This is the Business English Podcast, Episode 170.
Should you say what for in Business English?
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Hey, Aubrey, what's shaking? Oh, well, I met with a guest who might come on IELTS Energy podcast, which was fun.
What for? How would you even respond to that?
I know I made Lindsay respond that way, guys, because we're talking about why you should not say what for at work.
And hopefully you guys felt it in that little fake mini role play.
Did I sound like a teenager? Like a kid?
What for? There's no level of respect, you know, or there's no context for needing the answer.
It just feels sort of accusatory. Oh, my gosh.
At some point, we're going to be in the corporate world.
We have to not sound like a teenager. It's yeah.
I mean, that's the goal of today's episode, guys.
This is kind of a what not to do episode.
OK, we're going to make some good recommendations.
And I bet there are even better ones out there that you guys have heard.
And so we're going to ask you at the end to share them with us on YouTube.
Yes, absolutely. And this is a follow-up, guys, to an Allers English episode, 2072, where we talked about this expression, what for, and some grammar for the preposition for.
It's not like you can't ever say it. Sometimes it's very fun, right?
If you're in an informal conversation with a friend and they share something, oh, what for, right?
But it's different at work. It's different.
And that the tone of voice also sounded very different.
What you just said, it sounded very supportive, totally different.
So sometimes we say that things flow nicely between work and social life or work and family life.
In this case, it really doesn't. This is a hard line where if you say this thing at work, it will be quite rude and it will make you sound just immature, right?
Yes. It's just much too informal. Think of it as slang, sort of a slang phrase.
Right. It does sound sort of young and sort of and even with a friendly tone.
It's just like, why would you ever say why?
Even in a friendly tone in this way at work, you just wouldn't.
Right. Yes, for sure. For sure. A lot of this is going to depend on your organization, your manager, the structure of your company, the hierarchy.
So we're going to get into all this today, Aubrey.
But first, what should our listeners do if they don't want to miss a single Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday episode over here?
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Cool. Okay, let's go deeper into this, Aubrey.
Why is it so bad when someone... This is really about... when someone assigns you a task, right?
That's how I'm imagining it. Is that how you're imagining it?
Here's the thing that I was thinking about this a lot as I planned this episode, right?
Because sometimes at work you do need to ask why.
Like you need more context about something.
You need to understand maybe why a deadline has to be a certain, because I need to know how important is this?
Do I need to push other things? I need to know my priorities.
Sometimes you need more information. But the way we ask why can be respectful and professional.
Or like you said, Lindsay, it can be immature or accusatory, like the way in which we ask why.
And then the information we get, like, I need to share why I'm asking why.
I can't just be like, why? When I'm told, you know, assigned a task or given a deadline, right?
There are better ways to ask why. I mean, it's really don't say why and don't say what for both are both just bad.
Right. And I think this comes back to this is another example of like things need to be already the groundwork has to be already prepared beforehand.
So I think it is kind of on your manager or your boss to give you some context.
That's why team meetings here at All Ears English, we have team syncs. four times a year we understand what are our priorities when we assign tests we try to prioritize things as much as possible um that context is kind of on someone higher up in the company to give to you in a way or it's on you to seek it out to ask questions hey what are we going for this quarter what's important if you're not getting that automatically right by the time you get the assignment yeah ahead of time, right?
When it's assigned to give all the context, all the information, all the background that's needed.
But we recognize we're all busy professionals and we might drop the ball.
We might not provide quite enough detail, quite enough context.
So it's like you said, Lindsay, then it's on the person being assigned to ask if needed.
But we also have to have the vocabulary in order to be able to do that without just saying why.
Yeah. For sure. Yes, exactly. So why don't we give our listeners three, three or four, I guess, three examples of what would be better.
Now, these aren't perfect, right? They're never perfect because it depends on how you deliver it.
So much is the delivery. Yes. Yeah. And with these phrases, they really couldn't be asked in a vacuum because often no matter how you phrase it, if you're asking why, without sharing why you need to know, it's still like we're all busy.
You can still imagine a manager getting the question and just being frustrated like I have a million things to do.
I cannot, I can't give you the whole big picture every time.
Right. But if we then make sure that it's clear why we need to know in order to accomplish the task better or more quickly, then it's understandable.
Like, okay, yes, definitely. I need to get you those details.
Well, and also before we go into this piece of career advice, if you guys feel like you're working in a place where you never get these answers, you're just being given tasks, tasks, tasks, tasks, and you don't know how it connects to a larger goal.
You don't feel there's any meaning behind it.
Maybe look for a new job because then it just doesn't, there has to be meaning.
There has to be some context to some extent.
Right. Otherwise, what are we asking these questions and being made to feel like you shouldn't be or you don't need to know.
Right. If the answer is, oh, this is a need to know basis and you don't need to know or something like that, then you're not being respected as a member of the team.
Or you could be working like an insider trading place as well.
Right. Don't ask, just make the trade. Yeah, just do it.
You don't need to know why. I started watching Billions about insider trading.
I don't know if you've ever seen it. It's on Showtime and it's so fascinating, but also horrifying what these companies can get away with, these hedge funds.
I love it. That was so fun. I feel like, yeah, there's always jokes, jokes, jokes, jokes that come out of that stuff, out of the 90s, out of the bubbles and things that have happened over the years.
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So Aubrey, what would be the first imperfect solution?
But here is an option. But better than what for or why, right?
You can definitely say something like, can you give me more context on, and then you're going to finish the phrase with lots of different options.
Can you give me more context on this decision or on why we're going that route?
And then I think you would need to follow that up with just sharing why you need that context.
That's a good point, actually. That's important.
So I would love to know this because XYZ, just adding that little extra on will probably give your manager a little more energy and it shows that you actually care, right?
Like why should they give you the context if you don't appear to care too, right?
That could be the perspective because managers and bosses are really busy.
They're doing a thousand different things.
So show that you care and they want to fill you in because they're excited about it too.
Exactly. Right. If you have a whole list of priorities and you're not sure exactly what needs to take, you know, what you need to spend time on first, this might be where you need that context.
And you could share that, say, you know, I have several other things that I have a deadline on.
So if you can just share with me a little more context, then I'll know what to prioritize.
Love it. Okay. That's the first one. So can you give me more context on X?
Number two, Aubrey, what is it? Can you fill me in on?
And so this is just a more polite way of saying, can you tell me, can you tell me, can you share with me?
Like for example, for example, can you fill me in on the big picture for this project?
Or can you fill me in on the details for this decision?
You're just in the end, we're just asking for the big picture for the context.
These are all different ways to say that.
Exactly. Exactly. Right. It's just it's so interesting to think about how how what a better tone this is than saying what for or why or something that just is not professional at all.
Instead, we're reframing it in a way to share why we need to know and why it will make us better at the task if we have all those details. i love the term reframing it right our listeners know how important tone is but i think this is one of the things that you guys struggle with is making sure it's the right tone right absolutely right tone and the right vocabulary because a lot of you no matter what tone you say why and what for in it's still going to be incorrect because it's just not the right phrase it's not the right words right yes so once you have these better phrases then then we start thinking about tone like okay i'm saying this in a very professional respectful tone i love it number three here's another one right so what is our thinking behind x okay what we like about this is that is the choice of the pronoun our we're going to our so if i'm a manager and we assign it to i assign a task to someone and they come back and they use what is our thinking it just really points to the fact that we're a team and we're all part of this team it just instead of what is your thinking behind x is what i'm trying to highlight here yes oh i agree so much i think if you use that word hour you're automatically giving um the person you're asking that respect of saying like i feel like a part of this team i do feel like a part of the decision making process and i just need to know the reasoning behind right so you could say what is our thinking behind approving the proposal for example there's some interesting cultural things here too right if i if i imagine um places i've lived and worked like japan i would venture to a guess that if you directly translated something like this there would be the use of our the collective experience because i think there's much more of a sense of Just the group decisions in certain cultures.
This is probably a broad stereotype here, but from what I've seen, right, instead of the tendency to say, why did you decide on that?
But maybe our listeners can tell us on YouTube, you know, is that your experience?
This kind of question in Japanese, what would be a direct translation?
So we want to be aware of our culture. What's coming out of our culture.
So we're not always directly translating if it's the opposite in your home culture.
That's such a good point. Yes, this is cultural.
It is going to. And even within your business culture, if you aren't part of the team, you know, feeling like you're a decision maker and then you ask someone this.
Right. And if, you know, let's say they assign you something like, what is our thinking about that?
They might see that as an accusation because they know they haven't included you on the thinking.
They haven't included you in the decision making.
And so this comes back to what you were saying, Lindsay.
At that point, it's like, do you feel like a valued member of the team?
Something might need to change there. Yes, I love it.
There's a lot to look at here, guys. A lot to look at.
Company culture, country culture. industry culture these are all things to think about but these phrases will not fail you in the way that what for or why definitely will let's say that much right exactly yeah okay role play so here we are discussing decisions that were made recently at work okay so did we make these decisions aubry or did someone else make these decisions just for context Let's see.
It looks like I am the decision maker and you're asking me about it.
So we'll see how this goes. I'll start us out.
We are sticking with Ultra again this year.
Okay, good to know. What is our thinking behind going that route?
They changed a few processes that we weren't happy with and have assured us things will be different moving forward.
That's fantastic news. I think that'll really make a difference.
I heard you chose a team lead. Very exciting.
Yes, I selected Brian Ortiz. Awesome. I don't know him well.
Can you fill me in on the details for how you decided?
Nice. Hey, I like this. I like this. So we've used a few things here.
First, you said we're sticking with Ultra, which is some kind of software or something.
And I said, what's our thinking behind going that route?
It's a little wordy, but sometimes words are good.
It's true. You need more words here, right?
Because anything, if you just say like, oh, you know, why did you choose that?
Or can you let me know why you made that decision, right?
There are so many things that just depending on the words you use can really feel, can just really share the wrong message, can feel either accusatory or make it sound like you feel like you weren't part of the decision when you should have been.
Whereas this phrase, what is our thinking behind that route?
Doesn't. It feels collaborative. Sometimes we can really use words to soften things, like more words or just ways of extending a sentence strategically to soften the blow of what we're about to say, of what we've said.
Yeah? Exactly. Yeah. What else? And then I said at the end here, can you fill me in on the details for how you decided?
And that works, right? Instead of just, oh, why'd you choose him?
Yeah. why i like this this feels does not feel threatening on either side to me right and if we had been using why or what for it totally would i mean absolutely an entirely different message would be shared which is interesting because the message is still just why but with the words we use there's so much implied meaning So good.
So Aubrey, should we invite our listeners on over to YouTube?
Because we're going to be there. Oh, actually, this episode is not going to be on YouTube.
Oh, so we can't have you share on YouTube.
Maybe we'll do a special social update or something.
We have not launched our Business English YouTube channel yet, but we will soon, Aubrey.
We are on the path to it. Yes, keep an eye out for that, guys.
We eventually want to have these Business English podcasts on YouTube as well.
But I love the idea of a social media post.
I will plan on posting the same day that this is published.
And you guys can comment on social media.
So when we do a social media post, you can find it pretty much anywhere you find your social media, guys.
It'll be on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube Shorts.
So it'll be there as well. And what we want to ask, what we want to know is...
Do you know of other ways to ask why? Other phrases.
We've shared three here, but I have a feeling there are some that you have come up with at work that you really love, that you feel like are not, you know, that are respectful and a professional.
We would love for you to share those with us.
I love that. Perfect. So we'll be on social with this question.
And go find us on social, any social that you choose.
And Aubrey, any final takeaway for our listeners today?
What's the most important point today? Yes.
I mean, you guys don't want to be afraid of asking why at work.
And some of you may be, you may be listening to this and thinking, I wouldn't say why or what for, but I also wouldn't say any of these others.
Like I just would never ask for the context for the details.
And if so, you may want to be looking at your company culture.
Could you, could you have a conversation with someone about being more in the loop, more part of the team?
Because it's not just about the language.
It's also about feeling successful at work.
Yeah, you deserve to work in a place where your voice matters, you know, where you're contributing.
I think we all want meaning in our careers.
Right. That is so important. And so if you feel like you're not getting that sense of meaning in what you're doing, question that, you know, talk to your coworkers, maybe look around for other opportunities.
Right. We need that sense of meaning and that we're making a difference together in a way so yes it might not be as drastic as having to leave it might just be a conversation with superiors who don't realize that you want to be you know that you maybe want to have more say that maybe you want to feel like more part of a team because we have to recognize everyone's busy and they might not be thinking about what you need or or how you work and how like they maybe haven't thought about your strengths and they should you should let them know Totally.
I agree with that. I think that's a good take.
I think especially, again, don't have a ton of experience in the corporate world, but I'm guessing especially middle managers, people kind of in the middle who are maybe they're your manager, but then they have a manager, maybe they have a manager and a boss and a boss and a boss.
That's a tough place to be, right? So they're meeting someone else's kind of assignments and then they're assigning you.
So they have to be a leader as well as working on tasks that they've been assigned.
So they especially might be really, really scattered and busy.
And if you don't speak up, they won't know that you're struggling with this.
Yes, absolutely. Right. Let them know. Ask for that conversation.
It might really improve your situation at work.
It couldn't hurt. I love it. This is a great episode, Aubrey.
I think it's been great. Thank you. I agree.
Yeah. Thanks, Lindsay. I'll see you next time.
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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