Inion, Trixie Joy M. Mrs.

Crisitilita Lumilan
BME 1101 – B1A Assignment #1
Essay #1 as Presider
If you were the presider of a meeting, what is your vital role before and after the
meeting?
The main purpose of the presider of the meeting is to facilitate the process.
Usually, the president or chief executive of the corporation is the chairperson of the
meeting. Sometimes, the person in this position is seen as having more control than the
other members of the board, and in many respects that is real, but in most
organizations, the chair only has just one vote, just like all the other members.
If I were the presider, the way I can use my capability is to be a good meeting
facilitator to ensure that all the voices will be heard and that all the members will
participate. Being a high-quality facilitator does not always come easily. Having a
confidence and being dedicated to the mission is always a must have. These qualities
are important components of being a good leader. Although, this doesn’t mean that
having these qualities can make a person run a good meeting. A good leader knows
when to convince and advise, but a good chair knows when to exercise restraint and
tact in order to ensure that the rest of the board is empowered to express their opinions
and to engage in a healthy and productive debate at a meeting. When I’m organizing a
meeting, I must understand the role a facilitative leader well in order for me to run a
productive meeting. In addition, I will ask some advice to those who have experiences
already in being a presider for the reason that I do not have any experiences yet and
this will be my first time and for me to play the role not only as a good leader but as well
as a great meeting presider. Next step will be conducting the meeting according to the
agenda. Conducting a meeting may seems simple but the meeting can be easily
disorganized if I do not have a discipline in doing the task. It is not just the participants
who need to be kept on track, but also, I, as the presider should be focused on the
specific topic and orders of the day and I should not let anyone deviate the
conversation. However, if the members wish to change the subject, I should be
competent in the parliamentary process to introduce an effective motion that will do so
without taking valuable time away from the majority of the members or allowing one
member to dominate the group with remarks that are not applicable to the subject. Next
is that I should be responsible in protecting the rights of the members in the debate and
voting. I should make sure that all of the members who wish to speak on the topic will
get the chance. Some people are very vocal, they like to think loud, and they are very
comfortable voicing their minds at meetings. However, the other half of the people are
more introverted and prefer to express their thoughts in private, and when they are
ready to share them with the group, often in a very thoughtful and complete way and in
this, as the presider, I should recognize this kind of situation.
Meeting minutes is very important in a meeting. After the meeting, a written
record of everything that happened is a must have. A large part of the duties and
obligations of the chair as a meeting facilitator revolves around the process of the
meeting – enabling all views to be shared and preserving the professional image of the
company and the committee members. As a quality presider, I should be the one who
helps the members to shine and to share a leading role with them.