How to chair bilingual meetings effectively

Chairing any kind of meeting effectively is a mix of art and craft with some science thrown in for good measure. Chairing a bilingual meeting, whether it is in West Africa, Canada or Wales, for example, adds the requirement for ensuring that everyone at the meeting is comfortable with the languages being used.

It’s well known that variations in meaning of words and phrases in different languages – not to mention different dialects of the same language – can lead to misunderstandings. When chairing a board meeting it’s essential to ensure clarity from the start so the meeting can be run in an efficient and effective manner.

Obviously if there are two or more languages that people round the table speak then this needs to be catered for before proceedings begin. For many business owners and entrepreneurs looking to expand their operations into other parts of the world it’s crucial to prepare for bilingual board meetings.

Take China as an example. The country has been investing heavily in Africa in particular but how many West African business leaders can understand or speak Chinese? Although English is a common lingua franca, and French and Spanish are common in many African countries, there is a need to put into practice a range of techniques for the effective chairing of bilingual meetings.

Meeting preparations

When two – or sometimes more – languages are spoken at a board meeting it’s extremely important that all board members are comfortable with and clearly understand the proceedings.

It is, of course, helpful if the meeting chair can speak both the languages to be used but that is not always the case. Many business leaders have taken the time and effort to learn new languages that they consider will be useful as they develop their businesses, but it isn’t always possible.

There are four areas of board meeting preparation that need to be taken into account in a bilingual situation: notice of meeting, agenda, documentation and presentations.

Notice of meeting

A notice of a board meeting should be written in the languages to be used at the meeting itself. Some board members may be comfortable with, for example, English been used to conduct the meeting even though it isn’t their first language. Reading the notice in their own language engenders confidence that the business knows what it is doing and has thought through bilingual implications. The notice should also specify if the meeting will be conducted in two languages and if simultaneous interpretation will be available

Agenda preparation

For a large board meeting the organizer should make sure the agenda is written in both languages to be used, though for smaller meetings it could be agreed that an agenda for one meeting be written in one language and for the next in the other, though participants would need to agree this was appropriate.

Documents

The best way to deal with documentation is to have copies available in both languages and distribute both to all participants. When it comes to translations it’s worth hiring an expert linguist and translator who understand the finer nuances or have an in-house employee with that level of experience. Of course many board documents can be highly sensitive, in particular when it comes to finance, so care needs to be exercised when getting translations done. A bilingual glossary can be very helpful that relates to topics for discussion, and will assist board members wanting to improve their bilingual skills to learn quickly and retain the information. Key words and phrases as well as acronyms are good areas to concentrate on so members can familiarize themselves with them.

Chairing the meeting

If the meeting chair is comfortable in both languages to be spoken, even if a little nervous about skills in the second language, then he or she should move on with things. However a chair who is more uncertain about the second language expertise could look to a co-chair who is fluent in that language. Most people who speak two or more languages know their limitations but can perfectly easily both understand and make themselves understood. Structure and grammar may not be perfect and there is always likely to be an accent, but developing confidence in dealing with such issues can be impressive for board members, even encouraging them to improve their language skills.

Using a co-chair needs to be done with someone who has the required knowledge and is at the right level of authority so other members have faith in process.

Engaging participants

It should be made clear to participants that the meeting is bilingual and that they should feel free to speak whichever language they are most comfortable with. This where simultaneous translation comes into its own for those uncertain about some of the linguistic niceties in a language not their own. A good chair of a board has a responsibility to all board members that will encourage them to contribute in whichever language they feel most comfortable. Meetings can become passionate and it’s important that participants feel free to take part without concern about their other language skills.

Minutes and evaluation

Every board member needs to get minutes of the meeting as soon as possible so it’s important that the person responsible knows exactly how to record meeting minutes accurately and disseminate them in both languages. Some minutes may be highly confidential and all board members need to be aware of their responsibilities in ensuring that they remain so.

In the end, running a successful bilingual board meeting relies on a number of factors and in many ways it’s the team put together to service it that is the key. The chair, of course, has an essential role in taking decisions as to what needs to be prepared and put in place, but after a few meetings the team will know exactly what to do to provide appropriate materials, contract an translator and help every board member to be able to contribute fully. Business success is never guaranteed, but putting plans for bilingual meetings into action may make a real difference to how the business can grow.