Email replies: How to avoid emotional emails

Professional email communication is essential in business situations. However, people sometimes let their emotions get the best of them and send an email they later regret. Multiple punctuation marks, all-capital letters along with a rude and unprofessional tone are often used to show how upset the sender is. We have all received them at one time or another. You may have been guilty of sending one, as well.

A quick reaction to receiving such an email would be to immediately send a response even angrier than the original, but what would that solve? Answering with your own angry and emotional email would only lead to more problems later. The important thing to remember when receiving such an email is to remain calm. There is no reason to maintain the angry dialogue by responding in the same manner, but simply ignoring the email won’t make the issue go away either.

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3 Tips on what to do to avoid emotional replies

Don’t write your response immediately. If you do, some of your own lingering emotions may show in your writing. Put the email aside until later in the day.

1.  After some time:

  • Take a deep breath
  • Try to see the situation from the sender’s position

2.  Ask yourself:

  • Why are they upset?
  • Is the issue a legitimate complaint, or has the sender lost sight of the big picture?
  • How can I help solve the issue?

3.  When writing your response:

  • Stay professional, diplomatic and objective
  • Stick to the facts
  • Do not respond to any of the original email’s unprofessional language or personal attacks

Emotional emails are often written to get a reaction and to bring awareness to a particular issue. Make sure you acknowledge this issue, but don’t try to pass the blame on to somebody else. By remaining professional, the sender will often realize how unnecessary their tone and language was.

Helpful phrases to help avoid emotional emails

Intro sentences:

  • “Thank you very much for taking the time to write me today.”
  • “I hope my email finds you well.”
  • “I have just read your email concerning…”

Addressing the issue:

  • “I understand your concern about…”
  • “With reference to your inquiry about…”
  • “Thank you for bringing … to my attention.”

Closing sentences:

  • “I appreciate your continued professionalism and patience as we resolve this issue.”
  • “Working together, I believe we can find a reasonable solution to this issue.”
  • “Your email has helped bring attention to this important issue.”

By keeping your email clear, concise and diplomatic, you open the door to a more efficient dialogue while also strengthening your professional relationships. Always avoid using language that you wouldn’t use if speaking to somebody face-to-face. If you have any phrases you like to use in these situations, please let us know below.  Also, check out our seminar on reader-oriented writing in English to improve your overall email communication.

Challenges of Working in Virtual Teams

What are the challenges in your virtual team?

Each virtual team has their own unique challenges, but there are always a few that seem to be consistently present.  In this short video, Scott Levey, Director of Operations, focuses on two of the most commons challenges we see when training virtual teams.  Having awareness of these, and other issues that may arise, will help your virtual team increase its effectiveness.

 

 

Want to improve your virtual team’s performance?  Make sure to download our eBook of Virtual Team Checklists and check out our Working Effectively in Virtual Teams seminar.

Leadership and Training: A department head’s view

As a training provider, I have my opinions on how I think leadership and training should be connected.  Is this the same as what a German Dept Head thinks? I was recently fortunate to spend a few minutes with Arnhild Ott, Department Leader of Personnel Development in the Mail division of DPDHL. Here are four questions on leadership and training and her answers.

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What do you wish line managers would understand about training?

Arnhild Ott: I wish that they would understand that training is only one possibility. The most interesting method is to learn on-the-job and that training is only 10% of the learning environment and it’s most valuable in your own business environment. A second point is that every training session needs to be centred on communication between the line manager and their employee. There is a need for a talk before and after the training. And this is very important for the training’s success: that the manager has an important role. A third point is that training is not an incentive; training is for when we have to close a gap between the current knowledge and the expected knowledge in the function of the role.

What will training look like in 10 years’ time?

Arnhild Ott: I expect that training will be more and more virtual, further away from classroom training with more webinars, more on-the-job, smaller pieces of content, or experience. It will be more creative, more integrated in your normal life and business life. It will be more difficult to see a distinction between training and a non-training session as it will be integrated in your business life. In short, small pieces, more virtual and more media-driven.

Can you give me your perspective on current trends in leadership culture?

Arnhild Ott: The world is rapidly changing. Main issues in the leadership culture context are that leadership practice is influenced by globalisation, by the uncertainty of the situation at the moment . You have to act in a more and more complex world. It’s more difficult for each manager to create the future. This is very strenuous for each manager because traditional methods and perspectives don’t help you in these increasingly complex situations. You always need more skills and more knowledge about methods, so as to be able to understand and (re)create complex situations with your employees.

The next point is that you see an increase in burnout; more and more people feeling limited in their competencies, their lives restricted by too much time at work. Everyone is searching for better work-life balance as they have to struggle against complexity. In fact, you see more and more issues of rationalisation. Mostly leaders have to handle more and more uncertainty and ambiguity. These are major challenges for people and especially leaders; everyone needs competencies to deal with uncertainty and unclear perspectives and also to enable them to decide on their own how to act.

Can you give some examples of these competencies?

Arnhild Ott: You need ambiguity. You need more systemic thinking rather than a linear perspective. You need to think from a network perspective- influence between several influences– not a single linear one. You have to combine rational thinking with more intuitive thinking and you have to recognise more and more your own gut-feeling.

 

A special thanks to Arnhild for taking the time to share her thoughts with us.  What do you think about what she said?  Do you agree?  Let us know in the comments area below.  Also, make sure to check out our methods and tools section to learn more about how companies are approaching their training.

Giving Advice Across Cultures

Is giving advice the same in every culture?

Giving advice to someone is not as simple as just telling them what to do, especially in an intercultural situation where more sensitivity needs to be applied.  The problem is that if the advice you give is too direct it can come across as a command. What if you haven’t understood the situation correctly or completely, and your advice is no good? The person seeking your advice needs ‘an out’ – a way that they can reject your advice, or reformulate their request for advice without losing face – or causing you to lose face!

Below you can see some typical phrases for giving advice across cultures in the form of tips which can help you ensure nobody loses face. They offer your conversation partner plenty of flexibility to take your advice or not, as they see fit. If you are able to offer advice in an objective, neutral, sensitive and respectful way when people come to you, then the risk of accidentally damaging a good working relationship will be reduced.

Language for giving advice across cultures

 

Tip: Clarify the limits of the question
Phrase: If I were you, I’d make sure you understand the limits of the question.

Tip: Ask how your advice sounds
Phrase: Asking how your advice sounds might help.

Tip: Be confident not arrogant
Phrase: If you ask me, be confident but not arrogant when giving advice across cultures.

Tip: Beware of giving unsolicited advice
Phrase: Bear in mind the difference between solicited and unsolicited advice.

Tip: Give the recipient an “out”.
Phrase: You could try giving the recipient an “out.”

Tip: Ask for follow-up
Phrase: In your situation I would make sure to ask for follow-up.

3 Benefits of using suitable language when giving advice

By ensuring the language you use to frame your advice is culturally sensitive you can:

  1. address your conversation partner respectfully
  2. avoid damaging relationships
  3. help establish trust and open channels of communication

If you are interested in learning more about doing business across cultures check out our seminar details. And for more details on intercultural communication take a look at our selection of blog posts.

 

Out of Office Message: Quick Reminders

How is your Out of Office Message?

Writing your out of office message is often the last thing you do before going on holiday or going on a business trip. Even though you might be in a rush to leave, make sure you think about the following tips to ensure that you have an accurate, informative and professional message.

Writing emails that people read: Free eBook download5 Quick Out of Office Message tips

Keep your message short and simple

Nobody wants to read an essay about why you are away. Keep to the important facts and make it easy to read.

Make sure that your return date is correct

If you use the same message each time you are away, make sure you change the date. It sounds simple but I am sure that we have all read out of office messages that have the wrong date and know how useless it is.

Does “Out of the office until Monday” mean you will be back on Monday or Tuesday? To be really clear, write, “I will be back on Monday.”

Who to contact while you are away

If you give the name of a contact person who is standing in for you during your time away, remember to include their contact details, if this is appropriate.  A name on its own creates more work for the person trying to contact you.

Use the Spell check

If you have spelling mistakes in your message it will look lazy and can create an unprofessional image of you and your company.  Make sure you read through the message, spell check it and check the formatting is ok. If in doubt, send yourself an email after you have turned your out of office on. That way, you will see how your message will look to other people.

Turn it on/off 

Don’t forget to turn it on! Also, remember to turn your out of office message off when you come back, it can be very confusing for people if you forget.

Example of an Out of Office Message you could use

 

I am currently out of office and will be back at work on Monday 14th April 2014. Your email will not be forwarded or read during my absence.

If you have any questions or need urgent support with (xyz) while I am away, please contact:

 John Smith  at  0049 123 456 789  or  john.smith@yourcompany.com

Best regards,

Jonny West

Do you agree with all of these points? Do you have any other tips that you would like to share?  Let us know in the comments area below. Also, check out our professional writing seminars if you are interested in improving your business communication.

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If you’re looking for phrases, tips and tricks and useful downloads related to this topic, start here. In a range of topics, here are some more links for you:

Measuring Progress: What am I getting for my money?

Am I getting my money’s worth?

One key question for our seminar clients is, “Is paying for training experiences enough?”

Most often, the answer is clearly, “Yes”.  Despite all of the talk about ROI, buying an experience makes sense when we realize the benefits of training in general from an employee’s perspective. When organizations invest in training they get a lot from their employees even if they don’t change a thing based on what they learn. Employees appreciate the fact that the employer is willing to invest in their skills. They appreciate the break from the everyday. Employees value the opportunity to learn something that may help them to do their jobs better or more easily. Training is an additional benefit that can lead to higher morale.

As the 70-20-10 principle explains, formal training generally contributes to 10% of behavior changes at work. That’s it. 20% of work based behavior change comes from peer interaction and 70% from self learning. So back to the question, “What am I getting for my money?” In the best case, a training event offers a light at the end of the tunnel. It can point a way to lasting, improved skills and show participants a process for improving after the training event is done. On-sight, on-the-job training outside of the training room as well as coaching following the training event help training professionals to go beyond the training room 10%impact of most formal training.

Measuring Progress: Knowing what you want

Getting more for your money begins with knowing what you want to see after the training event is complete. Your outputs for the participants need to be verifiable and measurable. “I want them to work better together” doesn’t count. What will they do when they are working better together? The answer to that question is a good start of the process.

Is the training plan thinking based or doing based? If a training event is presentation heavy and practice light, it may lead to understanding without workplace application. Role plays, serious games and debriefing allow participants to see their needs in near workplace situations. When participants recognize their needs, they can practice and improve in the safe environment good training event should provide.

Is the trainer or the trainer’s company credible for the participants? A “who is this guy” approach by the participants will not make it easy for the trainer to give them the kinds of experiences that will lead to behavior change. Raising the credibility of the trainer will help participants to value the trainer and, most importantly, the training you are providing.

The bottom line is…

The bottom line answer to the question “What am I getting for my money?” is an experience that can serve as a catalyst for employee learning and workplace application. In combination with OTJ training and coaching you can extend the benefit of a trainer’s involvement. Ultimately, you are giving your employees another opportunity to improve themselves.

Let us know what you think about measuring progress in the comments area below.  Want to learn more about making the most of your training investment?  Download our short eBook here to read how.

Meeting Phrases: Disagreeing politely and diplomatically

How do you disagree with colleagues in meetings?
You’re in an international meeting with people from all over the world and it’s time for you to agree or disagree with the solutions being offered. Unfortunately, you can only agree on one solution – so you have to disagree with someone.

However, disagreeing with a colleague at work can be problematic. If they believe you’re being too direct – or even rude or aggressive, it could have serious consequences for your business.

If this has happened to you, you may be working with a different business culture, one that expects disagreement to be softened or said indirectly to save face and maintain good working relationships.

Here are some common diplomatic and polite ways of saying “no” which you can use in meetings to disagree politely and diplomatically.

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Meeting phrases for disagreeing politely and diplomatically

1.  The partial agree

  • I agree with you to a point, but…
  • I understand what you are saying, however…
  • I see what you’re saying, but…

2.  Using words or phrases to soften your disagreement

  • I’m afraid, I don’t agree.
  • I’m sorry, but I just can’t agree.
  • Sorry, but I really can’t agree to that.

3.  Disagreeing using general doubt

  • Hmm, I wonder if it’s true that….
  • Hmm, I’m not sure it can work like that.
  • Hmm, I’m not sure whether it’s possible.

4.  Avoiding the negative

  • I don’t think that’s such a good idea. (NOT It’s a bad idea.)
  • I don’t think I can agree with you. (NOT I disagree with you.)
  • I’m not sure it’s the best idea. (NOT it’s the worst idea!)

Following these simple examples will help you maintain good business relationships when working with other business cultures and keep things positive and diplomatic in international meetings.  Want more ways to improve your meetings? Check out our seminar on facilitating meetings for more info on how.

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Leadership: A practical exercise for managers

Do you ever stop and ask yourself the simple question: “What are my responsibilities as a manager?”

Sounds obvious, right? But how often do you really give yourself a chance to reflect on your performance as a leader?

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The John Adair Action-centered leadership model

Over the years there have been countless models developed on this theme, and millions of books sold (and some of them even read! ).  Although it’s not the very latest of models, John Adair’s Action-Centred Leadership model is a simple and effective starting point when reflecting on your personal impact as a manager.  According to the model, the heart of your responsibilities as a manager are:

Leadership circles

  • to achieve the task
  • to develop your employees
  • to build an effective team

When you are performing at your best you are able to do all 3 of these things, and find the right balance. This balance means you and your team get the results you need and everyone benefits. This balance also makes your life easier, as synergies quickly build e.g. by achieving the task the team grows and individuals have a chance to develop. Likewise a strong team sharing ideas and supporting each other in difficult situations, naturally enables individuals to develop and therefore you achieve the task.

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PUSH & PULL

Learn more about the two basic approaches to influencing others

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A simple reflective exercise for managers

This is a simple and practical exercise to help you reflect on your performance and focus your actions.  You’ll need an uninterrupted 10 minutes, pen and paper.

Step 1

As a manager you are responsible for achieving your department’s task, building the team and developing individuals.

  • Take a moment and think about how well you are performing in these three areas.
  • Now take a pen and draw the three circles in proportion to how satisfied you are with your performance in each area. (and not how much time you spend on each area).  For example, if you feel that you are doing a good job of achieving the task, but your employees aren’t really developing and there’s very little team building then you might have something like the example below:

LeadershipStep 2

Now look at your circles and consider these 3 questions:

  1. How satisfied are you with your situation?
  2. Can you identify  3 concrete actions you can take to improve your performance?
  3. What has been preventing you from doing this and how are you going to overcome this?

Step 3

Identify one concrete step you can take in the next days – and do it.

More on action-centered leadership

This activity is used in our Practical Toolbox for Managers seminar, and something I try and do every few months myself. Clients and participants have consistently found this activity hugely useful.  A little focus and some “time out” from the hustle and bustle of your day-to-day challenges can go a long way. Take a look at these links for more information:

 

3 Questions for an HRD Leader on training

As trainers, we can offer our views on what we think is a good trainer, what is important for HRD, etc. Does that match what an experienced, German HRD Dept Head thinks? What is HRD’s view on training? I recently spent a few minutes with Jürgen Birkhölzer, Department Leader for Personnel Development in the Mail division of DPDHL. Here are three basic questions on training and his answers.

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What is a good trainer?

Jürgen Birkhölzer: A good trainer has a clear idea of what his targets are and that of his students. A good trainer has the right level of empathy so that he is able to walk in the shoes of his students. This is more the behavioral side. There is also a knowledge side. I think here a good trainer should be very qualified in their area of competence and the content of their training. A good trainer has to love the situation of dealing with people and has to be a good communicator: this is not only to lecture, like lessons in a university, it’s more building  sustainable levels of communication with the student and having a deep wish to exchange knowledge with the learner- it’s not just a one way process. If we look at a trainer whose job it is to work together with his learners to improve their behavior, like leadership or communication training, the being perfect aspect is not so important. It is more important that they are able to ask the right questions, that they are able to get students to realize their own ideas and have their own insights into the environment they want to focus on. Trainers are not able to change people, they are only able to change themselves; introducing self-reflection in the learners will help them work on their behavior. Overall, the communication or leadership trainer needs to be a very good psychologist.

What do training managers want from trainers?

Jürgen Birkhölzer: That’s a good question. The answer is connected to my daily work. We want our trainers to be available 24/7 as we have to meet our customer’s needs. That sounds easy but is very complex as we have a limited workforce in our internal training team and we very often have changing requirements. On the one hand, it’s our job to try to fulfill our business’s needs and on the other to steer the capacity of our trainer staff. We decided that for our trainers have to deliver 120-140 billable trainer hours per year. This gives us a clear perspective of what our capacity is, but we have to consider that we don’t have a stable request from our customer. In November and December and during the summer, we have no requests for training so we have to ask our trainers to go on vacation. In fact, I think the most important competence of a trainer manager is to find a balance between the necessary business idea to fill the customers’ requirements on the one hand, and on the other, to have the idea of resilience in mind that the capacity of your trainers is limited.

What is the most important thing in HRD in working with line managers?

Jürgen Birkhölzer: We have to look at this question from 2 sides: a line manager in an operational role and a line manager in a strategic role. Collaborating with strategic managers is the most important and relevant job HRD has to do. HRD has to provide services, training measures, processes and instruments and the whole world of HRD to fit business needs. HRD has to frequently clarify what is a business need with strategic managers. From my point of view, this is the most important relationship for HRD; the relationship to the business unit and the business in order to understand what is going on in the business now, and even more importantly, what will happen in the future. To support the strategic initiatives of the business with fitting HRD managers is a core measurement of HRD. So is the strength of the HRD relationship to the business and also how HRD manages to be intensively involved in what’s going on strategically.

The second point is the collaboration with the line managers. It is very important that line managers understand that HRD supports their daily business, that training and coaching supports them in being successful in their role. It’s not only the question that HRD costs money, it’s a question that in collaboration with the line manager, it is HRD’s job to explain what is the value-add of HRD and that the line manager has the opportunity to experience this value-add. HRD should not just be seen as a nice-to-have and that if you have cost-cutting in the department you must stop all HRD. In fact, it should be the opposite and that line managers say the last money we save is the money for the qualification for our people. This is the second most relevant task of HRD. They can provide as much high quality training as they want, but if strategic management doesn’t understand what the support of HRD means and the line managers don’t see the value added benefits, no-one will be successful.

 

A special thanks to Jürgen for taking the time to share his perspective with us.  What do you think about what he said?  Do you agree?  Let us know in the comments area below.  Also, make sure to check out our methods and tools section to learn more about how companies are approaching their training.

CEFR Levels: A Beginner’s Guide

What is your CEFR level?

In Europe everyone talks about their language skills in terms of being somewhere between A1 and C2.

But what does this really mean? How do you really know what level you are? Does the next person have the same understanding of what that level really means? Do you even know what CEFR stands for?

In 273 pages the Council of Europe explain the whole concept and what each level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) mean.

The only problem is that I don’t actually know of anyone – language trainer, L&D professional, or client purchasing the training – who has read the whole thing. I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t.

There are though a number of more succinct explanations available on the internet. And most training institutions, Target Training GmbH included, have their own documents which explain it in the way they think is most accessible to their clients.

What are the advantages of using the CEFR for business language training?

  • It is based on can-do statements which is far more useful than just having , for example, a grammatical syllabus
  • The can-do statements are largely practical
  • Provided levels are assessed correctly, and participants are not put up a level purely because they have finished a course and the training institution wants a happy client,  a certain level of standardization is offered

What are the disadvantages?

  • Put a group of experienced language trainers in the room to discuss a participant’s level. There will always be some discussion as to what the level is. One person focuses more on grammatical errors, another only listens for fluency, another for the use of interesting language, etc
  • The CEFR is of limited use when assessing corporate language training. The broad bands mean that the time needed to move up a level is too great to be assessed on anything less than a 12 month basis (100 hours to progress from an A1 to and A2, up to 400 hours to progress from a C1 to a C2)
  • Lack of relevance. The CEFR was not designed with the corporate environment in mind. The can-do statements are very general

Is what really counts being measured with CEFR?

At Target Training, we aim to improve participants’ performance at work in English in a short time.  Progress is generally shown in terms of being able to participate better in a meeting (and for someone else to notice), being able to write emails quicker and better than they could before the training, etc.   Such progress is difficult to assess using the CEFR levels.

If you don’t agree, have a look at the can-do statements in the document mentioned above and the suggested language points in the British Council /EAQUALs Core Inventory.

They are wonderful for the general English classroom, but need adapting to the world of business. And we really need to consider whether versions adapted for the business world are really the best way of assessing levels and progress. Most of us who carry out level placement tests notice that there is a clear difference in an individual’s general and business level. There isn’t a difference in the CEFR levels, and as the can-do statements are general, the level assigned will be general. This might not be accurate for the corporate environment. Let us know what you think in the comments area below. Also, check out our methods and tools that we use to ensure high quality training at the workplace.

Presentation Fillers: 4 Quick Tips to Help

Are you using too many presentation fillers when presenting?

Have you ever given a presentation and started using words like ‘umm’, ‘erm’, ‘well’, ‘I’m not sure’, ‘maybe’, ‘how can I put this’, etc. because you didn’t know what to say or how to answer someone’s question? Have you thought about the effect this has on your listeners? You want your listener to think that you know your topic very well, that you are well-prepared and that your English language skills are very good. Unfortunately, words and phrases like the ones above (which are called fillers) can leave your listener asking themselves why they should listen to you if you don’t really have anything important to say. Even worse, your audience might start focusing on these words instead of the topic of your presentation. That’s why it is important to know how to act when giving a presentation. Here are some tips for you to remember so your audience doesn’t get distracted by your words instead of hearing and remembering your intended message.

4 Tips to help decrease presentation fillers

1.  Know your material. This includes your slides, but also the English words you use on them, other jargon (or specific language) which is important to explain your product or strategy as well as verbs to make your presentation active. Using all of these correctly will reduce the need to use fillers because you are knowledgeable about your subject.

2.  Anticipate questions. Think about possible questions the audience might ask and the answers you might give before the day of the presentation. You might think this is a waste of time, but if you can anticipate the ideas and the vocabulary you might need in advance, you won’t need to use a filler phrase to gain time.

3.  Practice your presentation in advance.  While you might not need to memorize the presentation, you should go through it at least once before giving the presentation, (the more often, the better, however). Practicing the presentation means that you have said what you want to say out loud, that you have thought about your introduction and conclusion and that you have practiced using the visual aids, (slides, props, flipchart etc.) while speaking. This is not always as easy as it looks, especially while doing everything in another language! (For those of you who have a Target Incorporate Trainer in your company, you can ask them to help you with this).Contact us now

4.  Be comfortable with silence. Perhaps this sounds silly to you, but some people use fillers simply because they don’t like silence. In today’s world of constant sounds, it is an easy trap to fall into. This doesn’t mean, however, that saying something without content is better for your audience than saying nothing at all. Everyone, including your audience, needs a chance to think and organize their thoughts before responding to or asking a question. Allow them to do this without interruptions!

 

Finally, some words of advice. Don’t worry if you still use presentation fillers occasionally. Even native speakers sometimes use them. What’s most important is not to overuse them. Let us know if you have any comments below and good luck on your next presentation!  Also, check out our seminar on Presenting with IMPACT to get better results with your presentations.

Giving Constructive Criticism: Phrases and Tips

How are you at giving constructive criticism?

Giving praise to someone, for example on a job well done, is easy and direct: “Well done!” – but what about doing the opposite, giving constructive criticism when someone’s performance is unsatisfactory?

The problem is that if the constructive criticism you give is too negative or direct, you might risk destroying a good working relationship with a valued member of your team.  Working  internationally means you also have to consider cultural factors when delivering constructive criticism, and it is very important to handle this with sensitivity.

Below are some standard phrases for giving both praise and constructive criticism, as well as some tips which can be used in a variety of cross-cultural situations to help you make your point sensitively and ensure that you get a positive outcome. After all, the reason for giving the criticism is to improve things in the future, right?

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Phrases for giving constructive criticism

 

Praise:  This team works very well together.
Constructive criticismI’ve noticed that the team has some problems communicating.

Praise: The performance of the database is excellent.
Constructive criticism: The database performance needs to be improved so that

Praise: That sounds like a good idea.
Constructive criticism: I’m not sure that idea would work because

Praise: I love this application.
Constructive criticism: I can see some difficulties with this application, it could be improved.

Praise: You are very well-trained in ABAP.
Constructive criticism: How about getting some training in ABAP?

Praise: The project was a great success.
Constructive criticism: What do you think is the reason we had problems with this project?

 

5 Tips for giving constructive criticism

  1. Where possible, give concrete examples for your criticism. This helps the other person to really grasp what you are saying.
  2. Give the other person a chance to explain and to fix things if possible, make sure this is a two-way conversation.
  3. Say what you would like in future – and why. Let the other person see the bigger picture and get an understanding of your perspective.
  4. When discussing lessons learned, make sure you get input from the other person i.e., the expert, on how to solve the problems.
  5. Agree on specific targets and timelines. That way, the person receiving criticism walks away with a concrete guide on how to move forward.

By making sure your criticism is truly constructive and culturally sensitive you can have more meaningful discussions and avoid damaging relationships. Just remember, in most cultures you can be more direct when complimenting people than when giving constructive criticism. Let us know if you have any other tips that have worked for you in the comments areas below.  Do you want to improve your ability in communicating difficult news?  Click here to learn more.

70-20-10 model: Why we MUST apply it to Business English training

I recently outlined how the 70-20-10 model can be applied to Business English training solutions.  By applying the 70-20-10 philosophy to Business English training and integrating on-the-job and social learning alongside traditional approaches, companies can comfortably overcome the challenges they face:

  1. the challenge of urgency – training needs to deliver tangible improvements quickly
  2. the challenge of availability – taking people out of the workplace for training is becoming increasingly difficult

Put simply, time is money and the sooner your employees can perform the required tasks to an appropriate level, the greater the benefit to your company.  This means that learning has to be engaging, relevant, and above all easily transferable to the workplace.

Obviously, on-the-job learning (the 70% guideline) is as relevant and transferable as possible. Without the traditional training (the 10% guideline), the informal learning may never happen – but the key is to make this 10%  a “multiplier”.  Explicitly connecting this on-the-job and social learning to traditional approaches is essential. You should expect that traditional training becomes increasingly relevant and transferable by using the on-the-job learning as a springboard.  What have you seen on-the-job that also needs attention away from the job ?  Following the 70-20-10 philosophy means that speed of performance improvement increases due to training at and in the workplace.

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How the 70-20-10 model,when applied to Business English training, can save time and money

As we all know, time is a precious commodity in today’s workplace. Traditional training approaches mean time away from the workplace. Whether it be technical, management, IT or language training, this time away from the workplace is costly and limited.

The issue of availability is compounded even further when we look at how much time language training can eat up.  The training time and investment required to develop language skills is truly daunting.  Industry guidelines talk about 150- 200 hours to move from a CEFR B1 to B2 level. Relying solely upon a formal classroom-based approach (face to face or virtual) just takes too long. For example, if a learner has one “class” per week of 90 minutes, and they consistently take part 3 out of 4 times (an optimistic target for most busy professionals) the learner will need at least 3 years of continuous training to “move up a level”. These figures are quite rightly shocking to any manager and to their budget! Traditional formal training alone cannot be the answer. This is where the 70-20-10 model becomes invaluable.

By setting up a more holistic approach and supporting, nurturing and creating opportunities for social and on-the-job learning you can reduce both the time and investment required – while at the same time building motivation and engagement amongst the employees.  The ratios do not have to be strictly followed – rather each of the three approaches needs to be encouraged.

Next time we’ll look at some proven practical tips for integrating the  70-20-10 philosophy into your Business English programs. Let us know if you have any experience with the 70-20-10 model in the comments area below. Want to learn more about how we use the 70-20-10 model in our training? Click here.

70-20-10 Model: Does it transfer to Business English training?

In a nutshell, yes it can – and language training beyond the traditional approach is key to making an impact on performance. The 70-20-10 model reflects the increasing awareness that learning is not just about  “traditional” training. The model concludes that successful managers learn in 3 different ways:

    • 70 percent of learning comes from real life on-the-job experiences, tasks and problem solving
    • 20 percent of learning comes from feedback, working with and observing role models
    • 10 percent of learning comes from “traditional” formal, classroom training

The big (free) eBook of negotiations language

 

In more detail…

Although the ratios are debated, most training professionals agree that the philosophy is valid. As Charles Jennings highlights, “It’s important to be aware that the 70-20-10 model is a reference model and not a recipe. The numbers are not a rigid formula.”   Just consider your own professional development for a moment – to what extent have you acquired the knowledge, skills and behaviours you need to perform your jobs through actual experience? Through watching and talking to others? And through courses and seminars?  Everyone can agree that all three aspects play a role, and that courses and seminars are not the “be all and end all” of an effective learning and development program. Most learning happens as part of a broader workflow and not just in an “away-from-work” classroom situation.

The model was based on research at the Center for Creative Leadership into management and leadership development. Today, the 70-20-10 model has been extended to other types of professional learning and development – and can be applied to corporate language training too.

How can the 70-20-10 model be applied to Business English training?

Language training is traditionally at home in the “10% zone” (learning through formal classroom-based training). Your own language learning experiences probably reflect this. Perhaps you took part in the standard “weekly classes” approach with a teacher coming into your company, or joined intensive seminars. More recently e-learning and blended-learning  have become a key component in most corporate solutions.

This formal classroom-based approach will always have a clear part to play in helping employees boost their language skills – and is essential for many learners at a beginner or intermediate level (CEFR A1 – B1). Learning through exposure alone may work for young children but sadly not for busy professional learners. What is surprising, however, is that many companies still rely solely on traditional classroom training (face to face or virtual), despite it being both costly and administratively challenging.  There are other effective ways of learning a language which mirror the urge to integrate informal social learning and real-life on-the-job-training into any learning and development program.

Learning Business English through “On-the-job” experience

“Learning by doing” through real-life on-the-job experience is obviously beneficial. Not only does it provide an opportunity to transfer what has been learnt in the classroom to the workplace (multiplying the impact), it also creates new opportunities to learn from partners (vocabulary, phrases, listening skills – the list goes on).

If the “learning by doing” is supported by a trainer offering on-the-job support and feedback, the impact is multiplied. Similarly, a trainer shadowing the performance and giving feedback strengthens the learning.  Finally, social and on-the-job learning help employees see a reward for their efforts which in turn helps to build a sense of motivation (or a sense of personal urgency). With the right framework in place, this renewed sense of motivation can make the formal training even more effective – and the efficacy of the training program quickly snowballs.

On-the-job and social learning can be applied to business English training. In fact, they MUST be applied if we take into account the cost and time pressures that most HRD departments work with.

These conversations are essential as the 70-20-10 model depends on L&D working closely with line managers, and on line managers communicating with their staff. Managers need to be aware of the pivotal hands-on role they play in developing their staff, and employees need to appreciate the context for new decisions.

The 70-20-10 model has proven to positively impact organisations in enhancing their learning and development programs. Now that you know a little bit more about it, next week we will discuss why it is a MUST to apply it, and how to implement it, in your Business English training. Let us know if you have any experience with the 70-20-10 model in the comments area below. Want to learn more about how we use the 70-20-10 model in our training? Click here.

Business English Vocab: 5 Problem Words for HR

How accurate is your HR Business English vocabulary?

Last week, in a regular appointment I have with an HRD manager, I heard him say, “Our local managers are moaning because they have to do 15 trainings this year.”  Despite being impressed about his use of the word ‘moaning’ (a good synonym for ‘complaining’), I was forced to draw his attention to his mistake in using the word ‘trainings’.

What is wrong with ‘trainings‘?

‘Training’ is one of 5 key words associated with HRD which are ‘uncountable’. This means that it does not take an ‘s’,  an ‘a’, or a number.  There are a number of words which are countable in other languages, but uncountable in English. Five of these common uncountable HRD business English words are:

  • training
  • feedback
  • information
  • learning
  • research

So, how do I say ‘3 trainings’?
In short, there are two main rules to help you correctly use words such as ‘training’ or ‘feedback’.

Business English Vocab: 2 rules for uncountable nouns

 

Rule 1
Use these words as adjectives with other words which are countable. For example:
(number) training + sessions / events / methods
(number) information + packs/ brochures / desk(s)

 

Rule 2
Use some / any / a lot of and much in front of the uncountable noun. For example:
“Although we gave a lot of useful information during the training sessions in Berlin, some of the feedback was not very positive.”

 

 

If you learn these 5 uncountable words and these two rules, you will help fine tune your professional HRD Business English vocab. Every native English speaker will understand when you say, “ I had English trainings when I was at school”, but they will be more likely to believe that it’s true if there is no ‘s’ on the word ‘training’. Let us know if you have any other problem HR vocab words in the comments areas below.  Do you want to improve your Business English vocab at work?  Check out our list of solutions by clicking here.

Intercultural Training: Internal vs External Control

As a second generation Northerner in the US, a lot of my family comes directly from the South.  My family, like many others, was part of the second Great Migration of African Americans from the South to the North in the 1930’s – 1950’s.  One of my favorite memories growing up was talking to a great, great aunt from Alabama.  She spoke what many would call Creole English and it took a while for me to be able to understand her. When I did, I was immersed in stories and idioms I had never heard before in my cultured, Northern upbringing.  When talking about plans for the future, my aunt would say, “If God is willing and the creek don’t rise.” I used to think it was just something she said without thinking about it until I came across Fons Trompenaars’ Seven Dimensions of Culture with the dimension of Internal vs External Control. 
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Internal vs External Control

I know now that my aunt may have been acknowledging the potential impact of the unknown and uncontrollable on her plans. That acknowledgement was something new to me as a boy as I was used to hearing people simply say what they intended to do.  While some may say the acknowledgement of the unknown is implicit in all of our plans, I’m not so sure.  Cultures that value Internal Control tend to believe they can bend nature and the future to their will. An obstacle to what is desired doesn’t change the goal, only the way to achieve it.  Cultures that value External Control seek to live in harmony with the situation as it is rather than trying to fundamentally change reality. 

These two perspectives impact how we see many things including conflict.  For cultures valuing Internal Control, conflict is a natural part of fashioning situations as one wants them to be.  Understanding that there are different views of the future can lead to preparing for dealing with conflict, either directly or indirectly. For cultures valuing External Control, conflict is a sign of doing something wrong since conflict is the opposite of harmony. Doing something right can mean doing it without conflict.  This can have many implications in our general approach to saving face with others, how we approach and employ technology, and our willingness to change our ways of life in response to external forces.

In the business world

In business, the process of leading the market to a new product or technology versus responding to market needs is a key expression of the Internal vs External Control dilemma. Trompenaars suggests reconciliation may be found in anticipating market needs by being sensitive to the current needs of the market and what may influence the market in the future.  This may include marketing efforts, “If God is willing and the creek don’t rise.”

The focus on reconciliation is why Target Training integrates Trompenaars Hampden-Turner’s experience and research into our solutions.  Through reconciliation, clients will find better solutions to the intercultural  problems they face.  Target Training is a licensed supplier of  Trompenaars-Hampden-Turner’s  Intercultural Awareness Profile and Cultural Competence Online Products. Target Training provides intercultural training based on the Trompenaars’ Seven Dimension Model alone and as part of business communication skills training.

Clarification Emails: Structure and Phrases

How do you write your clarification emails?

How many times have you gotten an email and asked yourself: What is this person trying to say?  What do they want exactly?  This has happened to all of us at some point in our jobs.  Even though this situation may be unavoidable, there are ways to respond to make sure you get the information you need.  Although you may be irritated or frustrated, it is important to not be too direct with your reply.  This could be read as offensive and possibly damage your professional relationship with the recipient.  Below is a helpful structure, and some phrases, to help you politely get what you want with your clarification emails.

Writing emails that people read: Free eBook downloadEmail structure and phrases for clarification emails

1.  Thank the person for the information

  • Thanks for the information on the conference.
  • Thank you for sending along the details regarding the project timeline.
  • Thanks for the email Peter.

2.  Clarify what you don’t understand/still need

  • I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean by ABC.  Could you please provide more details?
  • Regarding the deadline, are you saying that we should wait a few weeks?  Any additional information would be greatly appreciated.
  • I understand XYZ, but could you please clarify what you mean concerning ABC?

3.  Reference the next step politely

  • I am looking forward to receiving the updated information today.  Thanks for your help.
  • Thanks for your time and I look forward to hearing from you this week.
  • I appreciate you taking the time to get back to me by the end of the day.

Examples of clarification emails

 

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the information on our meeting agenda.  I’m afraid I don’t understand what you want to do exactly after lunch.  What do you mean by “Discussion 1pm to 2pm”?  Thanks for clearing this up when you get a minute.

Matt

 

Hi Susan,

Thanks for sending along the spreadsheet I requested.  Regarding the “Reasons” column, did you leave that blank because we don’t need that information now?  Any additional information on that would be greatly appreciated.  Look forward to your response.

Matt

 

By replying to unclear emails politely and clearly, you can save time for both people and get the information exchange you want.  Let us know what has worked for you for clarification emails in the comments area below.  Want more help with emails or to improve your writing overall at work? Click here for information.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

If you’re looking for phrases, tips and tricks and useful downloads related to this topic, start here. In a range of topics, here are some more links for you:

70-20-10 Model: 5 Implementation Tips

What is the 70-20-10 model?

As we mentioned last week in our blog post, the 70-20-10 model has been around for a few years now, and reflects the increasing awareness that learning is not just about “traditional” training (whether it be a seminar, classroom, or an e-learning program). Research has shown we actually acquire most of the knowledge, skills and behaviours we need to perform our jobs through actual experience and working alongside others.

The 70-20-10 model has its origins in the work of McCall, Eichinger and Lombardo from the Centre for Creative Leadership. Their book, “The Career Architect” (1996), is based on empirical research and concluded that successful managers learned in 3 different ways:

  • 70 percent of learning comes from real life on-the-job experiences, tasks and problem solving
  • 20 percent of learning comes from feedback, working with and observing role models
  • 10 percent from “traditional” training

In our last post we talked about why you should think about implementing the 70-20-10 model.  Now, let’s take a look at how you can implement it at your company.

5 Practical tips for implementing the 70-20-10 model in your company

1.  Enable experiential learning – this is key when we consider that 70% of learning comes from “doing”. Giving employees the opportunity to learn through challenging yet achievable experiences is one the most powerful and practical tools in a manager’s toolbox.

Experiential learning can come through new roles and equally occur within existing roles. Three approaches we’ve seen clients benefit from are:

  • extending the scope of responsibility and control
  • enabling and increasing decision-making power
  • expecting staff to build new relationships (e.g. other business units, senior managers, virtual teams , suppliers, partners, clients…)

2.  Be prepared to accept a compromise between optimal efficiency and developmental opportunities.   You can expect to see specific requests upwards, where an employee is keen to get involved in a challenging project specifically to build their skills. Naturally they won’t be as effective or efficient as somebody who can already perform this role – so look at it as a learning and development initiative rather than just a question of resources.

3.  Engage with internal and external trainers and training providers early on to discuss how to connect the dots between on-the-job, social and formal learning. The goal is to identify critical skills and behaviors and then look at building and reinforcing these using all options.

4.  Coaching and mentoring – Both coaching and mentoring are great ways of integrating social learning into a traditional program. Although the two terms are often used interchangeably, and both draw on a similar skill set I’d argue there are differences. For me mentoring is deliberately connecting an experienced person (the mentor) with a less experienced one (the mentee). The mentor could be a colleague, a manager, or the line manager. The mentor then tutors, shares experiences, models, counsels and offers feedback.  Coaching does not necessarily imply directly related experience, tends to be less directive, and is aimed at improving performance in specific areas.  Regardless of how you define them, both approaches have a lot to offer.

5.  When it comes to traditional training the key is early and explicit management involvement. The single most powerful step a manager can take is to clearly explain to their staff  why the training is relevant to the business and that there are clear expectations. This simple step drives motivation, participation and transfer. This transfer is crucial and I’d suggest that any traditional formal training has to integrate a transfer plan. In this simple document the employees are challenged to consider how they will actually transfer the learning into their workplace, when they’ll do this, who else needs to be involved and how will they know when they have achieved this.

The 70-20-10 model has proven to positively impact organisations in enhancing their learning and development programs. Now that you know what it is, and some tips on implementing it, let us know if you have any experience with the 70-20-10 model in the comments area below. Want to learn more on how else you can help employees retain what they learn from training? Click here for more information.

Saying Goodbye: Email Phrases

What are you writing when saying goodbye in emails?

We need to say goodbye a lot. It sounds like a really easy thing to do, doesn’t it? But there are different situations in which we need to write emails for saying goodbye. Do you say the same thing to the colleague who is going on maternity leave as you do to the colleague who has just been made redundant? What about someone who is moving on to another department, or someone who has been promoted? Does how you say goodbye change according to how much you like the person? Each situation needs to be handled slightly differently and with an appropriate tone.


Writing emails that people read: Free eBook downloadEmail structure and phrases for saying goodbye

1.  Congratulate them (when appropriate)

  • Congratulations on…
  • Well done….
  • I hear congratulations are in order.

2.  Tell them you’ve enjoyed working with them / that you’re going to miss them

  • It’s been great / nice / a pleasure working with you.
  • We’re going to miss you around here.
  • The place won’t be the same without you.

3.  Say you hope it goes well for them

  • I’d like to wish you all the best for…
  • Good luck with…
  • I hope everything goes well with…

4.  Ask them to remain in contact

  • Keep /stay in touch.
  • You know where I am if you need anything.
  • Don’t be a stranger.

Examples of saying goodbye in business situations

Promotion

Hi John,

I just heard you got the Senior Analyst job in France. Congratulations on the new position. We’re going to miss you around here. I’ve really enjoyed working with you and wish you all the best for this new challenge. Keep in touch.

Kate

Moving to another department

Hi Luis,

I just heard you’re moving over to marketing. Well done. That sounds like an interesting move. Good luck and don’t be a stranger.

Kate

Leaving the company (not by their own choice)

Hi Rob,

I was really sorry to hear that you’ll be leaving us. It’s been great working with you and I’m certainly going to miss having you around. All the best for the future.

Take care,

Kate

Going on parental leave

Hi Lena,

It can’t be long now! I hope everything goes well for you. Send us a photo and see you when you’re back. We’re going to miss you. Enjoy your last few nights of quiet!

Lots of luck,

Kate

You can change your level of warmth by adding more information, adding words of emphasis (really, very), and by taking out some steps. By using the structure and phrases above, you can make saying goodbye less awkward.  Want more help with emails or to improve your writing overall at work? Click here for information.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

If you’re looking for phrases, tips and tricks and useful downloads related to this topic, start here. In a range of topics, here are some more links for you:

70-20-10 Model: Getting Started

What is the 70-20-10 model?

The 70-20-10 model has been around for a few years now, and reflects the increasing awareness that learning is not just about “traditional” training (whether it be a seminar, classroom, or an e-learning program). Research has shown we actually acquire most of the knowledge, skills and behaviours we need to perform our jobs through actual experience and working alongside others.

The 70-20-10 model has its origins in the work of McCall, Eichinger and Lombardo from the Centre for Creative Leadership. Their book, “The Career Architect” (1996), is based on empirical research and concluded that successful managers learned in 3 different ways:

  • 70 percent of learning comes from real life on-the-job experiences, tasks and problem solving
  • 20 percent of learning comes from feedback, working with and observing role models
  • 10 percent from “traditional” training

Initially focussing on management and leadership development, this conclusion has since been extended to other types of professional learning and development. Today the 70-20-10 model is being used by Learning & Development departments in a wide-range of multinationals operating across a broad range of businesses. (e.g. PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Nike, Dell, Goldman Sachs, Maersk, L’Oréal, and Caterpillar)

Why implement the 70-20-10 model?

The model has an attractive simplicity, although the exact ratios are contended. As a trainer and manager of a training company my feeling is that the most important step is to see the model as a philosophy and not a rigid recipe.  The key is understanding and accepting that the majority of learning actually happens outside of the classroom, and that any learning and development program should take this into account and proactively support this.  It doesn’t mean that traditional training is no longer relevant in the 21st century, but rather that this traditional training is just a part of learning and development strategies.

Whether you are a learning & development specialist, a line manager, a trainer or training provider, or an employee, you should take time to reconsider and refocus your efforts. By doing this you can:

  • shift the focus and expectations towards more efficient and effective types of learning and development
  • ensure that time and money invested in learning and development makes a greater impact
  • support your business by keeping people in the workplace while they are learning

“Almost without exception, in my experience, organisations that have adopted 70-20-10 have achieved greater impact on performance at organisational and individual level at lower cost than was being achieved beforehand.” – Charles Jennings

Moving forward starts with simple conversations

Based on what we’ve seen our clients do, and what we’ve tried ourselves, here are some concrete and practical ways to begin implementing the 70-20-10 model in your organization.

The first step is to raise awareness and build commitment through simple conversations.  Everyone involved needs to be brought on board with the idea that leaning and development is not just about going on a course.  My own experience as a manager is that this is a relatively easy process in that many managers see 70-20-10 as “common sense”.

These conversations are essential as the 70-20-10 model depends on L&D working closely with line managers, and on line managers communicating with their staff. Managers need to be aware of the pivotal hands-on role they play in developing their staff, and employees need to appreciate the context for new decisions.

During these conversations it’s worth being clear that this is not a cost-cutting exercise, replacing “training” by a loose learning-by-doing approach. It’s actually a quality driven initiative, aiming to make sure that the company is developing to meet future challenges.

If, like Target Training, you’re a medium sized company, these conversations are reasonably manageable. If, like many of our clients, you’re part of a larger organization then start small. Find a business unit where managers are comfortable and confident wearing the “developing people” hat. Speaking with our clients, many of whom are multinationals, the general consensus has been that introducing the 70-20-10 model step by step has proved to be the most effective approach. By connecting with managers who have a genuine interest in developing their teams and the employees within them, the model organically spreads to other areas.

The 70-20-10 model has proven to positively impact organisations in enhancing their learning and development programs. Now that you know what it is, next week we will get into some practical tips on how to implement it in your company. Let us know if you have any experience with the 70-20-10 model in the comments area below. Want to learn more on how else you can help employees retain what they learn from training? Click here for more information.