It’s hard being a manager. There’s constant pressure from above to deliver results, but it’s equally important to approach your team members with sensitivity.
So when times are tough, how should you go about motivating your team effectively, while pushing for better results? This is where English for managers is especially important.
Keep reading for 4 strategies and English phrases to communicate with your team in a way that inspires productivity and gets results.
1. Acknowledge the good before the bad
If you want to motivate your team, focusing only on weaknesses is not a good way to start! A better approach when using English for managers is to first recognize the team’s accomplishments, and then address the areas for improvement. To make it even simpler, we can say acknowledge the “good” before the “bad”. For instance:
There’s a lot right with our approach to ____, (good) but there’s also a lot to be done with _____. (bad).
Alternatively, you can express it as:
____ has a multitude of strong qualities. (good). Even so, the opportunity to grow is immense. (bad).
Obviously, don’t actually use the words “good” and “bad”! Instead, English phrases like “area for improvement” and “opportunity to grow” help to maintain motivation and foster a positive, problem-solving atmosphere among your colleagues.
“If you want to explain your general location, say that you work at that location. “
2. Use "I" and "me" to express concern
As a manager, there may be plenty of moments when you need your team to understand the urgency or risks of a situation. Language is again important here to avoid overwhelming the team, or appearing to blame anyone.
So what is best English for managers in this delicate situation?
An effective approach is to talk about every problem like it’s a personal concern. For example, in a meeting you can say:
The reservation I have is about _____.
For example: The reservation I have is about the timeline.
Or another phrase is this:
____ makes me a bit nervous.
For example: The tight deadline makes me a bit nervous.
These examples are carefully phrased so that the speaker is expressing their own concerns about the situation, instead of pointing the finger at anyone in the team.
The language is completely non-accusatory – pay attention to the use of “I” and “me” in the sentences. Using this kind of language helps get the team on board and working together to achieve better results.
3. Use "we" to set challenges
After reflecting with the team on the cause of the less-than-perfect situation, you can turn the focus towards what needs to be done next. The English for managers here should be phrased to keep things positive and collaborative as you look to the future.
A great way to achieve that is to use the word “we” to set challenges. For instance:
We still have big targets to hit.
Or
We know that we really need to do (a task).
By using “we,” you emphasise that everyone is part of a unified effort, working towards the same goal. This small language detail can help build a sense of teamwork and promote the idea that together, the challenge will be overcome.
4. Focus on solutions
While it’s important to recognise the challenges you still have to face, it’s also essential to visualise a brighter future for the company. If the team can’t see a way for the situation to improve, they’re unlikely to feel motivated to put in extra effort.
The type of English for managers used here can help energise the team. An effective strategy is to proactively provide a solution to the current problem, using phrases like these:
It’s been a challenging time, but we can overcome this by doing (solution).
Or
We think we can get significant improvements by doing (solution).
As well as offering the solution yourself as a manager, you can also open the floor to the team to hear their thoughts and suggestions. A question like this works well to do so:
What is the opportunity here?
As you can see, the strategy in all these cases is to keep the team morale high by focusing on problem-solving and better results ahead.
In conclusion, if you aim to enhance your team’s performance while keeping motivation high, these English for managers strategies can help while speaking in meetings:
- Begin by acknowledging achievements before addressing areas for improvement.
- Use “I,” “me,” and “myself” to express concerns, avoiding an accusatory tone.
- Use “we” and “our” when discussing goals and setting new challenges, promoting a sense of teamwork and collective effort.
- Round up with problem-solving and opportunities for future improvement.
Leading meetings can be tough, and if you’re communicating with your team in another language, like English, it adds an extra layer of difficulty. Enhance your English for meetings here, and learn how to communicate confidently with your team.
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