At the Office, Part 2: Talking to Your Boss and Colleagues

This is the second lesson in the At the Office series. If you work in an office, the series is for you. Today you'll talk to your boss and your colleagues. Ready-made phrases make everyday communication at work easier. We'll also look at office slang: abbreviations and expressions used in conversation and often in emails.

Let's start with the most important person at the office: the boss!

A conversation with your boss

Boss: Good morning. Have you prepared the sales report yet?

Employee: Yes, here it is. Our team has been working on it for two weeks.

Boss: Good. Can you give me a short summary?

Employee: Of course. Last month we made significant progress in sales. We exceeded our expectations and sold 30% more than estimated.

Boss: That's wonderful! Good job!

Employee: Thank you. I also wanted to ask you something, if you have a minute.

Boss: Yes, I'm listening.

Employee: I have an important event next week, and I'd like to take two or three days off.

Boss: I don't think that will be a problem. But remember to submit your assignment by the end of the week.

Employee: Thank you. Would you prefer it on paper or by email?

Boss: You can email it to me. Is that all?

Employee: Yes, thank you, and have a nice day!

Boss: Thank you, you too!

Now practise: fill in the gaps

Complete the conversation, then check it with the recording and the PDF.

Boss: Good morning, have you prepared the ……………… (report about sales) yet?

Employee: Yes, here it is. ……………………………… (say you've worked on it for two weeks)

Boss: Good, can you give me ……………………… (a brief overview of the report)?

Employee: Of course. Last month we made ……………………… (big progress in sales).

Boss: Great! ……………… (praise the work)

Employee: Thank you. ……………………… (say you also want to ask something) if you have a minute.

Boss: ……………… (say you're listening)

Employee: I have an important event next week and ……………………… (ask for two days off).

Boss: All right. But ……………………… (remind them to hand in the task) by the end of the week.

Employee: Thank you. Should I submit it by email or ……………… (on paper)?

Boss: You can send it to my email. ……………… (ask if there's anything else)

Employee: Yes, thank you, and have a nice day!

Boss: Thank you! You too!

Coffee break

Listen to the recording and fill in the gaps.

Ellen: Hi, my name is Ellen, and I'm a new ................... here. What's your name?

Gwen: Hi, my name is Gwen, and I work for the .......................................

Ellen: Can you tell me something about the ............................. here?

Gwen: It's great. We have a lot of ........................, and everyone seems friendly.

Ellen: That's good to hear. Do you have any ..................... in a ........................?

Gwen: Actually, last year we started a new ....................... Once a month, on a Friday, we bring homemade cookies and cakes for everyone.

Ellen: Wow! I love baking. I'll bring some of my favourites for this .................................

Gwen: I'm happy to hear that. ....................................................................... about the company, ......................... me, or ..................... He is the ...................... of the ........................................

Ellen: Thank you, Gwen. See you around!

Questions

• •What is Gwen's job?
• •Is the atmosphere in the office friendly?
• •Who loves baking?
• •Where should Ellen go if she has more questions?

Office slang

Moving on, let's talk about office slang. We use abbreviations both when we talk and when we email colleagues. Do you know what these mean?

Abbreviations

• •BRB: be right back
• •ASAP: as soon as possible
• •LMK: let me know
• •FYI: for your information
• •BTW: by the way
• •IDK: I don't know
• •IMO: in my opinion

Words

• •Deadline: the final date for handing in your work. If your deadline is 7 March, you have until then to send the finished work.
• •Feedback: information about how you did. You can ask for feedback on your work to find out whether you're being effective.
• •Case: a matter you are currently dealing with.
• •Target: a goal. Employers sometimes set a specific target to work towards, so keep it in mind.
• •Open space (open-plan office): if no walls separate you from your colleagues, you probably work in an open-plan office.
• •Performance: how well you do your job. Your employer may assess your performance, meaning how effective you are.
• •Call: a meeting by phone or online. When you arrange a call, say whether it will be a video call or a traditional phone call.

That's all for today. This isn't the last At the Office lesson, so keep an eye on the blog. Today you learned plenty of phrases used every day at work. Don't forget to practise the dialogues and get to know the corporate expressions. Farewell!