You're listening to Business English Pop, the business English podcast for professionals on the move.
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're speaking with each other very rapidly and they're 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 Dongguan, 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 results more quickly.
The main bottleneck we're facing now in Donghua is a lack of qualified engineers.
Uh-huh.
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 launch and this-.
Sorry Bill, excuse me for interrupting you there, but we've been looking at your headcount request.
Yes?
And it didn't really clarify for us exactly why you need to increase headcount.
Yeah, don't you have engineers you could transfer from other production lines?
Well, as I was saying, Trilogy's new product is absolutely critical to our business.
They're a key customer.
You could say THE key customer.
We know that, but it still doesn't tell us why... Just a moment.
I haven't finished what I was saying.
I'm pretty busy, and maybe I wasn't totally clear in the original request.
Look, this is a completely different technology.
What do you mean?
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.
Can't you just have them learn what they need to know on the fly?
You've got a lot of smart people.
Sure, they're smart, but we're supposed to go into production by October.
We need experienced people, otherwise it's going to come off half-assed.
There are all sorts of questions about retooling the machines, how to work with the material.
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.
What do you mean?
Well...
As you know, we're just about to go into our full recruiting drive, and we're short-staffed too.
Plus, you know best what qualifications you're looking for.
You mean you want us to do the search for candidates ourselves?
Well, not entirely.
Recruiting can provide support, but you'll have to drive the process.
Let's look at how Bill, Sam, and Mei-Lin interrupt and resist interruption.
How does the meeting start?
The main bottleneck we're facing now in Donghua is a lack of qualified engineers.
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 goals for the meeting at the beginning.
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, 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 May Lynn 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 is to brainstorm ways to cope with the demand we're seeing.
Our objective in this meeting is to figure out how to manage our logistics more efficiently.
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 dialogue continue?
Remember, Bill is talking about why he urgently needs to recruit new engineers.
As you know, we've been working very closely with Trilogy on their new MP3 launch.
Sorry Bill, excuse me for interrupting you there, but we've been looking at your headcount request.
Yes?
And it didn't really clarify for us exactly why you need to increase headcount.
Yeah, don't you have engineers you could transfer from other production lines?
May Lynn senses that she and Bill are having a misunderstanding, so she decides to interrupt them right away so that they don't waste any more time.
To interrupt, May first says 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 phrases for interrupting?
Tony, I'd 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 dialogue to see what happens next.
Mei Lin has just interrupted Bill to clarify what the real reason for the recruitment request is.
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 dialogue continue?
Bill is telling Mei Lin and Sam that one of Stratos' main customers Trilogy has just given them a very important order.
They're a key customer.
You could say THE key customer.
We know that, but it still doesn't tell us why... Just a moment.
I haven't finished what I was saying.
I'm pretty busy, and maybe I wasn't totally clear in the original request.
Look, this is a completely different technology.
May Lynn 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 May Lynn 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?
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 dialogue, as Bill says, Trilogy's product requires an entirely new technology.
Sam jumps in to clarify.
What do you mean?
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, Stratus had only produced MP3 and MP4 players with plastic cases, but Trilogy now wants them to use stamped aluminum.
Aluminum is a light metal.
Aluminum is pronounced aluminium 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.
Can't you just have them learn what they need to know on the fly?
You've got a lot of smart people.
Malin wonders why Bill's people can't just learn on the fly, that is, as they go.
Sure, they're smart, but we're supposed to go into production by October.
We need experienced people, otherwise it's going to come off half-assed.
There are all sorts of questions about retooling the machines.
How 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.
How to work with the material... 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.
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?
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.
Mm-hmm.
You may have a point there.
Yes.
There's something to that.
Uh-huh.
That makes sense.
Back to the dialogue.
How does it end?
May Lynn 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?
What do you mean?
Well, as you know, we're just about to go into our full recruiting drive and we're short-staffed too.
Plus, you know best what qualifications you're looking for.
You mean you want us to do the search for candidates ourselves?
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, the activity of recruiting new graduates at the end of a university year.
In another meaning of the word drive, Mei Lin suggests that it could 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'll 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'll be interrupted.
Use phrases we've learned today to resist interruption.
For example, you can say, John, if you 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.
In my opinion, reducing costs is necessary to our business success.
Sorry, I wonder if I could just interrupt you there.
Don't you think innovating new products is also very important?
Answer.
If you will allow me to continue, I'll get to that point later on.
Maintaining a proper work-life balance is so important to career success.
If you don't get... Can I just say something here?
Answer.
Sorry, I haven't finished what I was saying yet.
Let me come back to you in a minute.
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.
Thanks for listening, and we'll see you next time.
