Are you finding it difficult to maintain business relationships in English?
Listen to today’s episode and learn how to communicate effectively in English and strengthen business relations.
Business relationships
Lindsay asks Michelle if she has ever had to talk to someone in the business world after an awkward encounter.
Michelle has definitely had uncomfortable situations.
Lindsay shares that her partner was recently promoted.
Many colleagues now report to her partner.
It is now a little bit awkward to be their boss.
Today, Lindsay and Michelle are going to answer a listener’s question about a pretty awkward situation.
Today’s question
Hi Lindsay and All Ears English teachers!
This is Kate from Taiwan. I love watching your Youtube channel because they are interesting and full of great ideas we can apply in daily life.
Recently I ran into a situation where I had to call a native English speaker who I had an awkward business encounter with before to ask for a favor/ assistance. The person honestly won’t expect me to call her. I’m basically going to call her out of the blue. (Past Situation: She was a sales person from another company when we both tried to bid for the same transaction. We didn’t have a bad encounter but since the transaction was kind of intense, we knew each other but had never met.)
I’d like to know how I can start a phone conversation with her naturally and politely address what I need from her assistance in this kind of situation.
I’d really appreciate it if you could have an episode talking about this kind of phone conversation and share your thoughts as a native English speaker.
Sincerely,
Kate
Sticky situations at work
It would be difficult to be in this situation.
Lindsay and Michelle go through the question and discuss each point.
Michelle shares that business is business and you should just be professional and not mention anything but rather just say hello.
She adds that it doesn’t sound like their encounter has been so terrible that it can’t be repaired.
If this is an interaction that would be a one-time thing, she shouldn’t stress about it.
Lindsay says that if the bad vibe is lingering, you would need to address it.
But she agrees with Michelle that if it’s a one-time thing, she can be super professional and just talk about the transaction.
Because this situation is so specific, we are going to use it to talk about how to start a phone conversation after an uncomfortable encounter in the workplace.
Here are some possible examples of when this might arise:
- You had some sort of disagreement with someone at work- maybe at a meeting, over an idea, etc.
- You know someone who was promoted and you now report to them, or vice versa
- You haven’t had a great experience with this person personally
How to repair the relationship
It is difficult to know what to say when you have had an awkward moment at work.
Just remember that it’s all business.
You have to pretend nothing has happened if it’s a simple situation where it’s just awkward.
However, if you do want to bring it up and address the elephant in the room, especially if they are upset, you can.
Here are some steps to follow.
Greeting – this can be a basic hello.
Brief mention – it can be catching up or a more neutral approach.
- I know we haven’t spoken in awhile.
- It’s been a while since X, and I wanted to reach out.
Moving on – going straight to what you want to discuss.
- Anyway, I’m calling to ask you about…
- I actually need to talk to you about…
- I really respect your opinion, so I knew you’d be the right person to ask about…
Roleplay
Here is a quick roleplay from Lindsay and Michelle using the tips shared in today’s episode.
This is for you to better understand how you can keep good relationships at work.
In this scenario, Michelle is calling Lindsay.
They haven’t spoken for three months.
Michelle was promoted above Lindsay and Michelle knew Lindsay was upset about it.
They had a little awkward conversation but hadn’t spoken since.
Lindsay: Hello?
Michelle: Hi Lindsay, it’s Michelle- how are you?
Lindsay: Oh um, Hi Michelle. I’m good how are things in the new position?
Michelle: Good thanks. It’s been a while since that changed, and I wanted to reach out.
Lindsay: Nice, thanks.
Michelle: I really respect your opinion, so I knew you’d e the right person to ask about all the upcoming marketing material that we are planning to send out.
Lindsay: Oh sure, yeah!
Takeaway
You want to make sure you nurture all the relationships you have.
There may be awkward encounters or times that a person may be upset with you.
It can be challenging to face these situations but in work, business is business.
You have to get things done and not get these sticky situations hinder your work.
At the end of the day, you just have to be respectfully and communicate properly so you don’t totally destroy the relationship.
You can use the tips and steps shared by Lindsay and Michelle in today’s episode.
You can also subscribe to the Business English podcast and check out episodes like BE 331: I’ll Try Back Later – How to Talk with a Receptionist in English.
This will help you communicate with a receptionist and get what you need.
What are other awkward encounters at work that you need help with?
We’d love to hear from you in the comments and maybe we can help.
