Office Meetings

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Office Meetings

Intermediate

Exercise 1

Vocabulary

announcement

Noun

əˈnaʊnsmənt

a formal statement informing people about something

Our CEO is going to make an important announcement today.

The CEO is expected to make a public announcement on a new product.

We need to send this announcement by the end of the week.

The company will make an official announcement of a new product release.

The announcement has shocked everyone. We really didn't expect that.

hearsay

Noun

ˈhiːrˌseɪ

something heard from another person that may or may not be true

It's just hearsay. Don't believe anything unless it comes from him directly.

strict

Adjective

strɪkt

demanding that rules are closely followed

My manager is very strict when he reviews my work.

Our company has strict quality control standards.

The boss is very strict, yet we like him because he is very hardworking and passionate about what he does.

agenda

Noun

əˈdʒɛndə

a list of things to be discussed during a meeting

Her role is to make sure they follow the meeting agenda.

They checked the agenda to see what was next on the schedule.

I'd like to add another item to the agenda for today's meeting.

There are only five items on this morning's agenda, so let's see whether we can make this meeting a short one.

knowledgeable

Adjective

ˈnɑːlɪdʒəbəl

knowing a lot about a particular subject

I'm quite knowledgeable about manufacturing.

I'm extremely knowledgeable about the music industry.

facilitate

Verb

fəˈsɪlɪˌteɪt

to make a process possible or easier

It would facilitate the negotiation process if all of the parties were equally interested in reaching a solution.

Being able to facilitate meetings is an important business skill.

Many managers feel that frequent informal meetings with staff facilitate better communication.

I will have to facilitate the meeting during club events, now that I have been elected as the president.

Exercise 2

Dialogue Practice

Read the dialogue aloud with your tutor.

Two employees are talking about the news they heard.
	Camille Hi, Alex! How are you today? How are you feeling after the weekend?
	Alex Hi, Camille! I am fine, and I had a great weekend, so I really feel good. How about you?
	Camille Nothing special happened this weekend. Anyway, don’t be late for the meeting today. I heard a very big announcement will be made.
	Alex Meeting? Do we have a meeting later? When was it announced?
	Camille Didn’t you know? It has been posted on the bulletin board since last week. The CEO will be here later to facilitate the meeting, so I think it could be about a serious matter.
	Alex Oh my! What could the meeting be about? Do you have any ideas? I now understand why we were asked to wear business attire today – it’s because of the meeting.
	Camille Exactly. I am not sure about the agenda for the meeting. I just heard it’s about the company’s change of administration. It’s not certain though. It’s just hearsay.
	Alex I am really curious now. And if that is true, who could be our new boss? That’s exciting and scary as well.
	Camille Yes, I just hope that if it’s true, we will have Mr. Crawford as our head, not that extremely strict Mr. Grey.
	Alex I hope so too. Mr. Grey is strict, but I do think he is very knowledgeable.

Check your understanding:

What could the meeting be about?

Where was the announcement about the meeting posted?

Who will facilitate the meeting?

Exercise 3

Listening Comprehension

Listen to your tutor read the text then choose the correct answers to the questions.

Where did Carol and Paul see the announcement?

A.
It was posted on the bulletin board.
B.
They received an email.

What did the announcement say?

A.
The announcement said that the CEO would hold a meeting and that everyone had to attend it.
B.
Monday would be a day off.

According to the announcement, what was the meeting going to be about?

A.
The meeting was about changes in the administration.
B.
No one knew what the meeting was about. There was only hearsay.

What did the CEO announce at the meeting?

A.
The CEO announced that he was happy about the last project that was completed.
B.
The CEO wanted to thank everyone for their hard work and announce that everyone would get a raise.

Exercise 4

Role Play

Role-play the following situation with your tutor.

Situation

You are the CEO of a company, and your teacher is an employee.
Have a meeting with your employee about recent changes in the company's organization.

Exercise 5

Discussion

Do you have meetings at your workplace? If so, how often?

How long do the meetings usually last?

Do you think it is necessary to meet regularly at a company? Why or why not?

Have you ever facilitated a meeting? What was your experience like?

Do meetings excite you or do you think they are a waste of time?