This is the business English podcast episode 89 three ways to get someone's thoughts in business English Welcome to the Business English podcast from All Ears English.
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Hey, Aubrey, how's everything going today?
I'm great, Lindsay. How are you? I am awesome.
Excited to jump on the mic on this Thursday morning.
The week has flown by for me. I don't know about you, Aubrey.
Me too. Yes, this is one of those weeks.
And it wasn't even like a three-day weekend, but it has really flown by.
I have a question for you. This is going to be a fun one.
Okay, I'm ready. So I want to bounce an idea off of you.
What do you think about a team-building trip to Fiji?
Wow. That is quite an idea, Aubrey. Imagine.
Imagine. Quite an idea. I don't know. We're going to have to scrape in our pockets to try to find the cash for that.
Yeah. Fiji, I picked the most unlikely option.
Oh, man. If you imagine, I've looked into traveling to Fiji from the United States.
The flights are so expensive and there's nowhere cheap to stay.
It's like the most unreasonable. That was intentional.
Maybe we'll start with like Omaha or something.
Right. Denver. We'll come to Denver. Well, I use this fun idiom in that question telling you I need to bounce an idea off you because we had a student send in a really great question about this idiom.
And we use it all the time in business English, along with a couple of similar expressions.
So we want to teach these today and share them so you guys can start using them.
Yeah, I love this expression. I'm excited that our listeners are going to learn this one today.
Take it on and learn the skill because it's important how you approach someone when you have ideas.
Right, Aubrey? I mean, why is that important, first of all?
Yes, right. You can shut it down accidentally from the get-go, right?
From the very beginning. If you do it incorrectly, right?
If you, for example, me choosing Fiji as my option for us to maybe do a team building event.
Right. No, right? Pretty off the wall. Yeah.
The language we use and also if we've thought through the idea is always going to have an effect.
Yeah. So today's episode is about the perspective of the person with the idea.
Right, Aubrey? Exactly. Okay. All right.
So should I go ahead and read the student question?
Yeah, let's do it. All right. This is from Sunha Eileen Park and they say, this episode is really informative.
I'm really thankful for you guys, but I have a question.
When I use the idiom bounce an idea off of, am I able to use bounce an idea off you without of since I don't understand using two prepositions in a row?
That's such a good question. It is such a good question.
Right. A lot of idioms have to be used word for word.
The prepositions do matter. Sometimes there are options.
Sometimes there's flexibility. But Suna obviously knows that often there's not.
And you need to know the correct way to do it.
So I love this very specific question. Yeah, I'm excited.
So before we get into this today, we want to remind you guys to hit follow on this podcast, Business English, right?
Aubrey, we publish three days a week. We provide awesome information about how to be a human being in the workplace.
I think that's what this show boils down to.
What do you think? Yes, that's exactly right.
Right. Often when we're learning English and working in English, we can be too formal, which takes away that that being a human being and makes you lose those opportunities to network, to build the friendships, the connections you need.
So that's our focus. We want you to be able to do that confidently in English.
Exactly. I love it. Well, let's get into our answer because, you know, I think as a native speaker, a lot of people have also wondered this, right?
Off of, off of. Very strange. It is strange.
And I do hear both. I do have a tendency to drop it.
When I asked you, I need to bounce an idea off you.
It would have felt strange to me to say bounce an idea off of you. it's simpler it's quicker to drop that of but you will hear native speakers do it this is one where there is flexibility both are correct okay yeah it's almost like it just takes too long i think native speakers will drop things if it's allowed by the rules or not uh when it's just easier to say something right we just make it easier to say because again it comes back to connection i Exactly.
Right. So luckily, this is one of those things that you don't need to stress about it.
So Suna, the good news here is that both work.
Neither is wrong. You will hear natives use both.
But again, we often drop that of just to speak more quickly, speak more simply, especially in business English.
We're always trying to save time. All right.
So that's our answer to our listener. Right.
We can take off bounce. We can say bounce an idea off and drop the of at the end.
But then let's explore this idea, because I think a lot of our listeners, this phrase might be new for them.
Yes, definitely. This might be new, but it's so native.
We want you guys to be able to use it. This is a very necessary skill to be able to get a colleague's thoughts or opinion on something.
Right. Yeah. Two minds are better than one, we say.
It really is. Yeah, you have to have the confidence to go up to someone. and want to exchange ideas and share your idea, right?
So what are some examples of where this would fit in?
Yeah. I mean, imagine if you are working on a project alone and you can recognize like, this would have been better as a team brainstorm to come up with some better ideas.
Then yes, absolutely. Take that initiative to ask a colleague, a coworker for their opinion, for their idea. so much better to get a few ideas, a few opinions, rather than spend all this time working.
And then suddenly you realize I should have gotten some insight in the first place.
Oh my gosh, we can waste so much time, especially at the beginning of a project.
And especially because a lot of us are working online now.
We always have, right? But a lot of people are working online for the first time and it's dangerous to stay in your silo And create something.
And then the next week you take it to your team and it's not what you want to move forward with.
You've wasted a week. Yes. If you weren't clear on the vision or if you end up spending quite a bit of time on something that wasn't necessary.
Exactly. So you can avoid those problems in the first place with a very quick check in, a very quick seeking opinion from someone else.
I love it. So let's give our listeners some sample sentences.
Should I go with the first one? Yeah, we're going to give you guys three ways to ask for someone's thoughts.
And this first one is this idiom bounce an idea off of or bounce an idea off.
So let's give some sample sentences for that because this is such a useful one.
Yeah, here we go. So here's the first one.
I was hoping to bounce an idea off you. So again, you can see guys that we're dropping off of you.
And again, you can say off of you, but it feels a little disjointed, a little slow, right?
I was hoping to bounce an idea off you. Exactly.
Or you might say, if you have a minute, Mark said he needs to bounce an idea off us.
And again, could say off of us, but you're just adding that one extra syllable that's not necessary.
So often we drop it. Right. And you have a good question here.
Can you say bounce a proposal off you? Or bounce a suggestion.
Can I bounce a suggestion? No. You know what the funny thing is, as soon as we move out of the actual idiom itself, it feels like I'm bouncing something physically off of you.
Can I bounce this ball off your head? Please don't.
Piece of paper. No, it doesn't work, guys.
It doesn't work. Okay. You have to stick within that idiom because it is an idiom, right, Aubrey?
Yes, exactly. We're going to share a couple that are more flexible, but this one, because it's idiomatic, it has to be bounce and idea.
You can't say bounce anything else off of someone, just like Lindsay said, then we might be confused.
Like you're actually going to throw something at someone.
Should I brace myself, right? Yeah. Exactly.
So when you use this idiom, it is excellent.
Yep. Use it. But definitely say bounce an idea off you.
I love it. So this next one, you do have a little more flexibility, right?
And so what is this one? So this one is run something by.
We might say I need to run something by you if you have a second.
Mm hmm. Or can I run something by you really quickly?
So for this, you can say different things, right?
Can I run a proposal by you? Can I run a suggestion by you?
What else, Aubrey? What else would come to mind?
Yeah. Can I run an idea by you? Can I run a meeting time by you?
Right. And you can be quite specific. Anything that you need to ask them about, whether you're trying to get their opinion about something or a time for a meeting, anything, you can run that by someone.
Exactly. We just hopped on a call and you had a design and you could have said, can I run this design by you?
Does that work too? Absolutely. Yes. Can I run this design by you?
Can I run this format by you? Can I run this email by you?
Right. Whatever it is, you're just saying, can I share this with you and get your feedback, get your opinion?
Perfect. And it's respectful. It's straightforward.
It's clear. It's flexible. This one is kind of a winner.
I like it. We can use it for a lot of things.
Yeah, and it's more flexible. You don't have to stress about it being idiomatic, having to use exact words.
As fun as idioms are, they do limit you a little bit.
You have to use them more specifically, whereas this one is very flexible.
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Exclusions apply. See details online. All right, Aubrey, let's get into our third.
We have a third option. So what is it for our listeners?
Yes, it's get your thoughts on this. So you're going to ask someone, can I get your thoughts on?
And again, just like run something by this one's very flexible.
You can ask for someone's thoughts on anything.
Yeah. And this one is the kind of least idiomatic, right?
It's the most straightforward. So I need to get your thoughts on something if you have a minute.
Yes. Or can I get your thoughts on these sales numbers?
Right. So sometimes I feel like we often will just say, can I get your thoughts on something?
We don't get specific. We're just trying to find out if someone has time.
Right. But again, we can ask about anything that design.
I could say, Lindsay, can I get your thoughts on this design really quickly?
Yes, I love it. So good. This is giving our listeners some really modern, you know, business world options.
And again, what I love about this podcast is we show you English that, yes, will tell you when you need to be more formal.
But a lot of these can also be used in your social life or at that cocktail hour with your colleagues after work.
Right. This is not just locking you into being a robot at the workplace because no one wants to connect with a robot.
Exactly. That's so true. These are appropriate anywhere with friends, family, at work.
And it's really nice that we're giving you multiple options because you don't want to use the same expression, the same phrase over and over and over and to where it feels like you're a broken record, right?
Too repetitive. So when you have options like this, you can switch it up.
Yes, switch it up. So let's show our listeners how this kind of embeds into our conversation.
Are you ready? Yes, so we're going to do a role play where Lindsay and I are coworkers.
Want to start us out? Here we go. Hey, do you have a second?
I was hoping to run something by you. Sure, no problem.
I actually need to get your thoughts on something as well.
Okay, great. So I have an idea I want to bounce off you. dot dot dot right we're going to continue that conversation but we showed you guys how to use this right at the beginning so what did we start with here yeah so you started with I was hoping to run something by you and I love preceding that with hey do you have a second like imagine you're passing someone in a hall or you've popped into their office it's so respectful instead of immediately saying I need to run something by you that little phrase of hey do you have a second to respect their time Right.
And this definitely translates digitally.
For example, if you pop into the Slack channel, right, of your company and you can say the same thing, the same thing kind of works.
Right. We also need to ask for people's time digitally, too.
I love it. So good. So good. And keep in mind, of course, it's not a literal second.
Right. We're exaggerating here. If you ask someone, hey, do you have a second?
We know that that means a few minutes. Right.
And I'm also like as a bonus, you know, a couple of bonuses today for our listeners.
But I like how we started with I was hoping to run something by you.
Maybe we could do a grammar business episode another day, Aubrey, on when to use this.
I was hoping or I, you know, the past tense as a more as a less strong way to introduce or get a little more. passive, right?
That is a little more forward to say like, I'd like to run something by you, or I want to run something by you.
This is so, it's true. It adds a level of respect of someone's time to say, I was hoping to run something by you, implying if you have time.
Yes. I love it. So guys hit follow on Allers English.
We're going to come back to that topic in a future episode.
Awesome. So next, you said, Aubrey, I actually need to get your thoughts on something as well.
And another bonus for today. When does it not become a bonus when we say it too many times, Aubrey?
Your intonation here would have been, I need to get your thoughts on something as well because I asked for your help and now you're coming back to me.
Exactly. When you listen to that initial role play, I felt that as I was reading it.
I'm like, oh, I need to change my intonation here.
Or it would be strange, right? Be like, OK, yeah, I need to get your thoughts, too.
I don't know. It's strange. You have to really change your intonation to make it clear.
You're saying, oh, awesome. I also need your thoughts on something else.
Exactly. You need to show that it's an additional thing or just something else.
And maybe there's a bit of a coincidence that we both had an idea for each other.
Right. Exactly. And then you said, so I have an idea.
I want to bounce off you. And yeah, this is such a fun way to introduce whatever that you are wanting to say.
But again, because it's idiomatic here, we couldn't say I have a design.
I want to bounce off you or something has to be an idea.
You're going to bounce an idea off someone.
Right. And you have that sense of excitement.
So I have an idea. Your idea is a trip to Fiji.
Let's do it. Let's go tomorrow. What's the takeaway for our listeners today, Aubrey?
Yeah, you guys, in business English, we often need to get input from coworkers and we should.
You do not want to shy away from getting that second opinion, especially right in the beginning, like you said, Lindsay, to make sure you're on the right track.
Your vision is matching with everyone else.
You don't waste time and company resources.
This is valuable and you need the language to be able to do that.
Yes, exactly. That's it. You said it so well.
Aubrey, I have nothing else to add. I love it.
Our listeners are going to be nimble in the workplace.
They're going to know exactly what to say.
And you're not going to intrude on people, right?
You're going to open it up. And this creates a more collaborative environment, either digitally or in person.
So good. Absolutely. I think it always strengthens that relationship with a coworker when you show them that you trust their opinion, you value their opinion.
I know I feel that way whenever a coworker approaches me for a second opinion or my thoughts on something.
It's just this team collaboration that really adds strength to any group.
I love it. So good. And that's where the connection comes from.
So we can build the relationships we want to have a happy career.
Comes down to happiness at work, doesn't it?
Absolutely. Yes, absolutely. You need those bonds.
You need those connections. Yes. So good.
All right, Aubrey, let's hop off the mic for today, but I'll see you back here very soon.
Awesome. Bye, Lindsay. Bye, guys. Thank you for listening to Business English, a podcast just for you, the high achieving global professional.
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