FIRST VIRTUAL MEETING

Agenda: Meeting with Business Partners

 USA Based

 Tokyo Based

 Japan Based

Tasks

 Get to know each other

A. Introduce yourself

B. Introduce your Company

 Establish a language for Communication

A. English

 Set Schedule for Regular Meeting

 Virtual Meeting Online Platform

A. Zoom

B. Google Classroom

 Prepare for The Minutes of the Meeting

Assertive communication entails a variety of verbal and nonverbal

characteristics. Pipas and Jaradat (2010) and Bishop (2013) provide nine

examples:

 Direct eye contact demonstrates that the speaker is confident and unafraid.

 A confident stance or posture that strikes the right balance of strength and

casualness. Standing rigidly, for example, may be perceived as aggressive,

whereas slouching may be perceived as weak.

 The tone of one's voice. A strong voice conveys assertiveness, but raising one's

voice demonstrates aggression and is likely to elicit anger.

 Expression on the face. Expressions that are neither angry nor anxious are

required to convey the intended message.

 Timing. Assertive communication must be executed at the appropriate time (for

example, making requests from one's spouse during a dinner party is unlikely).

 Nonthreatening, non-blaming language. For example, language such as “If you

continue to do that, you will be sorry!” is threatening rather than assertive.

 Clarity. For example, “Can you please not be that way?” is vague, while “Can

you please not walk away when we’re talking?” more clearly conveys the

speaker’s needs.


 Positive language. For example, making a negative request (“Will you stop

leaving your papers all over the house?”) is less effective than a positive request

(“Here is a divider I’ve set up. Will you please place your papers here?”).

 Language without criticism of one’s self or others. For example, phrases such as

“I know I’m overly sensitive, but could you please not use that word?” and

“Didn’t anyone ever teach you any manners?” are critical rather than assertive.

Efficient and Productive Meeting

 Objective-driven

The whole point of meetings is to get something done. When holding a

meeting, state your objective clearly, so everyone’s input would be directed towards

achieving that particular goal. You don’t want your trail of conversation going in all

directions.

Engaging

We all know that kind of class in school that made us fall asleep—the one

with an hour-long lecture that left us staring into space. A productive meeting

encourages everyone to participate and contribute ideas instead of forcing them to pay

attention to one person’s powerpoint presentation.

Conducive

A conducive environment would naturally squeeze everyone’s creative and

logical juices. A scenic view could be a source of inspiration; a snack break or lunch

break for longer meetings would sustain everyone’s energy. Find ways to make your

meeting encouraging and beneficial for attendees and they’ll look forward to it.
Concise

You are aware that people are allotting a time of their day to attend your

meeting instead of accomplishing their daily tasks. Try to make it as brief as possible.

It helps to have an outline of points to discuss to avoid unnecessary topics. Long

meetings are necessary at times, but your goal is to keep them from lasting any longer

than needed.

Run by a great leader

Although everyone contributes to achieving a meeting’s objective, it’s

important to have a great leader running the meeting. That leader would determine if a

question has been answered or a decision has been made, and call to move on to the

next agendum. That leader would acknowledge everyone’s inputs and help the group

rationalize ideas and come up with solutions.