This is the Business English Podcast, Episode 64, Made an Assumption at Work?
Four Steps to Say You're Sorry. Welcome to the Business English podcast from All Ears English.
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Hey, Lindsay, how are you? Awesome, Michelle.
I'm excited to be on the mic for Business English today.
Yes. I love it. Don't you love that we started this new podcast for our All Ears English community?
Yeah. I love it. I think, you know, our listeners, you guys are ready to really, really dive into business.
So I'm glad that we have a special place for Special plays.
Guys, hit follow on this show right now if you want a podcast that is 100% focused on business English, right?
If you're at work and using English at work either once a month or every single day, every hour of every day, we are here to help you.
Right, Michelle? Definitely. Definitely.
We are so happy that you are listening. So, Lindsay, do you ever make mistakes?
All the time, Michelle. Every day. 25 times a day.
What about you? Of course. Of course. I mean, what about with work?
Like, I mean, do you ever make a mistake at work that you feel like you might need to apologize for?
Oh, yeah. I think, you know, sometimes I speak too quickly when I'm having conversations or I don't think through what I say every time.
Right. Is that what you're asking? Kind of that sort of mistake?
Could be that kind of a mistake or I mean, or just even like for me, like sometimes, you know, there's a technology mistake or, you know, something something like that, just like an oopsie.
Yeah. Right, right, right. Like a few weeks ago, we were recording and something got screwed up with your microphone.
But I don't think that was your fault. Like, I think that was just the technology is kind of weird sometimes.
Yeah, yeah. Sometimes technology is not my friend.
Yeah, me neither. Me neither. Yeah, but there are times when we have to apologize at work, of course.
Right, right, right. So we have a listener question.
So we're going to read this question. And so should I read it?
Yeah, please read the question. Where did this come from?
An Instagram listener or where? Okay, on our Instagram channel.
Awesome. Yes. So I believe it's Instagram.
Yeah. So it looks like Instagram. So this is from Lizzie Garcia.
And Lizzie says, Hi, ladies. Love the podcast.
Always listening on my way to work because my commute is long.
I have two questions regarding how to properly say you are sorry when you make a mistake at work.
This happens to me as I assume something instead of asking.
I have two women bosses and the second is, oh, oh, okay. uh oh oh oh oh these are two separate questions okay so that was the first one okay maybe we'll get to the second one another time but um she said i know she said i'm telling you this because it feels like you were my besties after listening to you i hope you're gonna help me that's so sweet Oh, I love that.
I love that. And I love what she said. You know, she made a mistake at work because she made an assumption.
That's kind of what the human mind wants to do, right?
We want to make assumptions quickly. We want to close a gap.
And sometimes that will actually cause us to make a mistake.
It'll create a blind spot. Right, right, right.
Exactly. So we are going to dive into this today.
So guys, on the All Ears English podcast, guys, so if you don't listen to All Ears English, you should be listening to that as well.
Head on over to the All Ears English podcast.
We are there four days a week. We did episode 1091 was sorry for the hassle, how to apologize at work in English.
So today, though, we're going to focus on what the listener said. which was I assume something instead of asking so this is a very specific and good question it's a specific kind of a mistake because the other episode that 1091 was based off of this type of question this is from our blog and it says have you ever asked someone at work for something and then it turns out you didn't need it after all so these are there are different apologies guys yeah this is very different so again let's say you assume something at work And then it's a mistake.
What are some examples, Lindsay? Oh, my gosh.
This is huge. Examples. Well, I love that we're focusing on assumptions because, again, like I said, we all do this.
For example, you assume that a meeting was in a certain location and you were late because you were wrong.
Right. What else, Michelle? OK, you assumed someone would do a specific part of a project and then it didn't get done.
I bet this happens all the time. Delegation problems, right?
When the delegation is not clear, whoever delegated it to you just didn't make it clear, but we can still make apologies for this.
Or you assume that you knew how to operate the technology at work.
You didn't practice because you thought you had that skill, but then your presentation was filled with technology problems, right?
Yeah. Yeah. Or one more is you assumed your boss would be available for a talk.
So you waited until the last minute and now she or he is not available.
Yeah. These are blind spots. These are things that can cause bigger problems than if we had just asked.
Right, Michelle? Yeah. Right. Exactly. So, okay.
So what can you say? This is awkward. So, okay.
The first thing is what? Yeah. So you could apologize and that's straightforward.
So you could say so sorry or I apologize or what else, Michelle?
I'm sorry about that. Yes. I love it. Right.
Whereas, you know, so sorry is a little less formal.
So we want to point that out. Right. But it still works at work.
I think it works at work. It works at work.
And then we're going to call this step number two is using an assumption phrase.
That's a yes. That's a patented Michelle.
OK. OK. Trademark on that. Yes. Trademark.
OK. So what's what's an assumption phrase?
All right, we have a few here, guys. So get ready to write these down.
So I didn't mean to assume is one thing we could say.
For example, I didn't mean to assume that you would be available today.
Right. I didn't mean to assume. Or you could say, I made a mistake and thought, right?
I made a mistake and thought, blah, blah, blah.
I made a mistake and thought I knew how to work all the tech.
I like I made a mistake because it's very, it's like very disarming.
It's very honest. When I say I made a mistake, it's very, it's very straightforward.
You know, you're fully owning up to something.
So I think it's good. Like it creates trust at work.
Right, right, right. Exactly. And then what's the last one, Lindsay, that we have?
Okay. I was under the impression that, for example, I was under the impression that Sheila was working on the graphs.
So again, you're saying I was assuming that Sheila was working on the graphs, but it's a little bit more professional sounding, a little bit more cloaking things.
Would you say so, Michelle? Yeah. Do you know what I mean?
Yeah. OK, so cloaking. Yeah, it's like it sounds like there's more beneath the surface of this.
Yes, because it could be saying, oh, that person told me that someone else told me.
Right. You're ratting on someone or kind of.
Yeah. So be careful with this one. It could be a little passive aggressive. yeah when you're kind of yeah with with delegations of work i think right that that's why i'm saying i really like i made a mistake and i thought something because you're just owning up to it completely you're just saying it's my fault it's my fault and i am mature enough and professional enough to say i made this mistake and i won't do it again you know right right right yeah i like that i like that that's a good point um all right what's the next step what else could you do then All right, you can say, what could have been done differently?
So, Michelle, what is the first thing you could say?
I should have. Should have what? Should have?
I should have checked with you first. Right.
Or, guys, this is a little wordy with grammar, but it's very natural.
So write this one down. Oh, yeah. Okay. Go ahead.
It would have been better if. It would have been better if.
So it would have been better if I did a run through before the presentation or if I had done.
If we want to be totally grammatical. If I had done.
True. If I had done a run through before the presentation.
You're right. You caught my little grammar.
Yeah. Little grammar mistake there. So good stuff.
So that's great. So say what could have been done differently.
What else, Michelle? What would be the next step?
Last step. Last step, guys. This is good stuff.
So say what you'll do next time. So easy.
Next time I'll run it all by you before setting the meeting time.
Yes. Or I'll be sure to blank in the future, right?
So I'll be sure to check where the meeting is in the future.
And again, I think it makes sense to go this extra step.
What do you think, Michelle? I think it's huge.
I think, you know, always showing that you're you're thinking ahead.
You're not just thinking, OK, this is one, you know, incident and just like, you know, just saying, OK, well, it's over.
I mean, yeah. And sometimes that is good.
I mean, but if especially if it's a repeated thing, you want to show like, OK, that you recognize this.
100%. People want to do business and work with people who learn from their mistakes, right?
You don't want to have to always anticipate that someone will make the same mistake over and over again.
So just close that gap for your coworkers, guys, and tell them you won't make that mistake again.
Right, Michelle? Right, right, right. Yeah.
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So, Michelle, it doesn't always end up being this organized because we're humans.
We're just we're trying to be natural in the business world.
So what do we do? Right. Well, so I mean, but it is a great, you know, if you want to consider these four steps, this is a good place to start.
So, again, apologize, use some phrase about assumptions, say what could have been done differently and say what you'll do next time.
But again, it doesn't have to be like exactly in that order.
But I want to show you how it might work in a role play.
Yeah. Let's see how we could do this in the real world.
So here you are my assistant and you have double booked my appointments.
Oh my gosh. Okay. Here we go. All right.
Oh, Michelle. Looks like I'm double booked on the 6th.
What's that about? Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry.
I made a mistake and thought you had the other meeting on the 7th.
Oh no, it's 2 on the 6th. Oh no, I should have checked with you first.
I'll change that right now. Thanks, Michelle.
It's fine. Sorry again. Next time I'll double check the schedule.
Great, thanks. Yeah, so this sounds pretty natural to me.
What do you think? I think so. I think so.
I like to write a natural role play, you know.
Yeah. Natural role play. I'm just thinking how amazing it would be.
How amazing would it be to have someone like kind of making your appointments for you?
Oh, that's a dream. That is. That is a dream.
Yeah. Yeah, that would be nice. I'm sure that some of our listeners have that.
You guys have kind of an executive assistant, someone that's helping you to set up your schedule or book flights for you or do things like that.
And that's fantastic. It is so important to maintain that relationship with that person.
Right, Michelle? Right, right, right. Exactly.
Exactly. So you said, so let's go through it.
So you said, it looks like I'm double booked on the 6th.
So what does that mean to be double booked?
Double booked. That's a bonus today. That's a bonus.
Double booked means I have two appointments at the same time, but I can't be in two places at once. exactly so I said oh my goodness I'm so sorry so here I apologize and then I said I made a mistake and thought you had the other meeting on the 7th so we're combining some of the things right so I apologize I did step 1 I did step 2 about the assumption phrases yeah and then what did I say you're admitting that you made a mistake right and then you said oh no I should have checked with you first so that would be step 3 saying what you could have done differently right and then i said i'll change that right now right to show that i'm taking action of course a little bonus um and then step four which was about is about the future what are you going to do next time i said sorry again which is always good to kind of throw in one more sorry you know i feel yeah never hurts yeah and then i said next time i'll double check the schedule I love it.
So this role play here, guys, is about, you know, next time what you'll do.
But are we going to give our listeners a second role play today?
We are. OK, so yeah, that bonus that I'll change that right now.
Guys, again, that's a way to say you're going to fix it now.
So that would be good. So, OK, here I am your boss and you missed a section of your presentation.
So it was incomplete. Oh, OK, here we go.
All right. Oh, wow. So this isn't even done yet?
Oh, wow. I'm so sorry about that. I was under the impression that Steve had done that section.
No, he didn't. Oh, no. I should have double-checked with him.
I'll get it done immediately. Okay, sounds good.
Please have it for me by the end of the day.
Of course. I'll be sure to coordinate with him more in the future.
Great. She's a tough boss. Very stern, Michelle.
Very stern. Very stern. I love it. All right.
Let's break it down for our listeners here.
So I said, so we recognize there's a mistake.
And I said, oh, wow, I'm so sorry about that.
So here I'm apologizing. All right. And then I'm saying I made an assumption.
I was under the impression that Steve had done that section.
And again, guys, this under the impression is interesting because you're not necessarily taking full responsibility there, I think.
I mean, you kind of are here, but in other cases, it could be looked at as like, oh, someone told you the wrong information.
Right, Michelle? We said that earlier. Right, right, right.
Exactly. Like almost like you're putting a little.
Yeah. I mean, maybe, maybe not. Even if you don't.
Right. I mean, it's not. I don't know. I don't think that it is necessarily completely passive aggressive.
No, no, no, no. It may be like, OK, let's say that you and Steve are working together.
Right. And like then it shows kind of like that you did you like didn't communicate well with Steve.
Yeah, exactly. It's like. Exactly. but yeah well no but like let's say you weren't working together and you just thought she had assigned it then it's almost sounds like you're blaming the boss yeah I think it's just be tricky yeah I think just you know this one's fine I would just say like in general just fully owning your mistakes even if honestly someone else even if it's someone else's fault it's a lot more professional just to own that you know and then just make sure it doesn't happen again I would say yeah I think that's good Yeah, a very interesting topic.
We can come back to it on the Business English podcast another time.
So pay attention to that one when you're talking about like, oh, I wasn't like it's not so much that you like if you say I was under the impression that it's not so much that that you have to stay away from that expression.
Right. But I think it's more that when you're saying that you were under the impression that somebody did something.
Yes. I think that's where, but we can talk, we can dive more into this another day.
Yeah. I love it. Okay. Let's do it. But then you said I should have double checked with him.
So you're saying like what would have been better?
Yeah. So you are taking ownership here for sure.
Now you're taking ownership. Now you are.
Right. And then I said, of course, but I'll be sure to coordinate with him more in the future. right yes good good plans love it okay good stuff so big topic today important topic and i'm really excited that our listener asked this especially on our instagram channel guys you can find all there's english on instagram right yes yes absolutely we are over there having a lot of fun as always what's the takeaway for our listeners Guys, apologizing could be uncomfortable.
But if you have a plan, you know, especially when you're apologizing to like a boss or somebody in that situation that can be kind of uncomfortable, but you can do it, you know, don't shy away from it.
And we gave you kind of a four step process to help you along with that.
It doesn't have to be, you know, exactly in that four step process, but it's a good thing to try.
You know, try these role plays out or see what would you say.
Practice with a friend. See how you would use some of these phrases in different situations.
Exactly. And I feel like the key takeaway here is a business skills.
Don't assume things. Don't make assumptions.
Right. Because they can really get us in trouble.
Always double check. Always ask, are you taking care of that or am I?
Right. So that we don't get to the big presentation and then there's a big blank screen.
Yeah, we don't want that. We don't want that.
Good stuff, Michelle. All right. Thanks for bringing this in today, Michelle.
And I will see you back here on this podcast very soon.
All right. Bye, Lindsay. Take care. Bye.
Bye. Thank you for listening to Business English, a podcast just for you, the high achieving global professional.
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