Bad Meetings

Level: Intermediate to Advanced                                    Time: 10 to 15 minutes                                               Focus: Discussion of cultural differences

This is a good way of rounding off a session on business meetings in which you have focused, for example, on useful phrases for interrupting, soliciting opinions, etc.

PREPARATION

Write a list of things which would be unacceptable to do or say in a fairly formal British or American business meeting. For example: smoking without asking, whispering while someone else has the floor, yawning, rocking your chair, getting too close, sitting with your arms crossed behind your head, sliding down low in your chair with your feet far out in front of you, fiddling with a pen or key chain, doodling, chewing gum or something similar, coming late and elaborately greeting everyone individually before you sit down, touching other participants when you speak to them, not making eye contact, eating something of your own (i.e. when no one else is eating).

PROCEDURE

Display or hand out a copy of your list. Allow students time to ask you about items they don’t understand.

Ask if these types of behaviour would be equally bad in their own culture(s).

Invite examples of bad behaviour in the students’ own cultures.

EXTENSION

Ask students if there are such things as informal business meetings in their country/culture where the rules of behaviour are more relaxed. Ask where these meetings might take place. Provided it is generally agreed that business meetings can be more or less formal, pair students up.

If partners are from different countries/cultures, ask them to tell each other which types of behaviour would be unacceptable even in an informal business meeting in their respective countries.

1. If partners are from the same country/culture, ask them to agree on what remains taboo.

If the pair discussions were lively, ask pairs briefly to report high points to the class.

VARIATION

Include a number of acceptable things on your list (e.g. ‘passing someone a note”, ‘loosening your tie’) and see if the class can spot them.