Welcome to the breakout business English podcast, where I help you to communicate better at work in English.
Hi everyone. My name is Chris and I'm a business English coach and tutor.
Thank you so much for listening.
And today's topic is problem solving.
So I love problem solving.
it's one of my favorite parts of my job.
Before I started helping people to improve their English I worked in IT at three different universities in the north of England over the course of about six years.
I loved walking into a situation where a problem needed solving quickly and people were relying on me to decisive action.
This is also something that I love doing with the people I coach. We look at communication challenges that they have such as giving a presentation, convincing a team that their idea is the best way to proceed or solving a conflict with a colleague and we work through these in a structured and and logical manner to find the best possible solution.
Speaking of problem solving, maybe you can hear my little dog dancing around on the floor while I'm recording.
Are you busy? Are you enjoying yourself?
Yes? So, today I want to discuss problem solving with you.
We're going to take a look at three important problem solving ideas, including ideas from two really important market leading technology companies, as well as the vocabulary and grammar structures that we can use to talk about these ideas with our colleagues.
With that said let's get started.
Our first point today is to understand the problem that you're to solve, to identify the core issue, and to make sure that you're not just trying to fix a symptom instead of the real problem, but instead you are dealing with the root cause.
Let's start by taking a listen to some natural and native ways that we can talk about this idea with our colleagues.
I think we're in danger of not being able to see the wood for the trees, we need to take a step back and get a bird's -eye view of what's going on here I think we're in danger of not being able to see the wood for the trees, we need to take a step back and get a bird's -eye view of what's going on here Before we make any changes we really should pinpoint the root cause of the problem.
Before we make any changes we really should pinpoint the root cause of the problem.
If we don't get to the crux of this problem then any fix that we try roll out is just going to be a band -aid.
If we don't get to the crux of this problem then any fix that we try to roll out is just going to be a band -aid.
Okay so I want to start today with a phrase from that third example and that band -aid.
In our example we heard any fix that we try to roll out is just going to be a band -aid.
Any fix that we try to roll out is just going to be a band -aid.
So what is a band -aid?
Well if you do an image search for a band -aid then you're to find a small sticky piece of material that you might put over a small cut or wound and if you're watching this on youtube instead of just listening to the audio version then I should have put a picture of a band -aid somewhere here on the screen for you if you cut your finger at work then hopefully your manager will offer you one of these.
So what does this mean when we use it in professional English?
This means a temporary solution, a solution that isn't necessarily the best choice but will work for a short period of time until a better solution is found.
If you don't really understand the core reason for a problem then you're probably going to end up with a lot of band -aid solutions and nothing really permanent or robust. Let's take a piece of vocabulary now from that second example and that is pin point, pin point.
In the example we heard we should really pinpoint the root cause we should really pinpoint the root cause.
So let's start with the first half of that word pin.
What is a pin? Well if you've ever put a piece of paper up on a notice board at then you've probably used a pin.
A pin is a thin piece of metal with a point at one end used for attaching paper and sometimes fabric to things.
And again, if you're watching this on YouTube then there should be a pin on screen for you now.
So what do we mean when we use pinpoint as a verb.
Well, the point of a pin is very sharp, so when you push a pin into something then you're putting it in a very specific place.
Just like the point of a needle the point of a pin is a very precise tool therefore when we use this in problem solving we're saying that being very specific about the exact cause or reason for our problem.
We're not being vague or guessing or narrowing down the cause to a list of five possible causes.
No, we know the exact cause.
There's no doubt we have pinpointed it.
Pinpointing the root cause of a problem is the first step in solving it.
Of course sometimes you're too close to an issue to really understand the problem.
Maybe you've been working on it full -time for a few days and you've lost sight of the bigger picture.
Our first example was full of great vocabulary that we can use to talk about dealing with this situation.
First we had the to be unable to see the wood for the trees.
To be unable to see the wood for the trees.
This idiom means that you're far too into the details and instead of actually understanding overall what the problem is you're focusing too much on those tiny details.
We usually hear this as this person can't see the wood for the trees or I think we can't see the wood for the trees that's usually how this sounds.
We also heard to take a step back to take a step back and to get a bird's eye view.
To get a bird's eye view.
Both of these are also phrases that encourage us to look more broadly and generally at the problem, and try to take the wider context into account.
Just like a bird flying high above the ground, has a far better idea of what is going on generally in an area than you do.
This idiom means that we try to see the problem as a whole and to think about the entire system that the issue is a part of.
Next one thing that I find myself discussing with a lot of the I coach is Amazon's leadership principles.
Amazon's leadership principles.
If you've never heard of these, this is a list of 13, I think 13 maybe 14 key ideas that the company Amazon wants its managers to live by.
In all fairness it used to be I think 11 and then they added two more a couple of ago so let's let's say 13.
I can tell you that in my experience from interviewing with Amazon to performance reviews and promotions these guiding principles are core to how Amazon operates.
Far from being only useful to that company they are generally a really great set of ideas that any manager at any level in almost any industry can apply and find really useful.
The leadership principle that I want to talk to you about today is having a bias for action, a bias for action.
Amazon describe it this way, they say that speed matters in business.
Many decisions and actions are reversible and do not need extensive study.
We value calculated risk -taking.
With that in mind let's take a listen to some natural ways that you might hear a native speaker using to apply this idea.
I think we just need to try something and see how it plays out.
We can always course correct later on if we're wrong.
I think we just need to try something and see how it plays out.
We can always course correct later on if we're wrong.
We could go back and forth on this all day, but I think the best way to solve this might be trial and error.
We could go back and forth on this all day.
But I think the best way to solve this might be trial and error.
Let's choose a solution, implement it, then we can iterate on it later if we need to.
Let's choose a solution, implement it, then we can iterate on it later if we need to.
Okay let's take a look at the word iterate from our third example.
In our third example we heard we can iterate on it later.
We can iterate on it later.
To iterate is a verb that means to do something multiple times.
In a professional context, we often use this to describe the idea of doing something more than once and making small changes to it every time, improving it just a little each time.
For instance, Apple is currently on iPhone 16.
that's 16 years of small iterative changes.
16 years of small iterative changes.
a new iteration each year.
that was the adjective iterative and the noun iteration.
maybe it will take you one two or three iterations to the perfect solution.
We also heard the phrase trial and error this was in the second example the best way to solve this might be trial and error, the best way to solve this might be trial and error.
By this we simply mean that you try something and then if you find out that it's the wrong solution you try something else and you keep trying ideas and failing until you find the right one sometimes the consequences of making a mistake or failing are not too bad in in which case just trying multiple ideas until you find the right one is often the best solution and as Amazon's leadership principles tell us speed matters in business.
And let's take a look at the phrase course correct from our first example.
We heard we can always course correct later on if we're wrong.
We can always course correct later on if we're wrong.
As I've mentioned before on this podcast, there is so much vocabulary in English that comes from sailing and the maritime world, from ships.
Given the UK is an island we've historically spent a lot of time on boats and ships and the English language reflects this actually I should say the UK is several islands Great Britain is one island the UK is several islands your course is the direction that you are going.
Professionally we often talk about the course that our career takes or doing a training course maybe so if we course -correct then we make small changes to our plan or how we're working in order to make sure that we're doing the right thing and heading in the right direction.
If you use the phrase course correct at work you're not talking about a massive change to your original idea usually just a small change what we might call a tweak.
And if the problem that you are currently trying to solve is related to your English language skills, then maybe I can help.
Don't forget that my full -time job is helping international professionals who use English at work to improve their communication skills.
So, if you need English to do your job, but you don't speak it natively, then maybe we can work together to help you to achieve your language goals.
If you would like to book some time to meet with me through one -to -one video calls, just you and me, then you can go to BreakoutBusinessEnglish .com.
That's the title of the podcast BreakoutBusinessEnglish .com and find out more.
If you're listening to the audio version of this podcast then you'll find that link in the show notes as well and if you're on YouTube watching the video then hi great to see you and you can find that link down in the description in the video description.
Also I should say that I sometimes have offers and discounts on class packages and entering your email address on the website is the best way to be the first to find out when those limited time deals are available.
I've worked with well over 1000 non -native English -speaking professionals from new graduates up to CEOs and government leaders to help them achieve their goals and I look forward to meeting you and you to achieve yours.
Okay let's jump into the problem solving process at another company now, we just took a little look at Amazon and now we're going to take a look at Revolut.
Revolut not quite as big a name as Amazon Revolut is a fintech company and bank founded in 2015 and now offering banking services in a number of major markets around the world including the UK.
One of the values that Revolut has built its business around is what they call think deeper.
Think deeper. This is the idea that you should think past the first possible answer the first possible solution.
Don't simply implement the idea that you think of.
The leadership team at Revolut encourage staff to dive into the details, to gather lots of data before deciding on the best course of action.
Maybe this feels like the opposite of the last tip of taking action as quickly as possible, but I guess that's where the skill of being a problem -solving professional comes in.
Let's take a look at some ways that a native speaker might talk about the idea of thinking deeper.
Let's not jump to conclusions.
I think we need to drill down into the data a bit more and make sure that we really understand what's going on here.
Let's not jump to conclusions.
I think we need to drill down into the data a bit more and make sure that we really understand what's going on here.
I think we've only just scratched the surface of this and we really need spend some more time with the data before we decide on a course of action.
I think we've only just scratched the surface of this and we really need to spend some more time with the data before we decide on a course of action.
Let's really unpack this and try to get to grips with the nuances of the problem.
Let's really unpack this and try to get to grips with the nuances of the problem.
Let's start with the phrase to jump to conclusions.
In the first example, we heard let's not jump to conclusions.
Let's not jump to conclusions.
The phrase to jump to conclusions is exactly the opposite of the revolute value of thinking deeper.
It means to take the first answer that you can think of.
Maybe you're like me and every time your boss says to you, do you have five minutes to chat, your first thought is, oh no what have I done wrong.
That's you jumping to conclusions, so stop it.
Maybe your boss just wants to tell you what a good job you're doing.
But if you're anything like me then yeah, you probably have done something wrong.
There was lots of vocabulary in these examples but I really want to take a look at the word nuances.
This is spelled N U A N C E S and as you might be able to tell from pronunciation this comes from French but it's a really common and useful word to use in professional English.
In the example we heard to get to grips with the nuances of the problem, to get to grips with the nuances of the problem.
A problem or issue.
If we describe a problem as nuanced, nuanced, we mean that it has lots of little details that make it complicated and challenging to understand.
So, if I tell you that I'm interested in finding out the nuances of problem this means that I want to dive into the details and the data and really get to grips with the issue and there was another phrase from our third example get to grips with if you get to grips with something then you understand it fully and completely the first and most basic definition of the word grip is to hold something tightly.
Maybe you grip the handlebars on your bike when you're going down a steep hill or you grip your dog's lead when he tries to pull just a little too hard. Can you tell I just got in from walking the dog when I when I wrote this podcast script.
So there are lots of similar phrases such as wrap your head around a problem or just get your head around a problem, but they all mean that you want to fully understand something in great detail.
Okay i also mentioned there scratch the surface.
I said that we've only just scratched the surface of this, we've only just scratch the surface of this.
To scratch the surface means that you haven't gone into detail.
If you think about maybe your mobile phone, if you scratch the surface of it then you only damage the outside layer.
The smallest amount of damage and it doesn't really get into what's inside your that so just like that small amount of damage to your phone if you only scratch the surface of something then you are only doing a small amount of investigation or only understanding something in a very surface level way a very simple way.
To scratch the surface of something is the opposite of doing deep research. And if you feel that this video this podcast has only just scratched the surface of English communication then you would be right.
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Don't forget that my full time job is helping international professionals who use English at work to improve their communication skills.
So if you need English to do your job, but you don't speak it natively, then maybe we can work together to help you to achieve your language goals.
If you'd like to book some time to meet with me, through one -to -one video calls, just you and me, then you can go to breakoutbusinessenglish .com.
That's the title of the podcast, breakoutbusinessenglish .com and find out more.
Also, I sometimes have offers and discounts on class packages and entering your email address on the website is the best way to be the first to find out when those limited time deals are available.
I've worked with over 1 ,000 non -native English speaking professionals from new graduates up to CEO's and government leaders to help them achieve their goals and I look forward to meeting you.
That's it for today.
Thanks a lot for listening, as always, and thank you for your time.
And I will speak to you again next time on the Breakout Business English Podcast.
