Speak like a Manager: 8 Easy Workplace Expressions

Hi. I'm Rebecca from www.engvid.com, back with another "Speak like a Manager" lesson.

Okay?

So, in this particular lesson, we're going to focus on eight expressions that are very

commonly used in the workplace, in business, and so on.

All right?

And what's easy about them is that they are grouped...

I have grouped them for you in pairs, so that one of them has a particular meaning and the

other one kind of has the opposite meaning, and I hope that will make it a little bit

easier for you to understand them and also to start using them.

All right?

So, let's get started.

All right.

So, here's the first pair: "a tough break" or "a lucky break".

All right?

So, what do these two expressions mean?

So, first of all: "a tough break"...

When we say "break", we don't actually mean break.

All right?

It's like a chance; an opportunity, or a situation.

So, when we say: "tough"...

"Tough" means difficult.

So this means something difficult or something bad that happened; and this, "lucky" means

something good that happened.

So: "a tough break" is something bad that happened, and "a lucky break" is something

good that happened.

For example, let's say that someone you know lost their job. Okay?

They didn't expect it, and it happened suddenly, and that was a tough break. Okay?

That was something bad that happened; it seemed like.

But then the person managed to get a better job in the first week, so that was a lucky

break; something good that happened.

All right?

So, you see now that these are quite easy to use, these expressions, and you will hear

them very often in the context of employment, in the context of clients, in the context

of customers, and so on.

Okay? All right.

And in the context of life.

Right? Okay.

So, let's go to the next pair: "a win-win situation"...

Say it after me: "a win-win situation" or "a zero-sum game".

Say it after me: "a zero-sum game".

All right.

So, here, also we have two opposite kind of situations.

"A win-win situation" is where both sides come out ahead; both sides benefit; both sides

can win.

All right?

Yes, this is possible.

All right.

And "a zero-sum game" is where only one side can win; and if one side wins, the other side

is going to lose. All right?

So, for example, let's suppose there is a negotiation going on in a...

In a company, in a large corporation between the management and labour.

Okay?

Labour is the...

The people who work; the workforce.

Okay?

And they're negotiating and they're negotiating; and finally, they come to a compromise, they

come to an agreement that both sides are happy.

It's not easy; it doesn't happen easily, but it can happen.

And if that happens and when that happens, you can describe that situation as a win-win

situation, where both sides were happy.

All right?

In any kind of...

Usually we use this when there is some kind of negotiation going on.

All right?

Next: "a zero-sum game", right?

So, here we said only one side can win.

So, for example, if three law firms are trying to get the contract to work with a large corporation

but only one is going to be awarded the contract or given the contract, then that's a zero-sum

game.

So, when one wins, the other is going to lose or the others are going to lose.

All right. So, that's "a zero-sum game" or "a win-win situation".

Let's just practice pronouncing this first pair, repeat it after me: "a tough break".

I know it says "t-o-u-g-h", but it's not pronounced like that.

English is not always phonetic, all right?

It doesn't sound the way it looks, so repeat it after me: "a tough break".

It's like: "t-u-f-f".

All right?

It sounds like that.

Or: "a lucky break".

Say it after me: "a lucky break".

Good.

All right.

Now let's go to these two: "a long shot" or "a safe bet".

So, "a long shot" describes the situation in which there is very little chance of success,

and "a safe bet" is a situation in which there is a very high chance of success.

This one, low chance of success; and this one, a high chance of success.

All right?

So, let's suppose that somebody's applying for a job, and the job qualifications and

requirements say that you need to have a PhD, but he has a BA.

But he's a very confident young man and he really believes that he can do that work.

And he comes to you and asks for your advice, and you say: "You know what?

It's a long shot, but why don't you try?

Okay?

Maybe you'll get it.

Maybe you'll get an interview, and you can talk to them."

But it's a long shot, means it doesn't have that much of a chance of success.

All right?

Next: "a safe bet".

So, what's an example of a safe bet?

Well, let's suppose that there's someone in your department and he's doing really, really

well...

Or let's take a woman, she's doing really, really well.

All right?

And now there's a new opening; a new position for a manager.

So, who do you think is going to get appointed to that new position?

Probably that woman who has been doing very well.

It's a safe bet that she will get that position, that she will be awarded that position.

"It's a safe bet" means it's very likely to happen; there's a high chance of success.

All right?

I hope you understood that. Good.

Let's repeat it after me: "a long shot".

Good.

"A safe bet".

Good.

The last two: "an uphill battle" or "a piece of cake".

All right?

So, "an uphill battle".

"Battle" is something that you're fighting; "uphill" means going up a hill.

Is it easy to climb up a hill?

Not always.

Right?

And is a battle easy?

No, it's a fight.

So: "an uphill battle" is where something is very difficult; and "a piece of cake" just

means, in English, something that's very easy.

So, the opposites, here, are something very difficult and something very easy.

"An uphill battle" is anything that's very difficult.

All right?

It could be anything at work.

Let's say you have a client, and that client is just never happy; whatever you do, that

client wants more, the client wants cheaper prices, more work, whatever - it's an uphill

battle to keep that client satisfied.

That's an uphill battle. Okay?

But now you have a new client, and that client is wonderful; that client doesn't want too

much from you; is very appreciative of your work; and you have a strong, good working

relationship with that client, so you might say working with the new client is a piece

of cake.

All right?

So, those are the meanings, here.

Again, they're paired up, so let's just review them a little bit, but maybe just practice

the pronunciation of these two first.

Repeat after me: "an uphill battle".

Good.

And this one: "a piece of cake".

Good.

Now, let's just review quickly.

What's a situation in which only one side can win; and if one side wins, the other side

loses?

What's that?

That is...

Good.

"A zero-sum game".

All right?

What's a bad thing that happens?

Something bad that happened?

That is: "a tough break". Good.

What is something very easy?

What's that?

You know it.

Ready?

Good.

"A piece of cake".

Right.

What's something that's sure to happen; it's very likely to happen?

There's a high chance that it will succeed or that it will happen, what's that?

"A safe bet".

Good.

Okay?

Now, if you want, before I give the answer, you can always pause, think about it, and

then come back.

All right?

Next, what's left, here?

Okay, so a situation in which both sides win; some negotiations we talked about, okay?

That's "a win-win situation", good.

All right?

And let's say there's a situation...

Something good happened, okay?

You weren't expecting it, and suddenly something good happened.

What did you get?

You got "a lucky break".

Yes, very good.

Okay.

Now, you're trying to finish your PhD, you're trying to finish...

Get a job, you're trying to do lots of things, and life seems like something very hard; very

difficult - you are experiencing, what?

You're going through "an uphill battle".

Okay?

All right.

And you're not so sure you're going to get this job, but you're going to try anyway.

Okay?

Why not?

So, the chances of success are not very high, but you're going to try.

It's "a long shot".

Okay?

All right.

So that was a little bit of a quick review that I did for you.

Okay?

But the best way to really master these is: Go to our website, www.engvid.com; there,

you can do a quiz on all of these, make sure you really, really know them well.

All right?

And then to practice some more, leave me some comments right on YouTube or on engVid.

Leave a comment.

Try to use one or two of these. Okay?

Maybe use a pair.

Write about something in your life, or in your working life, or in the workplace, any

kind of example because once we use something, then we really have learned how to...

We get more confidence to use it again and we understand much better what it means.

Okay?

And don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you can keep getting lots more

videos in this "Speak like a Manager" series, and lots of other grammar, and vocabulary,

and pronunciation videos. Okay?

Thanks very much for watching.

Bye for now, and good luck with your English.