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MBG Workbook B4 was produced byMETEN English.Language content was checked with The Corpus of Contemporary American English. www.americancorpus.org

e R & D team is very grateful to:

METENs CEO, Jason Zhao

Executive Vice President, Alan Peng

The Board of Directors and all our colleagues in China who have

contributed in one way or another to make this book and Project

MBG work:

Michael , June , Anthony , Richmond , Jane

, Aggie , Portia , Flora , Tina , Cici ,

Ava, Dan , Chris , Stone , Vivienne ,

Sunshine, Kiki ,Melody , Helen , Messi ,

Michelle

All the SAs and TAs in CBD, Ke Xue Guan, Nanshan, and Chengdu

The Receptionists in the centers who made our coffee during the

trial runs of the MBG program and our reliable METEN driver

Many thanksto our foreign teachers who tested MBG in R& D and in the centers and provided us with valuable supportand feedback:

Peter Ronald Cooke

Emmanuel Lebigre

Margaret Rollings

Robert von Collins

John Bayliss

Ewelina LozowskaDon Ross

Andrew Wai

Timothy Charles Bowden

John Armani

George Steven Arrocha Arraez

We apologize in advance for any unintentional omissions. Wewould be pleased to insert the appropriate acknowledgement inany subsequent edition of this book.

Project MBG was piloted by:Donald Si , R&D DirectorMildred Alberto, R&D Project Manager

Advisers:Jude Guo ,Assistant President

Louis Liu ,Academic Director

Jason Burns, Head Teacher Trainer

Christopher Fulton, Education Quality Assurance Specialist

Internal Managing Editor:Mildred Alberto

Writers:Jonathan Alexander

Edward Zheng

Researchers:Justine Zhou

Shan Zhao

Project Coordinator:Dior Jiang

Team Support:Cecilia Luo

Margaret Li

Marissa Wang

Candice Tang

Megan Xie

Product Launch Team:Eric Wang

Longman Shen

Technical Support and MBG system programmers:Edgar

Jack

William

Youki

Sennly

Weehome

Money

Cover and Inside Book Design:Sun Rising Media

Voice Talents:Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press

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Lesson Title

1 Get your point across 12

2 Lets talk sales 16

3 Lets build this team together 20

Business Communication Skills Review (Lessons 1-3) 24

4 Crisis? What crisis? 26

5 Whats your point? 30

6 Get it done! 34

Business Communication Skills Review (Lessons 4-6) 38

Culture Angle.................................................................................................................................................................... 40

Module Workshop Title

COMMUNICATIONSKILLS

1 Iceberg: visible and invisible 42

2 Honestly speaking 46

3 I can hear, but Im not listening 50

Simulation Game 1 Communication skills 55

CUSTOMERSERVICE SKILLS

4 At your service 58

5 The customer is king 62

6 Moments that build or destroy reputations 66

Simulation Game 2 Customer service skills 71

LEADERSHIPSKILLS

7 The golden rules of good leadership 74

8 Diagnosing your team 78

9 What am I doing here? 82

Simulation Game 3 Leadership skills 87

Answer Key .................................................................................................................................................................... 91

Audio Scripts ................................................................................................................................................................... 92

Video Scripts ................................................................................................................................................................... 96

Introduction .........................................................................................................................................................................What is in a PC Lesson ..........................................................................................................................................................What is in an AC Workshop ...................................................................................................................................................Welcome to MBG, Incthe company ...................................................................................................................................

4

6

8

10

Contents

es

buil am

usi m

C hat

Busines

2

t

T5

S tion

S

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04

IntroductionWelcome to MBG. You may already know MBG from MBG B1, B2 and B3, but if not, this short introduction presents some keyfeatures of the series.

METEN BusinessGames is a business English program aimed at providing you with a fun and interactive experience in learning thelanguage of business by way of workshopsand simulation games.e program is driven by the Learning by doing principle. You

will acquire language skills and business skills by doing activities or tasks that simulate or imitate real-life activitiesin commonbusiness settings. Use English; think in English!

is book contains materials for two MBG courses: a Private Course(PC) and anActivity Course(AC). e PC lessons comprise12 hours and the AC workshops comprise 24 hours of the whole MBG program for a total of 36 hours of class instruction.

e Private Course is a 12-hour course designed to give you a more personalized interaction with your trainer and is focused onhelping you develop your ability to speak accurately.e course provides a good language foundation for the AC workshop activities.

e Activity Courseis a skills-based 24-hour course aimed at helping you develop fluencyby providing you with a simulatedbusiness environment where you can learn, practice, and use business communication skills such as presenting, brainstorming ideas,problem-solving, decision-making, socializing in business, etc. Critical thinking skills, creativity, thinking outside the box are all partof the skills you develop as you go through the course.

e Simulation Gamesin the Activity Course are consolidations of the AC workshops; therefore you are already familiarized with thenecessary information. e game procedure is in place for the purpose of competing in teams and to demonstrate what you learned inprior workshops.

Your active involvement as student trainees in completing various tasks at the mock-up company, MBG Inc. allows you direct andfirst-hand experience from which you could learn from instead of merely listening to it or reading it in a textbook. You get to createand do things in a team environment just like you would in real life.

Who is MBG B4 and B5 for?e MBG B4 course is designed for advanced learners who are already in work, or studying and preparing for a career in business. ecourse is also for English learners who are either in management positions who would like to further improve their communicationskills or for those who are preparing to move up the corporate ladder.

e course is focused on helping you develop each of the following core business English communication skills: leadership communication skills management communication skills marketing communication skills sales communication skills

ese are the skills that you need for success at work and in business. Some of the typical features of MBG B4 and B5 include:

1. Further to MBG B1, B2, and B3 which teach and improve learners business language and communication skills, MBG B4 andB5 aim to teach you skills for success at work and in business. Topics covered in the lessons focus on skills and knowledge that areuseful, practical and interesting, with the goal of helping you maintain and thrive in your existing jobs or business.

2. Advanced communication skills focused on in the lessons include leadership communication and management communicationin MBG B4, marketing communication and sales communicationin B5, which are all essential skills for success in todaysbusiness world.

3. e creation of Business across Cultures section in MBG B4 and B5 PC lessons and the addition of Culture Angletosupplement culture content of the lessons aim to further develop your understanding and competence to work and deal withpeople from other cultures, and to help you operate in todays complex business environment. You may already be well aware howcrucially important cross-cultural awareness is to anyone who wants to be successful in a multinational business environment.

4. Readings from authentic, up-to-date texts from a variety of business sources provide stimulating and motivating contexts for yourfun learning here at MBG.

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05

workshop

!

MBG Private Course (PC )Activity Course(AC ) PC

12 AC 24 36 MBG

MBG

PC 12 ,

AC

AC 24

AC workshop workshop

AC

MBG Inc.

MBG B4 / B5 ? B4

B4

B4 / B5 ,

1. B1 / B2 / B3 B4 / B5

2. B4B5

3. B4 / B5

4.

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06

What is in a PC lesson

Start Up

is is a warmer. e lead-in questions serve to activateyour knowledge on the topic, followed by Get Ready tolisten exercises that gets you started and familiarized withthe lessons target language skills [key words and expressions]in the form of listening and language exercises. (15-20minutes)

BizBitsis is a section where business stories or articles areprovided for you to have an opportunity to discuss current

events and exchange your views on practical and up-to-dateinformation around the world. (15-20 minutes)

Business across CulturesHaving trouble understanding why your foreign colleague orbusiness associate is acting the way he does? Understandingcomes in this section where culture bits are added fordiscussion and brainstorming. is section aims to developyour understanding and competence to work or do business

with people from other cultures. (1520 minutes)

Speak up!e aim of the task is to let you consolidate and put intopractice the strategies and skills you have learned in thelesson. is involves a lot of interaction, brainstorming ideas,problem-solving, critical thinking, managing, and presentingyour ideas and solutions in real and practical businesssituations. (20-30 minutes)

Culture Angleis added bonus to your learning aims to widen yourcultural competence and enable you to find out your andyour colleagues approach to common business situations.

Business Communication Skills ReviewAfter three lessons, there is a review unit. e reviews helpyou to consolidate and recap the skills and good businesspractices you have focused on in your lessons.

Key expressionse key expressions revolving around a theme or topic areprovided as quick reference both in your speaking activitiesduring the class and long after the lesson is over. e keyexpressions box provides ease of backward reference whichis very important to language learning, where many phrasesand expressions are only half-remembered and need constantreview.

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07

PC

(3-5 ) (15-20 )

(15-20 )

(15-20 )

(20-30 )

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08

What is in an AC workshop

Go e main task in this sectionaims to activatethe language andbusiness skills that you learned inthe workshop or in previous learningexperiences. You will work in teamsto brainstorm, find solutions to aproblem, and presentthe solution.

Get Set introduces your team to a casestudywhich your team must worktogether to solve. is sectionprepares you for the main task in theGo section.

Stop and ReflectHere you will reflect on and assessyour performance. Your trainer willdiscuss the language you used in theactivities and provide feedback andcorrection.

Get Ready engagesyou in a warm-up game,a discussion, or learning vocabularycritical to understanding the tasks.

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09

workshop

Get Ready -

Go- workshop

Get Set -

Stop and Relect

-

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10

Welcome to MBG Inc.!

MBG Inc.

workshop MBG

MBG Inc.is a mock-up international company created by METENs

Research & Development team with the aim of adding authenticity andexcitement to workshop activities in the course. You are considered traineesat MBG Inc. for the extent of the course. You will work in pairs and in teamsto perform diverse and practical tasks, brainstorm ideas, make decisions,manage projects and present solutions to problems in the company.

As part of a company in a simulation, you will be trained in variousdepartments Research and Development, HR, Sales, Purchasing, etc.You will be greatly involved in the decision-making and problem-solvingprocesses in the company. You will take part in conversations, discussions,presentations, videos, interviews, role-plays, and many other fun activities

that promote interaction and communication.

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Lessons

P

C1

Get your point across

How to present an argument

Lets talk sales

How to effectively pitch your ideas and wares2Lets build this team together

How to effectively work as a team3

Lesson Title and topic

Business communication skills review(1-3)

Crisis? What crisis?

How to brainstorm and trouble shoot4Whats your point?

How to summarize main points and give accurate reports5Get it done!

How to get results and improve productivity6Business communication skills review(4-6)

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12

MBG Inc PC 01

01

Anti-virus software

Firewalls

Spam filters

OBJECTIVES

Stress key words and give reasons for a proposal

Structure an argument Make a strong case by presenting a structured argument

Get your point acrossHow to present an argument

Why do companies need to invest in the following kinds of software?

Listen to the speaker's argument and answer the questions.

Listen again and notice the way the presenter speaks.

1. In what order does he present the following reasons for his proposal?

2. How does the speaker begin the argument?

3. What sentence does he use to introduce the reasons for his proposal?

1. Does he present the argument strongly or neutrally?

2. Which words does he stress? Write down as many keywords as you can.

4. What is his concluding sentence?

a. to be able to offer guaranteesb. to maximize return on investment

c. to reassure the customers

a. He asks a question

b. He specifies the topic

c. He describes a problem

Get ready to

Structuring an argument

Stressing key words

listen

Start up

PC 1.1

A handbag manufacturer has a problem. A pirate company is making counterfeit handbagswhich are of inferior quality. Te production director proposes a system of electronic IDswhich make the company's own products easy to identify.

A

B

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MBG Inc PC 01

Making a strong case

BizBits

a. Compare and discuss the structure of botharguments.

b. If you were the budget officer listening to both

cases, which argument would likely persuade youto approve the proposal? Why?

c. What questions would you ask Jamie? Jackie?

1. to introduce a series of reasons?

______________________________________

2. to introduce different reasons in a sequence?

______________________________________

3. to repeat the main proposal in the conclusion?

__________________________________

___ a. One reason is

___ b. I`d like to explain the reasons for this.

___ c. It is therefore very important to

___ d. The second reason is

___ e. There are a number of reasons why we needto take action.

___ f. Whats more ...

In Jackie Wu's argument, what phrasesare used for the following?

Read phrases / sentences a-f below. Matchthem with their function 1,2 or 3 above.

Choose one of the proposals below or thinkof your own idea. Create an argument infavour of the proposal. Be ready to explain

and emphasize each reason.

Proposal 1 To install security cameras around the

company's premises.

Reasons: -need to prevent industrial espionage - cameras are effective in detecting any

unauthorized persons.

- company has a lot of confidential research data.

Proposal 2 To build a gym for the staff on company

premises.

Reasons:

- increase staff motivation.- reduce stress in the workplace- encourage staff to stay fit

Proposal 3

To produce umbrellas with the companylogo and have them available in reception.

Reasons: -promote the company name

-impress company guests

- help staff on rainy days

Jamie Mandaric

Well, as you know, using theinternet is becoming moredangerous all the time. Attacksfrom viruses are becoming morefrequent and they are affecting moreand more people. And theres also

the risk of fraud: hackers stealing the customers bankdetails and so on. I dont want to have to economiseon expenditure for developing more secure systems.Remember what happened last year? Hackers wereable to access our customer database and some highlyconfidential information was stolen. If Id had a biggerbudget last year, I'd have been able to protect the data

more effectively. I need an increase in my budget. Icant make the system secure on the budget Ive got.

wo I managers argue for an increase in the budget for internet security. Read their arguments.

Which makes the case more strongly? Why?Jackie Wu

Id like to propose an increase in thebudget of 15 per cent. at may seem alot, but there are two very good reasonswhy we need this increase.

Firstly because online sales areincreasingly important to us. More

than 55 per cent of our customers buy via the internet,and this figure is growing every year. But people wontbuy online if they are worried about the risks. So we mustmake sure that our systems are trustworthy.

Secondly because of internet crime. Internet criminalsare becoming more and more sophisticated. So we needto increase our efforts in order to stay ahead. at meansincreasing what we spend on updating and improving oursystems.

e internet offers enormous benefits to us. If we wantto make the most of this potential, we must develop thebest possible security systems. ats why Im proposing asubstantial increase in the security budget.

A

B

Discussion Giving reasons

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14

MBG Inc PC 01

Business across Cultures

IndividualismPeople in these societies think in terms of I.In business, it is important to protect personalinterests and pursue individual goals, even atthe expense of others. Competition with friends,family and colleagues is seen as healthy.

Individualistic cultures:USA Italy Sweden The NetherlandsFrance

CollectivismIn these societies, managers and employeesthink in terms of we. The success of thegroup comes before that of the individual.Trust, harmony and loyalty within the groupshould always be maintained, which meansthat competition between group membersis not acceptable. There is an emphasis oncooperation and the group.

Collectivist cultures:China Japan Ecuador West Africa Pakistan

Uncertainty AvoidanceThe Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) measures how much individuals in a culture accept uncertainty.

High uncertainty avoidance culturesPeople in these countries feel more comfortable when there are clear rules and regulations. They also preferto have structure, stability and clear managerial guidance. Entering new situations is seen as a risk and theyconsider the long-term implications of decisions and prepare everything well in advance.

Low uncertainty avoidance culturesIndividuals in these cultures are not afraid of new or unpredictable situations. They accept a variety of opinions,take greater risks and are open to change.

Individualism / CollectivismIndividualism / Collectivism focuses on how much importance a society places on the individual or group.

You will be given a set of cards with a country and a scenario. You need to make an argumentaccording to the card but be aware of the culture and norms of that country. Your teacher will awardpoints from 1-10 based on how well you make the argument and how culturally aware you are.

In some cultures, people are not afraid to show their feelings when arguing for an idea or a proposal they reallybelieve in. In other cultures, people prefer to stay cool.

Showing Feelings

You are from France but living inAmerica. You have taken on moretasks in your job recently and feelyou deserve a pay rise. Put yourcase to your American boss.

You are the manager of acompany in Ecuador. Te staffhave been arguing a lot recently.

You call a meeting to tell themthat this situation must change.

You are an electronics manufacturerfrom Japan and have a partnershipwith a Swedish company. Te Swedishcompany wants to buy an expensivenew type of software before a rivalcompany can get it. You though don'tfeel it has been tested enough. Presentyour case to your Swedish partner.

You are from China. Explain toyour foreign business colleaguesthe importance of long termbusiness relationships and trust indoing business in China.

Want to know more about showing feelings inother culture?See Culture Angle:Emotions across cultures on page 40.

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MBG Inc PC 01

o be successful at work and in business, you need to have certain skills and qualities. In this lesson wehave focused on the following skills and qualities:

1. Structuring an argument

2. Stressing key words

3. Giving reasons

4. Being aware how different cultures show emotions or feelings

5. Making a strong case

Business World KnowHow

Case Study

You are the CEO of a company which owns a group of hotels in Europe. The companyhas seen its profits fall recently and you and your fellow directors want to expand intothe Asian market to take up new business. Your shareholders are divided. Some seethe risk as too big and think that the company should concentrate on improving theirexisting business in Europe rather than looking for new markets. You on the other handbelieve that the European market will take time to recover and its best to pursue newmarkets to make up for the loss of profits in Europe.

You are in a meeting with a group of shareholders opposed to the expansion.Present your argument and structure it in a way to persuade them to back theboards idea.

Speak up

Remember to:- specify the topic

- describe the problem

- offer guarantees

- reassure customers

Keyexpressions

Making a proposalId like to propose

Its very important to

Tats why Improposing...

Making a strongcase

Tere are a number ofreasons why

One reason is

Id like to explain

Whats more...

If we want to make themost of this potential,we must ...

If Id had..., Id havebeen able to...

Analysis

After you and your partner have both presented your arguments, discuss the following:

How did your partner organize their argument?

Was the argument logical and effective?

Did the presenter make an effective conclusion?

Work with a partner.

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MBG Inc PC 02

02

Preparation Arguments

Being specific

Presenting style

Conclusion

OBJECTIVES

Make a proposal Pitch your idea to obtain a loan from the bank Make a strong and effective sales pitch

Lets talk salesHow to effectively pitch your ideas and wares

When making a sales proposal which of the following do you think are most important? Rate

them 1-5 in order of importance and give reasons for your choices.

Get ready to listen

Start up

PC 2.1

Karen Yang is the HR manager in a telecommunications company. Listen to herpresenting a proposal to a group of other senior managers in the company and answerthe questions.

1. What is Sandras proposal?

2. What arguments does she give to support her proposal?

3. Does she look at the problem from the employee's point of view or from the companys point of view?

1. describe the current situation ___

2. describe any negative consequences ___

3. state what you want to achieve ___

4. highlight the benefits for others ___

5. state your proposal ___

6. introduce the details of your proposal ___

a. So, what I'd like to propose is a program of language

training for everyone in our team.

b. As a result, we often have problems understanding the

callers.c. What will this involve? How much will it cost?

d. An improvement in skills will be a big advantage for the

company because ___

e. As you know, we frequently deal with phone enquiries

from abroad but we don`t have adequate language

skills.

f. If we want to make a big improvement, we need

intensive training.

A

Making a Proposal

Look at the steps (1-6) that you might make when presenting a sales proposal and matchthem with statements a-f.

B

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MBG Inc PC 02

BizBits

Discussion

Why do sales proposals fail?

Writing sales proposals can be a diffi cult and time-consuming task. Yet these proposals are oen crucial tocreating buyer urgency and accelerating the sale.

But why do so many sales proposals fail to captivate theinterest of senior decision makers? Here we outline someof the key reasons why sales proposals fail and what youcan do to ensure that you dont fall into similar traps whenpreparing your own proposals.

1. e sales proposal is too long.

Sales proposals oen fail to make the right impressionbecause they are too long. is has the effect of diluting thepowerful messages within the proposal or losing sight ofthe buyers needs and desires. If a sales proposal is deemedto be too long, there is a good chance that it will end up

being tossed aside before the buyer has even had time tofinish reading it.

2. e sales proposal is too cautious.

Sales proposals oen fail to impress because they aretoo cautious in their approach. Sales proposals that usecautious words such as possibly and might tell thebuyer that youre not entirely confident that your solution

will satisfy the buyers needs.

3. e sales proposal is over-confident and reckless.

On the other side of the spectrum, sales proposalsfrequently deter senior buyers because they use over-confident and reckless words. Some proposals makeoutrageous claims such as 100 percent guaranteed or

being the perfect solution to the buyers needs. Althoughconfidence can be a good thing, unreasonable and

unrealistic assertions may create the impression that you

are either naive or trying to mislead the buyer.

Work in pairs or in groups to decide the answers to the questions about the article above.

1. Which words show a lack of confidence or decisiveness when making a sales presentation?

2. What phrase is used to compare a cautious sales proposal with an over-confident one?

3. In point 3, whats the difference between being naive and trying to mislead the buyer?

4. Why might a sales proposal that is too long be bad for the seller?

5. Make a list of dos and donts when making a sales proposal. Add some of your own ideas.

4. e sales proposal is full of unnecessary detail.

To make a better impression, make sure that your salesproposal is succinct and not overcomplicated. Do notgo into detail about your products or your company. Tocreate interest, your sales proposal should immediatelydiscuss the imminent external pressures and challengesfacing the buyer and the internal improvements thebuyer needs to achieve in order to overcome these

pressures and challenges.

5. e sales proposal is too late.

Perhaps the most criminal error, a late sales proposal isguaranteed to create a bad impression. is is especiallythe case if you have no existing relationship with thepotential client. To avoid this trap, get a grip on yourtime management skills and make sure that you providethe buyer with a sales proposal within two days to aweek of your initial meeting.

6. e sales proposal offers little value.

Countless sales proposals are rejected because they offerno obvious value to the buyer. Oen, the salespersonhas neglected to include clear calculations in terms of

the buyers return on investment. A sales proposal thatrequires the buying organization to work out the valueand return on offer. It will be seen as an additional costthat is not worth pursuing.

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18

Sales presentations can take different forms from country to country. Te American presentation could

cause problems in Scandinavia. Te speaker delivers a hard sales pitch, sprinkled with buzz words and suchterms as aggressive," while Scandinavians prefer a low-key presentation with plain language.

Te American approach reects a masculine culture that values competition and aggression, whereasScandinavian culture is feminine and emphasizes cooperation more than competition.

Western Europeans make much of their different styles, but one should see them as variations on low-context, logic-based communication.

Presentations

Student A Entrepreneur / Inventor

You are a self-employed engineer and design consultant. Your latest invention is a button fixer. Buttons

fall off at the worst possible times, but button fixer is a small device which attaches a button with a

single push. Its small, portable and very easy to use. You have already patented this product. Now you

would like to negotiate a loan from the bank to develop, manufacture and market it.

You must now pitch your idea to the bank manager. Here are some details to help you.

Student B Bank Manager

You are a bank manager and you have a meeting with an entrepreneur / inventor who you are meeting for

the first time.

First you need to know more about the entrepreneurs history and personal situation. Then you need to

know more about this new idea what the product is and what the market for it is.

Make sure you get the following details.

* amount of loan

* personal investment

* date of product launch

* production costs* all other operating costs

* selling price

* sales channel

* yearly sales forecast

When you have this information, decide what to do lend the money, not lend the money, get more

information.

Amount of loan $30000

Personal Investment $10000

Date of product launch 1 year from today

Production cost (per unit) $3

All other operating costs (per unit) $4

Selling price $15

Sales channel Mail order (advertising in fashion magazines)

Yearly sales forecast 5000 units

MBG Inc PC 02

Want to know more about other cultures presentation styles?See Culture Angle:Cross cultural presentations on page 40.

Business across Cultures

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AnalysisDiscuss the following questions as a class once you havefinished the presentations.

Which structure did each presenter choose? Was this effective?

Did you find their arguments convincing?

Do you think they would gain approval in a real situation? Why?/

Why not?

19

To be successful at work and in business, you need to have certain skil ls and qualities. In this lesson wehave focused on the following skills and qualities:

1. Preparing for a sales proposal

2. Making decisions

3. Giving approval to a proposal

4. Making a sales pitch

5. Using persuasive arguments

Business World KnowHow

Speak up

Key expressions

Preparing for a sales

proposal

What will this involve?

How much will it cost?

Ho well do I know myaudience?

Making a sales pitch

Te company will benetbecause...

After buying thisproduct, people will beable to...

If we want to make a big

improvement...As you know...

So, what Id like topropose is...

As a result, we often...

An improvement in skillswill be a big advantage forthe company because...

Work with a partner to make the first part of a sales pitch to a company youhave been in contact with over the past several weeks. Tey have shown aninterest but still need persuading. Choose one of the following options.

1. You are selling an English language staff training program to a large

telecommunications company who wish to expand their business abroad.

2. You work for a company which produces a range of natural organic fruit juices. You

want a large supermarket to stock the product and have to present your product.

There is a lot of competition in this market.

3. You have a chain of several small bread shops. A new shopping mall is opening soon

and you want to open a shop in it. You must persuade the company management of

the shopping mall that your shop will do well in the mall. Again, there is strong

competition for space in the mall.

With your partner, write down themain points of your presentation.Decide which structures to useand think about what language

you can use to present your pointsin the best possible way. Eachpair should prepare a differentproposal.

MBG Inc PC 02

Presentation

Now it is time to present your sales proposal.

Each group should take between two and three

minutes to present their proposal to the others.

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MBG Inc PC 03

03

reminds others about the goals of the meeting?

keeps an eye on the time?

makes the most creative suggestions?

pays most attention to different people's opinions?

offers to do something practical?

OBJECTIVES

Make a contribution

Play an active role Build a successful team

Lets build this team togetherHow to effectively work as a team

How often do you have team meetings at work? In your team meetings who...

Get ready to listen

Start up

PC 3.1 Te production team at Rawlings Ltd, a sportswear manufacturer, meets to discuss howthey might handle an unusually large order which overstretches their capacity. Tese arethe members of the team, in order of speaking:

Charlie: Production Director and Team Coordinator

Lola: Manager, responsible for production schedules

Troy: Responsible for communication with other departments

Nigel: A production supervisor, in charge of one of the production lines

Tia: Quality Control Manager

Listen again and say what phrases the team members use to do the following.

1. Summarize the problem and two possible solutions.

_______________________________________________

2. Bring Lola into the discussion.

_______________________________________________

3. Introduce another idea.

_______________________________________________

4. Delegate action to Troy.

_______________________________________________

5. End on a positive note.

_______________________________________________

Listen and answer the questions.

1. What two solutions to the problem are given at the start?

2. Why is Nigel unhappy about the second solution?

3. What two reasons does Tia give for objecting to the first solution?

4. What third suggestion is made? Could it work?

5. What is Troy going to do?

A

B

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MBG Inc PC 03

BizBits

Discussion

Successful Team Building

e entire team needs to be made responsible ofany success or failure. It would be unfair to reward a

single member as that could create problems withinthe team.

Given below are some activities that you can use atyour workplace to help foster team spirit.

One good way of fostering team spirit is bybuilding a wall of fame that can have a displayof trophies, certificates, and awards that teammembers have won.

Get your team to send out messages to otherteam members regarding things that theyappreciate about each other. Also get them toshare information like birthdays, anniversaries,

favorite restaurants, vacation spots, etc. Get to know team members better and discover

what their talents and skills are. ere may begood singers, painters, dancers, etc.

Plan group activities like sporting events, galadinners, concerts, family fetes, etc. so that teammembers can have fun together and enjoy withthe team.

For most team leaders, one of the most important

tasks at hand is generally learning how to buildteam spirit among the members in their team. Intoday's corporate world, it is extremely importantto understand the importance of working withothers. Team spirit is not only important to avoiddisagreements in a team but also important in orderto enhance performance and to ensure the success ofthe team.

Look at any company, whether big or small, youwill see how they are working towards promotingteam spirit. Team building helps foster a sense oftogetherness and brings the team together. is helpsin working towards a common goal and ensuringthat success is achieved. But how do you build teamspirit?

Building Team Spirit

Team building activities are one of the best ways tobring a team together. But there are certain thingsthat you need to do on a normal everyday basis tofoster a sense of team spirit. While making teams inyour offi ce, it is important that you ensure that theteams are not bigger than 8 member teams and notsmaller than five members. While with smaller teamsthere is always the problem of not having enoughpeople to perform all the tasks, with larger teams, it

becomes diffi cult to manage the same. If it is possible,try to make membership to a team something thatneeds to be earned. You can have some elite teams forwhich membership will be awarded on the basis ofcompleting some tasks or achieving certain targets.is will push your employees to work harder andalso give the team members a sense of healthycompetitiveness.

1. What does the article say is the result of healthy competition?

2. Whats the problem with having teams which are too large?

3. What do you think is meant by the verb foster?

4. Whats the difference between team building and team spirit?

5. Which suggestions do you feel are most useful? Does your company use any team-building activities? Share

your team-building experience to the class.

Answer the questions about the article above.

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22

Teamwork across cultures

Attitudes towards teams and team-workingmay vary considerably in different companiesand cultures. Look at the statements. o whatextent do you agree / disagree?

1. Information is power. It may be in your best interest

to keep some knowledge to yourself, or to share it

with only one or two other people.

2. It is important to reach consensus even if the

decision-making process is slow. If some people

dont agree, the team should take time to find the

basis for agreement.

3. A team is a group of people who work together to

achieve shared goals: success and credit for the

group as a whole.

US companies practice teamwork widely, in theform of self-directed teams, in which employeesthemselves are responsible for managingtheir groups and their work, and for makingproduction-related decisions. By the mid-1990s,around 70 percent of Fortune 1,000 companieswere relying on teams and planning to expandsuch usage.

Chinese culture, encompasses a collectivistorientation that emphasizes the importanceof group structure and values. This orientationmay support crucial aspects of teamwork suchas a common purpose and cooperative effortand not necessarily teamwork directly. Themanagement and boss still take the lead role in

decision-making.

Team-building Activity 1

Get into groups and discuss the statements. Give examples from your own workingexperience.

Team-building Activity 2

You will now create a scenario for another team.

1. Give some background information such as the type of company and the people involved.

2. Create a problem in the company. The other team must work together to find a solution to the problem.

MBG Inc PC 03

Want to know more about teamwork across cultures?See Culture Angle:Cross cultural teamwork on page 40.

Business across Cultures

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Business World KnowHow

Speak up

Team Roles

In any team, different people play different roles. They each behave, contribute and relate toothers in a different way.

1. Match the types of behavior 1-8 with the phrases a-h. ake turns in giving theanswers. One starts saying statements (a-h), the next person gives the correctbehavior (1-8).___a. Remember that our main objective is (to save money).

___ b. Jack, could you take notes, please?

___ c. Maybe theres another way to look at this. We could (ask for more time)

___ d. Sarah, youre looking worried. What are your thoughts on this?

___ e. I`ll research the options and let you know next week.

___ f. Have you thought of (asking the customers)?

___ g. OK, Weve discussed this point long enough. Can we try to come to an agreement?

___ h. Sandy, would this decision cause problems for you?

1. Ask other people what they think or feel

2. Offer to do something practical

3. Remind people about goals

4. Put forward new suggestions

5. Try to reach a decision that everyone canagree with.

6. Suggest an alternative viewpoint

7. Push people to make a decision

8. Delegate actions to people

In a team what do you think is a / an.

- action role?

- people role?

- ideas role?

Which two roles do you think are most important

for a good team coordinator to be able to play?

2. You are all members of an international workforce at a multinational company. A meetinghas been called to discuss ideas for team-building activities. Your teacher will assign roles for

you and you should play to your character.

Analysis

What team-building activity did your group decide on?

Did everybody play to their roles?

Did you incorporate the language from the Get Ready section of the lesson?

To be successful at work and in business, you need to have certain skills and qualities.In this lesson wehave focused on the following skills and qualities:

1. Building a team

2. Making a contribution

3. Playing an active role

4. Overcoming problems

5. Working together

Keyexpressions

Successful teambuildingFoster team spirit

Share information

Achieve targets

Healthy competition

Shared goals

Make a contributionIf everyone pullstogether, Im sure we cando this!

Id be willing to give it atry.

How would you feel ifwe...

MBG Inc PC 03

ideas

rolepeople roleaction role

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Present your proposal in a logical way: people respond positively to ideas that are well organized.

Emphasize the benefits of your proposal.

Use we rather than I or you to get support from others.

Choose two or three strong arguments: too many reasons can weaken your case.

Be positive: say what you want, not what you dont want.

When presenting a detailed argument, use facts and figures to support your ideas.

Now, write an effective argument in favour of something including all the points above.

a. The company will benefit because

b. After buying this product, people will beable to

c. The experience of other companies is thatwe can expect success.

d. Id like to have your commitment today.

e. Research shows that it is highly effective.

f. The benefits are less waste, lower costs andgreater productivity.

g. If you give your support, we can start rightaway.

h. When we complete this, well have moreeffective procedures.

a. more focused on tasks

b. are creative and imaginative

c. listen to others' opinions

d. good at motivating people

e. bored by routines

f. good at putting ideas into practice

1. action oriented

2. people oriented

3. ideas oriented

1. Give evidence that your idea will work.

2. Describe a successful outcome and abright future.

3. Summarize the benefits.

4. End with a call for action.

24

Look at the steps 1-4 that help in a sales

pitch. Match each of them with two of the

sentences a-h.

Look at the three types of team roles. Match the qualities in the box with the team role it

is best suited to.

1-3

Presenting an effective argument1

Sell it!2

Team Building3

Business Communication Skills Review

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a. Right, lets get... _ T_ _ _ _ Db. Just to give you a brief O _ _ _ V _ _ W

c. To go back to what I was saying E _ R _ _ E _

d. Id like to look at this in more _ ET _ _ L

e. Theres an important point to be made _ _ R _

f. Lets just put this into some kind of P _ R _ P _ _ T _ V _

g. So, to sum U _

h. Thank you. I'm sure you have many Q _ _ _ T _ _ _ S

1. The following expressions are all useful in presentations, but some letters are missing from

the final words.

describe

refer to

tell

crack

field

deal with

figures a graph an issue jokes a point questions

make

stress

quote

compare

address

raise

2. Complete the collocations by writing the nouns in the right-hand boxes. They are all things

you might do when making a sales pitch.

I think we should go on a day trip to the beach. __

I think well have to reject this idea for now as it seems a little expensive. __

OK, I think we should go for the weekend to a luxury spa hotel. __

Now, thats a nice idea. __

Id like to hear what you all have to say. __

Now, what we need are as many ideas as possible. 1

Jill, can I leave the details to you? __

3. The following sentences were used in a team meeting. Decide at which step in the

conversation each point comes.

25

Language Review

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MBG Inc PC 04

04 OBJECTIVES Prepare an action plan Find solutions to problems Hold a crisis meeting

Get ready to listen

Start up

PC 4.1

e Roland group is planning a big summer party for employees and important clients. eproject leader organizing the event is chairing a meeting to assess the risks. e participants

have just finished brainstorming problems that might happen at the party.

Listen to the rest of the conversation, where they decide on an action plan for one of thepotential problem areas. Look at the extract from their action plan and correct five mistakes.

Crisis? What crisis?How to brainstorm and troubleshoot

Look at these ways of dealing with a crisis situation. Which things would you do to prepare for

a crisis and which would you do during a crisis?

Brainstorm problems that might happen.

Carry out a risk assessment.

Identify what action is required most urgently.

Prepare an action plan for each potential crisis situation.

Make decisions calmly.

Discuss how to solve the problem.

Listen and tick the potential problems they mention.

Action plan: Medical emergencies and fire

Team coordinator: Alison

Medical back-up

hotel medical facilities (all emergencies)

11 staff trained in first aid (minor accidents)

Miscellaneous

heat: Arrange 2 rooms where guests can rest. Catering team to provide coffee.

indoor swimming pool: 4 members of staff to watch the pool (rota).

catering medical emergencies and accidents

bad weather fire

transport security

natural disasters room size

A

B

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MBG Inc PC 04

BizBits

Discussion

How to make a crisis management plan

A crisis management

plan is one of the criticalcomponents of an effective

crisis response. A plan is

not a solution to solve a

crisis. It is a tool that can

guide you through the Initial

Response of just about

any emergency regardless of

its nature . When it comes to crisis plans, size matters. e

thicker the plan the fewer will use it in the heat of battle. In

other words, keep it short, keep it simple.

Seven steps to an effective good plan

ere are seven steps to creating an effective

communications plan.

1. Conduct a capability analysis

A capability analysis will help determine the strengths

and weaknesses of your communications team. Include

an assessment of skills and experience for each member of

your team, an inventory of the equipment and the physical

space needed to support communications operations.

2. Select a likely operational crisis scenario

Prepare an operational crisis scenario likely to occur in

your organization based on its purpose or business to give

context to this process.For example, if your company operates a petroleum

products pipeline you might use a gasoline leak from your

pipeline as the scenario for this exercise.

Participants in these exercises should include your

crisis team members and representatives from parts

of the organization who need to coordinate with the

communications team during a crisis.

3. Determine the ideal response sequence

Conduct a tabletop exercise using the scenario you selected.

A tabletop exercise is a type of crisis training in which

participants typically sit around a conference table and

discuss responses to a developing crisis, hence its name.

Step-by-step, determine the best-case sequence of actions,

decisions and resources needed to respond to a crisis and

record them as part of your plan.

4. Create a resources needed list

Based on the results of the tabletop exercise conducted in

Step 3, prepare a list of the resources needed to implement

the plan,.

5. Test the plan

Now, using the scenario in Step 3, conduct another

tabletop exercise to test and evaluate your fledgling dra

communications plan.

Dont forget to incorporate the actions and decisions

identified in this exercise in your plan.

6. Repeat the process

Conduct a third tabletop exercise, this time using a non-

operational scenario that could occur in your organization

such as fraud, executive malfeasance or reports of sexual

harassment.

7. Repeat the process again

Conduct a fourth tabletop exercise this time using a worst-

case scenario that could befall your organization. is

scenario for the petroleum pipeline company could be a

significant gasoline leak in a highly populated area.

Incorporate the actions, decisions and resources identified in

this exercise into your plan.

Brainstorm answers to the questions about the article above.

1. What does the article say about a crisis management plan that is too large and has too much detail?

2. What is the purpose of a tabletop exercise?

3. What example is given for the worst crisis that could happen to a petroleum pipeline company?

4. What do you think is meant by the wordfledglingin step 5?

5. Step 6 mentions a non-operational problem. What do you think is the difference between an operational and a non- operational problem?

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28

Dealing with a crisis

Even in dealing with a crisis, people in diverse cultures have different ways of handling problemsbrought about by a critical situation. Share what you know about other cultures way of handling crisis.

NOTES:

Score(1-5)

Number of potentia problems identified

Number of solutions to the problems

Delegating tasks amongst group

(teamwork)

Feasibility of the plan (Is it realistic?)

Creativity

Get into groups. ink of a crisis situation. You will

have 15 minutes to come up with an effective crisis

management plan. Each group will then present their

crisis and their action plan to the class. Each group will

be awarded points based on the criteria below.

MBG Inc PC 04

Want to know more about other cultures' crisis management?See Culture Angle:Crisis management across cultures on page 40.

Business across Cultures

Crisis communication across culturesBP CEO Tony Hayward has been in the crossfire over his reaction to the oil spill in the Gulf ofMexico. Some of his problems seem to come from failure to take into account cultural differences.Different cultures communicate in different ways, and awareness of this can be vital to success indealing with crisis situations like this environmental disaster.

What seems clear is that Tony Haywards down-to earth, self-deprecating, unemotional style,which is appealing to many British people, doesnt go down well in the US. Americans werefar from reassured when he said, "We dont have all the tools in our tool box." The Americans,according to commentators quoted in the recent Financial Times article with the title "Culturalfailings leave BP engulfed", wanted to see contrition, serious upset and emotion. Above all, theywanted action.

To make matters worse, Hayward's tendency to smile or make a joke suggested to manyAmericans that he wasnt taking the situation seriously, rather than having the intended effect ofdefusing tension.The Timessums it all up in a quote from a source who said, "When America was

crying out for the cool assurance and go-do-it of Tom Hanks inApollo 13 they got bumbling HughGrant in Four Weddings and a Funeral."

By Robert Gibson (http://www.business-spotlight.de/blogs/robert-gibson/crisis-communication-across-cultures)

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Business World KnowHow

Speak up

Work with a partner.

TASK 1Prepare a crisis situation for another group to discuss. Imagine that a problem hasoccurred. Write a description giving details about what has happened. An example is

shown below. Give the notes to another group. Take the crisis situation that the other

group has prepared for you as you will need it for Task 2.

To be successful at work and in business, you need to have certain skills and qualities. In this lesson wehave focused on the following skills and qualities:

1. Looking at ways of dealing with a crisis

2. Preparing for a crisis

3. Thinking of solutions

4. How to make a crisis management plan

5. Working as a team in a crisis

Keyexpressions

Managing a crisisCapability analysis

Crisis management

Response sequence

Operational and non-operational scenarios

Working in a crisis-managementteam

So, shall we start by

Ill prepare

How should we handlethat?

We will brief the

Example

PR Crisis

You work in the Public Relations department of a large Pizza restaurant company which has restaurants all

over the country. Most of the restaurants are franchised but it is up to Head Offi ce to maintain standards and

protect the brand.

The Crisis:

The media are reporting that your flagship store in the centre of Shanghai is dirty, unhygienic and is infested

with mice and cockroaches. A disgruntled former employee has posted a video on the internet. It shows the

kitchen and food preparation area in a disgusting state and the video has already received 50000 hits on

youku. The media are asking for a company statement. What can you do? How can you make the situation

better?

TASK 2Taking the crisis situation notes from another group, hold a crisis meeting to deal with

the situation.

All members of the group should look for solutions and make suggestions.

Analysis

1. How well did your group perform as a team duringthe crisis meeting?

2. What could your group do to improve itsperformance in a similar situation in the future?

3. Do you think you can put some of the strategies youhave learned into your real-life work?

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MBG Inc PC 05

05

Why is it important to have a summary of a meeting?

Is it useful to have an oral summary as well as a written record (i.e. the minutes) of the meeting?

When is the best time for a chairperson to provide a summary: during the meeting, at the end, or both?

What should the chairperson include when summarizing?

OBJECTIVES

Summarize main points

Structure a report Give an accurate report

Whats your point?How to summarize main points and give accurate reports

Listen to the first extract from the meeting. Make notes on the following points.

Listen to Kirsty giving a report of the meeting to Roberto, the plant safety offi cer, andanswer the questions.

a. Do the managers plan to have an open day, an exhibition or both?

b. Who might come to this event?

c. What problem is discussed?

d. What action points are given to:* Jimmy?

* Kirsty?

e. Do they reach a decision at the end of the meeting?

a. What does Kirsty say was decided at the meeting?

____________________________________________________________________

b. What does she say will happen at the open day?

____________________________________________________________________

c. Who does she say is going to draw up the guest list?

____________________________________________________________________

d. What does she ask Roberto to do?

____________________________________________________________________

e. When does she ask him to get it done by?

____________________________________________________________________

f. Which of the above points does Kirsty report inaccurately?

____________________________________________________________________

g. Did she omit any important points?

_________________________________________________________________

Get ready to listen

Start up

PC 5.1

Jimmy, Kirsty and Mac, three managers from Tartan Minerals Ltd, hold a meeting todiscuss another PR question.

A

B

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MBG Inc PC 05

The importance of summarizing

Brainstorm answers to the questions about the article above.

BizBits

1. What reasons are given for the advantages of summarizing a meeng?

2. What examples of misunderstandings are given in the text?

3. What phrases can be given to start a summary?

4. What do you think the underlined words in the text mean?

5. According to the text, who can start a summary?Now, summarize the article above. You

may start by saying,

I would appreciate the opportunityto summarize what I believe we havediscussed today to be sure I understandit.

It is surprising to observe what emerges from meetings.People hear different things. Or to put it more correctly,they hear the same things but give them differentmeanings.It is particularly interesting that people whohave opposing viewpoints can attend the same meetingand come out with the strong conviction that what wassaid supports their respective positions, and they quotethe same speaker to prove their points. Because of thisconflict in what some hear, but also because it is desirableto clarify matters and to provide better understandingfor all in attendance, it is useful to summarize a meetingbefore everyone departs.

Of course, if it is an offi cial board or committee meeting,a secretary might be taking minutes to be circulated later,and such a verbal summary may not be necessary. But

there are many meetings when this is not the case, anda summary is helpful. is is particularly true if a deal isbeing concocted and it is important for each person tounderstand what his or her rights and obligations are, or ifsome action is planned and each person has to know whatto do.

A suggested procedure is to volunteer, I would appreciatethe opportunity to summarize what I believe we havesaid today to be sure I understand it. Rarely, if ever, willanyone object, and usually, even for the simplest andbriefest meetings, there are some corrections and addendato the summary. Frequently, it leads to a rather lengthydiscussion and clarification, even aer everyone thoughtthe meeting was over and that all present understood thecontent. Summarizing a meeting takes a little skill, which

can be improved with practice.

An outstanding practitioner of this is Sally Hayes who isprofessional in helping boards and committees go throughevaluation procedures. We were having a meeting aboutthe possibility of having a management study done fora non-profit organization.Aer a two-hour discussion,she summed up, is is what I hear you saying... Andin about four sentences, she put it all together. It was apleasure to see the affi rmative nods around the table.

Once I had a luncheon meeting with three men in the oilbusiness to discuss a complicated deal.As the lunch waswinding down, it appeared that we were ready to leave,each feeling he had a complete understanding of what hadbeen decided. I asked for the opportunity to summarizewhat I thought had been concluded, to which they agreed.I had not gone far before I came to an important part of

the deal, and it was apparent that it had not been resolved.ere followed an animated conversation until the matterwas clarified, and then I began again. When it was over,it was pointed out that I had forgotten to mention twoaspects, which were then described by another person.

It is clear that if I had not volunteered to give a summary,we would have le with an important point unresolved.Furthermore, repeating the terms helped reinforce themin our minds, and a reminder of the two points I hadforgotten to mention was helpful.

Discussion

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In Germanyand Italy there is a long tradition in being socially responsible among businessmen. For example in

working alongside politicians, scientists and representatives of charitable associations or by enhancing the quality

of life of the employees in the communities where the companies operated (for example in terms of education,

health). Also it can be said however, that the deep involvement in the community was gradually reduced as a

consequence of the growth of the welfare state. In recent years there has been a growing focus on corporate

social responsibility among large companies as people demand more accountability from these companies. A

recent study in CSRO among 131 natives of different countries working as managers in the U.S. chemical industry

found that natives of the UK, France, Germany, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States did not report

significant differences in CSR orientation across countries.

E-tullop is a medium-sized company which burns waste

products. Companies like this have received a lot of bad

publicity recently with environmental groups saying

they produce harmful pollution. The company wants to

promote the image of being socially responsible so has

decided to use $100,000 to sponsor a local project.

Part 1:You must come up with a suitable project which would best improve the companys image. Twoexamples are given below.

Part 2:Hold a meeting with your group discussing the benefits of your project, how you will implement it andhow it will improve the companys image.

Part 3:

Your group must now summarize the main points of your proposal and present to the other groups.

ere has been a growing trend towards companies

and charities collaborating in long term partnerships

that go beyond just financial commitment. Forest

Watch is a local charity aiming to conserve local forests

and encourage the development of new forests with

tree planting initiatives. You want to offer financial

help to the charity and will also give your own staff

incentives to do volunteer work for Forest Watch.

A local hospital is trying to raise $2,000,000 to update

and modernize its medical equipment. e current

equipment is ineffi cient and patients health is being

put at risk. e hospital is launching an appeal to raise

the $2,000,000 and it is hoped that local firms will offer

donations.

In advanced economies like the U.S. and Japan, corporate social responsibility is a major part of the manycompaniescorporate culture.

Social Responsibility

Each individual including the trainer will vote for

the best proposal and summary. You cant vote

for your own proposal. The group with the most

votes wins.

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32

Business across Cultures

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Business World KnowHow

Speak up

Match the first part of each sentence 1-8 with the second part a-h that goes with it.e linked sentences should make a logical paragraph giving an oral report about ameeting to discuss publicity materials.

Look at the audio script on page 93. What should Kirsty have said whenreporting the meeting to Roberto? Prepare your own short oral reportof the meeting. Use some of the reporting phrases from the languageexercise above. Report the meeting to the class.

To be successful at work and in business, you need to have certain skills and qualities. In this lesson we

have focused on the following skills and qualities:

1. Summarizing the important points of a meeting, an article, or a discussion

2. Discussing a proposal

3. Summarizing the main points of a proposal

4. Structuring and preparing a structuring and preparing a report

5. Giving an accurate report

Keyexpressions

Summarizing

I would appreciatethe opportunity tosummarize...

Volunteer to give asummary

Id like to clarify

Reporting

______ pointed out...

______ suggested...

We talked...

We decided to...

______ felt that...In the end, we agreed...

a. ...with this idea.

b. ...how we could make our publicity

materials more exciting

c. ...finding out what it would cost

before deciding

d. ...that the costs would be very high.

e. ...produce a new brochure.

f. ...to postpone the decision until we

have more information.

g. ...about the possibility of hiringdesign consultants.

h. ...it was more important to have

good publicity than to save costs.

1. We discussed

2. And we decided to

3. We talked

4. Several people disagreed

5. James pointed out

6. Peter felt that

7. Clarissa suggested

8. In the end, we agreed...

MBG Inc PC 05

33

Analysis

How clear was your partners report? How accurate was the report? Did they give enough detail? Or too much detail? Was it necessary to ask questions to get the

information you needed?

Want to know more about socialresponsibility in other cultures?See Culture Angleon page 40.

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MBG Inc PC 06

06OBJECTIVES

Persuade people to do things

Get things done on time Use time and energy wisely

Get ready to listen

Start up

PC 6.1

Get it done

Look at the list of actions (a-g) below. en listen to the conversation and write eachaction into the plan.

a. Check the customers requirements

b. Invite the customers

c. Book the golf venue

d. Brief the sales team

e. Select the golf venue

f. Choose the menu for lunch

g. Confirm the number of guests

Actions February March April

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

1 ***

2 *******

3 *************

4 ****

5 ***************

6 ****

7 *****

8 Hold the tournament 10th

Listen again. What language did the speakers use to say when things must be done?

How to get results and improve productivity

Which of the following strategies do you use to make sure you do things on time? Discusswith a partner.

Make a list of things to do.

Estimate the time you need for each task.

Break down tasks into steps.

Decide on the order in which to complete tasks.

Draw a workflow diagram.

Put high priority tasks first.

A sales manager talks to a conference organizer about arranging a golf tournament forimportant customers.

A

B

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MBG Inc PC 06

BizBits

Discussion

Time management and productivity

e key to increased productivity is to focus on managing

actions and energyrather than time. Here are five actionsthat can increase your productivity

1. Manage actions and priorities.

Time management is action-management. ink of time

as physical and mental energy that you expend through

actions. e feeling of no time can arise from too many

priorities or unclear priorities. Neglected self-care can

also leave one feeling unable to complete necessary tasks.

Begin your day knowing exactly what you intend to

do. Outlining the day on paper each morning is a great

action-management technique.

What must you do before you can use your time-energy

more effi ciently?

2. Keep skills sharpened.

Sharp skills allow completion of more actions with less

effort. Sharpen fundamental skills frequently. Take courses

that will keep you up to date with the latest information in

your career. Routine skill sharpening in all aspects of life

is a wise energy-management choice. Personal skills and

career skills will oen overlap, affecting productivity .

What skills could you sharpen that would create more time-

energy and productivity?

3. Focus purposefully.

Feelings of time scarcity crop up when thoughts or actions

do not pertain to the purpose at hand. Actions that areoff purpose do not support ones values or goals. Up goes

stress; down goes productivity. Create daily reminders to

check your focus and action-priorities.

What distractions could you remove that would help to

maintain a purposeful focus?

1. What does the writer say you should focus on instead of time?

2. How does improving your skills help you to save time?

3. What are the advantages of staying flexible?

4 What do you think the writer means by over-analysis in point 5?

5. With a partner, discuss the questions at the end of each point.

4. Stay flexible and ask for help.

Urgency is not inflexibility. Flexible plans allow for

interruptions, schedule changes, and unforeseen events

that you cannot control. Flexibility also allows you to

accept help from others. Attempting to do everything

alone can create an energy imbalance in both your

personal life and career. Act on your strengths and ask for

qualified help with those things you cannot handle alone.

What thoughts or attitudes can you change to become more

flexible, balanced, and productive?

5. Act decisively.

Act decisively on the commitments you make to your

goals. Over-analysis and waiting for the perfect momentcan obstruct a successful launch. Fears of either success

or failure can hold you back. Acknowledge fears and look

past them to see the rewards of your actions.

What could you accomplish if you made the commitment to

begin today?

Which of the five actions aboveresonate to you most?

How are you going to act on it?

When?

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36

Attitudes to time and staff training

Traditionally, in low context cultures like Northern Europe, a verbal agreement to do something is not

always to be relied on and so plans are often written in detail to hold people to a certain task. On theother hand, in high context cultures, like Japan and the Middle East, a persons word is often enough.However traditional cultural differences in regards to business practice is becoming less noticeablearound the world as there is a move towards standardization rather than adapting to one specific type ofbusiness practice. This is especially true when looking at modern attitudes to planning, time and the roleof the leader.

Look at the projects below. Hold a short planning meeting with your team to discuss each oneand make an action plan. Assign a different person to lead each discussion.

Project 1Replace all the desks in your offi ce.

Budget? Requirements? Suppliers? Timescale?

Time?Food and drink? Gifts? Place?

Project 2Organize a party for a colleague who is leaving in 2 weeks.

Project 3Organize a training day for your team next month. The trainer will come from theUSA to run the course in the company.

Date? Trainersaccommodation?

Training room? Copies oftraining manual?

Action points Deadline Person responsible

1 1 1

2 2 2

3 3 3

4 4 4

5 5 5

6 6 6

The leader`s role

- Get the team tobreak down each

project into a series

of steps or actions.

- Assign each action

to someone in your

team.

- Keep to the time

limit.

- Record the

decisions and

actions on the table

below.

MBG Inc PC 06

Want to know more about different cultures' attitude to time?See Culture Angle:Attitude to time and hierarchy on page 40.

Business across Cultures

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37

Business World KnowHow

Speak up

To be successful at work and in business, you need to have certain skills and qualities. In this lesson wehave focused on the following skills and qualities:

1. Being persuasive

2. Using time and energy wisely

3. Organizing a project

4. Getting things done and getting results

5. Increasing productivity

Keyexpressions

Prioritizing &Persuasion

Tis is urgent...

We need to...as soon aspossible.

We must do it rightaway.

Id like to get everythingdone...

Its important to...

Teres no rush...

Productivity &Time management

Sharpen skills

Act decisively

Remove distractions

Stay exible

Which of the following sentencesexpresses the greatest priority? Putthem in order from greatest to leastpriority.

a. Id like to get everything done before May, if

possible.

b. This is urgentwe must do it right away.

c. Its important to confirm the numbers by the

end of the month.

d. We need to book as soon as possible.

e. Theres no rush we can do that anytime.

Write a list of 5 things you need to do andprioritize them.

_______________________________

_______________________________

_______________________________

_______________________________

_______________________________

Persuade people to do thingsGet into groups. Your company has been given some extra money to spend. Look at thescenarios below, choose one and try to persuade the other members in your group to dowhat you want.

Suggest a dinner and a night at an

expensive hotel in (city of your choice).

You want to invite wives/husbands/

partners to the event.

You want to divide the cash among you

so you can spend it as you wish.

You think the money should be given

in the form of shares in the company

(stock options).

You want to spend the money on a trip.

Your companys head offi ce is in London

and none of you has been there yet.

Propose a visit.

Analysis

1. What techniques did your partners use to persuade?

2. Did you respond to their techniques?

3. What could they have done better?

4. What do you think are the most important factorsin persuasion?

MBG Inc PC 06

1. 2.

3. 4.

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1. Clarify the most urgent aspects of the problem.

2. Discuss how to stop the problem from happeningagain.

3. Carry out a risk assessment.

4. Keep calm and make informed decisions.

5. Analyze how your team dealt with the problem.6. Prepare an action plan.

1. ____________ to the aims of the meeting and whether they have been met.

2. ____________ people what points have been covered.

3. ____________ priority to the most significant items or decisions.

4. ____________ the main decisions reached.5. Briefly ___________ the discussion leading up to these decisions.

6. ____________ that any outstanding items are noted for inclusion at the next meeting.

7. ____________ people for their contributions.

8. ____________ the time and venue for the next meeting.

Do

make a list of tasks ___

break down tasks into shorter actions ___

set deadlines for completing tasks ___

do the most urgent tasks first ___

predict and try to prevent problems ___

check your list regularly to keep on track ___

Dont

put off tasks because they are too difficult ___

concentrate on one task and forget others ___

38

At the end of a meeting a chairperson may sum up as follows. Place the correct verb in the

space.

Put the actions in the box into the

appropriate step below.Before a crisis occurs:

Thank Ensure Refer Remind Recap Give Set summarize

Which of the following things do you do? Put a tick beside the things you do and dont do.

4-6

Crisis Management4

Summarizing5

Getting Results6

Business Communication Skills Review

During a crisis:

After a crisis:

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1. Ask for ideas2. Divide the problem into parts

3. Suggest ideas

1. summarizing a discussion?

2. summarizing information that you have read?

a. How can we sort this out?

b. Well just have to...

c. The first thing we should do is...

d. We need to...

e. How do you suggest we deal with this?

f. Lets just take it one step at a time.

a. So, to sum up

b. This case study is quite long, so let me just give you a brief summary

c. It says here that

d. Weve discussed the question ofand it seems that

e. Some of you think thatOthers are of the opinion that

f. Basically, the main points in the report are

g. So, what weve agreed is that ...

1. Match each of the functions 1-3 with two of the phrases a-f that you can use to talk about

solutions.

2. Look at the phrases a-g below. Which phrases are useful for...

a. Defining the problem

b. Brainstorming ideas

c. Reviewing ideas

d. Selecting the solution

1. Ok, lets see what weve got so far...

2. On balance, I think we should go with

3. I think there are three main aspects to the problem.

4. I think well have to reject this idea for now.

5. Id like to hear what you all have to say.

6. Now, how do we implement this...

7. OK, basically the problem is this...

8. Lets keep the ideas coming.

3. Look at four stages of getting results. Take two things you might say from the box and place

them in the correct part.

39

Language Review

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PC 1

Emotions across cultures

The extent to which people express their emotions can often bedescribed using the terms affective and neutral. People from affective

cultures tend to express their feelings and emotions openly whereaspeople from neutralcultures usually try to hide their thoughts andfeelings. These two opposing concepts can help us to understandbehaviours and reactions to situations so that we avoid making falseinterpretations or judgments about others when working acrosscultures.

Affective cultures vs neutral cultures

When doing business in Brazil or living and working in Italy, bothaffective cultures, you may find that your counterparts show theirreactions immediately and directly through verbal and non-verbalchannels such as increasing the level of their voice, using gesturesor making more physical contact. However, if you are from a neutralculture like the US or Finland, this may make you feel uncomfortableand sometimes even aggressed. Meanwhile, your Brazilian or Italiancounterparts may find your lack of outward expression of feelingsconfusing and might perceive you as being cold and reserved.

PC 2Cross cultural presentationsOne area within the business environment in which interculturalawareness is a necessity is in the business presentation.Directors,managers, salespeople, consultants and business personnel areregularly required to deliver presentations. However, when one isasked to give a presentation to an audience from a different culturethere are intercultural factors that can hinder the success of apresentation.

Style of PresentationDifferent cultures learn and take in information in varying ways.One should always try and tailor their presentation style to meetthe needs of the target culture. Some cultures, such as Europeans,prefer information to be presented in detail and in a way that setsdown foundations that act as the support to a final argument or

point. In such a presentation the speaker should gradually lead theaudience, using a logical succession of points, to a conclusion. On theother hand, some cultures, like the US, prefer a much faster pacedpresentation that is bottom-line orientated, meaning the presenterspeaks from a point rather towards a point.

Cross cultural teamworkTo effectively handle conflict about a problem without peoplegetting mad at each other is the most important thing about makingteams work.Some cultures are more comfortable about engaging in conflict, andsomeone from a culture that always brings conflicts out in the openmay be astonished when someone from another culture thinks theyare rude and even cruel.The biggest trick to accomplishing that is to talk to each other aboutteamwork, how everyone is feeling about conflicts, and how to make

it better. It also helps to know that even before people start to tryto resolve a conflict, different cultures have three different ways toresolve conflicts:

PC 3

ASK THE BOSS.In many cultures, there is someone whosedecision must be followed. Whatever the chosen person says is true,even if it does not make sense to anybody else.

FOLLOW THE PROCESS. Some have processes to calculateor determine the answer for each type of question, and the answerthat process provides is followed without question, no matter how itaffects the people involved.

TAKE CARE OF EVERYBODY.People from these cultures feelthat everybody should get some good out of the conflict, even if itconflicts with the boss, or it violates the rulesin some way.

PC 4Crisis management across cultures

During a crisis, behavior incidents, values , beliefs and attitudesimposed by each individuals personal heritage can come tothe surface. When expressed they can trigger responses thataccelerate rather than defuse the situation. Knowing these issuesand how they are communicated is critica l to successful behaviormanagement. Multi-cultural issues may provide numerouschallenges to all involved in crisis management. Languagedifferences, along with inaccurate assumptions and stereotypes,may obstruct communication.

In Business across Cultures, page 28 you have seen how British andAmericans differ in handling a crisis. How about the Chinese? Howdo they manage a crisis?

PC 5

The meaning of corporate social responsibility in a specificcountry is determined by the social priorities and the political andsociocultural context. Companies that wish to do business i n andwith foreign countries and wish to accept their corporate socialresponsibility will benefit if they obtain information beforehand

on the attitudes and customs with regard to corporate socialresponsibility in a certain country.

Companies also need to pay attention to the social needs andproblems that exist in a certain country. For example, blackempowerment and contributing to the fight agains t AIDS arecentral themes in South Africa. In the United States, corporatesocial responsibility is often associated with charity and, in theNetherlands, it is seen as activities that transcend legislation.The politicalsocial situation in a country plays a large role inwhat is expected from companiesand certainly from foreign,Western companieswith regard to corporate social responsibility.Something that is obvious in one country can be a very importanttopic of discussion in another. This is the result of differences in:

The social problems that are given priority in a certain country

The relationship between (multinational) companies and the local government

The relationship between (multinational) companies and

their stakeholders (including social organisations) and the role of the citizens.

Attitude to time and hierarchy

Of the many areas in international business where culturaldifferences manifest is in the corporate meeting room. Internationalmeetings are an area where differences in cultural values, etiquette,interpretations of professional conduct and corporate rules are attheir most visible and challenging to control.In international business meetings, cultural differences betweenprofessionals can and do clash. Although it can not always beavoided, the negative effects of cultural differences can beminimised with careful and effective planning, organisation andconsideration prior to meetings.

PC 6

TimeNot all cultures live by the clock. Time orientated cultures such asthe British or Germans will have strict approaches to how meetingsrun. The start time, finishing time and al l the different stages inbetween will be planned carefully. Other cultures will see the starttime as an approximation, the finish time as non-fixed and all thedifferent stages in between as flexible.

HierarchyThe hierarchical nature of a culture can have a massive impact onthe input given by participants in an international meeting. For thosefrom hierarchical cultures speaking one's mind, criticising ideas,disagreeing openly, giving feedback and reporting problems in frontof the boss or manager are all areas they would feel uncomfortablewith. To offer a criticism of the manager's i