Meetings in English

facilitate: moderieren
    to pull one's weight: seinen Beitrag leisten, sich ins Zeug legen
    to pass the buck: den schwarzen Peter zuschieben
    rude: unhöflich, barsch
    stakeholder: Prozessbeteiligter (eigentlich: Aktionär)
    Telephone conferences
    Telephone conferences (TCs) are increasingly widely used. Important factors for the success of a TC are a clear agenda,as well as the discipline of the participants and unambiguous communication. The agenda should contain the timing for individual points and the allocation of roles, such as the chair, timekeeper, secretary and the call facilitator, who takes care of the technical aspects.
    Agenda
    Example: subject of a telephone conference
Agenda: outsourcing event organisation
    Date: 5 May 2009, time: 11.00–12.00 CET
    Participants: Dörte Gluchowski (chair), Peter Pan (call facilitator), Annette Joyce (timekeeper), Lisa Förster (secretary), Bridget Mayer, Marén Volkers, Tanya Feldman
    Item
Presented by
Time
1. Apologies
DG
5
2. Minutes of the previous call
LF
5
3. Approval of agenda
DG
5
4. Report on Hamburg trade fair
MV
10
5. Outsourcing proposal – discussion
AJ/all
25
6. Date for next conference call
DG
5
7. Feedback – discussion
DG
5
    For a larger number of participants, it pays to prepare the agenda carefully and to circulate it in good time. The agenda should contain the timing for each point. When calculating the timing, you should bear in mind that each person's active contribution will take about three to five minutes per item. In our sample agenda, we have seven participants and 25 minutes allocated to the main discussion item. On the whole, the agenda should be kept as short as possible in order to limit the length of the meeting, as a TC is far more demanding in terms of concentration than a face-to-face meeting. Ifthe TC is only held between a limited number of people and on a routine basis, an agenda is sometimes just made ad hoc, that is, at the beginning of the call.
Useful phrases
Can we just quickly make a list of the items we need to talk about today?
Does anyone have an agenda or do we need to jot a few items down so that we don't forget anything important?
    Starting a conference call
    Before the serious part of the conference call, participants are encouraged to make small talk, just as if they were meeting face to face. On the one hand, this will create better rapport between them, just as if they were in a real meeting. On the other hand, they can all tune in to each other's voices and accents – especially important for non-native speakers of English. Then, the chair starts the TC by welcoming the participants, doing a roll call, reviewing the agenda and summarising the aim of the TC.
Useful phrases
Hi, this is Dörte. I'll be the chair in today's conference call.
Can we go round the table and hear who has logged on already? Can you just say „yes“ when I call out your names?
Before we start the ball rolling there are a few technical issues to clarify. Have you all received the agenda?
Are there any other items we need to talk about today? Or any suggestions regarding the agenda?
As you know, the main focus will be on the outsourcing business. It's important that we establish common ground on further procedure.
    The chair should also clarify if participants need to leave the call early:
Does anybody have to leave the call early?
Yes, I do, actually. That's Pauline.
Pauline, when do you have to log out?
Around twelve at the latest.
    By the same token, participants should announce if they are taking a break and let the others know when they are back in the TC:
Sorry. It's Lisa. I need to print out the agenda again. I'll be back in a minute.
Annette here. I'm back in the call.
    A memorable self-introduction
    If the participants do not know each other, they should introduce themselves so that the others know who the new person is and why they are joining the TC. They should say their names and what they would like to be called, what their job involves plus a past achievement and something personal, as well as a „memory hook“ so that the others will remember them better.
    Controlling the meeting
    The chair has to involve all participants and ensure that they take turns. On the other hand, it is sometimes necessary to cut a speaker short. In any case, the role of timekeeper is vital for sticking to the agreed timings. He or she shouldremind everybody to keep it short. In longer TCs it sometimes makes sense to interrupt the call for a few