Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on setting goals during a教练 会议.
You’ve probably heard that an important part of教练is listening and showing empathy. A good coach tries hard to understand the person he or she is trying to coach. That helps build trust, which creates a constructive relationship. But what is that relationship for? What kind of work does that trust allow?
Once you build a good relationship as a coach, then you can start talking about improvements. 毕竟, coaches don’t exist just to hear about people’s problems. Their whole purpose is to help people get better. And a big part of getting better is setting goals, which is something a good coach can help with.
So how do we work with someone on their goals? 好, that might start with asking about their motivation. 毕竟, goals have to be directed at something. If someone’s motivated by the idea of getting a promotion, then the goals have to relate to that. And that underlines the fact that they are the other person’s goals. We don’t set goals for them. We ask them about their goals. Then we can help them break their goals into smaller objectives.
当然, another important role of a coach is to give encouragement. So when we help someone set goals, we are in a good position to show confidence in their ability to meet them. 最后, we might ask them about their next steps. 那是, what are the concrete activities that the person will take as she tries to accomplish her goals?
在今天的对话中, we’ll rejoin two lawyers: 马里恩和瑞秋. Marion has been coaching Rachel as she learns how to be a better lawyer. 在上一课中, we heard Marion trying to figure out Rachel’s challenges. Now we’ll hear her help Rachel set some goals.
Everyone understands the importance of a good coach in sports, but what about a good coach at work? 事实上, coaching is an important part of every manager’s job. Managing people isn’t just about telling them what to do and how to do it. A good manager helps employees develop and reach their full potential, just like in sports. And that requires an open and constructive coaching relationship.
Coaching involves an ongoing dialog between you and the employee. Together you’ll assess the situation, set goals, monitor those goals, and adjust your activities and objectives as you go along. 是, I said “together.” The 21st century manager isn’t the same as the 1980s manager. The relationship is different. You have to be the boss without being bossy. You need to maintain your authority and the employee’s autonomy at the same time. That’s a fine line to walk.
Coaching often begins with a needs analysis. 那是, you’re meeting with an employee to figure out what is working well, what’s not working at all, and what can be improved. That conversation will involve a lot of open-ended questions. It will also involve showing empathy, which is an important part of leadership.
When you talk about the employee’s performance, it’s important to give very specific examples of behavior. It’s also important to ask for their perspective on those behaviors. 最终, you want to get the employee to agree about what his or her challenges are. Only then can you move on to talk about solutions.
在今天的对话中, we’ll hear Marion, an experienced lawyer, coaching a younger lawyer named Rachel. Marion and Rachel are having an open discussion about Rachel’s performance, and trying to establish what her needs might be.
听力问题
1. Why does Marion mention her own experience at her first job?
2. What example of Rachel’s performance does Marion bring up for discussion?
3. After assessing the problem, what does Marion ask Rachel at the end of the conversation?
欢迎回到 商务英语技能 360 for today’s lesson on how to make sure you get a great year-end bonus.
When I say “bonus,” I’m not talking about a Christmas card from the boss with a $20 gift certificate for Starbucks. I’m not talking about tokens of appreciation. I’m talking about a nice fat year-end bonus that says your employer believes you’re worth investing in.
在上一课中, I talked about how to demonstrate your value through your approach to work. 今天, I want to focus not just on your approach, but on the work itself. When all is said and done, it’s your performance that will be valued above all else. So how can you show that?
欢迎回到 商务英语技能 360 for today’s lesson on how to secure a great year-end bonus.
We all know that money’s not the only workplace incentive, but it sure is an effective one. Nothing beats a nice cheque at the end of the year to say “thanks for all the hard work.” That bonus can help us enjoy the holiday season more, and feel better about heading back to the office when the holiday is over.
所以, how can you make sure you get that bonus? Or how can you increase the size of your bonus? 好, first of all, if you just started thinking about this now, you might be out of luck. You can’t just suck up to your boss in December and expect to be rewarded. If you’re looking for an easy workaround to hard work, I’m sorry to disappoint you.
And if you think that you deserve a bonus because you showed up on time every day and never ducked out early, then think again. If you make hamburgers at McDonalds, then your employer pays you for your time, in the form of a wage. But in professional settings, where people earn salaries, it’s not your time that your employer pays for. It’s your value.
