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BEP 39c – English for Project Management: Reporting on Progress

Business English, Intermediate English, Project Management /

BEP 39c - Project Management English: Reporting on Progress

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on reporting on the progress of a project.

Project management isn’t just for people who consider themselves a “project manager.” No matter what kind of work you do, you’ll likely have to lead or participate in some kind of project. And if you are a project manager, then today’s lesson is particularly important.

Reporting on progress can happen in various settings, ranging from formal meetings with stakeholders to more casual interactions, like a quick chat at the water cooler or over a coffee. While the tone and format may differ, the core principles remain the same. Effective communication in these moments is crucial to keep everyone aligned and ensure no details slip through the cracks.

For example, you’ll likely want to ask for an update and confirm key details. You’ll also have to identify follow-up actions, assign responsibility, and establish clear deadlines. Ultimately, strong reporting and follow-up skills are essential to fostering accountability and driving projects to successful completion.

In this lesson, we’ll hear a project manager named Rudi giving updates to his boss, Wolfgang. They work for a company that maintains and modifies jetways, the bridges that connect airplanes to the airport gates. They’ve been working on a project to modify jetways at an airport for a large type of plane called an A380.

Listening Questions

1. How does Wolfgang respond to the possible problem that Joe has identified?
2. What actions does Wolfgang ask Rudi to take after he mentions Joe’s solution?
3. After they discuss costs and budget, what topic does Wolfgang ask about near the end of the conversation?

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BEP 411 – Mergers: Discussing an Integration Plan (2)

Business English, Management English /

BEP 411 LESSON - Discussing an Integration Plan 2

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson, the second in our series on integrating the operations of two companies. These lessons will focus on discussions about how to merge, or integrate, companies and operations.

Mergers can bring enormous benefits to corporations. They can lead to greater efficiency, greater market share, greater value, and greater access to talent. But there are a thousand and one things that might get in the way of a successful integration. And to overcome these potential roadblocks, you need a strategic approach.

Mergers are part negotiation. Your company has a lot to gain, but you can’t sign everything away too easily. For that reason, you may find it important to assert your position at crucial times and to emphasize issues you consider critical.

In taking a strategic approach, it’s also important to identify those big challenges or roadblocks I mentioned. Once you’ve done that, you can address these challenges. And it’s always helpful if one of the companies has gone through a merger before. In that case, you can reference prior experience as you plan the integration.

In today’s dialog, we’ll rejoin a conversation between two Chief Operating Officers of companies that are planning to merge. Michelle and Alex are discussing how the integration will happen and addressing challenges along the way.

Listening Questions

1. What major challenge does Michelle identify related to integrating the IT systems?
2. What particular issue does Michelle emphasize needs to be considered besides technical issues?
3. What does Alex suggest to counteract worries about people leaving the company?

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BEP 410 – Mergers: Discussing an Integration Plan (1)

Business English, Management English /

BEP 410 LESSON - Discussing an Integration Plan 1

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson, the first in our series on integrating the operations of two companies. These lessons will focus on the conversations we have when talking about how to merge or integrate companies and operations.

There’s an old saying that strategy is 95% implementation. There’s no better proof of this than in the merging of companies. Coming to terms on a buy-out is difficult in and of itself. But once the agreement has been made, there’s the incredibly difficult work of making it happen.

Integrating companies requires us to think and talk about every aspect of business, from the nuts and bolts of accounting to the fuzzy aspects of culture. There’s a lot at stake, not just for the owners but for every single person who works for the two companies.

In discussing an integration, it’s important to lay out a clear timeline and to build in feedback mechanisms to ensure things go as smoothly as possible. You will have to bring up concerns effectively and suggest ways to smooth the transition. And you may find yourself referring back to previous agreements as you work out all the details.

In today’s dialog, we’ll listen to a conversation between Alex and Michelle, two Chief Operating Officers. Alex’s company has just bought out Michelle’s company, and they’re meeting to discuss how the integration will roll out.

Listening Questions

1. What concern does Michelle raise after Alex lays out a possible timeline?
2. What previous agreement does Michelle refer to?
3. What does Alex suggest to ensure a smoother leadership transition?

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Business English News 58 – HR: Hiring Trends

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, Business News, Human Resources /

Business English News 58 - HR: Hiring Trends

In this Business English News lesson on recent hiring trends, we look at business English vocabulary related to human resources and recruitment.

The world of HR is radically different than it was just five years ago. Today, we’re seeing unprecedented movement in the workforce. And as companies compete to recruit and retain talent, several key trends have emerged. One relates to how we evaluate potential recruits, as Forbes explains:

Skill-based hiring is all the rage these days. Companies are moving away from relying solely on degrees and traditional qualifications, instead zeroing in on the specific skills candidates bring to the table. It makes sense, especially in industries where the pace of change is relentless. Skills are easier to match with job requirements, and with AI playing a bigger role in recruitment, it’s more efficient to identify those who can hit the ground running.

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BEP 37c – English for Presentations: Questions and Answers (2)

Business English, Intermediate English, Presentation in English /

BEP 37c LESSON - English for Presentations: Questions and Answers 2

Welcome back to Business English Pod for the second part of our lesson on English for presentations and handling a question and answer session at the end of a presentation.

Presentations can be stressful. Speaking in front of the public, or even just your colleagues, makes even confident people nervous. And there’s one part of a presentation in particular that might dial up the nerves: the questions people ask at the end of your presentation.

The Q&A requires you to think on your feet. Some of the questions you get might be really difficult. And for that reason, it may be important to check that your answers are sufficient for the question-asker. At the same time, the questions might not even be relevant! So you’ll need a strategy for that situation as well.

Sometimes a person will ask a question that you think you’re not the best person to answer. In that case, you can figure out who to redirect the question to. And if this entire Q&A situation is stressful, well at least you have some control. You can control the timing, instead of letting it go on forever.

In this lesson, we’ll continue listening to a Q&A in a meeting at a steel company. Nick, a sales director, has just given a presentation. He and his boss Max are dealing with questions from Bryan and Cindy.

Listening Questions

1. After telling Cindy about measures of success, what question does Nick ask her?
2. What does Max say about Cindy’s question regarding morale and how the sales staff are feeling?
3. How does Nick respond to John’s question about marketing in the U.K.?

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BEP 36c – English for Presentations: Questions and Answers (1)

Business English, Intermediate English, Presentation in English /

BEP 36c LESSON - English for Presentations: Questions and Answers 1

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on how to deal with the question and answer session at the end of a presentation in English.

A presentation can be planned, organized, scripted, and rehearsed. But that’s simply not possible with the questions you might get at the end of your presentation. Sure, you can try to anticipate what people might ask, but you never really know. They may refer to specific points in your presentation and challenge you on these points.

For this reason, you need the skills to handle whatever you’re faced with. And sometimes that means overcoming doubt or resistance to your ideas. You might have to use buffers to deal with tough questions and concede certain points to your audience. You may also find yourself clarifying a point and paraphrasing your audience’s questions.

In this lesson, we’ll listen to the Q&A following a presentation in English by Nick, a sales director for a steel company. Bryan and Cindy are posing some difficult questions. Nick, and his boss Max, are using several techniques for dealing with these questions.

Listening Questions

1. How does Nick respond at first when Bryan asks a tough question about the survey results?
2. Cindy begins to ask a question about retraining the salespeople. What does Nick say to clarify what he meant?
3. How does Nick deal with Cindy’s question about measuring success?

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Skills 360 – Problem-Solving 2: The Problem-Solving Process

Business English, Business Skills 360, Management English /

Business English Skills 360 - Problem-Solving Skills 2

Welcome back to the Business English Skills 360 podcast as we continue our look at problem-solving. In this lesson, we’ll focus on the process of solving problems.

As we talked about in our last lesson, the first step in problem-solving is analysis. This means gathering all the relevant information and understanding the problem’s causes. It’s important to look at the situation from different perspectives and ensure that everyone involved has a shared understanding of the issue. Without this, you risk coming up with solutions that aren’t feasible or acceptable.

Once the problem is understood, the next step is to define your goals. Many people skip this, but it’s essential to clarify what a good solution would look like. Set clear guidelines, including your timeline, budget, and who is responsible for what. This ensures everyone is aligned and focused on the same objectives.

Now, you can move on to brainstorming possible solutions. Encourage creativity and seek input from a variety of people. It’s important to separate the generation of ideas from the evaluation. Don’t judge ideas too quickly, just focus on coming up with as many as possible. This will give you a broad range of options to choose from later.

After generating ideas, it’s time to evaluate and select the best solution. The “best” solution is the one that fits the goals and criteria you set earlier. Remember, there’s no perfect solution, only the most practical and effective given the circumstances. Make sure the chosen solution is something everyone can support.

Finally, the last step is evaluation. After implementing the solution, take time to reflect. Did it work as expected? Could anything have been done differently? This reflection helps improve your problem-solving process and prepares you for future challenges.

Problem-solving requires a clear, structured approach. By following these five steps – analysis, goal-setting, brainstorming, decision-making, and evaluation – you can tackle problems more effectively and find the optimal solution.

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Skills 360 – Problem-Solving 1: Developing the Right Skills

Business English, Business Skills 360, Management English /

Business English Skills 360 - Problem-Solving Skills 1

Welcome back to the Business English Skills 360 podcast as we look at solving problems. In this lesson, we’ll focus on the skills you need to solve problems.

Problems are an unavoidable part of life and work, and in business, your ability to solve them is critical. Fortunately, problem-solving skills can be developed.

The first key skill is analytical thinking. Instead of trying to come up with any old solution, take time to thoroughly understand the problem. What caused it? Can it be broken down into parts? Analyzing a problem requires critical thinking, which helps you understand connections, prioritize, and identify patterns.

Next is creativity, which involves looking at the problem from different perspectives and asking open-ended questions. Creativity, paired with analytical skills, leads to innovative solutions, as it helps you break free from conventional thinking. However, trial and error is often part of the process, and that’s where resilience comes in. Resilience is the ability to stay focused and calm when problems get tough. It’s about persevering, even when your first idea doesn’t work.

Collaboration is another crucial skill, as problem-solving often involves working with others. Effective communication and emotional intelligence are vital in navigating complex group dynamics, especially when tensions are high. Finally, decisiveness is essential to avoid getting stuck in “analysis paralysis.” Making decisions, even with limited information, is crucial for moving forward.

Developing these skills – analysis, creativity, resilience, collaboration, and decisiveness – will significantly enhance your problem-solving abilities.

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BEN 57 – Robots: Back to the Future

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, Business News, IT and Tech /

Business English News 57 - Robots and Tech

In this Business English News lesson on the resurgence of robots, we look at business English vocabulary related to robotics and technology.

While generative AI has been grabbing the headlines lately, the world of robotics has been developing at a rapid clip. The robot industry has been expanding exponentially, albeit mainly outside the spotlight of the mass media. And, as MSN explains, business is booming:

According to an announcement by the International Federation of Robotics, the stock of operational robots around the world has now reached 3.5 million units, and the value of installations has reached an estimated $16 billion. According to the Federation, robotics now plays a fundamental role in the changing demands of manufacturers around the world.

Of course, talk of robots will immediately call to mind automotive manufacturing, and car-makers were certainly one of the earliest adopters. But it’s not just the automotive industry anymore. Robots are being deployed on smaller scales, alongside humans, outside of assembly-line manufacturing. Robots have found applications throughout the economy, for companies big and small.

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