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Eleonore Breukel is the author of over 100 articles for various business magazines, newspapers and the virtual media.

She co-authored a book on how to do business in 19 countries across the world.

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Meetings that matter in Europe

Welcome in the European meeting room.

By Eleonore Breukel
Published in CBI* News 2006

While closing the door of the H&B meeting room in Frankfurt, Maria Sanchez from Bolivia realizes she had insufficient time to discuss the issues that matter to her. More importantly, she forgot to ask when to expect a final decision on the colours of the new fashion line so production back in Bolivia can get started.

• A meeting is not only a good occasion for networking, presenting products, discussing problems or communicating decisions.
• An effective meeting will take you a few steps further into understanding the activities in which you are involved.
• When it´s over, you should have a clear mission.
• Applying a format to each meeting you attend will help you make sure that all the key elements are integrated in the process. It will enable you to prepare well.

Here´s a good sequence to follow:

1. Preparation
2. Agenda
3. Communication
4. Content
5. Process
6. Conclusion
7. Follow up

To make sure the expectations of all participants are met you may want to ask the chairperson to circulate an initial agenda well before the meeting takes place. The chairperson may ask participants to add topics they feel are important.

Preparation
If you are a result-oriented business person, set a personal goal for each meeting or appointment, even if you are not heading the meeting. Make sure that sufficient information on the items you and other participants want to discuss is distributed to all participants, along with the final agenda so that everyone can come prepared. Follow up with the person organizing the meeting to make sure the material was distributed successfully. Make sure you have answered all the questions on the checklist for ´Successful meetings in Europe for global business travelers´.

In the Southern and South Eastern regions of the European Union the agenda is often taken as a loose guideline. There is room for new topics to arise on the spot. A speaker might talk at length about an issue unrelated to items on the agenda. If you’re attending a meeting in these regions, make sure that the chairperson gives you enough time to cover the points you want to address. In other parts of Europe, the agenda is typically followed more rigorously. Here it may be difficult to insert a new topic during the meeting, so make sure all the items you want to discuss are included in the agenda.

Content
Make sure your goals are aligned with the goals of the meeting and the organisation. Focus on what you want, give clear outlines on how your wishes might be conducted or implemented, provide time limits and a budget if necessary. Be specific. Know what you´re talking about and have your fact sheet at hand. In Northern and Western Europe you should start setting forth your goal or subject right away: be direct and do not waste time. In Southern and Eastern Europe you may take a bit more time for your introduction and give more detailed information.

Usually the chairperson will open the meeting, communicate the agenda and guard the flow of the meeting. At the end he will close the meeting. It is good to know in advance when it will be your turn to present your topic. Be aware of the business culture you are in, as it may affect what your meeting partners consider professional and may tell you how flexible or structured their organisation is. At the conclusion of the meeting you should be alert to make sure your wishes and suggestions have been set forth clearly. See the checklist (on page 10) for ideas on how to ask the right questions to make your meeting successful.

Follow-up
Your follow-up work will be different after each meeting, but follow-up essentially means ´doing what you promised to do’. This may vary from sending materials, charts or figures, to drawing up a contract or making phone calls. Thank the people you worked with by e-mail or phone and keep in touch with them. For people from Northern and Western Europe, keeping in touch means calling or e-mailing only when you have a good reason. In other parts of Europe you may give a call every once in a while or send an e-mail just to ask how your partner is doing.

Cultural differences
Although the elements of a meeting are the same all over the world, the way in which a meeting is typically conducted can vary from one region to another. In Spain (Southern Europe) the chairperson usually ‘directs’ the meeting with some authority, whereas in Denmark (Northern Europe) the chairperson ‘facilitates’ the meeting in an egalitarian way. In Germany (Western Europe) a meeting is highly time-oriented, whereas in Hungary (Eastern Europe) the meeting may be extended if the subject is important to those involved. In Northern Europe a meeting is usually held to collect information and opinions. After everyone has voiced his or her opinion a decision will be made at the meeting table. In other parts of Europe opinions are often gathered during informal, one-on-one meetings held long before the actual meeting: the decisions are made at the top and communicated during the actual meeting.

Open disagreements
People from different regions in Europe have different ways of communicating. Among North and Northwest Europeans disagreements, regardless of hierarchical differences, are acceptable and considered a sign of openness and honesty.

Meetings may take the form of brainstorming sessions. If an opinion that has been voiced is relevant to you, you can use it when it is your turn. In this way you create solidarity with the other participants.
Asking questions is usually perceived as a way of being involved in the topic and is a good way to make sure you have understood people’s comments. In the Southern and Eastern European regions speakers tend to expatiate on topics. Personal opinions are not as important as facts and people may not always be prepared to argue or disagree in the presence of a superior.

© Eleonore Breukel www.intercultural.nl ebreukel@intercultural.nl

* CBI’s mission is to contribute to the economic development of developing countries by strengthening the competitiveness of companies from these countries on the EU market.


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