The business English phrases in this lesson are useful in any position of management or leadership. Start using them with your team today!
Lead a team
As project manager, I lead a team of 15 developers
Demonstrate leadership
I need to demonstrate leadership by working even harder than my employees.
Set goals/targets/expectations
I'm going to meet with each employee to set goals for the upcoming quarter.
It's important that we set realistic targets for staff.
I set expectations with all of my new staff on day one.
Reach/Meet/Exceed/Fall short of targets
Last quarter we reached our sales target of $100,000
Last quarter we met our sales target of $100,000
Last quarter we exceeded our sales target of $100,000. We brought in $122,000 in sales!
Last quarter we fell short of our sales target of $100,000. We only brought in $87,000 in sales.
Hold a meeting
We should hold a meeting to discuss the budget cuts as soon as possible.
Boost morale
The human resources department is looking at new ways to boost morale, including a staff appreciation event for the whole team sometime next month.
Monitor progress
I have been monitoring progress for our new development project and things are going well.
Take action
If our performance continues to decline, we'll need to take action and it may result in cutting jobs.
Align the team
It's important that we align our team across all departments to ensure we are working consistently towards the same goals.
Encourage teamwork
As leaders, we need to encourage teamwork and coordination among all staff members.
Provide insight
Every six months, I meet with my team to provide insight on where the company is going and any future changes that are expected to occur.
Communicate a message
The management team needs to communicate a consistent message of support for our team members. They need to know that we are behind them 100%.
Invite input
I would like to invite any input that you have about this issue in order to help us make a better decision.
Reward and Recognize efforts
Every year, our company has a special event where the managers of each department reward and recognize the efforts and achievements of their staff.
Show appreciation
I try to show appreciation to my team by writing 'thank you' emails whenever they do something beyond expectations.
Achieve success
I've very proud of our team. We have achieved success thanks to the effort of everyone involved.
Take responsibility
As manager of this team, I take responsibility for the team's success or failure on this project.
Implement a policy
The company will implement a new work-from-home policy, effective September 1st of this year.
Take disciplinary measures
If any employees do not comply with the company policies, it's my job to take disciplinary measures against that employee. We need to ensure there is full compliance by staff
Offer encouragement
Whenever a team member is struggling, it's my job to offer encouragement to keep them going and so that they don't give up.
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Practice
Choose the correct verb for each object:
Set / Show / Invite / Encourage / Align / Hold / Take
____________ input
____________ action
____________ expectations
____________ meetings
____________ appreciation
____________ the team
____________ teamwork
Implement / Reward / Monitor / Offer / Take / Lead
____________ progress
____________ a team
____________ encouragement
____________ efforts
____________ a policy
____________ responsibility
Provide / Demonstrate / Exceed / Achieve / Take / Communicate / Boost
____________ a message
____________ morale
____________ disciplinary action
____________ insight
____________ targets
____________ leadership
____________ success
Answers
Set / Show / Invite / Encourage / Align / Hold / Take
Invite input
Take action
Set expectations
Hold meetings
Show appreciation
Align the team
Encourage teamwork
Implement / Reward / Monitor / Offer / Take / Lead
Monitor progress
Lead a team
Offer encouragement
Reward efforts
Implement a policy
Take responsibility
Provide / Demonstrate / Exceed / Achieve / Take / Communicate / Boost
Communicate a message
Boost morale
Take disciplinary action
Provide insight
Exceed targets
Demonstrate leadership
Achieve success
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