Do you usually have to delegate or assign tasks or projects at work?
Listen in today as Lindsay and Aubrey share with you different ways to divvy up tasks at work without sounding bossy.
Are you bossy at work?
Aubrey asks Lindsay to imagine she’s on a team with several coworkers.
In this hypothetical situation, she has to figure out who will do which tasks.
She asks Lindsay what she would say to them.
Lindsay responds that this is a really tough situation.
She would ask them if they want to do certain tasks.
It reminds her of graduate school where people just collaboratively agree on which parts of the task to work on.
But it can be tricky when not everyone is on the same level.
If you’re not leading a team and you need to assign tasks, you need the vocabulary to not sound pushy or bossy.
Today’s episode is inspired by Mai from Japan, a listener of All Ears English.
Hello, everyone. I’m Mai from Japan. Thank you always for the informative episodes.
I have a question. I recently learned that “want to” has several usages. For example, it can be used instead of should, or when inviting or offering. We don’t learn about those usages at school in Japan, so up until now, I might have sometimes misunderstood what native speakers said.
Do you often use “want to” instead of “should”? And, when I use “want to” to ask someone for something, do I always have to give a reason? For example, “do you want to wash the dishes while I cook?”
I would like to try using “want to” in different situations, but I’m not yet confident. Could you tell me in what situations in your daily life do you use “want to”?
Communication with co-workers
This is extremely common at work among coworkers wherein you will need to ask someone to do something.
You don’t want to break the connection by saying the wrong thing or giving the wrong impression.
If you need to ask someone to take on a task but you are not their supervisor, there are a lot of things you might feel uncomfortable saying.
You can start by asking them to do something using the following:
#1: Want to
You begin by saying, “Do you want to…”
In some situations, the ‘want to’ becomes ‘wanna’ when speaking.
Examples:
- Want to work on the profit and loss analysis while I double check these numbers?
- Do you want to do some mock ups for the logo? Marie could work on the first few slides and I could create the charts we need.
In these scenarios, it is often better to say what you will be doing or make it clear why you can’t do what you’re asking.
You don’t ever want the other person to think, “Why can’t you do that?”
This happens in everyday conversations all the time, as Mai pointed out.
We might say to a child, “Will you wash the dishes please?” but to a partner or sibling “Want to wash the dishes and I’ll put away the leftovers?”
#2: How about if… or how about…
This is another good way to start asking someone permission to do something at work.
It has a more suggestive tone and friendlier approach.
Examples:
- How about if you call and let the client know about the changes and I’ll work on revising the contract.
- I’ll work on revising the contract and how about you call the client to tell them about the changes?
#3: What say you
This can be a good choice to sound informal and playful.
This really means ‘what do you think about.’
Examples:
- What say you to working on the contract while I read these documents?
- I’ll make the sales call and what say you to figure out the error in these numbers?
Roleplay
Here is a quick roleplay between Lindsay and Aubrey using the vocabulary and tips shared in today’s episode.
This will help you better understand how to apply everything you’ve learned today in an actual English conversation.
In this scenario, Aubrey and Lindsay are coworkers at a dental office.
Aubrey: We have two patients coming in at noon. Want to take Julie and I’ll take Gabby?
Lindsay: Yeah, that works. We also need 2 hygienists to assist with the surgery at 1. How about if you and I do that?
Aubrey: Absolutely! And, on a more fun note, what say you to grabbing lunch later? A new sandwich spot just opened up on Main.
Takeaway
When working with colleagues, it’s important to avoid sounding bossy or overly direct.
Instead, use native, natural phrases that maintain a positive connection while getting things done.
The key is to make sure your coworkers want to do the task.
No one likes being assigned work that feels unpleasant or one-sided.
Try to delegate tasks that align with their strengths or interests.
This not only makes the work more enjoyable but also helps build stronger relationships at work.
What are other situations where having the right vocabulary helps you collaborate better with colleagues?
Let us know in the comments below!
