In this episode from Presenting for Success we’ll be studying how to speak naturally and how to emphasize, or highlight, key language and ideas. In addition, we’ll be looking at a few expressions and phrases you can use to add extra emphasis to your presentation.
Category Archives: Advanced
BEP 76 ADV (Transcript & Exercises) – Performance Appraisals: Setting Goals (Part 2)
This is the second in a two-part Business English Pod series on performance appraisals interviews. In the first lesson, we covered giving feedback. In this podcast, we will discuss setting goals.
To reach our dreams, it’s necessary to set goals. Without goals, there is no change, no development, no success. This is just as true for an individual as it is for an organization. That’s why, along with feedback, goal setting is a very important part of the appraisal process. So in this follow-up podcast on job appraisals, we’ll be focusing on strategies and expressions for setting goals during the appraisal interview. Much of the language we’ll be learning in this lesson is also useful in any meeting where we need to discuss and set targets.
Wendy and Derrick, Wendy’s manager, have already discussed her progress and set goals for the areas of customer satisfaction and job training. As the listening continues, they turn to talking about two important productivity measurements. Pay attention to the language Derrick uses to structure the conversation and to negotiate and agree goals with Wendy.
Listening Questions: BEP 76 ADV – Performance Appraisals 2: Setting Goals
1) What are the two important productivity measurements that Derrick discusses with Wendy?
2) How does Derrick feel about Wendy making one-off (or special) solutions for each customer?
3) What does Derrick advise Wendy to tell a customer who has not booked enough bandwidth?
BEP 75 ADV (Transcript & Exercises) – Performance Appraisals: Giving Feedback (Part 1)
Performance appraisals – sometimes called job performance evaluations or reviews – are a powerful way to develop staff’s potential. These skills are important not just for HR (Human Resources) professionals, but for any manager or supervisor who has responsibilities over other staff.
For appraisals to succeed, however, it’s important that they are conducted in a structured way. In addition, it’s important that skill and diplomacy are used to handle the two main tasks of the appraisal – giving effective feedback and setting goals.
So this is the first in a two-part Business English Podcast series that focuses on structure, skill and diplomacy in performance appraisals. In this podcast, we will deal with giving feedback. In the second, we will handle setting goals.
This episode focuses on giving effective feedback that creates a positive environment and builds trust. These feedback skills are useful not only in performance appraisals, but also in any situation that requires making critical comments to someone about their work.
Listening Questions: BEP 75 ADV – Performance Appraisals 1: Giving Feedback
1) How many meetings is Wendy handling per day at the moment?
2) What’s the main issue that Derrick wants to give Wendy feedback on?
3) What advice does Derrick give Wendy to help her correct the problem?
BEP 74 ADV (Transcript & Exercises) – Idioms: Business is War (Part 2)
During the first business ESL podcast in this series, we studied many such war and military related idioms. We learned the meaning of “taking flak,” “reinforcing one’s position,” “laying low,” “making a move” and many others. In this podcast, we will continue exploring useful war idioms.
The dialog picks up where we left off at the Luminex management meeting. Jane has just explained that they need to think “strategically.” He explains that this means “laying low,” by which he means waiting to take action until the economy improves.
As you listen, pay attention to the war idioms Jane and her colleagues use. You may not understand them the first time. After you hear the debrief, go back and listen again, then things should be much clearer.
Listening Questions: BEP 74 ADV – Idioms: Business is War (Part 2)
1) What does Jane mean when she says their competitor, Meyers, is its own worst enemy?
BEP 73 ADV (Transcript & Exercises) – Idioms: Business is War (Part 1)
Business and war. War and business. It’s no accident that many business strategies and management techniques were first developed in the military. Actually, it’s quite natural that we think about business competition in terms of war. Companies fight each other for market share. We strategize about how to win the battle. You try to attack my market position, and I defend it. Business is full of such war idioms. Though it’s not the only way we think about business, it is certainly the main way we talk about it. Therefore, to communicate effectively in a business environment, we need to learn these war idioms.
That’s what we’ll be doing in this two-part series. In today’s dialog, the management at Luminex, a producer of LCD TVs, is discussing how to respond to a attack on their market position by a competitor, Meyers. Traditionally, Meyers has been strong in the premium (high value) market and Luminex has been strong in the mid-range market. Recently, however, Meyers has tried to take mid-range market share from Luminex.
Listening Questions: BEP 73 ADV – Idioms: Business is War (Part 1)
2) How does Jane’s point of view differ from the first two speakers?