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Skills 360 – Managing Up 2: How to Manage Up

Business English, Business Skills 360, Management English /

Skills 360 - Management English: Managing Up (2)

Welcome back to the Business English Skills 360 podcast for today’s lesson on English management skills and how to manage up.

Many of us silently yearn for an easy relationship with our boss, one in which he can understand us intuitively. But managers are human. They can’t read minds any better than you can. And even the best ones make mistakes. That’s why today I want to talk about how to “manage up.” I’m talking about using strategies for enhanced collaboration between you and your boss. I want to show you how you can initiate these strategies, rather than waiting for your boss to become a better manager.

The right attitude is critical if you want to learn to manage up. Start by de-escalating any resentment you have toward your boss. Open yourself up to the idea of collaborating with your boss. And cultivate a spirit of learning. Even if you don’t see your boss as a mentor, there’s lots you can learn from him.

With the right attitude, you can then go about trying to understand your boss better. Reflect on what you know about the person. Ask yourself: what is this person’s experience and background? Then, how does this experience and background inform his core values?

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Skills 360 – Managing Up 1: Working with your Boss

Business English, Business Skills 360, Management English /

Skills 360 - Management English: Managing Up (1)

Welcome back to the Business English Skills 360 podcast for today’s lesson on English management skills and managing up.

There’s an old saying that people don’t quit jobs, they quit bosses. And according to a recent study, 65% of people would choose a new boss over a pay raise. Without a doubt, our job satisfaction is heavily influenced by the quality of our boss.

But if your boss doesn’t understand you, or doesn’t know how to manage you, or is outright incompetent, you don’t have to suffer in silence. In fact, even people who have great bosses can benefit from what we call “managing up.”

So, what do I mean by managing up? Well, on a basic level, managing up is all about teaching your boss how to be a good manager to you. It’s about improving communication, understanding, and collaboration so that you both benefit from the working relationship.

A lot of us are stuck in a particular way of thinking about power, in other words: your boss has it, and you don’t. But you need to think about your relationship with your boss as one in which you have choice and agency. You can influence outcomes and behavior and improve your work life by improving understanding.

When we manage up, we acknowledge that different people have different ways of communicating, behaving, and working. And we work to understand our boss’s particular style and approach. Think deeply about her expectations, her needs, her preferred communication style, and her goals. Once you have this understanding, then you can adapt.

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BEP 401 – Socializing at Work 2: Deepening the Conversation

Advanced, Business English, Socializing /

BEP 401 LESSON - Socializing with Colleagues 2: Deepening the conversation

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on English for socializing with colleagues. Today we’re going to look at how to build deeper conversations with colleagues you’ve met for the first time.

When we meet a colleague for the first time, the conversation is usually pretty light. We introduce ourselves, make small talk about the weather, sports, or travel. And we try to build a bit of a connection with people. Listen to a conversation like this, and you’ll notice that people keep their comments pretty short and don’t spend too long talking about themselves.

Once you’ve established that initial connection, you have an opportunity to build rapport by deepening the conversation. While you might talk a bit more personally than the initial conversation, it’s still important to keep it light. And you need to continue with the back and forth dance of a skilled conversationalist.

In this deepening conversation, you might make comments about the place you’re in or the location. Another easy way to get someone talking is to ask them a number-based question, like how long they’ve lived in a certain place, for example. Skilled people also know how to turn the conversation back to the other person and find similarities to build rapport. And once you have some rapport, you’ll be able to contradict or disagree with people politely.

In today’s dialog, we’ll rejoin a pair of colleagues – Jen and Ryan – who’ve just met at a company retreat. In our last lesson, we heard their very first conversation. Now they’re getting to know each other a bit better during a company social event at a bowling alley.

Listening Questions

1. What number-based question does Jen ask Ryan to get him talking?
2. What similarity in background or family situation does Ryan point out?
3. What point does Jen make that Ryan disagrees with near the end of the dialog?

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BEP 400 – Socializing with Colleagues 1: Meeting New People

Advanced, Business English, Socializing /

BEP 400 LESSON - English for Socializing with Colleagues 1: Meeting New People

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on English for socializing with your colleagues. In this lesson we’re going to learn how to socialize with colleagues you’re meeting in-person for the first time.

What do you talk about when you meet someone new or see your colleagues socially? Some outgoing people apparently never have to think about it. They’re just natural socializers and feel comfortable with small talk. For most of us though, making small talk with new people or co-workers feels uncomfortable at best, or painful at worst. But it doesn’t have to be.

We call it “small talk” because it’s light, simple, and informal conversation. It’s not serious, deep, or overly formal. Small talk is often about personal matters, but not too personal if it’s at work. We often talk about places or things that are safe and avoid controversial topics. And there’s a flow to small talk that can be tricky to master. Your comments can’t be too short, or you’ll seem rude. But if they’re too long, people will lose interest.

So what can you talk about if you’re meeting colleagues for the first time at say a conference or a company retreat? Well, some key topics include your name and job, of course, but also places and travel. And key strategies include building on other people’s comments, making guesses or inferences, and using unfinished sentences to invite other people to speak. With a handle on these approaches, you can comfortably chat socially with your colleagues.

In today’s dialog, we’ll hear a conversation at a company retreat. People from a large company are gathering for meetings and team-building. We’ll hear Michelle, Jen, and Ryan meet each other for the first time. In their conversation, you’ll hear the topics and strategies that I just mentioned.

Listening Questions

1. What information does Jen give in her short personal introduction?
2. What comment or fact given by Michelle does Jen build on with a further comment?
3. What does Jen ask Ryan about once he has introduced himself?

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BEP 31c – English for Meetings: Responding to Suggestions

Business English, English for Meetings, ESL Podcast, Intermediate English /

BEP 31 LESSON - English for Meetings: Responding to Suggestions

Welcome back to Business English Pod. Today’s lesson is the second in a series about handling suggestions in English meetings. Last time we looked at how to make suggestions. And this time we’re going to look at how to respond to suggestions.

Business is a team sport. And behind every successful team is a healthy internal dialog and debate. If you want to succeed in business and be a good team player, you need opinions and the skills to express them effectively. But that doesn’t only mean making your own suggestions. It also means responding to other people’s suggestions.

So in this lesson, we’ll learn different ways of responding to suggestions. That includes responding positively, by accepting or praising the idea. It also includes rejecting ideas or casting doubt on them.

In today’s dialog, we’ll listen to a marketing team meeting at a sports shoe company. The four colleagues are talking about a new ad campaign. They are making suggestions for a “spokesperson,” or recognizable figure to promote their shoes. During the discussion they use a variety of techniques and language to respond to suggestions.

Listening Questions

1. What does Miguel think of Sven’s idea to hire an overweight business executive as a spokesperson?
2. How does Karen react to Miguel’s suggestion of hiring a famous sports star?
3. What is the group’s response to Karen’s final suggestion of hiring a golfer?

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