3 Essays - Collaboration, Political Philosophy, Free Essays

3 Essays - Collaboration, Political Philosophy, Free Essays 3 MEETINGS 1 Delete the word(s) that do not form natural collocations. a I'd like to raise an important issue /an objection/the matter later. b When are we going to call/hold/have/ arrange/organise the next meet ing? Do you think we could put it back/delay it/postpone it/ bring it forward ? c It's getting late, and I think we should close/finish/adjourn/end the meeting. It looks like we've reached a conclusion/a decision/a dead-end . d I'd like to give/express/put forward my own opinion on this issue/ /topic/subject/question . e We've had a full and frank/constructive/fruitful di scussion on this issue, and I'm sure we can reach a decision/an agreement/a compromise/a consensus . f It would be dangerous/risky/premature/a mistake/wrong to draw/reach/ jump to any conclusions at this stage. g This decision is going to have wide-ranging/far-reaching/serious implications, and we need to take into account /consideration a number of different factors. h I'd just like to clarify/deal with your doubts about /objections to this proposal. i I see /appreciate/understand what you're saying, b ut I think you're taking a very narrow/short-sighted/short-term view. j Before we can make/take/come to/reach a decision, we'll have to make/undertake/carry out a detailed study. 2 . Complet e the chairperson's closing comments with the words in the box. There are two words you don't need to use. All the words appeared in 1. promise topic Well, colleagues, I thin k we've had a very constructive (a) discussion this afternoon, and a number of very important (b) issues have been raise d. But it's getting late, and I can see that we're not going to co me to a (c) decision today. I don't think that presents a problem because any decision we t ake will have far-reaching (d) implications and it's important not to jump to any (e) conclusions at this early stage. Before the next meeting we need to carry out a detailed (f) study of all the options involved, and circulate it amongst everyone prese nt. And if I can express my own (g) opinion , I think that the report needs to t ake into (h) account the financial costs as well as the marketing aspects of the project. Well, unless there's any other business, I think we can finish there. 3 Are the following statements True or False? 1. The person who is in charge of the meeting is the person who takes the minutes. F alse 2. The best way to call a meeting is to inform each participant individually by phone. F alse 3. An agenda should outline the order and amount of time to spend on each item at the meeting. T rue 4. Engaging in small talk throughout the meeting is an effective way to keep the focus. F alse 5. When someone agrees with a motion it is "seconded". T rue 6. The person who is speaking during a meeting is the person who "has the floor". T rue 7. A polite way to indicate that you want to make a comment during a meeting is to say: "If I could just come in here..." T rue 8. When there is a tie vote, it is customary for the chairperson to ask one participant to reconsider his/her decision. F alse 9. During the closing remarks, the person holding the meeting should introduce new staff members or guest speakers. F alse 10. Reminders are typically announced after all of the items on the agenda have been covered. T rue 4 R ead the text. Write one phrase in each gap. The problem with brainstorming Brainstorming is one of the most popular techniqu es used in meetings to generate ideas for solving a specific problem. Alex Osborn, the inventor of the term Brainstorming', established four rules. Firstly, it's important to focus on quantity (1). Wri te everything down, the more ideas, the better. Secondly, participants need to withhold criticism (2). Never criticise another person's idea during the brainstorming session, as it will prevent people from being creative. There's plenty of time for criticism in the evaluation stage later. Thirdly, we should welcome unusual ideas (3). Tr y to challenge your assumptions and ask what if ?' questions. Finally, try to combine and improve ideas