This is the Business English Podcast, Episode 140.
Are we still on for lunch? How to cancel a business lunch.
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Hey, Lindsay, how are you? Great, Michelle.
What's going on? How are you feeling today?
I'm good. I'm good. I'm a little hot because I have no air conditioning and it's very hot.
New York is a very hot place. Yeah. But that's okay.
Lindsay, have you ever had to cancel some sort of business lunch because you were busy with something at work?
Yeah, I don't do a ton of business lunches.
I wish I did more. Because business for us is pretty remote, right?
Yeah. But I have definitely had to cancel.
Yeah, business meetings or meetings or things for sure.
Yes. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I think, at least in the US, it can be very common to eat lunch at your desk.
Lindsay, I think we've talked about this.
Like, you said you sometimes eat lunch at your desk, but you read the New York Times.
Yeah. Yeah, that's right. That's exactly right.
That's what I do. I should just go sit on my porch, my beautiful patio, but I don't know why I just get so sucked into the news sometimes.
Yeah. But you're not working. Like you take a lunch.
I'm sort of checking email and lightly working.
I'm not focusing on anything. It is a bit of a tune out, right?
Yeah. It's a break. I'm on a break. So for like an hour, do you usually do or?
No way. For 20 minutes. 20 minutes. Yeah, really?
I know. Yeah, I think I've talked about this before one job, I took an hour all the time.
It was very much like where you know, we went out like, with colleagues, we went out to restaurants, people really valued that hour.
Another one I ate at the desk, maybe I went downstairs to get something brought it back up, maybe talked with my co workers a little bit, but it can be different everywhere.
But I really did love taking that lunch break.
I And going out with my coworkers, it was really fun and a real it really split up the day nicely.
Yeah, I think there's a lot that's that's being lost.
And right now I know companies are renegotiating this.
They're trying to figure out how to get employees back in the office.
Should they get it? How do you do a hybrid work?
But there is going to be a lot that's going to be lost with remote work.
You know, when people are just now just going to be working from home, they're not going into like midtown Manhattan.
Yeah. So there's really not that opportunity to go out for lunch.
And I think a lot is going to be lost. Sadly.
Yeah. It was fun. It was fun. I mean, but, you know, you can't always like it would it wasn't always that you could just take that full hour.
I mean, for the most part, I think we did.
But, you know, it might be that somebody is working on something.
They have a deadline and they have to cancel.
So I wanted to talk about that today. So what can you say when you need to cancel your lunch plans with a co-worker because you're busy with work? work.
So that's the topic for today. That's a great topic.
Guys, if you love the topics, our approach to business English, again, that approach is connection, not perfection.
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And there is another episode that is complementary to this on All Ears English podcast, which is our other show.
Episode 1943. Michelle, what was that? That was how to cancel social plans when you're sick in English.
So related, not the same thing, but somewhat related.
So go and check that one out and subscribe to that show too while you're at it, guys.
That's right. That's right. So guys, so let's talk about it.
So what can you say? So of course, you want to start out by greeting them and then get right to it.
So Lindsay, what's one way you could say it?
OK, here we go. I'm so sorry. I think I'm going to have to cancel on our lunch because, for example, I just found out my deadline was bumped up.
My boss asked for a meeting or I have to finish a project.
These are all fill in the blank examples.
Another thing you can say is, can we reschedule our lunch to X?
Something came up with. So something came up with my project, my boss, the presentation I've been working on, like Lindsay said, fill in the blank.
Yeah. And then the third example would be, hey, X, like, hey, Michelle, unfortunately, I can't make our lunch.
I have to present my ideas to my boss. Like I have to meet my teammate to practice for a presentation.
I have to cover for Aubrey until she gets back to the office.
Right. These are all examples. So good. Right.
Right, right, right. Exactly. But, you know, the main thing is explaining why and, you know, expressing some, you know, unfortunately.
And then I always think that it's good to at least try to reschedule in that moment, especially I mean, it's different if it's like you always go out like like every day you go out with this co-worker, then it's like, you know, oh, can we reschedule?
Yeah. Right. But if it's like a special lunch that you were supposed to have, then you really should take the time to say like, oh, like, can we do it on such and such day?
There's a lot to be said for that, you know, socially or in business.
I think it goes a long way to clarifying that you did want to have lunch with that person, that it's just a legit, literally it's a logistics issue that came up.
And so make the extra effort to look at your calendar and say, sorry, I have to cancel today, but you know, how about next Friday?
Yes. That goes a long way to maintaining that relationship, right?
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Exclusions apply. See details online. Okay, Michelle, shall we put it into a role play?
Wrap it up here for our listeners? Yes, let's see what this might sound like.
Yes, three. Okay, here we go. Number one, here we go.
Hey, Michelle, ready to go for lunch? Oh, Lindsay, I'm so sorry.
I think I'm going to have to cancel on our lunch because my boss just told me she wants my project done by today.
Oh, wow. Okay, no problem. Yeah, I'm really sorry.
Can we do tomorrow? Sure. Great. Yeah, that's really hard because in this case, it feels like I just kind of walked into your office and we were ready to leave.
Yeah, like you're getting your bag and you're like, all right, let's go.
Yeah, you didn't give me any warning at all, which is hard, right?
Yeah, that's an awkward one because maybe I just found out and I didn't have a chance to tell you before you came in there and you got all ready.
Yeah, for sure. yeah okay what did i say oh sorry yes you said i think i'm gonna have to cancel on our lunch this is very natural very common i think i'm gonna have to cancel on our lunch because my boss just told me she wants my project done by today so it is good to add that layer of detail so that way you're not just saying sorry i have to cancel right you need that detail yeah because why why is this happening Right, right, right.
And then offering to do it another day tomorrow.
So it works out. We're all good. Yeah. And just as a bonus for our listeners today, you said you didn't say, can we do it tomorrow?
You said, can we do tomorrow? Yes. Yes. That's a really common way to say it.
Very native and natural. Yeah. Yes. So let's do the next one.
So here we go. Are we still on for lunch?
Oh, unfortunately, I can't make our lunch.
I have to organize my boss's files. I'm so sorry.
Can we do tomorrow? Again, you said, can we do tomorrow?
Again. Okay, that's fine. Yeah. And you could also say, can we do it tomorrow?
But this is just a slangy native way to say that. exactly exactly so uh so let's see i started off i said are we still on for lunch so that's a really common way to ask yeah um if a plan is still existing um so and then you said unfortunately i can't make our lunch i have to organize my boss's files but then you were apologetic and asked again about tomorrow Good.
Perfect. Let's go for the last role play for our listeners.
Here we go. Hi, Michelle. Oh, I know we plan to meet for lunch today.
Can we reschedule our lunch to Thursday?
Something came up with the presentation I've been working on, so I'm swamped.
Oh, okay. Sure. No problem. Thanks for understanding.
Nice. Very common. Again, these are very human responses, right?
Very typical. You said, I said, can we reschedule our lunch to Thursday?
Something came up. Again, very common. Something came up.
Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Yeah. So, I mean, I think the main things to remember are, you know, to give a little bit of detail about why to show, you know, that you apologize, especially if you canceled last minute and to try and reschedule to try and plan. yeah exactly and i think that's really that's the takeaway for today guys you know everything you do at work gives people especially when maybe these are new relationships maybe you just got the job you're new you're like a year in i think especially in the beginning relationships are very sensitive to signals And until you have that foundation with your colleagues, you need to send the right signals.
Meaning, yes, it's okay to cancel, but tell them why.
Make another plan immediately. These are things we need to do.
Be proactive. Otherwise, people are going to wonder where they stand with you.
Right. Eventually, you know, things might change and you might be able to be even more casual about it or say like, sorry, you know, like, yeah, you just might it might have a different feel to it.
Or instead of specifically rescheduling, you can just say, oh, I'll catch you tomorrow or something like that to make it more casual.
But in the beginning, like Lindsay said, you really want to make sure you're kind of following these steps.
Yeah, that's what it is. I mean, we always say here on Business English, success in business and your career is a huge part of that is going to be on your relationships.
You know, not just people at your company, but maybe people that have left your company that are now at a new company who could help you get a new job at that new company.
There's lots of relationship like webs that determine our career success.
So let's pay attention to that. Love it.
Exactly. All right. Well, I think that wraps it up for today.
So thanks for talking about this with me, Lindsay.
Okay, Michelle, I'll talk to you soon. Have a good weekend.
Bye. Bye. Thank you for listening to Business English, a podcast just for you, the high achieving global professional.
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