A great way to connect is to share how things are going at work.
Today, Lindsay and Michelle share expressions for meetings and discussions with colleagues.
These will help you express yourself if you need a system or process improved.
Streamlined vocabulary
Michelle asks Lindsay what she does to ensure things are seamless at work.
Lindsay responds that perfectly seamless is impossible.
However, there are some things the team does when starting new courses, like a post-mortem of projects.
The term post-mortem is used in business to assess whether something went well and what could be improved next time.
Today, you’ll learn a few ways to talk about systems, projects, meetings, or presentations going well.
At work, things don’t always go according to plan.
You need the vocabulary to talk about this and express whether it’s going well or not.
#1: Seamless
This means things are going perfectly.
With this word, you can think of a seam on clothing, with straight and perfect stitches.
When something is seamless it means there isn’t anything in the way.
It can also mean nothing is out of the ordinary.
Examples:
- We want to have a seamless transition when the new receptionist starts, so we all have to be ready to help on her training day.
- I think the event will be seamless as long as we have everything on our checklist ready to go.
#2: Smooth
This is the opposite of rough.
You can think of a smooth surface.
Similar to seamless, you can use “smooth” to say there are no roadblocks or hindrances for a project or task.
Examples:
- Our booking system is smooth, but we still should refresh our staff on how to use it.
- The user experience on our website is extremely smooth, so people are impressed by that.
#3: Streamlined
This is commonly used in a workplace to say something is efficient and in good order.
When there is a good system in place, you can say it is streamlined.
Examples:
- Our system is streamlined, so we have very few issues on our end.
- If we can streamline how our operations run, I will feel a lot better.
#4: Steady
The term “steady” can be used to say something is predictable and working as expected.
You can use this to say there are no surprises and the task or project is going as planned.
Examples:
- Our customer base has been really steady, which helps us anticipate budget.
- I have held a steady job for 10 years.
Roleplay
Here is a quick roleplay from Lindsay and Michelle using the vocabulary and fluency tips shared in today’s episode.
This will give you a better understanding of how to apply these in your daily conversations.
In this scenario, it’s Lindsay and Michelle’s first day at work and Lindsay is going over her tasks.
Lindsay: Okay, so the great thing about this company is it’s been around a while, so a lot of things are really streamlined.
Michelle: Okay great. Sounds like everything is steady.
Lindsay: Yes, so in order to have a smooth day, we always have a team meeting in the morning.
Michelle: Perfect.
Lindsay: Yes, so that’s at 9:15 every day. We can’t expect everything to be seamless, but this gives us the best shot.
Michelle: That makes sense.
Takeaway
It can be difficult to run a business if systems are not streamlined or processes aren’t smooth.
You need the vocabulary to express how you can add value by helping things run smoothly.
You can check out other episodes like BE 481: Make a Push to Learn These Business Phrases for more vocabulary to use in a business setting.
