Sports Talk
How do I 'get the ball rolling'? What does it mean to 'go to bat for' someone? When someone wants me to 'touch base', what should I do?
Sports expressions can be very confusing to foreigners doing business with Americans because they are used so frequently as an informal way to communicate in the workplace.
Here are some other sports expressions used in business. Can you guess their meaning?
Our team had a morning huddle to discuss developments in our project.
Because our company just got bought out, we must implement a new operational system. It’s a whole new ball game for us.
I didn't give him specifics -- just the ballpark figures.
Now for the explanations:
To get the ball rolling means to initiate or take the first step to start some action. If you and your team have been discussing a new project, and now you are ready to start it, you will do so by taking some action. For example, you might assign duties to each member as a way of starting the work. When someone says "Let's get the ball rolling" he or she may have a sense of urgency and may want to begin as soon as possible. If the project has had a slow start, it may be time to speed up. This idiom can be applied to soccer, where a player takes the ball and starts moving it down the field.
To go to bat for someone means to positively support someone's ideas. If you choose to go to bat for a friend or a colleague, your intention is to help him or her. You might speak to another person and defend your colleague's point of view, for example. This idiom comes from baseball and in baseball it means to get ready to hit the ball with the bat.
To touch base means to make contact. If , at the end of a meeting today someone says, "Let's touch bases next week" it means you should contact each other by email or phone at some point in time next week. It is a very informal phrase that doesn't indicate a specific time to talk again. It means you will have a brief discussion about today's work next week. This phrase comes also comes from baseball. In baseball, a base is the white square that the runner must touch before scoring. There are four of them.
A huddle is an short, informal meeting that is impromptu or not planned. It is a very informal process where a few people get together spontaneously to discuss and decide on something. A huddle in football is where all of the players on the field stand in a circle and lean over so that no one else can hear them discussing their next strategy.
A whole new ball game indicates a new situation that will provide new challenges and possibly a new system of doing things. This new situation may have different rules, factors to consider, or other changed variables. In baseball, a whole new ball game is a fresh new game, and it's the opportunity to start over and play better.
Ballpark figures are general financial numbers. Business people talk about numbers in general to indicate profit, expense, cost, and other business results. When someone gives ballpark figures, he or she doesn't know or doesn't want to reveal the exact numbers. Ballpark figures refer to the scores and averages of baseball games and players.
If you want to read a dialogue and learn more sports idioms, go to the English as a Second Language page on About.com. Here is the link: http://esl.about.com/library/weekly/aa111697.htm.
One thing to remember though, when using sports idioms, is that is it always best to clarify the idiom. If you say, "Let's touch base" you can also say "Let's make contact" or "Let's get in touch" afterward to simplify your words a little.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Friday, September 22, 2006
How to Ask Questions to Get the Best Results
Today's post is taken from the book Complete Handbook of Business English, by William Repp, pages 423 -425.
In this section, the author William Repp states that learning HOW to ask questions appropriately will help guarantee your success in controlling a meeting. He offers 11 useful tips:
1 Propose the Question. Before the meeting, write down the key questions that need to be answered. Alongside each, jot down the name of the person you think is best qualified to answer it.
2 Don't Bias Your Wording. Check the wording of the questions to see if you aren't hinting at the answer you want, or whether you're revealing your own prejudices or opinions. You don't want to lead someone to intentionally see things your way. For example, if you say, "Bob, you agree that the price is too much, don't you?," you will be influencing Bob to agree with you.
3 Avoid Difficult Questions. Sometimes, to save time, we ask 2 or 3 questions in one long question. This makes the question too complicated, and people will not be able to answer it easily. To avoid bogging down your meeting, don't ask complicated questions like the following:
"Should we consider pricing the key factor, or should packaging, advertising, and sales promotion costs be added to research and development costs for a total sales cost?" "How can we cut our labor costs-by decreasing tardiness, cutting employees, automating more, or should we think about new work methods?" Instead, ask just one portion of the question at a time.
4 Don't be Vague. Good questions are specific. Those that are too vague or general will be confusing and people are likely to misinterpret them and wast time trying to wonder what you are really asking. Here is an example of a question that is too broad: "What do you know about employee morale?" A better question would be: "What things break down employee morale?"
5 Avoid YES or NO Questions. Asking questions that allow a simple yes or no answer may make for a short meeting, but you won't accomplish much because you'll only skim the surface of the issue. Use how, what, why, who, when and where questions that will deliver more information.
6 Use a Conversational Style. By their nature, questions are threatening, so it's good to ask them in a normal, conversational tone. You may even want to practice asking the question aloud to see how it sounds, especially if the issue you're discussing is sensitive. A warm, friendly, supportive manner will go a long way in helping you get the results you want.
7 Pause. Don't spit out one question after another, and don't jump on one person right away for an answer. Give people enough time to think about the question. Then when they've had a reasonable amount of time, ask for the answer: "How do you think we can raise employee productivity?" (wait 3 -5 seconds) Now say, "Tom, what do you think? You're had some success in this area already."
8 Call on Someone. You'll get better results and maintain better control of your meeting if you call on someone directly, using his or her name. This has the added advantage of allowing you to give everyone a chance to talk and share ideas. You can easily direct your questions to the quieter people if necessary, and you can direct the discussion away from those who tend to dominate it.
9 Acknowledge the Answer. You'll keep the meeting going more smoothly if you acknowledge each answer. This lets each person know you appreciate the contribution and prepares the group for the next question. It also stimulates the other people to contribute more to the discussion. Here are some ways you can acknowledge the answer:
"Those are good observations, Mary. Thanks for the work you've done." "Good point, Bill. I think that's worth pursuing. Can anyone add to this?" "That's an important point we should keep in mind. Any other comments?"
10 Don't Let Someone Flounder. Who needs embarassment? Certainly not the folks at your meeting. So don't make people agonize when they obviously don't know the answer to a question, have come unprepared, or simply can't participate. Give them a face-saving break by moving on to someone else. Here are three good responses to help someone who's floundering.
"Jim, this question may have caught you off guard. We'll come back a little later." "Mary, right now may not be the best time for you to respond to this question. We'll come back later on." "John, maybe we don't have enough information for you to respond right now. Let's hear from someone else first. Jack?"
11 Don't repeat Questions. One good way to encourage people not to listen to you is to repeat every question more than once. As soon as people get the message that daydreaming is all right and that they don't have to pay close attention, they probably won't. Solution: Ask your questions just once. That way, people will learn to listen more carefully. You'll waste less time and the meeting will be less boring to everyone.
(1982, Prentice Hall, Inc. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.)
Today's post is taken from the book Complete Handbook of Business English, by William Repp, pages 423 -425.
In this section, the author William Repp states that learning HOW to ask questions appropriately will help guarantee your success in controlling a meeting. He offers 11 useful tips:
1 Propose the Question. Before the meeting, write down the key questions that need to be answered. Alongside each, jot down the name of the person you think is best qualified to answer it.
2 Don't Bias Your Wording. Check the wording of the questions to see if you aren't hinting at the answer you want, or whether you're revealing your own prejudices or opinions. You don't want to lead someone to intentionally see things your way. For example, if you say, "Bob, you agree that the price is too much, don't you?," you will be influencing Bob to agree with you.
3 Avoid Difficult Questions. Sometimes, to save time, we ask 2 or 3 questions in one long question. This makes the question too complicated, and people will not be able to answer it easily. To avoid bogging down your meeting, don't ask complicated questions like the following:
"Should we consider pricing the key factor, or should packaging, advertising, and sales promotion costs be added to research and development costs for a total sales cost?" "How can we cut our labor costs-by decreasing tardiness, cutting employees, automating more, or should we think about new work methods?" Instead, ask just one portion of the question at a time.
4 Don't be Vague. Good questions are specific. Those that are too vague or general will be confusing and people are likely to misinterpret them and wast time trying to wonder what you are really asking. Here is an example of a question that is too broad: "What do you know about employee morale?" A better question would be: "What things break down employee morale?"
5 Avoid YES or NO Questions. Asking questions that allow a simple yes or no answer may make for a short meeting, but you won't accomplish much because you'll only skim the surface of the issue. Use how, what, why, who, when and where questions that will deliver more information.
6 Use a Conversational Style. By their nature, questions are threatening, so it's good to ask them in a normal, conversational tone. You may even want to practice asking the question aloud to see how it sounds, especially if the issue you're discussing is sensitive. A warm, friendly, supportive manner will go a long way in helping you get the results you want.
7 Pause. Don't spit out one question after another, and don't jump on one person right away for an answer. Give people enough time to think about the question. Then when they've had a reasonable amount of time, ask for the answer: "How do you think we can raise employee productivity?" (wait 3 -5 seconds) Now say, "Tom, what do you think? You're had some success in this area already."
8 Call on Someone. You'll get better results and maintain better control of your meeting if you call on someone directly, using his or her name. This has the added advantage of allowing you to give everyone a chance to talk and share ideas. You can easily direct your questions to the quieter people if necessary, and you can direct the discussion away from those who tend to dominate it.
9 Acknowledge the Answer. You'll keep the meeting going more smoothly if you acknowledge each answer. This lets each person know you appreciate the contribution and prepares the group for the next question. It also stimulates the other people to contribute more to the discussion. Here are some ways you can acknowledge the answer:
"Those are good observations, Mary. Thanks for the work you've done." "Good point, Bill. I think that's worth pursuing. Can anyone add to this?" "That's an important point we should keep in mind. Any other comments?"
10 Don't Let Someone Flounder. Who needs embarassment? Certainly not the folks at your meeting. So don't make people agonize when they obviously don't know the answer to a question, have come unprepared, or simply can't participate. Give them a face-saving break by moving on to someone else. Here are three good responses to help someone who's floundering.
"Jim, this question may have caught you off guard. We'll come back a little later." "Mary, right now may not be the best time for you to respond to this question. We'll come back later on." "John, maybe we don't have enough information for you to respond right now. Let's hear from someone else first. Jack?"
11 Don't repeat Questions. One good way to encourage people not to listen to you is to repeat every question more than once. As soon as people get the message that daydreaming is all right and that they don't have to pay close attention, they probably won't. Solution: Ask your questions just once. That way, people will learn to listen more carefully. You'll waste less time and the meeting will be less boring to everyone.
(1982, Prentice Hall, Inc. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.)
Thursday, September 14, 2006
An Argument for Collaborative Problem Solving
The majority of American companies use strategic planning to decide on strategies for increasing profits. Teams of people are created and team members (who don't necessarily know each other) get together to draw up objectives and decide what strategies to employ to accomplish them.
According to the authors of Working with Americans: How to Build Profitable Business Relationships, Americans take seriously the role of making decisions, because the ability to make decisions is seen as a positive trait related to being self-reliant and independent. As these qualities are highly valued and respected, so it follows that planning is a vital part of any company.
The authors, Allyson Stewart-Allen and Lanie Denslow, claim that these decision making teams tend to function in favor of the strongest voice, and those who don't follow the lead are alienated. The analogy is made that these planning teams are much like sports teams who elect popular leaders who persuade others to believe their ideas. These team leaders are good at convincing others to support them and do a good job of motivating others on the team to take action.
When this style of planning and decision making is implemented, there is little room for real teamwork. Real teamwork puts aside egos and personal agendas in favor of the best approach. Team members approach decision making by first bringing up current problems. Once these are listed, members begin to brainstorm on ways to solve the issues. Ideas are built upon by each member in true collaborative fashion. When the planning is finally complete, all members are proud of the decisions and naturally feel motivated to take action to accomplish the plans.
Collaborative problem-solving also allows different viewpoints to be heard. When people focus on a specific problem to solve, they become passionate because the problem is realistic and tangible. On the other hand, in typical strategic planning meetings, where the goal is focused more on creating profit, people who have different ideas are seen as unsupportive of the team and unpopular. There exists a peer pressure to follow the majority.
In collaborative problem-solving teams, this peer pressure is lifted and team members are free to voice all possible outcomes and alternatives. The team is fueled by creativity not by judgement, which makes for a thriving environment for great solutions. Naturally, great solutions also, in the end, lead to greater profits.
The majority of American companies use strategic planning to decide on strategies for increasing profits. Teams of people are created and team members (who don't necessarily know each other) get together to draw up objectives and decide what strategies to employ to accomplish them.
According to the authors of Working with Americans: How to Build Profitable Business Relationships, Americans take seriously the role of making decisions, because the ability to make decisions is seen as a positive trait related to being self-reliant and independent. As these qualities are highly valued and respected, so it follows that planning is a vital part of any company.
The authors, Allyson Stewart-Allen and Lanie Denslow, claim that these decision making teams tend to function in favor of the strongest voice, and those who don't follow the lead are alienated. The analogy is made that these planning teams are much like sports teams who elect popular leaders who persuade others to believe their ideas. These team leaders are good at convincing others to support them and do a good job of motivating others on the team to take action.
When this style of planning and decision making is implemented, there is little room for real teamwork. Real teamwork puts aside egos and personal agendas in favor of the best approach. Team members approach decision making by first bringing up current problems. Once these are listed, members begin to brainstorm on ways to solve the issues. Ideas are built upon by each member in true collaborative fashion. When the planning is finally complete, all members are proud of the decisions and naturally feel motivated to take action to accomplish the plans.
Collaborative problem-solving also allows different viewpoints to be heard. When people focus on a specific problem to solve, they become passionate because the problem is realistic and tangible. On the other hand, in typical strategic planning meetings, where the goal is focused more on creating profit, people who have different ideas are seen as unsupportive of the team and unpopular. There exists a peer pressure to follow the majority.
In collaborative problem-solving teams, this peer pressure is lifted and team members are free to voice all possible outcomes and alternatives. The team is fueled by creativity not by judgement, which makes for a thriving environment for great solutions. Naturally, great solutions also, in the end, lead to greater profits.
Friday, September 08, 2006
Open Communication
When communicating with Americans, it's important to understand how their values influence their style of communication. In general, Americans value being honest and literal. They will tend to directly state what they want and how they feel. They encourage all people involved in the conversation to 'speak up'. Like the famous Nike motto says, "Just do it!" In general, Americans don't care to use more formal styles of gaining respect and trust first. The concept of 'losing face' doesn't go so deeply in American culture. This causes a very noticeable contrast with many other cultures, especially Asian cultures. Other cultures have a certain protocol for building trust and respect, and the honest part of communication comes once this bond has been created. Until this bond is not comfortably established, foreigners might hesitate to honestly express to Americans how they feel and what their intentions are. There is a level of comfort that foreigners need to have with others in order for them to open up and naturally express themselves.
Since Americans naturally reach this comfort level sooner, they don't see it as a big problem. However, if they are not made aware, they may never know that there is this discomfort for foreigners. Once they are made aware, they may say, "Oh, I had no idea! I'm sorry if you felt uncomfortable." If you are a foreigner working with Americans, what can you do to reach this comfort level?
First, you need to understand that it is not a weakness on your part. Through socialization and education in your culture, you have learned how to be a competent communicator in your native culture and language.
Next, let the Americans you work with know that there is a difference in communication styles between your cultures, documented in many research studies. Don't be afraid to say that it takes some time for you to get to know others. This is a wonderful quality to have! If you honestly say this, most Americans will respect your honesty and you will gain more trust with them. In addition, most Americans will respect you for having the courage to speak what's on your mind. American culture values 'freedom of speech' and independent thinking. You are definitely entitled to your own feelings.
There is no perfect moment to express your intentions or feelings. If the American you are speaking with is being open with you, you make ask a question such as, "Why do you feel that way?" Asking a question may help you introduce your own thoughts somewhere in the conversation. If you don't feel comfortable asking questions, become a very good listener. Comments such as "That's good. I understand. Good idea." show that you are appreciating the open communication style of the other person. This may lead to the American asking you for your thoughts on the topic. The moment might be right for you to share. If you feel that the only way for you to express your honest feelings is to 'just do it', then you might start with a sentence like, "I respect your opinions and ideas very much. I would like to discuss one of my ideas."
Remember, when you are learning to have more open communication with Americans, it is easier to start with private conversations with just one other person. Later, when you become more comfortable, you can learn to express yourself more easily in a group conversation.
When communicating with Americans, it's important to understand how their values influence their style of communication. In general, Americans value being honest and literal. They will tend to directly state what they want and how they feel. They encourage all people involved in the conversation to 'speak up'. Like the famous Nike motto says, "Just do it!" In general, Americans don't care to use more formal styles of gaining respect and trust first. The concept of 'losing face' doesn't go so deeply in American culture. This causes a very noticeable contrast with many other cultures, especially Asian cultures. Other cultures have a certain protocol for building trust and respect, and the honest part of communication comes once this bond has been created. Until this bond is not comfortably established, foreigners might hesitate to honestly express to Americans how they feel and what their intentions are. There is a level of comfort that foreigners need to have with others in order for them to open up and naturally express themselves.
Since Americans naturally reach this comfort level sooner, they don't see it as a big problem. However, if they are not made aware, they may never know that there is this discomfort for foreigners. Once they are made aware, they may say, "Oh, I had no idea! I'm sorry if you felt uncomfortable." If you are a foreigner working with Americans, what can you do to reach this comfort level?
First, you need to understand that it is not a weakness on your part. Through socialization and education in your culture, you have learned how to be a competent communicator in your native culture and language.
Next, let the Americans you work with know that there is a difference in communication styles between your cultures, documented in many research studies. Don't be afraid to say that it takes some time for you to get to know others. This is a wonderful quality to have! If you honestly say this, most Americans will respect your honesty and you will gain more trust with them. In addition, most Americans will respect you for having the courage to speak what's on your mind. American culture values 'freedom of speech' and independent thinking. You are definitely entitled to your own feelings.
There is no perfect moment to express your intentions or feelings. If the American you are speaking with is being open with you, you make ask a question such as, "Why do you feel that way?" Asking a question may help you introduce your own thoughts somewhere in the conversation. If you don't feel comfortable asking questions, become a very good listener. Comments such as "That's good. I understand. Good idea." show that you are appreciating the open communication style of the other person. This may lead to the American asking you for your thoughts on the topic. The moment might be right for you to share. If you feel that the only way for you to express your honest feelings is to 'just do it', then you might start with a sentence like, "I respect your opinions and ideas very much. I would like to discuss one of my ideas."
Remember, when you are learning to have more open communication with Americans, it is easier to start with private conversations with just one other person. Later, when you become more comfortable, you can learn to express yourself more easily in a group conversation.
Friday, September 01, 2006
Mistaken Friendship: A Foreigner's Confusion
In the range between acquaintance and best friend, there are many different levels of 'friend'. The closer we are to a person, the more we share with them. The more we share with them, the more we let them into our private life. Each culture has its own rules telling us how much we can share with people. It would make sense that if we share a lot about our family life, problems, activities, likes and dislikes, that we would feel a special friendship with another person.
Now consider this scenario:
A company team has been put together to work on a project that will last for 6 months. During this time, two people on the team, one American and one Indian, introduce themselves. During the six months, they sometimes go to dinner together after work, share hobbies and talk a lot. We can say that they 'become friends'. Well, after the project is finished, they don't talk as much and don't meet much for dinner either. They don't find the time to share hobbies anymore.
How the American interprets the situation: The American is not likely to have any bad feelings and most probably still considers the Indian to be a friend. The next time they have a chance to work on a project together, they will resume their friendship by going out to dinner again and sharing hobbies. How the Indian thinks: The Indian is likely to wonder if he or she and the American are still friends. Because they shared so much, they have gotten closer and become better friends. Are they still friends even now?
Explanation: Americans like to have friends of all kinds to share in different activities. They don't need to keep in touch so often to keep a friendship alive. Americans also like to share a lot about their personal life without becoming too private. They may share a lot with 'friends' and still not let them into their private lives. The truly private part of an American's life is shared with romantic partners, family, and a very few close, "best" friends.
This causes confusion for the foreigner who thinks, "I have shared a lot about my life, things that I consider to be private. I consider this person a close friend." The American thinks, "I typically share a lot with people I work on projects with; so we are friends, but not necessarily close friends."
What can the foreigner do in this situation? Foreigners need to accept that this is common behavior in American culture. However, not all Americans behave the same. There are some Americans who will continue a high involvement in the friendship and remain close friends even after the work project is finished. These are the friendships that the foreigner should continue to develop into close relationships. For those Americans who don't want to further develop their friendships, foreigners and Americans can still remain friends. Then it's up to the foreigner to decide how much of his or her private life to share. If you are a foreigner and you find yourself in this situation, takes some time to think about it. If you no longer feel comfortable sharing your private life, know that you CAN share less and still be friends.
In the range between acquaintance and best friend, there are many different levels of 'friend'. The closer we are to a person, the more we share with them. The more we share with them, the more we let them into our private life. Each culture has its own rules telling us how much we can share with people. It would make sense that if we share a lot about our family life, problems, activities, likes and dislikes, that we would feel a special friendship with another person.
Now consider this scenario:
A company team has been put together to work on a project that will last for 6 months. During this time, two people on the team, one American and one Indian, introduce themselves. During the six months, they sometimes go to dinner together after work, share hobbies and talk a lot. We can say that they 'become friends'. Well, after the project is finished, they don't talk as much and don't meet much for dinner either. They don't find the time to share hobbies anymore.
How the American interprets the situation: The American is not likely to have any bad feelings and most probably still considers the Indian to be a friend. The next time they have a chance to work on a project together, they will resume their friendship by going out to dinner again and sharing hobbies. How the Indian thinks: The Indian is likely to wonder if he or she and the American are still friends. Because they shared so much, they have gotten closer and become better friends. Are they still friends even now?
Explanation: Americans like to have friends of all kinds to share in different activities. They don't need to keep in touch so often to keep a friendship alive. Americans also like to share a lot about their personal life without becoming too private. They may share a lot with 'friends' and still not let them into their private lives. The truly private part of an American's life is shared with romantic partners, family, and a very few close, "best" friends.
This causes confusion for the foreigner who thinks, "I have shared a lot about my life, things that I consider to be private. I consider this person a close friend." The American thinks, "I typically share a lot with people I work on projects with; so we are friends, but not necessarily close friends."
What can the foreigner do in this situation? Foreigners need to accept that this is common behavior in American culture. However, not all Americans behave the same. There are some Americans who will continue a high involvement in the friendship and remain close friends even after the work project is finished. These are the friendships that the foreigner should continue to develop into close relationships. For those Americans who don't want to further develop their friendships, foreigners and Americans can still remain friends. Then it's up to the foreigner to decide how much of his or her private life to share. If you are a foreigner and you find yourself in this situation, takes some time to think about it. If you no longer feel comfortable sharing your private life, know that you CAN share less and still be friends.
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