Management Leadership English

Question 1

When do you use Direct Approach vs Indirect Approach?

Answer 1

Direct approaches are straight forward, concise, and give positive or neutral news. Indirect approaches are used when your message may cause doubt, resistance, or you don’t know how it will be received.

Question 2

How is a Direct Approach constructed?

Answer 2

1- Give news or make request.
2- Add details or explanation.
3- Conclude with a friendly comment or a simple statement of action that may need to be taken.

Even when using a direct approach to someone in a superior position, there is still an extra amount of politeness to be used.
For example, if you want to tell your boss that a client agreed to open a new account, you would not immediately yell, I got the McArhens account.
But you might use a friendlier, still direct message. Mr. Lloyd, good news. We got the McArhens account.

Question 3

Why do we use Indirect Approaches?

Answer 3

If you begin your message with the bad news, your audience may react so strongly to the news that they stop listening to anything else you have to say. That’s why we use the indirect approach. It can help soften the bad news and still keep your audience engaged.

Question 4

What is a buffer?

Answer 4

One effective technique is to use a buffer. A buffer is information that puts off the bad news for just long enough to gain your audience’s trust, or to give them some context for the bad news.

Question 5

Why do we give reasons in Indirect Approaches?

Answer 5

Many studies have been done about how effective reasons are for communication. People like to know why something is the way it is. Offering reasons will make the bad news easier to accept.

Question 6

How is an Indirect Approach constructed?

Answer 6

The main pattern for the indirect approach is:
1- Buffer.
2- Reasons.
3- News.
4- Redirect. 

A buffer helps your audience prepare for the bad news. Reasons are a powerful communication tool. People like to know why, state the bad news clearly and quickly. Close by redirecting attention to future opportunities or actions.

Question 7

Summarization Analogy

Answer 7

Imagine you’re traveling to a foreign country, and you’ve just walked into the best smelling bakery on the planet.
Since you are far from home, chances are you will never visit this bakery again.
For the daily special, you must buy a dozen items.
You wouldn’t buy 12 pastries that were exactly the same, would you? Heavens, no. You want to try them all. You would pick out the best and most important desserts to buy.
You wouldn’t be able to eat all the desserts in the bakery either. But at least you could leave with a delicious dozen.
And so it is with summarizing.
We’re given a ton of information. Some information we may only hear or learn once.
It’s our job to pull out the big ideas, the most important points, or the most delicious desserts. We can’t retain all the information or buy out the entire bakery, but we can at least have a dozen new bits of knowledge.

Question 8

Why summarization is important

Answer 8

In a business setting the ability to summarize is extremely important. Investors, CEOs, employees, marketers, researchers, executives and managers are busy always. Additionally, they are fed 1,000s of bits of new information every day. If we were to memorize every new thing put into our brains each day, they would explode. Just as we would explode if we ate all the desserts in that bakery.

Question 9

Ho is a Summary constructed?

Answer 9

1- Make sure you understand the information.
2- Write or speak your information.
3- Find key words and phrases or make an outline.
4- Create a strong topic sentence.
5- Add details and support without adding your opinion 6- and finish with a concluding sentence.

Question 10

How are Direct Requests constructed?

Answer 10

You get right to the point, state your request and add details if necessary. Direct requests most commonly use imperative language. This is also called the command form.

Though direct requests are strong and to the point, there is always room for saying, please. Please, put your report on my desk by lunch.

Question 11

How are Indirect Requests constructed?

Answer 11

Indirect requests are formed with some helping words in English, we call modals: may, can, must, should, would, could, ought to and be able to.

Modals are known as mood changers. They change the feelings of the verbs in the sentence. By adding modals, the words can be softened.

Question 12

What not to do when constructing a Direct and an Indirect request?

Answer 12

Mix polite buffer with modals. Either make direct imperative ask with please or an indirect request with a modal. Don’t example! Can you please do …

Question 13

Practice Quizlet Vocab

Answer 13

https: //quizlet.com/_2op9x3
https: //quizlet.com/162445741
https: //quizlet.com/162446931
https: //quizlet.com/162451066

Question 14

What is “Push for closure”

How do you solidify it?

Answer 14

Keep the pressure on identifying who, what, when during a meeting
- Close with a summary of what was discussed. Review any action items and those persons who are responsible for them. And list any specific, near-term deadlines. Remember that your goal for the meeting is who, what, when. If possible, do this also via email to make it perfectly clear what needs to be done and to have a tangible record of what was discussed.

Question 15

What is “Table the decision until another time”

Answer 15

Remember that phrase

Question 16

What are the four different decision-making approaches Intel uses?

Answer 16

The first approach is authoritative. This is the kind of meeting where the leadership is sharing information with employees and has full control of the information.

The second approach is consultative. In this approach, the leader needs to make a decision, and is seeking input from his or her team in order to do so.

Another approach is voting, where the purpose of the meeting is to discuss an issue, and then everyone has an opportunity to vote on the decision.

And finally, there is consensus. Where the purpose of the meeting is to come to an agreement on the issue. You may not get 100% agreement, but at least everyone we will have had an opportunity to weigh in.

Question 17

Who are Conversation Monopolizers.

Give few phrases that can help deal with them

Answer 17

People who talk a lot during a meeting.

• Let’s table that discussion until later.
• That’s not the focus of today’s meeting.
• I appreciate what Jake said, but now I’d like to hear from the rest of you.

Question 18

How to encourage other to speak?

Answer 18

• That’s an interesting point.
• Tell me more.
• Catherine made the point that… Let’s discuss that further.
• George, you have experience in this area. What is your opinion on the direction we’re taking?

Question 19

What’s the role of a moderator?

Answer 19

This doesn’t have to be the person who’s running the meeting. In other words, you can have a facilitator and a moderator. The moderator is then someone whose role it is to set the pace and tone of the meeting. Who will be careful to include opportunities for those on the line to have an opportunity to participate.

Question 20

What’s a good thing to do during a conference call?

Answer 20

When speaking announce yourself, so that others who may not know who you are, or they not recognize your voice, can understand who’s speaking.

Question 21

Which questions help you determine the best details to include in a summary?

Answer 21

How? and Why?

Question 22

What is “Holding the floor”?

Answer 22

Speaking and maintaining control of your turn to speak

Question 23

What are some techniques to handle interruptions?

Answer 23

“Holding the floor” is an idiom that means you’re speaking and maintaining control of your turn to speak. We can also speak about someone having the floor, meaning it’s their turn to speak.

How can you politely limit someone’s conversation time?
- First of all, if it’s a new relationship to you, cut the person some slack until
you get to know him better.
- Show that person that you are listening by summarizing his or her main idea.
- Then find a relevant connection to the meeting purpose, and redirect.
- Follow up with a question related to the meeting to get that person back on track.
If that’s difficult, wait for a pause, then ask the person to clarify. “I’m not following you. Can you explain how this relates to the point we were discussing?” If they can’t, use the opportunity to go back to the agenda. “I see. Then that topic is best discussed at another time. Right now, we need to focus on deciding our next steps.” Show how it’s important, but not important now, or not related to the agenda. “Let’s table this for another meeting.” But whatever you do, be calm. Be confident, be curious but if you’re leading the meeting be in control. If you’re not leading the meeting, you can also help by being in active by standard. “I’d like to hear what she has to say. Please let Mike finish.”

You want to hold the floor?
- First of all, try not to take interruptions personally. Often interruptions have more to do
with the interrupter than with you.
- Make it clear that you were interrupted but you can do so politely. “Excuse me, Liz, but
you didn’t let me finish. I’d like to note that the deadline for
the delivery is Monday.”
- Secondly, you’re more likely to be given time to finish if you offer a quick outline of what you want to say. Such as three main points or two counter-arguments. Be sure to summarize quickly in your head your main idea. Learn to speak concisely and offer the main point up-front. That way, the most important information at least has been said.
- Sometimes personal communication styles can cause people to interrupt certain people more than others. If you find yourself interrupted frequently, take a look at your own communication style. Do you use filler words like or? Do you use an uncertain tone of voice?
- Practice a more forceful tone.
- If you’re going to pause, pause in the middle of a sentence instead of the end so people don’t think you’re finished.
- Speak slowly and carefully rather than quickly. This can be difficult to do, especially when you’re afraid
you’re going to get interrupted.
- Use body language to demonstrate presence in the room. Amy Cuddy’s research on power posing has shown how body language can make you feel and look more powerful. Take a look at her TED talk to see
the kinds of techniques she recommends. Avoid undermining your own authority by using weak phrasing such as, I’m not sure this is right, but I just think we should try this.
- Finally, don’t automatically stop when you’re interrupted. Sometimes interrupters are hoping
you’ll stop and let them talk instead.

Question 24

What are some techniques to interrupt/Hold the floor?

Answer 24

• Interrupting a person by saying their name is very useful. Dale Carnegie a world famous communicator wrote that a person’s name is the sweetest sound to that person. Think of your own experiences when someone says your name. Do you stop and listen?
• Use a lowered intonation to show authority and keep talking. Using a falling intonation that gets lower and louder on the last syllable works well with all of the interrupters.

(Personal)
- Interrupt by using name + phrases to ask for clarification. Even though, you don’t need clarification. It’s a good way to establish good report with the speaker. and establish a pavlovian conditioning of him/her stopping whenever you mention their name and a pavlovian conditioning for the audience to stay on eggshells around you. Initially, you’ll just ask for stupid clarifications. That way the speaker is conditioned after each interactions. Plus it’s a good way to establish authority on phone calls and meetings. Remember that the people who you hear most on a call are stupid people that ask stupid questions but they reap the most benefits.

Question 25

What are some phrases to ask for clarification?

Answer 25

From the video:

• I’d like to ask you about (instead of what is …)
• I’m afraid, I don’t follow (instead of I don’t understand)
• I didn’t catch that (I didn’t pay attentions)
• Just to be clear (To take floor and summarize)
• Are you saying that … (To take floor and summarize)

Phrases for Interruption and Clarification:

• Use the person’s name
• Excuse me…
• I’m sorry…
• I’d like to add…
• I’d like to interrupt…
• I’d like to ask…
• I’d like to say…
• If I may..

Asking for Clarification:
You Want the Speaker to Be More Specific
- Could you explain what you meant when you said/suggested…
- I’d like to ask you about…
- Could we go back to the last point…
- Could you tell me more about…

You Didn’t Hear a Part of What the Speaker Said

- I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch what you said...
- Could you please repeat the part about...
- Could you repeat that please?

You Didn’t Understand a Specific Point

- I'm afraid I didn't follow your point about...
- Could you explain \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ in a different way?
- I'm afraid that isn't clear. Could you...
- Could you go over that last point again?

There Was a Specific Language Barrier

- I'm afraid I'm not familiar with that term
- Say the unclear phrase with a rising intonation as if asking a question

You Want to Summarize What You Heard To Check Your Understanding

- Just to be clear are you suggesting that...
- Are you saying that...
- Can I check that I've understood correctly?
- I'd like to make sure I've understood you right...

Question 26

What are some sections of status report?

Answer 26

• Summary
• Key Accomplishments
• Key Issues
• Moving Forward