Get the low-down on the brief, but constantly developing, history of the smartphone market in this month’s Business English News lesson. We feature lots of great vocabulary for talking about mobile communication, sales and technology. Use the links below to access the free transcript and quizzes for this lesson.

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What’s the difference between a good meeting and a bad meeting? An effective meeting and one in which people talk but nothing really gets done? In many cases, the difference is in the person running the meeting. Whether he or she is the regular chairperson or a facilitator brought in from the outside, that person needs to make sure the meeting meets its objectives.

So how can you do that? How can you make meetings work? That’s what we’re looking at in this series. And the skills and techniques we’re demonstrating are useful not just for meetings. They can also be applied to all types of group discussions.

Today, we’re going to learn how to encourage quiet people, push for clarity, avoid committing to a position, conduct satisfaction checks, and praise good work. We’ll rejoin Tony, Annette, and Jake as they discuss solutions to a problem in their company. The meeting is being run by Liz, who has been brought in from another department to make sure the meeting is effective.

Listening Questions

1. What does Jake think is one of the basic problems?
2. Why doesn’t Liz want to give her opinion?
3. What are they going to talk about next?

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Today’s lesson is officially our 200th BEP episode and this week we’ll also be rolling past 30 Million downloads. So a hearty thanks to every one of you for helping us reach this amazing milestone. It’s been a fantastic journey and we’re looking forward to the next 200. If you’d like to share in the celebration, please think about rating or commenting on our podcast page in iTunes.

This week also sees the roll out of our Course Builder app for premium members. You can check out the video on the website to see just how easy it is to build a personalized course with Course Builder.

So, have you ever announced a meeting and seen people roll their eyes? “Oh no, not another meeting,” they seem to be saying. But every organization needs meetings. They are important when we need to discuss an issue, share information, plan, or make decisions. The problem is that not every meeting is an effective meeting. In fact, there are some good reasons why a lot of people consider meetings a waste of time.

So the question is: how can you run a meeting that people come out of feeling positive? How can we make the most of our meetings?

Running a good meeting requires both leadership and tact. You need to guide the group towards its goals and keep the meeting on track. Today we’ll talk about how you can do this. We’ll look at how to keep the discussion moving and how to focus on the issues, rather than on people or items that aren’t on the agenda.

In this lesson, we’ll listen in on a meeting at a company that is dealing with unhappy staff. Tony, Annette, and Jake are managers, and they’re trying to figure out exactly what the problem is. The meeting is being run by Liz, who has been brought in from another department to help out. You will hear Liz use several techniques to keep the meeting on track.

Listening Questions

1. What is the purpose of this meeting?
2. What does Jake say is an important issue?
3. Why does Annette think the employee surveys are not useful?

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Course Builder will be available for all premium members starting this month.

We’ve been looking at how to deal with problem people. These are the people in your office that drive you nuts because they’re so difficult to get along with. Last week we talked about how to deal with specific incidents. Today, we’re talking about ongoing issues.

This is about the constant thorn in your side, whether it’s your colleague, your boss, or the IT guy that gets annoyed every time you ask for some information. In extreme cases, these people can make you dread going to work each day. So how can we deal with them?

Discussion Questions

1. Have you had to deal with a co-worker who caused you continual problems?
2. At what point do you think you should involve a supervisor when you have a problem with a colleague or co-worker?
3. Do you naturally discuss problems openly or do you tend to keep things in?

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The New Year is a really important time for most people. For one thing, we use it as a time for setting goals. And if you want some help doing that, be sure to check out the Skills 360 podcast on ‘achieving your goals’. The New Year is also a time when we feel refreshed and optimistic about the future. It’s a brand new start, right? Unfortunately, that feeling is not shared by everyone. You might go to the office in the New Year with a smile on your face, but there are people who seem determined to wipe it off. I’m talking about problem people.

Discussion Questions

1. What types of people do you find difficult to deal with at work?
2. How do you usually deal with people who are rude or uncooperative?
3. Have you ever wanted to change jobs because of someone you didn’t get along with?

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If you’re like most people, talking on the telephone is a basic part of work life. We talk with colleagues, customers, potential clients, suppliers, company reps… the list goes on and on. In fact, the telephone has become even more important as we spend less time at our desks and more time dealing with people remotely.

As you surely know, talking on the telephone is not always easy. We can’t use the same techniques that we might use when talking to someone face-to-face. We need to learn a new set of skills. It is these skills that we are looking at in this series about controlling the call. If you learn to do this well, you’ll end each conversation with a sense of achievement and purpose.

In today’s lesson, we’ll hear a conversation between Chris and Nick. Chris is calling Nick to inform him about some price changes and to arrange a meeting. As you will hear, the caller carefully controls the conversation and gets the outcome she wants.

Listening Questions

1. What reason does Chris give for the change in prices?
2. When will the price changes take effect?
3. Why does Chris want to meet with Nick?

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The telephone has become an essential part of doing business, and not just for customer service representatives and receptionists. No matter what type of work you do, chances are that you spend a part of every day talking on the phone. It might be a simple information exchange or a high stakes negotiation. But even though we all talk on the phone, we don’t all do it with the same success. But there are skills and techniques you can learn to become more effective.

One of the most important telephone skills is controlling the call. You need to be able to take the conversation where you want it to go. This can be difficult when the other person has a lot to say. But you can learn to direct the conversation and keep it focused.

In this lesson, we’ll hear a conversation between Mary and Oliver. Oliver works in customer service for an Internet service provider, and Mary is calling about a problem she’s having with her Internet connection. We’ll hear Oliver carefully control the conversation and guide it to a logical conclusion.

Listening Questions

1. What is the customer’s problem?
2. What information does Oliver want from the customer?
3. What options does Oliver give the customer?

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The eurozone was thrown into renewed crisis this month as EU leaders struggled to agree on new stability measures.

As reported by the Guardian, “A world recession has drawn closer after the G20 summit failed to agree to fresh financial help for distressed countries and debt-ridden Italy was forced to agree to IMF monitoring of its austerity program.”

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The end of 2011 is fast approaching, and it’s the season for performance reviews and end-of-year appraisals.

Few people actually look forward to sitting down with their supervisor and talking about the past year. For most, it’s quite a nerve-wracking experience. But today I want to show you that if you’re prepared, there’s no reason to be shaking in your boots.

Discussion Questions

1. Does your company review employee performance regularly?
2. How do you feel when you are evaluated for the work you do?
3. What kind of preparation do you think is important for a year-end review?

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Delivering training requires you to lead and control a group. This is no easy task, as you’ll know if you’ve ever done something similar such as delivering a presentation. You need to engage people, you need to make the topic interesting or relevant to them, and you need to make sure they participate.

In the end, you want them to learn something. If their ears or minds are closed, they won’t do that. So how can you get them to listen, to respond, and to learn? Well, you can try some of the language and techniques we’ll look at in today’s lesson.

In our last episode, we heard some useful language for introducing a training session. Today, we’ll hear about eliciting input, encouraging participation, and giving feedback. We’ll also look at connecting to personal experiences and checking understanding. These are all important ways to make sure you are an effective trainer, or presenter.

We’re going to rejoin Zack as he delivers a workshop on customer service. You’ll also hear Ian and Nicole, two of the participants.

Listening Questions

1. Why is it a good idea to use a customer’s name when talking to them?
2. What does Ian suggest doing when talking to customers?
3. According to Zack, what should we do more than we speak?

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At some point in our work, we all have to teach others how to do something or explain a certain topic. So how can we do this effectively? How can you make sure that the participants are following what you say, focused on what you want, and reaching the outcomes you expect?

The skills you need to deliver effective training will help you in other ways too. Whether you’re giving a presentation or making a sales pitch, there are lots of techniques and language that overlap.

We’ll learn some of these techniques today. We’ll look at language you can use to connect the topic to people’s experience and create a sense of inclusion. We’ll also look at organizational issues, like outlining your topics, establishing objectives, and transitioning to a new topic.

In this episode, we’ll hear a trainer named Zack. He’s delivering the first of a series of workshops on customer service. You’ll also hear a couple of the participants, Ian and Nicole, as they interact with Zack.

Listening Questions

1. What experience did Ian have recently?
2. What is the goal of the training course?
3. What does Zack say is the first thing they’ll talk about?

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Business English News is a new show on Business English Pod about current events, especially things happening in the business news.

As a company built and run on Mac computers, and with an audience that mainly uses Apple products to listen to our podcasts, it’s only fitting that we (re)launch this show with a tribute to Steve Jobs, who passed away on Wednesday 5th October.

Imagine you’re sitting in a room with several co-workers. You’re waiting for a meeting to start. Does silence feel comfortable? Probably not. You should be talking. But about what?

Well, this is where the art of small talk comes in handy. And it’s not only something we do before a meeting. We use small talk in the airport lounge, on the train, or standing in line for a movie. We use it with colleagues, clients, and acquaintances. And it’s something that takes practice to do well and feel at ease with.

Previously we looked at some common conversation topics and techniques, including how to handle topics you don’t know much about. In this lesson we’ll look at a couple more very common topics: talking about the weather and talking about current events. We’ll also cover strategies for changing the topic and steering the conversation towards business.

In today’s dialog, we’ll rejoin Liz, Coby, and Shawn as they get ready for another meeting. As you might have guessed, their colleague Gordon has yet to arrive so they chat amongst themselves while they wait for him to show up.

Listening Questions

1. What does Shawn think about the summer weather?
2. Why does Coby seem upset or shocked?
3. How does Liz steer the conversation toward business?

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This is a situation you’ve probably experienced countless times: you arrive for a meeting 10 minutes early. There are several people already there. You say hello and then… what do you talk about? What do you say? In this situation, you need to be able to make small talk. Small talk is informal conversation. We use the term ‘small talk’ because it is not about exchanging information or making decisions or having serious discussion. It’s a way to avoid uncomfortable silences and build stronger relationships.

Small talk might seem to be about nothing important, but small talk itself is important. Being able to make small talk will allow you to make yourself part of a group. It will set the stage for more serious types of communication. In this lesson, we’ll look at a few different ways to initiate and respond to small talk.

We’ll join three colleagues, Coby, Liz, and Shawn, who have arrived for a meeting and are waiting for a fourth person to join. As they wait, the colleagues engage in the type of casual conversation you’ll often hear in an English-speaking office.

Listening Questions

1. Why is Gordon going to be late for the meeting?
2. What did Shawn do on the weekend?
3. What sport is Coby talking about?

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In this lesson, we’re going to look at some more tips and ideas for making the most of your personal learning. Last week, we looked at setting yourself up with a system of personal learning. Today, we’re going to look at how to maintain your momentum and stay on track.

Discussion Questions

1. Do you have a regular schedule for studying English?
2. How can you know whether you’re improving your English skills?
3. What are your greatest personal motivators for studying English?

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We’ve got a great lesson today on making the most of personal learning. We’ll start by looking at setting SMART goals and personalizing your studies with a personal learning plan. We’ll also look at how you can vary your input by using a variety of sources and study what is interesting and relevant to both you and your job.

Discussion Questions

1. What are the different things you do to study or practice English?
2. What aspect of English would you most like to improve?
3. What do you find are the best online resources for studying English?

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Business Skills 360 lessons provide essential tips and language for communicating in English. Free transcripts, quizzes and PDF downloads are available on the myBEonline website.

Free iTunes and RSS subscription links:

Subscribe with iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/business-skills-360-podcast/id465088372
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Time Idioms Marathon

It’s a race against the clock as you test yourself on the idioms from our lessons on time idioms.

Are you going to play for time or make good time?

Click the “Launch Quiz” button to play Time Idioms Marathon.

Time is a very precious resource. And for this reason, time management is a very important issue at work and in business. We’re always thinking about how to better manage our time, get our work done, juggle deadlines, arrange schedules, and follow timelines. Time, like money, is something that we can measure, budget, save, and even waste.

English is rich in idioms related to time. These idioms are very useful in business considering time is such a constant concern. In our last episode, we covered many common and useful expressions related to time in general. Today, we’ll look at a few more, particularly ones related to a lack of time and expressing a sense of urgency.

We’ll rejoin Jeff and Claire, two managers who are overseeing the development of a mobile phone app and a new website. Previously, we heard them talking about the design and development of the app. Today, they’re going to focus their discussion on the new website.

Listening Questions

1. Why is the website behind schedule?
2. Which part of the team usually waits to do their work?
3. When do they hope to assemble the website?

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At work and in business, time is always a concern. We rush to get to the office “on time,” we work hard to finish projects “in time” and we sometimes have to work “overtime” to get it all done. If you’re like most people, you watch the clock and the calendar constantly. It’s hard not to with such busy schedules and tight timelines.

In English, time idioms focus on a few key ideas. We hear the word “time” a lot, as well as the words “clock” and “hour”. Many of the idioms are related to speed, duration, regularity, and how late or early something happens or is finished. We also see a lot of idioms related to time pressure.

In this lesson, we’ll hear a conversation between Jeff and Claire, two project managers who are overseeing the development of a mobile phone application and a new website. We will hear them discuss timelines on different parts of the project and different project teams.

Listening Questions

1. What does Claire say about the designers?
2. What does Jeff say about the writers?
3. Which part of the project is behind schedule?

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Over the summer, we’re focused on building a learning management system (LMS) for members on our new community site myBEonline.com (myBusinessEnglishOnline). Registration is free and there is already an active community of English learners looking for practice partners.

We’ll return to our regular podcast publishing schedule on August 28th.

Meetings are a great opportunity to get your ideas across and influence other people. But doing that is no easy task. You need the right combination of tact, frankness, confidence, and humility. And you need some effective language techniques to manage that combination.

In today’s lesson, we’re going to look at several advanced techniques for expressing your ideas and commenting on other people’s opinions. These include leading into opinions, highlighting consequences, and redirecting a discussion. A lot of these techniques revolve around agreeing and disagreeing. We’ve looked at many of these in the first two parts, and today we’ll continue by learning about strongly agreeing and disagreeing with negative questions.

We’ve been listening to a dialog among four managers who have to find ways of reducing travel and transportation benefits by 15%. They are continuing their debate on how best to achieve this goal. Let’s listen as the chairperson Alison leads the discussion with Stewart, Pat, and Nate.

Listening Questions

1. What idea does Pat believe is easier to sell to employees?
2. What is Stewart’s concern about Pat’s idea?
3. What does Alison suggest doing?

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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, Stewart, Pat, and Nate – discussing how to reduce travel and transportation benefits. Today we will continue that dialog. The situation becomes a little more heated as the participants express their ideas with more force.

Listening Questions

1. What does the CEO of the company want to focus on?
2. How does Alison respond to Stewart’s ideas?
3. What does Nate think about Stewart’s ideas?

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Meetings are an important part of most people’s jobs. And doing well in meetings requires very effective communication skills. You need to make sure you are getting your ideas across clearly with the right amount of subtlety and tact. If you do this well, then you will be able to influence people and the direction of the organization you work with.

So, how can you get your ideas across with tact and clarity? That’s what we will look at in this lesson. We’ll cover some important ways of giving opinions of differing strength. And we’ll learn about supporting and contradicting other people’s opinions.

In today’s dialogue, four managers are meeting to discuss ways of saving money on travel expenses. The chair of the meeting is Alison. The other participants are Stewart from sales, Pat from HR, and Nate from marketing. We’ll hear the group express a variety of opinions as they discuss how to cut 15% from the travel budget.

Listening Questions

1. What are three things that Pat mentions could be cut?
2. What does Pat think they should focus on?
3. Why does Stewart disagree with Pat?

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Communicating effectively on the phone is an essential skill. And whether you’re talking to a client, a colleague, a supplier, your boss, or a bicycle courier, you need to make sure your purpose and the information is clear. Last week, we focused on your telephone attitude. Today, we’ll look at ways you can make sure information is flowing smoothly and that you are guiding the conversation.

Discussion Questions

1. How much planning do you usually do before an important telephone call?
2. What do you usually do when you don’t understand what someone is trying to say on the telephone?
3. What information do you normally include when you leave a message for someone?

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Today, we’re going to take a look at an activity we do every day: talking on the telephone. We’ll look at how to start the call off on the right note by using a positive attitude, smiling over the phone, being polite, and speaking clearly.

Discussion Questions

1. How do you usually answer the telephone at work?
2. What do you think a good telephone attitude involves?
3. What do you think it is okay to speak informally on the telephone?

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Hosting visitors is a great way to get to know the people you do business with. Sharing a meal and drinks in someone’s home can really help strengthen a relationship. It gives us a chance to get to know people on a more personal level. But at some point, the evening has to end.

In our last episode, we heard Tanya and Mark hosting Tanya’s business colleagues, Grace and Lee. The group sat down to dinner and had very pleasant conversation about their home, family, and the food.

Today we’re going to rejoin this group. They’ve had a lovely evening, but all good things must come to an end. Grace and Lee are going to draw the evening to a close and express their appreciation. We’ll also hear the hosts and guests invite each other to future social events.

Listening Questions

1. Why does Lee say that he and Grace should leave?
2. What does Grace want to do for Tanya and Mark?
3. What does Mark offer to do for Grace and Lee?

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Have you ever had the good fortune to be invited to someone’s home during a business trip? Perhaps it was a client or a prospective client. Maybe it was a colleague or potential business partner. And have you ever had the opportunity to have overseas visitors in your own home?

These are great chances to get to know the people you do business with. You are engaging with people on a personal level and building better relationships. And it’s important to do that right. The language you use, either as a host or a guest, requires great care.

In today’s lesson, we’re going to hear a conversation among four people. Grace and Lee are on a business trip to their company offices in California. During their trip, they have been invited to visit the home of a work colleague, Tanya. Tanya and her husband, Mark, are hosting a dinner for the two guests.

This is a perfect situation to learn some important aspects of English. We’ll look at how to make people comfortable, how to show interest in others, how to refuse offers politely, and how to show modesty. These are all essential skills when you sit down to dinner with colleagues or clients.

Listening Questions

1. What does Grace say is usual on business trips?
2. What is interesting about Tanya and Mark’s home?
3. What is Grace hoping to do if they finish their work on time?

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Air travel relies on a very complex system of scheduling. Unfortunately, that means that travel plans don’t always work perfectly. The possibility of problems goes up whenever you have one or more connecting flights. What if one airplane is late? What if your bags aren’t transferred properly to your next flight? What if the connecting airport has delays?

Problems happen, and you need to be prepared to deal with them. This is what we’ll be looking at in this lesson. Last time (in BEP 185), we heard Robert check in for a flight to London, with a connecting flight in Chicago. Everything went smoothly at check-in. Robert stated his destination, checked his bags, chose a seat, and confirmed his gate and timing. But his connecting flight was scheduled to leave soon after he arrived in Chicago. And for that reason, a delay in landing has ruined Robert’s travel plans.

Today we’ll hear Robert trying to work through the problem of a missed connection. He needs to work out a solution so that he can get to London for an important meeting the following morning. To do that, he’ll need to explain his problem, express urgency, make special requests, work through options, and agree reluctantly.

Listening Questions

1. Why did Robert miss his connecting flight?
2. What solution does Robert request from the ticket agent?
3. What does the ticket agent remind Robert about?

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You’ve probably been in this situation before. You are taking a trip, either for business or pleasure, and you’ve already reserved your ticket. It’s the day of your flight, and you’ve packed your suitcase and another bag that you want to carry with you onto the plane. You make sure you have your passport and wallet, and you catch a taxi to the airport.

What’s the first thing you have to do when you get there? You need to “check-in,” as we say. So you find the correct airline desk and wait in line. Finally, it’s your turn to talk with the ticket agent. What is she going to ask you about? What information do you need to give her? And what information is she going to give you? This is what we’re going to talk about today.

In today’s lesson, we’ll hear a conversation between Robert and a ticket agent. Robert is traveling to London on business. He and the ticket agent have several things to discuss before he can go through security and get on the airplane.

Listening Questions

1. What is Robert concerned about regarding his suitcase?
2. Where does Robert want to sit?
3. Why does the ticket agent recommend going through security immediately?

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Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to test your knowledge of our recent Skills 360 lessons on “Selling your Ideas”. Click the “Launch” button below to accept this mission.

Click the “Launch Quiz” button to play Operation Persuasion!

Now, you know your ideas are good, but how do others? You need to make them think or even just feel that they are good. Last week, we looked at some techniques you can use. In this show, we’ll look at attitudes that you can adopt. This isn’t exactly about what you say, it’s about how you say it and the feelings or impressions your delivery creates.

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You may be full of great ideas, but exactly how do you get people to buy into them? How do you get people on board with your brilliant plans? Well, today I want to share a few tools and techniques that will help you do just that.

These tools and techniques have two important effects: they build connections and they build credibility. The connections can be between you and your listeners, but they can also be between your listeners and your idea. Those connections will generate buy-in. And that credibility can be your credibility and your idea’s credibility. You, and your idea, have to be believable and trustworthy.

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Good training is crucial for any company, big or small. How can we expect people to do a good job if they don’t have the right knowledge, skills, and tools? Providing employees with these tools is a key function of training.

And training is what we’ll be talking about today. We’ll be looking at some important vocabulary and collocations related to training. Remember, collocations are natural combinations of words that native speakers commonly use. There are no clear rules to collocation, only patterns. When you learn a new word, you should try to learn what other words are used with it. For example, you might think that “crime” is a useful word to know, but it will be difficult to use it if you don’t know that we usually use the verb “commit” before it, as in: “commit a crime.”

In the last episode, you heard many useful training collocations. We listened to Jeff, who works in HR at an engineering firm, talk with David, who has just given a presentation on new approaches to training. We heard Jeff explain how his company wants to improve their learning and development program. Today, David will explain more about learner-centered training.

Listening Questions

1) What is a traditional approach to training?
2) What does David say another company has recently started?
3) What is David’s biggest piece of advice for Jeff?

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Training is one of the most important investments a company will make. Poor training can lead to poor performance, inefficiency, employee dissatisfaction, and a range of other problems. Good training, on the other hand, can make a company run smoothly, efficiently, and profitably. Training programs take many different shapes and forms, ranging from highly developed online systems to informal on-the-job training. Regardless of what form the training takes, it’s essential to think about the desired outcomes and plan accordingly.

Before we listen, let’s talk a little about collocations. A collocation is a group of words that native speakers often use together. A correct collocation sounds natural, while an incorrect collocation sounds unnatural. For example, in English we say “go online” to talk about using the Internet. But we can’t say “proceed online” or “travel online,” even though “proceed” and “travel” mean “go”. Those simply aren’t natural expressions.

You’ll hear many useful collocations in today’s dialog. As you listen, try to pick out these natural combinations of words. Then we’ll explain what they mean and how to use them in the debrief. We’re going to hear a conversation between two people about training and development. Jeff works in HR for a firm of engineering consultants. He’s talking to David, who has just given a presentation about new approaches to training.

Listening Questions

1.  Why does Jeff think his company needs to find a new approach to training?
2.  What type of training does Jeff’s company currently do?

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A crisis is a stressful situation. People are under pressure and meetings or conversations can be tense. But if everyone maintains the same goal, and a good leader gives direction to a group, a crisis can be overcome. And overcoming a crisis means talking about how to move forward.

In our last episode, we heard a conference call, as the team of Frank, Mike, Sandy, Monika, and Simone re-evaluated the situation and tried to gain some perspective. They talked about how the crisis has been handled, and things became a little tense, especially between Simone and Mike.

In this episode, we’ll continue with that conference call. Mike and Simone continue to disagree, while Sandy and Monika try to support Mike, and Frank tries to take control of the situation. Let’s listen as they figure out how to move forward at this stage of the crisis.

Listening Questions

1. What does Sandy say about the company’s history?
2. According to Monika, what are the local people worried about?
3. What does Frank think about the group of people?

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At a certain point after the critical phase, people will come together to re-evaluate the situation. Team work is important. People need to be working together to handle the crisis. If they don’t, if they disagree and try to go in different directions, it won’t be good for the company. Unity is absolutely essential. It takes good leadership to establish that unity early on, but it takes good team work to maintain it.

In our last lesson, we heard Mike the production engineer talking with the VP of Communications in Singapore, Monika. She was getting some information from Mike about an accident and creating a communication plan. That was still the critical phase of the crisis.

In this episode, we’ll hear a teleconference meeting after that critical phase. It’s time to think about what has happened and re-evaluate the situation. We’ll hear Mike and Monika, as well as Frank the American boss, Sandy the plant manager, and a lawyer named Simone. Let’s listen as they try to gain perspective on the crisis and figure out how well they’ve handled the situation so far.

Listening Questions

1. Why does Mike say “sorry” to Simone?
2. What does Monika want to focus on in the discussion?
3. What does Sandy think about Simone’s concerns?

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In this Business Skills 360 lesson we take a look at the language we use in a crisis. In our last two lessons (BEP 179 and BEP 180), we listened to a team dealing with a serious crisis: an accident at a factory. You probably noticed how some of the people are quite careful about the words they use.

A crisis is a sensitive situation. Emotions are running high and people are on edge. There is the potential for conflict if you do or say the wrong thing. At the same time, the clock is ticking and you may not have time to manage everyone’s feelings. For these reasons, you have a very fine balancing act between being diplomatic and being direct.

So, when should you be diplomatic and when should you be direct? Well, you need to assess the situation and determine which is best. Diplomatic language can protect people’s feelings. It can also avoid conflict and build trust. Those can all be very important in a crisis, when everybody needs to be on board with a plan. On the other hand, direct language can show a sense of urgency and seriousness, and it can prevent confusion. Those are also important in a conflict, when things must happen quickly and misunderstanding is just not an option. Remember that to be a good crisis manager, you need to adapt your style and strategy to the situation.

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Any crisis is a test of business strength. To be more specific, it’s a test of people in business. There’s nothing like a crisis to show us who can handle the pressure and who will crack. Can your business come through a crisis well? Do you have people with the right leadership skills and decision-making abilities to handle the crisis successfully? Let’s see how our team handles things.

Our last episode was about taking control in a crisis. We heard Sandy and Mike report a factory accident to their boss Frank. Frank handled that early part of the crisis well. He calmed his employees down, gave them clear orders, and reassured them.

Today, we’ll see how they develop a strategy to handle the crisis. Mike has been instructed to call the company’s VP of Communications in Singapore. Her name is Monika Jing, and she’ll show some clear thinking in assessing the problem and making a plan going forward.

Listening Questions

1. Who has Mike talked to about the incident?
2. What does Mike say could happen if the situation is really bad?
3. What does Monika want Mike to do while she contacts other people?

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Imagine this: it’s four o’clock in the morning and you’re sound asleep. The phone rings. It’s one of your managers. There’s been a terrible accident! What do you do? What do you say?

At some point in your career, you will have to deal with a major crisis. It could be a labor strike or an environmental disaster. And there are minor crises, like missing an important delivery or running out of paper, that can happen every day. These events can certainly do damage, but how much? That depends on how you deal with them.

Good crisis management is the key. Your success and reputation depend on it. So in this lesson, we’ll look at what happens when a crisis breaks, or begins. This is all about “Taking Control in a Crisis.” We’ll cover some useful techniques and language to deal effectively with that early morning phone call about an accident.

We’ll hear Sandy and Mike, who work at a factory in China that has just had an accident. Sandy is the plant manager, while Mike is the lead production engineer. A pipe has burst, releasing gas and injuring two workers. Now Sandy and Mike are calling their boss, Frank Menzies, in the U.S. Let’s listen as Sandy and Mike deliver the bad news and Frank takes control of the crisis.

Listening Questions

1. Why isn’t Mike on the call at the beginning?
2. What information about the incident does Frank want to know?
3. What does Frank instruct Mike to do at the end?

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Nobody likes a long and boring presentation. In fact, a long and boring presentation can do a lot of damage. People might actually feel less convinced of your idea. And that’s certainly not what you want. It doesn’t matter if you’re giving a presentation at a staff meeting or a sales presentation to a potential client. You have to make an impression. Most business people have to sit through a lot of meetings and presentations, and it can be difficult to impress them. So how are you going to make them sit up and listen? How are you going to convince them of your idea?

You need impact. Fortunately, there are specific things you can do to add impact. And that’s what we’re talking about today.

In our last episode, we heard Ben talk about the problem of too many documents on too many computers in too many locations. He finished by suggesting that he has a solution to this problem. In today’s lesson, Ben will continue his presentation. He’s going to talk about cloud computing, which he thinks can solve many problems in the department. He’ll use several different techniques for adding impact.

Listening Questions

1. What are the benefits of the system that Ben is suggesting?
2. Why does Ben mention several large companies such as IBM and Dell?
3. What does Ben think that people should spend less time doing?

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We’ve all sat through boring presentations before. And we’ve all worried during our own presentations that others might be feeling that way. So what can we do to prevent this?

A presentation needs impact. It needs to make the audience feel something, understand something, or believe something. And it needs to make them want to do something. Fortunately, there are some simple techniques and language that you can learn that will add impact to your presentations. And then people will look at you, and not out the window.

In this lesson, we’ll hear part of a presentation delivered by Ben. Ben is going to talk to his colleagues and managers about cloud computing. But first he is going to identify a problem and then show that there needs to be a solution to that problem. Only then can he help them understand what cloud computing is and what benefits it might bring to the company.

Listening Questions

1. What happened to Ben on Monday morning?
2. Where is Ben’s stuff stored?
3. What does Ben say about the number of documents in their department?

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Your first goal should be to make a connection with each and every listener. That connection is the pathway along which your message travels. If you have a good connection, there’s a good chance your message will sink in. To make this connection, you have to do two things: you need to control the audience’s attention and you need to engage their minds. And to do these two things, you have three tools: your voice, your props such as PowerPoint – and your body or movement.

Discussion Questions

1.             What is the most difficult part of speaking in front of a group of people?
2.             What different types of visual aids are commonly used in presentations?
3.             When you give a presentation, do you usually stand in one place or move around?

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