Meeting Essentials

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Meeting Essentials A business English study guide to communicating effectively in meetings

2nd Edition

Written by James Moss Audio produced & recorded by Paul Meredith Online activities by James Moss

Copyright 2009 Business English Pod Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. Published 2008 (2nd Edition 2009)

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Meeting Essentials 2nd Edition Table of Contents (Click a unit title to jump to the start of that unit) 1.

Unit 201 - Introduction

pg 4-5

2.

Unit 202 – Expressing Opinions

pg 6-14

3.

Unit 203 – Agreeing

pg 15-24

4.

Unit 204 – Disagreeing

pg 25-32

5.

Unit 205 – Making Suggestions

pg 33-39

6.

Unit 206 – Accepting and Rejecting Suggestions

pg 40-46

7.

Unit 207 – Clarifying What Was Said

pg 47-56

8.

Unit 208 – Clarifying What Was Meant

pg 57-65

9.

Unit 209 – Opening a Meeting

pg 66-74

10.

Unit 210 – Managing the Discussion

pg 75-84

11.

Unit 211 – Interrupting and Resisting Interruption

pg 85-95

12.

Unit 212 – Discussing Problems (Part 1)

pg 96-105

13.

Unit 213 – Discussing Problems (Part 2)

pg 106-115

14.

Unit 214 – Finishing Up and Action Points

pg 116-124

15.

Example Phrases by Function

pg 125-136

16.

Audio & Online Activities (Click here to go to the webpage)

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Meeting Essentials This is an e-book brought to you by Business English Pod, the leading provider of on-demand audio and study tools for business English communication skills, on the Web at www.businessenglishpod.com. My name is Clayton and I’ll be your host for this series. Whether you love them or hate them, meetings are part of almost every job. So performing well in meetings is a very important skill. People who can express their opinions, disagree politely, handle the discussion with skill and diplomacy – these kinds of people succeed in their careers and rise to the top in their companies. Meetings come in many types. They include large, formal conferences, like yearend meetings, and small informal discussions, like a quick chat between team leaders and their staff. In this 12-chapter e-book on meeting skills, we will learn useful language for meetings of many different types. The goal is to study all the essentials you need for participating actively in, and, when required, leading and managing the discussion. First we will cover agreeing, disagreeing and expressing opinions in three chapters. The next two parts look at making, accepting, and rejecting suggestions. After that, we’ll handle asking for and giving clarification, in two sections. Finally, in the last four chapters, we’ll look at running a meeting; this includes kicking it off, managing the discussion, dealing with interruptions, and finishing up. In all, this e-book has over four hours of information-packed audio lessons. The accompanying study notes contain a complete transcript of every chapter, vocabulary definitions, extra practice questions, and study strategies. And you can access a wide variety of additional listening and language development exercises on the website, at www.businessenglishpod.com. In each chapter, I will introduce the topic, then I’ll play a dialog that demonstrates the key concepts. Afterwards, in the “debrief” section, I’ll take you through the main points and explain important vocabulary and idioms. For each skill, we’ll learn more phrases that you can use. Then, finally, in the practice section of each debrief, you will have the opportunity to use some of the language you learned. Learners often ask me how to study more efficiently and effectively. I have some suggestions. Listen to each chapter and practice the example phrases multiple times. First listen without the transcript; then, when you have time, go back and listen again with the transcript. Underline and look up words you don’t

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understand. It’s important to study vocabulary in context: Pay attention to collocations, or word partnerships, and words in whole sentences, with their accompanying prepositions and other grammatical characteristics. Do the practice section of each debrief at least a couple times; try substituting different language the second time you practice. Substitution helps you increase your fluency, that is, your ability to say the same thing in many ways. You can also record yourself, write and act out dialogs, and practice together with a learning partner. These and many more strategies are covered in the study notes for each chapter. Meeting Essentials is targeted for intermediate learners at or around the Common European Framework (CEF) level B2. This corresponds to a BULATS score of 3 or higher or an IELTS score of 5 or higher. The materials are designed, however, to be useful to students at a variety of levels: Intermediate learners will focus initially on language development whereas upper-intermediate and more advanced learners can zoom in on skills development, high-level vocabulary, fluency, confidence and enhancement of overall professionalism. Meeting Essentials is an official publication of Business English Pod, Ltd., copyright 2008, all rights reserved.

What’s Included? All Business English Pod e-books come with a variety of study resources to provide learners with maximum flexibility and value. You can access and download all the materials for this e-book on this webpage: http://www.businessenglishpod.com/learningcenter2/ebooks/meeting-essentials/

Each e-book includes the following resources:

Podcasts

Study Notes

MP3 lessons you can download to your computer, MP3 player or mobile phone.

PDF lesson transcripts with extra vocabulary and language exercises.

PhraseCasts

Online Activities

Compact MP3’s featuring the dialog, phrases and speaking practice.

Interactive Flash quizzes, transcripts, exercises and flashcards.

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Meeting Essentials Unit 202 – Expressing Opinions In this Business English Pod episode, we’ll be looking at ways to give and ask for opinions. We’ll be looking both at more formal (or careful) language as well as at more informal (or direct) language. Giving and asking for opinions is a very important part of meetings and discussions of all types. First let’s listen to a more formal situation. We’ll be listening to part of a meeting at DigiSoft, a multinational software company. Sheila, a vice president, is talking to Walt, George and Bruce, three software engineers, about the deadline for the new software release. Release here means launch: That is, bring the product onto the market.

Vocabulary BEP 202a - Formal/Careful Let’s move on to the topic of…: Way of changing to another topic in a formal (or careful) manner. “Ok, let’s move on to the topic of management decentralization.” Release date: Date on which a product appears on the market. “I’m afraid we have to move the release date to April since we’re still fixing some bugs.” Launch: To release a product onto the market. “Last April we launched the new version of our software onto the market.” I tend to feel that...: Way to express your opinion in a formal (or careful) manner. “I tend to feel that we haven’t tested the product enough for it to be released next week.” What’s your reaction to that? Way to encourage others to express their opinion to something in a formal (or careful) manner. “I feel that we should focus more on quality control. What’s your reaction to that Tony?” Well, from my point of view…: Way to express your opinion in a formal (or careful) manner. “Well, from my point of view, the improvement of our customer care services needs to be top priority.” May I come in here? Way to interrupt someone in a formal (or careful) manner. “Excuse me, Sue, may I come in here?” It seems to me that…: Way to express your opinion in a formal (or careful) manner.”It seems to me that staff morale has decreased over the last months.” Bugs: Problems with computer software. “There are a few bugs with the system, so we are going to have to do a slight redesign.” Update engine: A framework that can help developers to keep their software upto-date. “We need to revise the update engine to make sure all the bugs are removed.”

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businessenglishpod BEP 202b – Informal/Direct What did you think? Way of asking someone about their opinion in an informal manner. “I really liked that our trip to Thailand. What did you think, Joe?” Rub it in: To remind someone on purpose of something that is uncomfortable or painful. “Every time I make a mistake, she just loves to rub it in.” Overtime: Extra hours spent working. “Anything over 40 hours per week is considered working overtime here.” To burn the midnight oil: To work late into the night. “I had to burn the midnight oil to get the product done.”

Dialogs BEP 202a - Formal/Careful Sheila: So, let’s move on to the topic of release date. Gentlemen, when do you think we will be able to launch this product? Walt? Walt: Well, I tend to feel that... we should probably be able to start testing the product in April. That means that if all goes well, we can have a first release in May or June. Sheila: I see. Thank you, Walt. What’s your reaction to that Bruce? Bruce: May or June...Well, from my point of view...that sounds about right. George: Excuse me, may I come in here? I wonder if I could say something. Sheila: Go ahead, George. What would you like to add? George: Well, it seems to me that May is much, much too early. Actually, we are still having some pretty major problems with bugs in the update engine, and I just don’t see how we will be able to... BEP 202b – Informal/Direct Ok, now let’s listen to George, Bruce and Walt walk into the break room right after the meeting. Sheila, their boss, is not here; this is a more informal situation. Bruce: Hey guys, did you see the Chelsea/Liverpool game last night? What did you think, Walt? Quite a game, huh? Chelsea looked pretty good! Walt: You always have to rub it in, don’t you Bruce. You know I’m a Liverpool fan. Bruce: How about you, George? George: Actually, that was one of the greatest games I’ve ever seen. But the way you guys keep telling the boss we can finish the product by May, none of us are going to have time to watch any more football games. We’re all going to be working overtime every night, burning the midnight oil!

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Meeting Essentials Debrief So now you’ve heard both formal and informal dialogs. Let’s look at the formal conversation. How does Sheila ask for her employees’ opinions? Sheila is in charge. She is the boss and the chairperson of the meeting. One way for her to ask for an employee’s opinion is simply to say his name with a rising intonation or tone. Sheila: ... Gentlemen, when do you think we will be able to launch this product? Walt? Sheila also uses some other ways to ask for her employees’ opinions. All these ways are relatively formal. They signal that this is a formal meeting. She says.. Sheila: I see. Thank you, Walt. What’s your reaction to that, Bruce? And: Sheila: Go ahead, George. What would you like to add? Together with these speakers, try some other formal phrases for asking for an opinion:    

How do you feel about that, Cecilia? Could you please share your thoughts on that, Sam? What’s your view on this, Richard? Tony, what’s your feeling on this?

Now, let’s look at the language Walt, Bruce and George use to express their opinions in a formal situation. Walt says... Walt: Well, I tend to feel that we should be able to start testing the product in April... This language—“I tend to feel that”—shows a careful, formal tone. Walt uses this tone because he is talking to his boss, and perhaps because he is not sure whether or not the others will agree with him. Let’s keep listening. Sheila: I see. Thank you, Walt. What’s your reaction to that, Bruce? Bruce: May or June...Well, from my point of view...that sounds about right. Bruce likewise uses more formal, careful language—“Well, from my point of view.” This makes him sound more polite, since he is talking to his boss. In addition, it gives him time to think. Giving yourself time to think is another reason to use these phrases. How about George? How did he offer his opinion?

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businessenglishpod George: ... I wonder if I could say something. Sheila: Go ahead, George. What would you like to add? George: Well, it seems to me that May is much, much too early. Think about the ways that George uses to express his opinion—“I wonder if I could say something,” and “Well, it seems to me that....” These ways expression are also quite careful. George has a good reason to be careful, doesn’t he? He disagrees with his colleagues. Now let’s practice some further formal (or careful) phrases for expressing your opinion:   

I have the impression that...he didn’t really want to come. Don’t you think that that’s a little early? I tend to feel it’s a bit too early to start.

Next, let’s turn to the more informal discussion between Walt, Bruce and George. Remember, they are in the break room right after the meeting. Bruce asks George and Walt: Bruce: Hey guys, did you see the Chelsea/Liverpool game last night? What did you think, Walt? Quite a game, huh? Chelsea looked pretty good! This is an informal, relaxed discussion among colleagues. You can tell it’s informal because Bruce uses the informal word “guys” to address George and Walt. Also, he says “What do you think?” This is an informal way to ask for an opinion. Walt says: Walt: You always have to rub it in, don’t you Bruce. You know I’m a Liverpool fan. “To rub something in” is an idiom. It means to remind someone on purpose of something that is uncomfortable or painful. Here, it is done as a joke. It sounds like Walt is a Liverpool fan and he is unhappy because Chelsea won the game. Let’s keep listening. Bruce: How about you, George? George: Actually, that was one of the greatest games I’ve ever seen. “How about you?” is another direct way to ask for an opinion. Next, notice how George starts his sentence with “actually.” “Actually” is a direct or informal way to state an opinion. It shows us that George has something new or surprising to say. With George, practice more direct ways to state an opinion:    

The point is...we’re doing very well in this market. The way I see it, we’re heading for trouble. Obviously, there’s only one choice. Basically, I think we have two options.

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Meeting Essentials Finally, let’s listen to the end of the dialog again. Bruce: How about you, George? George: Actually, that was one of the greatest games I’ve ever seen. But the way you guys keep telling the boss we can finish the product by May, none of us are going to have time to watch any more football games. George means that if Bruce and Walt keep telling the boss that they can meet the May deadline, everyone is going to have to work very hard; in fact, they are going to have to work so hard that they won’t have time to watch any football games. Listen to some more examples of this sentence pattern: The way you are always looking at her, she’s going to think you have fallen in love with her. This means, “Because you are looking at her very often, she will think that you have fallen in love with her.” The way we are working, we’re never going to finish the project in time. This means, “If we keep working this slowly, we will not be able to finish the project on time.” One last time, let’s listen to the final part of the dialog again. George: ... We’re all going to be working overtime every night, burning the midnight oil! “To burn the midnight oil” is an idiom. It means to work hard, or to work late into the night, until past midnight. Because it is dark, you have to burn a candle or a light, thus you have to burn the midnight oil. Now, let’s practice what we’ve learned today. First, we’ll try using the formal phrases we learned today for expressing an opinion. Imagine you are leading a meeting at your company. In the prompt, you’ll hear the name of one of your employees, and a topic. After the beep, use some of the phrases you have learned today to ask for his or her opinion about that topic. For example, if you hear, “Sheila, stock price” you can say, “How do you feel about the stock price, Sheila?” Let’s give it a try. 1) Prompt: “George, new product launch” Learner: 2) Prompt: “Jenny, sales performance” Learner: 3) Prompt: “Max, employee turnover issue” Learner: © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com

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businessenglishpod Now, listen to some possible answers. 1) Prompt: “George, new product launch” Learner: Could you please share your thoughts on the new product launch, George? 2) Prompt: “Jenny, sales performance” Learner: Jenny – what’s your view on the sales performance. 3) Prompt: “Max, employee turnover issue” Learner: Max, what are your feelings on the employee turnover issue? Good, now let’s practice giving an opinion. Imagine you work at DigiSoft and you are attending a meeting with you manager, Pat. First you’ll hear a prompt telling you whether you should be formal and careful, or informal and direct. Then, Pat will ask a question. After the beep, respond appropriately with your own opinion. You should make up any details you need. 1) Prompt: Careful, formal. Pat: So, do you think we should release the product this month? Learner: 2) Prompt: Careful, formal. Pat: What do you think of our customer’s new product? Learner: 3) Prompt: Direct, informal. Pat: So what should we do to increase sales? Learner:

Now, listen to some example answers. Of course, your answers will be different. These are just provided for reference. 1) Prompt: Careful, formal. Pat: So, do you think we should release the product this month? Learner: Hmmm. Don’t you think that’s a little early? I tend to think we should release it next month. 2) Prompt: Careful, formal. Pat: What do you think of our customer’s new product? Learner: Well, I have the impression that it’s a very good product. 3) Prompt: Direct, informal. Pat: So what should we do to increase sales? Learner: The way I see it, we should be advertising in more places.

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Meeting Essentials How did you do? To increase fluency, try substituting different language when you practice again. That concludes this episode. We’ve practiced formal and informal ways of giving and asking for opinions. In the next chapter, we will be looking at ways of agreeing and disagreeing in meetings and discussions.

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businessenglishpod Language Review A. Jumbled Sentences Rearrange the jumbled sentences to make phrases you can use to ask or state an opinion: 1) what’s that reaction to your Bruce 2) Simon comments any 3) the impression I have that 4) as I am concerned as far 5) my view of point from

B. Review of Key Language To review important language and phrases, fill in the blanks with language from the box. Then, in the space provided after each sentence, indicate whether it is for ASKING for an opinion for EXPRESSING an opinion. If it is the later, indicate whether it is FORMAL (careful/indirect) or INFORMAL (direct). The first one has been done for you. don’t

point share

impression

views obviously

way tend

basically

feelings

1) How do you ___feel___ about that, Cecilia? __Asking__ 2) Could you please _________ your thoughts on that, Sarah? _________ 3) What’s your __________ on this, Richard? ___________ 4) Frank, what’s your ____________ on this? __________ 5) I have the __________ that...he didn’t really want to come. ___________ 6) ___________ you think that that’s a little early. ___________ 7) I ___________ to feel it’s a bit too early to start. ___________ 8) The ___________ is...we’re doing very well in this market. ___________ 9) The ___________ I see it, we’re heading for trouble. ___________ 10)

______________, there’s only one choice. ___________

11)

_____________, I think we have two options. ___________

Study Strategy What topics do you like to talk about? Sports? Stock market? Culture? Film? Write down five questions that you find interesting, then practice answering them. You can also practice role playing with a friend. Make a conscious effort to use the phrases we’ve practiced in this episode.

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Meeting Essentials Answers Language Review A. 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)

Jumbled sentences What’s your reaction to that Bruce? Any comments, Simon? My impression is that … As far as I am concerned … From my point of view …

B. Review of Key Language 1-4 are ASKING for an opinion; 4-7 are FORMAL (careful/indirect) phrases for EXPRESSING an opinion; 8-11 are INFORMAL (direct) phrases for EXPRESSING an opinion. 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11)

How do you feel about that, Cecilia? Could you please share your thoughts on that, Sam? What’s your view on this, Richard? Tony, what’s your feeling on this? I have the impression that...he didn’t really want to come. Don’t you think that that’s a little early. I tend to feel it’s a bit too early to start. The point is...we’re doing very well in this market. The way I see it, we’re heading for trouble. Obviously, there’s only one choice Basically, I think we have two options.

Online Practice Click the “Launch” button to open the online practice:

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businessenglishpod Unit 203 - Agreeing Welcome back to Business English Pod! Today’s episode is the first part in a two-part series looking at agreeing and disagreeing. In these two episodes, we’ll be practicing different levels of agreement and disagreement, from weak to strong. Appropriate agreement and disagreement is an important part of all meetings and discussions. In this podcast we focus on agreement. In the second show, we’ll look at disagreement. Today’s listening is from a meeting in the R&D department of PharmaTek, a pharmaceutical company. Pharmaceutical means medicine (or drug). This meeting is between Gene, the head scientist, and Louis and Carina, two researchers. They are talking about the results of a new trial. Here, “trial” means “test”—the test of a new medicine on animals or patients. The new medicine is called Zorax. What language do the speakers use to agree with each other? Let’s listen.

Dialog Gene: So, what do you think about the new Zorax trial? This could be the drug we’ve all been waiting for. I think it’s going to be a big seller. Louis: So do I. Carina: I’m sorry, but I really can’t agree. After all, so far we’ve only carried out two trials. And don’t forget the strange results from the first trial. Louis: Yes, I admit, the first trial was a little disappointing; but that doesn’t take anything away from these new results. Absolutely amazing! Gene: Yes, fantastic, aren’t they? Louis: Especially for men over 60. Carina: Don’t you think it’s still a little early to be so sure? Perhaps we shouldn’t count our chickens before they’re hatched. I still think there may still be some issues with Zorax. Gene: Do you really think so? Anyway, we don’t have anything else coming down the pipeline right now. We have to try to make this work. Carina: Yes, of course, but our patients come first. Gene: The patients always come first. We won’t forget that. Now, Carina, let’s talk about these issues one by one... © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com

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Meeting Essentials Vocabulary (To be a) big seller: A product that sells very well. “In a year’s time, the majority of our revenue could come from sales of this new product, so it’s fair to say that it’s a big seller.” (To carry out/conduct a) trial: In the pharmaceutical or medicine industry, this refers to trying out a new medicine or drug on animals and, later, human beings. “This chemical looks promising, but we need to conduct human trials to be sure.” Amazing: In slang/informal use, this just means very, very good. “My trip to Brazil last week was amazing! I really could’ve stayed there some more days.” Fantastic: In slang/informal use, this means very, very good (like “amazing” above). “We had a fantastic time last night at our Christmas party – you should have come!” To count one’s chickens before they’ve (they’re) hatched: Idiom. This saying criticizes the attitude of counting on something before it has been confirmed. “I know that we have a lot of possible new contracts, but we shouldn’t count our chickens before they’ve hatched. We need to be more conservative in our earnings estimates for the new year.” (To have/to be) an/some issue(s): In many industries, this is jargon (industry language) for having a problem. “Issue” sounds less serious and more positive than “problem.” “We’re having some issues with the new software, but nothing that can’t be solved before the product launch in two months.” To be coming down the pipeline: Idiom. Refers to something in the future (usually a product or a new project) that is still in the planning stages. “As for next year, we have several projects coming down the pipeline that might interest you.” To come first: To be the priority. “Our sales team should come first next year when we upgrade computers – they really need new laptops.” One-by-one: One at a time. “Let’s deal one-by-one with the problems you raised.”

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businessenglishpod Debrief Okay, now, let’s look at ways to agree. Remember, Louis agrees with Gene about the trial. Gene: So, what do you think about the new Zorax trial? This could be the drug we’ve all been waiting for. I think it’s going to be a big seller. Louis: So do I. Here, the short answer, “so do I” means “I think so too.” This is a common way to show agreement. The agreement is strong. Here are some more examples. A: I hate working in the evening. B: So do I. Here, “so do I” means “I hate working in the evening too.” You can also say “I do too.” A: I hate working in the evening. B: I do too. In negative sentences, you can also say “I don’t either,” “neither do I,” or “nor do I.” “Nor” sounds more formal than “neither.” A: I don’t like tomatoes. B: I don’t either. A: I don’t have time this weekend. B: Neither do I. A: We don’t want to lose this deal. B: Nor do we. In short answers, sometimes you need to use modal verbs (such as will, can, should, would and so on). A: We won’t do that. B: Neither will we. A: We can wait two more weeks. B: So can we. In addition to short answers, there are other ways to agree. For example, you can use a standard phrase. Let’s look at some standard phrases for agreeing.      

I entirely agree with you. You’re quite right. I couldn’t agree more. That’s exactly how I see it. That’s just how I feel. That’s exactly how I feel about it.

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Meeting Essentials  

Exactly! Absolutely!

Another way to agree is to use a synonym. Synonym means a word with the same meaning. For example “amazing” and “fantastic” are synonyms. Listen again. Louis: Yes, I admit, the first trial was a little disappointing; but that doesn’t take anything away from these new results. Absolutely amazing. Gene: Yes, fantastic, aren’t they? Here are some more words that mean very, very good.    

Terrific! Wonderful! Splendid! Marvelous!

And here are some words that mean very, very bad.  Awful.  Terrible.  Pathetic.  Miserable. Listen to another example. A: That was just a miserable day. B: Yes, awful, wasn’t it? A: Totally pathetic. Ok, so far, we’ve looked at two ways to agree: You can use a standard phrase, or you can use a synonym. Another way to agree is to use an example. Louis uses this way to agree with Gene. Let’s listen again. Louis: Yes, I admit, the first trial was a little disappointing; but that doesn’t take anything away from these new results. Absolutely amazing. Gene: Yes, fantastic, aren’t they? Louis: Especially for men over 60. “Especially for men over 60” is an example: an example of the amazing results. This is agreeing by using an example. Let’s practice some more examples of agreeing this in way. A: This food is great. B: Especially the chicken! A: Michael Ballack looked great last night. B: Especially the way he passed the ball. That was amazing!

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businessenglishpod Finally, we’ll look at one more way of agreeing—agreeing by making a general comment. Listen to Gene agree with Carina. Gene: ...We have to try to make this work. Carina: Yes, of course, but our patients come first. Gene: The patients always come first. We won’t forget that. “The patients always come first” is a general comment that shows agreement with Carina. Let’s listen to another example of using a general comment to agree. A: Chinese food is delicious. B: Yes, all Asian food is. Great! Now you’ve learned several appropriate ways to agree in a meeting or discussion. Before we end the podcast today, let’s look at a couple idioms that are used in the dialog. Listen to the end of the dialog. Carina: Perhaps we shouldn’t count our chickens before they’re hatched. I still think there may still be some issues with Zorax. Carina says the company shouldn’t “count its chickens before they’re hatched.” “Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched” is an idiom (or proverb). The verb “to hatch” means to come out of an egg. When a baby chicken comes out of the egg, we say the “chicken hatches.” In this idiom, the eggs represent potential (or possible) profit: We shouldn’t count it until we’re sure of it. There’s also another idiomatic expression in Carina’s speech: “I still think there may still be some issues with Zorax.” She says there may be “issues” with Zorax. In business, “issues” means problems. So Carina means that there may be problems with Zorax. How does Gene respond? Listen again. Carina: Perhaps we shouldn’t count our chickens before they’re hatched. I still think there may still be some issues with Zorax. Gene: Do you really think so? Anyway, we don’t have anything else coming down the pipeline right now. We have to try to make this work. Gene says the company “doesn’t have any more products coming down the pipeline right now.” This is another idiom. Pipeline means pipe; water travels through pipes to get to your office or house. If there are no more products coming down the pipeline, that means there are no more new products coming out of R&D. We can also use this idiom to talk about business, projects and so on. For example, A: How does next year look for us? B: Don’t worry. There’s a lot of business coming down the pipeline.

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Meeting Essentials Now it’s your turn. First, let’s practice agreeing with short statements such as “so do I,” “I do too,” “neither do we,” and so on. You’ll hear a series of comments. After the beep, agree appropriately with each comment by using a short statement. Are you ready? Cue 1: I love chocolate. Learner: Cue 2: I don’t really like working overtime. Learner: Cue 3: We’re going on holiday in March. Learner: Cue 4: We’re not going to hire any new employees next year. Learner: How did you do? Listen to some example answers. Cue 1: I love chocolate. Answer: So do I. Cue 2: I don’t really like working overtime. Answer: Neither do I. Cue 3: We’re going on holiday in March. Answer: So are we! Cue 4: We’re not going to hire any new employees next year. Answer: Nor are we. Now, let’s practice using standard phrases to agree. Standard phrases include, “I entirely agree with you,” or “You’re quite right,” or “I couldn’t agree more,” and so on. After each beep, use a standard phrase to agree. When appropriate, you may also wish to use expressions that mean very good, like, “Yes, terrific isn’t it?” or expressions that mean very bad, like, “I know – it’s awful, isn’t it?” Let’s begin. Cue 1: It’s time to stop investing in the stock market and put your money in something safer. Learner: Cue 2: Wow, it was a really hard day. Learner: Cue 3: Well, I really think we can expect good things from the new employee. Learner: Cue 4: That meeting was great! What a success! Learner: © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com

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businessenglishpod How did you do? Here are some example answers so you can check. Cue 1: It’s time to stop investing in the American stock market and put your money in something safer. Answer: That’s exactly how I see it. Cue 2: Wow, it was a really hard day. Answer: Yes, terrible, wasn’t it? Cue 3: Well, I really think we can expect good things from the new employee. Answer: That’s just how I feel. Cue 4: That meeting was great! What a success! Answer: Yes, wonderful, wasn’t it? Remember it’s always a good idea to go back and try the practice again. Substitute different language to build up fluency. Well, that’s about all. We’ve looked at many different ways of appropriately agreeing, as we as some useful idioms. In the next chapter coming down the pipeline, we’ll be looking closely at different ways to express agreement. Thanks for listening!

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Meeting Essentials Language Review A. Short Answer and Standard Phrases Part 1: To review short answers for agreeing, match the responses on the right with the dialogs on the left. 1)

I don’t have time this weekend.

a)

Nor do we.

2)

We don’t want to lose this deal.

b)

Neither do I.

3)

We can wait two more weeks.

c)

I do too.

4)

I hate working in the evening.

d)

So can we.

B: To review common phrases, put the following jumbled sentences in order: 1) entirely I 2) quite 3) ’t

I

you

6) how

you

right

’re

more

4) exactly 5) how

agree

agree

that

just

exactly

couldn

how

that

I

I ’s

with

see

feel it

I

it ’s

’s feel

about

that

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businessenglishpod B. Agreeing with Examples. To practice agreeing by giving examples, fill in the blanks with the words from the box. Then, match the statements on the left with the responses on the right. Take note of key language for giving examples, such as, "Just have/take a look at...," "Just look at...," "Take thix xx, for example," etc. take

example

look

instance

especially

1)

This food is great.

a) Yeah. Just ______ at Fred -- he hasn't made a sale in months.

2)

Michael Ballack looked great last night.

b) ________ the chicken!

3)

The food is great, isn't it?

4)

Africa is a big place.

c) Yes, ________ just Sudan alone -slightly more than a quarter the size of the US! d) Yes! Take this pizza, for _________. Delicious!

5)

A lot of the younger guys in the sales department just can't keep up. Chinese food is delicious.

e) For ________ the way he passed the ball. That was amazing!

Learning work.

g) Yes, all Asian food is.

6) 7)

Spanish

is

hard

f) Learning any language is difficult.

Study Strategy Take any of the short exchanges in exercise A or B above and develop it into a full dialog. You can either do this by role playing with a friend, or by actually writing out the dialog. As you practice, be sure to use the different strategies we’ve studied for agreeing.

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Meeting Essentials Answers A. Short Answers and Standard Phrases Part 1: Short Answers 1)

I don’t have time this weekend.

Neither do I. (b)

2)

We don’t want to lose this deal.

Nor do we. (a)

3)

We can wait two more weeks.

So can we. (d)

4)

I hate working in the evening.

I do too. (c)

Part 2: Standard phrases 1) I entirely agree with you. 2) You’re quite right. 3) I couldn’t agree more. 4) That’s exactly how I see it. 5) That’s just how I feel. 6) That’s exactly how I feel about it. B. 1)

This food is great.

Especially the chicken! (b)

3)

Michael Ballack looked great last night. The food is great, isn't it?

For example the way he passed the ball. That was amazing! (e) Yes! Take this pizza, for instance. Delicious! (d)

4)

Africa is a big place.

Yes, take just Sudan alone -- slightly more than a quarter the size of the US! (c)

5)

A lot of the younger guys in the sales department just can't keep up.

Yeah. Just look at Fred – he hasn't made a sale in months. (a)

6)

Chinese food is delicious.

Yes, all Asian food is. (g)

7)

Learning Spanish is hard work.

Learning any language is difficult. (f)

2)

Online Practice Click the “Launch” button to open the online practice:

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businessenglishpod Unit 204 – Disagreeing In the previous episode of this two-part series, we looked at expressing agreement. We practiced four ways of agreeing: Using standard phrases, using synonyms, giving an example and making a general comment. Today, we’re going to focus on disagreement. We’ll learn different ways to disagree, from polite to strong. Appropriate expression of agreement and disagreement is an important part of all meetings and discussions. As you’ll remember, the listening takes place in the R&D department of PharmaTek, a pharmaceutical company. Pharmaceutical means medicine (or drug). This meeting is between Gene, the head scientist, and Louis and Carina, two researchers. They are talking about the results of a new trial. Here, “trial” means “test”—the test of a new medicine on animals or patients. The new medicine is called Zorax. Let’s listen.

Dialog Gene: So, what do you think about the new Zorax trial? This could be the drug we’ve all been waiting for. I think it’s going to be a big seller. Louis: So do I. Carina: I’m sorry, but I really can’t agree. After all, so far we’ve only carried out two trials. And don’t forget the strange results from the first trial. Louis: Yes, I admit, the first trial was a little disappointing; but that doesn’t take anything away from these new results. Absolutely amazing! Gene: Yes, fantastic, aren’t they? Louis: Especially for men over 60. Carina: Don’t you think it’s still a little early to be so sure? Perhaps we shouldn’t count our chickens before they’re hatched. I still think there may still be some issues with Zorax. Gene: Do you really think so? Anyway, we don’t have anything else coming down the pipeline right now. We have to try to make this work. Carina: Yes, of course, but our patients come first. Gene: The patients always come first. We won’t forget that. Now, Carina, let’s talk about these issues one by one...

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Meeting Essentials Vocabulary (To be a) big seller: A product that sells very well. “In a year’s time, the majority of our revenue could come from sales of this new product, so it’s fair to say that it’s a big seller.” (To carry out/conduct a) trial: In the pharmaceutical or medicine industry, this refers to trying out a new medicine or drug on animals and, later, human beings. “This chemical looks promising, but we need to conduct human trials to be sure.” Amazing: In slang/informal use, this just means very, very good. “My trip to Brazil last week was amazing! I really could’ve stayed there some more days.” Fantastic: In slang/informal use, this means very, very good (like “amazing” above). “We had a fantastic time last night at our Christmas party – you should have come!” To count one’s chickens before they’ve (they’re) hatched: Idiom. This saying criticizes the attitude of counting on something before it has been confirmed. “I know that we have a lot of possible new contracts, but we shouldn’t count our chickens before they’ve hatched. We need to be more conservative in our earnings estimates for the new year.” (To have/to be) an/some issue(s): In many industries, this is jargon (industry language) for having a problem. “Issue” sounds less serious and more positive than “problem.” “We’re having some issues with the new software, but nothing that can’t be solved before the product launch in two months.” To be coming down the pipeline: Idiom. Refers to something in the future (usually a product or a new project) that is still in the planning stages. “As for next year, we have several projects coming down the pipeline that might interest you.” To come first: To be the priority. “Our sales team should come first next year when we upgrade computers – they really need new laptops.” One-by-one: One at a time. “Let’s deal one-by-one with the problems you raised.”

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businessenglishpod Debrief As with agreeing, you can use standard phrases to disagree. Carina uses a standard phrase when she disagrees with Gene and Louis. Carina: I’m sorry, but I really can’t agree. After all, so far we’ve only carried out two trials. And don’t forget the strange results from the first trial. “I’m sorry, but I really can’t agree” is a formal (or careful) phrase for disagreeing. Perhaps Carina is being careful because she is talking to her boss, Gene, the head scientist. Let’s listen to some more polite phrases that Carina could use.     

Well, I am not so sure about that, to be honest. Well, I don’t know. Well, it depends. I don’t really agree, I’m afraid. I’m afraid I don’t totally agree with that.

There are also many informal (or direct) phrases for disagreeing. But be careful. They are very strong.      

I disagree. I couldn’t disagree more. I totally disagree. You must be joking! Come off it! Get real!

Another way to disagree is to use “Yes, but...” Listen to Louis. Louis: Yes, I admit, the first trial was a little disappointing; but that doesn’t take anything away from these new results. Absolutely amazing. Let’s practice some more examples of the “Yes, but...” technique: A: I just didn’t think it was a very good presentation—not fluent, you know what I mean? B: Yes, but at least he was well prepared. A: Our price is too high. We have to improve sales. B: Yes—sales are important; but we can’t lower our price. To make these sentences even more polite (or careful), you can use “though” or “although” to put your disagreement at the beginning of the sentence; then, finish the sentence with a little bit of agreement. A: I just didn’t think it was a very good presentation—not fluent, you know what I mean? B: Mmmm... Although I thought he was pretty well prepared, he wasn’t very fluent, you’re right about that.

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Meeting Essentials A: Our price is too high. We have to improve sales. B: Mmm...Although I really don’t think we can lower our price, I totally agree that we have to do something to improve sales. In addition to standard phrases and “Yes, but...,” there are more ways to disagree. Let’s look back at the dialog again. Louis: ...Absolutely amazing. Gene: Yes, fantastic, aren’t they? Louis: Especially for men over 60. Carina: Don’t you think it’s still a little early to be so sure? This is using a negative question—“Don’t you think...?”—to disagree. It sounds careful and polite, doesn’t it? Listen to another example. A: Wow, that was a great movie. B: But don’t you think it was just a little too long? Besides negative questions, you can also use other types of questions to disagree. Do you remember how Gene disagrees with Carina at the end of the dialog? Carina: ...I still think there may still be some issues with Zorax. Gene: Do you really think so? By asking a question—“Do you really think so?”—Gene shows that he disagrees with Carina. We often use “really?” this way. A: It’s almost time to go home. B: Really? But we just got here. Now it’s your turn to practice. First we’ll review formal and informal phrases for disagreement. In a moment, you’ll hear a series of comments, each followed by a beep. After each beep, use a standard phrase to disagree. A cue will tell you whether to be careful (that is, formal) or direct (that is, informal). Remember, careful phrases include “Well, I am not so sure about that, to be honest,” and, “Well, it depends.” Direct phrases include, “I disagree,” or “I totally disagree!” Are you ready? Let’s try it. Cue 1: Careful – “I just don’t think it’s a good idea to sell the company.” Learner: Cue 2: Direct – “Having money is more important than having free time.” Learner:

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businessenglishpod Cue 3: Careful – “We should delay the launch date for the new product.” Learner: Cue 4: Direct – “Outsourcing HR is a great idea.” Learner: How did you do? Listen to some example answers to check. Cue 1: Careful – “I just don’t think it’s a good idea to sell the company.” Answer: Well, I don’t know. Cue 2: Direct – “Having money is more important than having free time. Answer: I couldn’t disagree more. Cue 3: Careful – “We should delay the launch date for the new product.” Answer: I’m afraid I don’t totally agree with that. Cue 4: Direct – “Outsourcing HR is a great idea.” Answer: You must be joking? Keep in mind that “You must be joking!” along with such expressions as “Come off it!” and “Get real!” are very strong and direct; they may be quite offensive in some situations. Now, let’s another skill: We’re going to review the “yes, but” method of disagreement. For example, if you hear, “The economy is bad, so we should be careful,” you can say something like, “Yes, the economy is bad, but our performance is still very good.” Are you ready? Cue 1: Our products are very competitive, so it’s time to enter a new market. Learner:

Cue 2: We are lacking people with management experience, so we need to recruit from outside. Learner:

Cue 3: It’s hard to lower construction costs when the cost of steel is so high. Learner:

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Meeting Essentials How did it go? Listen to some example answers to check: Cue 1: Our products are very competitive, so it’s time to enter a new market. Answer: Yes, our products are competitive, but the market is also very competitive. Cue 2: We are lacking people with management experience, so we need to recruit from outside. Answer: Yes, our people lack experience, but they can be trained. Cue 3: It’s hard to lower construction costs when the cost of steel is so high. Answer: Yes, the oil price of steel is high, but perhaps we can find better suppliers. That’s all for this chapter. We’ve studied several ways of disagreeing: using standard phrases, using “yes, but...,” using negative questions (“Don’t you think...?”) and using other types of questions (“Do you really think so?”...”Really?”). Be sure to try the online exercises at www.businessenglishpod.com. There you’ll find quizzes, vocabulary practice, and a variety of language and listening exercises for each chapter. Thank you for listening.

Study Strategy For further practice, you can develop each sentence into a dialog with further instances of agreement and disagreement. Write out your dialog, then perform it with a friend. You may wish to record it as well, then play back the recording to see how you sound.

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businessenglishpod Language Review A. Standard Phrases To practice standard language for disagreeing, select the most appropriate response for each blank from the box. As you do the exercise, observe the differences between formal/careful/weak language and informal/direct/strong language. As you do the exercise, note which of the phrases are more formal and which are more informal. depends know 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11)

disagree more real sure

disagree totally

off joking

agree

Well, I am not so __________ about that, to be honest. Well, I don’t ___________ . Well, it __________. I don’t really __________ , I’m afraid. I’m afraid I don’t __________ agree with that. I __________. I couldn’t disagree ________. I totally __________. You must be __________! Come __________ it! Get __________!

B. Disagreeing with Questions and with “Yes…, but…” To practice disagreeing by using the "Yes..., but..." technique and by asking questions, match the statements on the left with the responses on the right. 1)

Our price is too high. We have to improve sales.

a)

Mmm... Although I thought he was pretty well prepared, he wasn’t very fluent, you’re right about that.

2)

Our products are very competitive, so it’s time to enter a new market.

b)

Yes—sales are important; but we can’t lower our price.

3)

I just didn’t think it was a very good presentation—not fluent, you know what I mean?

c)

Yes, our people lack experience, but they can be trained.

4)

We are lacking people with management experience, so we need to recruit from outside.

d)

Yes, our products are competitive, but the market is also very competitive.

5)

Wow, that was a great movie.

e)

Really? But we just got here.

6)

It’s almost time to go home.

f)

Don’t you think it was just a little too long?

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Meeting Essentials Answers A. Standard Phrases 1) Well, I am not so sure about that, to be honest. 2) Well, I don’t know. 3) Well, it depends. 4) I don’t really agree, I’m afraid. 5) I’m afraid I don’t totally agree with that. 6) I disagree. 7) I couldn’t disagree more. 8) I totally disagree. 9) You must be joking! 10) Come off it! 11) Get real! B. Disagreeing with Questions and with “Yes…, but…” 1)

Our price is too high. We have to improve sales.

Yes—sales are important; but we can’t lower our price. (b)

2)

Our products are very competitive, so it’s time to enter a new market.

Yes, our products are competitive, but the market is also very competitive. (d)

3)

I just didn’t think it was a very good presentation—not fluent, you know what I mean?

Mmmm... Although I thought he was pretty well prepared, he wasn’t very fluent, you’re right about that. (a)

4)

We are lacking people with management experience, so we need to recruit from outside.

Yes, our people lack experience, but they can be trained. (c)

5)

Wow, that was a great movie.

6)

It’s almost time to go home.

Don’t you think it was just a little too long? (f) Really? But we just got here. (e)

Online Practice Click the “Launch” button to open the online practice:

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businessenglishpod Unit 205 - Making Suggestions Today’s show is part of a two-part series on making, rejecting and accepting suggestions. Reject means to say no. And accept means to say yes. Making, rejecting and accepting suggestions appropriately is an important part of meetings and discussions of all types. In this episode, we’re focusing on making suggestions. Next time, we’ll look at accepting and rejecting suggestions. This dialog takes place at a sports shoe company called Stratos. You’ll be listening to Karen, a marketing manager, meet with three members of her team, Charles, Sven and Miguel. They are choosing a celebrity spokesperson for a new product. Celebrity means a famous person. Here, spokesperson is someone who gets paid to be in an advertisement for a product. In the dialog, “target market” is the place where you want to sell your product. And “target consumer” is the type of customer you want to sell your product to. In this case, the product is a special kind of new sports shoe made especially for overweight people. Overweight is a nice way of saying too heavy or not fit. Okay, let’s listen. As you listen, pay attention to the language the speakers use to make suggestions to each other.

Vocabulary Spokesperson: Someone hired to represent a company. A famous spokesperson – usually an athlete or movie star – is someone who advertises a product. “Nike usually gets famous spokespersons to sponsor their products.” To go around the table: To hear everybody’s opinion one at a time. “Let’s go around the table to see if we all agree.” Overweight: Adjective. A polite way to say someone is not slim. “Overweight can have a range of meanings from slightly fat to very fat.” Fit: Adjective. 1) To be slim and healthy. “I really want to get fit in the new year, so I went on a diet and I’m exercising every day.” 2) To be suitable for something. “He’s not fit to manage the company.” If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it: Idiom. Also, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” (American slang). It criticizes the approach of always trying to improve things that are okay. “Look, let’s stop looking for things to change and just release the product on time – If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” Target market: The market one is trying to sell something to. “The target market for this new kind of sports car is urban professionals with an income over 80,000 euros per year.” Target customer: Similar to target market, but target customer refers to a specific group of customers you are trying to sell something to. “Our target customers are women in their early 30s with children.” Agile: Adjective. Able to move flexibly and quickly. “What makes her such a great sports star is her amazing agility.” “In this business environment, only agile companies with the ability to make quick decisions will succeed.” To kill two birds with one stone: Idiom. To get two things done at once. “We can kill two birds with one stone by improving our training system - the number of staff who leave the company will decrease and our sales will improve.”

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Meeting Essentials Dialog Karen: Okay. Now, let’s talk about who we want to use as a spokesperson for this product. Let’s go around the table. Shall we use a sports star? Or someone else? Sven—what do you think? Sven: Well, one possibility would be to use a famous overweight business executive or CEO—someone who is really successful. Miguel: Sorry, can I come in here? Karen: Yes, go ahead, Miguel. Miguel: That’s a good idea, but I’m not sure it would work. Karen: Why not? Miguel: Well, for one thing, customers want to be fit, not fat.

our

Karen: Well, then what do you suggest? Miguel: Perhaps we should just use a famous sports star like we usually do. If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it, you know what I mean? We could try getting Rooney, or Nadal. Karen: Good suggestion. But I can see one or two problems with that, to be honest. Miguel: Oh? Karen: First off, our target markets are the UK and the U.S. We need someone who both Americans and Britons really like. Secondly, our target customer is kind of special... Charles: I’ve got a suggestion. Karen: Go ahead, Charles. Charles: It’s just an idea, but how about choosing someone from a sport where it’s normal to be heavy. American football, for example. Heavy, but agile; overweight, but strong and fast. You know what I mean? Karen: Right, I can see what you mean. What do others think? Miguel: Yes, that might be worth trying. Sven: Okay, but what about the UK? Who are we going to use on this side of the Atlantic? Karen: Hmmm... let me think about this. Shall we try to find someone in golf? That’s popular in the U.S. and in the UK. That way, we can kill two birds with one stone. Everybody (chorus): That’s not a bad idea! Good idea! Yes, I think that’s worth trying.

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businessenglishpod Debrief Karen’s team has a lot of ideas. What language do they use to make their suggestions? First, listen to Sven. Sven: Well, one possibility would be to use a famous overweight business executive or CEO—someone who is really successful. How does Sven make his suggestion? He says, “One possibility would be to...” Instead of “will,” he uses “would.” The use of “would” here means it is just a suggestion. Past modal verbs (should, could, might would) are often used like this in suggestions. Now, listen to Miguel make a suggestion. Miguel: Perhaps we should just use a famous sports star like we usually do. If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it, you know what I mean? “Perhaps we should...” is another polite way of making a suggestion. Notice the use of “just”: “Perhaps we should just use a famous sports star....” This shows that what he is suggesting is no change from the normal way of doing things. That’s why he says, “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” This is an idiom. It means, don’t change something if it is already working fine. In informal American oral English, you can say, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” So, so far we have two ways of making suggestions: One possibility would be to... And: Perhaps we should... Now, let’s look at a couple more ways to make suggestions. Listen to Charles. Charles: I’ve got a suggestion. Karen: Go ahead, Charles. Charles: It’s just an idea, but how about choosing someone from a sport where it’s normal to be heavy. First Charles shows that he has a suggestion: I’ve got a suggestion. Then, since he is talking to his boss (and perhaps since he is not sure everyone will agree with him), he uses a careful, polite way to introduce the suggestion: “It’s just an idea, but how about...” “How about” is a normal way of making a suggestion. “It’s just an idea, but...” makes it extra polite. Instead of “how about,” you can also say “what about.” “How about” and “what about” are followed by a verb +ing

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Meeting Essentials How about washing the dishes? 

It’s just an idea, but what about eating lunch together?

These are sometimes followed by a phrase (or sentence.) This is more common with “how about”: How about you wash the dishes and I dry? How about we have lunch together? Finally, let’s look at a couple more way of making a suggestion. Listen to how Karen makes her suggestion: Shall we try to find someone in golf? You can also say “What if....” For example: What if we...cut costs by finding a new office? Now, with Karen’s team, practice the ways of making suggestions that we have learned so far:     

Well, one possibility would be to...hire more staff. Perhaps we should...have more vacation? It’s just an idea, but...how about leaving a little bit early today? Shall we try to look at this from another point of view? Well, what if we try to open a new store in Germany?

Now, it’s your turn to talk. In a moment, you’ll hear a series of cues followed by a beep. After each beep, use the information supplied in the cue to make a suggestion. For example, if you hear, “Get Beckham to sponsor the product,” you can say “Well, one possibility would be to get Beckham to sponsor the product.” Are you ready? Let’s give it a try. Cue 1: Launch the new product in Q1 next year. Learner: Cue 2: Open a Branch in Slovenia. Learner: Cue 3: Give employees larger bonuses Learner: Cue 4: Hold English trainings Learner: Cue 5: Schedule weekly meetings to check on progress. Learner:

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businessenglishpod How did you do? Listen to the examples to check your answers. Remember, there are many possible ways to respond to each question. Cue 1: Launch the new product in Q1 next year. Answer: Perhaps we should launch the new product in Q1 next year? Cue 2: Open a Branch in Slovenia. Answer: It’s just an idea, but what if we open a branch in Slovenia. Cue 3: Give employees larger bonuses Answer: Well, what if we try to give employees larger bonuses? Cue 4: Hold English trainings Answer: Well, one possibility would be to hold English trainings. Cue 5: Schedule weekly meetings to check on progress. Answer: Let’s schedule weekly meetings to check on progress. Now that you’ve heard examples, go back and practice again. Substitute different phrases to build fluency. That’s all for this chapter. We’ve covered many useful expressions for making suggestions. In the next chapter, we’ll use the same dialog to cover rejecting and accepting suggestions. We’ll also look closely at some idioms that were used in the dialog. Thanks for listening!

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Meeting Essentials Language Review A. Making Suggestions Revise key language by filling in the blanks with words from the box.

idea

try

but

should

possibility

what

if

about

would

another

1) How _________ washing the dishes? 2) It’s just an _________, but what about eating lunch together? 3) What _________ we...cut costs by finding a new office? 4) Well, one _________

_________ be to...hire more staff.

5) Perhaps we _________...have more vacation? 6) It’s just an idea, _________...how about leaving a little bit early today? 7) Shall we _________ to look at this from _________ point of view? 8) Well, _________ if we try to open a new store in Germany? B. Jumbled Sentences To review the language for making suggestions, put the following jumbled sentences in order: 1) we launch year should perhaps product new Q1 in next the 2) it idea just an but if we what open branch in a Slovenia ’s 3) if what try we give to employees bonuses larger well 4) to one possibility well be trainings English hold would 5) progress schedule meetings weekly check to on ’s let

Study Strategy What kind of suggestions do you have for making your office, company, or government better? Make a list of 10. Pretend you are in a meeting in which you have the opportunity to make your suggestions. Using the language we have learned today, practice forming new sentences. Do your bet to use a variety of language in order to practice fluency.

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businessenglishpod Answers A. Making Suggestions 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8)

How about washing the dishes? It’s just an idea, but what about eating lunch together? What if we...cut costs by finding a new office? Well, one possibility would be to...hire more staff. Perhaps we should...have more vacation? It’s just an idea, but...how about leaving a little bit early today? Shall we try to look at this from another point of view? Well, what if we try to open a new store in Germany?

B. Jumbled Sentences 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)

Perhaps we should launch the new product in Q1 next year? It’s just an idea, but what if we open a branch in Slovenia. Well, what if we try to give employees larger bonuses? Well, one possibility would be to hold English trainings. Let’s schedule weekly meetings to check on progress.

Online Practice Click the “Launch” button to open the online practice:

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Meeting Essentials

Unit 206 - Rejecting and Accepting Suggestions Today’s show is the second part of a two-part series on making, rejecting and accepting suggestions. In the first episode, you practiced making suggestions. In this episode, we’ll look at appropriate ways to reject and accept suggestions. As you’ll remember, the listening takes place at a sports shoe company called Stratos. You’ll be listening to Karen, a marketing manager, meet with three members of her team, Charles, Sven and Miguel. They are choosing a celebrity spokesperson for a new product. Celebrity means a famous person. Here, spokesperson is someone who gets paid to be in an advertisement for a product. Okay, as you listen, pay attention to how the speakers accept or reject each other’s suggestions.

Vocabulary Spokesperson: Someone hired to represent a company. A famous spokesperson – usually an athlete or movie star – is someone who advertises a product. “Nike usually gets famous spokespersons to sponsor their products.” To go around the table: To hear everybody’s opinion one at a time. “Let’s go around the table to see if we all agree.” Overweight: Adjective. A polite way to say someone is not slim. “Overweight can have a range of meanings from slightly fat to very fat.” Fit: Adjective. 1) To be slim and healthy. “I really want to get fit in the new year, so I went on a diet and I’m exercising every day.” 2) To be suitable for something. “He’s not fit to manage the company.” If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it: Idiom. Also, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” (American slang). It criticizes the approach of always trying to improve things that are okay. “Look, let’s stop looking for things to change and just release the product on time – If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” Target market: The market one is trying to sell something to. “The target market for this new kind of sports car is urban professionals with an income over 80,000 euros per year.” Target customer: Similar to target market, but target customer refers to a specific group of customers you are trying to sell something to. “Our target customers are women in their early 30s with children.” Agile: Adjective. Able to move flexibly and quickly. “What makes her such a great sports star is her amazing agility.” “In this business environment, only agile companies with the ability to make quick decisions will succeed.” To kill two birds with one stone: Idiom. To get two things done at once. “We can kill two birds with one stone by improving our training system - the number of staff who leave the company will decrease and our sales will improve.”

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businessenglishpod Dialog Karen: Okay. Now, let’s talk about who we want to use as a spokesperson for this product. Let’s go around the table. Shall we use a sports star? Or someone else? Sven—what do you think? Sven: Well, one possibility would be to use a famous overweight business executive or CEO—someone who is really successful. Miguel: Sorry, can I come in here? Karen: Yes, go ahead, Miguel. Miguel: That’s a good idea, but I’m not sure it would work. Karen: Why not? Miguel: Well, for one thing, customers want to be fit, not fat.

our

Karen: Well, then what do you suggest? Miguel: Perhaps we should just use a famous sports star like we usually do. If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it, you know what I mean? We could try getting Rooney, or Nadal. Karen: Good suggestion. But I can see one or two problems with that, to be honest. Miguel: Oh? Karen: First off, our target markets are the UK and the U.S. We need someone who both Americans and Britons really like. Secondly, our target customer is kind of special... Charles: I’ve got a suggestion. Karen: Go ahead, Charles. Charles: It’s just an idea, but how about choosing someone from a sport where it’s normal to be heavy. American football, for example. Heavy, but agile; overweight, but strong and fast. You know what I mean? Karen: Right, I can see what you mean. What do others think? Miguel: Yes, that might be worth trying. Sven: Okay, but what about the UK? Who are we going to use on this side of the Atlantic? Karen: Hmmm... let me think about this. Shall we try to find someone in golf? That’s popular in the U.S. and in the UK. That way, we can kill two birds with one stone. Everybody (chorus): That’s not a bad idea! Good idea! Yes, I think that’s worth trying.

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Meeting Essentials Debrief Here’s another good idea: Let’s study the dialog to learn about accepting and rejecting suggestions. First, we’ll talk about rejecting suggestions. When rejecting suggestions, it’s important to avoid hurting people’s feelings. Let’s think back to Karen and her team in the dialog. During their discussion, what language do they use to reject suggestions they don’t like? First listen to Miguel reject Sven’s suggestion. Miguel: Sorry, can I come in here? Karen: Yes, go ahead, Miguel. Miguel: That’s a good idea, but I’m not sure it would work. Miguel interrupts politely: Can I come in here? Then he says, “That’s a good idea, but I’m not sure it would work....” This is a good careful way of rejecting a suggestion. Later, Karen rejects Miguel’s suggestion. Miguel: ...If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it, you know what I mean? We could try getting Rooney, or Nadal. Karen: Good suggestion. But I can see one or two problems with that, to be honest. Karen’s way of rejecting Miguel’s suggestion follows the same form: First she praises the idea: Good suggestion. Then she politely rejects it: But I can see one or two problems with that, to be honest. Here, adding “to be honest” to the sentence makes it even more polite. You can add “to be honest” to almost any rejection. You can also use “frankly speaking” or to “to be frank” the same way. Let’s practice that together.  

Good suggestion. But frankly speaking I can see one or two problems with that. That’s a good idea, but I’m not sure it would work, to be frank.

To reject suggestions, you can also say...  

I’m not really sure about that... Do you think so?

So now you’ve learned ways to make suggestions and ways to reject suggestions. Next, we’ll look at ways to accept suggestions. Karen and Miguel like Charles’ suggestion, don’t they? Charles wants to use a sports star that is heavy but agile. Agile means quick and skillful. Let’s listen again.

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businessenglishpod Charles: It’s just an idea, but how about choosing someone from a sport where it’s normal to be heavy. American football, for example. Heavy, but agile; overweight, but strong and fast. You know what I mean? Karen: Right, I can see what you mean. What do others think? Miguel: Yes, that might be worth trying. “Right, I can see what you mean...” and “Yes, that might be worth trying...” are two ways to accept suggestions. What else can you say?     

Okay, let’s do that. That’s not a bad idea. Yes, I think that would work really well. Good idea! Great idea!

Okay. So today, you’ve learned many ways to reject and accept suggestions. Now, before we finish today’s show, let’s look at an idiom Karen uses at the end of the listening. Karen: Hmmm... Let me think about this. Shall we try to find someone in golf? That’s popular in the U.S. and in the UK. That way, we can kill two birds with one stone. “To kill two birds with one stone” is an idiom that means to do or accomplish two things at one time. You can say, “That way, we kill two birds with one stone” or “That will let us kill two birds with one stone.” Now, let’s practice what we’ve learned. First let’s go over rejecting suggestions politely. You’ll hear a series of suggestions, each followed by a beep. After each beep, use a polite phrase to reject the suggestion. For example, if you hear, “What if we cut the sales training budget,” you can say, “Well, I can see one or two problems with that idea” or “Well, I don’t know….” Are you ready? Let’s give it a try. Cue 1: What if we hold the meeting next week? Learner: Cue 2: I think we should buy new computers. Learner: Cue 3: Let’s try to hold the training in a pub. Learner: How’d you do? Listen to some examples to check your answers:

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Meeting Essentials Cue 1: What if we hold the meeting next week? Answer: That’s a good idea, but I’m not sure it would work… Cue 2: I think we should buy new computers. Answer: Do you really think so? I’m not so sure about that. Cue 3: Let’s try to hold the training in a pub. Answer: Frankly speaking, I can see one or two problems with that idea. Practice 2 Now let’s practice accepting suggestions. After each beep, use a phrase for accepting the suggestion, like, “Okay, let’s do that,” or “That’s not a bad idea.” Cue 1: How about we all go on an outing together next weekend? Learner: Cue 2: What if we hold a party to increase morale? Learner: Cue 3: We’re wasting a lot of time. Is there any way we can hold fewer meetings? Learner: How did you do? It’s always a good idea to go back and practice again. This time, substitute different language to build fluency. Cue 1: How about we all go on an outing together next weekend? Answer: Great idea! Cue 2: What if we hold a party to increase morale? Answer: Yes, I think that would work really well. Cue 3: We’re wasting a lot of time. Is there any way we can hold fewer meetings? Answer: That’s not a bad idea. In this episode, we’ve learned appropriate suggestions. We’ve also reviewed useful idioms.

ways

to

accept

and

reject

Remember, you can download this and many other shows on to your MP3 player and practice on the go! That way, you’re always killing two birds with one stone. Listen to Business English Pod on the way to work, in the car, on the train, in the bus... just about anywhere! Peter: How about listening in a meeting with your boss... Clayton: I don’t think that would be such a good idea to be honest... Thank you for listening!

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businessenglishpod Language Review A. Accepting Suggestions Part 1: Jumbled sentences – put the words in order to form phrases for accepting suggestions. 1) speaking frankly that I see can one problems or two with 2) good that a idea but I’m not sure work it would to frank ’s be 3) do so think you 4) i not sure really that about ’m

Part 2: Fill in the missing words. if

would

not

idea

about

well

way

Cue 1: How _______ we all go on an outing together next weekend? Learner: Great _______! Cue 2: What _______ we hold a party to increase morale? Learner: Yes, I think that _______ work really _______. Cue 3: We’re wasting a lot of time. Is there any _______ we can hold less meetings? Learner: That’s _______ a bad idea. B. Rejecting Suggestions Part 1: Jumbled sentences – put the words in order to form phrases for accepting suggestions. 1) let okay do that ’s 2) not that idea a bad ’s 3) think I would that well work really yes Part 2: Fill in the missing words. really

hold

speaking

but

sure

good

problems

Cue 1: What if we _______ the meeting next week? Learner: That’s a _______ idea, _______ I’m not sure it would work… Cue 2: I think we should buy new computers. Learner: Do you _______ think so? I’m not so _______ about that. Cue 3: Let’s try to hold the training in a pub. Learner: Frankly _______, I can see one or two _______ with that idea.

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Meeting Essentials Study Strategy Using the language we have studied in Unit 205 and 206, play a game with your friends or colleagues: Every person playing should write down several common problems people have, such as how to quite smoking or how to make more money. Put all the cards in a pile. Then, take turns drawing cards and asking the rest of the group for their suggestions. Accept and reject suggestions as you see fit. After everyone has had a chance to give you a suggestion, give your card to the person whose suggestion you liked best. At the end of the game, the person with the most cards wins.

Answers A. Accepting Suggestions Part 1: 1) 2) 3) 4)

Frankly speaking I can see one or two problems with that. That’s a good idea, but I’m not sure it would work, to be frank. Do you think so? I’m not really sure about that.

Part 2: Cue 1: How about we all go on an outing together next weekend? Learner: Great idea! Cue 2: What if we hold a party to increase morale? Learner: Yes, I think that would work really well. Cue 3: We’re wasting a lot of time. Is there any way we can hold less meetings? Learner: That’s not a bad idea. B. Rejecting Suggestions Part 1: 1) Okay, let’s do that. 2) That’s not a bad idea. 3) Yes, I think that would work really well. Part 2: Cue 1: What if we hold the meeting next week? Learner: That’s a good idea, but I’m not sure it would work… Cue 2: I think we should buy new computers. Learner: Do you really think so? I’m not so sure about that. Cue 3: Let’s try to hold the training in a pub. Learner: Frankly speaking, I can see one or two problems with that idea.

Online Practice Click the “Launch” button to open the online practice:

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businessenglishpod Unit 207 – Meetings: Clarifying what was said This is the first in a two-part series on clarifying. To clarify means to make clear. Today we’ll learn phrases and skills for clarifying what was said. For example, “I didn’t quite catch that. Could you say that again?” This is useful when you don’t hear clearly or when someone speaks too fast. Then, in the second podcast, we’ll be looking at language for clarifying what was meant, for instance “What exactly do you mean by that?” The listening today is from a shipping company. You’ll hear Wim Zeldenhuis and Andre De Vries in Rotterdam call their American colleague Benny McClenahan in Boston. First the receptionist in Benny’s office picks up the phone...

Vocabulary Conference: 1) Meeting. Often goes together with “video,” “audio,” or “telephone.” 2) Large gathering of people from the same industry. “I’ve got a telephone conference with the head office on next Tuesday.” To catch something: In the dialog, this means to hear something. “I’m sorry, could you say that again? I didn’t quite catch what you said.” (To put someone on) hold / to hold: To wait on the telephone line. “I’m sorry – she’s not in right now. Is it all right if I ask you to hold / put you on hold?” To have (got) someone on the line: A phrase that we use to inform someone of a call for him or her. “Hello, Ms. Smith? I’ve got a Mr. Wagner on the line. He’s calling about the new supertanker project.” To put somebody through: To transfer a call to someone. “Yes, John, that’s fine – please put him right through.” How have you been holding up? How have you been doing? “It’s been a long time since we last spoke – How have you been holding up?” To miss something: In the dialog, this means not to hear something clearly. “Sorry, I missed your name. Could you say it again?” Freezing: Very, very cold. “Wow -30! It’s freezing outside!” (To be) on mute: When you “press the mute button,” your phone stops sending audio. This feature is useful if you want to discuss something private, but it’s main use is to cut down on noise during large conference calls. “I can’t hear anything – please take your phone off mute. There! That’s better. What were you saying?” Seagoing vessel: A vessel is a ship and seagoing means it can sail on the sea (as opposed to just a river). "Our global fleet of over 5,000 seagoing cargo vessels can deliver your goods anywhere in the world for less money."

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Meeting Essentials Dialog Receptionist: Good afternoon, De Groot and Smit, this is Anna, how can I help you? Wim: Yes, this is Wim Zeldenhuis in the Rotterdam office. I’m here with Andre DeVries. Receptionist: Uh huh. Wim: We have a conference scheduled with Benny McClenahan. Could you put us through? Receptionist: Yes, of course. Sorry, I didn’t quite catch your name. Mr. ...? Wim: Zeldenhuis Receptionist: Z-E-L...? Benny: Z-E-L-D-E-N-H-U-I-S Receptionist: Z-E-L-D-E-N Benny: ...H-U-I-S. Zeldenhuis Receptionist: Thank you. Can you hold please? Wim: Yes, of course. Benny: Benny speaking. How can I help you? Receptionist: Hi Benny. This is Anna. I’ve got a Mr. Zeldenhuis on the line from Rotterdam. Benny: Sorry, who did you say? Receptionist: Mr. Zeldenhuis. Z-E-L-D... Benny: Oh, I know. Receptionist: He’s calling together with a Mr. De Vries. Benny: Great. Put them right through. Receptionist: All right. Here they are. Benny: Wim? Andre? Wim: Yes! Hello Benny! This is Wim. Andre: Hi Benny! This is Andre. Benny: Wow, it’s great to hear you two! How have you been holding up?

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businessenglishpod Wim: Sorry, Benny, I missed that. Could you say that again? Benny: No problem. I said how have you two been doing? I hear it’s cold there! Wim: It sure is. It’s freezing. There’s ice everywhere. Benny: Oh my goodness! Andre: But it’s not much better in Boston, right Benny? Benny: No, it’s not. We haven’t seen weather like this for years. So... is ice slowing down shipping on the river any? Hello? Wim? Andre? Maybe your phone is on mute? Wim: Oh, sorry about that. Benny: That’s okay. Wim: Sorry, what did you just say? Benny: Yeah, no worries. I said, is the weather affecting shipping on the river? Wim: [laughs] Well, I think Andre can tell you about that. Andre: You wouldn’t believe it! Of course, it doesn’t affect the seagoing vessels. But on the river, we’re seeing partial blockage of the...

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Meeting Essentials Debrief All right. Now, let’s go through the dialog bit by bit. Remember, it’s very important to ask when you don’t understand. That way the communication can keep going forward. Let’s start at the beginning. At first the receptionist, Anna, doesn’t hear Wim’s name clearly, does she? She says, “Sorry, I didn’t quite catch your name.” Here, “catch” means “hear” or “understand.” Wim repeats his surname, but she still doesn’t catch it—perhaps because it’s an unfamiliar foreign name for her. So what does she do? She doesn’t ask him to repeat again, which might irritate him. Instead, she signals to Wim to spell his surname by starting to spell it herself. Receptionist: Z-E-L... Wim: Z-E-L-D-E-N-H-U-I-S Receptionist: Z-E-L-D-E-N Wim: ...H-U-I-S. Zeldenhuis Asking someone to spell his name is a great skill for dealing with difficult words or names. She could have also asked:    

How do you spell that? Would you mind telling me how that’s spelled? May I ask how that’s spelled? Could you spell that for me, please?

Then, when Benny answers the phone, he doesn’t catch Wim’s surname either. How does he clarify it? Receptionist: Hi Benny. This is Anna. I’ve got a Mr. Zeldenhuis on the line from Rotterdam. Benny: Sorry, who did you say? Benny says, “Sorry, who did you say?” You can use the same kind of sentence form (or pattern) with all of the “5 Ws”—Where, when, why, what and how, including “how much,” “how many,” and “how long.” A: B: A: B:

Tomorrow, we’re going to Madras. Sorry, where did you say? I said Madras. Oh, Madras.

A: They’re arriving at 4:00 a.m. in the morning. B: Pardon me, when did you say? A: 4:00 a.m. In the morning.

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businessenglishpod B: Oh dear. That’s what I thought you said. Okay, let’s get back to the dialog. To greet Wim and Andre, Benny uses an idiomatic expression. He says, “How have you been holding up?” This means “How have you been doing?” It’s informal and familiar. It’s usually used to ask someone how they are doing during a difficult situation. For example, A: I heard it’s been a hard week. How are you holding up? B: Fine, I guess. Yeah, it’s really tough. But we’ll survive. Remember, Wim doesn’t hear clearly or doesn’t understand. Let’s listen again. Benny: Wow, it’s great to hear you two! How have you been holding up? Wim: Sorry, Benny, I missed that. Could you say that again? “I missed that” is a useful expression for when you didn’t hear clearly. You can also say:    

I’m sorry, could you repeat that, please? Sorry, what did you say? I’m afraid I didn’t catch that. Could you say that again? Sorry, I’m afraid I didn’t quite hear what you just said. Would you mind saying it again?

More informally, you can just say:    

Pardon? Come again? What was that? Say again?

Now, here’s a question that many students ask: When do you use “it” and when do you use “that”? Let’s listen to two short dialogs: A: My name is Karamasov. B: Sorry, what was that? A: My name is Karamasov. B: Sorry, I’m afraid I didn’t catch your name. Could you repeat it? As you can see, “that” usually refers to what the other person said. “It” refers to what I just said. Okay, let’s look back at another part of the listening. It is a special case of not being able to hear. Benny: Hello? Wim? Andre? [silence] Benny: Maybe your phone is on mute. Wim: Oh, sorry about that.

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Meeting Essentials Benny: That’s okay. What is happening here? Andre and Benny’s phone is “on mute.” “Mute” means “makes no sound.” Benny could also say:  

Can you take your phone off mute? I think you need to hit the mute button. There. That’s better.

Here’s a tip. As you know, in teleconferences—especially when there three, four or more locations—you should keep your phone on mute when you’re not talking to avoid background noise—or to keep your boss from hearing what you really think of her! Finally, let’s look back at the end of the dialog. Wim says sorry for not hearing what Benny said. How does Benny respond? Listen again: Wim: Sorry, what did you just say? Benny: Yeah, no worries. I said, is the weather affecting shipping on the river? When someone asks you to repeat something, you can say “no worries.” This is a good informal spoken English expression. It is used for small things to say “It doesn’t matter.” Benny says, “Sorry, who did you say?” You can use the same kind of sentence form (or pattern) with all of the “5 Ws”—Where, when, why, what and how, including “how much,” “how many,” and “how long.” A: B: A: B:

Tomorrow, we’re going to Madras. Sorry, where did you say? I said Madras. Oh, Madras.

Now, it’s your turn to practice. We’re going to study clarifying with the 5 Ws – what, where, when, why and how. Let’s review how that’s done. Listen to this short dialog. A: We’ve got a train to catch at 6 A.M. B: Sorry, when did you say? A: 6 A.M. You can use the same way to clarify with any of the 5 Ws and with “how much” and “how many.” Just ask, Where did you say? or How much did you say? and so on. Now you give it a try. First, you’ll hear a statement. After the beep, ask a clarifying question about the statement and wait for the answer. If you like, when you hear the answer you can add a personal reaction like, “Oh dear! Is that right” or “Oh I see. That’s what I thought you said.”

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businessenglishpod Practice Dialog 1 Prompt: I lost $3,000 on the stock market last month. Learner: Prompt: $3,000. Reaction: Practice Dialog 2 Prompt: We’re going to relocate the factory to China? Learner: Prompt: To China. Reaction: Practice Dialog 3 Prompt: We’ve got sixty new employees joining the company. Learner: Prompt: Sixty. Reaction: Practice Dialog 4 Prompt: We’ve got to cut costs because of falling sales. Learner: Prompt: Because of falling sales. Reaction: How did you do? Listen to the answers to check. You’ll notice that we’ve added personal reactions to the end of each dialog. Practice Dialog Answer 1 Prompt: I lost $3,000 on the stock market last month. Answer: Sorry, how much did you say? Prompt: $3,000. Reaction: Oh dear! I’m sorry. Practice Dialog Answer 2 Prompt: We’re going to relocate the factory to China? Answer: Sorry, where did you say? Prompt: To China. Reaction: To China! That’s what I thought you said.

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Meeting Essentials Practice Dialog Answer 3 Prompt: We’ve got sixty new employees joining the company. Answer: Sorry, how many did you say? Prompt: Sixty. Reaction: Wow, that’s a lot. Practice Dialog Answer 4 Prompt: We’ve got to cut costs because of falling sales. Answer: Sorry, why did you say? Prompt: Because of falling sales. Reaction: Oh my – that’ doesn’t sound good. Clarifying with the five Ws is a very useful skill for meetings. Go back and practice again, this time adding a personal reaction to each dialog. If you’ve already tried adding personal reactions, substitute different language to develop fluency. Well, that’s about it for today’s show. Today we’ve studied several different ways to clarify what was said. We’ve also learned some useful tips and idiomatic expressions. Remember – if you don’t understand something, it’s very important to ask for clarification so that the communication can go forward. In the next chapter, we’ll be taking a close look at clarifying what was meant, which is another important skill in meetings and discussions. Thanks for listening, and see you next time!

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businessenglishpod Language Review A. Key Phrases Choose the appropriate question from the box below to clarify the following statements: Sorry, how many was that?

May I ask how that’s spelled?

Sorry I missed that, who did say?

When did you say?

1.

Lets meet at 12.15.

2.

I’d like to order 33 sandwiches for our sales meeting.

3.

Just let him know John Higinsbottom called.

4.

I met Frank from Cemex at the conference and he said they expect strong demand in the second quarter from Chinese customers.

B. Clarifying What Was Said To review key phrases for clarifying, put the following jumbled sentences into order. 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10)

do how you that spell mind would how you me spelled that’s telling I how ask spelled that’s may you for spell that please me could I sorry ’m repeat you please that could did sorry say you what I I’m didn’t catch afraid that you could that again say said I ’m you quite I what hear didn’t afraid just sorry saying mind again it would you

Study Strategy Have a friend read a text to you aloud. Every time they comes across a detail (number, figure, time, name, place, etc.) they should “mumble” the words, that is, they should read them softly and incomprehensibly. Then it’s your job to clarify with the five Ws as we practiced in this episode. For example, “What did you say? Who did you say? When did you say? Oh, I thought that’s what you said. As much as that!” After you’ve finished, switch roles.

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Meeting Essentials Answers Listening Comprehension: 1) Shipping 2) De Groot and Smit 3) It’s very cold in both cities 4) Their phone is on mute Language Review: A. 1) When did you say? 2) Sorry, how many was that? 3) May I ask how that’s spelled? 4) Sorry I missed that, who did say? B. 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10)

How do you spell that? Would you mind telling me how that’s spelled? May I ask how that’s spelled? Could you spell that for me, please? I’m sorry, could you repeat that, please? Sorry, what did you say? I’m afraid I didn’t catch that. Could you say that again? Sorry, I’m afraid I didn’t quite hear what you just said. Would you mind saying it again?

Online Practice Click the “Launch” button to open the online practice:

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businessenglishpod Unit 208 - Clarifying What Was Meant In the previous episode, we talked about clarifying what was said, for example, “What did you just say? I didn’t catch that.” In today’s show, we’ll look at clarifying what was meant, for example, “What do you mean by that?” or “What I’m trying to say is...” Clarifying the meaning is an important part of all communication because it helps us avoid misunderstanding. Today’s listening comes from SwiftWire, a start-up technology company. A “start up” is a new company. Michael is the founder of SwiftWire; “Founder” means he’s the one who started the company. He’s talking to two colleagues, Ryan, the chief technology officer, and Rachel, the marketing director. They are discussing the recent launch of a new product line. While you listen, pay attention to the language they use to clarify meaning.

Dialog Michael: The news isn’t great I’m afraid. I know all of us had very high expectations for the launch, but we’re going to have come to grips with the situation. Rachel: Sorry, but I don’t quite see what you mean. What are you getting at? Michael: Well, Rachel, what I’m saying is... we’ve had a closer look at the numbers, and it isn’t pretty. Ryan: I see. So in other words, you’re saying it’s been a complete failure? Is that right? Michael: That would be one way of looking at it. I prefer to see it as a challenge. But to salvage this situation, we really have our work cut out for us. Rachel: What exactly do you mean by “salvage?” Do you think we are going to have to scrap the whole product line? Michael: I’m afraid so. Actually, I’m thinking about how to salvage the company. It’s going to take everything we have just to keep this company afloat. Ryan: Is it really that bad? I mean, we do have strong investor support don’t we? Michael: Let me make sure I understand what you mean. You’re asking if our investors will stay with us through this, is that right? Ryan: Yeah, that’s right. I mean, they’ve been very enthusiastic from the beginning. There’s always going to be a few problems along the way. Michael: Well, unfortunately, it’s not that simple. They want to know who is going to take responsibility for this mess. They want to see some major adjustments, you see. Rachel: Wait a second. What do you mean by “adjustment”? We’re not talking about redundancies here, are we? Michael: Actually, it’s funny you should mention that, Rachel. You know, no one has contributed more to this project than you have. And we all really appreciate that...

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Meeting Essentials Vocabulary To have high expectations for someone or something: In this expression, expectations are similar to hopes. High expectations means high hopes. “We had really high expectations for the new year, but we’ve been disappointed so far.” To come to grips with something: To understand and acknowledge how bad a situation is. “Sandy has been saying there are no problems with his job, but all of his colleagues have told me how bad he is getting on with this boss. He’s just going to have to come to grips with the situation before it’s too late.” What are you getting at? To “get at” something means to imply something or say it indirectly. “What are you getting at?” is a way of clarifying something that you don’t feel was stated directly or clearly. “You’ve been talking all afternoon, but I’m still not sure what you are getting at. Just tell me directly – yes or no?” It isn’t pretty: Euphemistic expression. (Euphemistic means, for example, saying something is not very bad when you mean, in fact, it is very, very bad.) In this case, pretty means good. It isn’t pretty, then, means the situation is very bad. “Well, I just finished talking to the boss, and it isn’t pretty – some of us are going to lose our jobs.” To salvage: To save something bad or old or to take the useful parts from something bad or old. Generally, to save a bad situation. “We’ve been losing money for five years. Now it’s time to just see if we can salvage anything.” To have one’s work cut out (for oneself): There is a lot of work to be done. “We haven’t started yet planning the fall 2008 product launch, and it’s already March – we really have our work cut out for us!” To scrap: To sell a machine as old metal. To throw away. In business, to stop or get rid of something. “We have to scrap this project before it’s too late – we’ve lost enough money already.” To keep the company afloat: Idiom. Imagine the company is a ship. To keep the company afloat means to keep it from “sinking,” i.e., failing. “We’ve got to lay people off and cut costs – whatever it takes to keep the company afloat.” Enthusiastic: Adjective. To be very excited and positive about something. “I’m very enthusiastic about our new project – I think it’s going to be a big success.” (To be a) mess: To be disorderly or problematic. “Union-management relations are a real mess right now. The contract negotiations have totally broken down.” (To make major) adjustments: To make big changes. “We need to make some major adjustments to our hiring practice.” Redundancies: Lay-offs, that is, letting people go to save the company money. “We’re going to see a lot of redundancies in 2009 if we don’t start cutting costs.”

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businessenglishpod Debrief It doesn’t look so good for Rachel, does it? Let’s go through the dialogue together and look at the language that the three colleagues use to clarify what they say. Also, along the way, we’ll take a look at some of the idioms they use. Listen to the beginning again. Michael: The news isn’t great I’m afraid. I know all of us had very high expectations for the launch, but we’re going to have come to grips with the situation. What does it mean “to come to grips with the situation?” “To grip” something is to hold something tightly in your hand. “To come to grips with” is an idiom that means to fully understand or accept a difficult a situation. So Michael is preparing everyone for bad news. But Michael’s statement a little unclear, is it? Another way to say unclear is “vague”—it’s open to interpretation. To understand better, Rachel asks for clarification. Rachel: Sorry, but I don’t quite see what you mean. What are you getting at? “What exactly are you getting at?” is a useful expression to clarify meaning when something is vague. You could also say:      

What exactly do you mean by that? Sorry, what do you mean by that? I don’t quite see what you mean. Could you be a little more specific? Sorry, I’m not with you. Could you explain what you mean? Sorry, I don’t follow you. Could you run through that again? Sorry, that wasn’t totally clear to me. What exactly are you driving at?

Okay, let’s get back to the dialogue. Remember, Rachel has just asked for clarification. How does Michael respond? Michael: Well, Rachel, what I’m saying is... we’ve had a closer look at the numbers, and it isn’t pretty. Michael uses the phrase “what I’m saying is...” to clarify his meaning. He doesn’t need to say this, but perhaps it gives him a little time to think. There are many other expressions he could use, for example,   

I think what I’m getting at is that... What I mean to say is that... To make a long story short...

Now, when Michael says “the numbers aren’t pretty,” he’s still being very vague, isn’t he? Ryan decides to use his own words to check.

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Meeting Essentials Ryan: I see. So in other words, you’re saying it’s been a complete failure? Is that right? What is Ryan doing? First he acknowledges Michael by saying “I see.” Then he checks back—“So in other words....” Then he confirms—“Is that right?” Acknowledge, check back, and confirm. Let’s practice that. A: I just think it’s been really hard. And, well, you know. It’s not the best way to do things. B: Uh huh. Let me make sure I understand what you mean. You’re saying that this is just not going to work, right? A: Well, let’s see. I think it’s just time to try something different. B: Okay. Let me get this straight. What you mean is that we’ve got to invent a new strategy. Have I got that right? A: It’s important that we keep the quality high at any cost. B: I understand. So, we’re not going to put profit before quality. Am I correct? Acknowledging, checking back and confirming is a useful skill. It can be used for simple things, like checking a phone number, as well as more complex things, like making sure you understand a vague customer demand. Now, Ryan has just asked Michael if he thinks the project was a complete failure, right? So how does Michael reply? Michael: That would be one way of looking at it. I prefer to see it as a challenge. To salvage this situation, we really have our work cut out for us. “Salvage” means to save. “To have your work cut out for you” means that you have a lot of work to do. So Michael thinks the project can be saved, but it’s going to take hard work. Isn’t it interesting how Michael is negotiating with his colleagues about how to look at the situation? When Ryan asks if the project is a failure, Michael says “That would be one way of looking at it. I prefer to see it as a challenge.” While clarifying, we’re not always just trying to make something clear. Sometimes we’re also trying to get people to see things our way, aren’t we? This is negotiating the meaning. Listen to another example: A: I think he’s hard to work with. B: That’s one way of looking at it. I think he’s impossible. So back in our dialogue, Michael has just said that it’s going to take a lot of hard work to salvage the situation. How does Rachel respond? Rachel: What exactly do you mean by “salvage”? Do you think we are going to have to scrap the whole product line?

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businessenglishpod Rachel asks if the project will need to be “scrapped.” To scrap something is to throw it away. Notice that she asks for clarification about a specific word— salvage. She says, “What exactly do you mean by ‘salvage’?”. This is a good expression for asking about a single word or expression. Here are some other phrases you can use. Could you just go over what you mean by “a big change”? Sorry, I don’t understand exactly what you mean when you say “come to grips”? Can we just go back for a moment to what you said about timing? I’m not quite sure what you mean by “as soon as possible”? Let’s get back to the dialogue again. Remember, Rachel has just asked Michael what he means by “salvage”. Does he mean that the product will need to be scrapped? Michael: I’m afraid so. Actually, I’m thinking about how to salvage the company. It’s going to take everything we have just to keep this company afloat. Michael says it’s going to take everything they have—all of their effort—just to keep the company afloat. Afloat means floating, like a boat. It’s going to take a lot of hard work to keep the company from sinking or going out of business. Notice how Michael uses “Actually....” This is a way of introducing something that is new or surprising. Michael is not just worried about salvaging the project; actually, he’s worried about the whole company. This is another kind of clarifying the meaning. Listen to another example. A: So what you’re getting at is that we need to get a new computer system right away? B: Sorry, that’s not exactly what I’m saying. Actually, I think we can use the current system a little while longer. Great. Before we finish the program today, let’s listen again to the end of the dialogue. Michael has just said that there needs to be some adjustments—some changes—in the way they do things. Rachel: Wait a second. What do you mean by “adjustment”? We’re not talking about redundancies here, are we? What does Rachel mean by “redundancies”? This is a nice way to talk about laying off or dismissing employees. “Redundant” means repeated or extra. To make people redundant means to dismiss them because their job no longer exists. So redundancies refers to dismissals from work. When Rachel asks whether there are going to be redundancies, she is asking whether anyone is going to get fired. How does Michael reply? Michael: (sigh) Actually, it’s funny you should mention that, Rachel. You know, no one has contributed more to this project than you have.

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Meeting Essentials “It’s funny you should mention that....” is a way of directing the conversation. Here “funny” means coincidental—something that happens by chance. This phrase refers to what someone just said in order to change or build on the topic. Listen to another example. A: I just ran into in the elevator after he met with the boss. He looked a little nervous. B: Really? It’s funny you should mention that. I mean, I saw his manager just now, and he was looking pretty angry. I wonder what’s going on? So in our dialogue, it sounds like Michael is using the chance that Rachel gives him to bring up the subject of firing someone. Who do you think it’s going to be? If I were Rachel, I’d be pretty nervous. Now, it’s your turn to talk. We’re going to practice clarifying a vague statement and acknowledging, checking back, and confirming. First, you’ll hear a vague statement. After the beep, ask for clarification. For example, if you hear, “We had a hard year last year,” you can clarify by asking, “What exactly do you mean by hard?” Then, acknowledge, check back, and confirm the reply. For example, if you the reply is, “I mean, sales dropped 30%,” you can say, “I see. So you’re saying sales fell 30%, is that right?” Are you ready? Give it a try. Practice 1 Prompt: We’ve got a lot of work to do. Learner: Prompt: I mean, we’ve got to finish all these reports by Friday. Learner:

Practice 2 Prompt: I’m afraid if performance doesn’t improve, there’s going to have to be some changes around here. Learner: Prompt: I mean, we may have to lay some people off. Learner:

Practice 3 Prompt: Katy is a nice person, but she’s not exactly the best worker. Learner: Prompt: Well, she’s always coming late to work, and she always leaves 20 minutes early. Learner:

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businessenglishpod How did you do? Now listen to the example answers to check your work. Practice 1 Answer Prompt: We’ve got a lot of work to do. Answer: What exactly do you mean by that? Prompt: I mean, we’ve got to finish all these reports by Friday. Answer: Okay. You mean we have to get all these reports done by Friday, right? Practice 2 Answer Prompt: I’m afraid if performance doesn’t improve, there’s going to have to be some changes around here. Answer: Sorry, I’m not with you. Could you explain what you mean? Prompt: I mean, we may have to lay some people off. Answer: I understand. So you mean that there’s going to be layoffs if performance doesn’t improve, right? Practice 3 Answer Prompt: Katy is a nice person, but she’s not exactly the best worker. Answer: I don’t quite see what you mean. Could you be a little more specific? Prompt: Well, she’s always coming late to work, and she always leaves 20 minutes early. Answer: Okay. So what you’re saying is that she always comes late and always leaves early. Is that right? The two skills we just practiced – clarifying vague statements and acknowledging, checking back, and confirming – are essential communication tools. They are not only useful for making sure that you totally understand; they can also help the person you are talking to feel that you are actively listening. It’s good to go back redo the practice. The next time you try it, substitute different language to help develop fluency. Well, that’s it for today’s show. We’ve looked at a variety of ways to clarify what we mean, including asking for clarification, acknowledging, checking back and confirming, and negotiating the meaning. We’ve also looked at a wide range of useful idioms. For further practice, be sure to check out the online exercises that accompany the e-book. There you’ll find extra listening and language development exercises.

Study Strategy Acknowledging, checking back, and confirming is a key skill for making sure you have understood. With a friend, play the “vague game.” Pick a “sensitive” topic, for example, a coworker neither of you like, or a love affair someone has had. Then, take turns making “vague” statements about the topic. The other person uses the language we have studied in this episode to clarify what was meant. After you’ve finished, switch roles.

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Meeting Essentials Language Review A. Key Phrases Complete the sentences below using the words from the box. investor

come to grips with scrap

redundancies challenge

1. The tests were a complete failure so we had to

the project.

2. If we want to makes this a success, we need to problems.

the

3. The project wasn’t a complete failure but it will be a big meet our original objectives. 4. Our

to

are not going to be happy if we miss our sales targets.

5. US automobile manufacturers plan to announce more this week in order to control costs. B. Clarifying What Was Meant Part 1: Clarifying General and Specific Points Put the jumbled sentences in order. 1) exactly you do that mean by what 2) what sorry mean do you by that 3) I what quite see mean you don’t 4) you be a little more specific could 5) I’m sorry you not with 6) understand I don’t what when you mean you say “come to grips” sorry exactly 7) quite not sure you mean “as soon as possible” by what I’m Part 2: Acknowledging, Checking Back and Confirming Fill in the blanks with the words below. understand

straight

got

saying

understand

correct

right

mean

A: I just think it’s been really hard. And, well, you know. It’s not the best way to do things. B: Uh huh. Let me make sure I ______________ what you mean. You’re ______________ that this is just not going to work, ______________? A: Well, let’s see. I think it’s just time to try something different. B: Okay. Let me get this ______________. What you ______________ is that we’ve got to invent a new strategy. Have I ______________ that right? A: It’s important that we keep the quality high at any cost. B: I ______________. So, we’re not going to put profit before quality. Am I correct?

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businessenglishpod Answers Language Review A. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Key Phrases scrap come to grips challenge investor redundancies

B. Clarifying What Was Meant Part 1: Clarifying General and Specific Points 1) What exactly do you mean by that? 2) Sorry, what do you mean by that? 3) I don’t quite see what you mean. 4) Could you be a little more specific? 5) Sorry, I’m not with you. 6) Sorry, I don’t understand exactly what you mean when you say “come to grips”? 7) I’m not quite sure what you mean by “as soon as possible”? Part 2: Acknowledging, Checking Back and Confirming Fill in the blanks with words from the box. A: I just think it’s been really hard. And, well, you know. It’s not the best way to do things. B: Uh huh. Let me make sure I understand what you mean. You’re saying that this is just not going to work, right? A: Well, let’s see. I think it’s just time to try something different. B: Okay. Let me get this straight. What you mean is that we’ve got to invent a new strategy. Have I got that right? A: It’s important that we keep the quality high at any cost. B: I understand. So, we’re not going to put profit before quality. Am I correct?

Online Practice Click the “Launch” button to open the online practice:

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Meeting Essentials Unit 209 - Opening a Meeting This episode is the first in a two-part series on opening and managing meetings. In this part you will study how to open a meeting. In the second part you will learn how to manage the discussion. The listening takes place in the Singapore offices of Daneline, an international shipping company. Martin, the GM, is chairing a meeting with Sandra, David and Sam to discuss a budget shortfall. Shortfall means their budget has fallen short of expectations. In other words, they don’t have enough money, so they need to make some cuts. To chair a meeting is to lead the meeting. We can say that Martin is the chairperson. So in these two episodes on opening and managing meetings, you’ll be learning language for chairing meetings.

Vocabulary Agenda: The list of items that you plan to cover in a meeting. We can “run through the agenda,” or “receive a copy of the agenda.” Also, you can “stick to the agenda,” which means to follow it. “I think this is a bit of a side track. Can we please stick to the agenda?” Server: A computer that delivers information or software to other computers on a network. A server can “be down,” which means to malfunction, or “be up” which means to be running normally. “I haven’t been able to send e-mails all day. Maybe there is something wrong with the mail server.” Gym memberships: A gym, short for gymnasium, is a place to do exercise in order to keep fit. A gym membership is a monthly or yearly card that let’s you visit the gym without paying by the time. “For New Year’s, we gave ourselves gym memberships – trying to lose weight and get fit. Wish us luck!” (To be) demotivated: To lack morale or to feel that you have lost motivation. “After our top manager criticized the project, we all felt totally demotivated. No one wanted to continue with the project any more.” Potential: (Adjective) Possible. A high-potential employee is someone who has great possibilities. In the dialogue, potential cuts are possible areas where the Daneline team can cut the budget. “I think there are many potential areas for improvement in our work.” Outsourcing: This refers to another company, usually called a vendor, that performs some service for you in exchange for money. By finding a vendor that can perform the service for less money than they themselves could do it, companies save money. “With industrialized countries outsourcing manufacturing to industrializing countries, the balance of the world economy shifted in the late twentieth century.” Shortfall: A sum or amount that is less than expected. “We’re going to have to make up for shortfalls in our supply if we have any hope of meeting our production schedule.” To tighten one’s belt: Idiom. To cut costs. “We’ve got way too much fat in this program – it’s time to tighten our belts and save some money.” To kick off: To begin. “I’d like to kick off by saying Welcome to everybody.

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businessenglishpod Dialog Martin: All right. Is everybody here? Great. I think we can get started. Well, good morning everyone. I’m sorry I had to call this meeting at such short notice. Did you all get a copy of the agenda? Sandra: Sorry, Martin, do you have an extra copy? Martin: Haven’t checked your email yet this morning Sandra? Late again, huh? Sandra: Oh, come on Martin. You know I’m never late. I think our server is down or something. David: Here, you can have look at mine. Sandra: Thanks, Dave. Martin: After the meeting, make sure to call IT. Sandra: Already have. Martin: Good. Okay. As you know, the main objective of this meeting is to agree on ways to make up the budget shortfall of $154,000 we’re facing. I hate to say it, but it’s belt tightening time. Sam: Speaking of belt tightening, whatever we do we can’t cut the free gym memberships. That would be totally demotivating, don’t you think? Martin: Let’s get to that in a moment, Sam. Let me first go through the agenda. As you can see, we have a lot to cover. From the agenda, there are 10 areas we’ve identified for potential cuts. We’ll run through them in order. Any questions before we start? Sandra: No. Martin: We’ll break for lunch at 11:30, if that’s okay with you guys. Sam: That’s fine. Sandra: Fine by me. Martin: Good. Okay, let’s move straight to the first point on the agenda: Outsourcing cleaning. Sandra, could you please kick off?

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Meeting Essentials Debrief There are many ways to open a meeting. It depends, obviously, on the type of meeting and the situation. But there are six key points that you will always need to consider when starting a meeting: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Getting everybody’s attention Welcoming and thanking Introducing any new colleagues Explaining the objectives Looking at the agenda Asking someone to start

Let’s look at how Martin handles each of these steps. First, getting attention. What does Martin say at the very beginning of the meeting? Martin: All right. Is everybody here? Great. I think we can get started. Well, good morning everyone. This language attracts everyone’s attention and lets them know the meeting is starting. What else could Martin say?     

Okay. Let’s get down to business. All right then. Can we get started? Okay folks. Let’s get started, shall we? All right. Can I get everybody’s attention? I think it’s about time we get started. All right everybody. We need to get this show on the road.

The last example—“We need to get the show on the road”—is an informal idiom that means we need to start. So Martin has gotten everybody’s attention. What’s next? Martin: Well, good morning everyone. I’m sorry I had to call this meeting at such short notice. Did you all get a copy of the agenda? To create a professional atmosphere, Martin is sure to welcome and thank everyone for attending. Practice some more ways to do this.   

Well, good afternoon everybody. It’s good to see you all here. Did everyone get the agenda? Great! Thank you all for coming. Hello everyone! I’m glad to see you all here. I know it’s a long way for some of you to come. I really appreciate your being on time and ready to work.

What is the reason that Sandra doesn’t have a copy of the agenda? She’s having some email problems. She says “I think our server is down or something.” A server is a computer that delivers information or software to other computers on a network. But by saying “or something,” Sandra shows that she doesn’t really © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com

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businessenglishpod understand what’s going on. This is a good example of useful vague or unspecific language. Let’s practice some more examples of “or something.” A: Have you found the problem with the numbers? B: We’ve been looking all afternoon, but still can’t seem to find it. I think there’s a problem with the spreadsheet or something. A: The boss is looking really happy. He must have gotten a bonus. B: Or something. I heard he has a new girlfriend. Maybe that’s it. So Martin has gotten everybody’s attention, and welcomed and thanked everybody. What’s next? If there are any new colleagues to introduce, he can do that now. For example, he could say:  

First of all, I’d like to introduce George from the Hong Kong office. Would you like to say a few words about yourself, George? Everybody say hello to Kerumi. She’s visiting us from the Japan office.

In this case, however, there is no one new to introduce, so Martin just moves on to the next thing, explaining the objectives of the meeting. Martin: As you know, the main objective of this meeting is to agree on ways to make up the budget shortfall of $154,000 shortfall we’re facing. I hate to say it, but it’s belt tightening time. “To tighten one’s belt” is an idiom that means to reduce waste or expenditures. Expenditures means spending. So when Martin says “It’s belt tightening time,” he means it’s time to cut spending. How does he explain the objective of the meeting? He says, “As you know, the main objective of this meeting is to....” That is a good way to tell everybody the purpose of your meeting. What are some other ways?    

The reason we’re meeting today is to work out ways to deal with the marketing challenges that we’re facing. The primary purpose of this meeting will be to start a discussion on ways to cope with the huge increase in demand that we’re seeing. The main problem that we’re facing is how to manage our growth. The main thing I’d like to accomplish today is defining the key problem areas that we see with our current plan.

Notice the strong use of word partnerships or collocations in each of the examples you’ve just listened to: We face, cope with, deal with or define problems and challenges. By the way, “challenge” is a good word to use: It sounds more optimistic than “problem.” Now what happens? Sam, the operations manager, changes the subject, doesn’t he? He says, “Speaking of belt tightening, whatever we do we can’t cut the free gym memberships. That would be totally demotivating, don’t you think?” When Sam changes the topic, Martin says “Let’s get back to that in a moment Sam.” This is a good expression for controlling the meeting. We’ll be looking at

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Meeting Essentials ways of leaving and returning to the main topic in more detail during the second episode. So far Martin has got everybody’s attention, welcomed and thanked everybody, and explained the objectives. He still needs to look at the agenda, doesn’t he? How does he do that? Martin: Let me first go over the agenda. As you can see, we have a lot to cover. As you can see from the agenda, there are 10 areas we’ve identified for potential cuts. We’ll run through them in order. Any questions before we start? Potential means possible. Martin plans to “run through them in order,” in other words, to deal with them one by one. Again, pay attention to the collocations and useful language in this example. “Go over the agenda,” “have a lot to cover,” “potential areas for cuts,” and “run through something in order” are all useful expressions. Now, let’s take a look at some other ways to look at the agenda.   

Let’s take a quick look at the agenda. As you can see, it’s broken down into five main parts. I’ve divided up the meeting today into three parts. I’ve prepared some figures to help us compare the two options. I’ll distribute them now.

Next Martin talks about lunchtime plans. When you open a meeting, introducing the agenda is obviously a good place to talk about any other important rules or housekeeping details, such as when you will take a break, how long the meeting will last, what people should do if they have to take a phone call and so on. After confirming when they’ll break for lunch, the final thing Martin needs to do is to ask someone to start. He says Martin: Good. Okay, let’s move straight to the first point on the agenda: Outsourcing cleaning. Sandra, would you please kick off? As you may recall from Business News 06, outsourcing means to have another company, usually called a vendor, perform some service for you. So outsourcing cleaning means that instead of having their own cleaning staff, Daneline will hire a cleaning company to do it for them. “Please kick off” simply means “Please start.” This is a common business idiom that comes from football, where “kick off” means to start the game. Later we will do a whole podcast just on sports idioms. What are some other ways to kick off the first item on the agenda?   

Great. Well, we have a lot to cover, so let’s get down to business. George, could you start by explaining the background on the first item? All right then. Let’s start then, shall we? Katy, why don’t you tell us what you’ve been thinking on the advertising issue. Right. Susanne, would you be so kind as to begin?

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businessenglishpod Now it’s your turn to speak. We’re going to practice opening a meeting. Imagine you are a manager at Daneline, and you are holding a meeting to discuss the budget shortfall your team is facing. Give a short speech to them to open the meeting. Remember to include all six parts. Do you remember what they are? 1. First get everybody’s attention. For example, you can say, “Okay. Let’s get down to business.” 2. Next, be sure to welcome everyone and thank them for coming. “Well, good afternoon everybody. It’s good to see you all here. Did everyone get the agenda?” 3. The third part is to introduce any new colleagues, but let’s say everyone knows each other, so this step is not necessary for the practice. 4. Fourth, explain the objectives of the meeting. For example, “The main problem that we’re facing is how deal with the budget shortfall.” 5. Next, look at the agenda. To keep it simple, you can say the agenda is divided up into two parts – discussing the problems and brainstorming. Brainstorming means thinking of solutions. 6. Finally, don’t forget to ask someone to start. For example, “All right then. Let’s start then, shall we? Katy, why don’t kick it off.” Now you’ll hear a series of cues for each part. After each beep, use an appropriate phrase. Are you ready? Let’s give it a try. Cue 1: Getting everybody’s attention Learner:

Cue 2: Welcoming and thanking Learner:

Cue 3: Explaining the objectives Learner:

Cue 4: Looking at the agenda Learner: . Cue 5: Asking someone to start Learner:

How did you do? Listen to an example answer with all the steps together.

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Meeting Essentials Example answer: All right then. Can we get started? Well, good morning everyone. I’m sorry I had to call this meeting at such short notice. Did you all get a copy of the agenda? The reason we’re meeting today is to work out ways to deal with the budget shortfall that we’re facing. Let’s take a quick look at the agenda. As you can see, it’s broken down into two parts. First we’ll discuss the problem, and then brainstorm solutions. Great. Well, we have a lot to cover, so let’s get down to business. George, could you start? Remember to try the practice again; this time, substitute new language to build up fluency. All right. So that covers this episode on opening a meeting. You’ve learned the six parts of opening a meeting: Getting attention, welcoming and thanking, introducing new colleagues, looking at the agenda and asking someone to start. You’ve also reviewed some common idioms, vocabulary and collocations for meetings and budget discussions. Be sure to check out the online exercises for this and the other chapters. There you’ll find extensive language, listening and vocabulary practice. In the next chapters, we’ll be learning ways to manage the discussion and keep everybody on track. Thanks for listening!

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businessenglishpod Language Review Exercise A Put the tasks in a likely order: a. Welcoming and thanking everybody. b. Looking at the agenda. c. Explaining the objectives of the meeting d. Getting everybody’s attention. e. Introducing new colleagues. f. Asking someone to start the first item.

1. 2. 3. Introducing new colleagues 4. 5. 6.

Exercise B Match the tasks above with the language below and fill in the blanks. The first one has been done for you. 1.

f

Wendy, would you kick

off the first item.

2.

The primary _______ of this meeting will be to start a discussion on ways to cope with this problem.

3.

Everybody say hello to Kerumi. She’s _______ us from the Japan office.

4.

Okay everybody. Let’s get _____ to business.

5.

I’ve ________ up the meeting today into three parts.

6.

Well, good afternoon everybody. It’s _______ to see you all here.

Study Strategy Write down and practice an introduction for a meeting that you chair or you’ve attended. In addition to the six tasks above, you may wish to consider any housekeeping points you need to cover (how long the meeting will last, whether you will be taking a break). Also consider any special points that need to be dealt with at meetings in your company (unfinished business from the last meeting, special announcements, etc.).

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Meeting Essentials Answers Listening Comprehension 1) $154,000 2) She has some IT problems and didn’t receive her email. She thinks the email server might be down. 3) areas have been identified for potential cuts. 4) Outsourcing cleaning of the office. Language Review Exercise A 1) Getting everybody’s attention; 2) Welcoming and thanking everybody; 3) Introducing new colleagues; 4) Explaining the objectives of the meeting; 5) Looking at the agenda; 6) Asking somebody to start. Exercise B 2) c, purpose, objective; 3)e, visiting us, coming to us from; 4) d, down; 5) b, divided; 6) a, great, good.

Online Practice Click the “Launch” button to open the online practice:

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businessenglishpod BEP 210 - Managing the Discussion This is the second in a two-part series on opening and managing meetings. In the first episode, we looked at how to open a meeting. In today’s podcast we’re going to cover how to manage the discussion. Martin, the GM of Daneline Singapore, is discussing with his staff how to make up a budget shortfall. He has just asked Sandra to kick off the first item on the agenda – outsourcing the cleaning.

Vocabulary No-brainer: Something that is so obvious that you don’t even have to think about it to know that it’s true. “That’s a no-brainer if you ask me.” It’s a little harsh: Harsh means unkind or strong. You see it for example in the expressions harsh treatment or harsh realities. For example, “If you’re going to succeed in this world you have to face the harsh realities of life.” To let people go: Euphemism (a nice way) for saying to fire someone or to lay someone off. “Our costs are running too high – I think we’re going to need to let some people go.” To prioritize something: To make something a priority, i.e., give it high importance. You usually deal with first the things that you prioritize. “We need to prioritize sales – without revenue, our business will fail.” Vendor: Another company that performs a service for your company or sells something to your company. “We have a variety of vendors to supply us with all the parts we need for manufacturing.” To cut fat: Similar to “to tighten one’s belt,” this is an idiom that describes measures taken to cut extra costs, which are conceived of as “fat.” “All right – this operation is not running very efficiently, and we need to save money. There’s a lot of fat we can cut.” Side-track: Can be used as a noun or verb. A discussion not related to the agenda or main topic. “Don’t you think this is a bit of a side-track? We’ve got a lot to cover – let’s stick to the main topic of discussion.” Bread and butter: The core business area; the main way someone makes their money. “For over 100 years, selling medicines has been the bread and butter of our business. I don’t see any reason to change now.”

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Meeting Essentials Dialog Martin: ...Sandra, would you please kick off? Sandra: Well, this is a great way to cut a lot of fat. My figures show that we can save almost $50,000 dollars with this one. Sam: Can I just come in here? That reminds me, we really can’t have pizza for lunch again. It’s unhealthy. Martin: Sorry, Sam, but I think this is a bit of a side-track. Let’s try to keep to the agenda, ok? I want to get everyone out of here on time. Sam: Of course. Sandra: So as I was saying, outsourcing the cleaning can really save a lot of money. It’s a no-brainer if you ask me. Martin: Uh huh. What do others think? Is there anything else we should consider? Dave: Well, frankly, I think it’s a little harsh just to let go people; after all, we’ve been working with them side by side for years. And we have to think about how it will affect morale. Martin: Right, we seem to have dealt with the outsourcing issue. Now, let’s move on to the brochures. We’ve budgeted $68,500 to redesign and reprint all the sales and marketing brochures. Dave, this is your area of expertise. What do you think? Dave: Well, obviously, for facing a shortfall, we need to make cuts. And this cut would be less painful than many of the others. But we really have to prioritize sales, because this is the bread and butter of our business. Perhaps we can consider a limited redesign? Sam: I agree. Sandra: I do too. You know, Dave, speaking of the brochure, you should really consider using a different vendor for the brochures this time. I didn’t think they did a good job on the last ones at all. Dave: I’m with you 100%. Martin: You may have a point there Sandra, but let’s leave that for the regular team meeting on Thursday. We still have a lot to cover. Sandra: Okay. Martin: All right, can we go around the table to make sure everyone agrees? All those in favor of a limited redesign of the brochure? All those against?

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businessenglishpod Debrief During the meeting, both Sam and Sandra attempt to change the topic. But Martin does a pretty good job of following the agenda, doesn’t he? Let’s study how Martin keeps the discussion on track. Along the way, we’ll also look at some idioms and other useful language. This first person to try to change the topic is Sam. Remember, Sandra is talking about how much money they can save by outsourcing cleaning. Sandra: Well, this is a great way to cut a lot of fat. My figures show that we can save almost $50,000 dollars with this one. Sandra says that outsourcing is a great way “to cut a lot of fat.” Similar to the phrase “to tighten one’s belt,” which we learned last time, “to cut a lot of fat” means to save a lot of money. This makes Sam think of food: Sam: Can I just come in here? That reminds me, we really can’t have pizza for lunch again. It’s unhealthy. It sounds as though Sam’s stomach is more important to him than the budget discussions, doesn’t it? Notice how Sam uses “that reminds me.” This useful phrase links to what was just said to change the topic of discussion: What you said reminds me of something else. So Sam has attempted to change the topic. How does Martin get him back on track? Martin: Sorry, Sam, but I think this is a bit of a side-track. Let’s try to keep to the agenda, ok? I want to get everyone out of here on time. Martin uses the phrase “I think this is a bit of a side-track” to show that he feels the group has gone off the main topic on to an unimportant side issue. He is careful to emphasize the benefit to the group of keeping to the agenda by saying “I want to get everyone out of here on time,” that is he wants everyone to be able to leave on time. Martin’s skillful action guides the discussion back on track. Returning to the topic gives Sandra a chance to finish what she was saying: Sandra: So as I was saying, outsourcing the cleaning can really save a lot of money. It’s no-brainer if you ask me. “So as I was saying,” lets Sandra continue from where she was interrupted. How does she feel about outsourcing? She strongly supports it, saying that it’s a “nobrainer.” That means it’s so obvious that you don’t need a brain to figure it out. Later on in the discussion, Sandra also tries to change the topic. Remember, Dave has proposed a limited or partial redesign of the brochure: He is against totally abandoning the brochure project because sales should be prioritized, meaning that

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Meeting Essentials this should be given high importance. He says sales are the “bread and butter” of the business. This is an idiom that means something is very important to the business’ profit. Dave’s proposal reminds Sandra of a point she’d like to make. Let’s listen. Dave: Perhaps we can consider a limited redesign? Sam: I agree. Sandra: I do too. You know, Dave, speaking of the brochure, you should really should consider using a different vendor for the brochures this time. Similar to Sam’s “That reminds me...,” Sandra uses “Speaking of the brochure” to change the topic. This kind of expression is particularly useful in informal discussions or when socializing and making small talk. We’ll be looking in more detail at ways to change the topic during later episodes on social English. Now, let’s listen to how Martin gets the discussion back on track this time. Martin: You may have a point there Sandra, but let’s leave that for the regular team meeting on Thursday. We still have a lot to cover. In this expression and in Martin’s previous suggestion that “This is a bit of a side-track,” notice the strong journey metaphor. “Metaphor” means to describe something in terms of something else. In this case, we understand discussions in terms of a journey with a goal: The meeting participants are travelers who have to keep to or follow the agenda, which is the road. With the journey metaphor in mind, let’s review the language for keeping the discussion on track:     

I can see what you’re saying, but let’s try to keep to the agenda. To save time, we need to stay on track. Let’s try not to get too far off topic. Let’s get back to that later. For now, I really want to stick to the agenda. That’s an interesting point, but let’s talk about that when we come to it. Can we get back to the main point? We’ve got a lot of ground to cover, so I suggest do our best to stay on track.

So far you’ve covered language for changing the topic and sticking to the agenda. Now let’s look at some language for widening the discussion to make sure you’ve heard different points of view. Remember earlier when Sandra says that outsourcing cleaning is a no-brainer? What does Martin say to bring other people into the discussion? Martin: Uh huh. What do others think? Is there anything else we should consider? “What do others think?” is an effective way to widen the discussion to include more people. What are some other phrases Martin could use? 

What other approaches are there to this problem? Does anybody have any ideas?

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businessenglishpod   

How about other people? Any comments? Let’s go around the table and get reactions to that idea. Who would like to begin? Are there any other ways to think about this?

Great. We’ve covered changing the topic, sticking to the agenda and widening the discussion. Now let’s study how Martin moves from one point to the next in the meeting. What does he say after the team has finished talking about outsourcing? Martin: Right, we seem to have dealt with the outsourcing issue. Now, let’s move on to the brochures. Similar to making a transition in a presentation, Martin signals that the last part has finished and the new part is beginning. Let’s listen to some more language for doing just that.   

Good. I’d say that’s about all for that topic. Now, let’s turn to the issue of sales. Well, we’ve just about covered the San Francisco office. Let’s continue by discussing Buenos Aires. Time is pressing. Let’s leave that there and move on to the next point on the agenda, okay?

Take note of the professional way Martin asks Dave about his opinion on the next topic: He says, “Dave, this is your area of expertise. What do you think?” For a more complete review of other ways to ask for and give opinions, you can go back to BEP27. In addition, agreeing and disagreeing are covered in BEP28 and 29. Great. There is one last topic to cover in today’s episode: Checking everyone agrees in order to reach a decision. Listen to what Martin says at the end of the dialogue. Martin: All right, can we go around the table to make sure everyone agrees? All those in favor of a limited redesign of the brochure? All those against? “To go around the table” means to take a vote. You can either run through the participants one by one or, as Martin does, have them respond as a group by asking “All those in favor?” and “All those against?” What are some other ways to check if everyone agrees?   

Can I get a quick show of hands? All those in favor? Let’s take a vote. How many people are for this idea? Against? Thanks. Just quickly - is there anyone else that supports the strategy of reducing overhead? Please raise your hands.

Now it’s your turn to practice. We’re going to study keeping the discussion on track and including other people in the discussion.

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Meeting Essentials Practice 1 First, imagine you are chairing a meeting a Daneline about how to deal with a budget shortfall. You are talking about the first item on the agenda, outsourcing the cleaning, but members of your team Pat and Brooks keep changing the topic. After each beep, use a phrase we’ve studied to keep the discussion on track. For example: • “I can see what you’re saying, but let’s try to keep to the agenda.” • or “To save time, we need to stay on track. Let’s try not to get too far off topic.” Are you ready? Let’s give it a try. Cue 1 - Pat: That reminds me – can we go out for lunch today? I’d love to try the new Chinese restaurant. Learner:

Cue 2 - Brooks: Can I come in here? Actually, I really think canceling the Christmas party is the best way to save money. Learner:

Cue 3 - Pat: Can I ask a question? Who is going to handle the new employee training? Learner:

How did you do? Listen to the example answers. Answer 1 Cue 1 Pat: That reminds me – can we go out for lunch today? I’d love to try the new Chinese restaurant. Answer: Can we talk about that later? We’ve got a lot of ground to cover. Answer 2 Cue 2 Brooks: Can I come in here? Actually, I really think canceling the Christmas party is the best way to save money. Answer: That’s an interesting point, but let’s talk about that when we come to it. Answer 3 Cue 3 Pat: Can I ask a question? Who is going to handle the new employee training? Answer: To save time, we need to stay focused. Let’s stick to the agenda.

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businessenglishpod Be sure to go back and try the practice again. Substitute different language to build up fluency. Let’s turn now to including more people in the discussion. In a moment, you’ll hear Pat and Brooks state their opinions. After each beep, use a phrase to widen the discussion, such as “What do others think?” or “Let’s go around the table to get comments.” Are you ready? Give it a try. Cue 1: We’ll, in my opinion, outsourcing cleaning is a great way to save money. Learner:

Cue 2: The best approach, in my view, is a limited redesign of the brochure. Learner:

Cue 3: Another way to save money would be to cancel the Christmas party. Learner:

Good. Now listen to some example answers. Cue 1: We’ll, in my opinion, outsourcing cleaning is a great way to save money. Answer: How about other people – any comments? Cue 2: The best approach, in my view, is a limited redesign of the brochure. Answer: What other approaches are there to this problem? Does anybody have any ideas? Cue 3: Another way to save money would be to cancel the Christmas party. Answer: Hmmmm. Let’s go around the table and get reactions to that idea. Who would like to begin? That’s about it for today’s episode on controlling the discussion. You’ve learned how to return to the main point, change the topic, move on to the next point in the agenda, widen the discussion and check if everyone agrees. In addition, we’ve covered several useful idioms and we’ve looked at how the ‘discussion-isa-journey’ metaphor plays an important role in the language that we use to manage meetings. Thanks for listening!

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Meeting Essentials Online Practice Click the “Launch” button to open the FLASH version: Language Review A. Metaphor As you’re learning English, thinking about metaphor can help your memory and contribute to your fluency, especially with idioms. For example, in the two episodes on opening and managing meetings, we have learned “to tighten one’s belt” and “to cut the fat”: In both these idioms “fat” refers to money that can be saved. In fact, language is full of metaphors. It seems we understand almost everything in terms of something else. Can you think of more? How about time is money—“We need to save time”—business is war—“They attacked our market position”—and so on. Are these the same in your native language? Many of them probably are, but you might find some that are not. This can be an interesting way to understand differences between cultures.

A. Discussion is a journey

C. Business is war

B. Fat is extra costs

D. Time is money

1)

I don’t think we’re getting anywhere. Can we try another approach?

A. Discussion is a journey

2)

Within two years we hope to totally conquer this market

______________________________

3)

I hate to say it, but it’s belt tightening time.

______________________________

4)

I feel like we’re just going around in circles.

______________________________

5)

Our CEO is a real fat cat. He doesn’t think twice about spending $600 on a bottle of wine for dinner.

______________________________

6)

I’m sorry—I just can’t spare the time at the moment.

______________________________

7)

For now I think the best thing we can do is get out of this market and keep our heads low in order to cut our losses.

______________________________

8)

Time is precious. Make sure you treasure every second.

______________________________

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businessenglishpod B. General Review Part 1: Key Phrases Review key phrases by filling in the blanks with words from the box. issue against

about covered

raise table

comments quick

next approaches

Widening the discussion to include more people: 1) What other are there to this problem? Does anybody have any ideas? 2) How about other people? Any ? 3) Let’s go around the and get reactions to that idea. Who would like to begin? 4) Are there any other ways to think this? Moving to a new topic: 5) Good. I’d say that’s about all for that topic. Now, let’s turn to the of sales. 6) Well, we’ve just about the San Francisco office. Let’s continue by discussing Buenos Aires. 7) Time is pressing. Let’s leave that there and move on to the point on the agenda, okay? To check if everyone agrees: 8) Can I get a show of hands. All those in favor? 9) Let’s take a vote. How many people are for this idea? ? Thanks. 10) Just quickly—is there anyone else that supports the strategy of reducing overhead. Please your hands. Part 2: Sticking to the Agenda Allan keeps leading the discussion astray. Bill would like to get him back on track, but he keeps getting his sentences mixed up. Help Bill by putting his sentences back in order. Allan: That reminds me – can we go out for lunch today? I’d love to try the new Chinese restaurant. Bill: 1) can that we about talk later

2) got we’ve a lot to ground cover of

Can_____________________

____________________________

Allan: Can I come in here? Actually, I really think canceling the Christmas party is the best way to save money. Bill: That’s an interesting point,

3) let’s talk but that when we to come about it ___________________________________

Allan: Can I ask a question? Who is going to handle the new employee training? Bill: To save time, 4) need we to focused stay

_________________

5) ’s stick let agenda to the

___________________

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Meeting Essentials Answers Language Review A. Metaphor 2) C 3) B 4) A 5) B 6) D 7) C 8) D. B. General Review Part 1: Key Phrases Widening the discussion to include more people: 1) What other approaches are there to this problem? Does anybody have any ideas? 2) How about other people? Any comments? 3) Let’s go around the table and get reactions to that idea. Who would like to begin? 4) Are there any other ways to think about this? Moving to a new topic: 5) Good. I’d say that’s about all for that topic. Now, let’s turn to the issue of sales. 6) Well, we’ve just about covered the San Francisco office. Let’s continue by discussing Buenos Aires. 7) Time is pressing. Let’s leave that there and move on to the next point on the agenda, okay? To check if everyone agrees: 8) Can I get a quick show of hands. All those in favor? 9) Let’s take a vote. How many people are for this idea? Against? Thanks. 10) Just quickly—is there anyone else that supports the strategy of reducing overhead. Please raise your hands. Part 2: Sticking to the Agenda Allan: That reminds me – can we go out for lunch today? I’d love to try the new Chinese restaurant. Bill: 1) Can we talk about that later? 2) We’ve got a lot of ground to cover. Allan: Can I come in here? Actually, I really think canceling the Christmas party is the best way to save money. Bill: That’s an interesting point, 3) but let’s talk about that when we come to it. Allan: Can I ask a question? Who is going to handle the new employee training? Bill: To save time, 4) we need to stay focused. Let’s stick to the agenda.

Online Practice Click the “Launch” button to open the FLASH version:

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businessenglishpod

Unit 211 – Interrupting and Resisting Interruption As a non-native speaker of English, you might often find yourself in situations like this: You’re sitting in a meeting or a teleconference, and some of the participants are native English speakers. They are speaking with each another very rapidly, and they are using some idiomatic or difficult-to-understand expressions. Someone says something you don’t understand, or perhaps something that is not true or that you disagree with strongly. You should interrupt to ask what they mean, to clarify, to correct – but you just can’t bring yourself to open your mouth. How do you start? How do you interrupt? That’s the focus of today’s episode. We’ll be studying useful language and expressions for interrupting and for resisting or stopping interruption. Along the way, we’ll be looking at some useful vocabulary. We’ll be focusing on giving you the tools to be more assertive in meetings, that is, stronger and more confident when you’re speaking English. The listening takes place in an internal meeting at Strand Technologies, a Hong Kong-based OEM of portable electronic devices, mainly MP3 and MP4 players. OEM stands for “original equipment manufacturer.” It refers to companies that manufacture other companies’ products for them. We’ll hear Strand’s HR director Mei Lin and recruitment manager Sam talking to Bill, the production manager at Donguan, a city just over the border in Mainland China where Strand does most of its manufacturing. Strand is just starting to make a new kind of product, and Bill needs to recruit, or hire, engineers that understand the technology. He made a request for extra “heads,” that is employees, one week earlier, but he didn’t hear back from HR, so he decided to call this meeting. In this internal meeting, all three participants know each other well. As you listen, pay attention to how they use assertive language to interrupt each other in order to keep the meeting on track and arrive at positive result more quickly.

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Meeting Essentials Vocabulary (To be) assertive: Strong, confident: “She’s very assertive in meetings; she always takes control.” Recruitment: The process of finding new employs. “Every spring right before college graduation is our most important recruitment time.” Recruitment drive: A campaign or program to look at many universities or job fairs, etc., for new employees. “During the fall recruitment drive, we visit every major college in Canada.” Bottleneck: The thin part of a bottle; the part of a process that slows everything down. “Road construction on the way out of town has reduced a six-lane highway to just two-lanes; it’s a real bottleneck. Traffic is backed up for an hour.” Kinks: Literally, bends in a hose that cause the water not to flow through. To work out the kinks means to solve problems. “Our new production process is great, but there’s still a few minor problems. As soon as we’ve worked out the kinks, we’re going to be in business.” Headcount request: “Headcount” refers to the number of employees. “Headcount request” is a formal request for more “head” or more employees. “We were understaffed, so we put a headcount request into the head office.” Stamped aluminum: Here to stamp means to cut like a cookie cuter, in one piece. “A lot of iPods are made from stamped aluminum.” Skill set: A group of skills possessed by an employee. “Working as a sales engineer requires a broad skill set: You need to be a good engineer and a good salesperson.” On the fly: As you go, to improvise. “We don’t have any plans, so we’ll just have to thinking of something on the fly.” To come off half-assed: To seem unprofessional. “Because they didn’t have qualified employees in that area, their sales proposal just came off half-assed and they didn’t get the contract. Short-staffed: Describes having fewer staff than needed. “Right now we’re totally short-staffed – I don’t know if we have enough people to get the job done.” Retool: To alter the production capability of a factory to produce a different kind of product. “After we changed our design, we had to retool our assembly line.”

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businessenglishpod Dialog Bill: The main bottleneck we’re facing now in Donguan is lack of qualified engineers. Mei Lin: Uh huh. Bill: So the reason I called this meeting is to work out any…shall we say “kinks” in the approval process so that we can get recruitment started immediately. As you know, we’ve been working very closely with Trilogy on their new MP3 player launch, … Mei Lin: Sorry, Bill, excuse me for interrupting you there, but we’ve been looking at your headcount request… Bill: Yes. Mei Lin: And it didn’t really clarify for us exactly why you need to increase headcount. Sam: Yeah, don’t you have engineers you could transfer from other production lines? Bill: Well, as I was saying, Trilogy’s new product is absolutely critical to our business. They are a key customer – you could say the key customer. Mei Lin: We know that. But it still doesn’t tell us why… Bill: Just a moment. I haven’t finished what I was saying. I’m pretty busy, and maybe we weren’t totally clear in the original request. Look, this is a completely different technology. Sam: What do you mean? Bill: Instead of plastic cases, we’re using stamped aluminum cases. It’s a totally different material, so we need engineers with a different skill set. Mei Lin: Can’t you just have them learn what they need to know on the fly? You’ve got a lot of smart people. Bill: Sure they’re smart. But we are supposed to go in to production by October. We need experienced people otherwise it’s gonna come off half-assed. There are all sorts of questions about retooling the machines, how to work with the material, how … Mei Lin: Just a moment Bill. Let me just come in here for a second. That’s all well and good; I think Sam and I can both appreciate now that there is a real business need here. But there’s still the question of who commits the resources to find the engineers you need. Bill: What do you mean? Sam: Well, as you know, we’re just about to go into our fall recruitment drive, and we’re short-staffed too. Plus, you know best what qualifications you’re looking for. Bill: You mean you want us to do the search for candidates ourselves? Mei Lin: Well not entirely. Recruiting can provide support, but you’ll have to drive the process.

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Meeting Essentials Debrief Let’s look at how Bill, Sam and Mei Lin interrupt and resist interruption. How does the meeting start? Bill: The main bottleneck we’re facing now in Dongguan is lack of qualified engineers. Mei Lin: Uh huh. A bottleneck is the narrow part of the bottle under the mouth. Idiomatically, it means something that slows everything down. Bill believes a lack of qualified engineers is slowing down his production. Note that as an experienced meeting leader, Bill is careful to provide a clear statement of the goals for the meeting at the beginning. Bill: So the reason I called this meeting is to work out any…shall we say “kinks” in the approval process so that we can get recruitment started immediately. Bill says “The reason I called this meeting is to work out the kinks in the approval process…” What does “kinks” mean? Imagine you have a water hose. If the hose is bent sharply, the water can’t get through. The bend is called a “kink.” “To work out the kinks” means to straighten the hose so that the water can flow. It’s a way of saying “to work out the problems.” Bill wants to know why Mei Lin and Sam have not approved his request for more engineers and he wants to solve the problem. In addition to “the reason I called this meeting is to…,” what are some other ways to declare the purpose of a meeting?    

I called this meeting today to work out ways to deal with the marketing challenges that we’re facing. The primary purpose of this meeting will be to brainstorm ways to cope with the huge increase in demand we’re seeing. The main problem we’re facing is how to manage our growth. The main thing I’d like to accomplish today is defining the key problem areas that we see with our current plan.

How does the dialog continue? Remember, Bill is talking about why he urgently needs to recruit new engineers. Bill: … As you know, we’ve been working very closely with Trilogy on their new MP3 player launch, and this new product… Mei Lin: Sorry, Bill, excuse me for interrupting you there, but we’ve been looking at your headcount request… Mei Lin: And it didn’t really clarify for us exactly why you need more heads. Sam: Yeah, don’t you have engineers that you could transfer from other production lines?

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businessenglishpod Mei Lin senses that she and Bill are having a misunderstanding, so she decides to interrupt him right away so that they don’t waste any more time. To interrupt, May first say’s Bill’s name: “Sorry, Bill.” Using someone’s name is a great way to interrupt, because it really gets their attention. Next, she says, “excuse me for interrupting you there, but…” When interrupting, it actually helps to memorize some long phrases because sometimes you have to say a few words before you can get your conversation partner to acknowledge your interruption and stop talking. What are some other useful interruption phrases?       

Can I just come in here? Tony, I just like to add that … Excuse me for interrupting, but can I just add a few words on that topic. Could I just interrupt you there… Can I say something here… Sorry to interrupt, but hasn’t this been agreed already? Sorry to butt in, George. It’s just that I don’t think we’ve adequately covered the topic of price increases, and I’d like to add a little point here.

Now that we’ve covered some language for interruption, let’s get back to the dialog to see what happens next. Mei Lin has just interrupted Bill to clarify what the real reason for the recruitment request is. Bill: Well, as I was saying, Trilogy’s new product is absolutely critical to our business. “Well, as I was saying,” is another way to assert yourself in a meeting. It’s a way of finishing what you were saying before you were interrupted. Bill is signaling to Mei Lin that he was just about to answer her question when he was interrupted. What are some other ways to finish what you were just saying?     

Hold on a sec, let me just finish what I was saying I’ll come to that in a moment. So, as I just mentioned … I haven’t finished what I was saying Now, wait a moment… May I just finish?

How does the dialog continue? Bill is telling Mei Lin and Sam that one of Stratos’ main customers, Trilogy, has just given them a very important order. Bill: …They are a key customer – you could say the key customer. Mei Lin: We know that. But it still doesn’t tell us why… Bill: Just a moment. I haven’t finished what I was saying. I’m pretty busy, and maybe we weren’t totally clear in the original request. Look, this is a completely different technology. Mei Lin still feels as though Bill is missing the point, so she interrupts him again. But this time Bill fights back. He resists or counters the interruption, that is, he finds a way to stop Mei Lin from interrupting him. He says, “Just a moment. I haven’t finished what I was saying.” To do this, you have to interrupt the interrupter. Not an easy thing to do. What is some useful language we can use?

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Meeting Essentials      

If you will allow me to continue... I wonder if I could explain that at the end. Let me come back to that point later. Just a moment please; I won’t be long. I wonder if I could continue with what I was saying. I’ll be glad to clarify any points at the end.

Getting back to the dialog, as Bill says, Trilogy’s product requires an entirely new technology. Sam jumps in to clarify. Sam: What do you mean? Bill: Instead of plastic cases, we’re using stamped aluminum cases. It’s a totally different material, so we need engineers with a different skill set. In the past, Stratos has only produced MP3 and 4 players with plastic cases. But Trilogy now wants them to use stamped aluminum. Aluminum is a light metal. Aluminum (a•lu•mi•num) is pronounced al•u•min•i•um in British English. Stamped means cut in one piece, like a cookie. To use stamped aluminum, Bill needs people with a different “skill set,” that is a whole different group of skills. Mei Lin: You can’t just have them learn what they need to know on the fly? You’ve got a lot of smart people. Mei Lin wonders why Bill’s people can’t just learn “on the fly,” that is, as they go. Bill: Sure they’re smart. But we are supposed to go in to production by October. We need experienced people otherwise it’s gonna come off half-assed. There are all sorts of questions about retooling the machines, how to work with the material, how to… Now Bill is using some pretty strong language. He says that if he doesn’t have qualified engineers, the production process and the result are going to “come off half-assed.” “Come off” means to result in. And “half-assed” is slang that describes something that was not done well. We can translate it into normal business talk as “unprofessional.” It’s pretty strong slang, and has a certain amount of shock value; maybe it helps to convince Mei Lin, because listen to what she says next. Mei Lin: Just a moment Bill. Let me just come in here for a second. That’s all well and good; I think Sam and I can both appreciate now that there is a real business need here. But there’s still the question of who commits the resources to find the engineers you need. “That’s all well and good” shows that Mei Lin is partly conceding a point. “To concede a point” means to accept that something you earlier disagreed with may actually be true. This particular expression, however, only partly concedes a point. When we hear “That’s all well and good,” we know that the person talking to us still has reservations, that is, still has areas of disagreement that have not been resolved. In a heated discussion or negotiation, partly conceding a point is a very useful skill. What are some other ways to do this?

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businessenglishpod Partly conceding a point:  I can see what you mean, but…  There may be something to that. However,… You can also totally concede a point.  Right, I can see what you’re saying.  Mhmmm. You may have a point there.  Yes, there’s something to that.  Uh huh, that makes sense. Back to the dialog, how does it end? Mei Lin has suggested that there is an open question about who will commit the resources to find the “heads” that Bill needs, that is, which department will spend the time and money to find qualified engineers. Bill: What do you mean? Sam: Well, as you know, we’re just going in to our fall recruitment drive, and we’re short-staffed. Also you know best what qualifications you’re looking for. Bill: You mean you want us to do the search for candidates ourselves? Mei Lin: Well not entirely. Recruiting can provide support but you’ll have to drive the process. HR is overworked and understaffed (that is, they don’t have enough people) because of the fall recruitment drive. This means the activity of recruiting new graduates at the end of the University year. In another meaning of the word “drive,” Mei Lin suggests that it would help if Bill’s department would “drive” the recruitment process, that is, take an active role. We assume she means provide staff, leadership, and so on. Before we finish today, let’s give you a chance to practice. We’ll practice resisting interruption. In a moment you will hear a series of cues. Each cue consists of a topic that you should say something about, for example, “Hiring internally is better than hiring externally.” After the beep, begin talking about this topic. In a few seconds, you will be interrupted. Use phrases we’ve learned today to resist interruption. For example, you can say, “John, if you will allow me to continue, I’ll get to that point a little later” or ” I haven’t finished what I was saying yet.” After each exercise, you’ll hear an example answer. Are you ready? Let’s give it a try. Cue 1: Reducing costs is necessary to our business success. Learner:

Interrupter 1: Sorry, I wonder if I could just interrupt you there. Don’t you think innovating new products is also very important? Learner:

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Cue 2: To be successful, it’s important to maintain work-life balance. Learner:

Interrupter 2: Can I say something here? Learner:

Example answer 1 Learner 1: In my opinion, reducing costs is necessary to our business success. Interrupter 1: Sorry, I wonder if I could just interrupt you there. Don’t you think innovating new products is also very important? Learner 1: If you will allow me to continue, I’ll get to that point later on. Example Answer 2 Learner 2: Maintaining a proper work-life balance is so important to career success. If you don’t get enough rest… Interrupter 2: Can just I say something here? Learner 2: Sorry, I haven’t finished what I was saying yet. Let me come back to that point later. How did you do? Practice again and try substituting different language. That’s it for today’s show on interrupting and resisting interruption. We’ve practiced language for interrupting, finishing what you were saying and resisting interruption. Along the way, we’ve looked at a lot of idioms and vocabulary. Sometimes it’s necessary to interrupt, but as a non-native speaker of English, it can be very challenging to get a word in. We’re confident that the tools we’ve learned today will be a big help. Peter: Uh, sorry to butt in Clayton. Clayton: Err, just a sec Peter, I haven’t quite finished what I was about to say. Peter: Actually, that’s my point. Clayton: Oh, okay. Thanks for listening and we’ll see you next time.

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businessenglishpod Language Review A. Useful Phrases and Functions Fill in the gaps with the language from the box. Then write the function of the phrase next to each expression (i.e. conceding a point, resisting interruption, etc.). The first one has been done for you. saying moment

good saying

accomplish interrupting

could perspective

continue manage

1. Excuse me for interrupting, but can I just add a few words on that topic. _________Interrupting_________ 2. The main problem that we’re facing is how to ___________ our growth. ___________________________ 3. I’ll come to that in a ___________. ___________________________ 4. Sorry Jenny, could you please let me ____________ for a minute? ___________________________ 5. That’s all well and _________, but think of this: How are we going to maintain profits? ___________________________ 6. There may be something to that. However, we also have to consider the problem from the workers’ ____________. ___________________________ 7. Stella, I wonder if I could continue with what I was ____________? ___________________________ 8. The main thing I’d like to ___________ today is defining the key problem areas that we see with our current plan. ____________________________ 9. I wonder if I ____________ just interrupt you there, Tom… ____________________________ 10.I haven’t finished what I was _____________. _____________________________

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Meeting Essentials B. Interrupting and Resisting Interruption Andy and Betty are having a conversation in which they need to interrupt each other and to resist interruption. However, they keep getting their words mixed up. Help them by putting their words in order to form sentences. Dialog 1 Andy: In my opinion, reducing costs is necessary to our business success. Betty: 1) I if just could you wonder interrupt I there Sorry, _______________________________________________ Don’t you think innovating new products is also very important? Andy: 2) will allow me to continue I’ll get to that point later on If you…_______________________________________________________ Dialog 2 Betty: Maintaining a proper work-life balance is so important to career success. If you don’t get enough rest… Andy: 3) just say I something can here

____________________________

Betty: 4) haven’t I finished what saying yet I was _Sorry,_____________________________________

5) back come your to

point me later. _Let_______________________________________________

Study Strategy Choosing a topic and just speaking freely off of the top of your mind – as you did in the practice for this episode – is a great way to practice your English. Better yet, record yourself and play it back to raise awareness and give yourself feedback Try to speak for one minute – you’ll find one minute is a long time! Here are some possible topics for your speech: 1) What is more important – money or fun? 2) Everything you learned in school is a waste of time – agree or disagree? 3) You can tell almost everything about a person by how he/she dresses and presents him/herself. 4) Your own?

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businessenglishpod Answers Language Review A. Useful Phrases and Functions 1. Excuse me for interrupting, but can I just add a few words on that topic. Interrupting 2. The main problem that we’re facing is how to manage our growth. Declare purpose of meeting 3. I’ll come to that in a moment. Finishing what you were saying 4. Sorry Jenny, could you please let me continue for a minute? Countering an interruption 5. That’s all well and good, but think of this: How are we going to maintain profits? Conceding a point 6. There may be something to that. However, we also have to consider the problem from the workers’ perspective. Conceding a point 7. Stella, I wonder if I could continue with what I was saying? Countering an interruption 8. The main thing I’d like to accomplish today is defining the key problem areas that we see with our current plan. Declare purpose of meeting 9. I wonder if I could just interrupt you there, Tom… Interrupting 10.I haven’t finished what I was saying. Finishing what you were saying B. Interrupting and Resisting Interruption Dialog 1 Andy: In my opinion, reducing costs is necessary to our business success. Betty: 1) Sorry, I wonder if I could just interrupt you there. Don’t you think innovating new products is also very important? Andy: 2) If you will allow me to continue, I’ll get to that point later on. Dialog 2 Betty: Maintaining a proper work-life balance is so important to career success. If you don’t get enough rest… Andy: 3) Can just I say something here? Betty: 4) Sorry, I haven’t finished what I was saying yet. 5) Let me come back to your point later.

Online Practice Click the “Launch” button to open the online practice:

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Unit 212 - Discussing a Problem (Part 1) One of the most common reasons for holding a meeting is to solve a problem. A meeting can be a great place to do this, because it is possible for a variety of people with different experiences and perspectives to work together to identify the problem and come up with possible solutions. But, while we might have the right people at the meeting, the process is often flawed because one question hasn’t clearly been asked and answered: “What is the problem?” So, in today’s episode we’re going to focus on how to define the problem through discussion and then restate the problem as a challenge. In the second part of this series, we’ll look at how to evaluate and eliminate suggestions and then agree on a plan of action. We’ll be listening to Kathryn, the head of Human Resources at a medium-sized company, who is meeting with department heads to discuss a problem they’re having with low staff morale across all departments of the company. Morale is a word used to describe a general feeling or mood. Kathryn wants everyone to consider possible hidden reasons for low morale at the company. We’ll see how she helps participants focus on breaking down the morale problem. As the dialog starts, Kathryn calls everyone to attention and begins the meeting.

Listening Questions 1)

What is the surface problem that Kathryn and the others can see?

2)

What does the group decide is the true cause of this problem?

3)

What is the challenge that the group faces at the end of the dealing?

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businessenglishpod Vocabulary To get to grips with sth: to deal with a problem. Also “to come to grips with sth”. “I can’t come to grips with why we went over budget.” To come back to bite sb: to cause problems at a later time. “Being rude to your staff can come back to bite you someday.” Root cause/underlying cause: the hidden reason for something. “It may take a long time to find the root cause of a conflict on the factory floor.” Who-knows-where: A common ‘placeholder’ when you are unsure of the location of someone or something. “Francis is always traveling. Yesterday he was in Brazil, today he’s going to New York and tomorrow who-knows-where he’ll be.” To bump into sb: to meet somebody you know by chance. “I bumped into one of our suppliers at the annual convention.” To hear sb out: to listen to every detail. “Hear me out: I can tell you exactly why the program failed.” To be onto sth: close to making an important discovery. “She could be onto something big with her new idea for a joint venture.” To pinpoint sth: to locate or identify with precision. “We can’t pinpoint the source of the error, but it’s probably in the original product design.” Sth you can sink your teeth into: something that you can be enthusiastic about doing. Also “something to sink your teeth into”. “He’ll be much more motivated now that he’s got something to sink his teeth into.” To throw out ideas: to freely propose ideas. “There’s no way I’m going to throw out ideas when they’re just waiting to criticize my input.” To tackle sth: to start or to deal with something. “He’ll tackle the audit as soon as he gets the files.” To get out of hand: to become uncontrollable. “We need to control departmental spending before it gets out of hand.” A fortune: a lot of money. “The new assembly line cost a fortune.” “We spent a fortune on consultants’ fees last year.”

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Meeting Essentials Dialog Kathryn: Okay everybody, let’s get started. (pause) I think we’ve all noticed that staff morale is extremely low. All: Murmurs of agreement. Kathryn: We’ve got to get to grips with this before it comes back to bite us. To start with, what exactly is the problem? Is it budget cuts, the economy, or are we missing something? Let’s have some input. Neil: Well, look at the economy. Who wouldn’t be depressed? Natalie: I’m not sure I follow. Could you explain? Paul: I think he means that people are nervous. We’ve had budget cuts and layoffs and everyone’s… (fade out) (fade in)… economy affects everybody, BUT morale is worse here than other places and I, for one, would like to know the root cause. Bill: Actually, it seems obvious to me – lack of personal contact. Neil’s on Bleaker Street, Torben is who-knows-where – I have to take a cab just to file expenses! I bumped into Sarah the other day and she said “Howdy, stranger!” Neil: You know, I don’t see what... (you’re getting at.) Kathryn: Hang on, let’s hear Bill out. Bill: Well, two years ago, when we were expanding, we rented offices in other locations and we all got spread out. Paul: Yeah, I remember that. I used to see Neil’s team every day, but we email now. Neil: Absolutely. My department moved and I only see you folks at meetings. Kathryn: I think we’re onto something here. We’ve pinpointed the underlying cause of low morale. Let’s define it as due to a lack of face-to-face contact. All: (Murmurs of agreement) Natalie: So, let’s state it as a challenge. How can we improve morale, without spending a fortune? Bill: Exactly. (Murmurs of agreement) Kathryn: Good, we’ve got something we can really sink our teeth into. Time for some brainstorming. To start off with, I’d like everyone to just throw out some ideas. Okay? Neil: Here’s one, how about if we... (fade out)

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businessenglishpod Debrief Let’s look in detail at some of the language and expressions that focus the problem-solving process in this meeting. Notice how Kathryn gets straight to the point right at the beginning. Any “small talk” among the participants has already taken place and she immediately directs their attention to the problem at hand. Kathryn: Okay everybody, let’s get started. (pause) I think we’ve all noticed that staff morale is extremely low. All: Murmurs of agreement. Staff morale refers to the mood of the staff, or the way they are feeling in general. Kathryn says “I think…” to start off, because it is a soft way of introducing an unpleasant or negative idea. She includes the meeting participants in her opening statement by saying “we’ve all noticed this problem.”. By using “we”, she is including everyone and saying “We’re all in this together.” Here are some other phrases to use for introducing a problem.    

Well, let’s turn to a problem that’s on everyone’s mind. So, we need to tackle a fairly pressing problem today. I know we’ve all been discussing this particular issue recently. As you all know, we’re going to look at the problem of…

Now listen to the way Kathryn focuses the discussion. She states how serious the problem is and starts to break the problem down. Kathryn: We’ve got to get to grips with this before it comes back to bite us. To start with, what exactly is the problem? Is it budget cuts, the economy, or are we missing something? Let’s have some input. Kathryn emphasizes how serious the problem is by saying they must get to grips with the problem, meaning deal with the problem. She is worried morale could get worse in future, so she says the problem may come back to bite us. She asks a direct question about the problem, makes some suggestions for possible underlying reasons and asks everyone to participate by giving input, or suggestions. What else can we say to focus discussion on a problem? Let’s practice a few more expressions. Notice that many of them are questions.    

We need to deal with this problem before it gets out of hand. What are the underlying causes of the problem? Anne, what can you tell us? What is at the root of this problem? Any suggestions? Perhaps we can begin by breaking down the problem? Who can start?

As soon as there’s an opportunity to make suggestions, Neil speaks up. He asks a rhetorical question, which he doesn’t expect anyone to answer. This technique is often used to imply that the idea is obvious, but Natalie doesn’t understand what Neil means.

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Meeting Essentials Neil: Well, look at the economy. Who wouldn’t be depressed? Natalie: I’m not sure I follow. Could you explain? Neil’s contribution isn’t very clear, is it? He hasn’t shown a direct relationship between the economy and low staff morale. Natalie politely asks for clarification, saying that she can’t follow – that she doesn’t understand his statement. Notice how she uses could to make the question less direct and less challenging. For more expressions used to clarify what someone else has said, please look at BEP 30 and 31. After much discussion, Bill brings up an idea that he thinks is obvious, but others haven’t mentioned yet: Bill: Actually, it seems obvious to me – lack of personal contact. Neil’s on Bleaker Street, Torben is who-knows-where – I have to take … Who-knows-where is a placeholder meaning, “I don’t know where he is.” Before Bill can fully explain his point, Neil tries to interrupt. How does Kathryn stop Neil and encourage Bill to continue? Neil: You know, I don’t see what... (you’re getting at.) Kathryn: Hang on, let’s hear Bill out. Kathryn sees that Bill’s idea may have a relationship to the problem of low morale and she wants to hear more. She interrupts Neil by asking him to hang on and let Bill finish what he has to say. To make sure a meeting stays on track and achieves its aims, we need to avoid too many interruptions. Here are other ways of minimizing interruptions and letting someone finish their point.     

Hold on, can we let Janine finish? Sorry, I think it’s important to give everyone a chance to contribute. One moment John, perhaps we can allow Fred to continue? Just a second, I wonder if we can give Nadine an opportunity to complete that thought? Can we just let Sally finish her point? We can discuss objections later.

So, Bill is given a chance to speak, and both Paula and Neil agree with him. They support his position like this: Paul: Yeah, I remember that. I used to see Neil’s team every day, but we email now. Neil: Absolutely. My department moved and I only see you folks at meetings. Paula expresses mild agreement, while Neil expresses strong agreement by using Absolutely. At this point, Kathryn steps in to confirm that they are heading in the right direction. She uses “we” and “let’s” to highlight the fact that they have come to these conclusions as a group.

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businessenglishpod Kathryn: I think we’re onto something here. We’ve pinpointed the underlying cause of low morale. Let’s define it as due to a lack of face-to-face contact. All: (Murmurs of agreement) Kathryn makes it clear that the group is well on its way to finding the true cause of the low morale problem. She encourages them to think of themselves as a team and builds consensus within the team. What other language can we use to highlight and encourage teamwork?    

I think we’re on the right track. We’re definitely on the same wave-length. I can tell we’re all on the same page. We’ve covered a lot of ground together.

Once the group has agreed on the root cause of low morale, Natalie restates their problem as a challenge, by making it into a “how” question. Natalie: So, let’s state it as a challenge. How can we improve morale without spending a fortune? Bill: Exactly. (Murmurs of agreement) A fortune means “a lot of money”. Can you see how the company’s challenge is to solve the morale problem without using a lot of money? This type of question asks how people can achieve a goal without giving up something important. Listen to these problems stated as challenges:    

How How How How

can we meet our deadlines without working overtime? could we cut costs without losing quality? should we approach this problem without offending anyone? can we find the defect without shutting down the factory?

The group has agreed on the underlying cause of low staff morale, and has restated the problem as a challenge. Kathryn indicates that they’ve finally answered the question, “What is the problem?”. They have something solid they can work on, or something they can sink their teeth into. Kathryn: Good, we’ve got something we can really sink our teeth into. Time for some brainstorming. To start off with, I’d like everyone to just throw out some ideas. Okay? Neil: Here’s one, how about if we... To start off the brainstorming session, Kathryn encourages everyone to contribute whatever ideas come into their heads. She doesn’t want them to be very analytical during brainstorming, but to be relaxed and feel comfortable telling the group their ideas. Now, it’s your turn to practice some of the techniques we’ve looked at today. First, let’s review the language of stating a problem as a challenge. Imagine you are in a problem-solving meeting. You will hear a comment made on a problem

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Meeting Essentials issue. You should re-state the problem as a challenge, by using the same information in a question that begins with “How”. For example, if you hear: Example cue: The problem is caused by the new equipment. We can’t return it. You can say: Example answer: How can we solve the problem without returning the new equipment? Are you ready? Let’s give it a try. Cue 1: Logistics is terrible, but we’re locked into a contract with this supplier. Learner 1: Cue 2: Quality has gone down since we started outsourcing. Learner 2: Cue 3: We need to reduce office space, but we’re too busy to lay anyone off. Learner 3: Cue 4: We must tackle this problem immediately. We don’t want to involve the union. Learner 4:

Now, let’s listen to some example answers. Cue 1: Logistics is terrible, but we’re locked into a contract with this supplier. Answer 1: How can we improve logistics without changing suppliers? Cue 2: Quality has gone down since we started outsourcing. Answer 2: How can we continue outsourcing without losing quality? Cue 3: We need to reduce office space, but we’re too busy to lay anyone off. Answer 3: How can we reduce office space without laying anyone off? Cue 4: We must tackle this problem immediately. We don’t want to involve the union. Answer 4: How can we tackle this problem without involving the union?

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businessenglishpod Next, we’ll review some of the vocabulary and idioms that we studied in this episode. You’ll hear a series of sentences with a verb replaced with a beep. Repeat the whole sentence saying the missing word. For example, if you hear… Example cue: We’ve really got to get to with this problem. You can say: Example answer: We’ve really got to get to grips with this problem. After each response, we’ll play the correct answer. Let’s begin. Cue 1: I’m afraid this issue will come back to us in future. Learner 1: Cue 2: We should him out before we criticize his plan. Learner 2: Cue 3: John could be something when he says the problem is poor communication. Learner 3: Cue 4: If we can the flaw, we can improve the product. Learner 4: Cue 5: This project is something you can really your teeth into. Learner 5: Answer 1: I’m afraid this issue will come back to bite us in future. Answer 2: We should hear him out before we criticize his plan. Answer 3: John could be onto something when he says the problem is poor communication. Answer 4: If we can pinpoint the flaw, we can improve the product. Answer 5: This project is something you can really sink your teeth into. That’s all for this episode on problem-solving meetings. We’ve studied language and expressions for introducing a problem, breaking it down, building consensus and stating the problem as a challenge. See you next time, and thanks for listening!

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Meeting Essentials Language Review A. Introducing a problem Put the jumbled sentences in order to practice useful phrases for introducing a problem. 1. everyone’s a problem turn let’s mind on to that’s 2. need right we tackle away this to problem 3. this immediately is we issue with to deal have an 4. problem we’re today to a pressing going look at fairly B. Supporting a point To review useful language for supporting a point, fill in the blanks in the phrases below with words from the box. remember

exactly

absolutely

nail

agree

more

right

finger

1. You’ve really hit the __________ on the head. 2. Yes, I __________ that’s how it was. 3. He couldn’t be __________ right. 4. They’re __________ right. 5. That’s __________ what I’ve been thinking. 6. You’ve put your __________ on the root problem. 7. That’s __________, we used to do it differently. 8. I couldn’t __________ with you more. Study Strategy Think about the company you work in. Can you see any obvious problems that are not being dealt with? Have you been with the company long enough to have experienced problems and seen how they were resolved by management? Have you ever participated in a meeting that was held to discuss a problem the company was facing? See if you can make a list of a few problems that you have seen or see at work. Next, with a colleague or a friend, try the following role play: Introduce one of the problems on the list and discuss what is really causing the problem. When you have identified the root cause of the surface problem, state the problem as a challenge. Try to use the language and strategies we have practiced in this episode. Alternatively, if you don’t know anyone to try this with, write it out as a dialog.

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businessenglishpod Answers Listening Questions 1. Kathryn and her team can see that there is low staff morale throughout the company. 2. The group decides that the true cause of low staff morale is because staff are separated into three different locations and have lost touch with each other. This physical separation occurred 2 years previously, when the company was expanding. 3. The challenge the group faces at the end of this episode is to find a way to improve staff morale without spending too much money, that is, without spending “a fortune”. Language Review A. Introducing a Problem 1. 2. 3. 4.

Let’s turn to a problem that’s on everyone’s mind. We need to tackle this problem right away. This is an issue we have to deal with immediately. We’re going to look at a fairly pressing problem today.

B. Supporting a Point 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

You’ve really hit the nail on the head. Yes, I remember that’s how it was. He couldn’t be more right. They’re absolutely right. That’s exactly what I’ve been thinking. You’ve put your finger on the root problem. That’s right, we used to do it differently. I couldn’t agree with you more.

Online Practice Click the “Launch” button to open the FLASH version:

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Unit 213 - Discussing a Problem (Part 2) In the first part of this meeting, the team spent time answering the question: “What is the problem?” In today’s episode, we’re going to focus on how to brainstorm solutions to a problem through discussion, how to evaluate and eliminate suggestions and then agree a plan of action. Kathryn, the head of Human Resources at a medium-sized company, is meeting with department heads to discuss a problem they are having with low staff morale. The team has identified the root cause of the problem as the separation of staff across 3 different office locations. Kathryn wants everyone to critique the ideas that the group has brought forward, in order to eliminate impractical suggestions. We’ll see how she confirms the best solution and how her team suggests points for action. As the dialog starts, Kathryn closes the brainstorming session and sums up the input that has been received. While you listen, try to answer the following questions.

Listening Questions 1) How many ideas does the group come up with for solving the staff morale problem?

2) Which idea does the group agree is the best one to try?

3) Name one of the action points suggested near the end of the meeting.

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businessenglishpod Vocabulary To outdo oneself: to perform better than in the past. “She’s really outdone herself this time. Five new clients in one day is an incredible record!” To keep in mind: to remember while doing something else. “We have to keep our goals in mind when negotiating the new contract.” There’s no way: impossible. “There’s no way we can wait another week for the parts.” To not do (any) good: to not produce a good result, to be a waste of time. “It won’t do any good to complain to the boss; he never listens to staff on these issues.” To show up: to arrive. “They showed up 45 minutes late and expected us to welcome them!” To make it: to be able to do something, such as attending a meeting. “She called to say she can’t make it because there’s a snow storm and planes aren’t being allowed to take off.” Given that: similar to “because”, the reason for something. “We can’t expect them to help us, given that we didn’t help them last month when they had that delivery problem.” Virtually no…: almost nothing, a very small amount. “There’s virtually no communication between the two offices.” To be able to see something + ing: to imagine something as feasible. Usually used in the negative as in, “I can’t see (something) happening”, to express skepticism that something will not occur or is not feasible. “I can’t really see them investing in such a large project with the economy so bad.” Gonna: slang abbreviation of “going to”. “He’s gonna get fired if he keeps coming late to work.” Go for that: to agree to something. “A: What about breaking for lunch at 12 o’clock? B: Yes, I’ll go for that.” Twenty-something: a person or people aged in their twenties. “There were a lot of twenty-somethings at the retreat.” To be stripped to the bare bones: to be down to the basics. “We just can’t cut anything else from the budget; it’s stripped to the bare bones already.” The way to go: the best choice. “I can’t see that there’s any other way to go; all the other suggestions cost too much.” The idea is to…: the intention of an action. “The idea is to earn more on each sale, rather than increase numbers of sales.” Actually: difficult to believe but true. “He’s actually been promoted to district manager, which is surprising after the problems they’ve had with him.” Cost-benefit analysis: a financial evaluation of a particular project or plan. “It’s essential to conduct a cost-benefit-analysis before we buy the new computers to make sure they will actually save money in the long term.” Lease: a legal document stating the terms under which a property is rented. “We extended the lease on our office for another 5-years.” Action plan (plan of action): a series of actions or activities designed to achieve a specific goal. “We need a plan of action to tackle the problem of low staff morale.”

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Meeting Essentials Dialog Kathryn: …good, thank you everybody. I think we’ve outdone ourselves brainstorming solutions to the staff morale problem. Natalie, can you read the main ideas back to us? Natalie: Sure thing. Uh, number 1: team-building exercises, Number 2: consolidating offices, Number 3: social activities, and Number 4: internal socialnetworking website and/or blog. Kathryn: Great, thanks. Let’s look at each of these, keeping in mind our definition of the root cause of low morale - the separation of staff into 3 locations. Neil: Well there’s no way that social activities will do any good. Nobody will show up, even if the company pays. It’s hard enough for us to make it to the Christmas party. Paul: I agree that social activities are a poor choice. Also, given that we have virtually no money to spend on this, I can’t see us hiring a consultant to do team-building exercises. Kathryn: Okay. So, can we eliminate these two possibilities? All: (Murmurs of agreement) Bill: Then there’s social-networking. Interesting idea, but there’s no way old guys like me are gonna go for that. Maybe the twenty-somethings… Neil: Plus, if we contract it out, we’ll spend money. We can’t build a site inhouse, because the IT department is stripped to the bare bones now as it is. Kathryn: Then it seems to me that moving everyone back to this location is the way to go. What’s our first step if we want to implement this? Paul: Well, the idea was that this solution would actually save us money, so we’d better check that out first with a cost-benefit analysis. Natalie: We have the same landlord for all locations, so let’s look at those empty offices below us here, and see if we can get out of the existing leases for the other locations. Kathryn: Okay, it sounds like we’re already putting together an action plan. Maybe we can assign some tasks… (fade out)

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businessenglishpod Debrief By defining the problem, brainstorming solutions and deciding on a course of action, our team looks to have found their solution. Let’s take a closer look at the language they used to facilitate the problem-solving process. First of all, how does Kathryn indicate that the brainstorming session is finished? She doesn’t want it to go on for too long and some good ideas have been put forth. Listen to how she thanks everybody and then compliments the team on their work. Kathryn: …good, thank you everybody. I think we’ve outdone ourselves brainstorming solutions to the staff morale problem. Natalie, can you read the main ideas back to us? Saying “thank you” is a good way to stop a discussion because it is a polite way for someone in a leadership position to say that they have heard enough. When Kathryn says “we’ve outdone ourselves”, she compliments the group on their good work, by saying that the group has performed better than ever before. Then she asks Natalie, who has been taking notes during brainstorming, to remind them of the main ideas discussed. What else can you say to close a discussion in a positive way? Here are a few more examples.    

Well done, team. I think we’ve got a grip on this. Excellent work, everybody. I’d say we’ve really managed to pull it off. Outstanding teamwork, folks. Let’s wrap it up. Nice work, everyone. It looks like we’ve got it.

Now listen to how Kathryn encourages the team to evaluate and critique the results of the brainstorming session: Kathryn: Let’s look at each of these, keeping in mind our definition of the root cause of low morale - the separation of staff into 3 locations. When you critique something, you analyze it and then express your views. Kathryn wants everybody to evaluate the suggestions, but she wants their analysis to have a clear relation to the exact problem they defined in the earlier part of the meeting. She wants them to remember what the problem is, so that the solution will directly address the real problem. Let’s listen to some alternative ways to encourage discussion and evaluation, while focusing on the defined problem:    

I’d like to hear your comments on this issue, taking into account our previous discussion. I’m open to feedback on these points, keeping in mind how we’ve defined the problem. Can we consider each point, bearing in mind how little time we have? Let’s take a look at the solutions one by one, considering what our objective is.

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Meeting Essentials When you’re asked to critique ideas, it’s wise to support your evaluation with evidence of why you believe something is a good idea or a bad idea. Notice how Paul gives a contrasting reason for why they cannot hire a consultant. He states that they have virtually no money, meaning almost no money or very little money. This is obviously in contrast to the fact that consultants are expensive. Paul: … a poor choice. Also, given that we have virtually no money to spend on this, I can’t see us hiring a consultant to do team-building exercises. When Paul says that he “can’t see them hiring a consultant”, he means that he cannot imagine that this is possible. His statement has two parts; a part which says what cannot be done and a part which tells why it cannot be done. He uses “given that” to introduce the reason why something cannot be done. This is a really useful structure for expressing negative opinions, so let’s practice a few more examples:     

It’s impossible to see how hiring another person will have an effect, seeing as productivity is the problem. I can’t see him agreeing to that, given his resistance to change. I just can’t visualize three desks in each office, since it’s so cramped with just two. Asking the warehouse staff to do that is not an option, keeping in mind that it’s against union rules. Adding more tasks is out of the question, considering that they’re already working overtime.

As the meeting leader, Kathryn needs to keep everyone focused and ensure that the meeting is effective. When she hears that there is a good reason why an idea is not practical, she tries to eliminate the idea from their list as quickly as possible. Kathryn: So, can we eliminate these two possibilities? Two people have given reasons against two of the ideas and the contributors explained very clearly what is wrong with the ideas. Kathryn wants to eliminate these ideas, but she checks with the team first to make sure that everyone agrees. However, it is clear that she has the final decision on eliminating suggestions. Notice how some of these examples restate the reason an idea is being eliminated, but that in every case the speaker remains polite:     

We’ll have to discard this idea, as there’s no way to implement it right now. Is everyone agreed that we can reject the second suggestion? This contribution will have to be dropped for the moment, but we can keep it in mind for next year. While this is a great idea, we’ll have to exclude it under the circumstances. I’m afraid that we have to rule out this suggestion due to its unpredictability.

After impractical ideas are eliminated, there may be one or two ideas left to be evaluated. In our example, the team manages to eliminate three of the four

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businessenglishpod ideas, leaving them with one solution. What does Kathryn say to confirm that this solution is the best one? Kathryn: Then it seems to me that moving all staff back to this location is the way to go. What’s our… Kathryn says that the solution they have chosen is the “way to go”, meaning the best choice. It is a solution that she thinks they should implement. It is clear that Kathryn is the final decision-maker in the group, but anyone can use this kind of language to support a point they feel strongly about. Here are some examples of other expressions to use when you want to confirm the best course of action:    

There’s no doubt that eliminating the most unprofitable division is the best course of action. It’s clear that expanding the R & D department is the best option. Relocating the staff room during the renovation is the obvious choice. Clearly, closing that office is our best move at this point.

Now that the best solution has been confirmed, it’s time for the team to take action! Both Paul and Natalie have ideas about what the first steps should be in pursuing the chosen solution. Paul: Well, the idea was that this solution would actually save us money, so we’d better check that out first with a cost-benefit analysis. Natalie: We have the same landlord for all locations, so let’s look at those empty offices below us here, and see if we can get out of the existing leases for the other locations. Notice how Paul and Natalie use expressions that show the relationship between the background information they have and an action to be taken. Paul says that the idea, or the intention, is for the solution to save them money. This is the background to the suggestion, and he says that the action they must take is to confirm that the company would, in reality, save money. Natalie also gives some background knowledge, that there is one landlord for all three offices, and suggests a related action. Listen to these points for action, along with the background information that makes them necessary or appropriate:    

Our deadline is coming up quickly, so we need to get authorization for overtime. The replacement order is ready to be shipped, so one of us should re-check it immediately. Three containers have arrived, so if you authorize our broker to put a rush on it, we can get the toys out to stores right away. We can’t slow production, but we can ramp up inspections to make sure that quality doesn’t suffer.

Now, it’s your turn to practice some of the techniques we’ve looked at today. First, let’s review the language of critiquing a point with a contrasting reason. Imagine you are in a problem-solving meeting. You will hear a comment made © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com

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Meeting Essentials on a problem issue. You should critique the suggestion being made, by using the reason given. For example, if you hear… Example cue: Why don’t we just buy more desks and find space for them on the 4th floor? Reason: already too crowded You can say… Example answer: I can’t see adding more desks, considering how crowded it is on the 4th floor already. Are you ready? Let’s give it a try. Cue 1: We could cut costs by eliminating the parking subsidy. Reason: public transit to this location is so poor Learner 1: Cue 2: We could consider moving the entire facility to that new industrial park outside the city. Reason: our customers are all right here Learner 2: Cue 3: How about an incentive scheme based on departmental cost savings? Reason: already tried and failed last year Learner 3: Cue 4: Perhaps we have to resign ourselves to more outsourcing? Reason: shipping costs keep increasing Learner 4: Now, let’s listen to some example answers. Answer 1: I can’t visualize eliminating the parking subsidy, seeing as public transit to this location is so poor. Answer 2: Moving the facility outside the city is out of the question, keeping in mind that our customers are all right here. Answer 3: An incentive scheme is not an option, given that we tried it last year and it failed. Answer 4: I can’t imagine that more outsourcing is the solution, seeing as how shipping costs keep increasing.

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businessenglishpod Next, we’ll review some of the vocabulary and idioms that we studied in this episode. You’ll hear a series of sentences with a verb replaced with a beep. Repeat the whole sentence saying the missing word. For example, if you hear… There’s no we can improve our situation by spinning of the design section. You can say… There’s no way we can improve our situation by spinning off the design section. After each response, we’ll play the correct answer. Let’s begin. Cue 1: Well, team, you’ve really yourselves this time. These are excellent sales results. Learner 1: Cue 2: What they have to keep in is that we must launch next month and no later. Learner 2: Cue 3: Setting up a stand at the market requires no money, but could really give us some exposure with the locals. Learner 3: Cue 4: If we strip one branch office to the bones, we can keep both of them operating for now. Learner 4: Cue 5: Selling inferior goods is definitely not the to go if we want to keep our high profile. Learner 5: Answer 1: Well, team, you’ve really outdone yourselves this time. These are excellent sales results. Answer 2: What they have to keep in mind is that we must launch next month and no later. Answer 3: Setting up a stand at the market requires virtually no money, but could really give us some exposure with the locals. Answer 4: If we strip one branch office to the bare bones, we can keep both of them operating for now. Answer 5: Selling inferior goods is definitely not the way to go if we want to keep our high profile. That’s all for this second episode on problem-solving meetings. We’ve studied language and expressions for closing a discussion, critiquing ideas, eliminating impractical suggestions, confirming a solution and suggesting action points. See you next time, and thanks for listening!

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Meeting Essentials Language Review A. Suggesting points for action Put the 3 parts of these sentences together to suggest points for action. The buyers are leaving in 2 days, The team can’t work longer hours, Nobody knows necessary, We’ll have to inventory,

exactly keep

what’s the

old

so/but

we can cancel our standing orders. we have to arrange to do a needs analysis. we need to show them our products tomorrow. if we offer them extra staff, they can meet the deadline.

1. _____________________________________________________________ 2. _____________________________________________________________ 3. _____________________________________________________________ 4. _____________________________________________________________ B. Eliminating impractical ideas To review useful language for eliminating impractical ideas, fill in the blanks in the phrases below with words from the box. circumstances moment

drop rule

implement mind

agreed afraid

1. We can keep that in __________ for next quarter. 2. So, I think we can __________ this idea because it’s so expensive. 3. Let’s eliminate the team-building idea for the __________ . 4. Under the __________, I’m afraid this option won’t work. 5. Is everyone __________ that we can eliminate that idea? 6. We’ll have to __________ out the third suggestion. 7. Let’s discard the last point, as we can’t __________ it. 8. I’m __________ we have to exclude John’s suggestion. Study Strategy Think about the company you work in. Can you see any obvious problems that are not being dealt with? Did you make a list of problems you’ve seen at work for BEP126? If you did, take that list out again. If you didn’t, make a list of 2 or 3 problems that you have noticed at work. Next, with a colleague or a friend, try the following role play: Introduce one of the problems on the list and brainstorm ideas for solving the problem. Try to think creatively and express any of the ideas that come into your head. When you have made a short list of 4 possible solutions, try critiquing them, especially by using a contrasting reason. Then use the language and strategies we have practiced in this episode to eliminate ideas, confirm the best solution and identify points for action. Alternatively, if you don’t know anyone to try this with, write it out as a dialog.

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businessenglishpod Answers Listening Questions 1) The group comes up with 4 ideas for solving the staff morale problem: teambuilding exercises, consolidating offices, social activities, and an internal social-networking website and/or blog. 2) The group decides that the best idea is to consolidate their offices and move all staff back to the original location. 3) The action points suggested near the end of the meeting are: doing a costbenefit analysis to check if moving back to one location will actually save money and checking to see if they can get out of the existing leases for the other office locations.

Language Review A. Suggesting points for action 1. The buyers are leaving in 2 days, so we need to show them our products tomorrow. 2. The team can’t work longer hours, but if we offer them extra staff, they can meet the deadline. 3. Nobody knows exactly what’s necessary, so we have to arrange to do a needs analysis. 4. We’ll have to keep the old inventory, but we can cancel our standing orders. B. Eliminating impractical ideas 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

We can keep that in mind for the next quarter. So, I think we can drop this idea because it’s so expensive. Let’s eliminate the team-building idea for the moment. Under the circumstances, I’m afraid this option won’t work. Is everyone agreed that we can eliminate that idea? We’ll have to rule out the third suggestion. Let’s discard the last point, as we can’t implement it. I’m afraid we have to exclude John’s suggestion.

Online Practice Click the “Launch” button to open the online practice:

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Meeting Essentials

Unit 214 - Meetings: Finishing Up and Action Points It’s the end of a meeting, and everyone wants to go, but wait! We have one last thing to do: Action points. That means: Tell everyone who is going to do what, and when. Having no clear action points is a number one reason meetings are unproductive. So in this episode, we’ll study language we can use to assign work to people, and also some phrases to finish off the meeting. We’ll be listening in to a group of bank managers discuss how to deal with credit risk problems before a major year-end report to top management. They have already discussed and decided what to do, and now they need to finish the meeting. As you listen, pay attention to how the boss, Lisa, gives action points to her team, that is, reminds them of what they need to do.

Vocabulary To get to the bottom of something: To find the root cause. “To get to the bottom of employee turnover, we conducted an extensive investigation.” To knock someone dead: To impress someone with your performance. “We knocked them dead with our presentation – they signed the contract right away.” Any other business: Anything not on the agenda; typically the last point of discussion. “Before we finish up today, is there any other business?” Action points: Actions to be taken. “Now let’s just run through the action points – I want to be clear about who is doing what.” Risk analysis: The analysis of risk (danger). “It is important to perform good analysis of the types of risk that your company may encounter.” Revolving credit: Short-term loans, like credit cards. “We need to conduct a risk assessment of our revolving credit products.” Non-performing loans: Financial obligations (loans) that are not being met. “Non-performing loans led to a major financial crisis last year.” Short-term loans: Loans given to someone over a short period of time, often for consumers to buy products that they want. “Short-term loans of under one year is a major growth area for our credit department.” To get to the bottom of something: To find the root cause or fundamental reason for something. “We need to get to the bottom of this problem or we will never understand what really happened.” To wrap something up: To finish something – typically a meeting or discussion. “Okay, I think we’ve said enough for the day. Let’s wrap it all up.”

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businessenglishpod Dialog Lisa: All right, I think that just about covers everything we wanted to get to today. Is there any other business? No? All right. Let’s just go through the action points to finish off. James: Quick question: When exactly is our next round of meetings going to be? Lisa: Let’s see how things go; I expect we’ll be ready to look at the results by the middle of next month. James: Thanks. Lisa: Sure. Okay. Bryan, your team is going to conduct a risk analysis our new revolving credit products, and send me a report by next Friday. Bryan: Yep. Lisa: Great. Cecilia and Charles, you’re meeting with Telos next week to discuss the possibilities for cooperation. Charles: Right. Lisa: And you’ll be writing a proposal based on that meeting. Cecilia: And giving it to you for your comments. Lisa: Good. Finally, James – you’re team is going to look into the issue of nonperforming short-term loans. James: Uh huh. Lisa: It’s extremely important that we get to the bottom of this. James: I understand. Lisa: Good. We’ll I think that just about wraps it up. Any final questions? No? Great. That’s all for today. Everyone get busy. We’ve got the best team in the country here. So let’s show management what we can do.

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Meeting Essentials Debrief The dialog starts with Lisa signaling the end of the meeting, then dealing with any unfinished business. Lisa: All right, I think that just about covers everything we wanted to get to today. Is there any other business? No? What are some other ways to do this?  

That’s about everything we wanted to get through today. Are there any loose ends left to wrap up? No? Well, I think that’s just about all for our meeting today. If there aren’t any more questions, let’s just wrap it up here.

As you can see, “to wrap it up” is a common idiom that means “to finish.” What does Lisa say next? Lisa: …All right. Let’s just go through the action points to finish off. How else can you say this?   

Great. Let’s just go over what everyone needs to do. Good. So, is everyone clear about what they need to do? Great. Let me just check and make sure you’re all clear about your duties.

But James has a quick point he wants to clarify. James: Quick question: When exactly is our next round of meetings going to be? What are some other ways you ask a quick question at the end of the meeting?    

Just a quick one here. Can I just ask a quick question. Sorry, Lisa, I just have a little question. Excuse me for a moment, there’s just one more I think we need to talk about.

How does Lisa respond to James’s question about when the next meetings will be? Lisa: Let’s see how things go; I expect we’ll be ready to look at the results by the middle of next month. “Let’s see how things go” is a way of “playing it by ear.” To play something by ear means to improvise, that is, to make it up as you go along, like jazz musicians. Here are some more expressions you can use.    

Let’s play it by ear. Let’s wait and see. We’ll just have to wait and see how things turn out. Let’s take it one thing at a time.

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businessenglishpod Now Lisa moves into the first action point. Lisa: Sure. Okay. Bryan, your team is going to conduct a risk analysis on our new revolving credit products, and send me a report by next Friday. Bryan: Yep. “Revolving credit” refers to short-term loans of less than one year. Lisa uses “going to” to remind Bryan of what he needs to do. “Going to” is used for future plans, things that we have already decided to do. It’s often more polite to assign duties with the language of plans than with the language of a direct order. Lisa can use “going to” like this because, as the boss, she has the power to make plans. Here are some more examples of discussing action points with going to. Style 1: Going to  Heather and Mick are going to check up on the buyer, and I’m going to look through our database.  Bill, you’re going to investigate this issue and get back to me in a couple weeks. Next, Lisa tells Cecilia and Charles what to do. Lisa: Great. Cecilia and Charles, you’re meeting with Telos week to discuss the possibilities for cooperation. Charles: Right. This time she uses a different style. She says “you’re meeting with Telos next week.” This is the present continuous tense, “is doing,” with a future meaning. When talking about the future, the present continuous is used to discuss things that we have both planned and arranged. What’s the difference between “going to” and present continuous with a future meaning? “Going to” emphasizes the decision whereas the present continuous emphasizes the arrangement. Listen to some examples. First, let’s listen to emphasizing the decision with “going to.”  So we’re all agreed. We’re going to work hard until we solve this problem! Now let’s listen to emphasizing the arrangement with present continuous:  So it’s all arranged. You’re doing the proposal and I’m doing the PowerPoint. Be careful to differentiate clearly between going to and “I am doing.” For example, note that “I’m going to go to Paris” is different from “I’m going to Paris.” The first one – “I’m going to go to Paris” – uses the “going to” form. The second one– “I’m going to Paris” – is actually the present continuous form: “I’m going” (verb) “to” (preposition) Paris.

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Meeting Essentials The difference between “going to” and the present continuous is often just a difference in emphasis: “I’m going to go to Paris” emphasizes that I’ve made up my mind while “I’m going to Paris” emphasizes that I have arranged everything. The present continuous with a future meaning is especially common with action verbs, such as “to have lunch,” “to meet with someone,” “to go somewhere,” “to travel somewhere,” “to play a game,” and so on. Here are some more examples of action points with the present continuous. Style 2: I’m doing.  Sally, you’re meeting with an important potential client next week.  Frank, you’re traveling to Hong Kong in November to oversee the office’s implementation of the new security procedure. Going back to our dialog now, remember that Lisa has just told Cecilia and Charles that they will be meeting with a client, Telos, next week. Then he has one more thing to add. Lisa: And you’ll be writing a proposal based on that meeting. Cecilia: And giving it to you for your comments. “You’ll be writing” is a third style of giving action points. This is another tense, the future continuous, “will be doing.” The future continuous is a simple description of future events, and it is often used in the same way as the present continuous to discuss arrangements. But it is often more polite to use the future continuous than the present continuous to ask people about their plans – So, “Will you be coming to the party?” may sound more polite than “Are you coming to the party?” In the same way, it may be more polite to use “will be doing” to assign work to people, especially work they don’t want to do, like writing reports or working an extra shift. Style 3: Future continuous  And Charles, you’ll be working the morning shift in October and November while Cecilia is on holiday.  Sven, you’ll be going through our database carefully page by page to look for errors. What’s the final action point that Lisa covers in his meeting? Lisa: Good. Finally, James – you’re team is going to look into the issue of nonperforming short-term loans. James: Uh huh. Lisa: It’s extremely important that we get to the bottom of this. James: I understand. A “non-performing” loan is a bad loan, one for which the lenders are not paying. Lisa uses the first style, “gong to,” to give James this task. Then she emphasizes

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businessenglishpod its importance: “It’s extremely important that we get to the bottom of this.” To get to the bottom of something is to find the root cause. Here are some more ways to emphasize your action points:  

I can’t stress enough how important it is to succeed with this. It’s critical that we solve this problem.

In the last part of the dialog, Lisa wraps up the meeting. Lisa: Good. We’ll I think that just about wraps it up. Any final questions? No? Great. That’s all for today. Here are a couple more ways to wrap it up.  

That’s it for today. That covers it all. Any last questions? No? Okay, see you next time.

Finally, Lisa says some words to motivate or encourage his staff. Lisa: …Everyone get busy. We’ve got the best team in the country here. So let’s show management what we can do. Can you think of any more motivating phrases? You might try these:   

I know you’re going to succeed. I have great faith in you. Get out there and do your best. Let’s knock ‘em dead.

The last, “to knock someone dead,” means to impress someone with your performance. Before we wrap it up today, let’s practice. You’ll hear a series of three action points – someone’s name and what they are supposed to do. Use “going to,” the present continuous or the future continuous to assign your staff their duties. For example, if you hear “George, write a report about this case,” you can say, “George, you’ll be writing a report about this case.” Are you ready? Prompt 1) Going to - Sasha – look into the employee turnover issue. Learner:

Prompt 2) Present Continuous - Steve - travel to Barcelona to meet with the customer next week. Learner:

Prompt 3) Future Continuous town.

- Ray - reply to all inquiries while we are out of

Learner:

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Meeting Essentials How did you do? Listen to some example answers. Prompt 1) Going to - Sasha – look into the employee turnover issue. Answer 1: Sasha, you’re going to look into the employee turnover issue. Prompt 2) Present Continuous - Steve – travel to Barcelona to meet with the customer next week. Answer 2: Steve, you’re traveling to Barcelona in late November to meet with the customer. Prompt 3) Future Continuous - Ray – reply to all inquiries while we are out of town. Answer 3: Ray, you’ll be replying to all inquiries while we are out of town. That’s all for this episode on finishing up a meeting. We’ve covered important phrases for wrapping it up as well as three styles of language for discussing action points. Along the way, we’ve reviewed talking about future plans with “going to,” the present continuous and the future continuous. Thanks for listening!

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businessenglishpod Language Review A. Action Points Fill in the gaps with the words in the box to review collocations and language for action points. through

back

of

investigate

traveling

look

going

check

meeting

working

1. Heather and Mick are to up on the buyer, and I’m going to through our database. 2. Bill, you’re going to this issue and get to me in a couple weeks. Sally, you’re with an important potential client next week. 3. Frank, you’re to Hong Kong in November to oversee the office’s implementation the new security procedure. 4. And Charles, you’ll be the morning shift in October and November while Cecilia is on holiday. 5. Sven, you’ll be going our database carefully page by page to look for errors. B. Language Functions Review important language functions for finishing up a meeting by putting the jumbled sentences into order. Then, identify the function of each sentence. The first one has been done for you. 1. let’s it play ear by Let’s play it by ear.

Playing it by ear

2. just everyone go what over let’s to needs do ________________________________ 3. quick a here one just ________________________________ 4. wait let’s see and ________________________________ 5. I stress can’t how important it to is this succeed enough with ________________________________ 6. it that’s today for ________________________________ 7. you’re know I succeed to going ________________________________

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Meeting Essentials Answers Listening Questions 1) Lisa isn’t sure exactly – he wants to play it by ear, that is, improvise. He’ll wait to analyze the results as they come in, then plan the next meetings. 2) Bryan’s team is going to conduct risk analysis on the new revolving credit products. Cecilia and Charles are meeting with Telos to discuss possibilities for cooperation. And James’s team is going to look into the issue of non-performing loans. Language Review A. Action Points 1. Heather and Mick are going to check up on the buyer, and I’m going to look through our database. 2. Bill, you’re going to investigate this issue and get back to me in a couple weeks. Sally, you’re meeting with an important potential client next week. 3. Frank, you’re traveling to Hong Kong in November to oversee the office’s implementation of the new security procedure. 4. And Charles, you’ll be working the morning shift in October and November while Cecilia is on holiday. 5. Sven, you’ll be going through our database carefully page by page to look for errors. B. Language Functions 2. Let’s just go over what everyone needs to do. Starting action points 3. Just a quick one here. Quick question 4. Let’s wait and see. Playing it by ear 5. I can’t stress enough how important it is to succeed with this. Emphasizing the importance 6. That’s it for today. Wrapping it up 7. I know you’re going to succeed. Motivating the team

Online Practice Click the “Launch” button to open the FLASH version:

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businessenglishpod Unit 202 – Expressing Opinions Asking for an Opinion (Careful/Formal)  How do you feel about that, Cecilia?  Could you please share your thoughts on that, Sam?  What’s your view on this, Richard?  Tony, what’s your feelings on this? Expressing for an Opinion (Careful/Formal)  I have the impression that...he didn’t really want to come.  Don’t you think that that’s a little early.  I tend to feel it’s a bit too early to start. Expressing an Opinion (Direct/Informal)  The point is...we’re doing very well in this market.  The way I see it, we’re heading for trouble.  Obviously, there’s only one choice  Basically, I think we have two options.

Unit 203 - Agreeing Strong agreement A: I hate working in the evening. B: So do I. A: I hate working in the evening. B: I do too. Negative sentences to express agreement A: I don’t like tomatoes. B: I don’t either. A: I don’t have time this weekend. B: Neither do I. A: We don’t want to lose this deal. B: Nor do we. Short answers with modal verbs A: We won’t do that. B: Neither will we. A: We can wait two more weeks. B: So can we.

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Meeting Essentials Standard phrases for agreeing  I entirely agree with you.  You’re quite right.  I couldn’t agree more.  That’s exactly how I see it.  That’s just how I feel.  That’s exactly how I feel about it.  Exactly!  Absolutely! Words that mean very, very good  Terrific!  Wonderful!  Splendid!  Marvelous! Words that mean very, very bad  Awful.  Terrible.  Pathetic.  Miserable. A: That was just a miserable day. B: Yes, awful, wasn’t it? A: Totally pathetic. Agreeing by using an example A: This food is great. B: Especially the chicken! A: Michael Ballack looked great last night. B: Especially the way he passed the ball. That was amazing! Using a general comment to agree A: Chinese food is delicious. B: Yes, all Asian food is.

Unit 204 - Disagreeing Polite phrases for disagreement  Well, I am not so sure about that, to be honest.  Well, I don’t know.  Well, it depends.  I don’t really agree, I’m afraid.  I’m afraid I don’t totally agree with that. Informal (or direct) phrases for disagreeing  I disagree.  I couldn’t disagree more.  I totally disagree.  You must be joking!  Come off it!  Get real! © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com

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businessenglishpod The “Yes, but...” technique for disagreement A: I just didn’t think it was a very good presentation—not fluent, you no what I mean? B: Yes, but at least he was well prepared. A: Our price is too high. We have to improve sales. B: Yes—sales are important; but we can’t lower our price. Using “though” or “although” for disagreement A: I just didn’t think it was a very good presentation—not fluent, you know what I mean? B: Mmmm... Although I thought he was pretty well prepared, he wasn’t very fluent, you’re right about that. A: Our price is too high. We have to improve sales. B: Mmm...Although I really don’t think we can lower our price, I totally agree that we have to do something to improve sales. Using a negative question to disagree A: Wow, that was a great movie. B: But don’t you think it was just a little too long? Using a “really” to disagree A: It’s almost time to go home. B: Really? But we just got here.

Unit 205 - Making Suggestions     

Well, one possibility would be to...hire more staff. Perhaps we should...have more vacation? It’s just an idea, but...how about leaving a little bit early today? Shall we try to look at this from another point of view? Well, what if we try to open a new store in Germany?

Unit 206 - Rejecting and Accepting Suggestions Rejecting a suggestion  Good suggestion. But frankly speaking I can see one or two problems with that.  That’s a good idea, but I’m not sure it would work, to be frank.  I’m not really sure about that...  Do you think so? Accepting a suggestion  Okay, let’s do that.  That’s not a bad idea.  Yes, I think that would work really well.  Good idea!  Great idea!

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Meeting Essentials Unit 207 – Meetings: Clarifying what was said Clarifying the spelling of a word or name  How do you spell that?  Would you mind telling me how that’s spelled?  May I ask how that’s spelled?  Could you spell that for me, please? Using the “5 Ws”—Where, when, why, what and how—to clarify A: Tomorrow, we’re going to Madras. B: Sorry, where did you say? A: I said Madras. B: Oh, Madras. A: B: A: B:

They’re arriving at 4:00 a.m. in the morning. Pardon me, when did you say? 4:00 a.m. In the morning. Oh dear. That’s what I thought you said.

Clarifying when you didn’t hear clearly  I’m sorry, could you repeat that, please?  Sorry, what did you say?  I’m afraid I didn’t catch that. Could you say that again?  Sorry, I’m afraid I didn’t quite hear what you just said. Would you mind saying it again? (More informal)  Pardon?  Come again?  What was that?  Say again? Using “it” and when do you use “that” to clarify A: My name is Karamasov. B: Sorry, what was that? A: My name is Karamasov. B: Sorry, I’m afraid I didn’t catch your name. Could you repeat it?

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businessenglishpod Unit 208 - Clarifying What Was Meant Clarifying meaning  What exactly do you mean by that?  Sorry, what do you mean by that?  I don’t quite see what you mean. Could you be a little more specific?  Sorry, I’m not with you. Could you explain what you mean?  Sorry, I don’t follow you. Could you run through that again?  Sorry, that was totally clear to me. What exactly are you driving at? Providing clarification  I think what I’m getting at is that...  What I mean to say is that...  To make a long story short... Acknowledge, check back, and confirm A: I just think it’s been really hard. And, well, you know. It’s not the best way to do things. B: Uh huh. Let me make sure I understand what you mean. You’re saying that this is just not going to work, right? A: Well, let’s see. I think it’s just time to try something different. B: Okay. Let me get this straight. What you mean is that we’ve got to invent a new strategy. Have I got that right? A: It’s important that we keep the quality high at any cost. B: I understand. So, we’re not going to put profit before quality. Am I correct? Negotiating the meaning A: I think he’s hard to work with. B: That’s one way of looking at it. I think he’s impossible. Clarifying a single word or expression Could you just go over what you mean by “a big change”? Sorry, I don’t understand exactly what you mean when you say “come to grips”? Can we just go back for a moment to what you said about timing? I’m not quite sure what you mean by “as soon as possible”? Using “actually” to clarify the meaning A: So what you’re getting at is that we need to get a new computer system right away? B: Sorry, that’s not exactly what I’m saying. Actually, I think we can use the current system a little while longer. Referring to what someone just said in order to change or build on the topic A: I just ran into in the elevator after he met with the boss. He looked a little nervous. B: Really? It’s funny you should mention that. I mean, I saw his manager just now, and he was looking pretty angry. I wonder what’s going on?

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Meeting Essentials Unit 209 - Opening a Meeting Starting the meeting  Okay. Let’s get down to business.  All right then. Can we get started?  Okay folks. Let’s get started, shall we?  All right. Can I get everybody’s attention? I think it’s about time we get started.  All right everybody. We need to get this show on the road. Welcoming and thanking people for attending  Well, good afternoon everybody. It’s good to see you all here. Did everyone get the agenda?  Great! Thank you all for coming.  Hello everyone! I’m glad to see you all here. I know it’s a long way for some of you to come. I really appreciate your being on time and ready to work. Vague or unspecific language. A: Have you found the problem with the numbers? B: We’ve been looking all afternoon, but still can’t seem to find it. I think there’s a problem with the spreadsheet or something. A: The boss is looking really happy. He must have gotten a bonus. B: Or something. I heard he has a new girlfriend. Maybe that’s it. Introducing new colleagues  First of all, I’d like to introduce George from the Hong Kong office. Would you like to say a few words about yourself, George?  Everybody say hello to Kerumi. She’s visiting us from the Japan office. Explaining the purpose of your meeting  The reason we’re meeting today is to work out ways to deal with the marketing challenges that we’re facing.  The primary purpose of this meeting will be to start a discussion on ways to cope with the huge increase in demand that we’re seeing.  The main problem that we’re facing is how to manage our growth.  The main thing I’d like to accomplish today is defining the key problem areas that we see with our current plan. Introducing the agenda.  Let’s take a quick look at the agenda. As you can see, it’s broken down into five main parts.  I’ve divided up the meeting today into three parts.  I’ve prepared some figures to help us compare the two options. I’ll distribute them now. Introducing the first item on the agenda  Great. Well, we have a lot to cover, so let’s get down to business. George, could you start by explaining the background on the first item?  All right then. Let’s start then, shall we? Katy, why don’t you tell us what you’ve been thinking on the advertising issue.  Right. Susanne, would you be so kind as to begin? © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com

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businessenglishpod BEP 210 - Managing the Discussion Keeping the discussion on track  I can see what you’re saying, but let’s try to keep to the agenda.  To save time, we need to stay on track. Let’s try not to get too far off topic.  Let’s get back to that later. For now, I really want to stick to the agenda.  That’s an interesting point, but let’s talk about that when we come to it. Can we get back to the main point?  We’ve got a lot of ground to cover, so I suggest do our best to stay on track. Widening the discussion to include more people  What other approaches are there to this problem? Does anybody have any ideas?  How about other people? Any comments?  Let’s go around the table and get reactions to that idea. Who would like to begin?  Are there any other ways to think about this? Changing topics  Good. I’d say that’s about all for that topic. Now, let’s turn to the issue of sales.  Well, we’ve just about covered the San Francisco office. Let’s continue by discussing Buenos Aires.  Time is pressing. Let’s leave that there and move on to the next point on the agenda, okay? Checking for agreement  Can I get a quick show of hands? All those in favor?  Let’s take a vote. How many people are for this idea? Against? Thanks.  Just quickly - is there anyone else that supports the strategy of reducing overhead? Please raise your hands.

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Meeting Essentials Unit 211 – Interrupting and Resisting Interruption Declaring the purpose of a meeting • I called this meeting today to work out ways to deal with the marketing challenges that we’re facing. • The primary purpose of this meeting will be to brainstorm ways to cope with the huge increase in demand we’re seeing. • The main problem we’re facing is how to manage our growth. • The main thing I’d like to accomplish today is defining the key problem areas that we see with our current plan. Phrases to make an interruption • Can I just come in here? • Tony, I just like to add that … • Excuse me for interrupting, but can I just add a few words on that topic. • Could I just interrupt you there… • Can I say something here… • Sorry to interrupt, but hasn’t this been agreed already? • Sorry to butt in, George. It’s just that I don’t think we’ve adequately covered the topic of price increases, and I’d like to add a little point here. Finishing what you were just saying • Hold on a sec, let me just finish what I was saying • I’ll come to that in a moment. So, as I just mentioned … • I haven’t finished what I was saying • Now, wait a moment… • May I just finish? • If you will allow me to continue... • I wonder if I could explain that at the end. • Let me come back to that point later. • Just a moment please; I won’t be long. • I wonder if I could continue with what I was saying. • I’ll be glad to clarify any points at the end. Partly conceding a point • I can see what you mean, but… • There may be something to that. However,… Completely conceding a point • Right, I can see what you’re saying. • Mhmmm. You may have a point there. • Yes, there’s something to that. • Uh huh, that makes sense.

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businessenglishpod Unit 212 - Discussing a Problem (Part 1) Introducing a problem  Well, let’s turn to a problem that’s on everyone’s mind.  So, we need to tackle a fairly pressing problem today.  I know we’ve all been discussing this particular issue recently.  As you all know, we’re going to look at the problem of…

Focusing discussion/breaking problem down  We need to deal with this problem before it gets out of hand.  What are the underlying causes of the problem? Anne, what can you tell us?  What is at the root of this problem? Any suggestions?  Perhaps we can begin by breaking down the problem? Who can start? Stopping interruptions/letting someone finish their contribution  Hold on, can we let Janine finish?  Sorry, I think it’s important to give everyone a chance to contribute.  One moment John, perhaps we can allow Fred to continue?  Just a second, I wonder if we can give Nadine an opportunity to complete that thought?  Can we just let Sally finish her point? We can discuss objections later. Consensus-building  I think we’re on the right track.  We’re definitely on the same wave-length.  I can tell we’re all on the same page.  We’ve covered a lot of ground together. Stating a problem as a challenge  How can we meet our deadlines without working overtime?  How could we cut costs without losing quality?  How should we approach this problem without offending anyone?  How can we find the defect without shutting down the factory?

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Meeting Essentials Unit 213 - Discussing a Problem (Part 2) Closing a discussion/summing up:  Well done, team. I think we’ve got a grip on this.  Excellent work, everybody. I’d say we’ve really managed to pull it off.  Outstanding teamwork, folks. Let’s wrap it up.  Nice work, everyone. It looks like we’ve got it. Encouraging critique:  I’d like to hear your comments on this issue, taking into account our previous discussion.  I’m open to feedback on these points, keeping in mind how we’ve defined the problem.  Can we consider each point, bearing in mind how little time we have?  Let’s take a look at the solutions one by one, considering what our objective is. Critiquing a point with a contrasting reason:  It’s impossible to see how hiring another person will have an effect, seeing as productivity is the problem.  I can’t see him agreeing to that, given his resistance to change.  I just can’t visualize three desks in each office, since it’s so cramped with just two.  Asking the warehouse staff to do that is not an option, keeping in mind that it’s against union rules.  Adding more tasks is out of the question, considering that they’re already working overtime. Eliminating impractical ideas:  We’ll have to discard this idea, as there’s no way to implement it right now.  Is everyone agreed that we can reject the second suggestion?  This contribution will have to be dropped for the moment, but we can keep it in mind for next year.  While this is a great idea, we’ll have to exclude it under the circumstances.  I’m afraid that we have to rule out this suggestion due to its unpredictability. Confirming best solution:  There’s no doubt that eliminating the most unprofitable division is the best course of action.  It’s clear that expanding the R & D department is the best option.  Relocating the staff room during the renovation is the obvious choice.  Clearly, closing that office is our best move at this point. Suggesting points for action:  Our deadline is coming up quickly, so we need to get authorization for overtime.  The replacement order is ready to be shipped, so one of us should re-check it immediately.  Three containers have arrived, so if you authorize our broker to put a rush on it, we can get the toys out to stores right away.  We can’t slow production, but we can ramp up inspections to make sure that quality doesn’t suffer.

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businessenglishpod Unit 214 - Meetings: Finishing Up and Action Points Signaling the end of the meeting  That’s about everything we wanted to get through today. Are there any loose ends left to wrap up? No?  Well, I think that’s just about all for our meeting today. If there aren’t any more questions, let’s just wrap it up here. Asking a question at the end of the meeting  Just a quick one here.  Can I just ask a quick question.  Sorry, Lisa, I just have a little question.  Excuse me for a moment, there’s just one more I think we need to talk about. Let’s see how things go” or “playing it by ear.”  Let’s play it by ear.  Let’s wait and see.  We’ll just have to wait and see how things turn out.  Let’s take it one thing at a time. Discussing action points with “going to” Style 1: Going to  Heather and Mick are going to check up on the buyer, and I’m going to look through our database.  Bill, you’re going to investigate this issue and get back to me in a couple weeks. Emphasizing the decision with “going to”  So we’re all agreed. We’re going to work hard until we solve this problem! Emphasizing the arrangement with present continuous:  So it’s all arranged. You’re doing the proposal and I’m doing the PowerPoint. Stating action points Style 2: I’m doing.  Sally, you’re meeting with an important potential client next week.  Frank, you’re traveling to Hong Kong in November to oversee the office’s implementation of the new security procedure. Style 3: Future continuous  And Charles, you’ll be working the morning shift in October and November while Cecilia is on holiday.  Sven, you’ll be going through our database carefully page by page to look for errors. Emphasizing action points  I can’t stress enough how important it is to succeed with this.  It’s critical that we solve this problem.

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Meeting Essentials Wraping up the meeting  That’s it for today.  That covers it all. Any last questions? No? Okay, see you next time. Motivating phrases  I know you’re going to succeed.  I have great faith in you.  Get out there and do your best. Let’s knock ‘em dead.

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