Lead sections of meetings or briefings

This standard is about leading a section of a meeting or briefings in order to achieve their objectives. This standard is for hospitality team leaders, first line managers or supervisors.
You may have called a briefing or you could be chairing a section of a meeting called by someone else. The section of a meeting or briefing could be to solve problems, take decisions, carry out a shift briefing, consult with people or exchange information and knowledge.

Whatever the reason for holding a meeting / briefing and regardless of the duration of your input into the meeting / briefing, preparation is key. This starts with establishing the purpose and objectives you need to cover, making sure participants know they need to attend and ensuring they are briefed about their respective roles within the meeting / briefing and any preparation they need to do.

Once underway, as the lead role, your task is to keep the section of the meeting or the briefing, on track and on time, ensuring those who need to, have every chance to input and managing any unhelpful comments or contributions.

This standard covers the activity of leading a section of a meeting or a briefing, from establishing the purpose through to summarising and clarifying any action points and outcomes.

When you have completed this standard you will be able to demonstrate your understanding of and your ability to:

• Lead sections of meetings or briefings

1. Establish the purpose and objectives of the meeting / briefing and confirm that a meeting / briefing is the best way to achieve these objectives
2. Prepare carefully how you will lead the meeting / briefing and identify who needs  to  participate
3. Invite participants, giving them sufficient notice to enable them to attend and making sure they know the role they will be expected to play and  the preparation they need to do
4. Identify if any advance information is required, circulate the relevant information in advance where needed and, if required, brief participants individually on the content and purpose of the meeting / briefing and their  roles
5. Set a fixed time for the meeting / briefing to begin and end and allocate the time  appropriately for each agenda item
6. State the purpose of the meeting / briefing at the start and check that all participants understand why they are present
7. Clarify specific objectives at the beginning of each agenda item
8. Encourage all participants to make clear, concise and constructive contributions from their perspectives, whilst acknowledging and building on the contributions of other participants
9. Discourage unhelpful comments and digressions, refocusing attention on the objectives of the meeting / briefing
10. Manage time flexibly; giving more time to particular agenda items, if necessary, whilst ensuring key objectives are met and participants are kept informed of changes in the agenda
11. Summarise the discussion at appropriate times and allocate action points to participants at the end of each agenda item
12. Take decisions within the meetings / briefings authority, remit or terms of reference
13. Observe any formal procedures or standing orders that apply to the meeting
14. Check that decisions and action points are accurately recorded and promptly communicated to those who need to know

1. The importance of establishing the purpose and objectives of the meeting / briefing and how to do so
2. The importance of confirming a meeting / briefing is the best way to achieve these  objectives
3. The importance of preparing how you will lead the meeting / briefing and how to do so
4. How to identify who needs to participate in the meeting, the importance of inviting participants, giving them sufficient notice to enable  them to attend and of informing participants of the role they will be expected to  play, the preparation they need to do and the importance of the meeting
5. How to identify if relevant information for participants is required in advance of the  meeting, the importance of circulating it in advance if it is required and briefing participants individually on the content and purpose of the  meeting / briefing and their roles
6. The importance of setting a fixed time for the meeting to begin and end, allocating time appropriately for each agenda item and how to allocate appropriate time
7. The importance of stating the purpose of the meeting at the start, checking that all participants understand why they are present and clarifying specific objectives at the beginning of each agenda item
8. The importance of encouraging all participants to make clear, concise and constructive contributions from their perspectives, whilst acknowledging and building on the contributions of other participants and how to do so
9. The importance of discouraging unhelpful comments and digressions, refocusing attention on the objectives of the meeting and how to do so
10. How to manage time flexibly, giving more time to particular agenda items, if necessary, whilst ensuring the key objectives are met and participants are kept informed of changes in the agenda
11. The importance of summarising the discussion at appropriate times and allocating action points to participants at the end of each agenda item and how to do so
12. The importance of taking decisions within the meetings’ / briefings’  authority, remit or terms of reference and how to do so
13. The importance of checking that decisions and action points are accurately recorded and promptly communicated to those who need to know
14. How to evaluate whether the purpose and objectives of the meeting / briefing have been achieved and how future meetings / briefings could be more effective 
15. Industry/sector requirements for leading meetings / briefings
16. The types and sources of information required in advance of the meeting / briefing
17. The meetings’ / briefings’ authority, remit or terms of reference
18. Any formal procedures or standing orders that apply to the meeting / briefing

The following behaviours are provided as guidance to underpin effective performance of a hospitality supervisor

1. You address multiple demands without losing focus or energy
2. You show respect for the views and actions of others
3. You present information clearly, concisely, accurately and in ways that promote understanding
4. You listen actively, ask questions, clarify points and rephrase others' statements to check mutual
5. You show integrity, fairness and consistency in decision-making
6. You make best use of existing sources of information
7. You check the validity and reliability of information
8. You present ideas and arguments convincingly and in ways that strike a chord with people
9. You articulate the assumptions made and risks involved in understanding a situation

This standard has particular links to HSL1-6, & HSL24, but has potential relevance to all other standards in the Hospitality Leadership & Supervision suite of standards