Case study

Hiroko is the administrative assistant for Wally, the general manager of City Cars, a group of vehicle dealerships with locations in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide. Hiroko is based at the head office in Sydney. She will be taking maternity leave shortly, so Wally has asked her to prepare detailed notes covering each of her major responsibilities.

One of these responsibilities is to coordinate several important meetings. Hiroko organises the bi-monthly board meetings, the fortnightly meetings between department heads at the Sydney location, and the monthly meetings between the operations managers of each site.

The board meeting routinely includes discussion of the current sales performance for each location and each department, review of the latest financial results, decisions on any facility changes, and status reports on proposed new Service Department locations. Each meeting may also include different items depending on current business concerns.

The department meeting includes a short report on sales versus expenses target for each manager, staffing issues, sharing information on key initiatives for each department, training initiatives and updates for the managers from Wally and the operations manager Donald, to the rest of the team.

The Operations managers meetings include a finance report, sales report and discussion of key concerns and initiatives. Murray Naismith attends to present the Finance Report. Other managers are invited as required by discussion items on the agenda.

As well as writing detailed work instructions, Hiroko decides to create templates for each of the major documents.

The board members are:

Wally Spychala Chairman and general manager, City Cars

Francine SpychalaTreasurer

Donald SpychalaOperations manager, City Cars Sydney

Graeme BryarBoard member

Eva PhloridesBoard member

Christine ChandraBoard member

Administrative assistant/secretary (currently performed by Hiroko)

The Operations managers are:

Donald SpychalaOperations manager, City Cars Sydney

Greg SpiteriOperations manager, City Cars Melbourne

John RobinsonOperations manager, City Cars Adelaide

The Department managers are:

Donald SpychalaOperations manager, City Cars Sydney

Adem AliNew car sales manager

Margaret GrinstedUsed car sales manager

Mark EdwardsService manager

Denise FarfallaMarketing manager

Trevor CashParts manager

Murray NaismithFinance manager

1.Prepare work instructions for coordinating the Board Meeting, including:

• issuing notices
• issuing agenda
• circulating documents in advance of the board meeting
• issuing minutes
• following-up action items.

2.Prepare templates for:

notice of the board meeting

minutes for the department managers meeting

agenda for the operations managers meeting.

3.Make a sample agenda for the operations managers meeting to be held at the Melbourne location at 10.00 a.m. on 14 November 2016 which Hiroko could include in the work instructions as an example.

4.What kinds of logistical arrangements might Hiroko need to make for the operation managers meeting? Make a checklist which covers these items.