Negotiations: resolving difficulties

Introduction

Next, we’re going to hear another difficult conversation between the team leader and the employee we heard in the first unit. We’ll encounter some more phrases useful for expressing dissatisfaction.

Think

Imagine that you are giving a second warning to an employee whose work or attitude is not of a high standard. What words or phrases might be useful in this conversation?

When you have thought of a few, click here for some more ideas.

Listen

It’s been two weeks since the conversation between Sean and Michelle in unit 1. Sean thinks that Michelle’s attitude still hasn’t improved, and he has decided to raise this with her. As you listen, try to hear the phrases above.

Negotiations: resolving difficulties

Check understanding

Check your understanding by reading the script below:

Sean:	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. We had a chat...
Michelle:	Yeah.
Sean:	At that point, I wasn’t particularly happy with the way that you were behaving in the office, the way that you were being uncooperative, a little bit surly with people. And since then, frankly, I’ve seen very little change.
Michelle:	Well, I mean, I think I’ve made an effort, trying to be helpful like I normally am with people, and I feel that I’m still doing my job - not that the job’s very interesting. I think it’s become less interesting since Sarah got the promotion. I think 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 of time off … and …
Michelle:	Yeah, but you’re allowed to take leave, aren’t you?
Sean:	You are allowed to take leave. Hopefully you come back from leave refreshed and you leave your problems at home.