Стр. 34 - Skurikhin_Communicative style

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Let’s get a few things straight about meetings: the whole point of bringing people
together for meetings is to generate discussion, to resolve misunderstandings, and to find
solutions to problems that people couldn’t find if they were working alone. If everything
is carefully planned in advance, and the chair of the meeting sticks rigidly to the agenda,
none of those things can take place. Of course, there’s a time when it’s appropriate for
one person to talk and everyone else to listen and learn, but that’s a presentation, not a
meeting.
If you’re serious about making your meetings more effective, you need to give the
participants plenty of time to ask questions, take the conversation in new directions, say
things which may or may not be relevant, and above all, get to know each other. Of
course, you need to make sure things don’t get out of control, but that means finding a
sensible balance between small talk and getting down to business.
A company which does not tolerate small talk may get things done more quickly, but that
doesn’t mean it’ll do things the best way, making full use of the skills and ideas of its
employees …and it may well find that it loses its best employees and its customers just as
quickly.
VOCABULARY
an attendee│tick away│appreciate sth│ an excuse│ turn up│ fail to do sth│stick to
sth│hijack sth│(ir)relevant│take over sth│concrete│implement a decision│vital│trust
sb│
persuade
sb
to
do
sth│
an
interruption│a
queue│
a
watercooler│systematic│flourish│
get
sth
straight│
a
misunderstanding│rigidly│appropriate│tolerate sth
SMALL TALK PHRASES (1): QUESTIONS
1.
Complete these small talk questions by choosing the best form for each verb in
brackets.
Asking about current projects:
1. What ___ you ___ on at the moment?
2. How ___ it ___ (go) with your new assistant?
3. ___ you ___ (make) any progress with your big project?
Asking about recent events:
4. How ___ your presentation ___ (go) last week?
5. How ___ (be) your business trip? When ___ you ___ (get) back?
Asking about news:
6. What’s new?
7. ___ you ___ (hear) back from that potential big customer yet?
8. What ___ you ___ (be) up to in your department?
Asking about plans and predictions
9. When do you think they ___ finally ___ (sign) the contract?
10. ___ you ___ (go) to the conference this weekend?
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