Email Phrases: Getting the Tone Right

Adapting your message

It can be difficult to know what email phrases to use in your business emails. This depends on whom your audience is, and if the business situation is formal or informal.  You don’t want your emails to make a business partner uncomfortable, so it is important to use the correct email phrases at the correct times.  Using an email phrase that is too formal can make you seem stiff or cold, while using one that is too informal can make you seem presumptuous or arrogant.  Here are some good phrases to use in certain situations for both formal and informal writing.

Email phrases for formal business situations

  • Talking about the last contact:  I am writing in reference to your last email about…
  • Giving the reason for writing:  I am writing concerning…
  • Giving good news:  I am pleased to inform you that…
  • Giving bad news:  I’m afraid that…
  • Asking for something:  Could you please…
  • Sending an attachment:  Please find attached…
  • Offering help at the end of an email:  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.
  • Talking about the next contact:  I look forward to seeing you next week.

Email phrases for informal business situations

  • Talking about the last contact:  Thanks for your email.
  • Giving the reason for writing:  I’m just emailing to…
  • Giving good news:  I am pleased to say that…
  • Giving bad news:  Sorry, but…
  • Asking for something:  Can you just…
  • Sending an attachment:  I’ve attached…
  • Offering help at the end of an email:  If you’ve got any questions, feel free to ask.
  • Talking about the next contact:  See you next week.

Using good email phrases at the right time can help you build business relationships more effectively. Let us know of any other suggestions you might have in the comments area below.

 

Giving feedback using the DESC model

Giving feedback effectively will have a real impact on your business

Everybody understands that performance feedback should be constructive, focused and to the point. Effective feedback can resolve conflicts, overcome problems and improve individual and team morale. It doesn’t really need mentioning that ineffective feedback often accomplishes the opposite. Or that if you are skilled at giving effective feedback, your team will be more motivated, which leads to better performance.

While feedback should focus on behavior, performance feedback is still a personal conversation between people about people. Emotions always play a part in interpersonal communication. Effective feedback is as much about bringing the right message(s) across as it is about how your message is interpreted.

No matter how skilled the feedback giver is, if the receiver isn’t interested in hearing or taking the feedback, nothing will get through.http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2014/03/05/douglas-stone-the-importance-of-feedback-in-business-communications/

The more difficult the feedback, the more the giver needs to consider the the emotional impact of the feedback. Giving positive feedback is easy.
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DESC is simple and it works

In our skills-based Leadership training, we use the simple 4-step model DESC for structuring feedback. Participants in our “Practical Toolbox for Managers” seminars often highlight DESC as one of the most valuable tools they are taking away. This model is designed to help you to get your message clear and it can even take the stress out of the feedback conversation for those of us that weren’t born with effective feedback-giving skills.

DESCRIPTION

Give an objective and concrete description of what you have observed using “I” statements.

EFFECT

Explain the effect or impact it had on your business, the team or its members. If the effect was an emotion, name it. Your body language and tone of voice will already be showing your elation or frustration – putting them out in the open can help you move things forward.

SOLUTION

Build the solution through a directive (“What I would like you to do next time is …”) or a participative approach (“What do you think we can do to avoid this next time?”).

CONCLUSION

Build a “contract of commitment”. Check your understanding of what has been agreed, and get commitment for the future.

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Acronyms and Abbreviations in Presentations

Be clear and consistent

It can be very helpful to use acronyms and abbreviations on PowerPoint slides during a presentation.  This helps save time and space.  The key is to be clear as to what they represent, and then be consistent in using them.  A manager I train recently asked me to give feedback on a presentation he was giving to two new senior managers he would be directly reporting to. The presentation was about his department’s performance over the first half of this year.  After introductions, he settled in to his stride and I was really pleased to see that he had taken on board a lot of what we’d been working on in training. The presentation was well structured, pace and delivery were good, and he even felt confident enough to throw in a couple of jokes. One problem; it wasn’t until a good few minutes in to the presentation that I and his audience realized what some of the topics were that he was referring to. The problem? Abbreviations and acronyms.
Contact us nowBeing Clear with Acronyms and Abbreviations in Presentations

Acronyms and abbreviations are fine, as long as everybody is familiar with them. You’d be amazed at the amount of slides, documents and presentations I see where the use of acronyms and abbreviations confuses the reader about what is being presented. Believing that your audience will automatically understand because they come from the same business area or field of expertise as you is an easy trap to fall into.

Introducing Acronyms and Abbreviations in Presentations

When using acronyms or abbreviations in presentations, the first time you introduce them make sure to give the full word, name or title followed by the acronym or abbreviation in brackets.

For example: Structured Query Language (SQL). Using only the acronym or abbreviation after this shouldn’t then cause any problems.

Commonly Used Acronyms and Abbreviations in Presentations

AOB – any other business
asst. – assistant
B2B – business to business
CEO – Chief Executive Officer
CFO – Chief Financial Officer
dept. – department
mtg. – meeting
P & L – Profit and Loss
QTD – quarter to date
ROI – return on investment
YTD – year to date

So, being clear from the beginning with your acronyms and abbreviations in presentations can save you time and space on your slides.  All the while not confusing your audience, which is the most important thing. Want to improve your presentations overall?  Click here.

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Someone Late for Meetings?: 3 Questions to Ask

When someone is always late

Effective meetings can be tough to manage when everyone is on time.  What about when someone is always late for meetings?  Everyone in an organization knows that lateness can be a problem, but the topic of what to do if someone is consistently late for meetings is rarely discussed. Here, the key word is consistently. Everyone can be late at one time or another, but it’s when someone is predictably, consistently late that problems begin to pile up. Before we get to the questions you should ask your chronically late colleague, let’s take a look at the questions you shouldn’t ask.

3 questions you shouldn’t ask your colleague who is always late for meetings

  1. Is your watch broken?
  2. Did you forget how to tell time?
  3. Where the hell were you?

Time management strategies don’t include learning how to tell time or buying a better watch. Experts in the field agree that if someone is consistently late for meetings, it’s their attitude that’s to blame. Changing time habits in relation to meetings means changing the colleague’s mindset, incentivizing being on time and not punishing colleagues for being on time. Yes, you read that right. Very often, meetings are postponed to wait for late colleagues, effectively punishing those who come on time.

3 questions you should ask your colleague who is always late for meetings

1.  Do you think you have a clearly-defined role in this meeting?

A clear role means having a specifically-defined function in the meeting. Some examples of roles: moderator, organizer, minute-taker, timekeeper and participant. Participant is the generic name for anyone at a meeting, but a participant has responsibilities at the meeting as well and should be held accountable for fulfilling them. Examples of the responsibilities of a meeting participant are: being active in brainstorming sessions, contributing to discussions and helping create the agenda for future meetings.

2.  You’re going to keep the minutes for the next meeting, right?

Keeping and distributing the meeting minutes isn’t exactly the most glamorous or enjoyable task. One way of encouraging participants to come on time might be to give them a small penalty (for example, maybe they have to keep and distribute the minutes for the next meeting, make a small donation to a charity or supply coffee for everyone at the next meeting). Naturally, the penalties should be light-hearted, but the cause should be taken seriously.

3.  Do you have any feedback about the quality of this meeting?

Being on time is important, but lateness can sometimes be a symptom of dissatisfaction with the meeting itself. If your colleague lacks a clear role, feels that their voice isn’t heard in the meeting or finds the meeting pointless, it can lead to carelessness regarding the ground rules your meeting participants agreed on (one of which should definitely be: we start and end on time).

3 benefits of considering these points when someone is consistently late for meetings

  1. You ensure all colleagues have a clearly-defined role in the meeting.
  2. You ensure that chronically late arrivals are punished for their tardiness, not the other way around.
  3. You accept responsibility for the quality of your meeting and give the participants a chance to give feedback. An anonymous feedback form made available on the company intranet might be one way of allowing colleagues to give constructive feedback in a comfortable manner.

As we can see, being late for meetings can be an indication that someone has a broken watch, but it can also be a reflection on the quality of your meeting in general. Taking a moment to reflect on the underlying reasons behind a behavior can be a chance to make sure your meeting is running as efficiently as possible.

Presentation Conclusions: Signal to the End

Strong start, strong finish

A good presentation conclusion is a very important part of any presentation, and often not given as much attention as it should.  Many people focus on starting strong with a good introduction, and then delivering good content.  There is nothing wrong with this as long as they finish with the same strength with which they started.  Many times I have seen presentations end awkwardly, which can leave a bad taste in the audience’s mouth.  A good presentation conclusion will have an effective summary, recommendation or call to action, and an opportunity to address any open issues through questions.  A part of a presentation conclusion that often gets forgotten is a clear and effective “signal to the end”.  A signal to the end is a one sentence phrase that is designed to show your audience that you are going to start your presentation conclusion.  It should be said right before you get into your summary, and should act as a clear sign to your audience.

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3 reasons to include a signal to the end in your presentation conclusion

  1. Wake up the audience.  Many times the audience loses focus and is daydreaming towards the end of the presentation.  This shows them that things are ending soon, and it is time to pay attention again.
  2. Reset your own focus.  Sometimes it is easy to go so in-depth on topics we know well that we lose focus on what our audience wants to hear.  The signal to the end not only wakes up the audience, but the speaker as well and allows them to deliver a strong presentation conclusion.
  3. Clarify your structure.  Presentations need clear structure so that the audience can focus on key points and follow along.  When you use effective transitional phrases such as a signal to the end, it creates clarity in your structure and helps the audience stay with you.

3 phrases to use as a signal to the end in your presentation conclusion

  1. This brings me to the end of my presentation.  To summarize my main points,…”
  2. Well, that is all I have for today.  Let me now summarize what I talked about…. ”
  3. I have now come to the end of my presentation.  In summary, I spoke about…”

3 results of using a signal to the end in your presentation conclusion

  1. Get your points across a final time.  At the end of a good presentation, you will have mentioned your main points in your introduction, your body, and finally in your conclusion summary.  A good signal to the end focuses the audience’s attention one last time, so that you can mention your main points again as well as your recommendation.  People tend to remember what they hear at the end of a presentation more than at the beginning or middle.
  2. Set yourself up to finish strong.  By clearly defining you are starting your conclusion, it will help you focus and go through the correct steps in your conclusion.  This will leave your audience with a favorable impression of your speech.
  3. Be a better public speaker.  So many people give poorly structured presentations, and especially end their presentations on a low note.  Having a clear structure will help you to look more professional and get the results you want out of your presentation.

Having a strong presentation conclusion will leave your audience with a focused, positive view of your message and a good signal to the end is key to starting it well.  Let us know of any ideas you have in the comment areas below.  Want more on presenting with impact?  Click here.

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Presentation Techniques: Speaking in Threes

Presentation techniques: tripling

There are hundreds of presentation techniques, and some are more common than others. One example is that people find it easy to remember things in threes, and building on this tendency (known as tripling) is one of the simple presentation techniques that work in all presentations.  You’ve probably already seen or heard people doing it…

“Veni, Vidi, Vici”  – Julius Caesar
“Friends, Romans, Countrymen …” –William Shakespeare
“Government of the people, by the people, for the people” – Abraham Lincoln

Of course you don’t need to be a great public speaker to make this work for you in your business presentations.

3 simple tips on presentation techniques for speaking in threes

1. Use three items that fit together to make an impact

Come back to the same item each time, hammering home the point:
  • We can retain customers by reducing our reaction time.
  • We can retain customers by offering round the clock support.
  • And we can retain customers by delivering spare parts within 48 hours.
  • Three items that act in sequence to reach a desired goal. e.g. “If we reduce our reaction time, offer round the clock support, and commit to delivering spare parts within 48 hours we will retain more customers.”
  • Three key themes that together cover a wide area. e.g. “We need to retain customers, we need to expand into the BRIC countries and we need to acquire smaller local competitors.”

2.  Use rhetorical questions

  • Ask a rhetorical question e.g. “So what is our new customer support strategy?”
  • Offer a simple, even minimalistic, response  e.g. “It’s called One Service.”
  • Then drive this home with three related words or phrases to grab attention, encapsulate or summarize. e.g. “One Service will form networks, it will promote best-practice sharing and most importantly it will make us even more effective.”

3.  Use your voice to leave a lasting impression

  • You can connect the three items by rising or reducing the pitch of your voice for each one.
  • Going up with your voice increases emotion, going down brings a sense of finality and certainty.
  • You may also want to put your most important point last – and then pause before it to make an additional impact.

Give it a go. Using presentation techniques such as speaking in threes will make your key messages simple. It will also make them clear and, above all, it will make them memorable. Let us know what you think in the comments area below.  Also, click here to see how Target Training’s seminar can help even the great presenters get better.

 

Evaluating an Idea: Quick Email Phrases

What do you think?

Evaluating an idea without causing offense can be challenging at times. Often it is a colleague, client or your boss who wants to know what you think of an idea. Sometimes you think it’s great, sometimes you don’t, and sometimes you’re going to need to know more before you can respond. The first case is relatively easy – you can tell them it’s great. But what about the next two cases?

Here are some phrases which you could use either when writing an email in response to a written request, or when speaking to the person who has made the suggestion.

Phrases for evaluating an idea

1.  You think it’s a great idea

  • That sounds great!
  • What an amazing idea!
  • That’s a really good idea.

2.  You don’t think it’s such a great idea

  • I can’t help wondering how / if / whether /what….
  • It’s certainly worth considering.
  • What concerns me is…

3.  You want more time or information before reacting

  • I’d appreciate more information on / about…
  • I would really need to know..
  • Perhaps you could let me know..?

Example of an email when you are evaluating an idea

Hi Melissa
Thank you so much for putting your idea to me.
It‘s certainly worth considering. I can’t help wondering though, how this might affect the administrative staff. Before getting back to you, I would really need to know how much would actually be saved by implementing this change. Perhaps you could get back to me on that?
Best regards,
Ariana

By using the suggestions above, you can acknowledge an idea without offending the person who came up with it. Let us know if you have any suggestions of other phrases or approaches when evaluating an idea in emails in the comments area below.

Managing High Performers: Miles Davis Part 2

What does Miles Davis have to do with managing high performers in business?

Good question. Miles Davis is rightfully acclaimed as an icon of jazz but he didn’t make music alone. Miles worked with the best of the best to create music that stands as among the highest forms of the genre. In part 1 we explored three key lessons we can learn from Miles’ approach to managing his high performing band mates. They were: Be excellent, publicly; Don’t hire a trumpet player; and Play together.

Managing high performers: Lessons 4-6

4.  Don’t tell them what to do, tell them what not to do

Related to lesson three, play together, is the style of debriefing and guidance Miles offered to his band mates following their performances.  Miles didn’t put a group together hearing the music he hoped they would produce in his mind, then correcting them to come as close as possible to his vision. Miles believed in an experimental approach to developing new music. When reflecting about what took place in performances, Miles would say what his band mates shouldn’t do but he wouldn’t tell them what to do. He hired them for their expertise on their individual instruments. He wanted them to bring their ideas to the table so they could take ownership of their performances and the product of the group.

The high performers in your organization reached a level of success before becoming members of your team. When managing high performers, take advantage of their creativity and input by channeling, not directing their contributions to the organization.

5.  Listen to save the day
“Don’t play what’s there, play what’s not there.” Miles Davis

Deep listening is the art of hearing not only what is said but also what isn’t said.  On stage, Miles had the opportunity to lay out and listen to what his band mates were playing.  There were times when while reaching for new forms of expression, the band lost its way. By listening to what wasn’t there, Miles could enter the fray at the right moment with the phrase that would bring the other players back together again, finding a groove that was satisfying to the musicians and the audience.
Look for your opportunities, especially in conflict, to find what isn’t being said and remind the participants in the argument that they are on the same team. Listen for agreement that the parties may be missing, summarize, and encourage them to listen deeply to each other when emotions run high. “What I am hearing is…” is a great way to interject.

6.  Talk about life, not music

With our busy lives it may be tempting to leave work at work and leave life at home.  We can get through our workdays without sharing with others the experiences that shaped us outside of the work environment. Miles believed knowing the personal histories of his band mates was crucial to being able to know them musically. He invested time in learning about the backgrounds of his band mates and he shared his own. This sharing created an environment of trust that helped his musicians to work with each other more closely.
Be willing to be more open when you are managing high performers as it can lead to more effective, trusting relationships. A deeper bond of respect can increase loyalty to you, and commitment to your organization and its goals.

6 Lessons for managing high performers from Miles Ahead:

  1. Be excellent, publicly
  2. Don’t hire a trumpet player
  3. Play together and produce excellence
  4. Don’t tell them what to do, tell them what not to do
  5. Listen to save the day
  6. Talk about life, not music

Let us know what you think is missing regarding managing high performers in the comments area below.  Want more on managing high performers as well as others?  Click here.

 

Handling Complaints Quickly: Phrases to Help

Avoid having small issues escalate into big ones

Handling complaints quickly can help your company avoid having small issues escalate into big ones. This summer I had the pleasure of taking my five year old to a well-known fun park on a beautiful, but scorching hot August day. For those of you who haven’t been lucky enough to share this experience and the hours of standing in line it includes, let me tell you this, tempers can fray quickly.

On the bright side, standing in line means that you have lots of time for people watching. I particularly enjoyed one incident where the officials staffing the line decided that it was getting too long. Their solution: change the direction. What happened was that the line simply reversed its order, so that those who had just arrived went to the front and those who had been waiting for over an hour got to go to the back. I felt really sorry for the young French official being eaten alive by the customers – she looked pretty scared. The decision to change the line hadn’t been her decision, but what could she have said instead of just “sorry, sorry, sorry.”? A basic structure for handling complaints along with some suitable language certainly could have come in handy.
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3 Common stages of handling complaints

1.  Listening and empathizing

You might not agree, it might not be your fault personally, but the customer is angry and needs a chance to vent their anger. Don’t keep butting in, let them have a bit of a rant, make some sympathetic noises and try some of these phrases:

  • I see your point / I understand.
  • I can appreciate that.
  • Thank you for pointing that out.
2.  Apologizing and accepting responsibility

Angry customers need to be calmed down – a simple “sorry” goes a long way. And “It’s not my fault” or “there must be a misunderstanding” is never going to improve the situation – avoid both of those phrases at all costs.

  • I’m sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.
  • I’m / we’re terribly sorry about that.
  • Please accept my/ our apologies.
3.  Promising and taking action

You’ve said sorry, now the customer wants to hear what you’re going to do about it. Here are some phrases that might have worked well in the above situation.

  • I’ll let my manager know how you feel, and let’s see if we can find a solution.
  • I’m going to see how we can make this better for you.
  • Here are some vouchers for lunch for any trouble we may have caused you.

3 Possible outcomes of not handling complaints well

1.  Loss of sales

Your competitors may benefit. The customer may decide to take their business elsewhere. This means a loss of sales.

2.  Damaged reputation

The customer will badmouth you to others. Social media means that this is so much easier to do than it used to be. Thousands of people could hear, and you have no way of defending yourself – you just look bad.

3.  Unhappy staff

It isn’t fun having people shouting at you. If there is a clear structure in place, however simple it may be, it will give staff confidence in unpleasant situations. Handling complaints in another language is that much harder, so having some key language up their sleeves will also contribute significantly to how they feel about dealing with the situation.

Why not share your ideas on other language that would be useful or other simple steps that you feel could be taken when handling complaints?

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Managing High Performers: The Miles Davis Way

What does Miles Davis have to do with managing high performers in business?

Good question.  Miles Davis is rightfully acclaimed as an icon of jazz but he didn’t make music alone.  Throughout his career as a bandleader, Miles worked with other iconic figures of jazz to create music that stands even today as among the highest forms of the genre. John Coltrane, Herbbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, “Philly” Joe Jones, Keith Jarrett, Ron Carter, Tony Williams and many others known as among the giants of jazz graduated from “Miles University”. Miles Davis, time and time again, brought together some of the most talented musicians in their own right to work with him in his musical exploration. How did he do it? This two part blog will explore the lessons of Miles Davis in the art of leading the best to be their best.  In this part, we’ll look at lessons one through three on managing high performers and part two next week will cover lessons four through six.

Managing high performers: Lessons 1-3

1.  Be Excellent, Publicly

Miles Davis was able, on many occasions, to put together bands of some of the most talented musicians of their time throughout his career. Miles’ reputation clearly preceded him as receiving a call from Miles was seen as having achieved a high level of musicianship. But that wasn’t the only reason so many musicians with promising solo careers agreed to support Miles. They believed they would learn something based on Miles’ excellence as a musician and band leader. Miles greatness was easy to see through his performances, compositions and recordings.


How easy is it for high performers to recognize your excellence? There is a tendency among many leaders not to “toot their own horns” about their own performance and accomplishments. While a leader may not need to sing his own praises, it is important that someone does it for him. A leader’s excellence will attract others who want to achieve the same level of competence, while increasing the leader’s  credibility and ability to guide, mentor and teach.

2.  Don’t hire a trumpet player

Miles’ great combos included players with different styles and tendencies. He hired players who would complement his playing and each other’s. He didn’t need anyone who sounded like him in the groups because he had that covered.


In business, it can be difficult to avoid the temptation to hire people who mirror our backgrounds, experiences, styles and tendencies. After all those competencies served us well in our careers. It is important to remember as a leader that our success is a reflection of the past while we are hiring for the future.  The pace of change doesn’t only require different technological skills it also requires new communication and leadership skills from those current leaders needed at earlier stages of their careers. Hiring teams with complementary but different skills and areas of expertise broadens the set of problems they can solve and increases their impact on the organization.

3.  Play together and produce excellence

Miles’ bands grew into cohesive units through performances, not rehearsals. They played together and learned through reflection about what happened on stage adjusted to the different situations, approaches, sound systems and audiences that influenced what they produced.
Each performance created a wealth of learning opportunities for Miles and his band mates. The urgency of the moment created a focus and intensity that would be very difficult if not impossible to reproduce in a rehearsal. By focusing on playing together and learning from the experience, Miles could correct on the spot, encourage and support his band to take risks, push themselves and reach new heights of excellence.

How often do you perform with your high performers? Finding opportunities to produce excellence together will give you more chances to learn about them and coach. They will have the chance to learn about your approach to problem solving and managing high performers.

Let us know what you think of the first three lessons in the comments area below.  Make sure to check back next Wed as Part 2 on managing high performers will be posted.  Want more on managing high performers and your employees?  Click here.

 

Reacting to Bad News: Tips for Email Phrases

Reacting to bad news

Reacting to bad news in a prompt, well-written way can convey a powerful message: not only are you concerned about your business relationships, you also care about how your clients and colleagues are doing personally, too. If a client cancels a meeting because something unfortunate has happened in their lives, take a moment to pass along your best wishes. This is a very simple process that can be accomplished with just a few phrases. The key is to make sure your email matches the seriousness of the situation. Here are some phrases that match situations you might encounter.



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Phrases for reacting to bad news

1.  That’s a pity. / That’s a shame. / That’s too bad.

We use these phrases for unfortunate, but small, incidents. For example, if someone can’t come to your  presentation.

2.  I’m sorry to hear that. 

Here we see a useful phrase: ‘I’m sorry to hear’. Some examples:

  • I’m sorry to hear you aren’t feeling well.
  • I’m sorry to hear you missed your flight.
  • I’m sorry to hear you didn’t get the job.
3.  I’m very sorry to hear that.

We use this phrase for serious events, such as a death in someone’s family.

Phrases referencing a positive view of the future when reacting to bad news

  • I hope you get well soon.
  • I hope you can catch another flight.
  • I hope you find an interesting position soon.

Phrases offering to help when reacting to bad news

These phrases can be used in the more serious situations listed in numbers 2 and 3 above.

  • If there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know.
  • If you need anything, please let me know.
  • If there is anything I can do to assist you in this difficult time, please let me know.

Example of a good way of reacting to bad news

Hi John,

Thanks for your email.
I’m sorry to hear you aren’t feeling well. I hope you get well soon.
If there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know.
Brigitte and the rest of the team send their best wishes.

Best regards,
Pierre

Giving and getting bad news can be very difficult in business.  Hopefully, these email phrases can help. Let us know if you have any suggestions on other phrases or approaches to reacting to bad news in emails in the comments area below.

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Meeting Agendas: 3 Key Elements

Meeting agendas are optional, right?  Business meetings can be held for many reasons: to discuss a topic, find a plan of action or update team members on the status of a project. After you’ve established the purpose and need for your meeting, then the next step is to create an agenda. A meeting without a clear agenda can be compared to a ship that’s sailing without a map: you’re on the sea and going somewhere, but no one knows where. In order to ensure your ship is on the right course, send a copy of your well-written agenda 24 hours in advance and have paper copies ready for the participants at the start of the meeting.

Three Reasons Meeting Agendas are Necessary

  1. If none of the topics are relevant for one person, they can skip the meeting and focus on the tasks they’re responsible for.
  2. A numbered agenda is a powerful organizational tool. If you refer to the agenda often, you can stay in control of your meeting and the amount of time spent on a topic.
  3. Agendas can be used as a feedback mechanism for whether or not your meetings are successful.

Three Key Elements of Meeting Agendas

  1. Basic information like the location, names of expected participants, date, start time and end time of the meeting. Even better, estimate the amount of time necessary for each agenda item – and stick to it. If something unimportant comes up, add it to your topics Parking Lot, or create an agenda item called AOB (any other business) that can be discussed if there is time at the end of the meeting. The AOB item can also be added to the agenda of the next meeting.
  2. The topic and the person responsible for it. If someone sees their name in writing next to a topic, they’ll know they’re expected to speak and can prepare for the meeting.
  3. An objective for each item, or for the meeting in general. If you’re searching for a reason for the meeting and you can’t find one easily, perhaps this meeting isn’t necessary.

Three Positive Outcomes of Creating and Distributing Meeting Agendas

  1. Attending unnecessary meetings results in lost productivity, which means lost revenue for the company.
  2. A clear agenda saves time, as it keeps the discussion on track.
  3. The agenda can be used as a checklist to track what has been accomplished in the meeting.

Of course, there are many other elements that can make meeting agendas even more effective. However, after committing to using an agenda and following the above steps, your meetings will be more efficient and the attendees more interested in contributing. If you have other ideas for creating agendas or making meetings more efficient, please share them in the comments section below. For information on how  you can run effective meetings, click here.

Updating your CV: Quick Tips

Updating your CV

You may not be looking for new opportunities at the moment, but at some time in your future career you will use it. CV writing in English can be a bit tricky when you don’t keep it up-to-date on a regular basis. Reflecting now on the last 12 months and your successes, while things are still fresh in your memory, will mean your CV is ready when you need it, detailed and with all the important information to make a great impression.

Updating your CV with a purpose

When writing about your responsibilities and achievements, start each sentence with a dynamic verb. These show action and progress over a period of time, and will give the reader the impression of things being done.
Dynamic verbs are rarely used in the Present Simple tense. If you’re writing about activities which are still happening, use the progressive verb+ing. For example:

  • Managing a team of 10 engineers based in Romania and Slovakia.
  • Developing state of the art software for scanning equipment used at Heidelberg training hospital’s head trauma clinic.

If you’re writing about a project which has finished, start each sentence with a dynamic verb in the Past Simple tense. For example:

  • Negotiated contractual deadlines with customers.
  • Organized supply and delivery of system components.

You can make your CV stand out amongst other by using dynamic language.  Take a look at your CV and make some changes to help you get that dream job you have been looking for! Let us know of any specifics questions on writing well when updating your CV in the comments area below.

 

Listening Skills: 10 Areas to Improve

Listening effectively is not easy.  How often do you find yourself in a conversation and not completely concentrating on what your partner is saying?

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How good are your listening skills?

Take a look at the ten simple questions below and assess how good your listening skills are. Be honest with yourself.

  1. As soon as you think you know what your partner wants to say you turn off and stop listening (jumping to conclusions)
  2. You spend the time used by your partner to prepare your next comment (rehearsing)
  3. You only concentrate when you expect that the point will be of direct interest to you (filtering)
  4. You expect to disagree so you only listen for weaknesses (judging)
  5. You continue nodding in agreement although your thoughts are on something else (dreaming)
  6. You refer everything to your own experience and compare what you did / would have done (comparing)
  7. You start thinking about the possible solutions before your partner has finished outlining the issue (solving)
  8. You don’t give your partner room to build their argument and start to discuss before the speaker is ready (interrupting)
  9. You think you / your work / your team are being criticized and jump in to block the supposed attack (defending)
  10. You agree politely to whatever your partner says so that you can move on to the next subject (placating)

 

Improving your listening skills awareness with ALF

Now next time you are talking with someone be aware of your internal listening behaviors. Focus on listening to them. A simple trick to improve your listening skills is to remember ALF:

Always Listen First

And finally here’s a tip from Lars, a project lead for an automotive manufacturer.  I met Lars a few years ago when he was a participant in a Virtual Teams seminar we ran.  A few months ago I bumped into him at a train station. He told me that he’d bought himself a key ring of ALF, the character from the 1980s comedy show.  Just so he wouldn’t forget to Always Listen First.

Let us know what has worked for you in the comments area below.

 

Virtual Team Teleconferences

Common concerns in weekly virtual team teleconferences

It’s Monday, and every Monday I take part in a virtual team teleconference. Part of me appreciates this regular contact but another part of me really doesn’t like these meetings as much as our face-to-face ones. Why? Roughly speaking, it’s because they are so different.

I can’t see anyone

This is obvious, but it is so frustrating. If we can’t see who is speaking, who wants to speak, or people’s reactions, the emotional side of the meeting has pretty much gone.

Turn-taking

I never know when it is my turn to speak, and it feels as though no-one else does either. This means they don’t say much.

Being on the stand

When it is finally my turn to say something, I feel as though I am on the stand. There is silence, I can’t see or feel any encouragement or interest, I have no idea if anyone is actually listening to me, and if they are listening, are they judging me? Am I wasting their time?

The straight-jacket effect

When I compare our face-to-face meetings with our virtual team teleconferences I feel as though I have a straight-jacket on in the teleconferences. In the face-to-face meetings, everything is more fluid, and we chat and joke around more – essentially there is a warm, encouraging environment.

Virtual team teleconference

As we train companies in how to make their teams work effectively in virtual teams, we set an example in our own teleconferences and follow all the rules in this checklist.

Keys to an effective virtual team conference

  • Plan the meeting
  • Determine time and length of conference
  • Set objectives
  • Develop a realistic agenda that reflects the objectives and available time
  • List specific results to be achieved
  • Prioritize topics to be discussed
  • Identify who must be present
  • Confirm attendance and availability
  • Appoint a leader for each site
  • Distribute meeting materials
  • Begin on time
  • Open by introducing participants
  • Review objectives and time allotted for meeting
  • Encourage participation
  • Ask questions
  • Keep meeting focused, direct non-agenda items to future meetings
  • Conclude on time, allowing a few minutes for wrap-up and good-byes
  • Speak naturally in the direction of the microphone
  • Identify yourself, as necessary
  • Pause occasionally so others may make comments

Such a thorough list doesn’t usually apply to a face-to-face meeting, but is logically necessary to ensure successful results in the virtual environment. I’m on board with the logic part, but can anything be done to reduce the straight-jacket effect? I’ve highlighted “encouraging participation” above, because if participation is encouraged effectively the straight-jacket might loosen and eventually fall off.

Using active listening in virtual team teleconferences

If we listen actively we focus fully on the speaker, we build rapport, acknowledge the speaker’s concerns, show understanding, relax the environment and transform it from the “on the stand” scenario into a warm, supportive and encouraging one. The main way of doing this is through language.

Here are some phrases we try to use in our virtual team teleconferences:

Showing understanding and interest
  • What made you choose ……?
  • Why did you decide……?
  • How important is that for you?
Supporting, offering help
  • What can I do to support you?
  • What would you need in order to….
  • Can you suggest any ways for me to help you there?
Acknowledges speaker’s concerns
  • I see
  • I can understand your concern.
  • That must be very difficult.
Asking for clarification
  • When you mention XXX, what do you mean exactly?
  • I didn’t catch exactly what you said – could you say that again?
  • Could you tell me more about XXX?
Developing the conversation
  • You mentioned ….. – how are you going to……?
  • When did you last…?
  • That’s interesting what you said about…

For most of us, a virtual team teleconference is never going to be the same as a face-to-face meeting, but if we are aware of how others are feeling, focusing on the language we use will help to create a more supportive and productive environment. Do you have any tips or phrases that have worked for you?  Let us know in the comment area below. Click here to improve your virtual team teleconferences with Target Training.

Parental Leave Questions for Human Resources

What kind of parental leave questions in English can you expect from your company’s employees?

Working in HR and answering employee’s questions can often be difficult, especially when you are dealing with people’s personal lives and their impact on work.  This definitely is the case when it comes to time off due to a new baby being born, or what is known as ‘maternity'(mother) or ‘paternity(father) leave’. Below are some common parental leave questions in English.  The answers may be dependent on your company regulations, but a lot of these are also subject to German laws. It may be a good idea to practice by taking the questions in turns with one person being the employee and one the HR consultant.  This could help your department be better prepared and avoid any difficult situations that may arise.

Common parental leave questions

  • What is the earliest date I can start my maternity leave and the earliest I can finish it?
  • What do I need to do with regards to informing work if my baby comes early or late?
  • Can I extend my parental leave unpaid? What do I need to do?
  • Can I work from home during my maternity leave? Why / Why not?
  • Can I take temporary work somewhere else during my parental leave and do I need to inform the company if I do?
  • What rights does my live-in partner have if he/ she are not the biological parent of the child?
  • What options do I have if I want to work in a temporary position while I am on parental leave?
  • If I work in a temporary different position during my parental leave, is it easy to get my old job back?
  • What is my maternity allowance and is there a maximum rate?
  • Am I entitled to maternity allowance if I am a trainee / a 6 month intern / started work 6 months ago?
  • Do I have to come back to work full-time if that was how I was originally employed? What is the procedure for going part-time?
  • Can both my husband and I apply for parental benefit?
  • What is the situation with parental benefit and having children in preschool or school?
  • What other benefits might I be entitled to during my maternity / parental leave?
  • What options do I have if my job is no longer available when my parental leave is over? (They have closed my location.)

Let us know if you can think of any other parental leave questions that have come up, or suggestions on answers, in the comments area below.  Also, make sure to check out interviewing seminar specifically designed for HR professionals by clicking here.

Apology Emails: 3 Tools to Help

A good apology email goes a long way when canceling an appointment.  You ever get a message from someone declining a meeting in Outlook that had no apology or explanation in it?  I’m sure you have and, like me at times, wondered why that person couldn’t make it. Did you think it was rude or unprofessional? It may or may not be depending on the situation, but it could be perceived to be a bit rude by some people; so it’s important to send a quick apology email within your cancellation notification. It helps to be diplomatic and polite when doing so in English. Here are some quick tips to make your apology emails easy to write and effective.

3 Parts parts of an apology email

1. Apology
  • I’m sorry, but I can’t attend the meeting on Thursday.
  • I’m afraid that I can’t take part in the teleconference on Monday.
  • Unfortunately, I cannot meet you in Berlin on Tuesday.
2. Reason and additional information if necessary(rescheduling, requests, etc)
  • I have another meeting at this time I have to attend.  Could you please send me the minutes from the call?
  • I will be out of the office on a business trip.  Could we please reschedule for the following week?
  • I will be on vacation later this week.  Can we push back the call to next week?
3. Polite closing
  • Thank you for understanding.  I hope to see you next week.
  • Thanks for understanding.  See you next week.
  • I hope this doesn’t cause any inconvenience.  Have a good rest of the week.

Example of a good apology email

Brian,
I’m sorry, but I can’t take part in the telecon on Tuesday the 14th.  I have to go to a meeting in Munich that day.  Could we reschedule the call for Thursday the 16th at the same time? 
Thanks for understanding and let me know what would work best for you. Have a good day.
Matt

Following the structure and using the phrases above should allow you to avoid confusing, or possibly offending, clients or colleagues.  Let us know what good emails have worked for you in the comments area below.

The RATER model in customer service – How do you RATE?

All of us have “customers” of one sort or another. Whether we are working on a B2B or B2C basis, with internal or external customers, customer service skills make a huge difference at how successful you are at working with customers. Understanding what customers expect is a must. In a general sense, customers expect a positive customer experience, to feel like they matter (as your customer), and a resolution to their problem or query. Of course, individual expectations differ from one customer to the next. However, all individual customer expectations fall within the same five categories, as explained in this post.

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The RATER model

We often (almost always) use the RATER model in our customer service training solutions. The model was developed by Zeithaml, Parasuraman, and Berry (1990 – Delivering Quality Service; Balancing Customer Perceptions and Expectations). Based on the SERVQUAL model, RATER defines five categories that customers value when assessing service quality.

Reliability

  • Do you do what you say you will do?
  • Do you perform consistently and in a timely and accurate fashion?

Assurance

  • Do you inspire trust and confidence, making your customers feel safe in your hands?
  • Do your customers know that they have come to the right place?

Tangibility

  • Do you display expert knowledge?
  • Are you able to explain internal processes, or how you will deal with your customer’s needs?

Empathy

  • Do you show your customer that you understand their needs and situation?
  • Do you treat the customer like an individual?

Responsiveness

  • Do you provide timely customer service?
  • Do you convey a willingness to help?

The uses of the RATER model

This model is not intended to make you say “yes, I perform consistently and in a timely and accurate fashion when I work with customers.” A better question would be, is that what ALL my customers would say about my service? The RATER model is a key part of customer satisfaction. Based on a series of personal impressions of your service, ff a customer’s expectations weren’t met, it will be related to one or more of the categories of the RATER model. (I have asked people in the training room, “is that what all your customers would say?” The answer is never yes and I think that would be impossible anyway.)

Other questions to ask:

  1. How do I know I’m doing it well enough?
  2. What are the opportunities for improvement?
  3. What do my customers want more of?

Our experience with the RATER model

The model 30 years on is still relevant. Customer expectations are still the same, in many ways. Our clients are convinced that it should be used in customer service skills training, once they become aware of it. Even the most experienced participants will find it a useful framework – as I hope you will too.

If you would like to know more about our experience of working with global companies on developing their customer service communication, feel free to contact us.


Customer service training solutions

Click on the links below for more details.

Finance Emails: Quick Tips for Clarity

Writing clear finance emails can be a challenge at times

Because the email was confusing, the wrong cost center was used; because the wrong cost center was used, the payment was late; because payment was late, penalties were charged; because penalties were charged, the contract went over budget; because the contract went over budget, the client was unhappy; because the client was unhappy, they gave their next contract to a competitor….. and all because of a confusing email.

Example situations of finance emails

You’re covering for a colleague who is on holiday for three weeks. In the middle of the month you get the following email from one of the suppliers they deal with:

“Would you mind making payment by the end of the month? If not, there’s a chance that penalties might be applied which could possibly cause a bit of delay to delivery of goods. Would it be possible for you to use the usual cost center? That would be great.”

No, you don’t mind, but “might”? “Chance”? Will there be penalties or not? Is the end of the month the last working day or the last calendar day? How long is “a bit of a delay”?  Yes, you can use “the usual cost center,” but what is it?
Two days ago, at month closing, I got a frantic call from one of the finance teams I train. They’d received an email that would have made Ebenezer Scrooge scratch his head. They had one simple question — what did this person want and when?

Tips for making your finance emails clearer

There are many words and phrases used in English to soften a message. However, in some situations it’s essential that politeness doesn’t compromise clarity. Email communication about finance is exactly one of those situations.
The most important point of your email is the action you want taken. For clear finance emails, my tips are:

  • Limit your requesting language to “please” at the start of the first sentence
  • Avoid the words “quite,” “some,” “a bit,” “a chance,” “possibly”
  • If there’s a deadline, give the date or time
  • If there’s important information, for example a cost center number, write it in the email. That way there will be no confusion. You also don’t know if the person you’re writing to will deal with the email
  • Save any messages of thanks to the sign off. A simple “thanks in advance” is enough

Let us know if you have any advice for finance emails in the comments area below.  For more information on how to improve your writing at work, click here.

Achievement vs Ascription in Business

What is meant by achievement vs ascription?

I recently had a conversation when a German friend of mine described a family member as “My father’s sister”.  Thinking she was momentarily missing the word “Aunt”, I offered the correction only to be corrected myself.  She told me she knew the word “Aunt” but the women she was referring to had no relationship with her and had not earned the title.  In my family the titles of “aunt” and “uncle” aren’t a matter of merit but birth and I had difficulty imagining it being any other way, but through my intercultural training experience I was able to make better sense of it.

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Achievement vs Ascription

In Fons Trompenaars’ cultural dilemma of achievement vs ascription, achievement and ascription are on opposite ends of a continuum.  Ascription is the cultural tendency of assigning social status on the basis of birth.  We can see this in monarchies, caste systems, and traditions where societal roles and jobs are passed down by birth.
A society with the cultural tendency of achievement values a more merit based assignment of social status where members earn their positions based on their decisions, relationships, hard work, or lack thereof.
For my German friend, the family status of “Aunt” or “Uncle” needed to be achieved where in my family, those titles were ascribed by birth.  Now in my family, non-family members earned the title of “aunt” without being related by blood due to their relationships with my parents or grandparents.  This “play aunt” achieved her family status through the strength of and length of the relationship.

Impact on business

The “So what?” to this cultural dilemma can be important when we consider the importance of respect and how it is given or earned.  Ascribed status isn’t always obvious.  The brother of the company president may be a line manager yet he may have far more importance in the organization than his position title may imply.  Treating him in a manner with less respect than expected could lead to problems. Additionally, decisions may be made on the basis of maintaining social stability (ascription) rather than enhancing social mobility (achievement).  High achievers may feel stuck in a system that honors ascription, like workers in a family business who know, no matter what, the son of the owner will be the next president.
Many organizations honor both ascription and achievement by offering benefits tied to length of service and benefits, such as performance bonuses and commissions, tied to productivity.  This is a reconciliation that honors elders while honoring the achievements of anyone in the organization, including the elders.
Learning to recognize and reconcile cultural differences gives business people more options for gaining better results.


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. Click to learn more about Ascription vs Achievement and other topics in our intercultural seminars.