure that a wide
range of perspectives are received and everyone has the chance to participate. Think about the most
effective method of ensuring that all participants have the chance to speak. For example, if a meeting
was taking place to discuss employee perspectives on a recent product launch and any issues that have
resulted, you might decide to go around the room and provide everyone with a short amount of time to
speak.
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When there are large numbers of people within the meeting, another approach could be to separate
them into smaller groups. This way, attendees can share their perspectives in more detail and someone
within the group can then summarise all opinions with the wider meeting group.

Problem-solving within meetings

Many problems and issues can arise within businesses that need to be resolved promptly. Meetings can
act as a valuable method of doing this because it enables employees to contribute why they feel the
issues have arisen and build off each other’s perspectives.

Allowing brainstorming to take place is one method you could adopt to resolve issues. You might stand
at the front of a room and write the ideas of attendees on a flip board and after all ideas have been put
forward, the best ideas can be decided upon that are most likely to solve problems. If you hold a role of
superiority, such as being a team leader and the participants are team members, then you might
individually choose the problem-solving technique which is most likely to work. Putting ideas to a vote
can also be useful, though, as it demonstrates that the opinions and needs of employees are valued by
the business. Remember though that the best resolutions could be a collection of different
recommendations
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Activity 2C
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 Through email

 Introducing a feedback box

 Speaking with participants individually.

Once all responses have been gained, you might decide to summarise the opinions of participants and
assess what they have gained from the meeting. This will help you in deciding whether the transcribed
notes are a true and accurate record of the meeting. Additionally, people may provide comments that
they forgot or were unwilling to bring forward during the meeting, which nonetheless could prove
valuable in terms of meeting the required outcomes.
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Activity 3A
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3.2 – Distribute and store minutes and other follow-up documentation within
designated timelines, and according to organisational requirements

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

 Distribute minutes to all meeting participants and to those who could not
attend within designated timelines

 Store minutes and other documents according to organisational requirements.

Distributing minutes
After minutes have been transcribed and thoroughly checked, you will need to distribute them to
various different people.

There are two key reasons for sending out minutes:

 Participants from the meeting are unlikely to be able to remember everything
that was discussed and specific actions that are required. The minutes can serve as a
valuable reminder for those in attendance

 There may have been people who were unable to attend the meeting, such as if
they were unwell or busy with another task. The content of the meeting could still be
pertinent to these individuals and reading the minutes can make sure they are up to
date with business proceedings.

Printing copies
If you are printing copies, you will need to check how many copies
are needed. Make sure you have collated all names and addresses of
the intended recipients and keep a note of where and when you
send the final copies out. You could also email the participants to
inform them of the dispatch date.

Emailing meeting minutes

It may be that you need to send this by email as an electronic file. Make sure you have a list of the
participant's email addresses, and ensure that if you send this as one email, that no email addresses or
recipient’s personal details are on view in the message. This is especially important for any external
business contacts. Make sure you blind copy recipients to fulfil data privacy requirements.

Time-frames
The minutes may need to be sent within a certain time-frame. Keep a record of when the final print-
run/file was prepared and sent.

Storing minutes
Once you have dispatched the final minutes, make sure that you file all work associated with the
meeting in the correct place. You will need to keep a record of the task from organisation to post-
meeting tasks. Your office should have a dedicated filing system for storing work, but if you need to
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create a filing system, make sure that you follow your organisation’s procedures and file work logically
and clearly.

You will most likely have a set place on your computer system to store any electronic files for the
meeting, make sure that all information is saved and stored and that any personnel that need access
have the access to these files and to any paper copies that you have filed.

If any work is confidential in nature, ensure that only authorised personnel can view files and
documentation. You may need to lock file cabinets (storing the key in a safe and secret place within the
work site for speed of access) and restrict file permissions on your computer system. If in any doubt as
to the confidentiality of information, check this with your manager/appropriate contact person.
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Activity 3B
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3.3 – Report outcomes of meetings as required, within designated timelines

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

 Report outcomes of meetings to necessary people within the workplace.

Reporting outcomes of meetings

After you have gained feedback from participants about their perspectives on the meeting and minutes
have been transcribed and distributed, you might have to report the outcomes of the meeting to
management figures within the workplace.

If you are conducting a meeting involving employees from a single department within the workplace,
the outcomes of the meeting could have implications on the way other departments have to operate.
You could send relevant individuals the meeting minutes, or you might need to send them a condensed
version of the meeting content that covers the key decisions that have been made.

Reporting to management
Management figures will also have an interest in what has taken place in team meetings or meetings
involving stakeholders such as suppliers or customers. They will want to keep informed regarding the
relationship the business has with these key people.

You may need to provide managers with the following information:

 The purpose of the meeting that took place

 The participants involved in the meeting

 The topics that were discussed

 Any issues or suggestions brought

forward by stakeholders

 Ideas suggested to improve

business practices

 New policy ideas

 Actions that will be taken

 Date of next meeting

 Matters to be discussed at next

meeting.

Designated timelines
Make sure that you communicate meeting outcomes within designated timelines and using the correct
method.
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You might be required to:

 Debrief senior figures face-to-face

 Conduct follow-up meetings

 Write a summary, and:

o email it to the necessary people

o hand it to the necessary colleagues.

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Activity 3C
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Summative Assessments
At the end of your Learner Workbook, you will find the Summative Assessments.

This includes:

 Skills assessment

 Knowledge assessment

 Performance assessment.

This holistically assesses your understanding and application of the skills, knowledge and performance
requirements for this unit. Once this is completed, you will have finished this unit and be ready to move
onto the next one – well done!
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References

These suggested references are for further reading and do not necessarily represent the contents of
this unit.

Websites
Chairing meetings - http://www.diycommitteeguide.org/resource/chairing-meetings

Designing an agenda - https://hbr.org/2015/03/how-to-design-an-agenda-for-an-effective-meeting

Organising and running a meeting - https://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/files/cd/other/fs9729.pdf

Organising successful meetings - http://www.seedsforchange.org.uk/meeting

Problem solving meetings - http://www.dcarnegietraining.com/resources/effective-problem-solving-

meetings

Recording meeting minutes - http://www.whatmakesagoodleader.com/meeting-minutes.html

Time-efficient meetings - http://www.forbes.com/sites/victorlipman/2013/03/01/5-simple-steps-to-

more-efficient-effective-meetings/#368b21c521cc

All references accessed on and correct as of 24/10/2016, unless other otherwise stated.