Business English for Management Lessons
All English for managers lessons by Business English Pod lessons for management English. Our management English lessons are listed below with the most recent lessons first.
Management English
Learn management English with our lessons on English for managers. Topics include decision-making, leadership and crisis management. The lessons are suitable for professional and executives who use business English for mangers.
Skills 360 – Developing Good Habits (1)
Welcome back to the Business English Skills 360 podcast as we look at how to develop good habits for success at work.
The start of a new year feels like the right time to make big resolutions, or promises to yourself. You’re going to call people back promptly. You’re going to keep a tidy desktop. You’re going to stop reading new emails as soon as they come in. You’re going to manage your time better. It sure feels great to make these resolutions. But what doesn’t feel great is the realization in February that you haven’t made good on any of your promises.
In most cases, the problem is that people intuitively believe that setting a goal or making a resolution is enough. But it’s not. Setting a goal without looking at the systems that support specific habits or behaviors is useless. Intention isn’t enough. You need to break down what happens around habits, both good and bad, and create the right conditions for the right behaviors.
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Skills 360 – Fostering a Culture of Collaboration (2)
Welcome back to the Business English Skills 360 podcast as we look at how to build a collaborative workplace culture.
Even in the most competitive companies, collaboration is key to success. In our last lesson, we looked at the benefits of collaboration, like innovation and employee engagement. Now we’ll look at the systems and approaches to make it happen.
Collaboration starts with leadership. Leaders need to focus on “we,” not “I.” That means trusting their teams, being open about goals and challenges, and involving others in decisions. When teams feel trusted and included, they’re more likely to work together.
Communication is key too – and it changes when you give up control. It’s no longer just about giving clear instructions. It’s about listening, understanding different ideas, and building consensus. That takes more time and effort, which means teams need some flexibility in their schedules.
Collaboration also needs structure. Cross-functional teams, shared roles, and communities of practice all help break down silos. And digital tools like Slack or project management platforms make it easier to share work and ideas.
Of course, not every decision has to be made as a group. Some are simple or urgent. And when trust is low, it may be best to focus on rebuilding that first.
But if you want the real benefits of collaboration, you need to create the right environment: one built on trust, open communication, and the systems to support teamwork.
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Skills 360 – Fostering a Culture of Collaboration (1)
Welcome back to the Business English Skills 360 podcast as we look at how to build a culture of collaboration at work.
Collaboration is more than just working together or coordinating tasks. It means people share goals, ideas, decisions, and responsibility. True collaboration often involves people from different teams coming together to solve shared problems or create something new.
So why is collaboration so important? One key reason is innovation. When people with different backgrounds and skills come together, they bring fresh ideas. These creative clashes often lead to breakthroughs. Collaboration also helps spread knowledge across teams. If one team finds a better way to work, others can learn from it – if they’re connected.
Stronger connections also lead to greater resilience. When teams share skills and experiences, they can support each other when challenges come up. And beyond business results, collaboration boosts employee engagement. People feel more connected, valued, and motivated when they work toward shared goals.
But collaboration takes effort. It’s not instant or easy. It takes time, trust, and a willingness to share control. If you want others’ input, you have to be open to their ideas, not just your own.
Collaboration can bring big rewards, but it also comes with challenges. In part two, we’ll explore what teams and leaders can do to support collaboration through strong communication, trust, and the right systems.
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BEP 411 – Mergers: Discussing an Integration Plan (2)
Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson, the second in our series on integrating the operations of two companies. These lessons will focus on discussions about how to merge, or integrate, companies and operations.
Mergers can bring enormous benefits to corporations. They can lead to greater efficiency, greater market share, greater value, and greater access to talent. But there are a thousand and one things that might get in the way of a successful integration. And to overcome these potential roadblocks, you need a strategic approach.
Mergers are part negotiation. Your company has a lot to gain, but you can’t sign everything away too easily. For that reason, you may find it important to assert your position at crucial times and to emphasize issues you consider critical.
In taking a strategic approach, it’s also important to identify those big challenges or roadblocks I mentioned. Once you’ve done that, you can address these challenges. And it’s always helpful if one of the companies has gone through a merger before. In that case, you can reference prior experience as you plan the integration.
In today’s dialog, we’ll rejoin a conversation between two Chief Operating Officers of companies that are planning to merge. Michelle and Alex are discussing how the integration will happen and addressing challenges along the way.
Listening Questions
1. What major challenge does Michelle identify related to integrating the IT systems?
2. What particular issue does Michelle emphasize needs to be considered besides technical issues?
3. What does Alex suggest to counteract worries about people leaving the company?
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BEP 410 – Mergers: Discussing an Integration Plan (1)
Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson, the first in our series on integrating the operations of two companies. These lessons will focus on the conversations we have when talking about how to merge or integrate companies and operations.
There’s an old saying that strategy is 95% implementation. There’s no better proof of this than in the merging of companies. Coming to terms on a buy-out is difficult in and of itself. But once the agreement has been made, there’s the incredibly difficult work of making it happen.
Integrating companies requires us to think and talk about every aspect of business, from the nuts and bolts of accounting to the fuzzy aspects of culture. There’s a lot at stake, not just for the owners but for every single person who works for the two companies.
In discussing an integration, it’s important to lay out a clear timeline and to build in feedback mechanisms to ensure things go as smoothly as possible. You will have to bring up concerns effectively and suggest ways to smooth the transition. And you may find yourself referring back to previous agreements as you work out all the details.
In today’s dialog, we’ll listen to a conversation between Alex and Michelle, two Chief Operating Officers. Alex’s company has just bought out Michelle’s company, and they’re meeting to discuss how the integration will roll out.
Listening Questions
1. What concern does Michelle raise after Alex lays out a possible timeline?
2. What previous agreement does Michelle refer to?
3. What does Alex suggest to ensure a smoother leadership transition?
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