Communicate at Work

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOU ARE IN DOUBT

Your relations on the job depend on the way you communicate within the workplace. Therefore, it is important to adapt your communication style. There are great differences from workplace to workplace on the level of formality, how employees communicate with each other and what is considered appropriate. This is even more important if you work in a multicultural workplace.

ACTION 11 Make a mind map of how English can be used in Norwegian workplaces and some important factors to consider in achieving this. 12 Explain how your workplace language and culture and social competence can influence communication at work. 13 Research the definition of the following business idioms and discuss how to use them. See more on idioms on page 228. get a business off the ground, get down to business, go the extra mile, keep one’s eye on the ball, rock the boat 14 Practice what to say when you are in doubt about something. Act out situations where you use examples from the tips box above.

Ask questions to clarify and avoid misunderstandings. “Can you repeat that, please?” “Sorry, I didn’t understand. Can you explain that again?” “Do you mean ... or am I misunderstanding something?” “Could you please say that again slowly?" “Do you have time to show me how to ...?" “Could we do the first one together?” “I’m not sure I understood. Could you show me how to do this task?” “Do you have an example of a similar (report, email, instruction) I could see?”Vurderingseksemplar adapt tilpasse appropriate passende/passande

Small talk at work Small talk is about making a connection between you and another person. There are some topics that work well as conversation openers, such as the weather, lunch or other trivial matters. It is not important what you talk about, but rather that you simply start talking about something that interests you both.

Practice making small talk by using the topics and phrases on sports, weather and news.

WEATHER

The weather is a neutral topic. “Lovely day, don’t you think?” “Did you hear the rain last night?” “I hope this beautiful weather will last through the weekend. What are your plans for the weekend?”

SPORTS

Talk about favourite teams, both local and international. “Did you watch the local hockey team play last night?” “Did you see the Norwegian football team win last weekend? They are getting better, alright.” If you do not like sports, talk about why you do not like them. NEWS Stay updated on current events. “Did you hear about the new shopping centre they are building downtown?” “Did you see the headline in the local newspaper online today? I cannot believe it.”

ACTION 15 Discuss how your ability to make small talk can influence relations in the workplace. 16 Work in pairs and practice making small talk about the weather, sports, news, school and food. Use a timer, for instance, on your phone, and make the conversation last at least two minutes for each topic. Switch partners when you finish. 17 Choosing the right communication style at work is important. Rank these situations from least to most formal: dinner party with colleagues, team meeting with colleagues, meeting with a potential customer, lunch meeting with your boss, meeting with a customer in a store on a Saturday afternoon

18 Discuss ways to adapt your communication at work. Use examples of possible situations. 19 Small talk consists of safe topics you can bring up at work, but what topics do you think should be avoided at work? Explain and discuss with examples. 20 You overhear two colleagues discussing another Vurderingseksemplarcoworker negatively. Talk through possible outcomes of the following choices. What might happen if you ● think it is none of your business and forget it? ● talk to your colleagues and tell them that backbiting is bad for the work environment? ● go to your boss and tell him what you heard? ● go to the one they were backbiting and say what you heard?

Least formal Most formal