Professional English Vocabulary: Meetings

TRANSCRIPT

So, every meeting has to have an "agenda". Actually I'll stand on this side a little bit. Every meeting has to have an agenda. What is an "agenda"? An agenda is basically the plan or the list of topics that need to be covered in this meeting. Right? So by the end of the meeting you have to cover these points, and then the meeting can break up or whatever. Okay? So that's the plan. We also use this for other situations, like somebody has an agenda, means somebody has a goal they're after. In a business meeting, the plan. The goal is to finish these lists... The list of priorities.

At a meeting someone will be "designated" to take notes. Okay? So, "you designate" means you choose someone or you assign someone a specific task. Okay? So, every... Every meeting somebody else takes a turn or sometimes some big companies have one person whose job is to take those notes.

Now, those notes are called "minutes", like the same minute... Like, you think about it in terms of time. "Minutes" are the notes or the summary of a meeting. Okay? At the end of the meeting the person who was designated to take the notes will go back to his or her desk, and type up a list of the main highlights of the meeting, and whatever goals were achieved, whatever items need to be discussed next meeting, etc. So, notes.

Now, somebody might put forward a "motion". Okay? "Put forward a motion". A motion is basically the same idea as a proposal. Somebody says: "Okay, I think we need to do this. Let's vote on it." So anything that needs to be voted on is called a motion. Okay? Their idea, their plan, their suggestion, etc.

After somebody puts forward the motion, everybody else in the meeting room will have "deliberations". Okay? They will deliberate on this motion. Basically they will discuss it. Everybody will say what they think, what they like, what they don't like. There'll be a general discussion about the motion, and that's called deliberations.

Sometimes these deliberations involve a "conference call". A conference call is basically a call with people outside the meeting room, it could be on Skype, some sort of video program, it could be just a telephone call, but it's a speaker and everybody in the room can hear and be heard, and the person on the other end can be... Can hear and be heard as well. So it's a conference call.

Then everybody will "brainstorm" to come up with new ideas. So, "brainstorming" is basically thinking, but thinking hard about a specific topic, and trying to come up with different ideas for that topic, how to do something, etc.

Hopefully everybody in the room will "collaborate", people from different departments might come into a meeting to talk about a project or a product, or whatever, or a campaign. Everybody has to collaborate, everybody has to work together, that's what "collaborate" means. A good company will have people who like to collaborate, they'll like to work as a team; some companies it's a bit more difficult.

Then after the deliberations, after the brainstorming, after all their talk, it's time to vote. Okay? So everybody will "cast a ballot". We also talk about this when we talk about politics. After the campaign for a political position, the public goes to cast a ballot. They go to the ballot box to vote. So, "cast a ballot", vote.

Now, there are different ways to do it. There's a secret ballot. Okay? If you have a secret ballot, then everybody writes their answer, their choice on a piece of paper, puts it into a box, and then somebody collects them: "Yes", "No", whatever. There's an open ballot that everybody knows what everybody else is voting. This is called "a show of hands". "Show of hands, who's for the project? Who's against?" Okay, and then more hands this side, this side wins; more hands this side, this side wins. "Show of hands". In a classroom a teacher might use this: "Okay, does everybody understand? A show of hands. If you understand, put up your hand." Good. […]

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Muito bom. .Como sempre..!!!

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[ВладиславСубботин-зэ]

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[johnarvinbarcelona]

Hello Adam, if 'British' is an adj., then this will be 'British people' to describe citizens in the UK right?, my question is, does British residents=UK residents mean the same thing? Thx and more power.

[maik]

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[drnaz]

Thank you very much. It is very helpful lessons. May god give you long life to continue your work.

[NgocTruong-uqtd]

This lesson includes quite many words and phrases I have never met before and it's easy to understand. Thank you teacher!

[abhijitbhosale]

Hello, My name is Abhijit.

I have received my TOEFL score today. I have secured R-27, L-27, S-27, W-26 - total - 107.
It could be possible only due to the well versed video tutorials presented by several prestigious organizations and professors like magoosh, note full, Prof. Adam, Prof. Kathy and several others.

I would like to thank all the respected teachers from the bottom of my heart.

Next is mission GRE and your blessings are most important to me.

Regards,
Abhijit Rajendra Bhosale

[ahmedmohamedsayed]

Summary

Agenda “The Plan - the priorities - The List”
Designate “assign someone a specific task”
Minutes “ The Notes - The Summary”
Motion “Proposal”
Deliberation “General Discussion- everybody says what’s in his mind”
Call conference “ Online video or call “
Brainstorm “ thinking deeply”
Collaborate “work together as a team”
Ballot “Vote”
Open ballot “like show of hands”
Secret ballot “ secret vote “
Consensus “ means all or at least almost all”
Unanimous “ means everybody agree or everybody disagree
Wrap up “ bringing the meeting to close or finish”
Adjourn “ suspend the meeting “
Good Luck)

[habibilahlah]

Adam, thank you so much for your amazing lessons! It's very easy to understand and so helpful. There's no words in vocabulary to express how thankful I am! 祝你一切顺利，身体健康，万事如意，心想事成！

[ahmedabdinaasir]

May God give you a long life to continue your work