8600-328 Understand How to Lead Effective Meetings

Unit Overview

8600-328 understand how to lead Effective Meetings is a unit within the ILM Level 3 module that helps to develop an understanding within the leaner on the principles of leading effective meetings within the organisations. As a leader, meetings are inevitable in different contests within the organisation. Meetings are formed between the teams and in coordinating activities among the teams that a first-line manager is responsible for managing or leading. The meetings could also comprise settings where the first-line manager is required to report, consult or involve senior stakeholders such as managers within the organisations.

This makes conducting effective meeting one of the main responsibilities of a leader. 8600-328 understand how to lead Effective Meetings is a unit that aims at building the capacities and skills of effectively summoning and leading a meeting.By pursuing this unit, the leader is able to dune stand the different principles of meeting with different stakeholders depending on the content intended to be passed within the meeting, the seniority of the leaders being invited for the meeting and the convenience of the place where the meeting is held.

The main purpose and aim of the unit are to develop knowledge n understanding of meetings as is required for practising or potential first-line managers, ensuring they are capable of effectively fulfilling their leadership duties. The unit is taught t in 4 hours of guided leering and contributes 2 credit values towards the completion of ILM Level 3 module.

Suitability of the Unit

Leaders within the organisation have a responsibility of effectively managing meetings. Involving their areas of responsibility involves being able to effectively identify the location for the meeting, following appropriate procedure of summoning the attendees to the meeting, overseeing decision-making within the meetings and ensuring that the agreements made within the meeting are implemented effectively and efficiently. 8600-328 Understand how to lead Effective Meetings is a unit that is highly suitable for leaders within the organisation in different ranks, beginning from supervisors to the highest ranks of leadership within the organisations.

This unit is designed to meet the learning needs of the first-line managers. It ensures that it builds the skills and competencies required for first-line managers to call for a meeting and manage the meeting with different stakeholders. It also ensures they are able to act as chairpersons of the meeting and ensure that attendees agree and make deliberations on the agendas of the meeting.The unit is suited to these leaders as it helps them to implement the deliberations as well as monitor the implementation process.

However, the unit is also suitable for other leaders, including team leaders, middle-level managers and top management sit build the basic principles that are applicable when communicating with people of different leadership positions and authority within the organisation. It also helps this leader to ensure that deliberations made within the meeting are effectively implemented to achieve the desired and expected goals. Employees can also pursue the unit to prepare them for leadership positions that will require them to effectively manage meetings in their areas of responsibility.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the unit, the learners should be able to:

• Explain the significance of meetings in their areas of responsibility and the organisation in general

• Show understanding of the purpose and structure of an agenda for a meeting

• Invite and select the right people to attend the meeting and engage in deliberations on the selected agendas

• Describe the process of preparing for a meeting

• Understand the roles and responsibilities of attendees, including the chairperson, secretary and individuals within the meeting

• Explain the meeting protocol and procedures based on the organisation's policies and procedures

• Show understanding of positive and negative actions that could impact the meetings

• Explain the purpose of minutes and action plans as established within meetings

Key Learning Areas

8600-328 Understand how to lead Effective Meetings focuses on building knowledge on effectively managing meetings within the organisations. It involves understanding the process of conducting both team meetings and reporting meetings with senior authority. Some of the main areas covered within the unit include:

Preparation and Planning

This area of learning helps the learners to understand the critical elements that they should include in their preparation process before they engage in the meetings. This includes being able to establish agendas that are to be communicated within the meeting and identifying t eh purpose, value and type of meeting that they intend to call. The learners are also guided on boosting their ability and skills to consult with others and prepare to contribute effectively to a meeting.

The learners must be able to differentiate the different stakeholders who are relevant for specific meetings. The area of learning helps them to effectively differentiate the roles and levels of authority of different stakeholders within the organisation hence helping them to understand the process of selecting and inviting relevant people to the meeting. Lastly, the area of learning helps to understand the process of planning and organising a meeting which includes factoring in the physical and financial resources documentation and the agendas to be discussed.

Managing a Meeting

This area of learning focuses on the actual day of the meeting .the learner is introduced to the structure of an effective meeting and the role of each individual, including the chairperson and the secretary. They are also guided to understand techniques that can be used to facilitate discussion and decision-making during a meeting.

There are skills the leader must exhibit in the meeting, such as being able to deal with meeting behaviours, managing time and ensuring that meeting purpose and objectives are met, this area of learning helps the leader to identify such principles and ensure that they play their responsibility to implement the principles. The area of learning also focuses on maintaining minutes and action plans and ensuring there are effective follow-up strategies after the meeting has been concluded.

Wrap Up

8600-328 Understand how to lead Effective Meetings is evaluated using different mechanisms. A written assessment is one of the mechanisms where the learners respond to questions on the unit through writing. The second method is the use of simulated exercises within the classroom setting or supervised practice.