Welcome back to the Skills 360 for today’s lesson on getting the most out of a conference.
Some people see conferences as a way to get away from the office for a few days and take a break. And sure, it’s helpful to step back from the daily grind and learn something, or reflect on your work and business. But if you really want to get the most out of a conference, you should look at it as more than just a learning opportunity. I mean, if you’ve got hundreds or even thousands of people in one place looking to connect with others, it’s a golden opportunity for networking.
Welcome back to the Skills 360 for today’s lesson on how to get the most out of a conference.
The digital age has changed the way we communicate and build relationships. And while it’s great to be able to connect with someone on the other side of the world by email, phone, or chat apps, face to face contact is certainly not dead. In fact, in this hyperconnected world, face to face contact is even more valuable, and one of the best opportunities for face time is at a conference.
Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on English for project management meetings. In this lesson, we’re going to look at delivering an initial test build to the client.
In our last lesson, we looked at how important it is to set clear expectations with a good project kickoff meeting. But no matter how well you’ve educated the client about your work process, you’ve still got work to do when you deliver an initial test build. You can’t just hand it over to the client and wait for their feedback. It would be nice if project management was that simple, but it’s not. Handing off an initial test build needs to be dealt with carefully.
For one thing, you need to manage the client’s expectations. That means making sure they understand that you’re not delivering a final product. Rather, you’re giving them something to try out, or test. In this way, project management involves collaboration, or working together with a client. And that’s something you will want to emphasize when you deliver the initial test build.
Collaboration is especially important during the testing process. And it’s a good idea to outline the procedures very carefully for the client. If you don’t, then you’re likely to encounter obstacles. When you hand over a test build, you might also discover the client’s needs have changed. Or that they want something new. In this case, it’s important to clearly identify a change in the project scope. And you need to make sure the client understands that there may be cost overruns connected to a change of scope.
In today’s dialog, we’ll hear Martin, a project manager with OptiTech. He’s been leading the development of new software for a logistics company. Martin is having a teleconference with Zara, a manager at the client company, and Liam, their IT manager. They are discussing OptiTech’s initial test build.
Listening Questions
1. At the start of the conversation, what does Martin want to focus on when they look at the initial test build?
2. What does Martin say is the first step in the testing process?
3. How does Martin respond to Zara and Liam’s request for “load tendering tools?”
Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson, which continues our look at a project kickoff meeting.
Anyone who’s been involved with projects should know just how important it is to have good communication with a client. And good communication starts right at the beginning, at a project kickoff meeting. That’s when you’ll have the chance to make sure a client understands how you work and how the project should run.
In our last lesson, we looked at some of the basics that you need to cover in your first project meeting. Today, we’ll look at some more ways of increasing your chances of avoiding problems and ensuring that a project runs smoothly. In many cases, it can be a good idea to actually bring up potential obstacles in your meeting. If you see something that might impact the timeline or the budget, you can let the client know about it. And that might mean that you have to educate the client about your work process.
When you educate a client about your development process, you might find yourself using too much technical language. But if you want the client to really understand, you might have to rephrase that information in simpler terms. Of course, you don’t want to focus too much on potential problems. And for that reason you should know how to redirect a discussion away from problems and toward other issues. For example, you might need to ask the client for important information to get the project started.
In today’s dialog, we’ll rejoin Martin and Jill. Their company, OptiTech, is starting a new project to develop software for a logistics company. Martin and Jill are kicking off the project by holding a teleconference with Zara, the manager of the client company, and Liam, their IT manager. In this part of the dialog, Martin and Jill are making sure Zara and Liam understand potential obstacles and the development process.
Listening Questions
1. What does Martin say is the cause of some potential obstacles?
2. What is Jill’s simple explanation of a technical idea that Zara didn’t understand?
3. When Martin redirects the discussion away from obstacles, what does he say he wants to discuss?
Welcome back to Business English Pod for our new series on English for project management. For our first lesson we’re going to look at a kickoff meeting at the start of a project.
Whether or not you’re a project manager, you surely know that every project is a unique and complex process. Seeing a project through to completion, on time and within budget, takes a huge range of people skills and business know-how. And sometimes during a big project it might feel like everything is working against successful completion.
But there are ways to minimize some of these challenges. This is particularly true at the beginning of a project when it’s important to make sure you get off to a good start. For one thing, you’ll need to meet with the client to make sure the ground rules of the project are clear. Otherwise, you’ll be dealing with confusion mid-project. Kicking off a project effectively also means outlining protocols, or important procedures, and explaining lines of communication. After all, when a problem or challenge does arise, everyone should know exactly who to talk to and how to make the necessary changes.
The kickoff meeting is also a time for everyone to make their priorities clear. If you are the client and sticking to the timeline is more important than keeping to the budget, you should make that known right from the start. Of course, there may be competing priorities. And as a project manager, you may have to manage client expectations carefully, which might involve setting some conditions when you agree to something.
In today’s dialog, we’ll join Martin and Jill, who work for a software company called OptiTech. Their company is holding a teleconference to kick off a project to develop custom software for a logistics company that will help them manage and track shipments. Martin is the project manager, while Jill is the lead developer. On the call, we’ll also hear from Zara, a manager at the logistics company, and Liam, their IT manager. Together, they are all trying to get the project off to a good start.
Listening Questions
1. How does Martin say that Jill should deal with technical issues?
2. What does Zara emphasize as her company’s priority in the project?
3. Near the end of the conversation, what condition does Martin attach to the successful management of the timeline?
