BEP 255 – English for Meetings: Decision-Making Meetings (2)

Business English Meetings - Making Decisions 3

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on decision-making meetings in English.

In business, groups need to be able to come together to make good decisions. And with the right group of people who have the right information and the opportunity to discuss it, there’s a good chance that a decision is going to lead to success. There’s a lot riding on every decision-making meeting, and when that decision is made, it’s important that the team move forward together.

Fortunately, there are skills and techniques that we can learn to make group decision-making work well. In today’s lesson, we’ll look at asking for dissenting opinions, agreeing with reservations, and asking for buy-in. We’ll also look at identifying action items and delegating responsibilities stemming from a decision.

In the dialog, we’ll rejoin a group of people at an engineering company that has been deciding on a new vendor for tech support. Scott has been leading the meeting, while Anne, David, and Kelly have all been contributing their opinions. The group is about to settle on their final choice.

Listening Questions

1. What does Kelly not like about Alamo?
2. What is one of the actions that Scott mentions must be taken after the meeting?
3. What does Scott ask Kelly to do following the meeting?

Premium Members: PDF Transcript | Online Practice | PhraseCast | lesson Module

Download: Podcast MP3

BEP 254 – English for Meetings: Decision-Making Meetings (2)

Business English Meetings - Making Decisions 2

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on decision-making meetings in English.

Making a group of people agree on an important business decision can seem like a difficult task. And it is. People come to the table with different values, visions, opinions, experiences, and priorities. But these differences also make decisions stronger. If we can get groups to agree, to reach consensus, then our decisions are, on the whole, wiser and better.

So how do we bring a group to consensus on a decision? There are a variety of techniques that we can use. In this lesson we’ll look at eliminating an option, highlighting a final choice, and testing for consensus. We’ll also cover expressing reservations and presenting an alternative.

In the dialog, we’ll rejoin Scott, Anne, David, and Kelly, who work at an engineering firm that needs to choose a new tech support company. With Scott leading the meeting, the group has been discussing four different options. In our last lesson, the group already eliminated one option, and at the beginning of this lesson, you’ll hear them eliminate one more, bringing the options down to two.

Listening Questions

1. What does Scott say the discussion has focused on?
2. Why does Kelly suggest they choose Brightstar?
3. What two advantages does David mention about Alamo?

Premium Members: PDF Transcript | Online Practice | PhraseCast | Lesson Module

Download: Podcast MP3

BEP 253 – English for Meetings: Decision-Making Meetings (1)

Business English Meetings - Making Decisions 1

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on decision-making in English meetings.

Success in business depends on making good decisions. But making good decisions is not just an individual skill. It’s a group skill. Several people come together to discuss an issue, explore options, and decide which path to follow. With good information, a good decision-making process, and good meeting skills, the participants should be able to make the best decision possible.

So what kind of skills might be useful in decision-making meetings? Today we’ll explore techniques such as framing a decision, inviting discussion, and referencing criteria. We’ll also cover raising concerns and requesting more information.

In the dialog, we’ll hear a group of people at an engineering firm trying to decide on a tech support company to hire. Scott, as senior partner, is leading the meeting, while Anne and David and Kelly are participating. The group discusses their options in order to figure out the best company to hire.

Listening Questions

1. What does Scott say is the basic question they have to answer?
2. What consideration does Kelly bring up in the discussion?
3. What piece of information about City Tech does David want to know?

Premium Members: PDF Transcript | Quizzes | PhraseCast | Lesson Module

Download: Podcast MP3

Business English News 28 – Eurozone Recovery

Eurozone-Flag

In today’s Business English News lesson, we look at the situation in Europe as the Eurozone begins to recover. Since emerging from its longest-ever recession last summer, the Eurozone recovery has been muted at best. While recent reports show some positive signs, the region still has a long way to go in addressing some of its imbalances.

Free Resources: Study Notes | Online Practice | Mobile Quizzes

Download: Podcast MP3