Language Services Direct Team
In 2022, if you work in the UK, you will experience a new work culture that uses a distinct English vocabulary that has evolved as many return to work or continue to work from home.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a barista in a local coffee shop or working full time in an office for one of the UK’s largest banks, we’ll explain some examples of business English phrases you might not be familiar with. You can also take a look at our choice of the 30 business English expressions you need to learn for even more great examples of professional language and English idioms.
So let’s jump right in with some easy business English!
A smart approach to feel comfortable beginning a new job is to learn English office terminology. There are many new opportunities available, and there are a record amount of job openings in the UK right now. This indicates that there are several businesses seeking to hire workers. However, the nature of employment has changed significantly in the UK, and employers demand a lot of their employees.
The day of employing someone and then evaluating their performance after a year is long over. You may now anticipate being observed and measured much more frequently. A strong knowledge of Business English can help you surpass expectations and impress employers from the get go.
Example: The product team will be based in a co-working space from now on.
This phrase has become extremely popular over the last couple of years as many businesses choose not to have a full-time office space and hire special co-working spaces where they may share the building with other companies.
Example: We’ll have to go back to the drawing board on this proposal.
Going “back to the drawing board” refers to starting over with a brand-new concept. The word conjures up images of a chalkboard being thoroughly cleaned. When a proposal or idea is rejected, it is most frequently used.
When you use it to convey that you’re giving up your own concept, it comes off as extremely amicable. It’s usually a bit strong to tell someone to “go back to the drawing board” on a task.
Example: As an action point I’ll listen to some training podcasts.
As you might expect, “action points” are recommendations for particular activities to be taken. This remark is frequently said or written towards the conclusion of a lengthy email or meeting.
Although it is not grammatically correct, it is helpful since it indicates that you want to turn the ideas from a discussion into actionable outcomes.
Example: We need to stay ahead of the curve otherwise our competitors will be onto us.
Something that is “ahead of the curve” is more advanced than others of its sort, such as a product or business. The phrase “the curve” refers to a line on a hypothetical graph that depicts the expansion of a trend.
Maintaining any lead you have over the competition is what it means to “keep ahead of the curve.” It can also be used more broadly to convey the necessity of exerting great effort in order to make progress.
Example: We need to streamline this service, it’s far too complicated.
Something can be “streamlined” by making it simpler and removing steps that are not necessary. A word of caution: if someone mentions “streamlining” your team, it could mean that non-essential staff are about to lose their employment.
Example: We have a new boss at the moment, they’re great because they don’t micromanage the different departments.
This is a disparaging term co-workers could use to describe the actions of authoritarian managers. To “micromanage” someone is to control them on a very small scale, to overly supervise a person’s job rather than allowing them to do it on their own and assume responsibility.
Example: We thought it would be better to upskill the junior colleagues rather than hire someone senior.
This professional term is another formally incorrect substitution for the verb to train. Some people prefer the phrase “upskilling” to that of “training.”
Example: I’m having some workflow issues so we’ll have to have this conversation next week.
It’s become fairly usual in offices to use this highly unusual business statement. Unsurprisingly, “workflow” refers to the pace at which a worker is assigned tasks and expected to execute them.
People frequently imply that they are overworked when they claim to have “workflow challenges.” Instead of blaming the work itself, it assigns blame to the “flow” of incoming assignments, or workplace communication, which is clever and a nice method to explain a missed deadline! Rarely, the phrase “workflow difficulties” can also refer to a lack of work.
Example: This project will probably require some forward planning.
This is one of the many business words that, in an effort to seem more impressive, make simple ideas seem sophisticated. Since all planning is done for future events, “forward planning” is simply another term for “planning.”
Example: We’ve done our due diligence and this is the best outcome we could have hoped for.
Due diligence is a term used in business jargon to describe the required research for a sound conclusion. You have given a problem the attention it requires and considered alternatives to the course of action you intend to follow if you have exercised “due diligence.”
We can assist if you need professional language assistance with the business English proficiency of your workforce. From one-on-one coaching to group instruction, we provide a variety of language services and training modalities.
Our business English training at Language Services Direct is meant to assist your team members in honing their English in a professional setting. We teach a wide range of topics in our classes, from fundamental grammar and vocabulary to more sophisticated business English professional language techniques. Additionally, we can modify our courses to meet the unique needs and goals of your company.
Find out more about the services we offer by downloading our latest brochure here.
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