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Meeting

society Maturity 11-13 Next article →

A meeting is more than just people talking together. It is a gathering with a specific plan called an agenda.

Conferenceroom2
Conferenceroom2

People use these gatherings to share information with each other. They also use them to make decisions as a group. Anthropologist Helen B. Schwartzman says meetings involve three or more people. These people agree to meet for a special purpose. This purpose usually helps a group or an organization work well.

Meetings can happen in many different ways today. Some people meet face-to-face in a real room.

Sitzung von Wiki Loves Broadcast im Kontor Hamburg
Sitzung von Wiki Loves Broadcast im Kontor Hamburg

Other people meet virtually using special technology. They might use a telephone conference call to talk. They could also use a video call like Skype. This allows people to see and hear each other from far away. This mix of people in person and online is a hybrid meeting.

There are many different kinds of meetings for different jobs. A kickoff meeting is the very first one for a new project.

President Ronald Reagan holds an Oval Office staff meeting
President Ronald Reagan holds an Oval Office staff meeting

A staff meeting happens between a manager and their workers. Some people attend a training meeting to learn new things.

Training meeting in an ecodesign stainless steel company in brazil
Training meeting in an ecodesign stainless steel company in brazil

There are even stand-up meetings where people stay on their feet. This helps the group keep the talk very short. Some meetings are just for one time, but others happen every month.

Many meetings have a leader called a chair. The chair helps control the talk and the topics. In formal meetings, the chair decides who gets to speak next. This is called turn-taking. In informal meetings, people often decide when to speak for themselves. The chair might step in only if they need to. Sometimes, people use silence to show they agree with a topic. This is a way of communicating without using any words.

Meetings help us understand how groups function together. They follow special rules for how people exchange speech. Participants can move in and out of the conversation easily. A person might summarize what the group understands at the end. This is called a pre-closing formulation. It helps everyone leave the meeting with the same facts. By using these tools, groups can stay organized and reach their goals.

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🖼️ Images & Media (4)
File:Sitzung von Wiki Loves Broadcast im Kontor Hamburg.jpg
Sitzung von Wiki Loves Broadcast im...
File:Conferenceroom2.JPG
Conferenceroom2.JPG
File:President Ronald Reagan holds an Oval Office staff meeting.jpg
President Ronald Reagan holds an Oval...
File:Training meeting in an ecodesign stainless steel company in brazil.jpg
Training meeting in an ecodesign...
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