You're listening to Business English Pod, the Business English podcast for professionals on the move.
Hello and welcome back to Business English Pod.
My name's Edwin and I'll be your host for this lesson on getting your ideas across in meetings.
Meetings are a great opportunity to present your ideas and become engaged in the decision-making process.
Meetings often involve open-ended discussion among different types of people.
For this reason, there is no easy formula that will guarantee success.
Instead, you need to develop a range of skills and techniques that will help you express your ideas clearly and tactfully.
In our last episode, we looked at giving, supporting, and contradicting opinions.
In today's lesson, we'll cover more techniques of agreeing and disagreeing.
We'll also learn how to change the scope of a meeting, which is an especially important skill for the chairperson.
Last time we heard four managers Alison Stuart, Pat and Nate discussing how to reduce travel and transportation benefits.
Today, we'll continue that dialogue.
The situation becomes a little more heated as the participants express their ideas with more force.
As you listen, try to answer the following questions.
1.
What does the CEO of the company want to focus on?
Two, how does Allison respond to Stuart's ideas?
Three, what does Nate think about Stuart's ideas?
I see what you're saying, Nate.
Our rates on business travel are higher than average, but the CEO has asked HR to focus more on recruiting and retention in sales.
That's where the competition for employees is greatest.
And that's why we shouldn't mess with their travel rates so much.
Yeah, maybe you're right.
We're meant to be supporting sales.
True.
I think it's a great point, Stuart.
You've reminded us of an important factor to keep in mind.
Yeah, thanks, Allison.
Keeping sales happy should be our number one priority.
You've got to be kidding, right?
What you're saying is we're going to claw back benefits from all of our employees just to sustain higher than average travel reimbursements for sales.
That's crazy.
Okay, easy does it.
I think things are getting a little too polarized here.
Let's back up for a moment and look at the big picture.
We're looking for a 15% reduction through cuts and policy changes.
We don't need to choose the sales department over the rest of the staff, do we, Nate?
No, I don't think that should be the case at all.
I see what you're saying, Nate.
Our rates on business travel are higher than average, but the CEO has asked HR to focus more on recruiting and retention in sales.
That's where the competition for employees is greatest.
And that's why we shouldn't mess with their travel rates so much.
Stuart begins by showing that he understands Nate's opinion. or that he sees what he's saying.
But he does this to set up his own opinion, which is different from Nate's.
The important word here is but.
Stewart uses this key word to contrast Nate's opinion from his own.
He explains that they are supposed to be focusing on getting and keeping salespeople, or recruiting and retaining, as he says.
For this reason, Stuart believes they shouldn't change travel rates for salespeople.
He uses the expression mess with to emphasize that such a change would be unwise.
Disagreeing with but is a very common and useful technique.
Let's hear some more examples of how it can be used.
It may be expensive, but I think it will bring a lot more business.
That sounds like a great idea, but it would never work for us.
I understand what you mean, but I honestly don't see the value.
Good idea, but nobody has the time to make it happen.
It sounds like others might begin to agree with Stuart.
Yeah, maybe you're right.
We are meant to be supporting sales.
Pat doesn't fully or confidently support Stuart's idea.
He agrees, but he does so hesitantly.
This shows he's not yet fully convinced, but he sees some sense in the idea.
How else can we agree hesitantly?
Yes, perhaps that's the best thing to do then.
I suppose you're right.
I guess that's what we should do, then.
Well, okay, if that's our only option.
I'm not so sure, but I guess we have to.
Let's hear what Allison thinks of Stuart's idea.
True.
I think it's a great point, Stuart.
You've reminded us of an important factor to keep in mind.
Allison believes Stuart's idea is valuable, so she praises it.
She says it's a great point and an important factor.
As chair of the meeting, part of Allison's job is to identify important points like this.
What are some other ways we can praise someone's opinion?
Here's a few more to practice.
That's exactly right, Wendy, and I'm glad you said it.
George, I think your ideas on this are just what we need.
You've brought up a really important point there.
That's the best idea I've heard all day.
Stuart is getting some support for his idea, but there's one person who is definitely not convinced.
Yeah, thanks, Allison.
Keeping sales happy should be our number one priority.
You've got to be kidding, right?
What you're saying is we're going to claw back benefits from all of our employees just to sustain higher than average travel reimbursements for sales.
That's crazy.
Stuart sounds pleased to have Allison's support, but Nate has quite a strong reaction against Stuart.
He disagrees quite bluntly or directly.
Nate says you've got to be kidding, right?
To show how bad he thinks Stuart's idea is.
Then he uses the expression, what you're saying is, before summarizing Stewart's plan.
It sounds like he's asking for confirmation, but he's really questioning how anyone could think it's a good idea.
And he uses expressions like clawback to emphasize the damage he thinks will be done.
Finally, Nate says that's crazy.
Obviously, at this point, Nate doesn't believe tact is necessary or useful.
When we disagree bluntly, we use quite extreme language and rhetorical questions.
You can hear these techniques in the following examples.
There's no way that's ever going to work.
That's an absolutely ridiculous idea.
Are you serious?
That's the craziest thing I've ever heard.
Now, back to the dialogue.
The situation is a bit tense, so Allison steps in.
Okay, easy does it.
I think things are getting a little too polarized here.
Let's back up for a moment and look at the big picture.
We're looking for a 15% reduction through cuts and policy changes.
We don't need to choose the sales department over the rest of the staff, do we, Nate?
No, I don't think that should be the case at all.
Allison doesn't want the situation to get too argumentative.
She says, easy does it, which means relax or calm down to Nate.
Allison sees the situation is becoming polarized or divided into two opposite groups.
At this point, she wants to back up and look at the big picture.
In other words, Alison wants to take a broad view of the situation and their purpose and she challenges Nate directly, saying that the issue is not a matter of the sales department versus the rest of the employees.
Alison is changing the scope of the meeting.
She wants to broaden the discussion, because Nate and Stuart are focusing too much on one issue.
The chair of a meeting may often have to make these changes to scope.
Here are a few examples of how we can do that.
Notice that we can either broaden or narrow the scope, becoming either more general or more specific.
Okay, let's broaden our focus here.
Can we zoom in on that idea for a moment?
How about we pull back a bit and take a look at the big picture?
Let's connect these ideas to our more general situation.
That sounds pretty general.
How about some specific examples?
We'll have to wait until the next episode to hear how the meeting continues.
Now, let's practice some of the language we've learned for agreeing hesitantly.
You'll hear a statement.
Then you'll hear a prompt.
Use the words in the prompt to agree hesitantly with the statement.
For example, if you hear... You can say...
Yeah, maybe you're right about that.
We'll play an example answer after each practice.
Ready?
Let's give it a go.
Changing the website will take too much time.
Suppose write that.
Example answer.
I suppose you're right about that.
Hiring more sales staff is absolutely necessary.
Guess what should do.
Example answer.
Well, I guess that's what we should do then.
We'll have to change the production schedule.
Okay.
If.
Only option.
Example answer.
Okay then, if that's our only option.
We really need to lease more space.
Not sure.
Guess.
Have to.
Example Answer I'm not so sure, but I guess we have to.
Now, let's practice useful vocabulary and idioms.
You'll hear a series of sentences with a word replaced with a beep.
Repeat the whole sentence, saying the missing word.
For example, if you hear... I think we need to look at the big... here.
You can say, I think we need to look at the big picture here.
After each response, we'll play the correct answer.
Let's begin.
Let's really try to... These great sales figures.
Answer.
Let's really try to sustain these great sales figures.
The big argument really the employees.
Answer the big argument really polarized the employees.
Please fill out this form to get for your expenses.
Answer please fill out this form to get reimbursement for your expenses.
It looks like somebody with my computer terminal.
It looks like somebody messed with my computer terminal.
We've reached the end of this episode, the second in our three-part series on getting your ideas across in meetings.
We've seen how to disagree bluntly and how to disagree using the word but.
We've also learned how to agree hesitantly, praise an opinion, and change the scope of a meeting.
Be sure to tune in to the next episode.
We'll hear our group continue their discussion about how to reduce costs through direct cuts and policy changes.
Will they come to an agreement?
You'll have to wait to find out.
Thanks for listening, and see you again soon.
