Book Review: Members’ Meetings (2nd ed.)

Reviewer: John West

“Meetings are for people” according to Members’ meetings, and this book is the ideal tool to prepare people to get the most out of such meeting. Although based on a tight legal framework, this book delights in demonstrating the ways in which people can actively participate in the event of a meeting.

The text is divided into eleven key functional chapters which are surrounded by an introduction and conclusion. These chapters serve to highlight the roles played by meeting participants, as well as, the process to be followed during a meetings’ progression. This text is high on the legal framework, which underpins the procedural aspects of running and participating in a meeting. The author’s ability to link these ideas is a testament to his expertise in the law. In particular, where the text looks to describe ways in which meetings can be diverted from their intended agenda there are clear guidelines to what can and can’t be done, it is extremely clear.

The text has been squarely placed in a New Zealand framework, in the analysis of running meetings. It deals with issues relating to cultural sensitivity and cultural awareness in running a meeting, while different types of meetings held within a New Zealand Business framework are also considered.

Further resources are available to support this text from the author. These are described as being useful for full meeting skills training or teaching individual skill sets. For many, this may appear a small book. Member’s meetings is, however, a substantial publication which links the legal rigor of meeting procedure with the practical reality of running a meeting. Its ability to identify elements of this procedure and provide details in manageable chunks makes this resource an asset to all would be meeting participants. Something we must all endure at some point in time I am sure.