Difficult work situDifficult work situations andations

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Part 9 - Difficult work situations andasking for a pay riseThis programme was first broadcast in 2001This is not an accurate word-for-word transcript¹ of the programmeCarmela: Now you’re too busy to worry about reading English grammar books anddictionaries. You want short cuts to quick, fluent and natural-sounding Englishfor any situation at work. And that’s what Business Language To Go is allabout. Now, one quick suggestion is that you get a pen and paper ready so thatyou can write down the phrases you hear.
　　This week we have two very different and difficult situations at work. In amoment we’ll look at some phrases you can use for asking for a pay rise. Butfirst, here’s some of the language to use when you need to have words with amember of staff. You know the kind of thing - when you need to complainabout their standard of work. Or perhaps they’ve been behaving badly towardscolleagues, or even worse, customers. Now, as usual here with me in the studiois David Evans, our business English expert. David, what’s your advice for aTalk about English ? BBC Learning EnglishPage 2 of 8bbclearningenglish.comdifficult situation like this?
　　David: Well, I don’t think anyone enjoys this kind of situation. It’s very difficult for amanager to tell off another adult. To tell them that their work is not up to thestandard or to complain about the way they’ve been behaving. I suppose thekey thing for managers to bear in mind here is that they need to get the balanceright - they need to be strict - but at the same time they must be fair to the otherperson and obviously listen to what they have to say in their own defence. Andgoing alongside that, both parties need to choose the correct register oflanguage as well, because this is a very sensitive situation.
　　Carmela: So, today we’re looking at some of the language you need for difficultsituations and also we’re going to have a look at how you should say it, howyou should deliver that difficult message perhaps to a colleague.
　　OK - let’s get into the office now and hear our first example:
　　CLIPSean: Michelle, can I have a word please, in my office?
　　Now then. I won’t take long about this, I’ll come straight to the point. Wehad a chat about two weeks ago, yeh? Remember that?
　　Michelle: YeahSean: ….at that point, I wasn’t particularly happy with the way that you werebehaving in the office, the way that you were being uncooperative, a little bitsurly with people. And since then frankly², I’ve seen very little change.
　　Michelle: Well, I mean I think I’ve made an effort trying to be helpful like I normally amTalk about English ? BBC Learning EnglishPage 3 of 8bbclearningenglish.comwith people and I feel that I’m still doing my job, not that the job’s veryinteresting. I think it’s become less interesting since Sarah got the promotion³. Ithink she’s getting some more of the interesting work.
　　Sean: Okay well I’m afraid that despite what you say it hasn’t come across.
　　I don’t want to jump to any conclusions, but you have taken quite a bit oftime off … and ….
　　Michelle: Yeah, but you’re allowed to take leave, aren’t you?
　　Sean: You are allowed to take leave. And, hopefully you come back from leaverefreshed and you leave your problems at home.
　　END OF CLIPCarmela: Well, quite a difficult conversation for both parties there. But David, if we canlook now at some of the language, what phrases did Sean use to tell Michellewhat he thought of her work?
　　David: Well, he began the conversation in quite a neutral way with the phrase Can Ihave a word. If somebody says that to you, you don’t know if it’s going to begood news or bad news but you know it’s going to be a private conversation.
　　Then when they get into the office, Sean indicates that he wants to talk aboutbusiness immediately - by using the phrase -I’ll come straight to the point.
　　Carmela: So, those phrases are really preparation（准备） and the point that he wants to come tois - what - how did he deliver the point?
　　David: I think the phrase he used, I wasn’t particularly happy with the way you’ve been behaving. It’s quite agood phrase to introduce some kind of complaint that one - I wasn’t happywith. I wasn’t happy with your efforts, I’m not happy with your salesfigures - it can be used in a lot of different contexts. I think that we heard thatSean, the manager, was very careful with the way that he chose language. Wealso heard the phrase I don’t want to jump to any conclusions and he’s usingthat phrase to make it absolutely clear that he wants to be fair, and that he is notprejudging the situation.
　　Carmela: Well, let’s get back to that conversation. It’s been quite difficult so far. Howdoes it continue and how do they resolve the difficulties?
　　CLIPSean: Okay well I’m not going to get into a discussion about who deserved to getthe job. Clearly, the person who was appointed was the right person for thejob. What you need to do is look at your work and what you’re doing andwhere that’s taking you in your career. But bearing in mind that you are stillemployed to do a job and I expect you to do that job with a certain attitude.
　　You’re meeting members of the public quite regularly - it’s important that youaren’t unhappy or at least that you don’t show it. This meeting is really justto let you know I’m not happy with the effort that you’ve made.
　　Michelle: OK…Sean: … and I really want to see some improvement. I know it’s difficult, I knowthat it’s depressing not to get a job, but you’ve got to snap out of it, you’ve gotto get on with the job that you’re doing now.
　Carmela: Sean, the boss in this situation sounds quite strict and stern - but we have toremember it is the second warning, it’s the second time that he’s spoken to thiscolleague about the problems, and he establishes very quickly that he doesn’twant to dialogue. He simply wants to outline the problems, and try and getsome kind of solution. How does he alert her to that?
　　David: I think he does that by using the expression I’m not going to get into adiscussion about the promotion, about the job that she applied⁴ for that shedidn’t get. So, that’s a very useful way of keeping the conversation strictly⁵ toits point. He is strict but he does use some softeners, we hear him say I knowit’s difficult, indicating that he does understand the situation that she’s in, buthe makes it very clear that what he wants is to see an improvement. He wantsthings to get better, and we hear him use that phrase I really want to see someimprovement just to underline that that’s what he hopes will happen.
　　Carmela: Now we’re going to look at another tricky⁶ situation at work. How do you askfor that pay rise? Have a listen to the following conversation and concentrate onthe phrases used by the person asking for the pay rise. And as you listen try and answer these two questions. First, how long has the employee（雇员） been at thecompany? And secondly⁷, how much more money does she ask for?
　　CLIPAbigail: Hi, are you free for a quick chat?
　　M: Sure, come in, come in. Sit down. What can I do for you?
　　Abigail: OK. Well it’s a bit difficult, but ... I really feel that it’s about time that Ihad a pay rise.
　　M: Okay. Why do you feel like that?
　　Abigail: Well, I’ve been here now for 3 years and in that time I’ve made goodprogress. I’ve really feel that I’ve grown in the job and I’ve taken on alot more responsibility and I just feelit’s time that that it was recognised and my efforts were rewarded.
　　M: Right. So you feel that you’re on a low salary for your current positionand current responsibilities, do you?
　　Abigail: l yes, I do believe that what I’ve contributed to the department over recentmonths means I should be paid more.
　　M: Okay, well, what kind of rise would you be looking for?
　　Abigail: Well, you know, I think that 3% on top of the usual annual rise withinflation isn’t too much to ask.
　　END OF CLIPCarmela: We’ll check the answers to those questions right now. The first one: How longhad she been at the company? – well, she’d been there for 3 years. And howmuch money did she ask for? The answer was 3% on top of the usual annualrise. David, what phrases did Abigail use there to put forward her case for apay rise?
　　David: She’s obviously aware that this is something which is quite hard to ask for, soshe begins by saying it’s a bit difficult but.. It’s a bit difficult but, I reallyTalk about English ? BBC Learning EnglishPage 7 of 8bbclearningenglish.comfeel it’s about time I had a pay rise. And she’s using that expression, I reallyfeel - to underline that this is something that is very important to her.
　　Carmela: And the next step - for Abigail was to say why she thought she deserved the payrise, what exactly she’d done to deserve it. How did she introduce her goodpoints?
　　David: Well, I think her key point here is that she has taken on more responsibility.
　　That’s the phrase she uses - and I guess what she means by that is that she nowhas a more important job, she has more difficult, more challenging tasks toperform.
　　Carmela: And when she mentioned how much she wanted for a pay rise, she used a neatlittle phrase there, she said, it isn’t too much to ask - what did she mean bythat?
　　David: I think, what she’s trying to say is that “I’m not asking for very much money”…it isn’t too much to ask. I think she was asking for 3 percent more than shewould normally have got.
　　Carmela: Well, let’s go back to the conversation now and see how the discussion ends.
　　CLIPM: Three per cent. Right, well as you know, I can’t just give you a pay riseimmediately, just like that. I’ll have to discuss it with the other managers here.
　　And as you can imagine, there aren’t unlimited⁸ funds available for things likethis. But you might be pleased to hear that we are having a pay review meetingvery soon and I’ll make sure we discuss your request then.
　　Abigail: Okay fine. Should I put this request in writing as well, so we all have arecord of this discussion?
　　M: Yes, that’d be a good idea. Email me and also copy it to human resources.
　　END OF CLIPCarmela: Well, it sounds as if everything is going quite well there at the end. David, onelast phrase from that section - the part where Abigail wanted to have a record ofthe discussion.
　　David: That’s right - she said - should I put this request in writing? To putsomething in writing would simply mean just to have a written record of it.
　　Carmela: Well, that’s almost it for this week. I hope we’ve helped you prepare a bitbetter for those difficult work situations. Thanks to David Evans and do join usagain next time for more Business Language To Go.（本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑）