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 EDITORIAL Brexit
Pronunciation /ˈbrɛksɪt//ˈbrɛgzɪt/

Challenges! NOUN

Meaning
Could you make it in New York?
Brexit means Brexit.
Do you have the qualities needed to be
a good leader? Find out in this issue. Origin
From Ancient Greek, meaning “bullshit”

V
Related words:
isting New York for the first time is an Absurd, catastrophic, daft, nonsensical,
unforgettable experience. There it is, the city rubbish
that you have seen so often in films and on
television. But now, it’s right in front of your Further Info:
eyes, and you can see, hear, feel and smell Location: Englischhausen, Germany
the dynamism of this unique metropolis. Also on site: 200,000 other words/phrases
Many people, myself included, enjoy visit­
ing New York from time to time, but wouldn’t ne­
cessarily want to live there. So, what is it really like
to live and work in the Big Apple, and how does it
New York: rising high, compare to life in Germany? That is the focus of
and opportunities
down on the street our special report, in which we hear from two New because English is here to stay!
Yorkers who have worked in both places, and about
an Englishman who went to New York in the 1980s
and made a success of his soccer coaching business.
Our New York feature begins on page 14. • „One-to-One“-Gespräche mit
„Anglos“ aus der ganzen Welt
Over the past nine issues, Bob Dignen has looked • Telefonkonferenzen,
at many aspects of leadership, including the chal­ Präsentationen u.v.m.
lenges of managing change, taking decisions, mo­
tivating team members, working across cultures, • 70 Stunden intensives Training
building trust and leading ethically. In this issue, • Rundum-Sorglos-Paket
we provide a test on all the topics covered in our
• 4 Partnerhotels in Deutschland
leadership series (pp. 36–45). Find out how much
you know about being an effective leader.

We have been saddened to learn of the deaths

✓ Flüssigeres Englisch
of two dear friends and colleagues: Claudine ✓ Verbessertes Sprachgefühl
Weber-Hof, deputy editor of our sister magazine,
✓ Gesteigerte Sprachsicherheit
Spotlight, and Nick Brieger, a former technical Eng­
lish columist for Business Spotlight. You’ll find our
tributes to Claudine and Nick on page 82.
Fotos: Drew Angerer/Getty Images; Gert Krautbauer

Kostenlose Sprachtests und Beratung

Montag bis Freitag von 9:00 – 18:00 Uhr
IAN MCMASTER,
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Tel. 089 23 51 58 72
i.mcmaster@
spotlight-verlag.de www.englischhausen.de
EDITORIAL 2/2020 Business Spotlight 3 
 CONTENTS
2/2020
The Big Picture Business Skills
6 New York  M 36 Test: Leadership Skills  A 
Museum event-space controversy Find out whether you have what
it takes to be an effective leader
Working World 46 Personal Trainer  M 
8 Names & News  E  M 
Ken Taylor on dealing with
The latest from the world of business
different kinds of people

Cover story Technology

Special Report
64 Trapping Plastics  A
14 New York  M  A 
How a bubble barrier is helping to
The dynamic business culture and
clean up Amsterdam’s canals
politics of the Big Apple
Careers & Management
Debate
68 Firefighting  A
Head-to-Head  A  
28 
Combatting the health dangers
Should university be free?
facing firefighters
Language Test 74 How to...  M
30 Vocabulary  E  M  A   Stay polite under pressure
Words that can be confusing 76 Executive Eye  A
Adrian Furnham on dealing with
Viewpoint one’s fear of public speaking
It’s Personal  A 
35 
Elisabeth Ribbans on the ethics Work & Relax
of the flower industry 78 In the Zone  M
Bringing children to work
80 Away from Your Desk  M
Tips for your off-duty hours
Language section
SPECIAL REPORT
48 Vocabulary
And Finally...
High-rise heaven
84 One Question  M
Mobility (2) and street-level
Who am I?
Public transport  E

14
struggle in NYC
Translation
50  Regular sections
Tricky translations  M 3 Editorial
Language Cards
51  75 Classified Ads
To pull out and practise 77 SprachenShop
82 Tribute / Jargon Buster
Easy English
54 
83 Preview / Impressum
Mediating conflict  E 
56 Grammar
Personal pronouns  E 
Talking Finance
57 
The colour of money  A 

36
58 Short Story
The Impressions (5)  M 
English for…
60 
Health and safety  A 
English on the Move
62 
A helicopter flight  E 
Key Words
63  Business Skills
Vocabulary from this issue  “Me, a leader?” Take
our test and find out

4  Business Spotlight 2/2020 CONTENTS

 58
Learning with
Business Spotlight

Short Story
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WÖ R T E R B U C H B U S I N E S S - E N G L I S C H

Schimpfen im Beruf
Schimpfen im Beruf
Debate
(without losing your job)

Included in this issue is a special

Should university
education be free? Bullsht! booklet on swearing at work.
Learn the appropriate use of
these words and expressions.

For more articles, audio and exercises:

www.business-spotlight.de
www.facebook.com/businessspotlight
Fotos: Berthold Steinhilber/laif; Wavebreak; Monsterstock, leonello/iStock.com; Yann Bastard

Language in Business Spotlight

➻ Articles use the style, spelling, punctuation and pronuncia-
tion of British English unless otherwise marked.
➻ Articles that use American style, spelling, punctuation and
pronunciation are marked with “US”.

Approximately Approximately Approximately

at CEF level A2 at CEF levels B1–B2 at CEF levels C1–C2
CEF: European Framework of Reference for Languages

ifml.: informal word or phrase

vulg.: vulgar word or phrase; sl.: slang word or phrase
non-stand.: non-standard word or phrase
UK: chiefly British usage; US: chiefly North American usage

➽
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CONTENTS 2/2020 Business Spotlight 5 

 Upscale under
the whale:
museum space
for rent
Foto: Sylvain Gaboury/Patrick McMullan/Getty Images

6  Business Spotlight 2/2020

THE BIG PICTURE
NEW YORK

A turn of
events
MEDIUM US

The blue whale pictured here is swim-

ming over guests attending a gala held at
the American Museum of Natural His-
tory (AMNH) in New York. Like many
other museums, the AMNH earns extra
money by renting out its impressive space
to individuals and businesses for events.
These events can sometimes cause
headaches for the museums, which are
under increasing pressure to be models
of social responsibility (see issue 1/2020,
pp. 62–63). In the spring of 2019, many
people were outraged when they learned
that the museum was allowing the
Brazilian–American Chamber of Com-
merce to host an event in its blue whale
room honoring Jair Bolsonaro, the pre-
sident of Brazil. Since Bolsonaro took of-
fice in January 2019, he has been accused
of humanitarian and environmental
trespasses.
Under pressure, the AMNH cancelled
the event. The museum tweeted that it
was not the “optimal location” for the gala
dinner. It was widely applauded for the
decision: “Thank you!” tweeted Amazon
Watch, a non-profit organization. New
York mayor Bill de Blasio also thanked the
museum “on behalf of our city.”

applaud sb./sth. for sth. on behalf of

[E(plO:d fO:r*]  [)A:n bi(hÄf Vv*] 
,  jmdn./etw. für etw. loben ,  im Namen von

chamber of commerce outraged

[)tSeImb&r Ev (kA:m&rs*]  [(aUtreIdZd] 
, Handelskammer ,  aufgebracht, empört

headache take office

[(hedeIk] ifml.  [)teIk (A:fEs*] 
,  hier: Problem ,  sein Amt antreten

host sth. [hoUst*]  trespass [(trespEs] 

,  etw. veranstalten , Vergehen

learn sth. [l§:n]  tweet sth. [twi:t] 

,  hier: etw. erfahren ,  etw. twittern

mayor [(meI&r*]  * This symbol marks

, Bürgermeister standard US pronunciation.

2/2020 Business Spotlight 7 

 WORKING WORLD
NAMES & NEWS

A “bro” bath:
where the real
work gets done

SCANDINAVIA  

Hot and bothered MEDIUM

(all) hot and
bothered
karaoke
[)kÄri(EUki] 
[)hQt En (bQDEd] ,  [wg. Aussprache]
Mixed-gender sauna parties have become most. Hrafnsdottir explains that this makes
ifml. , (ganz)
common events at start-up conferences held these events exclusive places for men to net- marketer
aufgeregt;
[(mA:kItE] 
in Scandinavia. Because gender diversity is an work and bond. Stockholm marketer Henna heiß gemacht
, Marketing-
increasingly important topic in the start-up Keränen says that men who have met at a sau- association leiter(in)
scene, the fairness of such events has become na party are more likely to stay together for the [E)sEUsi(eIS&n] 
mixed-gender
, Verband
controversial. Critics say that such parties ad- entire conference. sauna
bond [bQnd]  [)mIkst (dZendE
vance the male domination of the tech indus- Some event organizers are taking note of
, Beziehungen )sO:nE] 
try and are insensitive to international visitors. the controversy. Amel Gaily is the managing herstellen , Gemeinschafts-
“Saunas are not helping us to make the in- director of the Finnish Business Angels Net- engineer
sauna
dustry more inclusive,” Jenny Ruth Hrafns- work. She says that “we realize going forward, [)endZI(nIE]  topic [(tQpIk] 
dottir, an engineer and partner at the venture as we want to be inclusive, we need to take into , Ingenieur(in) , Thema

capital firm Crowberry in Iceland, told BBC careful consideration what kind of events we going forward venture capital
[)gEUIN (fO:wEd]  firm
News. Many women say they don’t attend the organize.” At the Slush tech conference held
,  in Zukunft [(ventSE )kÄpIt&l
sauna parties at start-up conferences because in Helsinki, Finland, last November, her asso- f§:m] 
insensitive
they feel uncomfortable sharing a small space ciation tried something different: they held an [In(sensEtIv] 
, Risikokapital-
gesellschaft
wearing nothing but a towel or swimsuit, at investor karaoke party instead. , unsensibel

8  Business Spotlight 2/2020 WORKING WORLD

 BRITAIN
A Stormzy is brewing MEDIUM AUDIO
Stormzy, a 26-year-old rapper from Lon-
don, is now one of the UK’s most success-
ful musicians. In June 2019, he became
the first black headliner at the Glaston-
bury Festival, an important cultural event
in Britain. And in October, he was on the
cover of TIME magazine, chosen as a
“next generation leader”.
With his own money, he started the
Stormzy Scholarship at Cambridge Uni-
versity in the UK. Every year, the schol-
arship pays the costs of two black or
mixed-heritage students as they study.
This scholarship has caused the so-called
Stormzy effect — an increased enrolment
of black students at Cambridge.
Stormzy is also supporting black peo-
ple in the arts. He started #Merky Books
Our
ability to adapt
is amazing.
Our ability to
change isn’t
quite as
spectacular
Fotos: G. Haenel/laif; Morgan Dox; Mark Mattock; TkKurikawa/iStock.com
amazing
US author
[E(meIzIN]  [sIgE(ret )breIk]  ,  bezahlter Urlaub
Lisa Lutz, 49
, erstaunlich,
großartig
quite: not be ~ as...
[kwaIt]  ,  hier: Rechne es dir /
,  nicht ganz so …
sein
WORKING WORLD
as part of Penguin Random House UK.
#Merky Books awards a New Writers’
Prize that gives black writers a chance to
publish their books. Out of thousands of
books published in the UK every year,
about 100 are written by people of col-
our. “There’s always been a kind of lack of Stormzy:
spotlight and shine on the black British young, cool
and influential
side of British culture,” he says. “[But]
there’s a whole world of it. … It’s a beautiful
thing, and it’s coming of age right now.”
A Stormzy is brewing enrolment mixed-heritage shine [SaIn] 
[bru:IN] ,  Wortspiel mit [In(rEUlmEnt]  [)mIkst (herItIdZ]  , Glanz; hier: Bedeutung,
„a storm is brewing“ = ein , Einschreibung ,  hier: mit verschiedenen Ansehen
Sturm braut sich zusammen Wurzeln
headliner [(hedlaInE]  spotlight [(spQtlaIt] 
come of age [)kVm Ev , Hauptact scholarship , Rampenlicht;
(eIdZ] ,  volljährig werden; [(skQlESIp]  hier: Aufmerksamkeit
hier: sich voll entfalten , Stipendium
JAPAN
Giving
non-smokers
a break
EASY AUDIO PLUS
Do the maths. A typical cigarette break lasts
15 minutes. A smoker takes four smoke
breaks a day and works 223 nine-hour days a
year. How many days does the person spend
smoking at work every year? Need help? The
answer is nearly 25 days.
Many non-smoking workers think it is
Cigarette breaks: standing around unfair that smokers get extra break time. At
while non-smokers continue to work a Japanese marketing firm called Piala Inc.,
one of the non-smoking employees put a
message in the company’s suggestion box,
CEO (chief executive Inc. (Incorporated) complaining about the problem. “Our CEO
officer) [INk] US  saw the comment and agreed, so we are giv-
[)si: i: (EU]  ,  etwa: AG
, Geschäftsführer(in)
ing non-smokers some extra time off to com-
paid leave pensate,” Hirotaka Matsushima, a spokes-
cigarette break [)peId (li:v] 
man for the company, told The Telegraph.
, Zigarettenpause
spokesman
Non-smoking employees can now take an
Do the maths. [(spEUksmEn]  extra six days of paid leave every year. Matsu-
[)du: DE (mÄTs] UK  , Sprecher shima, a non-smoker, has taken advantage of
Rechnen Sie es sich
time off [)taIm (Qf]  the new policy. He used the extra days to visit
,  hier: freie Zeit
selbst aus! a spa with his family.
2/2020 Business Spotlight 9 
 Good ideas
Die beiden Ideen, die wir hier vorstellen, haben eins gemeinsam:
Sie sollen unser Leben verbessern oder zumindest leichter machen.

MEDIUM

Full marks to... Full marks to...

Full marks to… [)fUl (mA:ks tu]  Full marks to… [)fUl (mA:ks tu] 
…Bindle & Keep ,  Die Bestnote …The Mexican Ministry ,  Die Bestnote
erhält ... erhält ...
for providing suits for all kinds of bodies. of Public Education
non-binary durable
Rae Tutera is a non-binary person living for making sure that schoolchildren in Mex-
[)nQn (baInEri]  [(djUErEb&l] 
in New York City who prefers to be referred ,  sich keinem ico can see properly. , langlebig,
to by the plural pronouns “they” and “them” bestimmten The programme Ver Bien para Aprender strapazierfähig
Geschlecht
(see pp. 11 and 56 ). They remember how un- zugehörig fühlend
Mejor (Good Vision to Learn Better) has frame
comfortable and afraid they felt when buying provided more than 13 million eye exami- [freIm] 
non-judgemental ,  hier: Gestell
their first suit, yet how satisfying it was to put [)nQn dZVdZ(ment&l]  nations and five million pairs of eyeglasses
team up with sb.
it on for the first time. “That suit introduced , unvoreinge- to Mexico’s schoolchildren. The Mexican
[)ti:m (Vp wID] 
me to my body, which was a very profound nommen Ministry of Public Education, along with ,  sich mit jmdm.
moment. That was when I started to think profound business leaders, began the initiative in the zusammenschließen
[prE(faUnd] 
about replicating that experience for others,” ,  tief greifend
late 1990s after determining that many of

Fotos: andresr, baona, Sudowoodo/iStock.com; Everett Historical/Shutterstock.com; Getty Images

they told The New Yorker. the country’s schoolchildren had been strug-
pronoun
Tutera’s experience inspired them to ad- [(prEUnaUn]  gling in school because of poor eyesight.
vertise the services of their Brooklyn store, , Pronomen In a bold step, the programme teamed up
Bindle & Keep, as non-judgemental and car- replicate sth. with well-known industrial designer Yves
ing. This has attracted many non-binary cus- [(replIkeIt] , etw. Behar and The Fuse Project in San Francisco,
reproduzieren
tomers. “Everyone is triggered by something California. They have made the glasses both
about their own body, whether they are a teen suited [(su:tId]  durable and attractive to Mexican school-
, passend;
who is transitioning or a cisgender man who im Anzug children. The children can now choose from
feels like their body is, for some reason, irreg- three different frames and ten colour com-
transition
ular,” said Daniel Friedman, head tailor and [trÄn(zIS&n]  binations, increasing the likelihood of the
Tutera’s business partner. “We’ve helped so ,  hier: eine children wearing their glasses to school.
Geschlechts-
many people with their own personal chal- umwandlung
According to the organization’s website,
lenges. We didn’t create this market; this mar- durchmachen the programme has been a phenomenal
ket found us.” Tutera and Friedman’s work at triggered: be ~ by success: eight out of ten students who have
Bindle & Keep is the subject of a documenta- sth. [(trIgEd]  received the glasses are performing better at
,  hier etwa: stark
ry called Suited. school as a result.
emotional auf etw.
www.bindleandkeep.com reagieren  www.verbien.org.mx/home-english
(trigger sth. 
,  etw. auslösen)

10  Business Spotlight 2/2020 WORKING WORLD

 COMPARISON
.........................................................................
..........................................................................
.........................................................................
..........................................................................
.........................................................................
..........................................................................
.........................................................................
..........................................................................
..........................................................................
.........................................................................
..........................................................................

€44
..........................................................................
.........................................................................
.........................................................................
Cristiano Ronaldo’s
..........................................................................
..........................................................................
..........................................................................
..........................................................................
..........................................................................
annual earnings
..........................................................................
.........................................................................
..........................................................................
..........................................................................
.........................................................................
from sponsored
..........................................................................
..........................................................................
..........................................................................
..........................................................................
..........................................................................
Instagram posts
..........................................................................
.........................................................................
..........................................................................
.........................................................................
..........................................................................
.........................................................................

WORD
.........................................................................
..........................................................................

MILLION
.........................................................................
..........................................................................
..........................................................................
.......................................................................... annual [(ÄnjuEl] 
.........................................................................
..........................................................................
.......................................................................... , jährlich

WATCHER
.........................................................................
..........................................................................
.........................................................................
..........................................................................
.........................................................................
..........................................................................
.........................................................................
.........................................................................
..........................................................................
.........................................................................
.........................................................................
..........................................................................
..........................................................................
..................................................................... . . . .

they
Ronaldo’s estimated
(Merriam-Webster’s 2019 Word of the Year)
The humble personal pronoun “they” jumped into the headlines
in 2019 thanks to celebrities such as British singer and songwriter
annual salary at
Juventus, an Italian €30.6
Sam Smith. Because they are gender nonconforming, these celeb-
rities want other people to use “they” rather than “he” or “she” to
football team
MILLION
refer to them (see also pp. 10 and 56). This sent people running
to their computers to search for the word “they”. The number of
searches for the word increased 313 per cent in 2019 over the pre-
vious year.

climate emergency
(Oxford Dictionaries’ 2019 Word of the Year)
Oxford chose the term “climate emergency” to reflect the increas-
ing urgency people feel regarding climate change. Since Septem-
ber 2018, its use has increased 10,796 per cent. The UN Secre-
tary-General António Guterres called the climate emergency “the
defining issue of our time”. Some people think the term fails to de-
scribe the climate situation accurately, whereas others believe the
term “emergency” drives people to despair rather than activism.

celebrity [sE(lebrEti]  emergency personal pronoun

, Prominente(r)
defining issue: the ~
[di)faInIN (ISu:]  gender nonconforming
,  das (alles) bestimmende
Thema
despair: drive sb. to ~
[dI(speE] 
,  jmdn. zur Verzweiflung
treiben, verzweifeln lassen
[i(m§:dZEnsi]  [)p§:s&nEl (prEUnaUn] 
,  Notfall, Notstand ,  persönliches Fürwort,
Personalpronomen
[)dZendE previous
)nQnkEn(fO:mIN]  [(pri:viEs] 
,  keinem binären , vorangegangen
Geschlecht zugehörig
humble [(hVmb&l] 
,  bescheiden, einfach
Ronaldo: winning
the internet

To invent you need

a good imagination and
a pile of junk American inventor
Thomas Edison
(1847–1931)

junk [dZVNk] 
,  wertloses Zeug, Plunder Sources: Buzz Bingo;
Goal (www.goal.com)

WORKING WORLD 2/2020 Business Spotlight 11 

 Up and down MEDIUM

In Canada, there has been a 14 per cent increase in the num-

ber of foreign objects left inside patients after surgery over
the past five years. In the past two years, 553 foreign objects,
such as sponges and instruments, have been left behind in
patients.
Source: Canadian Institute for
sponge [spVndZ] , Schwamm
Health Information
surgery [(s§:dZEri] , Operation, (www.cihi.ca)
chirurgischer Eingriff

Holoride: a
treat for the
UP
back seat

GERMANY / UNITED STATES

Come join
the joyride
MEDIUM US
DOWN
Say goodbye to boring car journeys. Audi has created a start-up A couple in the United States sharing a home spends
called Holoride that aims to put the joy into “joyride.” 7 hours and 42 minutes a week doing household chores. This
Holoride is software that is used by passengers traveling is down from the 58 hours a week a couple spent on house-
in a car. As the car moves, Holoride creates a fantasy world for hold chores in 1900.
passengers wearing virtual reality headsets. Jesse Schell, chief Sources: Our World in Data (https://ourworldindata.org);
“Engines of Liberation” (https://academic.oup.com/restud/article-
executive of Schell Games, told FT.com that Holoride is like “the abstract/72/1/109/1581345); American Time Use Survey (www.bls.gov/tus/
best video game you’ve ever played, combined with a theme charts)
park ride.”
household chore [)haUshEUld (tSO:] 
The Holoride technology uses data from the car to create the , Hausarbeit
virtual environment. The software uses the car’s steering angle,
GPS, navigation route, and G-forces from acceleration to direct
what the passenger sees, hears, and feels in the fantasy world. The number of
Holoride has collaborated with well-known U.S.-based enter- tonnes of CO2 that
tainment and gaming companies such as Disney, Universal Stu- would be saved if
dios, and Schell Games. The companies have created content for people in the UK

16,433
fantasy worlds. In these virtual environments, passengers can wrote one less unne-
battle spaceships, cruise underwater, or participate in a game, cessary email each
making complaints of boredom from the back seat of the car a day — such as one
thing of the past. saying only “thank
you”. That is equiva-
lent to 81,152 flights
from London Heath-
row to Madrid. OVO
acceleration chief executive steering angle Energy calculates
[Ek)selE(reIS&n]  [)tSi:f Ig(zekjEtIv*]  [(stI&rIN )ÄNg&l*] 
, Beschleunigung , Geschäftsführer(in) , Lenk(rad)winkel
that one email pro-
duces about 0.000001
boredom joyride
[(bO:rdEm*]  [(dZOIraId]  * This symbol marks tonnes of CO2.
, Langeweile , Spritztour standard US pronunciation. Source: OVO Energy (www.ovoenergy.com)

12  Business Spotlight 2/2020 WORKING WORLD

 THE RIVALS
Der Herzog und die Herzogin von Cambridge
sowie der Herzog und die Herzogin von Sussex
gehören zu den schillerndsten Mitgliedern des
britischen Königshauses. DEBORAH CAPRAS
vergleicht die beiden Paare.
MEDIUM

DUKE AND DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF SUSSEX

FAMILY Prince William and Cath- FAMILY Prince Harry was born in
erine (Kate) Middleton were 1984, Meghan Markle in 1981.
both born in 1982. She’s from She’s American, with a mixed

LION AND UNICORN LION AND SONGBIRD

an upper-middle-class English
family. He’s second in line to the
British throne. Three children:
George (2013), Charlotte (2015),
Louis (2018)
The royal symbols on the UK’s The lion symbolizes the duke,
coat of arms the songbird the duchess, on
their coat of arms
ethnic heritage. He’s sixth in line
to the British throne. One child:
Archie (2019)
HOME Frogmore Cottage, part of
Windsor Castle. They spend time

€5.9 MILLION $45,000

HOME Kensington Palace, London. in North America and the UK.
(Buckingham Palace one day?)
Kate’s estimated net worth Meghan’s estimated income MODERN ROMANCE They met on
FAIRY-TALE ROMANCE They met in before her marriage to William from each episode of the a blind date in 2016. She was a
2001 as students at the Universi- television show Suits divorcee.
ty of St Andrews, Scotland.

€4.5 BILLION €21,000

CAREER Harry qualified as a heli-
CAREER He was in the Royal Air copter pilot in the army. Meghan
Force, then an air ambulance Estimated boost to UK economy Amount won on a €140 bet the was an actress.
pilot until 2017. She was a buyer from the birth of Princess baby would be named Archie
for a UK fashion shop. Charlotte PRESENT The couple are stepping
back from their royal duties. In
PRESENT The couple support the return, they cannot use their
work of The Royal Foundation,
a charity organization that Wil-
0
Percentage of British public
39
Percentage of British public
titles, His/Her Royal Highness,
and will lose public funding.
liam and Harry began in 2009. who feel Kate is treated who feel Meghan is treated The plans show a major royal tiff.
badly by the press badly by the press
THE DUCHESS EFFECT Anything THE DUCHESS EFFECT Meghan sup-
Kate wears is sure to sell out ports lesser-known and ethical
quickly.
10.7 MILLION
Instagram followers
10.3 MILLION
Instagram followers
fashion labels.

PRESS WARS They sued Closer, a (www.instagram.com/ (www.instagram.com/ PRESS WARS Currently suing The
French magazine, for €1.5 million kensingtonroyal). sussexroyal). Mail on Sunday, a British tabloid,
for publishing photos of a topless The Cambridges follow the The Sussexes don't follow the for an unspecified amount, for,
Kate. In 2017, they won €100,000 Sussexes on Instagram Cambridges on Instagram they say, a “campaign of lies”. Any
and gave it all to charity. money received will go to charity.
Fotos: Holoride, Volina/Shutterstock.com; ddp

bet [bet] , Wetteinsatz
billion [(bIljEn] 
, Milliarde(n)
boost [bu:st] , (An)Schub
charity [(tSÄrEti] 
,  karitativ; Wohltätigkeits-
organisation
coat of arms duchess [(dVtSIs]  funding [(fVndIN]  step back from sth. tabloid [(tÄblOId] 
[)kEUt Ev (A:mz]  , Herzogin ,  finanzielle Unterstützung [)step (bÄk frQm] , sich , Boulevardzeitung
, Wappen von etw. zurückziehen
duke [dju:k] , Herzog heritage tiff [tIf] ifml.  , Krach
cottage [(kQtIdZ]  [(herItIdZ]  sue sb. [sju:] 
fairy tale [(feEri teI&l]  topless [(tQplEs] 
,  kleines Landhaus , Erbe; hier: Herkunft ,  jmdn. verklagen
, Märchen ,  oben ohne
divorcee [di)vO:(si:]   net worth [)net (w§:T]  suit [su:t] 
foundation [faUn(deIS&n]  unicorn [(ju:nIkO:n] 
, Geschiedene , (Netto-)Vermögen ,  Anzug; Prozess
, Stiftung , Einhorn

WORKING WORLD 2/2020 Business Spotlight 13 

NEW YORK New York: informal
but not relaxed
BUSINESS
 SPECIAL REPORT

THE SKY’S
THE LIMIT
Für alle, die es zu etwas bringen wollen, ist New York nach wie vor die Stadt
ihrer Träume. Dem Streben nach Erfolg stehen aber auch ein hoher Leistungsdruck
und immense Lebenshaltungskosten gegenüber. JUDITH GILBERT berichtet.

I
MEDIUM  US  PLUS

n 1977, Liza Minnelli popularized the song “New But beware, just because some of the bureaucracy is more re-
York, New York,” written by Broadway composers laxed doesn’t mean doing business with New Yorkers necessar-
John Kander and Fred Ebb. Few songs have captured the ily is. We may be less formal than Europeans, but this doesn’t
spirit of the city the way that classic has. “If I can make mean that we’re relaxed. For New Yorkers, time really is money.
it here, I’ll make it anywhere,” Minnelli, and later Frank There’s enormous pressure to perform, and people are generally
Sinatra, roared in the song’s famous refrain. New York has very stressed out.
always been a city of dreams, of reaching for the sky. Even One reason is the cost of living and office space. Rents in the
the state seal, adopted in 1778, bears the Latin word excel- city are exorbitant. Most small businesses struggle to cover their
sior, which means “ever upward.” costs. Today, many stores along the avenues stand empty as a re-
The idea of making it in New York City as an absolute sult of rising rents. While German cities like Berlin and Munich
measure of success is not limited to song. It’s a very real are booming and building, Manhattan’s avenues are beginning
standard for almost all business ventures here. For more to look eerily deserted. “FOR RENT” and “TO LET” signs can be
than 200 years, since the founding of the US, New York seen everywhere.
has been a global leader in invention, commerce, enter-
tainment, publishing, and economic development. The
adopt sth. deserted [diz§:tEd*]  niche [nItS*] 
Empire State Building gets its name from New York State’s nick- [E(dA:pt*]  , verlassen ,  [wg. Aussprache]
name, because industrial empires are indeed built here. ,  etw. einführen
eerily [(IrEli*]  nickname [(nIkneIm] 
In my experience of living in both New York and in Germany, attitude [(ÄtEtu:d*]  , gespenstisch , Spitzname
one of the guiding principles behind every successful business , Gesinnung
entrepreneur publishing
in New York is attitude. If you have a great idea, can finance it, buck [bVk] US ifml.  [)A:ntrEprE(n§:*]  [(pVblISIN] 
, Dollar , Unternehmer(in) , Verlagswesen
and have the will to realize it, grab the chance. New York offers
enormous growth potential. Compared to Germany, there’s less bureaucracy founding [(faUndIN]  roar [rO:r*] 
[bju&(rA:krEsi*]  , Gründung ,  brüllen, röhren
regulation and there are greater tax incentives. The free market ,  [wg. Aussprache]
is freer, making it easier for start-ups. Rent a space, pay a couple grab the chance seal [si:&l] 
but beware [)grÄb DE (tSÄns*]  ifml. ,  Siegel; Wappen
of bucks to register your business, and get to work. Because New
Foto: Berthold Steinhilber/laif

[bVt bi(we&r*]  ,  die Gelegenheit ergreifen

to let [tE (let] 
York is the most multicultural city on the planet, it’s often easier ,  aber Vorsicht
incentive [In(sentIv]  ,  zu vermieten
to find a market niche. capture sth.  , Anreiz
venture
A German entrepreneur in New York once told me, “No one ,  [(kÄptS&r*] 
make it [(meIk It]  [(ventS&r*] 
etw. einfangen, erfassen
gets really rich in Germany. If you want to make real money, you ,  hier: es schaffen ,  Projekt, Unternehmung
have to come here.” * This symbol marks standard US pronunciation.

NEW YORK SPECIAL 2/2020 Business Spotlight 15 

 IF YOU HAVE
A BUSINESS IDEA,
YOU CAN REALIZE
IT IN NEW YORK
Foto:

16  Business Spotlight 2/2020 NEW YORK SPECIAL

 SPECIAL REPORT

Sign of the times:

an empty store

The most noticeable development in the city now is Billionaires’
Row on 57th Street. Towers high enough to challenge airplane
flight patterns are rising, with apartments selling for hundreds
of millions — astronomical sums. (I’m reminded of the state
motto, although I don’t think New York’s founders had rent in
mind when they chose excelsior.) Meanwhile, commerce on the
avenues is suffering.
The most noteworthy items of local business news of the past
year reflect this trend. Online giants such as Amazon or Google
and what we call “big box stores” — large, inexpensive chain re-
tailers such as Walmart, Home Depot, or Costco — are the only
businesses that can afford the rising prices. Last year, however,
New Yorkers did manage to keep Amazon from opening it’s
HQ2, its second headquarters, in Queens, which would have
cost the city’s taxpayers billions, and crowded the subways and
raised local rents even more. In this case, we won the battle, but
Fotos: Sandy Ching/Unsplash; Richard B. Levine/ddp; privat
Recently, the New York Post published results of a poll in which
New Yorkers were voted “the unfriendliest Americans” by other
Americans. When doing business with New Yorkers — whether
you’re a partner, an investor, or a tourist out shopping — out­
siders have to understand that New Yorkers want things now, or,
better still, yesterday. Efficiency, convenience, turnover, and ser-
vice are what counts. So, if you’re doing business with us, please
remember we really are all just trying to make it here, like the
song says, and we are all trying to pay for a roof over our heads.
billion [(bIljEn]  file for bankruptcy item of news
, Milliarde(n) [)faI&l f&r (bÄNkrVptsi*]  [)aItEm Ev (nu:z*] 
,  Insolvenz anmelden ,  eine Nachricht, Neuigkeit
billionaire [)bIljE(ne&r*] 
, Milliardär flight pattern poll [poUl*] , Umfrage
[(flaIt )pÄt&rn*] 
development
, Flugbahn
retailer [(ri:teI&l&r*] 
[di(velEpmEnt]  , Einzelhändler(in)

,  hier: Bauprojekt founder [(faUnd&r*] 

we are still losing the war. subway [(sVbweI] US 
, Gründer(in)
fancy [(fÄnsi] , nobel , U-Bahn
Not even expensive stores can afford the rent. The high-end headquarters
turnover [(t§:n)oUv&r*] 
New York department store chain Barneys filed for bankruptcy [(hed)kwO:rt&rz*] 
, Umsatz
last year after the rent for its flagship store on Madison Avenue , Hauptniederlassung

doubled to $30 million per year. At Christmas, the luxurious * This symbol marks stan-
dard US pronunciation.
store was filled with big red “SALE %” signs and with people who
normally could never afford to shop there. It looked more like a
Woolworth’s than a fancy department store for the rich and fa- JUDITH GILBERT
is a writer, editor, translator, and
mous. It’s no wonder that one of the longest-running Broadway
photographer who divides her time
musicals in history — about the struggles of life in New York — between New York City and a small town
was called “RENT.” in Bavaria.

NEW YORK SPECIAL 2/2020 Business Spotlight 17 

 INTERVIEW

“That is a core belief in New York: adapt to

individuals rather than to culture”

B
orn in 1969, Jeff Aristy is a New Yorker from the borough of Queens. to Germany. New York can be very stimulating, with a sense of anything
He moved to Germany in 2003, working in Berlin and Hamburg, be- being possible. People have a “why not?” attitude — throw spaghetti at
fore settling with his German wife in Munich. He is the owner of Big the wall and see what sticks. Adapt or simply move on if a project doesn’t
Apple Business, which offers in-company business English, leader- take off. Misfires are considered part of the process.
ship and team coaching (www.bigapplebusiness.de).
Does the characterization of New Yorkers as brash and very confident
What is it like for a New Yorker to live and work in Germany? carry some truth?
There are some things about New York City that gave me valuable life I think you’re trying to get me down to labels. People will probably say
lessons. One of them is the energy that comes from living New Yorkers have a great deal of confidence on the exte-
and working in a place like that. There’s something about rior. But we might see that as more of a survival instinct
commuting with millions of other people. There is a sense for New York City. There is a kind of DNA that one has to
of belonging there, and it creates a shared sense of pur- have in order to make one’s way through a city like that.
pose, and I think this is something that I always try to bring We could characterize it as confidence — there might be
to the people I work with. some of that. There has to be some of that in order for
Then there is this notion of New York City being this you to make your way there. Additionally, New Yorkers are
great laboratory. It’s always changing, always reinventing not formal. Rather, they cut to the chase: “Why are you
itself. I think that instilled some core values in me. I always calling me?” Things are more “black and white”, and they’ll
try to adapt to the people I am working with, and I think A New Yorker in tell you “yes” or “no.” They focus on practicalities, what’s
this has allowed me to do well in Germany. That is a core Munich: Jeff Aristy realistic, what the next steps are — and then actually do
belief: adapt to individuals rather than to culture. New York them with a quick turnaround to show they’re serious.
City is so diverse, and you cannot live and work in a place like that with Being cool and confident, with a sense of humor, is good. Being middle of
preconceived notions about what a project is or how a team should work the road and too nice doesn’t get anyone’s attention.
or what good leadership is.
You need to be able to explore the realities of the people you’re work- How has coming to Germany from New York changed you?
ing with as individuals. And that helps you to begin to adapt to a very Let me start by telling you about the things that I miss about living in
complex business environment. And if you can do that, the rewards are New York. That energy, I really miss that. I miss going to work with lots of
great because you can collaborate effectively with many different cultures other people, that sense of belonging. And that sense of purpose. I miss
and many different people. the diversity — that is something Munich could have more of. Living here,
however, has taught me that there are other things to focus on besides
Germany is often seen as hierarchical and inflexible, certainly com- work. Living in a city like New York, it’s all about work. And that can lead
pared to somewhere like New York. How do people get past such to unwelcome effects on family life. I like the fact that I’m now able to
characterizations? have time off more easily than I did in New York City. The quality of life
Ask questions. Is it really inflexibility? Is there really a pecking order? is something that I have been able to enjoy more here than in New York.
Living and growing up in a place like New York and then coming here has Interview: PAUL WHEATLEY
taught me the core value of asking good questions. And then being very
mindful of the person speaking to me and beginning to understand where
they’re coming from. Asking questions, being mindful, and listening very borough [(b§:roU*] US  instill sth. in sb. [In(stIl )In]  sense of purpose
,  (New Yorker) Stadtbezirk ,  jmdn. mit etw. erfüllen; [)sens Ev (p§:pEs] 
carefully all help me to understand others, and not to judge them or just hier: jmdm. etw. mitgeben , Zielstrebigkeit
see the negatives. brash [brÄS] , dreist
If we arrive at that inflexibility you’re talking about, you reach the point chase: cut to the ~ [(tSeIs] label [(leIb&l]  spaghetti: throw ~ at the
,  hier: Charakterisierung wall and see what sticks
of intolerance in my mind. And that requires us to go back and do the very US ifml. ,  auf den Punkt
[spE(geti] ifml. 
difficult work of asking those questions. And then getting some sort of kommen middle of the road
,  ausprobieren, ob etw.
positive emotion. What I find most of the time is that it’s not inflexibility. commute [kE(mju:t]  [)mId&l Ev DE (roUd*]  
funktioniert
,  hier: ganz normal
That person might have a boss who requires him to cut costs. There , pendeln
sustainability
might be other complexities that I am not aware of that might be driving competitive mindful: be ~ of sb.
[sE)steInE(bIlEti] 
what we see as inflexibility. I find that there is always something else [kEm(petEtIv]  [(maIndf&l]  ,  jmdm.
, Nachhaltigkeit
behind it. gegenüber achtsam sein
, wettbewerbsorientiert
take off [)teIk (O:f*] 
misfire [)mIs(faI&r*] 
core [kO:r*]  ,  erfolgreich sein
Are there differences between doing business with New Yorkers and , Fehlschlag
, Kern; hier auch: zentral
doing business with Germans? take sick leave
notion [(noUS&n*] 
corporate [(kO:rpErEt*]  [)teIk (sIk li:v] 
XX Müller; Spencer Platt/Getty Images

There are lessons to be learned on both sides. What I admire in Germany , Vorstellung
,  sich krankmelden
, Unternehmens-
is the corporate responsibility. It is very well documented that there is a pecking order
responsibility to the environment, sustainability, and so on. But what’s in- get sb. down to sth. time off: have ~
[(pekIN )O:rd&r*] 
teresting here is the responsibility to people. There are generous benefits [)get (daUn tu]  ifml. [)taIm (O:f*] 
, Hackordnung;
,  hier: jmdn. auf etw. ,  freie Zeit haben
for someone who wants to start a family or take sick leave or do training. hier: Rangordnung
festnageln
Germany has a highly skilled workforce and that is largely because it turnaround [(t§:nE)raUnd] 
practicalities
hierarchical ,  hier: Bearbeitung(szeit)
invests a lot in people and their development. That’s something that New [)prÄktI(kÄlEtiz] 
[haI&(rA:rkIk&l*] 
York could learn a lot from. ,  praktische Einzelheiten workforce [(w§:kfO:rs*] 
,  [wg. Aussprache]
, Erwerbsbevölkerung
Christine

And business culture in New York is very dynamic and competitive, preconceived
with people always hustling. There’s a sense that everything is in a rush. hustle [(hVs&l]  * This symbol marks standard
[)pri:kEn(si:vd] 
Fotos:

, hasten
It’s more about getting things done than perfection, which is different , vorgefasst US pronunciation.
Fotos:

18  Business Spotlight 2/2020 NEW YORK SPECIAL

 SPECIAL REPORT

HIgh finance:
Wall Street
Fotos: XX

On the move: a city

in perpetual motion

NEW YORK SPECIAL 2/2020 Business Spotlight 19 

 Fotos: XX

Skyscrapers: reflecting
New York’s success

20  Business Spotlight 2/2020 NEW YORK SPECIAL

 SPECIAL REPORT

GOOD TO KNOW
⋅⋅ An estimated 40 percent of Amer-
icans have an ancestor who first
entered the country through New
from the 2,245 in 1990. The city’s
murder rate of 3.4 homicides
⋅⋅
per 100,000 people is below the
Pew Research suggests that 60
percent of adults in New York
State are Christian, seven percent

⋅⋅
York Harbor.
The Endangered Language Alli-
ance estimates that more than 600
languages and dialects are spoken
in New York City. Spanish (includ-
ing Spanish Creole) is the second
⋅⋅
national average.
As the publishing capital, New
York has been home to a multitude
of famous writers, including Paul
Auster, Dorothy Parker, Stephen
Sondheim, Kurt Vonnegut, and
⋅⋅
Jewish, and two per cent Muslim.
New York State has resettled
58,500 refugees since 2002, beaten
only by California and Texas. In
2019,the state took in 1,800.

⋅⋅
most widely spoken language after Edith Wharton. ancestor [(Änsest&r*]  Jewish [(dZu:IS] 
, Vorfahr(in) , jüdisch

⋅⋅
English. Among the city’s popular festivals
Creole [(kri:oUl*]  publishing
New York City’s GDP growth of are the three-day Governors Ball
, Kreolisch [(pVblISIN] 
2.4 percent for the third quarter Music Festival and Summerstage, , Verlagswesen
endangered

⋅⋅
of 2019 was well ahead of the US a series of events in the summer. [In(deIndZ&rd*]  real estate

⋅⋅
figure of 1.9 percent. New York City is home to a host of , gefährdet [(ri:&l I)steIt*]  US
The New York City subway, which world-renowned museums, such , Immobilie(n)
GDP (gross domestic
opened in1904, has 722 miles of as The Met, The Guggenheim, product) [)dZi: di: (pi:]  refugee
,  BIP (Bruttoinlands­

⋅⋅
[)refju(dZi:] 
track. MoMA and the American Muse-
produkt) , Geflüchtete(r)

⋅⋅
The average residential real estate um of Natural History.
homicide research [ri(s§:tS] 
sale in the third quarter of 2019 in New York State has the fourth- [(hA:mIsaId*]  , Forschung,
NY was highest in Manhattan, at largest population in the US, with ,  Mord, Tötungsdelikt Recherche

⋅⋅
$1.656 million. The next highest almost 20 million people. host of: a ~ subway

⋅⋅
was Brooklyn, at $977,259.
There were 292 murders in New
York in 2017, a dramatic reduction
New York State has the fourth- [(hoUst Vv*]  [(sVbweI] US 
,  eine Fülle von , U-Bahn
largest Hispanic population in the
US, with around 3.7 million. * This symbol marks standard US pronunciation.

Wall Street: scene of the 1929 crash
10,000 BC The first indigenous people arrive in
the area of today’s New York
by 1100 Two distinct indigenous cultures had
emerged: Iroquoian and Algonquian
1609 English explorer Henry Hudson
explores today’s Hudson River
1624 The Dutch settle along the Hudson
Fotos: bantersnaps/Unsplash; JANIFEST/iStock.com
TIMELINE
1776 New York State becomes one of
13 colonies to declare independence
from Britain
1777 George Clinton is elected first gover-
nor
1788 New York becomes a US state
1792  Founding of the New York State Stock
Exchange on today’s Wall Street
1799 State law gradually abolishes slavery.
Slavery officially ends in 1829
1807 On the Hudson River, the North River
Steamboat of Clermont is the world’s
first successful commercial steamboat
to carry passengers
ca. 1840s– More than 50 million Europeans
1940s emigrate to the US, millions via New
York’s Ellis Island
1860s New York State joins the Union side in
the Civil War
1886 The 300-foot-high Statue of Liberty, a
present from France, opens
1901 US President William McKinley is
2001 Terrorists fly two planes into the
World Trade Center, killing around
2,977 people. A couple of months later,
260 are killed when an American Air-
lines plane crashes in the city’s Belle
Harbor area
2008 Lehman Brothers investment bank
goes bankrupt
2009 A plane with 155 passengers crash-
lands in the Hudson River, miraculous-
ly with no deaths
2011 New York becomes the sixth state to
legalize same-sex marriage
2017 The final edition of the weekly news-
paper The Village Voice is printed
abolish sth. [E(bA:lIS*]  indigenous people
,  etw. abschaffen [In)dIdZEnEs )pi:p&l] 
,  indigene Bevölkerung,
assassinate sb.
Ureinwohner(innen)
[E(sÄsIneIt] 

River, naming it New Amsterdam, part
of New Netherland
1626 Dutch buy Manahatta (Manhattan)
Island for the value of $24 from the
indigenous population, the Lenape,
naming it New Amsterdam. The Dutch
import first slaves to New Amsterdam
1650s– First New Amsterdam slave auctions
1660s
1664 The English conquer the area and
rename it New York
1775–1783 The American Revolutionary War, to
gain independence from England
assassinated in Buffalo, NY ,  jmdn. ermorden miraculously
1904 The New York City subway opens with [mE(rÄkjElEsli*] 
civil war [)sIv&l (wO:r*] 
its first 22 miles of track ,  wie durch ein Wunder
, Bürgerkrieg
1913 The Woolworth Building becomes the
tallest building in the world (792 feet) stock exchange
crash-land
1929 The Wall Street stock market crashes, [(stA:k Iks)tSeIndZ*] 
[)krÄS (lÄnd] 
affecting economies across the world, ,  Börse
,  eine Bruchlandung
leading to the Great Depression
machen subway [(sVbweI] US 
1931 The Empire State Building is complet- , U-Bahn
ed, the tallest building in the world, at found sth. [faUnd] 
1,250 feet. ,  etw. gründen
1972 The World Trade Center towers
become New York’s tallest buildings i. * This symbol marks standard US pronunciation.

NEW YORK SPECIAL 2/2020 Business Spotlight 21 

 NEW YORK
PROFILE

“There is a tremendously
high ‘level of service’ expectation”
Aus dem Sack voller Fußbälle, mit denen Gary Book in den 1980er Jahren in New York ankam, ist
inzwischen ein erfolgreiches Unternehmen geworden. PAUL WHEATLEY beschreibt die Karriere.

T
urning up with little more than a bag full of balls, an arm- He also says the location, New York, with its energy and vast,
ful of cones, and half a business idea doesn’t sound like diverse population — which included many immigrants who
a great way to start a career in a new country. But that’s already knew soccer — played a major role in his success. The last
what Gary Book from Bath in southwest England did in piece of the jigsaw was that he knew these parents also “had the
the late 1980s. With no business background and only a disposable income” to be able to afford high-quality coaching.
general notion of what he wanted to do, Book found him- But as a Brit, immersed in the game, Book also understood
self in super-competitive New York. the importance of the nature of soccer as a sport. In contrast to
Within a few years, however, his football coaching business American football, baseball, and basketball, he explains, soccer
was a leading name in a booming industry. Book had lit a fire has always been “a sport for all”. Size, build, and athleticism are
that helped to radically change the face of football in the US — or vital in most sports, of course. “But soccer is something anyone
“soccer,” as it is known there. could enjoy.” In no time at all, his free clinics were transformed
Book, now 61, comes from a footballing family. His uncle Tony into paid-for coaching sessions and courses, and even expanded
had been a hugely successful professional player and manager to other sports. As well as employing hundreds of staff, the busi-
with modern-day English Premier League giants Manchester ness expanded from its New York base to having offices in North
City. Another uncle, Kim, was a professional goalkeeper in Eng- Carolina, Colorado, and California.
land. But after failing to make the grade as a professional himself,
Gary Book left university in the early 1980s and taught physical A cutthroat business mentality
education in the UK. New York being New York, however, Book’s success didn’t go
During the university summer of 1979, he had already headed unnoticed. “There was absolutely no barrier to entry to what we
over to New York to coach kids at summer camps. While there, were doing,” he explains. “Basically, anybody could set them-
he cast his expert eye on New York parents doing their best to selves up as a soccer coach with a bag of soccer balls and a few
coach their kids at soccer. Back then, he recalls, youth soccer in cones.” Soon, new professionals and also less professional organ-
the US was led by an army of volunteer parents who did the izations alike started to offer coaching. “The whole business got
coaching for free. He watched the coaching; it wasn’t very good. swamped,” says Book. Today, it’s “a multibillion-dollar business
It was hardly a eureka moment, but with his background and his
professionalism, he saw a business opportunity. cast one’s eye on sb. head over to… notion [(noUS&n*] 
[)kÄst wVnz (aI A:n*]  [)hed (oUv&r tu*]  , Vorstellung
,  jmdn. ins Visier nehmen ,  hier: sich auf den Weg
A desire for success nach ... machen
physical education
So, it’s 1989 and Book has already coached a number of times in clinic [(klInIk]  [)fIzIk&l )edZE(keIS&n*] 
,  hier: Expertentraining immersed: be ~ in sth. , Sport(unterricht)
New York summer schools. Now, he’s back with a rough idea of [I(m§:st] ,  in etw.
setting up a coaching business, and he starts by giving what he coaching [(koUtSIN*]  piece of the jigsaw
vertieft sein; hier: mit etw.
, Training [)pi:s Ev DE (dZIgsO:] 
calls “free clinics.” The kids are impressed. Just as importantly, so bestens vertraut sein
, Puzzleteil
competitive
are the parents. Then, suddenly, the whole thing takes off. “First [kEm(petEtIv] 
incredulous
summer school
[In(kredZElEs*] 
it was me; then a handful of staff; and within three years, we had , wettbewerbsorientiert [(sVm&r sku:l*] US 
, ungläubig
over 250 staff working for us.” He still sounds slightly incredulous ,  Ferienkurs, -programm
cone [koUn*] 
industry [(IndEstri] 
when recalling those early years. “It just grew virally,” he says. ,  Pylon, Markierungskegel
,  hier: Branche
swamped [swA:mpt*] 
, überschwemmt
It worked because, when Book and his small team of pro- disposable income:
make the grade
fessional coaches went out to coach a group, parents on near- have the ~ [dI)spoUzEb&l take off [)teIk (O:f*] 
[)meIk DE (greId]  ifml.
(InkVm*] ,  etwa: das ,  erfolgreich sein
by playing fields wanted the same level of professionalism for nötige Kleingeld haben
,  sich qualifizieren
their own kids. “Those first free clinics,” he says, “showed parents vast [vÄst*] , riesig
manager [(mÄnIdZ&r*] 
eureka moment
what a professional coach could do. It then just spread — and it ,  hier: Trainer(in) vital [(vaIt&l] 
[ju&(ri:kE )moUmEnt*] 
, unerlässlich
was frightening.” Book’s timing was perfect. He could feel there , Aha-Erlebnis multibillion
was a “desire from American parents, many from immigrant [mVlti(bIljEn]  volunteer [)vA:lEn(tI&r*] 
grow virally
,  viele Milliarden, , Freiwillige(r)
backgrounds, to make each generation more successful than the [)groU (vaI&rEli*] 
in Milliardenhöhe
,  sich rasant entwickeln
generation before them — to invest in their children.” * This symbol marks standard US pronunciation.

22  Business Spotlight 2/2020 NEW YORK SPECIAL

 SPECIAL REPORT

across the country, with the likes of Barcelona, Chelsea, and

Manchester United involved.”
Book cites New York as providing the perfect base for the
company’s takeoff. He points to the pace of life, which is reflect-
ed in the way people do business. “There is a tremendously high
‘level of service’ expectation.” Book also points to New York’s
cutthroat business mentality. “I think there is a large percentage
of people that seem to be quite willing to do whatever it takes to
gain a market share of the business,” he says.
Book readily concedes that this became a major challenge.
“We were still very British and very ‘gentlemanly’ to a certain
extent about our business dealings,” he says. “In certain ways,
this worked very well and, initially, it was to our advantage. But
as time went on, we lost a number of potential contracts and
deals to people who were just far more cutthroat and far more
willing to do whatever it takes. I think that is very much a New
York, perhaps American mentality.”
More than once, Book refers to his “lack of business acumen.”
And to how he and his partners just didn’t grasp “how the level
An Englishman in
of competition would grow once it became very evident that New York: Gary Book
we were doing very well.” But he’s also being very modest in a
stereotypically British way. Around four years ago, his business
was still attractive enough for a hedge fund to buy it — at a time
when countless competitors were around, including the world’s
FAST FACTS:

NEW YORK STATE

most famous soccer clubs. Book’s NOGA Soccer is now part of
Steel Soccer, which claims to have more than 300 coaches for

AND NEW YORK CITY

more than 25,000 players. Soccer in the US is very much big
business.

A love of coaching
New York State capital: Population NYC: 8.4
Even as the head of a successful business, the desire to be a soc-
Albany million
cer coach never left Book. Long before he sold the business in
2013, he had handed much of the day-to-day running over to New York State main Currency: USD (€1 = $1.10)
partners. He just wanted to coach, which he did with the new cities: New York City,
NYC GDP growth: 2.4%
company till 2017. Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers,
(Q3 2019)
Like his famous Manchester City uncle Tony, Gary Book has Syracuse
enjoyed great success as a coach and has an excellent reputation NYC unemployment: 4.2%
New York State governor:
in the game. In 2018, New York’s Adelphi University appointed (Q3 2019)
Andrew Cuomo, Democrat
him head soccer coach for the Adelphi Panthers. And he’s much
NYC inflation: 1.7% (Q3
in demand on a national level, too, for example via the elite Unit- Population of New York
2019)
ed Soccer Coaches. On his appointment at Delphi, Adelphi’s State: 19.5 million
athletic director Danny McCabe commented that “Gary has Sources: https://www.census.gov/
New York City (NYC)
dedicated his life to the game of soccer and over the past several quickfacts; https://comptroller.nyc.
mayor: Bill de Blasio, gov/reports/new-york-city-
years, he has done that right here in the New York metropolitan
Democrat quarterly-economic-update
community.”
For somebody who arrived from the UK with a bag full of soc- business acumen day-to-day running likes of: the ~
cer balls and an armful of cones, Gary Book’s “half an idea” has [(bIznEs E)kju:mEn*]  [)deI tE )deI (rVnIN]  [(laIks Vv*]  ifml.
, Geschäftssinn , Alltagsgeschäft ,  hier: Clubs wie
taken him a very long way indeed.
cite sth. [saIt]  dedicate sth. to sth. mayor [(meI&r*] 
Fotos: Brian Ballweg; chokkicx/iStock.com; privat

,  etw. nennen, anführen [(dedIkeIt tu]  , Bürgermeister(in)

,  etw. einer Sache
competition modest [(mA:dEst*] 
widmen
[)kA:mpE(tIS&n*]  , bescheiden
+ PLUS , Wettbewerb elite [i(li:t] 
pace [peIs] 
,  [wg. Aussprache]
Test your knowl- concede sth. [kEn(si:d]  , Tempo
edge of New York in ,  etw. einräumen GDP (gross domestic
tremendously
our exercise booklet, product) [)dZi: di: (pi:] 
currency [(k§:rEnsi*]  [trE(mendEsli] 
PAUL WHEATLEY Business Spotlight ,  BIP (Bruttoinlands­
Plus. To order, go , Währung ,  enorm
is a British-born writer specializing produkt)
to www.aboshop. cutthroat [(kVtTroUt*] 
in culture, travel, business and his- spotlight-verlag.de grasp sth. [grÄsp*]  * This symbol marks
, erbarmungslos standard US pronunciation.
tory. Contact: pwspotlight@runbox.com ,  etw. begreifen

NEW YORK SPECIAL 2/2020 Business Spotlight 23 

 NEW YORK
POLITICS

The battle of the billionaire egos

Der eine – Donald Trump – ist amtierender Präsident der Vereinigten Staaten, der andere –
Michael Bloomberg – Medienmogul und ehemaliger Bürgermeister von New York. Sollte letzterer
als demokratischer Kandidat nominiert werden, würden im Wahlkampf zwei Milliardäre
mit starkem Ego gegeneinander antreten. DANIEL STRAUSS berichtet.
ADVANCED

T
hese days, Donald Trump and Democratic presidential Congressman Peter King, a New York Republican, recalls
hopeful Michael Bloomberg can best be described as mor- Bloomberg once telling him that the only time he really inter-
tal enemies. A media mogul and former New York may- acted with Trump was at a charity golf tournament. “They were
or, Bloomberg is leveraging his deep pockets to oust his in many ways from different worlds,” King said.
fellow Manhattan billionaire. Bloomberg, eighth on the “It wasn’t like they were hugging or talking about ‘Hey, re-
Forbes list of richest people in the world, has more than member the great times we had?’. It was like two guys who knew
1,000 staffers and organizers and his ads are ubiquitous each other but didn’t seem overly close. [But] they didn’t seem
on TV. Bloomberg and Trump were each reported to have spent overly hostile,” King says.
$10 million for a 60-second spot during the Super Bowl on 2 Feb- But those days are long gone. And the antagonism is only
ruary — an illustration of the arms race that a general election likely to escalate as the two pour more money and time into the
battle between Bloomberg and Trump would be if Bloomberg 2020 presidential race. King believes that a head-to-head battle
can secure the Democratic nomination. between the two candidates would involve “a huge amount of
Earlier this year, Bloomberg and Trump squabbled about money, a huge amount of ego on both sides”.
healthcare on Twitter, with Trump calling the former New York “Each guy would think he’s smarter than the other,” King
mayor “Mini Mike”. And the financial website Marketplace pub- says, adding that each billionaire would be acting like he’s
lished a scathing article by Bloomberg headlined“Trump has accomplished more than the other.
been great for people like me — but I’ll be great for you”. The relationship is also extra testy because of Bloomberg’s
It wasn’t always like this. Bloomberg and Trump, both billion- unique position within the field of Democratic candidates.
aires from New York, for years kept a cordial and even friendly Bloomberg is the only one from the same state as Trump —
relationship as they repeatedly ran into each other at charity
accomplish sth. hopeful [(hEUpf&l]  ribbon-cutting ceremony
events, parties and even one of the weddings of former New
[E(kVmplIS]  , Anwärter(in) [(rIbEn )kVtIN )serEmEni] 
York mayor Rudy Giuliani. ,  etw. erreichen , Eröffnungsfeier
hostile [(hQstaI&l] 
antagonism , feindselig run into sb.
Huges amounts of money and ego [Än(tÄgE)nIzEm] 
hug [hVg] 
[)rVn (Intu] 
Along the way, they swapped praise. At a 2007 charity golf club ,  Gegner­schaft ,  jmdn. (zufällig) treffen
,  sich umarmen
event, Trump said it was “my really terrific privilege to introduce apprentice [E(prentIs] 
leverage one’s deep
scathing [(skeIDIN] 
, Auszubildende(r) , vernichtend
a man that I think is one of the great mayors and will go down pockets [)li:vErIdZ wVnz
Lehrling
as one of the great mayors, if not the greatest, in New York City”. di:p (pQkIts]  squabble about sth.
arms race [(A:mz reIs]  ,  etwa: sein großes [(skwQb&l E)baUt] 
At a ribbon-cutting ceremony in 2013, Trump said Bloomberg , Wettrüsten Vermögen einsetzen ,  sich wegen etw. zanken
had “been a great mayor”, adding: “I mean, this guy is fantastic.”
charity [(tSÄrEti]  mayor [meE]  swap praise
Bloomberg has also thrown Trump some kind words. At the ,  karitativ, Wohltätigkeits- , Bürgermeister(in) [)swQp (preIz] 
same ribbon-cutting ceremony, he said: “If there is anybody who cordial [(kO:diEl]  mortal enemy
,  hier: Komplimente
austauschen
has changed this city, it is Donald Trump.” And back in 2004, , herzlich [)mO:t&l (enEmi] 
Bloomberg appeared on an episode of Trump’s TV show, The , Todfeind(in) terrific [tE(rIfIk]  ifml.
foster sth. [(fQstE] 
, großartig
Apprentice. Trump said at the time that he invited Bloomberg on ,  etw. pflegen oust sb. [aUst] 
to the show because he had “great respect for him”. ,  jmdn. verdrängen; testy [(testi] , gereizt
go down as sb.
hier: aus dem Amt jagen
Yet even back then, the identities they each fostered as fa- [)gEU (daUn Äz]  throw sb. sth. [TrEU] 
,  als jmd. in Erinnerung overly [(EUvEli]  ,  hier: jmdm. etw. zuteil
Foto: Maxim Schulz

mous billionaires were radically different and they moved in behalten werden , übermäßig werden lassen
different social circles. “I’m sure Bloomberg has no gold toilets
golf tournament pour sth. into sth. ubiquitous
at his house,” says Rebecca Katz, a New York-based Democratic [(gQlf )tUEnEmEnt]  [(pO: )Intu]  [ju(bIkwItEs] 
strategist. “It’s a different kind of money, with less to prove.” , Golfturnier ,  hier: etw. in etw. stecken , allgegenwärtig

24  Business Spotlight 2/2020 NEW YORK SPECIAL

 SPECIAL REPORT

DONALD TRUMP
WENT FROM
AN OUTSIDER
BILLIONAIRE TO A
HOUSEHOLD NAME
Fotos: XX

NEW YORK SPECIAL 2/2020 Business Spotlight 25 

 although Vermont senator Bernie Sanders was born in Brook-
lyn — and whose background is similar to Trump’s: an outsider
billionaire who is still a household name within political circles.
Bloomberg’s ads, however, are promising that he won’t copy
Trump’s tweeting habits if elected president.

A relationship gone bad

Bloomberg has thought about running for president many
times, but Trump’s performance in the White House seems to
have finally tipped him into the race. As he’s opened campaign
offices across the US, Bloomberg has given apocalyptic warn-
ings of Trump winning re-election. At his newly opened cam-
paign office in Tennessee, Bloomberg said: “Donald Trump is
trying to pull this country apart, and if you want a future, we
just have to pull it together.” That same day in Philadelphia,
Bloomberg said: “Donald Trump does not know how to manage.
He’s never been a business person. He’s a real-estate developer,
promoter.” Who has the biggest punch?
Trump has criticized Bloomberg, too. In early December of
last year, Trump mockingly tweeted that “Mini Mike Bloomberg
has instructed his third-rate news organization” to investigate A HEAVYWEIGHT FIGHT
“President Trump, only”.
The antagonism goes back to 2016. Bloomberg delivered a
FOR THE WHITE HOUSE
speech at the Democratic National Convention that summer
saying he wasn’t there as “a member of any party” but to urge IN THE BLUE CORNER… IN THE RED CORNER…
MICHAEL RUBENS DONALD JOHN TRUMP
voters to help elect Hillary Clinton and defeat “a dangerous
BLOOMBERG
demagogue”. And around that time, Trump tweeted: “Little Mi-
chael Bloomberg, who never had the guts to run for president, Age: 78 Age: 73
knows nothing about me. His last term as mayor was a disaster!” Born: Boston, Massachusetts Born: Queens, New York, NY
At the beginning of 2019, Trump told The Washington Post that Party: Democratic Party: Republican
he and Bloomberg used to like each other but the relationship (since 2018) (since 2012)
“went strangely haywire once I ran for office”. For the same ar- Business interests: Business interests:
ticle, Bloomberg said that his “objection to Donald Trump is Co-founder, CEO and Sole or principal owner of
the way he’s filling his current role, in terms of representing the majority owner of the The Trump Organization,
country, in terms of representing the public. There’s an attitude, financial, software, data a group of around 500
and a style, and a lack of civility that I think is bad for the country, and media company business entities in areas such
Bloomberg L.P. as real estate, investment,
and I find offensive.”
sales and marketing
© Guardian News Service 2020
Net worth: $59.9 billion Net worth: $3.1 billion
(January 2020) (January 2019)
attitude [(ÄtItju:d]  mockingly term [t§:m]  Political office: Mayor of Political office: President
, Gesinnung [(mQkINli]  , Amtszeit New York City, 2002–13 of the US, 2017–
Fotos: VectorPocket/iStock.com; ddp; lev radin/Shutterstock.com

, höhnisch Website: Website:

civility [sE(vIlEti]  tip sb. into the race
,  Anstand, Höflichkeit national convention [)tIp )Intu DE (reIs]  www.mikebloomberg.com www.donaldjtrump.com
[)nÄS&nEl kEn(venS&n] ,  hier: jmdn. dazu
demagogue
US  , Nominierungs- bewegen, als Kandidat(in)
[(demEgQg]  
parteitag ins Rennen zu gehen
,  [wg. Aussprache]
offensive [E(fensIv]  tweet sth. [twi:t] 
guts [gVts] US ifml.  business entity mayor [meE]  principal owner
, abstoßend ,  etw. twittern
, Mumm [(bIznEs )entEti]  , Bürgermeister(in) [)prInsEp&l (EUnE] 
real-estate developer urge sb. (to do sth.) , Geschäftseinheit; , Haupteigner(in)
haywire: go ~ net worth
[(rIEl I)steIt di)velEpE]  [§:dZ]  auch: Unternehmen
[(heI)waIE]  ifml. [)net (w§:T]  real estate
US, Immobilien- ,  jmdn. eindringlich
,  verrückt spielen; hier: co-founder , Nettovermögen [(rIEl I)steIt]  US
entwickler(in) auffordern (etw. zu tun)
den Bach runtergehen [)kEU (faUndE]  , Immmobilie(n)
run for sth. , Mitgründer(in)
household name: be a ~
[(rVn fO:] 
[)haUshEUld (neIm] 
,  hier: für etw. kandidieren
,  allgemein bekannt sein

26  Business Spotlight 2/2020 NEW YORK SPECIAL

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 Fee-paying
students:
it had better
be worth it

DEBATE
HEAD-TO-HEAD

Should university
education be free?
Fotos: Wavebreak/iStock.com; privat

Ein Hochschulabschluss ist die beste Voraussetzung für eine gut bezahlte
Position, und ein hohes Bildungsniveau der Gesellschaft nutzt auch einem Staat und
seiner Wirtschaft. Sollte ein Universitätsstudium daher nicht gebührenfrei sein?
JULIAN EARWAKER gibt Argumente dafür und dagegen wieder.
ADVANCED AUDIO

28  Business Spotlight 2/2020 DEBATE

 YES
“University education should
be considered a public good, not just
a commodity”
Eric Lybeck
University education should
be free, most importantly so
that it is considered a public
DR ERIC LYBECK good, and not just a commod-
is presidential academic
fellow at the University
ity. University has changed
of Manchester over the past 30 to 40 years. It
(www.manchester.ac.uk) is now considered an individ-
ual good: a graduate aims to
make more money on the job market after getting their degree.
Universities produce research and innovation, which, if it
generates economic growth, should be a public resource. In
places such as Britain and the United States, where high tuition
fees are paid for by loans, students are actually subsidizing that
research and innovation.
It is worthwhile for a society to have a well-educated citi-
zenship. Places such as Germany and Scandinavia achieve this
with free university education. In the UK, the 50 per cent of
the population without higher education is not well provided
for by the educational system because all sorts of jobs require
a university degree today. Jobseekers are faced with either tak-
ing out a student loan to gain a degree, or not getting a decent
job. Governments should make university access completely
universal, as they do with secondary education. Or even better,
they should match qualifications to occupations because a lot
of the assumptions that a university degree leads to a job were
based on periods when only 15 to 25 per cent of the population
went to university.
The wealthiest students have their university fees paid up
front by their parents. The rest of the current generation, who
take out large student loans, are not only paying for their own
education, they are paying for the expansion of the university
sector to feed the high-tech service and knowledge economy.
This expansion could be better achieved by investing a percen­
tage of GDP in universities and other forms of training and
education. Currently, anyone doing work that does not require
a degree is disadvantaged by a system in which the principal
means of social mobility is via expensive higher education. Just
when women and minorities started to have access to university,
the government changed the system so that everyone needs to
pay for that education themselves. That can be a huge problem
for people who wish to enrol in a university. Nobody should be
excluded from attending university if they could benefit from it.
NO
“There are challenges that come
with funding a university system that
is entirely free”
Karmjit Kaur
University education must be
sustainably funded. If, as some
political parties propose, we see
KARMJIT KAUR tuition fees cut, this would need
is assistant director
to be compensated in full by
of political affairs at
Universities UK government grant funding. It’s
(www.universitiesuk.ac.uk) not just a question of whether
university education should be
free at the point of use for students — it has to be a high-quality
education and experience for students. A funding deficit per stu-
dent would affect universities’ ability to deliver the experience
students deserve, resulting in larger class sizes, poorer facilities
and less advice, support and choice.
There are challenges that come with funding a university
system that is entirely free for its students. Is it possible, for
example, to maintain the right amount of funding per student
without imposing a cap on the number of students who go to
university to keep the system affordable? With the number of
students wanting to go to university showing no signs of falling,
there may be a risk of damaging access for students, including
those from disadvantaged and underrepresented groups.
This raises the question of whether there would be adequate
public funding to meet the significantly higher number of stu-
dents expected in the years following the rapid demographic
increase. With more 18-year-olds wanting to study at universi-
ty (new UCAS figures show a record rate of 34 per cent of UK
18-year-olds entering higher education in 2019, totalling 241,515
young people), we estimate that this could increase the cost of a
no-fees policy by more than £2 billion (about €2.4 billion) a year
from the 2025–26 academic year onwards. Any new funding plan
needs to consider these rising numbers and associated costs.
The system also needs to be fair. The Institute for Fiscal Stud-
ies has said that getting rid of the fee and loan system would be
of most benefit to wealthier graduates: under the current sys-
tem, the least wealthy graduates do not pay back their loans.
There is also the question of who benefits from higher educa-
tion and, therefore, who should contribute to the system. While
graduates can benefit from relatively higher salaries, there are
societal and wider economic benefits to having more univer-
sity graduates in the economy, too. All students deserve a high-
quality, well-funded university experience, with enough money
in their pockets to make the most of it.

assumption degree [di(gri:]  GDP (gross domestic pay sth. up front subsidize sth. UCAS (Universities and
[E(sVmpS&n]  , (akademischer) product) [)dZi: di: (pi:]  [)peI Vp (frVnt]  [(sVbsEdaIz]  Colleges Admissions
, Annahme Abschluss ,  BIP (Bruttoinlands- ,  etw. vorstrecken ,  etw. subventionieren Service)
produkt) [(ju:kÄs] UK 
cap [kÄp]  enrol in a university point of use: at the ~ sustainably
,  Zentrale Vergabestelle
, Obergrenze [In)rEUl In E graduate [(grÄdZuEt]  [)pOInt Ev (ju:s]   [sE(steInEbli] 
für Studienplätze im
)ju:nI(v§:sEti] , (Hochschul-) ,  zum Zeitpunkt der ,  nachhaltig, dauerhaft
commodity Vereinigten Königreich
 ,  sich an einer Universität Absolvent(in) Nutzung
[kE(mQdEti]  tuition fee
immatrikulieren worthwhile
, Wirtschaftsgut grant funding secondary education [tju(IS&n fi:] 
[)w§:T(waI&l] 
fund sth. [fVnd]  [(grA:nt )fVndIN]  [)sekEndEri , Studiengebühr
decent [(di:s&nt]  , erstrebenswert
,  etw. finanzieren , Zuschussfinanzierung; )edju(keIS&n] 
,  anständig
hier: Ausbildungsförderung , Sekundarschulwesen

DEBATE 2/2020 Business Spotlight 29 

 LANGUAGE TEST
VOCABULARY

I’m so confused!
Manchmal ist die Verwirrung groß: Wörter werden gleich geschrieben, aber anders ausgesprochen.
Andere unterscheiden sich kaum in der Schreibweise, umso mehr aber in der Bedeutung. Oft weiß
Ihr Gegenüber, was Sie meinen, doch gelegentlich treten Sie ganz unbewusst ins Fettnäpfchen.
Finden Sie mit den Übungen von DEBORAH CAPRAS heraus, wie es um Sie steht.
EASY MEDIUM ADVANCED AUDIO

Oops, wrong again!

Will you get it right?

THE SITUATION
Femtech — technology that is developed specifically
for women — is becoming increasingly popular. One
company, BeatJewels, has created a feminine bracelet
DEBORAH CAPRAS that promises to help women understand their bodies
is a freelance author, trainer better. But there have been some problems with produc­
and corporate communications tion and with the use of language on their website and in
specialist. She’s the author
their sales promotions. Sandra Davies is responsible for
of Small Talk, published
by Collins. Contact: making sure that the language doesn’t confuse anyone.
deborahcapras@wise-words.com

30  Business Spotlight 2/2020 LANGUAGE TEST


Good question:
find the answer
1. Small differences (6 points)
Sandra is reading through the text on the Beat
Jewels website. Choose the correct word in each
sentence below.
A. This is a discreet / discrete bracelet. No one
will ever notice that you are wearing a medical
device.
B. Our bracelet can help you monitor your health
in a number of ways, depending on your own
individual and personal / personnel needs.
C. We can provide independent advice /advise
on the best use for you.
D. The affect / effect it has had on women’s lives
has been extremely positive.
Illustrationen: nadia_bormotova, romeocane1/iStock.com
E. While our bracelet is not a replacement for
regular medical checkups, it can serve as an
important complement / compliment to
them.
F. If you require any farther / further informa­
tion, or would like to learn more, please get in
touch!
LANGUAGE TEST
2. Is that correct? (7 points)
Not all the salespeople use the correct language
to talk to customers about the bracelet. Sandra is
listening to some of them. Decide whether the
words in bold are correct (Yes) or incorrect (No).
YES NO
A. Everyone loves these products.
People recognize them all over
the world. They’re infamous.
B. So that there is absolutely no
danger of fire, we don’t use any
material that is inflammable.
C. Our bracelets are sensible to
changes in your body temperature
and heart rate, so they can tell us a
lot about your overall health.
D. The data we collect is invaluable.
Even when you are sleeping, our
bracelet will register every
important change.
E. Our research shows that there
have been no averse reactions to
wearing the bracelet.
F. Most fitness fans love our solution.
Are you interesting?
G. You can buy a set with two bracelets
here today. Or, alternately, you
can buy them online as a single
bracelet. The app is free.
➻
CHECK THE SPELLING
There are many words in English that sound the same but
are spelled differently and have a different meaning. These
homophones, such as “bear” and “bare”, or “principal” and
“principle”, can confuse native speakers of English, too. In other
confusing pairs, a single letter can change the meaning, for
example, from “heroine” (Heldin, Protagonistin) to “heroin”
(Heroin) —just because of a missing “e”.
2/2020 Business Spotlight 31 
 3. Similar, but different (10 points)

The salespeople also have to deal with questions

from the customers. Complete the following
four dialogues. Use the words from the boxes.

Customer: How does your company

(A) that wearing this
assure bracelet will never change how I can be
ensure (B) ?
insured Salesperson: We can (C)
you that we do not pass on any information to
other organizations.

Customer: Can more than one person use the

same bracelet? What happens if I Confusing? It’s the
(D) my bracelet to wrong message!
borrow
someone else?
lend
Salesperson: We really don’t recommend that
you let anyone (E) your
bracelet, as this would result in the wrong data.
4. False friends (5 points)
Customer: I’m so confused now. How does the
premium one (F) from
The BeatJewels production team are discussing
the standard version? It’s hard to
differ some possible changes, but Sandra notices that
differen­ (G) between the two —
a German colleague often uses incorrect transla­
tiate apart from the price!
tions of some common German words. Replace
Salesperson: Let me show you the main diffe­
them with the most appropriate translations.
rences.
A. locker
Customer: One of the tiny plastic straps on the
We should be more locker
bracelet came (H) and,
about making changes to the production
loose unfortunately, I’ve (I) it.
process.
lose The bracelet no longer feels secure on my wrist.
lost Salesperson: I can see that. You could easily
B. genial
(J) the bracelet. We can
I’ve been looking at what our competitors do,
order you a new strap at no extra cost to you.
and I’ve just had a(n) genial
idea that will save us a lot of money on the
production costs.

C. erforderlich
➻ In my opinion, these changes are absolutely
CHECK YOUR FRIENDS affordable.
It can be tempting to use an English word that sounds very
similar to the German one you would use in the same situation.
D. rationell
In many cases, it’s not a problem (as in Problem!). Sometimes,
however, such words can cause confusion. Make sure you know They will lead to a much more
which English words are false friends. rational production process.

E. rentabel
And, as a result, our company will be more
rentable.

32  Business Spotlight 2/2020 LANGUAGE TEST

 ➻
CHECK THE STRESS
All words with more than one syllable have a syllable that is
stressed more than the other(s). Sometimes, the position of the
stressed syllable can make a difference in meaning. For example,
the noun “content” [(kQntEnt] is not the same as the adjective
“content” [kEn(tent]. The first means Inhalt, whereas the second
means zufrieden! This is the reason why we provide information
on word stress in our word lists, in the form of a small superscript
mark [(] before the syllable to indicate the main stress, and a
subscript mark [)] before syllables that carry a secondary stress.
5. Getting stressed! (8 points)
 ow should you stress the words in bold in the
H
following sentences? Choose the correct option.
A. The changes in production were meant to be
minute. Well, they weren’t.
1. minute 2. minute
B. The object of the changes was to save money.
Well, they didn’t.
1. object 2. object
6. Listen for the little words (6 points)
Match the questions or statements (A–F) to the
correct responses (1–6).
A. Have you heard of Sandra’s husband?
B. Have you heard from Sandra’s husband?
C. I’m still looking after the password.
D. I’m still looking for Sean’s password.
E. Sometimes, between 1 and 2 p.m., we stop to
have lunch.
F. Sometime between 1 and 2 p.m., we stopped
to have lunch.
1. I think I know where he wrote it down.
2. Could we have it earlier today?
3. Is it safe with you?
4. No. Should I have? Is he famous?
5. Are you sure it wasn’t earlier?
6. No. Did he try to call me?
A– ; B– ; C– ; D– ; E– ; F–

C. The new bracelets have a few serious prob­

lems. They no longer record any changes in
body temperature.
1. record 2. record

D. And the data is all over the place. People are

getting error messages that say the input is
invalid.
1. invalid 2. invalid

E. We may have to organize a product recall of

every bracelet that we manufactured in the
past three months.
1.recall 2. recall

F. As we produce over 1,000 bracelets a month,

this would be a major problem.
1. produce 2. produce

G. Sean would usually work on this, but he’s off

on his exploits again in South America — and
he won’t be back for another four weeks.
Illustrationen: romeocane1/iStock.com

1. exploits 2. exploits

H. To tell you the truth, Sean needn’t come back.

After these problems, everyone expects him to
So many words:
resign! a difficult choice?
1. re-sign 2. resign

LANGUAGE TEST 2/2020 Business Spotlight 33 

 ANSWERS
1. Small differences
7. Minor mix-ups? (8 points) A. discreet = dezent (discrete
= separat, eigenständig)
Often, the choice we have to make is decided by B. personal = persönlich
(personnel = Personal)
the rules of grammar. Choose the correct options C. advice = Rat (advise = beraten)
in the email below. D. effect = Wirkung
(affect = Beeinträchtigung)
E. complement = Ergänzung
(compliment = Kompliment)
F. further = weitere(r,s)
Dear team (farther = weiter (entfernt))
I’m writing to inform you of a very difficult decision 2. Is that correct?
A. incorrect (infamous = berüch-
that we will have to make (A) until / by the end of
tigt; “famous” (berühmt) would
the month. be correct)
B. correct (inflammable = brenn-
As you all (B) already / yet know, (C) there / their bar, leicht entflammbar;
is a major problem with our production process “flammable” (brennbar, leicht
concerning both (D) its / it’s cost and quality. entflammbar) would also be
correct)
C. incorrect (sensible = sinn-
Production has been stopped now (E) for / since five voll, vernünftig; “sensitive”
days. At the moment, we are in discussions with the (empfindlich, leicht reagierend)
owners of the factory, but we still cannot agree on would be correct)
(F) who’s / whose responsible for the problems — or D. correct (invaluable = wertvoll,
how to solve them. von unschätzbarem Wert)
E. incorrect (averse = abgeneigt;
“adverse” (negativ, uner-
If we cannot come to an agreement soon, we may wünscht) would be correct)
have to look for a new production site. Clearly, this F. incorrect (interesting = interes-
would (G) than / then result in a much longer break sant; “interested” (interessiert)
in production, something that would put us in a very would be correct)
difficult financial position indeed. G. incorrect (alternately
= abwechselnd; “alternatively”
(alternativ) would be correct)
(H) You’re / Your going to hear from me again in the
next few days — hopefully, with more positive news. 3. Similiar, but different
A. ensure = sicherstellen
Kind regards B. insured = versichert
C. assure = zusichern
John Williams D. lend = (ver)leihen
Head Strategist E. borrow = (sich) (aus)leihen
F. differ = sich unterscheiden
G. differentiate = unterscheiden,
differenzieren
➻ H. loose = lose, locker (come lose
= sich lösen, aufgehen)
FOR MORE INFORMATION
I. lost (have lost = verloren haben)
•O
 ur Skill Up! booklets offer vocabulary from key areas of everyday J. lose = verlieren
business life. The second bundle is now available (see p. 53).
HOW DID
YOU DO?
40–50 30–39 18–29
Note: So that you can Excellent! Well done! Good
compare your language Well done! There’s no Great job! Try the test again Not bad. However, you do
knowledge across different confusing you! in a few days’ time to see confuse some common words
areas of business English, if you can get a few extra and phrases. Write down the
all Business Spotlight tests points. words you confused in your
have a maximum possible personal vocabulary list and
score of 50 points. learn them.
34  Business Spotlight 2/2020
4. False friends
A. laid-back, relaxed
(locker = Schließfach; Spind)
B. brilliant, ingenious
(genial = freundlich, herzlich)
C. necessary (affordable
= erschwinglich)
D. efficient (rational = logisch)
E. profitable (rentable = mietbar,
mietfähig)
5. Getting stressed!
A–2 (minute [(mInIt] = Minute;
minute [maI(nju:t] = winzig)
B–1 (object [(QbdZekt] = Gegen-
stand; object [Eb(dZekt]
= dagegen sein)
C–2 (record [(rekO:d] = Rekord;
Aufzeichnung; record [ri(kO:d]
= notieren; aufnehmen)
D–2 (invalid [(InvEli:d] = Invalide/
Invalidin; invalid [In(vÄlId]
= ungültig)
E–1 (recall [(ri:kO:l] = Rückruf-
(aktion); recall [ri(kO:l]
= zurückrufen; sich erinnern)
F–2 (produce [(prQdju:s]
= Erzeugnisse; produce
[prE(dju:s] = produzieren)
G–1 (exploits [(eksplOIts] = Aben-
teuer; exploits [Ik(splOIts]
= er/sie beutet aus)
H–2 (re-sign [(ri: saIn] = erneut
unterzeichnen; resign [ri(zaIn]
= zurücktreten; kündigen)
6. Listen for the little words
A–4; B–6; C–3; D–1; E–2; F–5
7. Minor mix-ups?
A. by = bis (spätestens)
B. already
C. there
D. its
E. for
F. who’s
G. then
H. You’re
Up to 17
Could do better
Try the test again tomorrow.
Have you seen our
Translation section (see
p. 50)? You’ll find examples
of words that are easy
to confuse or difficult to
translate in this regular
section.
LANGUAGE TEST
 VIEWPOINT
IT’S PERSONAL

“Flowers grown beyond

our own backyard should
be a luxury”
Wir schmücken unser Heim mit Blumen. Doch sollten
wir uns nicht nur an ihrer Schönheit erfreuen, sondern
auch die Menschen wertschätzen, die sie unter teils
prekären Bedingungen für uns anbauen und pflücken.
ADVANCED PLUS

W
hile preparing to chair a talk
for the Rainforest Alliance
— starting with learning
about the ethos of the venue
— I bumped into the phrase
“sustainable flower arrange-
ments”. What exactly is a
“sustainable flower”? Is it
about the carbon footprint of a beautiful
bloom from South America that is flown
across the globe to die slowly on my cof-
fee table? Or is it more to do with pesti-
cides, land use, water scarcity and the lives
of the people who grow them?
I found it involves all these things.
It’s also complicated. For example, the
Fairtrade Foundation commissioned a
2018 study that found the greenhouse
gas emissions from the production of
Fairtrade roses in Kenya were 5.5 times
lower than those grown in the Nether-
lands. The Kenyan production also used
6.5 times less energy, even when their air
transport to Europe was included in the
calculations.
Schemes such as these run by Fairtrade
and the Rainforest Alliance aim to ensure
Fotos: iStockphoto, barbol88, Jan Treger/iStock.com
ELISABETH RIBBANS Those working to promote an ethical industry have long under-
is a British stood this, but, closer to home, the concern has also given rise to
journalist and the “slow flower movement”. The term, echoing the “slow food
editorial consul­
tant.
movement”, is attributed to Debra Prinzing, the Seattle-based
author of the 2013 book Slow Flowers. Prinzing describes the
➳ movement as “a response to the disconnect between humans
Contact: eribbans@ and flowers in the modern era”. In her weekly podcast, she advo-
gmail.com
cates for flowers that are “safe, seasonal and local”.
The movement is now trending, notably in the UK and Aus-
tralia, where the “grown not flown” mantra is leading small pro-
ducers to grow flowers in harmony with nature and the seasons.
The emphasis on shortening supply chains and reducing chemi-
cals means our idea of beauty may be challenged. Interior design
magazine Elle Décor has noted how “slow” is already having an
impact on professional flower design, with unusual sprigs and
glorious imperfections creeping into arrangements.
The balance between the local and the tropical may be as del-
icate as the flower itself. The flower-growing industry can help
support some of the planet’s poorest people if the flowers are
produced ethically. But I can’t help thinking that any flower
grown beyond our own backyard should be a luxury. It is we who
should pay the price, not the environment and certainly not the
person who grows it for us.
advocate for sth. chair sth. [tSeE]  rife [raIf] 
[(ÄdvEkeIt fO:]  ,  etw. leiten, moderieren ,  weit verbreitet
,  für etw. eintreten
commission sth. scarcity [(skeEsEti] 

decent working conditions for those em- backyard [(bÄkjA:d]  US [kE(mIS&n]  , Knappheit
,  Garten (hinter dem ,  etw. in Auftrag geben
ployed in this more than €90 billion global scheme [ski:m] 
+ PLUS Haus)
industry. But for the many people picking decent [(di:s&nt]  , Programm
bloom [blu:m]  , angemessen
and packing our flowers, the garden re- Try our reading , Blüte
sprig [sprIg] , Zweig
mains far from rosy, as poverty and health comprehension emphasis [(emfEsIs] 
exercises on this supply chain [sE(plaI tSeIn] 
bump into sth. , Betonung
problems are rife. article in our [)bVmp (Intu] 
, Lieferkette
exercise booklet, greenhouse gas
A bunch of flowers is such a familiar Business Spotlight
,  auf etw. stoßen sustainable [sE(steInEb&l] 
[)gri:nhaUs (gÄs] 
sight — Germans, Americans and Britons Plus. To order, go , nachhaltig
carbon footprint , Treibhausgas
to https://aboshop.
are the biggest consumers — that it’s easy spotlight-verlag.de
[(kA:bEn )fUtprInt] 
notably [(nEUtEbli] 
venue [(venju:] 
, CO2-Fußabdruck , Veranstaltungsort
to overlook where they’ve come from. , insbesondere

VIEWPOINT 2/2020 Business Spotlight 35 

 BUSINESS SKILLS
SERIES: LEADERSHIP

Test your leadership skills

Wie gut sind Sie als Führungspersönlichkeit? Um das herauszufinden, fasst BOB DIGNEN im
zehnten und letzten Teil unserer Serie zum Thema „Führung“ die vorhergehenden neun Aspekte kurz
zusammen. Er stellt Ihnen Fragen dazu und gibt Ihnen optionale Antworten und ein Feedback.
ADVANCED  AUDIO  PLUS

O
ver the past nine issues of Busi-
ness Spotlight, we have looked at
QUESTIONS
A. What is good leadership today? MANY PEOPLE
different aspects of leadership,
including change management,
1. Leadership is about inspiring and
empowering people. CLAIM THEY DO NOT
culture, ethics, motivation and
performance. In this final arti­
2. Leadership is about achieving results.
3. Leadership is situational. How you LEAD BECAUSE
cle of the series, we invite you to
reflect on the meaning and prac­
should lead will depend to a large de­
gree on the situation. THEY DON’T HAVE A
tice of leadership in the modern world, to
examine your own assumptions and be­
4. Leadership is about managing the dig­
ital transformation. LEADERSHIP TITLE
haviours, and to identify ways in which
you can become a better leader. B. What do leaders think is the most im- ON THEIR
Read the summary of each topic below
and look at the questions that follow, cir­
portant competence for leaders?
1. empathy
BUSINESS CARD
cling the answer that you think is correct. 2. humility
Then check your answers on pages 43–44 3. confidence
and give yourself one point for each cor­ 4. commitment to ethics
rect answer. Also, read the comments on
how you can improve the way you lead. C. Which qualities do agile leaders fo-
agile [(ÄdZaI&l] 
cus on, in contrast to more traditional ,  hier: flexibel agierend
1. Defining leadership (BS 1/2019) leaders? align sth. with sb.
Deciding what people should do togeth­ 1. speed, continuous improvement, cus­ [E(laIn wID] 
er, and defining how and why it should tomer focus ,  etw. mit jmdm.
abstimmen, koordinieren
be done, are acts of leadership. As such, 2. planning, risk management and control
leadership is an essential aspect of busi­ 3. creativity, imagination and flexibility assumption
[E(sVmpS&n] 
ness, and of life more generally. Curiously, 4. communication, collaboration and ask­ ,  Annahme, Hypothese
however, many people claim that they do ing questions empower sb. [Im(paUE] 
not lead, simply because they don’t have ,  jmdm. Handlungs-/
a leadership title on their business card. D. What is the best way to lead a multi- Entscheidungsbefugnisse
geben
Yet, having influence over other human cultural team?
beings is a necessary component of life 1. Be authentic, honest and direct. humility [hju(mIlEti] 
,  Demut, Bescheidenheit
Illustration: Yann Bastard

and cannot be avoided. Put bluntly, you 2. Focus on listening.

put bluntly
cannot not lead. The question is simply 3. Discuss and align leadership expecta­ [)pUt (blVntli] 
how consciously and actively — and how tions with everyone. ,  offen gesagt
well — you decide to exercise your poten­ 4. Use your authority to define clear summary [(sVmEri] 
tial to lead. rules. , Zusammenfassung

36  Business Spotlight 2/2020 BUSINESS SKILLS

Leadership:
multiple
challenges
 2. The challenges of change (BS 2/2019) 3. Creating a healthy culture (BS 3/2019) affect sb. [E(fekt] 
In recent years, the vocabulary of “change” “Culture” is a complex term that academ­ ,  jmdn. beeinflussen

has given way to the vocabulary of “transfor­ ics continue to debate and disagree about. anger [(ÄNgE] 
,  Wut, Ärger
mation”. But regardless of whether we talk of Yet business professionals all too often use
change or transformation, many people experi­ the term “culture” in a simplistic manner to anxiety [ÄN(zaIEti] 
,  Angst(gefühl), Besorgnis
ence a reality of almost continuous disruption talk about differences supposedly related to
at work. So, in a dynamically changing envi­ national culture. They then use these “diffe­ assertiveness
[E(s§:tIvnEs] , Durch-
ronment, where technical innovation not only rences” to explain conflicts in their teams and setzungsvermögen
enriches but also threatens to undermine estab­ performance issues in their projects or simply bargaining [(bA:gInIN] 
lished business models, it is vital to engage with to describe their frustrations at the “peculiar” , Verhandeln
the phenomenon of change, to understand the habits of individuals. Using culture in this way big picture: the ~
different ways in which people might respond is problematic. Explaining complex individual [)bIg (pIktSE] US 
,  das große Ganze
to it and to develop the skills that can help you to behaviour by means of a national generaliza­
lead yourself and others through the experience. tion often involves unhelpful stereotypes. It clarify sth. [(klÄrEfaI] 
,  etw. (er)klären, erläutern
usually overlooks other, more important, basic
QUESTIONS factors, such as the professional skills of the in­ denial [di(naIEl] 
, Verweigerung
A. How important is it to understand the dividual, their role or their high workload, all of
disruption [dIs(rVpS&n] 
strategic drivers of change for your organ- which can play a key role in the “failure” of an
, Störung; hier: grund-
ization? individual to deliver or to collaborate according legende Veränderung
1. Extremely important. Understanding the to expectations in an international team. driver [(draIvE] 
big picture is vital. , Triebkraft;
2. Moderately important. It is useful, but it QUESTIONS hier auch: Einflussfaktor

may not help you manage change in your A. What is the first step to building a healthy engage sb. [In(geIdZ] 
,  jmdn. einbinden
team. culture in a diverse international team?
3. Not very important. It is more important 1. Creating a clear team mission. engage with sth.
[In(geIdZ wID] 
to focus on specific changes affecting your 2. Having experts on the team. ,  sich mit etw.
team. 3. Building relationships. auseinandersetzen
4. Not at all important. Strategy jargon is use­ 4. Clarifying salaries and bonuses. micromanage sb.
less when it comes to engaging people in [(maIkrEU)mÄnIdZ] 
,  jmdm. detaillierte
times of change. B. What is the best way to handle serious
Vorgaben machen
work-style differences in an international
mindset [(maIndset] 
B. What are the typical stages of change that team? ,  Denkweise, Einstellung
people experience? 1. To do intercultural training focusing on na­
peculiar [pI(kju:liE] 
1. denial, anger, bargaining, depression, accept­ tional cultural differences. , eigenartig
ance 2. To ignore the differences. They will usually resilience [ri(zIliEns] 
2. excitement, optimism, engagement, compe­ resolve themselves. , Widerstandskraft,
tence 3. To encourage team members to discuss dif­ Belastbarkeit
3. worry, pessimism, anxiety, hopelessness ferences informally and in a positive way. resolve itself
[ri(zQlv It)self] 
4. confusion, defence, exploration, discovery 4. To help team members to define their own
,  sich (auf)lösen
team culture.
technical [(teknIk&l] 
C. Which attribute is key to helping peo- , fachlich
ple overcome their initial resistance to C. What is the most important competence
vital [(vaIt&l] 
change? for dealing with diversity? , unerlässlich
1. assertiveness 1. technical experience workload [(w§:klEUd] 
2. resilience 2. time-management skills , Arbeitspensum,
3. confidence 3. a positive mindset -belastung
4. empathy 4. communicating your message clearly

D. How useful are consultants in driving
change in organizations?
1. Vital. It’s impossible to achieve effective
change without external help.
2. Useful. They can provide different perspec­
tives and can help to mediate conflict.
3. Not very. External consultants often create
confusion in the change process.
4. Not at all. Consultants generally create chaos.
D. What should you do if you feel an interna-
tional leader is micromanaging you?
1. Be flexible and accept their leadership style.
2. Insist on more freedom.
3. Complain to your colleagues.
4. Question your own interpretation of “micro­
management”.

38  Business Spotlight 2/2020 BUSINESS SKILLS

 Facts and people:
leadership challenges

4. Leading ethically (BS 4/2019) B. Which of these statements best describes compliance
[kEm(plaIEns] 
Business ethics have traditionally not been the role of honesty in leadership?
,  Compliance, Befolgung
seen as a core driver for modern corporations. 1. If a leader lies, they are no longer a leader. von Richtlinien
Much more familiar have been the mantras of 2. Leaders are not always able to share all infor­ honesty [(hQnEsti] 
growth and profitability. Yet, the importance mation, and often have to manage the truth. , Ehrlichkeit
of shareholder value is increasingly being chal­ 3. The art of leadership is understanding when notion [(nEUS&n] 
lenged by notions such as stakeholder value to lie and when to tell the truth. ,  Idee, Konzept
and higher purposes. Companies are now be­ 4. Human beings are never fully honest. Lying outcome [(aUtkVm] 
ing judged by the extent to which they make a is part of life, professionally and privately. , Ergebnis

positive impact on society, help to sustain the recruit sb. [ri(kru:t] 

,  jmdn. einstellen;
environment, drive diversity and inclusion, C. Which of the following is a great way for
hier: (herein)holen
and even support democracy. Leaders need leaders to test their ethical values?
scope [skEUp] 
to engage with ethics, understand their scope 1. Recruit different people to their team to en­ ,  Umfang, Dimension
and choices, and become more conscious of the sure diversity of opinion and perspective.
stakeholder value
consequences of their actions in the minds of 2. Reflect deeply and regularly on what they do [(steIk)hEUldE )vÄlju:] 
customers, who are increasingly interested in and why they do it. , Unternehmenswert
the moral outcomes of organizational activities. 3. Go to a psychotherapist from time to time. aus Sicht verschiedener
Anspruchsgruppen
4. Take a course in compliance.
stretch sb. out of sth.
QUESTIONS [)stretS (aUt Qv] 
A. Does behaving ethically mean that leaders D. How ethical is it to blame and criticize col- ,  jmdn. (durch hohe
should make people happy? leagues? Anforderungen) aus
etw. herausholen
1. Absolutely. Making people unhappy is not 1. Very. Giving honest and open feedback
acceptable. means being honest. sustain sth. [sE(steIn] 
,  etw. erhalten
2. Partly agree. Making people as happy as pos­ 2. Partly. Driving performance involves feed­
sible is the job of a good leader. back, but it needs to be respectful.
Illustrationen: Yann Bastard

3. Mostly disagree. Leaders are paid to deliver 3. Not very. Hurting someone’s feelings is
results, not to make people happy. equivalent to hurting them physically.
4. Totally disagree. Stretching people out of 4. Not at all. Being negative towards others is
their comfort zone is essential to leadership. simply not acceptable for leaders.

BUSINESS SKILLS 2/2020 Business Spotlight 39 

 5. Motivating people (BS 5/2019) 6. Taking decisions (BS 6/2019) accountability
[E)kaUntE(bIlEti] 
One of the most frequent questions leaders ask The fact that we live in an age of VUCA (vola­ , Verantwortung,
in training courses is: “How do I motivate my tility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) is Verantwortlichkeit
people to perform better?” Discovering reliable often cited in management articles and blogs. ambiguity
ways to ensure that individuals and teams de­ What is less discussed is the challenge this [)ÄmbI(gju:Eti] 
, Mehrdeutigkeit
liver the results they are supposed to … is a key brings to bear on a central leadership activi­
assess sth. [E(ses] 
leadership challenge. Yet the notion that there ty — decision-making. If we can’t truly know
,  etw. beurteilen,
are somehow secret techniques to motivate our environment and are surrounded not only einschätzen
others may be a false hope. Motivation may be by “known unknowns” but also by “unknown bring sth. to bear on sth.
less an extrinsic phenomenon, and more an in­ unknowns”, how is it possible to take a deci­ [)brIN tE (beEr Qn] 
trinsic one. The aim of leaders may be less about sion at all with any confidence? Is leadership ,  etw. bei etw. zum
Tragen bringen
pushing people to success, and more about ac­ descending into a form of gambling on uncer­
cite sth. [saIt] 
tivating their inner resources to enable them to tain outcomes? Leaders need to reflect longer
,  etw. anführen
discover ways to fulfil their own motivations and harder on the nature of decision-making,
descend into sth.
— and so perform to high standards in their its limitations in the modern world and the re­ [di(send )Intu] 
specific tasks. ality that being right has become increasingly ,  in etw. absinken; hier: zu
difficult. etw. entwertet werden
QUESTIONS extrinsic [eks(trInsIk] 
, äußerlich; hier: auf
A. Compared to other, similar organizations, QUESTIONS
Außenwirkung beruhend
companies with motivated employees do A. Do you agree that the decisions of leaders
gamble on sth.
what? determine what gets done and how it gets [(gÄmb&l Qn] 
1. Outperform them significantly. done? ,  auf etw. setzen, wetten
2. Perform slightly better. 1. Absolutely right. Leaders drive results. intrinsic [In(trInsIk] 
3. Perform slightly worse. 2. Agree mostly. However, leaders act within , innewohnend; hier: von
Innen kommend
4. Perform exactly the same. complex organizational and economic sys­
tems, so they are not in full control of out­ outperform sb.
[)aUtpE(fO:m] 
B. What is the best way to assess the underly- comes. ,  jmdn. an Leistung
ing motivation(s) of others? 3. Disagree mostly. Leaders have little influ­ übertreffen
1. Listen to their underlying needs. ence in a VUCA world. technique [tek(ni:k] 
2. Profile them psychologically. 4. Disagree totally. Everyone is responsible for ,  [wg. Aussprache]

3. Observe their performance. deciding what happens, not just leaders. underlying [)VndE(laIIN] 
4. Challenge them regularly to perform better. ,  zugrunde liegend

B. How would you describe people who take

C. If an employee says, “It’s not my job”, what
does this probably mean?
1. They don’t want to help others.
2. They don’t want to take on more responsi­
bilities.
3. They like to have a clear sense of their own
responsibilities.
4. They lack confidence in their ability to per­
form other tasks.
D. A leader who is often absent and invisible
probably…
1. has too much to do.
2. does not believe that motivating their team
is important.
3. trusts their team and believes that showing
trust is the best form of motivation.
4. lacks feedback skills.
decisions effectively?
1. They are generally very focused on their own
roles and on achieving results.
2. They align their decisions with others in the
organization before finally deciding.
3. They are bold and courageous.
4. They take time to consider and reflect.
C. What are the best decisions based on?
1. data
LEADERS NEED
2. feelings
3. data and feelings
TO REFLECT
4. data and feelings and doubt LONGER AND
D. When taking decisions in diverse teams,
what is it vital to do?
HARDER ON
DECISIONS
1. Provide enough time to hear everyone’s
opinions.
2. Use the most experienced members of the
team to guide the decisions being taken.
3. Follow clear decision-making processes.
4. Be ready to take full accountability for what
is decided.

40  Business Spotlight 2/2020 BUSINESS SKILLS


7. Promoting performance (BS 7/2019)
The more senior leaders get, the more impor­
tant it is that they manage others’ performance
rather than their own. It may seem curious, but
it’s actually simple mathematics. If you lead 200
people, their sum performance is more impor­
tant than that of one senior leader. Therefore,
understanding how to cultivate and sustain a
high-performing team environment becomes
more vital for senior executives than their own
stellar output. In fact, leading others becomes
the core output of effective leaders.
QUESTIONS
A. What qualities do high-performing leaders
need?
1. They must be experts and highly experi­
enced in a specific business sector.
2. They need to delegate frequently.
3. They must ensure that people in their teams
and departments perform well.
4. They should work longer hours than their
team members.
Illustrationen: Yann Bastard
BUSINESS SKILLS
All for one: good
leaders promote
excellent teamwork
B. To help people perform to a high standard, output [(aUtpUt] 
, Leistung
what should leaders do?
1. Give excellent feedback. role mode
[(rEUl )mQd&l] 
2. Clarify people’s roles and responsibilities. , Vorbild
3. Give financial bonuses.
senior: be ~ [(si:niE] 
4. Provide the best training courses available ,  hier: in einer höheren
on the market. Position sein
stellar [(stelE] ifml. 
C. If leaders want to coach others to perform , herausragend
to a high standard, what should they do?
1. Tell people what to do and ensure they do it.
2. Use questions to help people take more re­
sponsibility and accountability.
3. Do regular team-building.
4. Be a role model.
D. Do you agree that leaders need to disci-
pline underperforming team members
with clear sanctions?
1. Agree totally. People need to understand
what happens if they don’t deliver.
2. Agree partly. It’s important to show sympa­
thy when people miss deadlines.
3. Disagree mostly. Giving feedback is a better
tool than using discipline.
4. Disagree totally. Punishing people with
sanctions will demotivate people.
2/2020 Business Spotlight 41 
 8. Building trust (BS 8/2019) 9. Sharing leadership (BS 1/2020) circumstance
[(s§:kEmstÄns] 
Trust is a curious leadership phenomenon and Modern approaches to leadership focus far less ,  Umstand, Situation
difficult even to define. It is paradoxically both on leaders than in the past. Rather, it’s leader­
credibility
an outcome and a starting point for high per­ ship — the establishment of a common sense [)kredE(bIlEti] 
formance. It is difficult to achieve trust if one of direction with a common commitment to , Glaubwürdigkeit
withholds it for too long at the beginning of a act in a specific way — that is important. This deputy [(depjUti] 
process of collaboration. Who’s going to trust is a process that involves lots of people, many , Stellvertreter(in)

you if you don’t trust them? Yet, if you trust conversations, multiple influencers and, ulti­ dotted line [)dQtId (laIn] 
others too early, you risk failure. So, it’s really mately, multiple followers. These people are ,  gepunktete Linie

a balancing act. The key to developing trust is all co-dependent, even changing roles during emerge as sth.
[i(m§:dZ Äz] 
to accept some level of risk — making oneself discussions and collaboration. This approach
,  sich als etw. heraus-
vulnerable to, and dependent on, other people. to understanding the organizational life of stellen
Letting go is essential in order to free leaders leadership is both more realistic and also more entrust sb. with sth.
from time-consuming supervision, so that engaging. The younger workforce, particularly, [In(trVst wID] 
they can spend their valuable and expert time does not want to be led, but desires to partici­ ,  jmdm. etw. über-
antworten
on more strategic matters. That’s the quid pro pate in leadership, without all the expertise and
expertise [)eksp§:(ti:z] 
quo. We all know it makes sense, yet learning to experience normally associated with that privi­
, Sachkompetenz
use trust as a tool is a challenging process, not lege. Add in a matrix structure — where “dotted
let go (of sth.) [)let (gEU] 
least because success depends not only on our lines” of informal authority seem as important ,  (von etw.) loslassen
willingness to open ourselves up to risk, but the as the “solid lines” attached to formal leaders —
let sb. down [)let (daUn] 
capability of others to complete the tasks that and shared leadership emerges as the critical ,  jmdn. enttäuschen
we entrust them with. Curiously, it seems that success factor for organizations. live sth. out [)lIv (aUt] 
we may never be able to totally trust the notion ,  hier: etw. gerecht
of trust as a leadership tool. QUESTIONS werden
A. The best form of shared leadership in a mutual [(mju:tSuEl] 
, wechselseitig
QUESTIONS team will arise in which circumstances?
A. What are the three main drivers of trust? 1. When everyone has the same mindset. quid pro quo
[)kwId prEU (kwEU] 
1. authority, salary and reputation 2. When everyone has a different mindset. , Gegenleistung;
2. competence, experience and age 3. When everyone agrees. hier: im Gegenzug
3. focus, track record and international experi­ 4. When no one agrees. erlangter Nutzen
ence speak up [)spi:k (Vp] 
,  sich äußern, seine
4. credibility, intimacy and reliability B. What is a great way to support shared lead-
Meinung sagen
ership when leading a virtual team?
track record
B. As a leader, which people is it important not 1. Delegate leadership tasks to team members [(trÄk )rekO:d] 
to trust blindly? to encourage a leader mentality. , Erfolgsbilanz
1. Those we do not like. 2. Use videoconferences frequently to stay in vulnerable
2. Those we do not know. touch with people. [(vVlnErEb&l] 
,  verletzbar, angreifbar
3. Those who we are not sure can perform well. 3. Take decisions only when everyone agrees.
4. Those who have let us down in the past. 4. Appoint more than one deputy. withhold sth.
[wID(hEUld] 
,  etw. zurückhalten;
C. How should leaders regard a person who C. Why is “psychological safety” so important hier: verweigern
promises to deliver and then fails to do so? for shared leadership? workforce [(w§:kfO:s] 
1. They should not be trusted again. 1. Because it makes people relax. , Erwerbsbevölkerung
2. They are a risk that needs to be managed 2. Because people can focus more effectively.
carefully. 3. Because it prevents mental health problems.

THE KEY TO
3. They are probably unreliable. 4. Because it encourages everyone to speak up
4. They should be given a second chance. and take accountability.

D. How should leaders regard conflict?
1. As the best way to destroy trust.
2. As a possible signal of trust.
3. As a sign that people don’t trust each other.
4. As an opportunity to do team-building.
42  Business Spotlight 2/2020
D. What should leaders do to inspire shared DEVELOPING
leadership among leaders of other teams?
1. Give a presentation about shared leadership. TRUST IS
2. Suggest that you exchange team members
to create a mutual learning process. TO ACCEPT
3. Ask others to involve you in their decision-
making processes. SOME LEVEL
4. Make clear to others your desire to collabo­
rate, and then live out your plan. OF RISK
BUSINESS SKILLS
 An absent leader:
will the team still
function well?

acknowledge sth.
[Ek(nQlIdZ]  Answers and feedback
,  etw. anerkennen
The following are not scientifically validated answers but represent primarily the opinion of the author based
bereavement on his experience as an international leadership coach and trainer. Score one point for every correct answer,
[bi(ri:vmEnt]  giving a possible total of 36 points.
,  Verlust, Trauerfall

derived: be ~ from sth. 1. Defining leadership

[di(raIvd]  A–3 It is extremely difficult to define universal quali- D–2 The perceived value of consultants is very
,  von etw. hergeleitet sein ties of leadership that are relevant in all contexts. mixed. For many, consultants make change more
due to [(dju: tu]  
What counts as “good” leadership depends very problematic due to their use of models and ideas
,  aufgrund (von)
much on the demands of a specific situation. unrelated to their client’s organization. Howev-
B–4 According to an article in the Harvard Business er, their external perspective can bring valuable
engage with sb. Review in 2010 called “The Most Important insights to organizations looking to escape their
[In(geIdZ wID]  Leadership Competencies, According to Lead- own history.
,  den Dialog mit jmdm. ers around the World”, a commitment to ethics
suchen is rated by leaders today as the most important 3. Creating a healthy culture
flourish [(flVrIS]  competence. A–3 Respectful and trusting relationships lie at the
, gedeihen; hier: gute C–1 Agile practitioners focus on a number of di- heart of any healthy culture — be it of a team, a
Ergebnisse erzielen mensions of practice, three of which are central: department or an organization. Although busi-
speed, continuous improvement and customer ness professionals often neglect the value of
insight [(InsaIt] 
focus. positive relationships, they are a central pillar
, Erkenntnis
D–3 When it comes to international leadership, al- of culture.
liability [)laIE(bIlEti]  though listening and authenticity are important, B–4 Intercultural training is a common way for
, Belastung the collaborative co-creation of the rules of en- leaders to attempt to develop a team culture.
perceive sth. [pE(si:v]  gagement, involving all members of a team, can However, this often leads to the presentation of
,  etw. wahrnehmen be seen as best practice. inaccurate stereotypes. Enabling teams to build
their own unique culture is more empowering
perception [pE(sepS&n]  2. The challenges of change and can create a deeper commitment to act in a
, Wahrnehmung A–1 Although many leaders fail to communicate the constructive manner towards other colleagues.
pillar [(pIlE]  logic of important change initiatives, under- C–3 Human behaviour derives from attitudes and
,  Säule, Stütze standing the strategic drivers in terms of mar- assumptions. If these are positive, then collabo-
ket realities is nevertheless important for all em- rative behaviours will flourish and enable diver-
practitioner [prÄk(tIS&nE]  ployees. This can help to overcome resistance to sity to become an advantage for the team, not a
, Fachkraft;
what might be seen as unnecessary change. liability.
hier: Führungskraft
B–1 The classic stages of change — denial, anger, D–4 Many professionals complain about leaders mi-
score a point for sth. bargaining, depression, acceptance — are de- cromanaging their teams. In reality, this percep-
[)skO:r E (pOInt fO:]  rived from a model based on bereavement. Al- tion is often a misunderstanding of a leader’s
,  sich einen Punkt für though questioned by many today, the frame- positive intention to support a team member. If
etw. geben work is a useful starting point for thinking about you feel micromanaged, challenge that percep-
Illustration: Yann Bastard

unique [ju(ni:k]  how to engage people in new ways of working. tion, and engage with your leader to discover
,  hier: spezifisch C–4 Empathetic listening is generally acknowledged the real motivation behind the behaviour.
as being important when dealing with people
vent one’s feelings in denial about change. Rather than trying to
[)vent wVnz (fi:lINz]  convince others, simply allow them to vent their
,  seine Gefühle frei äußern
feelings.

BUSINESS SKILLS 2/2020 Business Spotlight 43 

 alignment [E(laInmEnt]  4. Leading ethically 7. Promoting performance
, Abstimmung, A–D Happiness is not a simple objective for leaders A–3 Senior leadership is not about personal perfor-
Koordinierung who wish to “push” people to perform and chal- mance and output. The focus should be on max-
lenge people to develop. Stretching people may imizing the output among the largest number of
ambassador
[Äm(bÄsEdE] 
occasionally make them feel uncomfortable, but people under one’s leadership.
, Botschafter(in)
that is a positive outcome linked to learning. B–2 People perform best when given a clear framework
B–2 With respect to honesty, senior leaders often have within which to perform. Without a clear frame-
ambiguous [Äm(bIgjuEs]  access to privileged information, for which they work, people may invest energy in the wrong ar-
, mehrdeutig; hier: unklar need to sign a non-disclosure agreement, even to- eas, or go too deeply into the right areas. Clarity
appreciate sth. wards their own employees. Confidentiality is part about one’s role is fundamental to performance.
[E(pri:SieIt]  of leadership. C–2 Coaching, a modern leadership process, is based
,  hier: etw. verstehen C–1 One of the great failings of many leaders is to on asking questions and not advising.
recruit people too similar to themselves, which D–1 The opposite of performance is underperfor­­m­ance,
asset [(Äset]  means their values and perspectives remain large- which must have consequences. If team members
, Vermögenswert;
ly unchallenged. Recruiting a diverse set of talents see a colleague not performing well, without clear
hier: Vorteil, Plus
is a great way to ensure one’s own values are test- sanctions from the team leader, then the leader’s
clarity [(klÄrEti]  ed regularly. messages to inspire greater commitment or more
, Klarheit D–4 Being negative to others — blaming and criticiz- effort will lack credibility.
diminish sth. [dI(mInIS] 
ing them — is common, but it is the antithesis of
,  etw. schmälern,
leadership. Remember that, if you blame others, 8. Building trust
herabsetzen you diminish your reputation in their eyes. A–4 The “trust equation” lists credibility, intimacy and
reliability as key factors in the formation of trust.
equation [i(kweIZ&n]  5. Motivating people B–3 While many commentators focus on the emotional
, Gleichung A–1 According to a Gallup poll of 2012, companies with side of trust, it is vital to bear in mind the role
fuzzily [(fVzIli]  highly motivated employees significantly outper- that competence plays in building trust. If we are
,  hier: ohne klare form similar companies with average levels of mo- not confident in the ability of an individual to per-
Anweisungen tivation. form a task, then it would be foolish to trust them,
B–1 Motivation is invisible to the naked eye. Other whatever the personal relationship involved.
homogeneous
than using an expert to profile underlying per- C–2 Trust is thrown away too quickly by many busi-
[)hQmEU(dZi:niEs] 
,  [wg. Aussprache]
sonality traits, which is increasingly regarded as ness professionals who fail to appreciate that,
old-fashioned and reliant on outmoded concepts when a person fails to deliver on a promise, it
interfere with sth. of personality, the simplest method to deter- may simply be due to unforeseen additional tasks
[)IntE(fIE wID]  mine motivation(s) is careful listening, and using rather than a lazy character. View non-delivery on
,  sich in etw. einmischen “why”-questions to uncover underlying beliefs a promise as a risk to manage, not as a reason to
invisible: be ~ to the naked and needs. withdraw trust.
eye [In(vIzEb&l]  C–3 Employees who refuse to help others are seldom D–2 Paradoxically, conflict may be a signal of trust.
,  mit bloßem Auge nicht motivated by malevolence. They are usually indi- Those who feel comfortable with others, and who
zu erkennen sein viduals who like clarity of their own role and who have a certain level of trust, are often more willing
believe that it is more efficient if individuals focus to be honest and open with them — and possibly
malevolence on their own role rather than collaborating “fuzz- even confrontational — than with those to whom
[mE(levElEns] 
ily” with others. they are less committed.
, Böswilligkeit
D–3 Leaders who are absent, although often criticized
non-disclosure agreement by team members for a lack of care, may actually 9. Sharing leadership
[)nQn dIs(klEUZE be showing a strong sense of trust and care by not A–2 Research shows that diverse teams, if well man-
E)gri:mEnt]  interfering with the activities of team members. aged, can outperform homogeneous teams. Diffe­
, Verschwiegenheits- rent mindsets are an asset that can generate cre-
erklärung 6. Taking decisions ative thinking and positive outcomes under shared
objective [Eb(dZektIv]  A–2 The vast majority of leadership literature suggests leadership.
, Ziel(vorgabe) that leaders have a significant and single influence B–1 Virtual teams struggle to establish a collaborative
on the reality around them. The reality is some- approach because individual team members sel-
outmoded [)aUt(mEUdId]  what different in organizational situations where dom see each other and may focus more on local
, überholt
there are multiple stakeholders and often an am- tasks than international team duties. Those lead-
poll [pEUl]  biguous distribution of power. Groups of individ- ing effective remote teams often identify a local
, (Meinungs-)Umfrage uals acting together can determine change, but champion who can act as an ambassador and mo-
it is always influenced by larger external factors tivator for the official team leader on a daily basis,
reciprocity [)resI(prQsEti] 
, Gegenseitigkeit
beyond human control. to keep people focused on virtual team objectives.
B–2 Effective decisions — ones that are creative, sus- C–4 Google invented the notion of “psychological safe-
remote [ri(mEUt]  tainable and likely to engage broad commitment ty” and indicated that it was essential in order to
, fern; hier: an verschie- — require a broad alignment among interested avoid fearful silence and enable the open flow of
denen Standorten parties. ideas and commitment — in other words, “shared
sensitivity [)sensE(tIvEti]  C–4 Taking good decisions involves considering facts, leadership”.
, Sensibilität showing sensitivity to the perceptions and emo- D–4 Inspiring a culture of shared leadership is the goal
tions of those involved, and demonstrating a of many progressive leaders. However, it is not
stretch sb. [stretS]  healthy level of openness to hear others’ views. something that can be inspired via communica-
,  hier: hohe Anforderun-
This requires humility and the ability to consider tion. It needs to be lived out and proved, by taking
gen an jmdn. stellen
that one’s own views on a topic may be wrong. the first step by sharing information, resources,
sustainable [sE(steInEb&l]  D–1 In the end, time is required to hear the full range ideas, etc. This will then inspire reciprocity in oth-
, tragfähig of diverse opinions on complex topics. ers and deliver mutual commitment and benefit.
trait [treIt] 
, (Charakter-)Zug,
Merkmal
withdraw sth. [wID(drO:] 
,  etw. entziehen

44  Business Spotlight 2/2020 BUSINESS SKILLS

 A key success
factor for leaders:
understanding
diverse reactions

How to continue learning about leadership boundary [(baUndEri] 

Leadership has evolved over the centuries, meaning
different things to different groups of people. Cur­
rently, the trend is to see success as deriving from
many people collaborating openly across organi­
zational boundaries in flexible ways, rather than
through the exercise of authority in hierarchical
organizations led by individuals with extraordinary
qualities.
In the end, there is no simple answer to the ques­
tion “What is good leadership?” But effective lead­
ers, achieving results in a sustainable way in many
different roles, are likely to be those who adapt their
style to the specific context and task, and to the skills,
perceptions and motivations of everyone involved.
Continuous and robust feedback is essential to
allow an ongoing calibration of style to context. So,
if effective leadership is your goal, keep asking for
and giving feedback. By continuously learning, you
will enable continuous improvement. Leadership is
learning. And learning is leadership.
, Grenze
HOW DID YOU DO?
calibration
[)kÄlE(breIS&n] 
28–36: Exceptional leadership potential.
, Kalibrierung;
It is likely that you are up to date with the
hier: Anpassung
latest leadership thinking and that you are
derive from sth. doing more than just working hard to imple-
[di(raIv frQm]  ment it in your own team. You are probably
,  auf etw. beruhen also encouraging others to engage with
hierarchical shared leadership to support success in
your organization.
[haI&(rA:kIk&l] 
,  [wg. Aussprache]
20–27: Good leadership. You are probably
perception still wedded to older notions of leadership
[pE(sepS&n]  in some respects, and possibly still too fo-
, Wahrnehmung
cused on your own performance rather than
robust [rEU(bVst]  on driving the performance of others. Con-
,  hier: aussagekräftig sider reading more on the topic of shared
leadership to get ideas on how to develop a
sustainable
more inclusive approach to team leadership
[sE(steInEb&l] 
that realizes the power of diversity.
, tragfähig
0–19: Developing leadership. You are de-
veloping your skills and can look forward to
a steep learning curve in the fundamentals
of leadership, such as motivation, trust, per-
formance management, etc. Remain open to
new ideas that will challenge many of your
assumptions and you can progress quickly
to a more advanced level of leadership. This
will help you make a strong impact in your
AUDIO + PLUS organization.

You can try our

Illustration: Yann Bastard; Foto: privat

exercises on this
topic on Business engage with sth. wedded: be ~ to sth.
Spotlight Audio [In(geIdZ wID]  [(wedId] 
as well as in our ,  sich mit etw. ausein- ,  hier: mit etw.
BOB DIGNEN exercise booklet, andersetzen verhaftet sein,
is a director of York Associates Business Spotlight etw. anhängen
(www.york-associates.co.uk) and author of many Plus. To order, go notion [(nEUS&n] 
business English books. Contact: bob.dignen@ to www.aboshop. ,  Idee, Konzept
spotlight-verlag.de
york-associates.co.uk

BUSINESS SKILLS 2/2020 Business Spotlight 45 

 BUSINESS SKILLS
PERSONAL TRAINER

Dealing with
different kinds of people
In den unterschiedlichsten Situationen trifft man auf die verschiedensten Menschen,
ob auf einem Langstreckenflug oder in einem Wochenendseminar. Worin sich das
Arbeiten mit Flugpassagieren und Seminarteilnehmern gleicht, erfahren Sie in
diesem Gespräch, das KEN TAYLOR mit einem Flugbegleiter führt.
MEDIUM AUDIO

Ken Taylor: Could you describe the job of alcohol or drugs, with unruly, aggressive
a flight attendant? customers, with people who want to com­
THANIN SEESOM KEN TAYLOR
Thanin Seesom: Most passengers think plain and with people who are nervous
is a Thai flight is a communica-
attendant work- tion consultant, the main job of a flight attendant is to about flying.
ing for a Eu- personal coach serve them food and drink. But the work
ropean airline. and author of involves much more than that, of course. Taylor: When you are faced with these dif­
He works mainly 50 Ways to Im-
Our main priority is to ensure the safety ficulties, it’s very easy to become personal­
on long-haul prove Your Busi-
flights between ness English of the aircraft and of the passengers. After ly involved and upset. But, I suppose, the
Europe and North (Lulu Publish- that, I would describe my role as being a first rule must be to stay calm and collect­
America. He has ing). Contact: mixture of that of a housekeeper, security ed, which is easier said than done.
been a flight KTaylor868@aol.
attendant for com guard, nurse, waiter, therapist and family Seesom: It certainly is. But as you gain
five years. counsellor! experience, you learn how to manage the
situation. You learn not to take it person­
Taylor: You must meet a large number of ally when someone is being difficult.
flight attendant people with different linguistic and cul­
[(flaIt E)tendEnt]  AUDIO
, Flugbegleiter(in)
tural backgrounds, and with very differ­ aircraft nurse [n§:s] 
Listen to more tips ent personalities. [(eEkrA:ft]  , (Kranken-)Pfleger(in)
long-haul flight from Ken Taylor
on Business Seesom: And that’s just the crew! I’m not , Flugzeug
[)lQN hO:l (flaIt]  presumably
Spotlight Audio.
, Langstreckenflug
To order, go to joking. Our crew members come from all collected [kE(lektId]  [pri(zju:mEbli] 
, gefasst , vermutlich
www.aboshop. over the world, but we have to work as a
spotlight-verlag.de counsellor tightly knit
tightly knit team from the moment we
Fotos: Victor Metelskiy/iStock.com; Gert Krautbauer

[(kaUnsElE]  [)taItli (nIt] 

get together. Besides the practical tasks of , Berater(in); , engmaschig;
running a flight, we have to deal with up hier: Therapeut(in) hier: eng verbunden
to 340 passengers — who also come from ensure sth. [In(SO:]  unruly [Vn(ru:li] 
all over the world. ,  etw. sicherstellen , widerspenstig,
undiszipliniert
faced: be ~ with [feIst] 
Taylor: Presumably, you learn how to deal ,  mit etw. konfrontiert upset [)Vp(set] 
werden , verärgert; auch: aus dem
with different and difficult customers Gleichgewicht gebracht
during your initial training programme. initial training
[I)nIS&l (treInIN]  waiter [(weItE] 
Seesom: We do. We are taught how to ,  Schulung für Berufs- , Kellner
deal with people under the influence of anfänger(innen)

46  Business Spotlight 2/2020 BUSINESS SKILLS

Taylor: How do you deal with someone
who is drinking heavily on a flight?
Seesom: The first step is to slow down
the service to them. If they continue
drinking heavily, we might have to inter­
vene and tell them politely that we serve
alcohol only in moderation and that the
system will not allow me to serve them
any more.
Taylor: That sounds similar to some­
thing I teach when talking
about dealing with diffi­
cult people. I say that you “It is like holding
should try to appeal to a a mirror up
higher, neutral authority
to avoid a row. In business,
to the rude
you could refer to compa­ behaviour”
ny policy or to a rule book.
Seesom: If someone be­
comes aggressive, I try to reply in a very
calm, polite way.
Taylor: That sounds like the right ap­
proach. In addition, if you repeat what an
aggressive person has said, this may cause
them to tone down their remarks.
Seesom: How do you do that?
Taylor: I would say, “So, what you are say­
ing is…” and then repeat word for word
their aggressive sentence in a calm tone
of voice.
Seesom: That’s a good idea. I also find it
helps to speak quietly to a noisy person.
Taylor: I agree. If you speak more quiet­
ly than normal, a noisy person will often
stop talking and start paying attention to
what you are saying. And if someone says
something rude to me, I say the following:
“I’m not sure what you meant by that re­
mark. Could you explain it to me, please?”
This is like holding a mirror up to the rude
behaviour, and it usually makes the per­
son a bit embarrassed when they have to
explain the words they have used. Often,
they then modify their language.
Seesom: In extreme cases, if a passenger
becomes very aggressive and unruly, the
crew may have to put them in physical
restraints and have them arrested upon
landing! But this happens very rarely.
BUSINESS SKILLS
Taylor: I’m glad to hear it. Happily, it nev­ a feeling for who might be nervous. Then
er happens on my seminars! I spend a little time reassuring them.
Seesom: We also use the calm, polite Seesom: I might also mention one other
approach when people complain about aspect of this. As a flight attendant, my
something. Maybe the flight has been de­ primary responsibility is safety. So, some­
layed, and they will miss their connection. times, I have to be firm and assertive in
Then we listen carefully to the complaint, my approach to people. I have to set clear
say how sorry we are and try to offer help. boundaries to ensure the flight is safe for
everyone.
Taylor: I do that as well when I teach. Lis­
ten with empathy. Sympathize with their Taylor: Assertive, polite, calm, reassuring,
situation. Don’t be defen­ helpful, patient, empathetic, focused, re­
sive or try to justify what spectful…
has gone wrong. Agree on Seesom: I try to be all those things!
what needs to be done.
Then do it.
Seesom: That’s right. In
the case of a missed con­
nection, we can often no­
➻
tify our destination and What’s your challenge?
get the passenger rebooked on to a later Would you like to have a conversation with Ken
flight. Taylor about your current work challenges? If so,
send an email with your name, company and
the subject you would like to discuss to
Taylor: You mentioned that you have to business.trainer@spotlight-verlag.de
deal with people who are nervous about
In each issue, we will choose one reader who will
flying. What do you do about them? talk to Ken, and the dialogue will be published in
Seesom: People who are afraid or ner­ Business Spotlight.
vous about flying will often tell us when
they board the aircraft. This information
is given to the whole cabin crew so that
everyone can keep an eye on the nervous
passenger. agitated keep an eye on sb.
[(ÄdZIteItId]  [)ki:p En (aI Qn] 
,  aufgeregt, unruhig ,  jmdn. im Auge behalten
Taylor: What do you do if they become
appeal to sth. physical restraints:
very agitated? [E(pi:&l tu]  put sb. in ~
Seesom: Talk to them. Again, you need ,  sich auf etw. berufen [)fIzIk&l ri(streInts] 
to be calm and reassuring. You tell them ,  jmdn. fesseln
approach [E(prEUtS] 
what’s happening in the airplane and , Vorgehensweise reassuring
[)ri:E(SO:rIN] 
what the different sounds mean. If they assertive [E(s§:tIv] 
, beruhigend
become extremely upset, we might ask ,  selbstbewusst,
durchsetzungsstark row [raU] 
the captain or co-pilot to come and speak , Auseinandersetzung
to them. This usually does the trick — at briefly [(bri:fli] 
, kurz rude [ru:d] 
least for a while. ,  unhöflich, unverschämt
connection
[kE(nekS&n]  set clear boundaries
Taylor: People are uneasy when faced ,  hier: Anschlussflug [set )klIE (baUndEriz] 
with the unknown. In my business, some ,  klare Grenzen setzen
do the trick
people come on a language seminar and [)du: DE (trIk] ifml.  tension [(tenS&n] 
,  seinen Zweck erfüllen , Anspannung
feel nervous about practising their Eng­
lish. I try to lower their nervous tension embarrassed tone sth. down
[Im(bÄrEst]  [)tEUn (daUn] 
by giving them information about what ,  verlegen, beschämt ,  etw. abschwächen,
they can expect during the seminar before mäßigen
in moderation
they arrive. And I try to speak to each per­ [In )mQdE(reIS&n]  uneasy: be ~ [Vn(i:zi] 
son briefly before we start in order to get ,  in Maßen ,  sich unwohl fühlen
2/2020 Business Spotlight 47 
 u
w
x y
ap
ao
LANGUAGE
VOCABULARY
Mobility (2)
Public transport
Auf diesen Seiten präsentieren wir
nützliche Begriffe aus der Arbeitswelt.
Von HILDEGARD RUDOLPH  EASY
1. public transport 2. o verhead railway
[)pVblIk (trÄnspO:t] UK,
public transportation
[)pVblIk )trÄnsp&r(teIS&n*]
US ,  öffentlicher Nahver-
kehr; öffentliche Verkehrs-
mittel
48  Business Spotlight 2/2020
U W
V
am
at
ak
al
an
as
aq
ar bt
3. p latform [(plÄtfO:m]  9. suburban train 15. bus shelter
, Bahnsteig
[sE)b§:bEn (treIn]  [(bVs )SeltE] 
,  S-Bahn; Zug im , Wartehäuschen
4. ( railway) track
Nahverkehr
[((reI&lweI) trÄk]  16. bus stop [(bVs stQp] 
, (Eisenbahn-)Schiene
5. e ngine driver
10. underground
[(VndEgraUnd] UK,
, Bushaltestelle
17. double-decker bus
[(endZIn )draIvE] UK,
engineer [)endZInI&r*] US 
, Lok(omotiv)führer(in)
subway [(sVbweI] US 
, U-Bahn
[)dVb&l )dekE (bVs] 
, Doppeldecker(bus)
11. ticket (vending) machine
6. h igh-speed train [(tIkIt (vendIN) mE)Si:n] 
18. bus driver
[(bVs )draIvE] 
, Fahrkartenautomat
[)haI spi:d (treIn]  , Busfahrer(in)
, Hochgeschwindigkeitszug 12. commuter [kE(mju:tE] 
19. articulated bus
7. c onductor [kEn(dVktE]  , Pendler(in)
[A:)tIkjuleItId (bVs],
, Schaffner(in), 13. tram [trÄm] UK, bendy bus [)bendi (bVs]  
[)EUvEhed (reI&lweI] UK,
Zugbegleiter(in) streetcar [(stri:tkA:r*] US  , Gelenkbus
suspension monorail ,  Straßen-, Trambahn
Illustration: Mike Ellis
8. r ailway station 20. hybrid electric bus
[)sVspenS&n [(reI&lweI )steIS&n] UK, 14. timetable [(taImteIb&l], [)haIbrId i)lektrIk (bVs] 
(mA:noUraI&l*] US  railroad station schedule [(Sedju:l]  , Hybridbus
, Schwebebahn [(reI&lroUd )steIS&n*] US  US, Fahrplan
, Bahnhof * This symbol marks standard US pronunciation.
LANGUAGE
 Exercise 2: Sustainable public transport
Other useful vocabulary
Nouns ticket inspector The infrastructure Complete the text with the missing words,
7-day card/pass [(tIkIt In)spektE] UK, bus lane [(bVs leIn]  which are all listed on pages 48–49. The first
[)sev&n deI (kA:d/(pA:s]  ticket collector , Busspur two letters are given.
, Wochenkarte [(tIkIt kE)lekt&r*] US 
, Fahrscheinkontrolleur(in) bus terminal/station
bus service [(bVs )s§:vIs]  [(bVs )t§:mIn&l/)steIS&n]  “I now turn to the second part of my presenta-
, Busverbindung timetable information , Busbahnhof
[(taImteIb&l InfE)meIS&n]  tion: (A) pu tr .
card reader [(kA:d )ri:dE]  overhead wire/wiring
, Fahrplanauskunft In view of climate change, the focus
, Kartenlesegerät [)EUvEhed (waIE/(waIErIN] 
underground map , Oberleitung is increasingly on (B) en fr
coach [kEUtS] UK, [(VndEgraUnd mÄp] UK,
(tour) bus [((tU&r) bVs*] US  rail/track network means of transport. Traffic planners have
subway map
, Reise(omni)bus [(sVbweI mÄp] US  [(reI&l/(trÄk )netw§:k]  already started working on the infrastructure
, U-Bahn-Plan , Schienennetz needed.
day ticket/pass [(deI )tIkIt/
)pA:s]  , Tageskarte railway crossing In residential areas, there has to be a bus
fare evader [(feEr i)veIdE],
Verbs and verb [(reI&lweI )krQsIN] UK,
(C) st every 300 metres, with a bus
railroad crossing
fare dodger [(feE )dQdZE] phrases [(reI&lroUd )krO:sIN*] US  (D) sh where people can wait on
UK ifml.   , Schwarzfahrer(in) be cancelled [)bi: (kÄns&ld]  , Bahnübergang rainy days. Whereas (E) tr have their
fare zone [(feE zEUn]  , ausfallen
(F) tr , separate bus (G) la
,  Tarifzone catch (the bus) [kÄtS]  Adjectives
,  (den Bus) erwischen
ensure free circulation for buses, ideally
local train [(lEUk&l treIn]  crowded [(kraUdId] 
, Nahverkehrszug
(H) hy el buses. More bus
change [tSeIndZ]  , überfüllt
, umsteigen (I) dr have to be recruited. And there
monthly ticket/pass driverless [(draIvElEs] 
[)mVnTli (tIkIt/(pA:s]  ,  fahrer-, führerlos has to be a regular bus (J) se to and
get off (a bus) [)get (Qf] 
, Monatskarte ,  (aus einem Bus) aussteigen from the bus (K) te .
emission-free
penalty fare [(pen&lti feE]  get on (a bus) [)get (Qn]  [i)mIS&n (fri:]  During rush hour, (L) su
,  erhöhtes Beförderungs- ,  (in einen Bus) einsteigen ,  abgas-, emissionsfrei tr should run every ten minutes and
entgelt
miss (the train) [mIs]  environmentally friendly (M) un trains every five minutes.
railcard [(reI&lkA:d] UK  ,  (den Zug) verpassen [InvaI&rEn)ment&li (frendli]  (N) Lo tr that take
, Bahncard , umweltfreundlich
squeeze in [)skwi:z (In]  (O) co from nearby towns to the
rush hour [(rVS )aUE]  ,  sich hineinzwängen late/delayed [leIt/di(leId] 
, Hauptverkehrszeit
central (P) ra st should run
, verspätet
stamp a ticket every 30 minutes.
shuttle (bus) [(SVt&l (bVs)]  [)stÄmp E (tIkIt]  on time [)Qn (taIm] 
, Pendelbus , pünktlich
And finally, I’d like to finish my presentation
,  eine Fahrkarte entwerten
with a slide showing an (Q) ov
ra , another means of sustainable
Exercise 1: What is it? public transport.”

 hoose the correct options without looking at the vocabulary

C
lists on these two pages.
Answers
A. A bus gives you an overview of all the bus lines in a city.
1. timetable 2. map
railway
Q. overhead
P. railway station
B. If you arrive late at the railway station, you’ll your train. O. commuters
1. miss 2. cancel N. Local trains
M. underground
trains
L. suburban
K. terminals
Underground and more J. service
I. drivers
• The London Underground is nicknamed the Tube. An • BART (short for “Bay Area Rapid Transit”) takes you H. hybrid electric
Oyster Card is a reusable electronic smartcard and the around the San Francisco Bay Area. G. lanes
F. tracks
easiest form of payment on London’s public transport. • Subte is short for “Subterráneo”, the underground in E. trams
• To travel on the New York City Subway, you need to Buenos Aires. D. shelter
get a MetroCard. • The Shanghai Maglev runs from Shanghai’s Pudong C. stop
• Copenhagen’s underground started operation in 2002 International Airport to the Longyang underground tally friendly
— driverless and fully automatic. station and uses magnetic levitation (maglev) technology
B. environmen-
transport
• Moscow’s Metro is often referred to as a “palace for the (Magnetschwebetechnik) based on the German A. public
people” and, with its palace-like interior, is said to be the Transrapid. Exercise 2
most beautiful in the world. • And who hasn’t heard of the Métro in Paris, or the San
Francisco cable car system?
A–2; B–1
Exercise 1

See issue 1/2020 for vocabulary on individual mobility

LANGUAGE 2/2020 Business Spotlight 49 

 LANGUAGE
TRANSLATION
Hier finden Sie englische Wörter,
die man leicht verwechselt, und
englische und deutsche Wörter,
deren Übersetzung schwierig ist.
MEDIUM
Don’t confuse...
debt(s), debit
If you have debt(s), are in debt or get/
go into debt, you have borrowed money
from a person or an institution such as a
bank and have not yet repaid the money
(Schulden haben; verschuldet sein; Schulden
⋅⋅
machen):
“Since he lost his job, he has got into
a lot of debt.” — Seitdem er seinen
Arbeitsplatz verloren hat, hat er viele
Schulden gemacht.
You can be indebted to someone not
only financially but also metaphorically,
meaning that you are grateful for their
help (jmdm. zu Dank verpflichtet sein).
If someone debits money from your bank
account, they deduct or collect it from it
⋅⋅
(abbuchen):
“The amount will be debited on the
15th of the following month.” — Der
Betrag wird am 15. des Folgemonats
abgebucht.
You can set up a direct debit (Lastschrift-
verfahren) so that a regular bill — often for
different amounts — can be paid from
your account. And many people pay with
a debit card (Debitkarte, EC-Karte) rather
than using cash.
1. Make your choice
 omplete these sentences with the correct form of
C
“debt(s)” or “debit”.
A. I am worried that I won’t ever be able to repay my
.
B. The balance of the costs will be
weeks before you travel.
C. She pays all her bills by direct
she does not get into
50  Business Spotlight 2/2020
Tricky translations
How do you say “chemist” How do you say wissen-
in German? schaftlich in English?
A “chemist” can be someone Wissenschaftlich can refer to the
who has studied chemistry. In classic research subjects one
⋅⋅
German, this is Chemiker(in): studies at university (scien-
⋅⋅
“After studying to become tific, academic or scholarly):
a chemist, he worked in a Seine Forschung wurde in
lab.” — Nach seiner Ausbil- einer wissenschaftlichen
MIKE SEYMOUR dung zum Chemiker arbeitete Fachzeitschrift zitiert. — “His
is an author,
er in einem Labor. research was quoted in an
trainer and
translator based academic journal.”
in Leeds, Especially in British English,
England. Contact: a “chemist” or “chemist’s” is a Scientific is normally restrict-
www.mikeseymour.
com
shop where you can buy medi- ed to the natural sciences
cines, cosmetics, beauty prod- (Naturwissenschaften). In con-
ucts, etc. In American English, nection with the humanities,
this is called a “pharmacy” or one typically uses scholarly.
“drugstore”. The German trans- In the social sciences, there is
lation is either Apotheke or some overlap. Only academic
Drogerie, depending on what can be used as broadly as wis-
one is buying, as medicines are senschaftlich in German.
⋅⋅
sold only in an Apotheke:
“Please, can you pick up my The noun Wissenschaft can be
medicine from the chem- translated as science in the
ist?” — Kannst Du bitte meine case of the natural sciences or,
⋅⋅
Medikamente in der Apotheke in a broader sense, academia:
abholen? Unser Beirat besteht aus
Vertretern aus Wirtschaft,
A “chemist” (“pharmacist” Wissenschaft und Politik.
in American English) is also — “Our advisory council
Answers someone trained to prepare consists of representatives
society. drugs and medicines in a from business, academia
⋅⋅
chemist’s. This is Apotheker(in): and politics.”
is very important for
research in physics
B. Her scientific “The chemist said I needed
a prescription from my doc- Universities often employ
Apothekerin.
keine gelernte
ist sie eigentlich tor for that medicine.” — wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiter(in-
Der Apotheker sagte mir, dass nen). This is normally trans­
Apotheke arbeitet,
A. Obwohl sie in einer
2. ich für dieses Medikament ein lated as research assistants or
Rezept meines Arztes benötige. research associates.
C. debit, debt
B. debited
A. debts
2. How would you say that?
1.
Translate the following sentences.
A. Although she works in a chemist’s, she is not actually
a trained chemist.
six B. Ihre wissenschaftliche Forschung in der Physik ist für die
Gesellschaft sehr wichtig.
so that
by mistake.
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE by Hildegard Rudolph
CARDS

Grammar Business Spotlight 2/20 Grammar Business Spotlight 2/20

Do you need the commas in this sentence? Do you need the comma in this sentence?

“Mark(,) who I met at university(,) “I assume(,) that packaging

now works for a company(,) and shipping are included in
which produces solar panels.” the price.”

Translation Business Spotlight 2/20 Translation Business Spotlight 2/20

Translate these sentences into English. Translate these sentences into German.

Mach dir keine Sorgen. Kommt Zeit, “Can we test the device?
kommt Rat. You know I don’t want to buy
a pig in a poke again.”

Word choice Business Spotlight 2/20 Word choice Business Spotlight 2/20

Which of the words in bold is correct? Which of the two words is correct?

“Let’s practice/practise some “Leave/Let it to her. She knows

of the new vocabulary now.” how to deal with unsatisfied
customers.”

Business talk Business Spotlight 2/20 Business talk Business Spotlight 2/20

What does the speaker mean? What does the speaker mean?

“Phew! The deadline was yesterday “There’s no need for you to boil
at 2 p.m. We submitted our the ocean. Our intern could help
quotation at 1.50 p.m. — we got in you with the slides for all the
just under the wire.” presentations tomorrow.”
LANGUAGE
CARDS

Grammar Business Spotlight 2/20 Grammar Business Spotlight 2/20

“I assume (that) packaging and shipping are included “Mark, who I met at university, now works for a company
in the price.” which produces solar panels.”

Commas are not used before “that”-clauses (whether or
not “that” is actually present).
Commas are used to set off non-defining relative clauses.
The information in these clauses is not necessary. Here,
we don’t need to know where the speaker knows Mark
from. In contrast, defining relative clauses, which provide
necessary information, are not set off by commas.

Translation Business Spotlight 2/20 Translation Business Spotlight 2/20

Können wir das Gerät testen? Du weißt, ich möchte nicht wieder “Don’t worry. Time will tell.”
die Katze im Sack kaufen.
As an alternative to the phrase time will tell, you can use
When you buy a pig in a poke, you purchase it without the expression we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
checking it carefully first. Poke is a (chiefly) Scottish word
meaning a “small bag or sack”.

Word choice Business Spotlight 2/20 Word choice Business Spotlight 2/20

“Leave it to her…”
If you leave sth. to sb., you allow them to take care of it.
In British English, if you let sth. to sb., you allow them to
use it (a house, a room, etc.) in exchange for money.
leave sth. to sb. = jmdm. etw. (zur Erledigung) überlassen
let sth. to sb. UK = j mdm. etw. (zur Nutzung) überlassen;
vermieten
“Let’s practise some of the new vocabulary now.” (UK)
“Let’s practice some of the new vocabulary now.” (US)
British English differentiates in spelling between the
noun “practice” and the verb “practise”. In US English,
both noun and verb are spelled “practice”.
practice = Ü
 bung; Praxis
practise sth. UK / practice sth. US = etw. üben

Business talk Business Spotlight 2/20 Business talk Business Spotlight 2/20

The phrase boil the ocean is used to describe a task that Something that happens just under the wire, is done just
is so large that it is impossible to deal with it successfully. in time.

boil the ocean = sich übernehmen under the wire US ifml. = im letzten Moment, gerade noch
rechtzeitig
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 LANGUAGE
EASY ENGLISH

Mediating something substandard. That’s not good

enough, especially as I’m responsible for
affect sb. [E(fekt] 
,  sich auf jmdn. auswirken

conflict
quality. It will damage our reputation and catch up on sth.
external relationships — and affect us inter- [)kÄtS (Vp Qn] 
,  etw. nach-, aufholen
nally if the team thinks that we’re happy to
common ground
Nicht immer sind alle der gleichen Meinung. deliver substandard work.
[)kQmEn (graUnd] 
Kommt es zu Konflikten, müssen diese gelöst, Kerstin: Right, you both have different opinions, ,  gemeinsamer Nenner
and we need to find a way forward. Can we deadline [(dedlaIn] 
auf jeden Fall aber geschlichtet werden. Wie
at least agree on that in the first instance? , (Liefer-)Termin
das auf Englisch geschieht, lesen Sie hier. Phil and Monica, together: Yes, we can. get in the way of sth.
EASY  AUDIO  PLUS Kerstin: As I see it is, Phil, you want to prioritize the [)get In DE (weI Ev] 
,  etw. im Weg stehen
customer’s deadline, even if it means not
delivering our best work. And, Monica, you in the first instance
[In DE )f§:st (InstEns] 
want to prioritize the quality of our work, ,  zunächst einmal
even if it means delivering the work late or
maintain sth. [meIn(teIn] 
pushing back the deadline. ,  etw. aufrechterhalten
Phil: Well, that’s one way of putting it. But I also mediate (a conflict)
think quality is important. We just can’t risk [(mi:dieIt] ,  (einen Kon-
our reputation or customer relationships flikt) schlichten, (in einem
Konflikt) vermitteln
by delivering late.
Monica: Yes, Kerstin, that’s what I’m saying. But I postpone sth.
[pEUst(pEUn] 
understand that we also need to respect our ,  etw. verschieben
MIKE HOGAN
is a co-author of Business English
customers’ deadlines and maintain good re- prioritize sth.
for Beginners A1 + A2 and Basis for lationships. [praI(QrItaIz] 
Business B1 + B2 (Cornelsen). Kerstin: OK, good. Well, at least we have some com- ,  etw. Priorität einräumen
Contact: hoganmike@gmail.com
mon ground. You both understand the im- put sth. [pUt] 

D
,  hier: etw. formulieren
portance of customer relations, our own
ifferences of opinion are common in the work- reputation and quality. Let’s think about reallocate sth.
[)ri:(ÄlEUkeIt] 
place. Examples include colleagues disagree- what kind of compromise is possible, so ,  etw. neu zuweisen
ing about a process, a deadline or some other that we can find a way forward. OK?
resolution [)rezE(lu:S&n] 
aspect of their daily work. In many cases, these Monica: I suppose so. , Lösung
differences of opinion are resolved easily by Phil: Well, it’s not ideal. But go on.
resolve sth. [ri(zQlv] 
the people involved. But when such disagree- Kerstin: Can we get a higher-quality response to the ,  etw. lösen
ments get in the way of effective collaboration or risk client without it taking an extra week? respond to sth.
damaging relationships, it is important to be able to Monica: My team could reallocate some of their [ri(spQnd tu] 
step in and mediate. work so they are available to focus on this ,  hier: auf etw. reagieren

project. But then I’ll need support from you response [ri(spQns] 
, Rückmeldung;
on another project next week, Phil.
Question Phil: Sure, I can help you with that. If you give
hier auch: Lösung
step in [)step (In] 
As you read the following dialogue, look for the me extra support this week, we’ll be able ,  einschreiten, eingreifen
things that Kerstin does to mediate the conflict and to deliver the quality you want, and I can
that works for me
find a satisfactory resolution. How many can you spend some time next week helping your [(DÄt w§:ks fE )mi:] 
find? team catch up on whatever they don’t get ,  hier: diese Lösung kann
ich akzeptieren
done for other customers this week.
Monica: Yes, that works for me.
Dialogue Kerstin: Great. So, we have some agreement and AUDIO + PLUS
Phil: It’s simple. We need to respond to my cus- compromise from both of you. Monica
You can try our
tomer’s request and deliver the best solu- will focus her team on this customer for the exercises on this
tion we can within the time available. next week and postpone some other things. topic on Business
Spotlight Audio
Monica: But it’s not that easy. We need an extra week In return, Phil is going to help Monica and as well as in our
to get the quality right. her team next week with the other project exercise booklet,
Business Spotlight
Phil: They’ll never agree to that. work they’ve postponed. Plus. To order, go
Monica: But there’s not enough time to create a real- Phil: Sounds good. That works for me, too. to www.aboshop.
spotlight-verlag.de
ly good solution, and that means delivering Thanks, Monica.

54  Business Spotlight 2/2020 LANGUAGE

 Useful phrases for
mediating conflict

⋅⋅
A. Identifying the conflict
It’s clear you have different

⋅⋅⋅⋅
opinions.
The situation as I see it is that…
One of you wants/thinks... and
the other wants/thinks...

⋅⋅⋅⋅
B. Finding common ground
You both want the best solution.
You have some common ground

⋅⋅
in this situation.
Let’s think about the things you
both want.
Mediating: an effective way
of dealing with conflicts

⋅⋅⋅⋅
C. Making compromises
We need to find a way forward.
achieve sth. [E(tSi:v]  You both understand that we
Answer ,  etw. erzielen

⋅⋅⋅⋅
need to find a solution.
acknowledge sth. Both of you need to be flexible.
Here is the answer to the question we asked. Kerstin does the
[Ek(nQlIdZ] 

⋅⋅⋅⋅
following things to mediate the conflict: ,  etw. anerkennen Where can you be flexible?

⋅⋅ ⋅⋅
Is there a way you can both… ?
goal [gEUl] 

⋅⋅
She gets people to accept She gets agreement that , Ziel(setzung) We need to find a compromise.
that a conflict exists and some compromise will be negate sth. [nI(geIt]  What are you willing to do for the

⋅⋅
that they need to find a necessary. ,  etw. verneinen other person?

⋅⋅
way forward. She asks questions to get reconfirm sth.

⋅⋅
She summarizes the each side thinking of a [)ri:kEn(f§:m]  D. Reaching agreement
,  etw. nochmals

⋅⋅
situation and the cause(s) solution. That sounds like a good way
bestätigen

⋅⋅ ⋅⋅
of the conflict. She looks for some level forward.
step in [)step (In] 
She talks about the goals of agreement from both ,  einschreiten, eingreifen
It’s good to see some compro-

⋅⋅ ⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅
of each person involved. sides. mise from you both.
summarize sth.
She finds common She finishes with a [(sVmEraIz]  Can we agree on that?

⋅⋅⋅⋅
ground. summary and reconfirms ,  etw. zusammenfassen Great. So, you’re in agreement.
the agreement. summary [(sVmEri]  So, you’ll do…, and you’ll…
, Zusammenfassung Does that work for you both?
Note: Both people might not always be as cooperative as Phil work [w§:k] 
,  hier: funktionieren,
and Monica are in our example. In such cases, you will need to
eine Lösung sein
help them do the things listed above. In cases where the conflict
is already known, you could meet each side individually first,
to find out where their flexibility may lie. Then, in the meeting,
you will already know how to bring them together with com-
promise and can lead the discussion in that direction.
KEY TIPS!
Don’t allow a conflict to continue.
Grammar Step in actively to mediate it.
•
Using positive words negatively Try to understand all perspectives —
if possible, before the meeting.
•
Sometimes, we can have greater effect if we negate a positive Make it clear that some level of
word rather than use a negative-sounding word. Compare these compromise will be necessary.
Illustration: uzenzen/iStock.com

•
examples from the dialogue with the alternatives given: Ask open and direct questions about what
each side can do for the other.
•

⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅
Negated words Negative-sounding words End positively and acknowledge the
That’s not good enough. That’s bad. compromises that are made.
•
It’s not ideal. That’s terrible. Also acknowledge the success that is achieved.

LANGUAGE 2/2020 Business Spotlight 55 

 LANGUAGE
GRAMMAR

Personal pronouns
Die Subjekt- und Objektpronomen lernt man EXPLANATIONS TENLEY
VAN DEN BERG
schon in den ersten Englischstunden, und bei Personal pronouns come in two forms: is an editor for
ihrem Gebrauch gibt es einiges zu beachten, wie Subject: I, you, he, she, it, we, they Business Spotlight.

TENLEY VAN DEN BERG hier erklärt. Object: me, you, him, her, it, us, them Contact:
t.vandenberg@
Here, we will look at the way these pronouns are used
EASY  PLUS spotlight-verlag.de
in modern spoken English.

It is polite to mention yourself last when speaking back: have someone’s ~

⋅⋅⋅⋅
Andy and Indra are sitting in a bar, celebrating about more than one person and yourself: [bÄk] US ifml. 
,  jmdn. unterstützen
Andy’s first day of work as a nurse. They are wait- Indra and I have your back.
ing for their friend Monica to join them. ...he introduced another new colleague and me… Cheers to that!
[)tSIEz tE (DÄt] 
In informal speech, object pronouns are often used ,  Darauf trinken wir!

Monica: Hey, you guys. So glad we could meet for
a beer! How was your first day of work,
Andy?
Andy: It was good, thanks. Somebody had even
put flowers on my desk to welcome me.
⋅⋅
in the subject position when “and” is used:
feel comfortable
Indra and me have your back. (doing sth.)
[)fi:&l (kVmftEb&l] 
,  sich wohlfühlen (etw.
Subject pronouns can be used after “than” and “as”.
zu tun); hier: kein Problem
However, most native speakers would find this haben

⋅⋅
Indra: That was nice of them! It was probably unnatural-sounding and would add the verb as well: gender-nonconforming
your boss. You’ve got more courage than I (have). people

⋅⋅
Andy: Yes, it was him, I think. And he intro- Today, it is more common to use object pronouns: [)dZendE nQnkEn)fO:mIN
(pi:p&l] 
duced another new colleague and me You’ve got more courage than me. ,  Menschen, die keinem
to the staff. binären Geschlecht zuge-
Indra: How did that go? Did you tell them? In informal spoken US English, “you guys” and “you ordnet werden möchten

Andy: It wasn’t easy, but I did. I simply told all” can be used to make it clear that you are address- Hey, you guys.
[(heI ju: )gaIz] ifml. 

⋅⋅⋅⋅
them that I would like to be referred to ing more than one person:
,  hier: He, ihr (beiden).
by the pronoun “they”. And if they had Hey, you guys. (guy  ,  Typ, Kerl)
any questions about that, I hope they It’s you all who have given me courage. nurse [n§:s] 
felt comfortable coming to me to ask. , Krankenpfleger(in)
Monica: Good for you. You’ve got more courage “We” and “you” can be put directly before a plural pronoun [(prEUnaUn] 

⋅⋅
than me. noun: , Pronomen

Andy: It’s you all who have given me courage. We friends have to stick together! staff [stA:f] 

⋅⋅
Thank you. In informal speech, “us” + plural noun is common: , Belegschaft

Monica: Indra and I have your back. We friends Us friends have to stick together! stick together
[)stIk tE(geDE] ifml. 
have to stick together!
, zusammenhalten
Indra: Cheers to that! The pronoun “it” can be used to refer to something

⋅⋅
mentioned before:
How was your first day of work, Andy? — It was
Exercise: Personal pronouns in good, thanks.

⋅⋅
spoken English
E “It” can also be used to identify a person:
Yes, it was him, I think.
Add the missing personal pronouns.
“They”/“them” can be used instead of “he”/“him”
A. nurses have to stick together. or “she”/“her” when referring back to the pronouns

⋅⋅
“someone”, “somebody” or “anyone”:
B.  is all I can do to stay awake after a Somebody had even put flowers on my desk. Answers
12-hour shift. That was nice of them! E. them
C. I would love to meet guys for dinner.
D. me
Gender-nonconforming people sometimes wish to
C. you
D. The teacher gave Malik and a lot of
B. It
be referred to as “they”/“them” rather than the gender- informal speech)
homework.

⋅⋅
specific “he”/“him” or “she”/“her” (see pp. 10–11):
A. We (also “Us” in
Foto: privat

spoken English
E. Someone’s buzzing the door. I’ll let in. I would like to be referred to by the pronoun Personal pronouns in
“they”.
Exercise:

56  Business Spotlight 2/2020 LANGUAGE

 LANGUAGE
TALKING FINANCE

The colour of money

Das Thema „Finanzen“ ist keineswegs eine farblose Angelegenheit.
Es kann in vielen Farben schillern, wie IAN MCMASTER mit
einigen interessanten Beispielen belegt.
ADVANCED AUDIO

F
inance is not always a black-and-
white subject. Indeed, it’s more
often a black or red matter. If your
bank account is “in the black”, then
it has a positive balance, which
means you are not overdrawn.
And if a person or business is in the
black, they are not in debt .
The opposite is to be “in the red”. We
also use the expression “red ink” to de-
scribe a situation in which losses are be-
ing made, so a company could be said to
be “bleeding/leaking/spilling red ink”. We
also talk of a “sea/tide/flow of red ink” if
the losses are great or if many companies
are losing money at the same time or if
many share prices are falling.
If you have a “black hole” in your fi-
nances, on the other hand, then you
have big losses. And to be “in the pink (of
health)” means to be “very healthy” and is
used metaphorically to refer to finances.
Also, if you are having a “purple patch”,
financially or otherwise, then things are
going very well for you and you are enjoy-
Fotos: mimicry, iStockphotos/iStock.com; Gert Krautbauer
IAN MCMASTER
Going back to black, the colour plays a key role in government
is editor-in-chief finances in Germany, where there is an obsession with the con-
of Business cept of the schwarze Null. This describes a situation in which the
Spotlight.
government has a balanced budget, which means its tax rev-
enues are at least as high as its expenditure. In other words, it
Contact: doesn’t need to borrow any new money. The term “black zero”
i.mcmaster@ is not normally used in English except in financial reporting on
spotlight-verlag.de
Germany, where it is typically placed in inverted commas.
Finance also often has grey areas, particularly in relation to tax
liabilities and corporate accounting. The difference between tax
avoidance, which is legal, and tax evasion, which is illegal, can be
very difficult to define at times.
One colour we haven’t mentioned yet is green. The “green-
back” is a slang term for the world’s leading currency, the US
dollar. The name comes from the colour of the back of the US
banknotes printed in the middle of the 19th century to finance
the country’s civil war. In the next issue, we’ll be looking more
closely at green investments and even green central banking.
Finally, if you ask to “see the colour of someone’s money”, you
are asking them to prove that they really do have the money to
pay for something.
civil war [)sIv&l (wO:]  issue [(ISu:]  run [rVn] 
, Bürgerkrieg ,  hier: Ausgabe ,  hier: Phase, Zyklus
corporate accounting leak sth. [li:k]  spill sth. [spIl] 

[)kO:pErEt E(kaUntIN]  ,  etw. auslaufen lassen ,  etw. vergießen

ing a successful run. , Unternehmens-
overdrawn: be ~ tax avoidance
To trade shares “in the pink” means to rechnung(swesen) [)EUvE(drO:n] ,  ein über- [(tÄks E)vOIdEns] 
trade them “in an unregulated secondary debt: be in ~ [det]  zogenes Konto haben , Steuervermeidung
AUDIO
or ‘over-the-counter’ (OTC) secondary ,  verschuldet sein
over the counter (OTC) tax evasion
market”. Meanwhile, “blue-chip” com- You can hear Ian expenditure [)EUvE DE (kaUntE]  [(tÄks i)veIZ&n] 
McMaster talking ,  im Freiverkehr,
panies are ones that are regarded as safe, about the colour of
[Ik(spendItSE]  , Steuerhinterziehung
, Ausgaben nicht börsengehandelt
stable and profitable, and whose perfor- money and other tax liabilities
news topics on ink [INk]  purple patch
mance is relatively independent of the Business Spotlight
[(tÄks laIE)bIlEtiz] 
, Tinte [(p§:p&l )pÄtS]  , Steuerschulden
economic cycle. The term comes from Audio. To order, go , Glückssträhne
to www.aboshop. inverted commas tide [taId] 
poker, in which the blue chip is the one spotlight-verlag.de [In)v§:tId (kQmEz]  UK revenues [(revEnju:z]  , Flut
with the highest value. , Anführungszeichen , Einnahmen

LANGUAGE 2/2020 Business Spotlight 57 

 LANGUAGE
SHORT STORY

The Impressions (5) JAMES SCHOFIELD

is the co-author
of the Double
Die Dinge scheinen sich vielversprechend Dealing series.
zu entwickeln. Aber zu welchem Preis? You can find more
of his stories
Und dann kommt es auch noch zu einem and his blog at
Zwischenfall, der alles zunichte machen http://jrtschofield.
blogspot.de
könnte. Von JAMES SCHOFIELD
MEDIUM AUDIO

T
hat’s the first thing he said?” asked Julie that The next morning on the bus to work, Felicity anxious: be ~ to do sth.
evening as the friends sat around the kitchen wore dark glasses to hide the circles under her eyes. [(ÄNkSEs] 
,  darauf bedacht sein,
table drinking some wine. “You look ‘tired’? The tablets had got her headache under control, but
etw. zu tun
Charming! Just what you want to hear from her stomach was still complaining bitterly about the
argument [(A:gjumEnt] 
an ex-boyfriend, I’m sure!” remains of the wine. Unexpectedly, Julie and Paula , Auseinandersetzung,
“That’s why he’s Aiden the Douchebag, isn’t had believed her about Frederick Tumble and the rest Diskussion
it?” said Paula. of the Impressions. cappuccino
“Yes, but I think he meant it nicely,” said Felicity, “Why not? Makes sense to me. There are all sorts [)kÄpu(tSi:nEU] 
,  [wg. Aussprache]
pouring herself a third glass of wine. She was a little of things going on that we don’t understand,” said
bit drunk. “He sounded genuinely worried about me. Paula. “I know this because my granny was a spirit charming
[(tSA:mIN] 
Anyway, we’re having a coffee tomorrow morning medium. Our family parties were always a bit, well, ,  charmant
before work. I think he feels bad about what hap- special.”
douchebag
pened between us before.” “I’ll say,” said Julie, who had known Paula since [(du:SbÄg] US vulg. 
Julie and Paula looked at each other. It had not primary school. “You had eight generations there ,  Mistkerl, Idiot

been an easy job dealing with Felicity’s breakdown singing songs around the Christmas tree. And the genuinely
over Aiden the year before. They did not want to have arguments!” [(dZenjuInli] 
,  wirklich, echt
to go through that again. Felicity shook her head. Those two girls were full
“When I hear the word ‘genuinely’ before a verb,” of surprises. But if they believed her, maybe others granny [(grÄni] ifml. 
, Oma
said Julie, “I know the person using it doesn’t be- would, too.
I’ll say
lieve it themselves. He isn’t wor- When Felicity arrived at the cafe in Garlick Hill,
THOSE TWO ried about you. He’s just putting Aiden was already waiting for her with a coffee and
[(aI&l seI] ifml. 
,  etwa: und ob!, das

GIRLS WERE FULL you down again. How can you be

so… ?”
croissant in front of him. She ordered herself a large
cappuccino and told Aiden about her job at the bank
kannst du laut sagen!
primary school

OF SURPRISES. “Why don’t you tell us about while she sipped at it. [(praImEri sku:l] UK 
Fotos: iStockphoto/iStock.com; privat

, Grundschule
that man who brought you home “…so, I do hope they don’t sell that lovely old build-
BUT IF THEY the other night?” interrupted ing and move outside London to somewhere awful
put sb. down
[)pUt (daUn] 

BELIEVED HER, Paula, anxious to change the top-

ic. “Here, have some more wine.”
like Milton Keynes,” she said. “But what about you?
How long have you been working for the Historical
,  jmdn. demütigen

sip at sth. [(sIp Ät] 

MAYBE OTHERS “Cheers,” said Felicity, who was
more than a little bit drunk by
Buildings Association?” she asked.
“About six months. It’s very interesting inspecting
,  an etw. nippen

WOULD, TOO now. “You’ll never believe this…” all these buildings instead of just teaching students
topic [(tQpIk] 
, Thema

58  Business Spotlight 1/2020 LANGUAGE

about architecture, as I was when we first met. And
you wouldn’t believe what the owners will some- AIDEN HOWLED, “I think you know what I’m
suggesting.”
application [)ÄplI(keIS&n] 
, Antrag

times offer you in order to get a favourable report!”

“What do you mean?”
AND CHAOS “I…, I…”
Crash! A waiter going past
between you and me
[bi)twi:n )ju: En (mi:] 

“The last thing most people want is to have their BROKE OUT AS their table tripped and dropped
,  unter uns gesagt

boardroom [(bO:dru:m] 
building listed. It limits what they’re able to do with
it. So, sometimes, they try and influence the person
HE BEGAN his tray of coffee and cakes on
to Aiden’s lap. Aiden howled,
,  Sitzungszimmer des
Vorstands/Aufsichtsrats
who writes the report.” He leaned forward. “Between SHOUTING AND and chaos broke out as he be- hiss [hIs] 

SWEARING
you and me, Felicity, your bank directors were very gan shouting and swearing ,  zischen, fauchen

unhappy when I told them why I was visiting yester- while the waiter tried to wipe howl [haUl] 
day. But as I explained to them, it’s a very nice piece the cakes off his jacket. ,  aufheulen, schreien

of architecture.” “Come on,” said a voice in Felicity’s ear. It was lap [lÄp] , Schoß
“Oh, that’s wonderful! So, you’ll recommend it be Smudge, who had been secretly listening to their listed: have (a building) ~
listed?” conversation from the neighbouring table. “Let’s get [(lIstId] 
,  hier: (ein Gebäude)
“Well, I don’t know yet. I really need to speak to out of here before the waiter realizes I tripped him.” als historisches Denkmal
Frederick Tumble, the person who sent in the appli- Once outside, they ran down Watling Street eintragen lassen
cation.” until they got to the entrance to the bank. Despite poised [(pOIzd] 
Felicity swallowed hard. “That might be a little dif- everything, Felicity found herself laughing. ,  gelassen, selbstsicher

ficult,” she began… “I know what he wanted, Miss Appleby,” said sick: sb. feels ~ [sIk] 
After she’d finished her explanation, Aiden sat Smudge. “Mr Tumble would never allow it.” ,  jmdm. ist schlecht

back in his chair with a strange look on his face. “Thanks, Smudge! Oh, his face when…” smear [smIE] , Fleck
“Interesting,” he said finally. “Well, I can see this “Felicity, who are you talking to?” demanded swallow hard
building is very important to you. So much so that Tricia, who was standing next to the security guard [)swQlEU (hA:d] 
,  tief Luft holen
you invent this extraordinary story to try to influ- and telling him off for something. “Coming in late (swallow  , schlucken)
ence my report.” for work, talking to yourself and laughing like a crazy
swear [sweE] , fluchen
“But honestly, I haven’t invented…” interrupted person? You’d better get up to your desk. There’s a lot
tell sb. off [)tel (Qf] ifml. 
Felicity. Aiden held up a hand. going on this morning.” ,  jmdn. zurechtweisen
“No, don’t worry, Felicity. You were always very When Aiden appeared in front of her desk an hour
tray [treI] , Tablett
imaginative. That’s what I found — find — so at- later — his suit still covered in coffee and cake smears
trip (sb.) [trIp] 
tractive about you,” he leaned forward and touched — Felicity put on her most poised expression.
,  stolpern; jmdm. ein
the back of her hand with his finger. “You know, I’ve “You just had to say no!” he hissed at her. “You Bein stellen
missed seeing you. But perhaps this report gives us didn’t have to trip that waiter. But hear this: there will wipe sth. off [)waIp (Qf] 
an opportunity to come to a little arrangement… a fun be consequences!” ,  etw. ab-, wegwischen
arrangement.” And with that, he turned around and marched into
Felicity felt a little sick. the boardroom.
AUDIO
“Are you suggesting… ?” ➻ The last part of the story will be published in the next issue.
You can listen to
this short story on
Business Spotlight
Exercise: Reading comprehension M Audio. To order,
go to www.aboshop.
spotlight-verlag.de
How well did you understand our short story? Here are some questions you might want to
answer. Answers
tionship.
A. Julie and Paula are very negative about Aiden. Why is that? their romantic rela-
with him or restart
was willing to sleep
building listed if she
C. He would get the
B. What was Paula’s grandmother able to do? municate with spirits.
B. She was able to com-
time they dated.
he treated her last
they know how badly
C. What did Aiden offer Felicity? Aiden again because
about Felicity seeing
A. They are worried
comprehension
Exercise: Reading

LANGUAGE 1/2020 Business Spotlight 59 

 LANGUAGE
ENGLISH FOR…

Health and
safety in the
workplace A CLOSER LOOK
display screen equipment
(DSE) [dI(spleI skri:n
Vorschriften sollen Gesundheit und Sicherheit “Hazard” or “risk”?
I)kwIpmEnt] 
, Bildschirmgeräte
der Beschäftigten am Arbeitsplatz gewährleisten. According to health and safety regulations, a
evacuation drill
Nützliches englisches Vokabular dazu finden hazard is something in your business that could [i)vÄkju(eIS&n drIl] 
Sie auf diesen beiden Seiten. cause harm to people, such as chemicals, elec- , Evakuierungsübung

ADVANCED PLUS
tricity and work done in high places. A risk is the fatal [(feIt&l] 
probability — however large or small — that a , tödlich

hazard could cause harm. first-aid kit

E
[)f§:st (eId kIt] 
, Erste-Hilfe-Kasten,
-Ausrüstung
verybody should be expected to go home in Regular checks must be made to ensure that there
the same mental and physical condition as is nothing in the way of clearly defined exit routes, hard hat [(hA:d hÄt] 
, Schutzhelm
they were in when they came to work. That is and that emergency exit lights function and exits are
the guiding principle of workplace health and clearly marked. Checks must also be made to ensure hazard [(hÄzEd] 
,  Risiko, Gefahr
safety, according to Mandy Harley-English, that fire and smoke alarms as well as fire extinguish-
high visibility vest
health and safety manager for Saxon Weald, a ers are fully functional, that all surveillance cameras [)haI vIzE)bIlEti (vest] 
housing association in the UK. Therefore, under UK are working and that emergency evacuation drills are , Warnweste
law, best practice for any company with over 250 carried out as if they were real. housing association
employees is to have a health and safety manager on Anyone who regularly uses display screen equip- [(haUZIN EsEUsi)eIS&n]
staff to minimize work-related deaths, injuries and ment (DSE) should have their workstation checked UK , Wohnungsbau-
gesellschaft
ill health. Companies with between five and 249 by a health and safety expert. The company must pro-
last line of defence
employees can invest in the services of a health and vide financial help for eye tests and special glasses for [lA:st )laIn Ev di(fens] 
safety consultant. seeing a computer screen better. Workplace aids and ,  hier: als letzter Schutz
A health and safety manager provides workers adaptions, such as ergonomic chairs and hydraulic panic alarm
with information and training on how to perform desks that can prevent skeletal and muscular prob- [(pÄnIk E)lA:m] 
, Notfallalarm
their health and safety-related duties at work. The lems, should also be provided by the company.
safety manager must make sure there are enough Any building that has stored water — such as hos- personal protective
equipment (PPE)
people trained in first aid. And there must be first- pitals, care homes, social housing and large offices
[)p§:s&nEl prE)tektIv
aid kits and emergency medical equipment, such as a — must follow an approved code of practice to elim- I(kwIpmEnt] 
defibrillator, in easily reachable areas of the company. inate the risk of potentially fatal diseases. ,  persönliche Schutz-
ausrüstung
The manager is also responsible for displaying health
and safety information posters and reporting certain risk assessment
[(rIsk E)sesmEnt] 
injuries, accidents (including those that almost hap- Exercise: Sayings using “safe” M , Risikobewertung,
pened) and work-related illnesses to the authorities. Gefahrenanalyse
The health and safety manager must examine Use these words to complete the phrases in bold. social housing
the workplace. They carry out risk assessments to [)sEUS&l (haUzIN] UK 
, Sozialwohnungen
identify hazards and decide whether or not anyone hands | houses | side | sorry | sound
could come to harm — and, if so, what changes must Answers
be made to prevent this. They must know when and A. It might rain later on, so take your umbrel- = auf der sicheren Seite)
how to get competent outside help in dangerous or la. It’s better to be safe than .
E. side (on the safe side
= in guten Händen)
hazardous situations, prepare a health and safety B. I wanted to let you know that we arrived in D. hands (in safe hands
policy for their company and make sure it is imple- Cambodia this morning, safe and .
Immobilien)
sicher, so sicher wie
mented. C. Don’t worry about the takeover. Your posi- houses UK = absolut
After all preventable risks have been eliminated, tion here is as safe as . C. houses (as safe as

certain workers must still be provided with “last line D. Jennifer is a qualified nursery nurse, so
= wohlbehalten)
B. sound (safe and sound
of defence” personal protective equipment (PPE), your kids are in safe with her. Nummer sicher gehen)
such as hard hats for construction workers, high vis- E. It’s probably enough, but let’s order one
sorry = besser auf
A. sorry (better safe than
ibility vests for railway workers or panic alarms for more dish, just to be on the safe . Sayings using “safe”
home-care providers.
Exercise:

60  Business Spotlight 2/2020 LANGUAGE

 KAREN RICHARDSON
is an ELT ma-
terials author
and business
English train-
er. She writes
lesson plans for
Macmillan’s www.
onestopenglish.com
and for Business
Spotlight.

Construction site rule:

safety first

➻
FOR MORE

Useful vocabulary ADJECTIVES

caustic [(kO:stIk] 
compliance
[kEm(plaIEns] 
,  Beachtung von Vor-
inspection [In(spekS&n] 
,  Überprüfung, Kontrolle
INFORMATION

, ätzend legislation WEBSITES

Expand your vocabulary schriften und Regeln
[)ledZI(sleIS&n]  The UK government’s
with these terms relating combustible control sth. [kEn(trEUl]  , Gesetzgebung Health and Safety
[kEm(bVstEb&l]  ,  etw. überwachen Executive website
to health and safety. , brennbar PPE (personal protec­ contains a wealth of
document review tive equipment) information on all
contagious [(dQkjumEnt ri)vju:]  [)pi: pi: (i:] 
[kEn(teIdZEs]  matters of health and
injury [(IndZEri]  ,  Dokumentenprüfung ,  persönliche Schutz-
DANGERS , ansteckend safety.
, Verletzung ausrüstung www.hse.gov.uk
asbestos [Äs(bestEs]  emergency exit
foreseeable [i)m§:dZEnsi (eksIt]  precaution [pri:(kO:S&n] 
, Asbest legionella
[)li:dZE(nelE] 
[fO:(si:Eb&l]  , Notausgang , Vorsichtsmaßnahme The National Exam-
bacterium , vorhersehbar ination Board in Oc-
, Legionellen
[bÄk(tIEriEm] fire door [(faIE dO:]  risk assessment cupational Safety and
harmful [(hA:mf&l]  , Brandschutztür [(rIsk E)sesmEnt] 
(pl. bacteria radiation Health (NEBOSH)
, schädlich , Risikobewertung,
[bÄk(tIEriE])  [)reIdi(eIS&n]  fire door retainers provides information
, Bakterium, , Strahlung hazardous Gefahrenanalyse about globally recog-
[(faIE dO: ri)teInEz] 
Krankheitserreger [(hÄzEdEs]  ,  Schließautomatik für risk awareness training nized health, safety
repetitive action injury
, gefährlich Brandschutztüren [)rIsk E(weEnEs and environmental
chemical exposure [ri)petEtIv (ÄkS&n
)treInIN]  qualifications. Active
[)kemIk&l Ik(spEUZE]  )IndZEri]  inadequate fire escape
,  Schulung des Risiko- in 132 countries
,  Kontakt mit chemi- ,  RSI-Syndrom, Verlet- [In(ÄdIkwEt]  [(faIEr I)skeIp]  around the world.
schen Substanzen zung durch wiederholte , unzureichend bewusstseins
, Feuerleiter; www.nebosh.org.uk/
Beanspruchung Fluchttreppe rope off (an area)
chemical substance irritant [(IrItEnt]  home
skin irritation , reizend [)rEUp (Qf] 
[)kemIk&l (sVbstÄns]  fire extinguisher
[(skIn IrI)teIS&n]  ,  (ein Gebiet /einen Institution of Occu-
,  chemische Substanz [(faIEr Ik)stINgwISE] 
, Hautreizung Abschnitt) absperren pational Safety and
, Feuerlöscher
communicable disease PROCESSES AND Health (IOSH), the
slips, trips and falls smoke alarm
[kE)mju:nIkEb&l MEASURES first-aid kit chartered body and
dI(zi:z] , übertragbare [)slIps )trIps En (fO:lz]  [(smEUk E)lA:m] 
[)f§:st (eId kIt] 
, Rauchmelder leading membership
Krankheit ,  Ausrutschen, Stolpern access and egress , Erste-Hilfe-Kasten, organization for UK
und Stürze [)Äkses En (i:gres] 
-Ausrüstung sprinkler [(sprINklE] 
excessive noise health and safety
,  Zugang und Ausgang
vibration (e.g. from ,  Sprinkler, Berieselungs- professionals.
[Ik)sesIv (nOIz]  identify sth.
,  übermäßiger Lärm using power tools) accident board anlage www.iosh.com
[aI(dentIfaI] 
[vaI(breIS&n]  [(ÄksIdEnt bO:d] 
fatality [fE(tÄlEti]  ,  etw. identifizieren surveillance camera
,  Vibration (z.B. durch , Unfalltafel
, Todesfall
[sE(veIlEns )kÄmErE] 
die Benutzung von incident investigation
accident prevention , Überwachungskamera
gas exposure Motorwerkzeugen) [(InsIdEnt
[(ÄksIdEnt pri)venS&n] 
[(gÄs Ik)spEUZE]  InvestI)geIS&n]  witness [(wItnEs] 
waterborne disease , Unfallverhütung
Foto: sukanda26/iStock.com

,  Untersuchung von , Zeuge/Zeugin

,  Kontakt mit Gas [)wO:tEbO:n dI(zi:z]  Unfällen/Zwischenfällen
incorrect lifting ,  durch Wasser über-
assess sth. [E(ses] 
,  etw. bewerten
work method statement ➻
[)InkErekt (lIftIN]  tragbare Krankheit injured party [(w§:k )meTEd
You can practise your
,  falsches Heben audit [(O:dIt]  [)IndZEd (pA:ti]  )steItmEnt] 
vocabulary at
, Kontrolle , Geschädigte(r) , (verbindliche)Verfah-
www.business-spotlight.
rensanweisung de/vocabulary

LANGUAGE 2/2020 Business Spotlight 61 

 LANGUAGE
ENGLISH ON THE MOVE

A helicopter flight KEN TAYLOR

is a communication
consultant and
Manchmal liegen Termine so knapp beieinander, dass man es author of 50 Ways
mit Auto oder Zug nicht rechtzeitig schaffen würde. Bleibt der to Improve Your
Business English
Hubschrauber, wie Sie in den Dialogen hier erfahren. (Lulu Publishing).
Contact:
EASY  AUDIO  PLUS KTaylor868@aol.com

In a hurry? A Mary: We could arrange that. We have a Robinson aircraft [(eEkrA:ft] 
helicopter will get you R44 three-seater that would suit your pur- ,  Flugzeug; -gerät
there on time pose. awesome [(O:sEm] ifml. 
James: That’s a safe one, I hope! ,  fantastisch, toll

Mary: All our aircraft are very reliable, and they are bright-eyed and bushy-
flown by seasoned pilots. tailed [)braIt aId En (bUSi
teIld] ifml. 
,  voller Schwung und Elan
Getting on board crouch down
Ben: I didn’t know what to expect, but this heli- [)kraUtS (daUn] 
port is like any other airport terminal. , niederkauern; hier: in
geduckter Haltung gehen
Beth: Have you ever flown by helicopter before?
Ben: No. I’m looking forward to it. fasten one’s seat belt
[)fA:s&n wVnz (si:t belt] 
Planning the flight James: I took a helicopter sightseeing trip over the ,  sich anschnallen
James:  I’ve done a bit of research on our trip to the Grand Canyon once. It was great. host sth. [hEUst] 
UK. There’s a logistical problem we have to Ground ,  etw. austragen
solve. crew: Your flight is ready now. Please follow me. in no time [In (nEU taIm] 
Ben: What’s that? James: At least the rotors aren’t turning. We don’t ,  im Nu
James: Our meeting in London starts at 10 a.m. and have to crouch down like the people on the look forward to sth.
is expected to last until mid-afternoon. But news. [)lUk (fO:wEd tu] 
,  sich auf etw. freuen
our major customer has invited us to make Beth: May I sit up front with the pilot?
a presentation at an event in Manchester Ben: Sure. Ben and I can squeeze into the back. make it [(meIk It] 
,  hier: es schaffen
that same evening. We should definitely be Pilot: Welcome on board. I’m John Scott, your pi-
on time [)Qn (taIm] 
there. lot today. Please fasten your seat belts, and
, pünktlich
Beth: We’ll never make it! we’ll soon be on our way to Manchester.
reliable [ri(laIEb&l] 
James:  Well, I’ve had a bright idea. Why don’t we , zuverlässig
charter a helicopter to fly us to Manchester? In the air research: do ~ on sth.
Ben: What? Wouldn’t that be very expensive? Pilot: You get a good panoramic view of the city [ri(s§:tS] , Recherchen
James: It wouldn’t be cheap, but we’d make it on from up here. If you follow the Thames to über etw. anstellen
time. And we’d all be bright-eyed and bushy- the right, you can see the Houses of Parlia- seasoned [(si:z&nd] 
tailed for our presentation. ment. ,  hier: erfahren

James: What’s that large sports arena down to our skyscraper

[(skaI)skreIpE] 
Booking the flight left?
, Wolkenkratzer
Mary: Global Helicopters. Mary Kovacs. How may Pilot: That’s Wembley Stadium. We call it the
soccer [(sQkE] US 
I help you? home of football. , Fußball
James: I’m calling to find out about helicopter James: Football? Here in London?
squeeze into sth.
transfers between central London and Man- Ben: He means soccer. Not our football! [)skwi:z (Intu] 
Foto: dade72/ Shutterstock.com; Gert Krautbauer

chester.
Mary: One moment, sir. Let me just check that for
you… Yes, we fly from London Battersea Hel-
iport to Manchester Barton Airport.
James: Is the Battersea Heliport in central London?
Mary: Yes, it is. The flight time to Manchester is
about 70 minutes.
James: There would be three of us. We’d need a
flight to Manchester at around four o’clock
in the afternoon.
Pilot: Well, in fact, Wembley does host a couple ,  sich in etw. hinein-
zwängen
of American football games here each year.
There’s quite a large support base in the UK. suit sb.’s purpose
[)su:t )sVmbEdiz
Beth: What’s that group of skyscrapers further (p§:pEs] ,  für jmdn. das
down the river? Richtige sein
Pilot: That’s the Canary Wharf financial district. support base
Ben: This was a great idea of yours, James. We’ll [sE(pO:t beIs] 
, Fangemeinde
be in Manchester in no time, and we’re get-
ting a great tour at the same time. Thames [temz] , Themse
Beth: This is awesome! Thanks, James. wharf [wO:f] ,  Werft; Kai

62  Business Spotlight 2/2020 LANGUAGE

LANGUAGE
KEY WORDS Listen and learn!
You can download an MP3 file of this
Key Words list from our website:

Vocabulary trainer www.business-spotlight.de/downloads

➳
A PDF of these key words as well as a
Use our Key Words list to learn vocabulary from the complete vocabulary list (English–
current Business Spotlight. The definitions will help you German) for each magazine is availa-
ble at www.business-spotlight.de/words
understand the words — and build your vocabulary.

NOUNS AND NOUN PHRASES

backbreaking work very hard and tiring work Knochenarbeit
blaze a very large and dangerous fire Großbrand, Feuersbrunst
coat of arms the special symbol of a city, family or organization Wappen
joyride a ride for pleasure in a car, especially a stolen car Spritztour
non-disclosure agreement a contract between two or more parties listing confidential material or Verschwiegenheitserklärung
information that must not be communicated to third parties
notion an idea, a conception Idee, Konzept
track record the past achievements and failures of a person or organization Erfolgsbilanz

VERBS AND VERB PHRASES

aerate sth. to provide something with oxygen etw. mit Sauerstoff versorgen
entrust sb. with sth. to give somebody the responsibility for doing something jmdm. etw. überantworten
interfere with sth. to prevent something from happening as planned sich in etw. einmischen
pay sth. up front to pay for something in advance etw. vorstrecken
step back from sth. to withdraw from something sich von etw. zurückziehen
stick together to stay together (with other people) and support each other zusammenhalten
team up with sb. to join with another person or group to do something sich mit jmdm. zusammenschließen
tone sth. down to make something weaker or less harsh-sounding etw. abschwächen, mäßigen

ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS

agitated anxious or nervous aufgeregt, unruhig
assertive expressing one’s opinions strongly and confidently selbstbewusst, durchsetzungsstark
notably particularly insbesondere
outmoded outdated, old-fashioned überholt
poised calm and confident gelassen, selbstsicher
stellar ifml. excellent herausragend
unruly difficult to control or manage widerspenstig, undiszipliniert

IDIOMS AND EXPRESSIONS

be invisible to the naked eye not to be seen with normal vision mit bloßem Auge nicht zu erkennen sein
bright-eyed and bushy-tailed ifml. dynamic and full of energy voller Schwung und Elan
come of age to reach adulthood volljährig werden
do the trick ifml. to fulfil the desired purpose seinen Zweck erfüllen
get in the way of sth. to prevent something from happening etw. im Weg stehen
in no time without much delay im Nu
put bluntly spoken very honestly, frankly offen gesagt

LANGUAGE 2/2020 Business Spotlight 63 

Bubbles: keeping
this plastic from
reaching the sea
 TECHNOLOGY
TRAPPING PLASTICS

Stemming the tide

Plastik verunreinigt auch Flüsse und Kanäle. Mit einer
innovativen Methode will man in den Grachten von
Amsterdam treibendes Plastik auffangen, ohne Boote und
Wassertiere zu beeinträchtigen. Von SENAY BOZTAS
ADVANCED

A
msterdam now has the The hope is that the innovation will Stemming the tide
SENAY BOZTAS
world’s first rubbish barrier help to address the crisis of plastic waste is a journalist
[)stemIN DE (taId] 
made entirely from bubbles. in the oceans. Estimates suggest as much ,  Der Flut Einhalt gebieten
who writes on
The idea is to catch waste as eight million tonnes of plastic end up Europe, par- bubble barrier
ticularly The [(bVb&l )bÄriE] 
in the city’s canals before it in the world’s seas each year — the equiv- ,  Barriere aus Luftblasen
Netherlands and
reaches the North Sea. alent of a truckload of plastic rubbish Belgium. She canal [kE(nÄl] 
In 2019, a Dutch start-up every minute. was formerly a ,  Kanal; Gracht
and the Amsterdam munici- The bubble barrier is a long, perforated reporter for The
compressed air
Sunday Times.
pality launched tube that runs diagonally [kEm)prest (eE] 
, Druckluft
the Great Bub- for 60 metres across the
intercept sth. [)IntE(sept] 
ble Barrier, a
simple device that channels
It’s the bottom of the canal. Com-
pressed air is pumped
,  etw. auffangen

rubbish — including small world’s first through the tube and

pieces of plastic — to the
side of the Westerdok Ca-
nal, where it can be collect-
jacuzzi [dZE(ku:zi] 
,  [wg. Aussprache]
rubbish barrier rises upwards. The nat- municipality
made entirely ural water current helps
to push waste to one side
[)mjunIsI(pÄlEti] 
, Stadtverwaltung

ed. Tests have shown that
it can redirect more than
80 per cent of rubbish.
Foto: The Great Bubble Barrier; privat
from bubbles of the canal. The plastic naval architect
waste is then trapped in [)neIv&l (A:kItekt] 
, Schiffsbauingenieur(in)
a small rubbish platform

“More than two-thirds of plastics in the
ocean comes out of rivers and canals — so
if you have to intercept it, why not do it
in the rivers?” says Philip Ehrhorn, co-
inventor of the technology. “You can’t
put a physical barrier in a canal: it has to
recreation [)rekri(eIS&n] 
on the side of the Westerdokskade, at the , Freizeitbeschäftigung(en)
end of Amsterdam’s historic canal belt.
rubbish barrier
From there, it can be collected. [(rVbIS )bÄriE] UK 
,  Müllbarriere, -sperre
A jacuzzi for plastics trapped: be ~ [trÄpt] 
Ehrhorn is a German naval architect and ,  aufgefangen werden

be open for wildlife and recreation.” environmental engineer. He got the in- tube [tj:ub] , Rohr

TECHNOLOGY 2/2020 Business Spotlight 65 

 How the bubble barrier can stop plastic flowing into the sea

No effect on ships or boats

Plastics are directed to the surface and side of the river

Fish and wildlife

can easily pass
through Bubble barrier

Tube

1. The bubble barrier is created by 2. The rising bubbles result in an upward current that
pumping air through a tube with brings plastic waste to the surface. The water flow
holes. The tube is laid diagonally directs it to one side of the river, stopping it from
across the bottom of a river. being carried farther downstream and to the sea.

spiration for the bubble barrier from a Ehrhorn was in Australia. They came up aerate sth. sift sth. out
water treatment plant he saw while with the idea of a curtain of bubbles that [(eEreIt]  [)sIft (aUt] 
,  etw. mit Sauerstoff ,  etw. aussieben
studying in Australia in 2015. “At one sifts out waste but allows fish and boats
anreichern
stage, they aerate the water and, on a big to pass through. The two teams came spark [spA:k] 
bubble barrier , Funke; hier: Auslöser
surface, put air bubbles like a big jacuz- together to work on the idea. They had [(bVb&l )bÄriE] 
tube [tju:b] 
zi,” he says. “The small plastic pieces that the help of a €500,000 Postcode Lottery ,  Barriere aus Luftblasen
, Rohr
people throw in the toilet all collected in Green Challenge award and other prizes. dredging operations
water treatment plant
one corner and that was the kind of spark The first operational barrier in Amster- [(dredZIN QpE)reIS&nz] 
[(wO:tE )tri:tmEnt
, Baggerarbeiten,
for me: if you can guide plastic to the side, dam, which will run 24 hours a day for plA:nt] 
Ausbaggern
can’t you do it in a more directed way and three years, will function in addition to , Wasseraufbereitungs-
anlage
on purpose in a river?” dredging operations, which currently
Three Dutch sailors and friends — collect 42,000 kilograms of large plastics
Anne Marieke Eveleens, Francis Zoet and from the Dutch capital’s waterways each
Saskia Studer — were discussing the rub- year. Bubble barrier waste will be collect-
bish problem over a beer in Amsterdam ed and then analysed by plastics action
one evening, around the same time as group Schone Rivieren (“Clean Rivers”).

66  Business Spotlight 2/2020 TECHNOLOGY

 Hope for a waterlogged country
Marieke van Doorninck, the deputy may-
or of Amsterdam, hopes it will be a suc-
cess. “Amsterdam’s canals have enormous The
founding
appeal,” she says. “But when you think of team:
them, you don’t think about plastic bot- (from
left)
tles and bags in the water. The bubble Ehrhorn,
barrier will mean fewer plastics reach the Eveleens,
Studer
ocean and is a step towards better regu- and Zoet
lation of our ecosystem, to the benefit of
man, beast and environment.”
In the small, waterlogged country, this
kind of innovation is welcome. Bianca
Nijhof, managing director of the Neth-

Dredging operations
collect 42,000
kilograms of plastics
from the Dutch The
capital’s waterways bubble
barrier:
each year boats
can pass
through
easily
erlands Water Partnership, who organ-
izes the Amsterdam International Water
Week conference, says: “The Dutch live
with the water and don’t fight against it:
Canal cruising
50 per cent of the country is below sea “In Amsterdam, canals were once used boats, called “roboats”. The rectangu-
level. More than half is prone to flood- for transportation and other things the lar boats have sensors, thrusters, GPS
roads are now used for,” says Luis Ma- equipment, cameras and other hard-
ing, and in 2018, we had severe drought,” teos, a graduate student in the Depart- ware attached to them. The boats can
she adds. “This special relationship with ment of Urban Studies and Planning also connect to each other to perform
water combined with an entrepreneurial (DUSP) and a researcher in the MIT Sen- complex tasks.
mindset mean that innovation is at our seable City Lab. “Roads near canals are The roboats are being designed to
Fotos: The Great Bubble Barrier; primo-piano, oleg7799,, Evgeniya_Mokeeva/iStock.com

now very congested — and have noise pick up rubbish and test water quality,
core. The bubble barrier is one solution and pollution — so the city wants to add among other tasks. They will cruise the
for clean water for all.” more functionality back to the canals.” canals locating platforms with trash con-
© Guardian News & Media 2019 The Amsterdam Institute for Ad- tainers on them. The roboats will then
vanced Metropolitan Solutions (AMS In- connect to a platform, load the rubbish
stitute) has teamed up with researchers and carry it to a collection facility.
at MIT to find new ways of cleaning up Source: https://waste-management-
beast [bi:st] , Tier(e) mindset [(maIndset]  Amsterdam’s 165 canals and reducing
, Denkweise
world.com/a/in-depth-autonomous-
core: be at sb.’s ~ [kO:]  congestion in its streets. The research- robotic-boats-could-collect-garbage-in-
,  hier: im Kern von jmds. prone to flooding: be ~ ers are developing a fleet of autonomous amsterdam-s-canals
Wesen liegen [)prEUn tE (flVdIN] 
, hochwasser-
deputy mayor canal [kE(nÄl]  congestion pollution [pE(lu:S&n]  thruster
gefährdet sein
[)depjUti (meE]  ,  Kanal; Gracht [kEn(dZestS&n]  , (Umwelt-) [(TrVstE] 
,  hier: Zweite(r) sea level [(si: )lev&l]  ,  Stau; Überlastung Verschmutzung , Strahlruder
Bürgermeister(in) , Meeresspiegel collection facility
[kE(lekS&n fE)sIlEti]  graduate student rubbish [(rVbIS] UK  trash container
drought [draUt]  severe [sI(vIE]  , Sammelstelle [(grÄdZuEt , Müll [(trÄS kEn)teInE]
, Dürre ,  heftig, schlimm )stju:dEnt]  US , Abfallbehälter
congested team up with sb.
,  Student(in) nach
entrepreneurial waterlogged [kEn(dZestId]  [)ti:m (Vp wID] 
dem ersten akade-
[)QntrEprE(n§:riEl]  [(wO:tElQgd]  , verstopft ,  sich mit jmdm.
mischen Grad
, unternehmerisch , wasserdurchtränkt; zusammenschließen
(denkend) hier: vom Wasser bestimmt

TECHNOLOGY 2/2020 Business Spotlight 67 

 CAREERS & MANAGEMENT
FIREFIGHTING

68  Business Spotlight 2/2020 CAREERS & MANAGEMENT

 A burning issue:
the long-term
health effects of
firefighting

IN THE LINE OF FIREFeuerwehrleute sind bei der Brandbekämpfung

nicht nur den Flammen, sondern auch giftigen
Gasen ausgesetzt. Umso dringlicher ist es, die
Folgen dieser Substanzen für die Gesundheit zu
erforschen, wie MAANVI SINGH berichtet.
ADVANCED

S
earching for survivors in the wreckage affect sth. [E(fekt] 
of last year’s deadly fire in Paradise, Cali- ,  sich auf etw. auswirken
fornia, the battalion chief, Jeremy Pierce, battalion chief
had to hear and feel his way through the [bE(tÄljEn tSi:f] US 
,  hier: Leiter(in) der
debris. Black smoke had caused entire Feuerbekämpfungstruppe
streets to disappear in and near the
blaze [bleIz] 
small town. , Großbrand,
“It was daytime, but you thought Feuersbrunst
it was night,” he said. Pierce, who has debris [(debri:] 
been fighting wildland fires for 28 years, ,  Schutt, Trümmer
Fotos: picture-alliance/ Reuters/Gene Blevins; patanasak/iStock.com

knows how to navigate around smoke. exposure [Ik(spEUZE] 

, Ausgesetztsein
“You have to find pockets of clean air,”
he said, “and keep going until you can’t anymore.” firefighter [(faIEfaItE] 
, Feuerwehrmann/-frau
Pierce has used this technique at many fires, includ-
ing a blaze called the Kincade Fire. He knows that the pocket of air
[)pQkIt Ev (eE] 
toxic vapours can stay in his system long after the , Luftblase
flames have died down and the adrenaline has gone.
system [(sIstEm] 
,  hier: Körper, Organe
Finding a problem technique [tek(ni:k] 
Over the past ten years, scientists have been working ,  [wg. Aussprache]
to better understand how firefighters’ exposure to vapour [(veIpE] , Dampf
smoke and chemical vapours affects their long-term wreckage [(rekIdZ] 
health. In California, the researchers’ work has taken ,  Trümmer, Überreste

CAREERS & MANAGEMENT 2/2020 Business Spotlight 69 

 Wildland
firefighters:
working a
60-hour shift

70  Business Spotlight 2/2020 CAREERS & MANAGEMENT

 “THERE WAS THIS AWFUL
on a new urgency as ever larger fires burn through
TASTE TO IT. WE JUST KNEW
both wilderness and developments, emitting unpre­
cedented amounts of gases and particulate.
“We know that firefighters have pretty intense
exposures under those conditions,” said Rachel
IT WAS WRONG”
Morello-Frosch, an environmental scientist at the acre [(eIkE]  mercury
University of California, Berkeley. She analysed ,  Morgen (4.046 m2) [(m§:kju&ri] 
, Quecksilber
the blood of firefighters who fought the October backbreaking work
2017 Tubbs Fire, which raged for more than three [)bÄkbreIkIN (w§:k]  noxious [(nQkSEs] 
, Knochenarbeit ,  schädlich, giftig
weeks through nearly 37,000 acres of California’s
wine country and killed 22 people. She found that development particulate
[di(velEpmEnt]  [pA:(tIkjUlEt] 
those firefighters returned from the blaze with ,  hier: Wohnsiedlung , Feinstaub
higher-than-normal levels of mercury and other
fire captain prefabricated
toxic chemicals in their blood. Blood samples from [(faIE )kÄptIn] US  [)pri:(fÄbrIkeItId] 
149 firefighters sent to Tubbs showed higher rates ,  etwa: Feuerwehr- ,  vorgefertigt, in
hauptmann/-frau Fertigbauweise erstellt
of mercury than members of the general public, but
also higher rates than those of other firefighters who fumes [fju:mz]  responder
,  Rauch(gase), Qualm [ri(spQndE] 
had not been sent to fight the fire. , Rettungskraft
gear [gIE] 
“This was just an initial, pilot study,” Morello-
, Ausrüstung sample [(sA:mp&l] 
Frosch said. Still, it seemed to confirm what many , Probe
handkerchief
firefighters already thought: those working in places [(hÄNkEtSIf]  stinging eyes
where residential areas reach into the wilderness face ,  Taschen-, Stofftuch [)stININ (aIz] 
greater health risks. , Augenbrennen
heavy-duty
[)hevi (dju:ti]  structure
, strapazierfähig
The changing risks [(strVktSE] 
,  hier: Gebäude
Wildland firefighters are often exposed to smoke hike [haIk] 
,  wandern; unprecedented
for long periods of time, working 40-, 50- or 60-hour hier: marschieren [Vn(presIdentId] 
shifts, even camping and sleeping amid the fumes. ,  noch nie dagewesen,
line [laIn] 
“They’re doing backbreaking work,” said Morello- beispiellos
,  hier: Brandschneise
Frosch, digging lines, cutting trees and hiking for
miles.
They tend to wear relatively lightweight gear so
they can move easily. Whereas the responders run-
ning into burning buildings wear heavy-duty masks Helping firefighters on a global scale
that feed them clean air, wildland firefighters might
use a handkerchief. Global Forest Watch Fires (GFW Fires) is an online platform that
Fotos: picture-alliance/ Reuters/Gene Blevins; ; khoj_badami/iStock.com

And a simple handkerchief might be enough, if all
that was burning was vegetation. “But the dynam-
ics of wildfires have changed,” said Matt Alba, a fire
captain.
As communities have built and expanded into the
wild areas, “it’s not just plants and leaves burning,
it’s homes and structures, too,” Alba said. Paradise
didn’t smell like wildfire smoke, he remembered.
“There was this awful taste to it. We just knew it was
wrong.” His crew fought through stinging eyes and
headaches.
Many of the houses in Paradise were prefabri-
cated, and when they burned, so did a noxious mix
of plastics, metals, household cleaning chemicals
shows where fires are happening in real time on an interactive world
map. GFW Fires combines data from many sources: real-time satel-
lite data from NASA’s Active Fires system, satellite imagery, detailed
maps, weather data and air-quality data. GFW Fires works together
with governments, NGOs, corporations and individuals to under-
stand why a fire has broken out, improve emergency response time
and help authorities to coordinate their response and combat fires
set illegally.
Source: https://fires.globalforestwatch.org/home
combat sth. emergency response time
[(kQmbÄt]  [i)m§:dZEnsi ri(spQns taIm] 
,  etw. bekämpfen ,  Zeit bis zum Eintreffen der
Rettungskräfte

CAREERS & MANAGEMENT 2/2020 Business Spotlight 71 

 and who knows what else. “There were groups like the San Francisco Firefighters charred [tSA:d] 
charred piles of just open cans, and lots Cancer Prevention Foundation (SFFCPF) ,  verkohlt, verschmort

of burned-out cars,” he said — some with
bodies in them. “It was apocalyptic.” Af-
terwards, he said, “we got all new boots,
because ours were just covered in a lot of
toxic content.”
Scientists still don’t know what exactly
that “content” contains — and how toxic
it may be. “That’s always the 50-million-
dollar question,” said Morello-Frosch.
are campaigning to slowly stop using fire department
PFAS chemicals and develop better, light- [(faIE di)pA:tmEnt] US 
, Feuerwehr
weight protective equipment.
fire retardant
Toni Stefani, president of the SFFCPF,
[(faIE ri)tA:d&nt] 
joined the San Francisco Fire Department ,  feuerhemmendes Mittel
in 1974. Even though he often went to funeral [(fju:n&rEl] 
funerals for retired firefighters who had , Beerdigung
died of cancer, he and his colleagues didn’t precaution [pri(kO:S&n] 
make a connection between cancer and , Vorsichtsmaßnahme

Fumes from anything and everything
that burns have the potential to cause
harm, but so do PFAS — a controversial
class of chemicals used in firefighters’
turnout gear — and so does the neon-
pink fire retardant that responders spray
over fires.
Does firefighting cause cancer?
Researchers are working to understand
how exposure to noxious fumes and par-
ticulate affect firefighters’ bodies. A study
of nearly 30,000 firefighters from 1950 to
2009 by the National Institute for Occu-
pational Safety and Health found that
those who fight urban fires have higher
rates of certain types of cancers — includ-
ing lung and throat cancer, as well as tes-
ticular cancer. It also found that firefight-
ers experience 14 per cent more cancer
deaths than the general public.
Federal researchers are encouraging
firefighters across the nation to register
for the largest study to date of firefight-
ers and cancer. They’re also looking into
chemical exposure. Stefani himself was testicular cancer
only 49 when he was diagnosed with tran- [te(stIkjUlE )kÄnsE] 
, Hodenkrebs
sitional cell carcinoma in 2001.
to date [tE (deIt] 
,  bis dato, bis heute
Taking precautions
toll [tEUl] 
But fire departments are a lot more care- ,  Preis, Tribut
ful now. “Hopefully, as we learn more, we
transitional cell carcinoma
can develop new standard operating pro- [trÄn)zIS&nEl )sel
cedures that’ll better protect these men )kA:sI(nEUmE] 
, Übergangszellkarzinom
and women,” Stefani said. In Santa Rosa,
California, after fighting the Kincade Fire turnout gear
[(t§:naUt gIE] 
for days, Jeremy Pierce said he was aware , Einsatzkleidung
of these local and national conversations
upwind of smoke
about the physical toll of the job. He’s [Vp)wInd Ev (smEUk] 
taken precautions: he tries to keep him- ,  gegen die Richtung,
aus der der Rauch weht
self and his crew upwind of smoke while
working. Afterwards, he makes sure to
clean off, the best he can, before going
back home. “I don’t want to expose my
family to anything toxic,” Pierce said.
Otherwise, he accepts the risks of the
job. “You know, nobody gets out of this
“NOBODY GETS
OUT OF THIS
profession without some damage along
the way,” he said. “But there isn’t a fire-
Fotos: picture-alliance/Reuters/Eric Thayer; khoj_badami/iStock.com; privat
fighter around who doesn’t have that

PROFESSION
whether firefighters’ work affects their drive to help people despite everything.”
risk of heart disease. In the meantime, © Guardian News & Media 2019

WITHOUT SOME
DAMAGE ALONG
MAANVI SINGH
is a California-based
freelance journalist. THE WAY”
72  Business Spotlight 2/2020 CAREERS & MANAGEMENT
 Firefighting:
a profession for
risk-takers

Burning homes:
Fotos: XX

a source of
noxious fumes

CAREERS & MANAGEMENT 2/2020 Business Spotlight 73 

 CAREERS & MANAGEMENT
HOW TO...

Stay polite
under pressure
Steht man unter Druck, verliert
man leicht die Beherrschung.
DEBORAH CAPRAS hat Tipps,
wie man am Arbeitsplatz trotzdem
die Kontrolle behält.
MEDIUM

Don’t lose it:

stay calm

D
eadlines, meetings, clients and her university’s website — we can’t think placed in your file for future reference.”
bosses. These are a few of the clearly. She suggests “using a mantra” Having such emails on your personal file
things that are often out of our when your heart rate goes up. This means could put an end to your career prospects.
control in the workplace. Precise- saying one word, such as “calm” or “relax”,
ly because we can’t control them, over and over again in your head. If you
they can put us under enormous remain calm, you’re more likely to stay
career prospect lose one’s temper
pressure — which can make us polite. [kE(rIE )prQspekt]  [)lu:z wVnz (tempE] 
lose control and lose our temper. How do ,  berufliche Perspektive ,  die Beherrschung
you keep cool and stay polite in such dif- Value politeness verlieren
CEO (chief executive
ficult situations? Rudeness could lose you the respect of officer) [)si: i: (EU]  nasty [(nA:sti] 
, Firmenchef(in) , gemein
your colleagues and boss and, in extreme
Identify the triggers cases, even cost you your job. (Remem- credibility release [ri(li:s] 
[)kredE(bIlEti]  , Freisetzung;
Diana Dawson, a career psychologist, says ber what happened to Uber’s CEO, who , Glaubwürdigkeit hier: Ventil
it’s important to know why you feel under was videoed behaving like a jerk in a taxi?
etiquette [(etIket]   rudeness [(ru:dnEs] 
pressure. She suggests keeping a journal No? He had to resign.) “Saying hurtful or ,  [wg. Aussprache] , Unhöflichkeit,
of your thoughts, feelings and actions nasty things can be risky or dangerous to Ausfälligkeit(en)
file [faI&l] , Ordner;
during times of stress. “Once we under- your professional reputation,” writes Jac- hier: Personalakte save sth. [seIv] 
stand what triggers the stress, we can per- queline Whitmore, a business etiquette ,  hier: etw. speichern
forward sth. [(fO:wEd] 
haps understand why that is and we can expert in Florida, on Entrepreneur.com. “It ,  etw. weiterleiten school [sku:l] 
,  hier: Fakultät
build strategies around those things,” she can also shatter your credibility.” heart rate [(hA:t reIt] 
told The Guardian. When you’ve found the ,  Herzfrequenz, Puls shatter sth. [(SÄtE] 
,  etw. zerschmettern;
triggers, what’s next? Don’t say it jerk [dZ§:k] US ifml. 
hier: zunichte machen
, Idiot(in)
Rather than risk your job or reputation,
shred sth. [Sred] 
Reduce the feeling find a safe emotional release. Swati Mittal journal [(dZ§:n&l] 
,  etw. zerreißen
Foto: iStockphoto/iStock.com

Amanda Dudley, lecturer in Deakin
University’s School of Psychology, rec-
ommends making a conscious effort to
manage stress. If we don’t, she explains
on “this.” — the career advice section on
,  hier: Tagebuch
Jagetia, a certified professional coach with trigger (sth.) [(trIgE] 
Purpose Squared in New York, suggests lecturer [(lektSErE] 
,  Auslöser; etw. auslösen
, Dozent(in)
writing down your thoughts on paper
— only to shred it afterwards. “Emails,” For more career trends, go to
she warns, “can be saved, forwarded, and www.business-spotlight.de/careers

74  Business Spotlight 2/2020 CAREERS & MANAGEMENT

 MARKTPLATZ – MARKETPLACE
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 CAREERS & MANAGEMENT
EXECUTIVE EYE

“Much of the problem with

public speaking is not about
skill, it’s about fear”
Nicht der Inhalt einer Präsentation ist das eigentliche Problem.
Viele haben Angst, dass sie nicht vor einem Publikum sprechen
können oder die Technik nicht beherrschen. Mit professioneller
Hilfe lässt sich diese Unsicherheit überwinden.
ADVANCED

M
odern management is about
presentations, and there is
a thirst for courses on pres-
entation skills. Presentations
range from mundane talks,
such as “How to Use Your
Multimedia Tools”, to the su-
perstar TED-talk model.
In the first type, the focus is more on
the design than the presentation. It is cer-
tainly important to know how to work
the electronics. There is no more pathetic
sight than a fumbling speaker who cannot
upload or download their material.
At the other end of the scale is the peo-
ple-focused approach. Indeed, “presenta-
tion” is considered too downmarket a
word for this kind of training. Instead, it is
called something sexy like a “multimedia
interface course”.
We have all sat through enough ram-
bling, tedious talks to know that a bad
speech can seriously damage your repu-
tation. Equally, we can recall the exhila-
ration of a sparkling performance, even
though the content may have been thin.
But are skills courses what most people
need? The assumption is that if you are
taught the basics — use of slides, pace of
ADRIAN FURNHAM People “cope” by avoiding situations that cause that fear — how-
is a professor in ever debilitating that strategy is itself.
the Department of
There are three types of therapies for phobias: two behaviour-
Leadership and
Organisational al, one psychoanalytic. “Flooding” is the most dramatic. Scared
Psychology at the of birds? You get marched trembling into a public area full of pi-
Norwegian Business geons. You learn that you can survive . The fear can be managed,
School, and author
and you are cured! At work, you would be forced to give a speech
of 92 books.
— with help to control the anxiety, such as deep breathing.
The second approach is desensitization. This is more gradu-
al. You give a presentation to your partner, then to your family,
then to your most supportive colleague at work. You learn how
to present, and also that you can do it. The focus is on feelings,
not skills. This is the favoured method of treatment.
The third method is based on the assumption that there are
unhappy memories about public speaking buried deep in the
subconscious. The therapist’s job is to uncover the memories
behind the fear so it can be dealt with.
In presentation training, there is perhaps too much focus on
skills and not enough on anxiety management. That is not to say
that everyone will become a star presenter after flooding or de-
sensitization, or even psychoanalysis. But the place to start is the
heart, not the head — with feelings, not the formatting of slides.
anxiety [ÄN(zaIEti]  exhilaration scared: be ~ of sth.
,  Beklemmung, Angst [Ig)zIlE(reIS&n]  [skeEd] 
, Hochgefühl ,  sich vor etw. fürchten
assumption
[E(sVmpS&n]  fumbling [(fVmb&lIN]  slide [slaId] , Folie
, Annahme , herumfummelnd
sparkling [(spA:k&lIN] 
debilitating mundane [mVn(deIn]  ,  spritzig, brilliant
Fotos: Happy_vector, 4x6/iStock.com; privat

[di(bIlIteItIN]  , profan
presentation, complexity of story — you talk [tO:k] 
, lähmend
pathetic [pE(TetIk]  ,  hier: Vortrag
will become a competent presenter. But desensitization , mitleiderregend
much of the problem is not about skill tedious [(ti:diEs] 
[)di:)sensEtaI(zeIS&n] 
pigeon [(pIdZEn] ,  Taube ,  langweilig, ermüdend
but fear. Public speaking is the most wide- , Desensibilisierung
psychoanalysis therapeutic
spread, and for many, debilitating, phobia. downmarket
[)saIkEUE(nÄlEsIs]  [)TerE(pju:tIk] 
[)daUn(mA:kIt] UK 
And that needs a therapeutic approach. ,  [wg. Aussprache] ,  [wg. Aussprache]
,  wenig anspruchsvoll,
A phobia is the fear of fear. It manifests für den Massenmarkt; rambling [(rÄmb&lIN]  tremble [(tremb&l] 
itself in chronic avoidance behaviour. hier: 08/15 , schwafelnd , zittern

76  Business Spotlight 2/2020 CAREERS & MANAGEMENT

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 WORK & RELAX
IN THE ZONE

Child’s play?
Kinder erziehen allein ist schon harte Arbeit, die gleichzeitige berufliche Tätigkeit eine zusätzliche
Belastung. Könnte eine Kinderbetreuung am Arbeitsplatz das Problem entschärfen? Und wäre
das nicht sogar für die Unternehmen und Eltern und für die Kinder gleichermaßen nutzbringend?
JULIAN EARWAKER hat sich mit diesem Thema befasst.
MEDIUM AUDIO

W
hen Sarita James had her third
child, Uma, she decided to do

PARENTING AND WORK

things differently from what
she had done with her first two
children. Although offered paid
maternity leave, she planned
to return to work when Uma was just

62%
six weeks old. But the baby looked so of parents in the US say they have
small that James had major doubts. She difficulty finding and affording high-
thought: “Why couldn’t I bring Uma quality childcare, which can cost up to
$9,589 (about €8,600) a year
along with me to the office?” As she

$4.4 billion
writes in The New York Times, the experi-
Cost of worker
ment proved to be a big success with baby, absenteeism a year in
colleagues and even clients. lost productivity due to
Across the US, the number of working breakdowns in childcare
parents has risen in recent years. The Pew

$8.3 billion 2%
Research Center reports that 70 per cent of US
of mothers with children younger than 18 organizations
help employees
were working in 2015, compared to just pay for the high
47 per cent in 1975. But childcare remains Wages lost each year to working families due to
cost of childcare
a major problem for women seeking em- breakdowns in childcare
ployment or working longer hours. Ac-

33%
cording to research from Michigan State of highly educated US women

Fotos: Oleksandra Troian, South_agency, Eldad Carin, pictafolio, Mlenny/iStock.com

University (MSU), only seven per cent stop working every year. 74% of
these women say the lack of good
of workplaces across the US offer on-site childcare is the main reason why
day care to employees and their children. they quit
Research shows that there are many ben-
efits of workplace day care, including ac- Source: Slate (https://slate.com/human-interest/2018/02/
the-corporate-case-for-childcare.html)
cess to a larger talent pool, more women
in management, lower absenteeism, im- absenteeism day-care facility maternity leave research
proved performance and longer tenure. [)ÄbsEn(ti:)IzEm]  [(deI keE fE)sIlEti]  [mE(t§:nEti li:v]  [ri(s§:tS] 
There are, of course, downsides to hav- , Fehlzeiten , Tagesbetreuungs- , Mutterschaftsurlaub , Forschung
einrichtung
ing day-care facilities at work, including access [(Äkses]  on-site [)Qn (saIt]  set-up [(set Vp] 
potential distractions and worry (“Per- ,  Zugriff distraction ,  vor Ort; hier: betrieblich , Einrichtung
[dI(strÄkS&n] 
haps I ought to take a quick look.”). For billion [(bIljEn]  parenting tenure [(tenjE] 
, Ablenkung
, Milliarde(n) [(peErEntIN]  ,  Dauer des Beschäfti-
employers, it’s usually a question of set- downside , Elternschaft; gungsverhältnisses
up and running costs for a childcare fa- breakdown
[(daUnsaId]  Kindererziehung
[(breIkdaUn]  worry [(wVri] 
cility and concerns about the company , Schattenseite;
,  hier: Ausfall quit (a job) [kwIt]  , Besorgnis
hier: negativer Aspekt
image. ,  (eine Stelle) kündigen

78  Business Spotlight 2/2020 WORK & RELAX


But how about taking babies and older
kids to work with you? According to Bev-
erley Turner, broadcaster and working
mother of three children, constant inter-
ruption is just the beginning of your prob-
lems. “Places of work require order, focus
and decorum. Kids are inherently chaot-
ic boundary-smashers to whom Post-it
notes are flappy stickers, quietness trig-
gers the screaming reflex and coffees are
merely brown splashes in cups designed
to be elbowed off edges,” she writes on
Telegraph.com.
Sarita James admits that she took a big
risk by bringing a young baby to team
meetings and client appointments. She
was lucky that her baby daughter slept
and fed easily at work. The ease with
which she was able to return to work
made all the risks worth it.
Helping an employee to return from
parental leave is a win-win for staff and
employer, reports The Guardian. People
who take their children to work show a
more human and caring side of them-
selves to their colleagues, which is espe-
cially important for managers and direc-
tors.
Carla Moquin, founder of the US-based
Parenting in the Workplace Institute, tells
the newspaper that flexibility and work-
life balance are huge deciding factors for
people choosing a place to work. She be-
lieves that employees are far more likely
to remain at an organization if they feel
supported in their family lives.
Every year, many firms celebrate
“Bring Your Children to Work Day”. It re-
ally misses the point, however, about the
challenges of balancing work and family
life, says Sally Peck, family editor at the
Telegraph.com: “Bringing children to work
for a special event is not useful, but regu-
lar visits to see what your parent does all
day is. The goal here is not to disrupt the
office, but to show your child what is so
important that it takes you away from
them.”
WORK & RELAX
Children at work:
sometimes a
necessity, often a
distraction
“Kids are inherently
chaotic boundary-smashers”
Peck takes her three-year-old into the might expect — might find this model
office a couple of times a week before works for them, if they can get their em-
she drops her off at day care. She believes ployers to agree.” And who knows what
that these visits help explain her work- that could lead to in the future? The Finan-
ing life to her child. She hopes it will help cial Times reported recently on the success
her daughter “learn how to behave in the of its “Bring in Your Parents Day”. In years
adult world. It’s about time we got over to come, perhaps a grown-up Uma James
our strict separation of children and real will invite her mother, Sarita, to her work-
life in Britain — because it damages both.” place to share the secrets of her success —
Not every workplace is a suitable place if Mum promises to behave, of course.
for a child, of course. “If I’d been, for ex-
ample, a cook, a doctor, a bus driver or a
welder, I could never have tried it,” admits
➻
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Sarita James. “But many parents — and
BOOK
not only the ‘lean in’ professional wom- Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead
en [see “For more information”] that you Sheryl Sandberg (WH Allen)
based: ...-~ [beIst]  disrupt sth. [dIs(rVpt]  it’s about time parenting [(peErEntIN] 
,  ansässig in … ,  etw. stören [Its E)baUt (taIm]  , Elternschaft;
,  es ist höchste Zeit Kindererziehung
boundary-smasher editor [(edItE] 
[(baUndEri )smÄSE]  , Redakteur(in) lean in [)li:n (In]  screaming reflex
,  etwa: Person, die alles ,  etwa: sich reinhängen [(skri:mIN )ri:fleks] 
flappy [(flÄpi] 
umkrempelt , Schreireflex
,  lose, flatternd merely [(mIEli] 
(boundary  , Grenze)
, bloß splash [splÄS] , Spritzer
founder [(faUndE] 
broadcaster
[(brO:dkA:stE] ,  TV- und
, Gründer(in) miss the point (about sth.) trigger sth. [(trIgE] 
[)mIs DE (pOInt]  ,  etw. auslösen
Radio-Moderator(in) goal [gEUl] , Ziel
,  das Wesentliche (von
decorum [dI(kO:rEm]  inherently [In(herEntli]  etw.) nicht begreifen
welder [(weldE] 
, Schweißer(in)
,  Etikette, Anstandsregeln ,  von Natur aus
2/2020 Business Spotlight 79 
 WORK & RELAX
AWAY FROM YOUR DESK

Recommended for you

Verbannen Sie die englische Sprache nicht an den
Arbeitsplatz! Mit Büchern, Kunst und anderen
Dingen räumen Sie ihr auch in Ihrer Freizeit einen
Platz ein. Von DEBORAH CAPRAS
MEDIUM

TRAVEL
Lonely Planet, the special-
ist in travel guides, recent-
ly named England as the
world’s second-best tourist
destination for 2020, in its
Best in Travel 2020 book (af-
ter Bhutan). It singled out
the England Coast Path as
It’s a long walk: take
the scenic route
for beautiful views
FUN
Instagram is full of ridiculous selfies and pushy promo- celebrity [sE(lebrEti] 
tions, but it has other uses, too. It’s good for a laugh. Some , Promi(nente(r))

a highlight, which, when it’s
completed in the summer
of 2020, will be just over
2,800 miles long — that’s
4,500 kilometres. This will
make it the world’s long-
est coastal path, but you
don’t have to walk it in
one go. Choose a section
of the path and find out
where you can stay along
your chosen route at www.
nationaltrail.co.uk/england-
coast-path
in one go
[In )wVn (gEU] ifml. 
,  in einem Rutsch
of the funniest Instagram posts come from Celeste Barber, good-natured
an Australian comedian. In them, she pokes fun at celeb- [)gUd (neItSEd] 
,  harmlos, gutmütig
rity fashion shots, particularly photos and videos that are
painstakingly staged. Only she recreates the scenes from painstakingly
[(peInz)teIkINli] 
a more realistic — and often painful — perspective. Pop- ,  in mühevoller
ular victims include the actress Gwyneth Paltrow and Kleinarbeit
entrepreneur Victoria Beckham. The good-natured tone poke fun at sb./sth.
has made them a winner with the spoofed celebrities, too. [)pEUk (fVn Ät] 
,  sich über jmdn./etw.
Search on Instagram for #celestechallengeaccepted. lustig machen
pushy [(pUSi] 
, aufdringlich
spoof sb. [spu:f] ifml. 
,  jmdn. auf die Schippe
nehmen
stage sth. [steIdZ]  
,  etw. inszenieren

route [ru:t]  Just good fun?

,  [wg. Aussprache] Imitating Beyoncé
single sth. out [)sINg&l (aUt]  (far left) and
,  etw. herausgreifen
Gwyneth Paltrow

80  Business Spotlight 2/2020 WORK & RELAX

 BOOKS
With Rivers of London, Ben Aaronovitch
first created his own unique mash-up
of fantasy fiction and urban crime
novels, back in 2011. In the meantime, instalment [In(stO:lmEnt] 
, Fortsetzung
he’s written a whole series of books
mash-up [(mÄS Vp] ifml. 
that mix magic with the metropoli- , Mix
tan police. His latest work is a novella,
novella [nEU(velE] 
The October Man. This time, he turns ,  kurzer Roman,
his charms on another river, the Kyll, Erzählung

A British which runs through Trier, the oldest tempted [(temptId] 

film: full city in Germany. You can enjoy this , verleitet
of national
treasures
adventure without knowing the oth- turn one’s charms on sth.
ers, but you might be tempted to read [)t§:n wVnz (tSA:mz Qn] 
,  etwa: sein Talent /
them afterwards. The next instalment seine Kreativität auf
in London, False Value, is planned for etw. verwenden
2020. Published by Gollancz. unique [ju(ni:k] 
, einzigartig

DVD
Vanessa Redgrave rarely moves
out of the bed in Mrs Lowry & Son,
but her performance as the cruel,
Magical
domineering mother of L. S. Lowry moments:
(1887–1976) is formidable. Lowry, fantasy
played movingly by Timothy Spall, fiction and
crime
is one of Britain’s national treasures
(along with Redgrave and Spall).
The Mancunian artist captured
England’s industrial north in the
first half of the 20th century us-
ing, he claimed, only five colours:
black, white, yellow, red and blue.
This gives many of his paintings APP
of matchstick people a somewhat The main streaming platforms have pret-
gloomy air. The style disappointed ty much neglected classical music in their
his mother and put off the art world search for paid listeners. A strange decision,
for years. The film is filled with given that fans of this genre tend to be pas-
strong dialogues — it was originally sionate about music. An understandable one,
written as a radio play — but there however, considering the genre’s complexity.
are also some wonderful scenes in Former management consultant and pianist
Fotos: Ian Dagnall/Alamy Stock Photo; zotyaba/iStock.com; Instagram; PR

which Lowry’s most famous paint- Thomas Steffens has developed a solution:
ings seem to come to life. a classical streaming service with dedicat-
ed app that is as classy as the music you can
air [eE] , Atmosphäre Mancunian stream on it. After a 14-day free trial, Prime-
[mÄn(kju:niEn]  phonic Platinum costs €149.99 a year, and
capture sth. [(kÄptSE] 
,  aus Manchester Premium costs €79.99. www.primephonic.com
,  etw. einfangen
matchstick
domineering
[(mÄtSstIk]  classy [(klA:si] ifml.   genre [(ZQnrE] 
[)dQmI(nIErIN] 
, Streichholz , erstklassig ,  [wg. Aussprache]
, herrschsüchtig
put sb. off dedicated given that... [(gIv&n DÄt] 
formidable
[)pUt (Qf]  [(dedIkeItId]  ,  angesichts der
[(fO:mIdEb&l] 
,  jmdn. abschrecken ,  hier: zugehörig Tatsache, dass ...
, beeindruckend
treasure [(treZE]  free trial [)fri: (traIEl]  passionate: be ~ about sth.
gloomy [(glu:mi]  For passionate music
,  hier: Kulturikone ,  kostenloser Testzeitraum [(pÄS&nEt] 
, düster lovers: a classy app
,  von etw. begeistert sein

WORK & RELAX 2/2020 Business Spotlight 81 

 TRIBUTE
FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES

Here we pay tribute to two dear friends and long-standing colleagues who died in January.

CLAUDINE WEBER-HOF (1970–2020) NICK BRIEGER (1948–2020)

On 16 January, we lost our Nick Brieger passed away

dear colleague and friend on 21 January. For many
Claudine Weber-Hof. years, he was a director of Please send your
feedback to:
Extremely popular with the training organization Ian McMaster
the Spotlight and Business York Associates and wrote Editor-in-chief
Spotlight teams, Claudine a number of seminal busi- Email: i.mcmaster@
spotlight-verlag.de
was made deputy edi- ness English coursebooks We reserve the right
tor of Spotlight in March 2009, two years after with his fellow director, Jeremy Comfort. In to- to edit comments for
clar­ity or length.
joining Spotlight Verlag. “Nobody could have tal, Nick authored more than 30 books in the
wished for a better person to fill that position,” field of language, communication and culture.
says editor-in-chief, Inez Sharp. “Claudine was After receiving a degree in law and a master’s
dedicated to her work both as a writer and an in applied linguistics, Nick was a teacher and
editor, and this showed in the energy and con- teacher trainer in western, central and eastern
centration that she brought to her work.” Europe — and later in Asia. His main areas of
Claudine was born in the US and graduated focus were communication skills, intercultural
from Georgetown University with a bachelor competence and high-performing teams.
of science in foreign service (cum laude) in 1992. Nick also wrote regularly on technical Eng-
She received a master’s in architectural history lish for Business Spotlight. “He was a lovely man,
from the University of Virginia in 1997. After who combined attention to detail and a won-
moving to Germany, Claudine worked at a derful sense of humour,” says Ian McMaster,
number of different publishing houses before editor-in-chief of Business Spotlight. “Thousands
joining Spotlight Verlag as a staff writer and of business English teachers all around the
Solution: Who am I?
editor in 2007. You will find her most recent world are indebted to Nick for his expertise. (p. 84)
work here: www.spotlight-online.de/Claudine He was a true pioneer in our industry.”
Taylor Swift, US singer,
songwriter and actor

JARGON BUSTER

Understand the jargon —

­ be careful how you use it
EASY

soup to nuts
Fotos: Gert Krrautbauer; privat; ddp

➻ Example ➻ Explanation
“Our customers can expect In US informal usage, “(from) soup to nuts” literally describes how a multiple-course
excellent support, from soup meal progresses from its first course, soup, to its last course, nuts. In modern business
to nuts.” English, the phrase is used quite generally to mean “(from) beginning to end”.

82  Business Spotlight 2/2020 TRIBUTE

 PREVIEW
ISSUE 3/2020
Mentoring: potentially
an enormous help
impressum
Herausgeber
Jan Henrik Groß
Chefredakteur
Dr. Ian McMas­ter (V.i.S.d.P.)
Art Director
Michael Scheufler
Verlag und Redaktion
Spotlight Ver­lag GmbH
Kistlerhofstr. 172
81379 München
www.business-spotlight.de
ISSN 1617-1888
Geschäftsführer
Jan Henrik Groß
Geschäftsführende Redakteurin
(Chefin vom Dienst)
Maja Sirola
Redaktion
Tenley van den Berg
Dr. Karl Brehmer (frei),
Susanne Krause (online),
Hildegard Rudolph (frei),
Michele Tilgner (frei)
Illustration: erhui1979/iStock.com
Bildredaktion
Sarah Gough (Leitung),
Judith Rothenbusch
Gestaltung
Georg Lechner
Mitarbeiter dieser Ausgabe
Sabine Hübner-Pesce,
Ina Sinning (frei)
PREVIEW
Autoren
Deborah Capras, Bob Dignen,
Julian Earwak­er, Matt Firth,
Steve Flinders, Evan Frendo,
Adrian Furnham, Anna Hochsieder,
Mike Hogan, Lois Hoyal, Elisabeth
Ribbans, Karen Richardson,
James Schofield, Mike Seymour,
Vicki Sussens, Dagmar Taylor,
Ken Taylor, Paul Wheatley
Leitung Produktion und
Redaktionsmanagement ­
Thorsten Mansch
Litho
Mohn Media Mohndruck GmbH
33311 Gütersloh
Druck
Vogel Druck & Medienservice
GmbH, 97204 Höchberg
Vertriebsleiterin
Moni­ka Wohl­ge­muth
Marketingleiterin
Jessica Sonnenberg
Vertrieb Handel
DPV Deutscher Pressevertrieb GmbH Düsseldorf
www.dpv.de
© 2020 Spot­light Ver­lag,
auch für alle genannten Autoren, Frankfurt
Fotografen und Mitarbeiter.
Der Spotlight Verlag ist ein
Tochter­unternehmen der
Zeitverlag Gerd Bucerius GmbH
& CO KG.
ächste
Die n
Ausga
sine ss Spo
Bu
ersch
18. M
Anzeigenvermarktung
(Chief Sales Officer):
Áki Hardarson
(DIE ZEIT, V.i.S.d.P.)
Tel. +49 (0)40/3280-1333
aki.hardarson@zeit.de
Leitung Kooperationen
Key Account Manager
Sprachenmarkt
Iriet Yusuf
Tel. +49 (0)89/8 56 81-135
i.yusuf@spotlight-verlag.de
Sales Manager Sprachenmarkt
Eva-Maria Markus
Tel. +49 (0)89/8 56 81-131
e.markus@spotlight-verlag.de
Repräsentanz
Empfehlungsanzeigen
Anzeigenleitung
iq media marketing GmbH
Anke Wiegel
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anke.wiegel@iqm.de
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sales-duesseldorf@iqm.de
Tel. +49 (0)69/24 24-45 10
sales-frankfurt@iqm.de
München
Tel. +49 (0)89/54 59 07-29
sales-muenchen@iqm.de
Mentoring
Having a mentor can be an
enormous help. Our special
careers article looks at what
mentoring is, how to do it
successfully and how to maxi-
mize the benefits it can bring.
New Zealand
Our intercultural article takes
us down under, to New
Zealand, which is famous for
its relaxed way of life but is
also facing serious challenges.
SKILL UP!
Digital marketing
In our next Skill Up! booklet,
we give you the words and
expressions you’ll need to
discuss issues relating to
n
modern marketing methods.
be vo
tlight
m
eint a
20.
ärz 20
leserservice
Stuttgart
Tel. +49 (0)711/9 66 66-560 Fragen Konditionen
sales-muenchen@iqm.de zum Abonnement und zu Abonnement pro Ausgabe
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2/2020 Business Spotlight 83 
 AND FINALLY...
ONE QUESTION

? Who am I?
MEDIUM

From a Christmas tree farm

to Glastonbury: who is our
mystery person?

⋅⋅ I was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, in the

United States.
⋅⋅ I spent my early childhood on a Christmas tree
farm. My job was to pick praying mantis eggs
off the trees. We didn’t want them to hatch
inside people’s houses.

⋅⋅⋅⋅ My first hobby was horse riding.

⋅⋅ I am often referred to as “America’s

⋅⋅
My grandmother was a professional sweetheart”.

⋅⋅
opera singer. I will headline the Glastonbury
A computer A computer repairman taught me Festival for the event’s 50-year

⋅⋅
how to play my first few chords on anniversary in June 2020.
repairman
⋅⋅
the guitar. I was named after the famous
Now, I can play the acoustic guitar, American singer and songwriter
taught me the electric guitar, the piano, the James Taylor.

⋅⋅⋅⋅
ukulele and the banjo.
how to play I turned 30 on 13 December 2019.
I am a vocal supporter of LGBTQ+
my first few
⋅⋅⋅⋅
rights.  ho am I?
W
Michelle Obama is my role model. Turn to page 82 for the answer.
chords on the I often write songs about my ex-

guitar ⋅⋅
boyfriends.
In 2010, I became the youngest anniversary praying mantis
recipient ever of the Grammy [)ÄnI(v§:sEri]  [)preIIN (mÄntIs] 
, Jubiläum , Gottesanbeterin
Awards’ Album of the Year, at the age
chord [kO:d]  recipient [ri(sIpiEnt] 

⋅⋅
of 20.
, Akkord , Empfänger(in);
In 2015, I became the youngest hier: Preisträger(in)
hatch [hÄtS] 
woman ever to appear on theForbes’s , schlüpfen role model

⋅⋅
list of the 100 most powerful women. [(rEUl )mQd&l] 
headline sth.
And I was listed as one of TIME , Vorbild
[(hedlaIn] 
magazine’s most influential people in ,  bei etw. als Haupt- sweetheart
performer(in) auftreten

⋅⋅
[(swi:thA:t] 
2010, 2015 and 2019.
, Liebling
I have 125 million followers on LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay,
Illustration: Georg Lechner

bisexual, transgender, to date [tE (deIt] 

⋅⋅
Instagram. queer) [)el dZi: bi: ti: ,  bisher, bis dato
To date, I have won more than 100 kju: (plVs] 
ukulele

⋅⋅
awards for my music. ,  alle Personengruppen,
[)ju:kE(leIli] 
The information about our die nicht der hetero-
mystery person was compiled
I like to surprise my fans by going to sexuellen Norm ent-
,  [wg. Aussprache]
by TENLEY VAN DEN BERG. them in person. sprechen

84  Business Spotlight 2/2020 AND FINALLY...

BU SINE S S EN GLISC H
IM PAK E T.
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 Meghan Markle ist
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 WÖ R T E R B U C H B U S I N E S S - E N G L I S C H

Schimpfen im Beruf
(without losing your job)

Bul l s ht !
 USEFUL TIPS

Keep a lookout for the special

SKILL UP! boxes in this booklet.
You will find extra tips about the
use of swear words by native
speakers, as well as insights into
the use of swear words in busi-
ness situations. We hope our tips
will help you understand how
people swear in English. More
importantly, we hope they help
you understand when cursing in
English may not be appropriate.

Impressum
HERAUSGEBER: Jan Henrik Groß • CHEFREDAKTEUR: Dr. Ian McMaster • GESCHÄFTS-
FÜHRENDE REDAKTEURIN (CvD): Maja Sirola • AUTORIN: Deborah Capras • REDAKTION:
Hildegard Rudolph (frei), Michele Tilgner (frei) • BILDREDAKTION: Sarah Gough (Leitung),
Judith Rothenbusch • ART DIRECTOR: Michael Scheufler • GESTALTUNG: Georg Lechner •
VERTRIEBSLEITUNG: Monika Wohlgemuth • PRODUKTIONSLEITUNG: Thorsten Mansch
• VERLAG & REDAKTION: Spotlight Verlag GmbH, Kistlerhofstraße 172, 81379 München,
Deutschland, Tel. +49 (0)89/8 56 81-0 • www.business-spotlight.de • LITHO und DRUCK:
Medienschiff Bruno, Hamburg • © 2/2020 Spotlight Verlag
 Mind your language!
Let me start with a warning. The foul language in
this booklet could seriously damage your career. To
better understand the dangers of swearing, make
sure you read our overview of the negative effects
of cursing at work (“What does it mean?”, pp. 4–5).
Author:
That said, swearing can also be a fantastic way
Deborah Capras
to express our emotions. In this booklet, we high-
light workplace situations when native speakers might use swear
words. Throughout, in our “Did you know?” boxes, we also present
research into swearing. As you will discover, swearing can help gain
trust, create a rapport and build a team (“What a team!”, pp. 16–17).
In the end, however, it can be extremely difficult for learners of
a language to understand just how strong some expressions are,
especially when they contain the “f-word” (“WTF!”, pp. 14–15). For
this reason, we advise against using four-letter words anywhere near
people you don’t know very well. We hope you find this booklet a
useful guide to why and how people swear at work — and when and
why it might be best not to swear at all.

Contents
What does it mean?........................................................................................................................................ 4
What language!................................................................................................................................................... 6
What a pain! ........................................................................................................................................................... 8
What the hell! .....................................................................................................................................................10
What bullshit! ......................................................................................................................................................12
WTF! ..............................................................................................................................................................................14
What a team! .......................................................................................................................................................16
What a wally! ......................................................................................................................................................18
What a mess! ......................................................................................................................................................20
Key expressions ..............................................................................................................................................  22
Business Spotlight SCHIMPFEN IM BERUF  3
What does it mean?
Before you can get better at “schimpfen”, we first need
to look at what it means. It’s one of those words that are
tricky to translate.
1. The verb schimpfen is often
translated as swear or curse
in English, especially when
it refers to using words that
some people may find offen-
sive: Normalerweise hätte ich laut
geschimpft, aber mein Chef war
neben mir!
●● “Normally, I would have
sworn out loud, but my boss
was next to me!”
2. When schimpfen refers to
saying you are not happy or
satisfied with something, we
translate it as complain or,
when the complaining is done
in an annoying way, moan or
groan: Hör auf, über die engen
Fristen zu schimpfen!
●● “Stop moaning about the
tight deadlines!”
3. When schimpfen is described
as ausgiebig, heftig or wütend,
4  SCHIMPFEN IM BERUF
we translate it as rant or,
when the shouting gets really
loud, rant and rave or kick up
a fuss: Unser Chef hat heftig über
die Kunden geschimpft!
●● “Our boss was ranting and
raving about the customers.”
4. When mit jmdm. schimpfen is
used to mean “criticize some-
one angrily”, we say tell sb. off.
If the language used is strong,
we can also say tear sb. apart
or tear into sb.: Hast du gehört,
wie sie mit Julia geschimpft hat?
Unglaublich!
●● “Did you hear how she tore
into Julia? Unbelievable!”
5. Finally, if you need to trans-
late wüst schimpfen, say use
foul/strong language: Es ist
unzumutbar, wie wüst er schimpft.
●● “It’s unacceptable the way he
uses foul language.”
Business Spotlight
Swearing and cursing
In certain professions, especial-
ly ones that are traditionally
male-dominated, foul language
may be more acceptable. If you
are new to a company, listen
how people communicate with
each other. If they swear a lot,
this doesn’t mean that you have
to. If, however, you like swearing
but nobody else seems to, it’s
probably best to put a sock in it
(die Klappe halten).
Moaning and groaning
Nobody likes a whinger (Nörg-
ler(in)). In most jobs, you can al-
ways find something to moan
or groan about. However, you
don’t want to be that person
who finds the problems. Instead,
be the person who provides the
solutions.
Ranting and raving
Most people lose their cool (die
Fassung verlieren) now and again.
When we’re under pressure or
in pain, it can feel good to let
off steam (Dampf ablassen) — by
swearing and complaining loud-
ly about something you need to
Business Spotlight
get off your chest (sich etw. von
der Seele reden). But if your col-
leagues and managers see you
lose your rag (die Beherrschung
verlieren, ausrasten) too often,
your professional reputation
will suffer. People won’t want
you on their team — or even in
the company.
Telling off and
tearing into somebody
You need a very good reason to
tear into sb. in the workplace,
especially if you use swear
words to do it. Don’t do it in
public. In fact, don’t do it at all.
People make mistakes, things
go wrong and conflicts are often
unavoidable. It’s all part of doing
business.
Today, most companies have
a code of conduct (Verhaltensko-
dex) that requires everyone to
show respect to each other. The
last thing you want is to be the
person responsible for a hostile
(feindselig) or toxic (giftig) work-
ing environment. Understanda-
bly, it can get you fired.
SCHIMPFEN IM BERUF  5
What language!
How much do people really swear in the workplace?
What you see on TV and in films is not always what is —
or should be — happening in the real world.
Swearing in the media
Films and TV shows seem to be
always showing us that swear-
ing in the workplace is cool and
common. Take The Morning Show.
Jennifer Aniston and Reese
Witherspoon are the stars of this
Apple TV+ series. It opens with a
man answering an iPhone in the
middle of the night. It’s dark. We
hear only one side of the conver-
sation, and it goes like this: “So
that’s it? Motherfucker*. We’re
destroyed.” What an opening.
It’s dramatic. It’s entertaining.
But is it realistic? Most work-
places would never allow that
kind of language — not even on
the nightshift. (* Wichser)
Swearing personalities
There are a few people who can
get away with swearing. Gordon
Ramsay, the British celebrity
chef, definitely can. However,
6  SCHIMPFEN IM BERUF
he works in a high-pressure pro-
fession where swearing is the
norm. Also, he’s a celebrity chef
and part of his act is the swear-
ing. He’s good at it and the audi-
ence like it. There are very few
companies that would accept
such behaviour — even from
the boss.
Swearing in reality
Carol Bartz was fired as chief
executive of Yahoo! back in
2011 after only two and a half
years on the job. When asked
at a 2012 “Women in the Econ-
omy” conference if there was
anything she would have done
differently, she admitted there
was. “I probably wouldn’t have
said the f-word,” she told the au-
dience. She was famous for tell-
ing her staff she would “dropkick
to fucking Mars” anyone who
talked to bloggers. Someone did.
Business Spotlight
A German problem?
Why is it that Germans who
might not swear very much in
their own language feel it’s fine
to use the filthiest four-letter
words in English? Here are a few
of the worst examples.
“A shitstorm”
Although shit (Scheiße, Kacke)
and storm are clearly common
English words, the combina-
tion shitstorm isn’t, really. You
won’t even find it in Merriam-
Webster’s online dictionary. We
know what you mean when you
use it, but you really shouldn’t.
Instead, try the less offensive
“huge fuss” or the more elegant
“furore”.
“Fuck* the diet”
For some strange reason, this
slogan was used in Germany for
an advertising campaign in Du
darfst products. You could even
order stickers with the “Fuck
the diet” slogan. Where you
were supposed to stick them
wasn’t clear. The campaign was
dropped. (* ficken)
Business Spotlight
“Fuck you*, Greta”
What is it with swear words
and stickers in Germany? This
abusive text was the line on a
bumper sticker that started ap-
pearing in Germany in 2019. The
“Greta” here is Greta Thunberg,
the teenage climate activist. It’s
unclear whether the designer
of the sticker really understood
how offensive the f-you expres-
sion is, especially when com-
bined with the name of a young
teenager. It was originally avail-
able on Amazon, but has now
been removed. Somebody saw
sense. (* fick dich)
Fack ju Göhte
This was the title of the most
successful German film in 2013.
It was supposed to highlight
how dumb the young teenag-
ers in the film were. So dumb
that they couldn’t spell, or pro-
nounce, “Fuck you, Goethe” cor-
rectly. Interestingly, the title was
changed for the US market — to
Suck* Me Shakespeare. (* lutschen)
SCHIMPFEN IM BERUF  7
What a pain!
Swearing can be good for you. Seriously. It can help us
deal with pain. Here, we focus on the language used to
express pain, both physical and mental. And we provide
you with some polite alternatives.

Did you know?

Studies have shown that people who swear when they are experienc-
ing pain can tolerate the pain for longer. Interestingly, the stronger the
swear words, the better the effect. According to one study by Richard
Stephens, a psychologist and the author of Black Sheep: The Hidden Ben-
efits of Being Bad, “fuck” is the best painkiller of them all. He found that
people who shouted “fuck” while they had their hand in freezing cold
water could keep their hand under water much longer — and also didn’t
feel so bad after they took it out.

Strong language Mild language

Paul: Fuck! Fuck!
Ron: What’s wrong?
Paul: I hit my elbow on that
fucking box. Shit! That
really hurt. Who put it
there?
Ron: Sorry, that was me. Are
you OK? Shall I just
ignore you while you
have a mini-meltdown?
Paul: Yes — that’s probably
best! Bugger!
Paula: Sugar!
Sean: What happened?
Paula: My computer crashed
again. It’s driving me
crazy!
Sean: What a pain! Did you
lose anything?
Paula: Probably everything.
Drat.
Sean: Ow! That’s so annoy-
ing!

8  SCHIMPFEN IM BERUF Business Spotlight

 Expressing pain and frustration

fuck
fucking
bugger (UK)
shit
drat
sugar
ouch
ow
“SUGAR” OR “BUGGER”?
Swearing is often an automatic
Showing sympathy emotional reaction. Some people
●● That’s so annoying! try to replace swear words with
●● That’s unbelievable!
milder vocabulary. Instead of shit,
●● What a pain!
for instance, they might say sugar.
Said too often, however, it can
sound childish. Note that bugger
Common expressions is a popular swear word in the UK
●● have a mini-meltdown
(etwa: Ach du Scheiße!) and that it is
●● I don’t believe it.
regarded as a fairly mild expres-
Illustration: Bernhard Förth

●● It’s driving me crazy! sion. This sometimes surprises

●● What a pain in the arse! Americans, as one meaning of the
●● What a pain in the neck! verb bugger is “have anal sex”. That
doesn’t stop the British from using
the word to express pain, however.

Business Spotlight SCHIMPFEN IM BERUF  9

What the hell!
You’ll find a lot of people use “holy” words when they
are feeling emotional, especially when they are annoyed or
frustrated. Again, we provide some polite alternatives.

Medium
Ria: Oh, for heaven’s sake!
Mark emailed me
again about the data.
I’ve only just started
on it.
Susan: That’s your phone.
I bet it’s him.
Ria: You’re right. Damn!
Should I just let it ring?
Strong Susan: Hell, yeah!
John: Oh, bloody hell!
They’ve only sched-
Mild
uled yet another two-
Meg: Darn it! The confer-
hour meeting today.
ence room is already
Rachel: Holy shit! That means
booked.
we’ll have to stay late
Zoe: Who’s reserved it?
to finish this presenta-
Meg: The production team.
tion for the clients.
I could ask Mark if
They know the clients
they really need it for
are coming tomorrow,
the full three hours.
don’t they?
Zoe: Good luck with that.
John: Of course they do.
Meg: Heck, what do we do
There’ll be hell to pay
now?
if it’s not ready!

10  SCHIMPFEN IM BERUF Business Spotlight

 Showing surprise and/or frustration

Holy shit!
Bloody hell! (UK)
For Christ’s sake!
For God’s sake!
Oh my God, Jesus!
What the hell!
Damn! / Damn it! Expressing agreement
For heaven’s sake! Hell, yeah!
Expressing disagreement
Darn it! (instead of “damn”) Like hell we will!
Heck! (instead of “hell”) Showing confusion
What the hell happened?
OMG! (instead of “oh my God”)
Common expression
Oh my gosh! (instead of “God”) There’ll be hell to pay!

Did you know?

Hell is a bad place, so they say, whereas heaven is paradise. Work
probably feels more like hell than heaven, but it may be best not
Illustrationen: Bernhard Förth

to say that. Some people find expressions that contain religious

references very offensive. This is especially true in the US, and of
expressions that include “God”, “Jesus” or “Christ”, or, in fact, any
combination of religious characters — such as this one that you
might hear in Ireland: “Jesus, Mary and Joseph!”

Business Spotlight SCHIMPFEN IM BERUF  11

What bullshit!
Many swear words come from a taboo subject in most
languages: bodily functions. A lot of them are used to
show that we don’t believe something or someone — or to
express real anger. Again, we list some polite alternatives.

Strong
Sue: That’s bullshit and they
know it. I wish they’d
get their shit together!
Andy: I agree.
Sue: Why can’t they just cut
the crap and be honest
with us?
Mild
Brian: You’re kidding me!
He really expects us to
work this weekend?
Lucy: He does. He says we all
need to be here.
Brian: Well, that’s nonsense!
I’ll call him now.

Strong False friend

Jon: We’re in deep shit. Mist is regarded as a fairly
Louis says they won’t mild swear word in German.
pay for the delivery. But don’t use it in English, as
Angie: You’re shitting me! it means Nebel. If you want to
That will destroy us. use something similar, try the
Jon: No shit, Sherlock! following:
Angie: Well, I don’t need this • So ein Mist! — Bummer! /
crap. I’m calling his What a bummer!
boss. • Mist! Ich habe seinen Namen
vergessen! — Damn! I’ve for-
gotten his name!
• Er redet Mist. — He’s talking
crap/nonsense/rubbish.

12  SCHIMPFEN IM BERUF Business Spotlight

Expressing disbelief

He’s full of shit!

She knows jack shit! (US)
Talking about problems
You’re shitting me! ●● We’re in deep shit.
I call bullshit. ●● They need to get their shit

together.
Cut the crap! ●● The shit will hit the fan!

That’s (utter) bullshit! Showing agreement (often

sarcastically)
That’s crap! ●● No shit, Sherlock!

●● No shit.
That’s BS! (US)
Showing indifference
That’s hogwash! ●● I couldn’t give a shit!

●● I could give a shit! (US)

That’s absolute nonsense/
●● Tough shit!
rubbish! (UK)
Expressing anger
You’re pulling my leg! ●● I’m so pissed (with him).

●● I’m really pissed off!

You’re having me on! (UK) ●● I don’t need this crap.

You’re kidding me!

TOO OFFENSIVE
All the expressions in red and in the box on this page are truly
offensive. While crap (Scheiß(e), Kack(e)) and bullshit (Mist, Scheiße,
Schwachsinn) are generally viewed as milder than all the other combi-
nations, you should still use them with caution — or not at all.

Business Spotlight SCHIMPFEN IM BERUF  13

WTF!
The f-word seems to come far too easy to learners of
English. As a non-native speaker of English, it may even
seem less offensive than it does to native speakers.
That’s not to say we don’t use it. Do we? Fuck yeah!
(Used strategically, it can have a humorous effect.) But
we also use polite alternatives in business situations.

Strong Did you know?

Mike: What the fuck just
In Britain until the 1960s, the
happened? Why didn’t
use of the f-word in the media
we include the extra
might have led to prosecution.
costs in the offer?
Today, some conservative
Jake: Sales forgot.
publications, such as The Daily
Mike: For fuck’s sake! You'll
Mail, still choose to hide swear
have send a new offer.
words. They replace letters
Jake: Me? Un-fucking-
with asterisks (f**k), often
believable! Call sales
turning a report into a kind of
and tell them to fix
puzzle. For an insight into how
their own fucking
swearing in the British media
mistake!
has changed over the years,
Mild watch Yes, Minister, a BBC
Dave: How’s the software? comedy series on politics in
Sabine: FUBAR! the 1980s, then The Thick of It, a
Dave: They still haven’t fixed BBC satirical series on politics
it? in the 21st century. Short clips
Sabine:  They’ve done sweet are available on YouTube.
FA about it.

14  SCHIMPFEN IM BERUF Business Spotlight

 Showing agreement Expressing indifference
●● Abso-fucking-lutely! ●● I don’t give a fuck.
●● Fuck yeah! ●● Who gives a fuck?

Expressing disbelief/ Common abbreviations

surprise/anger ●● FUBAR (= fucked beyond all
●● For fuck’s sake! recognition)
●● Fuck me! / Fuck off! ●● sweet FA (= fuck all)

●● No fucking way! ●● WTF! (= What the fuck!)

●● Un-fucking-believable!

Showing confusion/
frustration
●● How the fuck did that

happen?
●● What/Where/Who/Why

the fuck...?

FLEXIBLE AS FUCK
In business situations, the f-word is best avoided, unless you know
your colleagues are OK with it. Interestingly, the f-word has a wide
range of uses that you won’t find with other words. We use it as an
imperative (“Fuck off!”), a noun (“Fuck knows!”), an adjective (“I’m a
Illustration: Bernhard Förth

fucking idiot!”/ “That's fucked up”), an adverb (“It’s still fucking rain-
ing!” / “It was fucking hilarious!”), a phrasal verb (“We fucked up”) or,
very rarely, as part of a word (“abso-fucking-lutely”). And its meaning
can change according to the context: “We’re so fucked!” could mean
“we have a serious problem” or, simply, that we’re exhausted.

Business Spotlight SCHIMPFEN IM BERUF  15

What a team!
Swearing together can work well for a team, but only if
the team culture allows it. Here, we present language for
asking people not to swear, for apologizing for swearing
when you cause offence — and for team-bonding.

Strong Mild
Maeve: Sorry for the lan- Mark: Bugger! I forgot to send
guage, but why the out the brochures.
fuck haven’t we seen Sylvie: Language, Mark!
the design yet? Mark: Sorry, excuse my
Dave: Fuck knows. They’re French!
so fucking useless. Strong
Debbie: Could you tone it Chris: Did you see the email
down a little? from our client?
Dave: Sorry, I apologize. But Jim: I did. Well done, every-
they really are worse one! You’re fucking
than useless. rock stars!
Maeve: Sorry. I didn’t mean Chris: We fucking kicked
to offend you. their asses, didn’t we?

Did you know?

In her book Swearing Is Good for You: The Amazing Science of Bad Language,
neuroscientist Emma Byrne focuses on the many positive aspects of
cursing. She highlights research that suggests swearing can promote
trust and teamwork in the office. People who swear together often
trust each other, she writes. At the same time, she also warns that it
takes a lot of emotional intelligence to get the balance of appropriate
swear words right.

16  SCHIMPFEN IM BERUF Business Spotlight

 WARNING: TOXIC ENVIRONMENT
Your use of language in your team can help create a sense of com-
munity — or be a source of conflict. Too much swearing can create a
hostile or toxic work environment. You may think you’re being funny,
but someone else might not. If someone criticizes you for swearing,
it’s best to apologize immediately. And if you feel that your team
generally hasn’t got the balance right, you should discuss it. Together,
create a code of conduct specifically for your team. And update it
when you have a new team member.

Swearing for bonding Asking someone not to swear

●● You’re fucking rock stars! ●● Could you tone it down a

●● We fucking kicked their little?

asses! (US) ●● Do you really need to

swear?
Apologizing for swearing ●● There’s (really) no need to

●● Excuse / Pardon my French. swear.

●● I didn’t mean to offend you. ●● Watch your language.

●● I’m sorry if I offended you.

●● Sorry for the language, but

why...
●● Sorry, I apologize.

Showing you are offended

(often used humorously)
Illustration: Bernhard Förth

●● Do you mind?

●● Language!

●● Mind your language!

Business Spotlight SCHIMPFEN IM BERUF  17

What a wally!
Most of us have to work with people we find difficult.
Swearing about them to friends, and possibly close
colleagues, can relieve stress. Just make sure everyone
in the room is comfortable with your choice of language.
Again, we provide you with a few polite alternatives.

Did you know?

Research published in the Journal of Language and Social Psychology sug-
gests that many people hold unconscious biases against people who
swear a lot. They automatically assume that such people are less
intelligent and cannot be trusted. Which is strange, given that other
research shows that people who swear are generally more honest
than people who don’t. Confused? Basically, swearing is complex.
You will need to know your audience before you let off steam.

Strong Strong
Clive: So, he asked me to go Julie: Mark can be a bit of a
to the office at 5 a.m. to dick sometimes.
give him the docu- Manos: What’s he done now?
ments. And then the Julie: He wants us to rework
wanker wasn’t even our design completely.
there. By Monday.
Louise: He sounds like an Manos: Yeah, that is a dick
arsehole. move.
Clive: And he wouldn’t pay
for my taxi. Mild
Louise: What a stingy bastard. John: I’m going to New York
But he’s also our most for the meeting!
important client! Anne: You lucky bugger!

18  SCHIMPFEN IM BERUF Business Spotlight

 Offensive terms
●● arsehole (US asshole)
●● dick (Schwanz (Penis))

●● dickhead (Arschloch; Volltrottel)

●● wanker (UK)(Wichser)

Offensive (humorous) terms

●● What a stingy bastard! (geiziger Mistkerl)

●● You lucky bugger*! (UK)(Glückspilz (*Arschficker))

●● Bloody/silly/stupid cow!

Less offensive term

●● What a jerk! (US)(Depp)

●● What a wally! (UK)(Trottel)

Talking about bad behaviour

●● That is/was a dick move.

(Das ist/war eine miese Nummer.)

●● That is/was a dick thing to do.

WARNING: BITCH!
Racist, religious or personal slurs are never OK. You should also be
careful with “bitch”. Language experts say the taboo around the
word has changed, as women today may call themselves “bitch”
to show they feel empowered. But it can mean anything from “a
horrible woman” to “a weak man” or “a sexual servant”. As a verb,
Illustration: Bernhard Förth

it means “complain” (“Stop bitching about the cold!”) or “inform”

(“He bitched to the boss!”). As an adjective, it can mean “nasty”
(“I’m being bitchy now, but she’s useless.”). Mostly, it’s a highly
offensive label for a woman who is doing something that someone
else (often a man) doesn't like. Its original meaning is “female dog”.

Business Spotlight SCHIMPFEN IM BERUF  19

What a mess!
It can be frustrating when things go wrong or when you
make a mistake, which is why you might hear a lot of
swear words in such situations. Again, we provide you
with some polite alternatives.

Strong Strong
Matt: From start to finish, Carol: I don’t need to tell you
it was awful. It was a all that this is our big
shitshow. opportunity — try not
Ray: A total clusterfuck. to fuck it up!
We’re so totally Georg: Don’t worry, we have
fucked. the perfect idea — it’s
Matt: Look, shit happens, the dog’s bollocks.
but this time, someone Mild
should be fired. Gina: They botched it up
completely.
Lee: The colours don’t look
right.
Gina: It’s a right mess. I’ll
send it back.

Did you know?

The more you swear, the less an effect it will have on others (and
the more you might lose the respect of your colleagues). However,
when someone who normally doesn’t swear suddenly curses, the
effect can be strong. People sit up and listen. That doesn’t mean the
effect will always be positive. A single profanity at the wrong time
to the wrong person could cost you your job.

20  SCHIMPFEN IM BERUF Business Spotlight

 Offensive terms
●● A total clusterfuck!

●● It was a shitshow!

●● It was a total cock-up!

●● It’s fucked up.

●● It’s fucked.

●● They fucked/cocked/

screwed it up.
●● They screwed up.

●● Try not to fuck (it) up!

●● We’re so totally fucked. Showing understanding

●● We’re well and truly fucked. ●●Shit happens!

Inoffensive terms Talking about success

●● It’s a right mess! (UK) ●● It’s the dog’s bollocks*. (UK)
●● They botched it up. (Das ist das Größte!, Das ist
●● They messed up! phänomenal! (* Eier (Hoden))
●● They messed it up! ●● It’s a hit.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

While all the expressions highlighted on these pages describe things
that have gone badly, there are differences in their usage and meaning.
A “shitshow” (Durcheinander) is a situation that is generally marked
Illustration: Bernhard Förth

by chaos, while a “clusterfuck” (heilloses Durcheinander, Riesenchaos) is

a complete disaster that affects many people in a negative way. It’s
usually caused by incompetence or bad management. A “fuck-up” or
a “cock-up” (Mist, Schlamassel) could be anything between a complete
disaster and — when used humorously — a minor mistake. All of the
expressions are vulgar.

Business Spotlight SCHIMPFEN IM BERUF  21

Key expressions
Here, we present common expressions used to swear,
rant or express pain, frustration, surprise or anger
and their equivalents in German.

Common inoffensive expressions Expressing disbelief

It’s a right mess!  UK,  So ein Chaos! That’s BS! , Blödsinn!
It’s driving me crazy!  That’s (utter) bullshit!  
,  Das macht mich wahnsinnig! ,  Das ist (kompletter) Unsinn!

That’s so annoying! ,  Wie ärgerlich! That’s crap! ,  Das ist Scheiße/Mist!

There’ll be hell to pay!  That’s unbelievable! 
,  Das dicke Ende kommt noch! ,  Das ist ja unglaublich!

They botched it up!  Un-fucking-believable! 

,  Sie haben es vermasselt! ,  Einfach unglaublich! ,
Und das soll ich glauben?
What a pain! ,  Echt nervig!
You’re kidding me! ,  Du willst /
What a pain in the neck! ,  Das nervt!
Sie wollen mich wohl veräppeln!
You’re pulling my leg! ,  Du nimmst /
Showing surprise and confusion
Sie nehmen mich auf den Arm!
Bloody hell! UK  ,  Verdammte Scheiße!,
Mein lieber Schwan!
Showing understanding
For Christ’s sake! ,  Um Himmels willen!
Shit happens! ,  Dumm gelaufen!;
For God’s sake! ,  Um Gottes willen!; So ist nun mal das Leben!
Himmelherrgott!
For heaven’s sake! ,  Um Himmels willen! Expressing anger and frustration
OMG! (Oh my God!) ,  Oh mein Gott! Bugger! UK , Scheiße!
What the hell happened?  Fuck me!  ,  Leck mich am Arsch!
,  Was zum Teufel ist passiert?
Fuck off! ,  Verpiss dich!

22  SCHIMPFEN IM BERUF Business Spotlight

How the fuck did that happen? 
,  Wie verdammt (nochmal) konnte das Common “f-bomb”
passieren? abbreviations
I don’t need this crap. 
,  So einen Mist/Scheiß brauche ich nicht! These common abbreviations
I’m really pissed off!  help you to avoid saying the
,  Ich bin wirklich sauer!, f-word, but, as everyone knows
Das kotzt mich echt an! which swear word is missing,
What the fuck is going on?  they may still be seen as rude and
,  Was verdammt (nochmal) geht hier vor? vulgar. If you use such expres-
sions, make sure that those who
Asking someone not to swear hear them won’t be offended.
Could you tone it down a little? 
,  Kannst du / Können Sie das auch etwas drop the f-bomb (= say “fuck”) 
höflicher/freundlicher sagen? ,  das F-Wort sagen

Do you mind?   eff and blind (= say “fuck” and “bloody”)

,  Ich muss doch sehr bitten! UK ,  heftig fluchend
Mind/Watch your language!   FFS (for fuck’s sake)  
,  So was sagt man (doch) nicht! ,  Verdammt nochmal!,
Zum Teufel nochmal!
There’s (really) no need to swear. 
,  Warum fluchst du / fluchen Sie jetzt FUBAR (fucked beyond all recognition (or
eigentlich? repair)) ,  völlig/total im Arsch
SNAFU (situation normal: all fucked/
Apologizing for swearing fouled up) US ,  Die Lage ist wie immer:
Alles Mist!
Excuse/Pardon my French. 
,  Entschuldige / Entschuldigen Sie meine sweet FA (sweet Fanny Adams / fuck
Ausdrucksweise. all)  UK,  rein gar nichts
I didn’t mean to offend you.  the f-word ,  das F-Wort
,  Ich wollte dich/Sie nicht beleidigen.
WTF?! (What the fuck...?) 
Sorry for the language.  ,  Was zum Teufel ...?
,  Tut mir leid, dass ich das so sagen muss. Was zur Hölle ...?
Was verdammt (nochmal) ...?

Business Spotlight SCHIMPFEN IM BERUF  23

 Keep_
calm

Bleiben Sie entspannt. Berlitz unterstützt Sie beim

Aufbau Ihrer Sprach- und Businesskompetenzen.

www.berlitz.de
 Teil 4 MEETINGS

VOKABEL TRAINER
Teil 1 YOU AND YOUR JOB (7/19) Teil 5 NEGOTIATING (3/20)
ÜBE
TESTEN
Teil 2 TELEPHONING (8/19) Teil 6 EMAILS AND TEXTS (4/20) NUTZ N
Teil 3 SMALL TALK (1/20) Teil 7 PRESENTATIONS (5/20) EN
Teil 4 MEETINGS (2/20) Teil 8 GETTING A NEW JOB (6/20)

das muss ich super, das kann ich

wiederholen schon

WHICH MEETING?
ad hoc meeting    ,  Ad-hoc-Sitzung

AGM (annual general meeting)    ,  Jahreshauptversammlung

awayday (US off-site meeting)    ,  Sitzung außer Haus

board meeting    ,  Vorstandssitzung PREPARATION IS KEY

brainstorming    ,  Brainstorming(-Sitzung)
Many people feel that they spend
business meeting   ,  Geschäftstreffen, geschäftliche too much time in meetings. And that
Besprechung
they have far too many! That’s why it’s
committee meeting    ,  Ausschusssitzung
essential to make your meetings more
conference    ,  Kongress,Tagung; Konferenz
effective. Before your next meeting,
conference call    ,  Telekonferenz; Konferenzschaltung learn some vocabulary. If you feel
daily meeting    ,  tägliche Besprechung more confident with the language,
decision-making meeting    ,  entscheidungstragende Sitzung your meetings should go more smoo-
department(al) meeting  ,  Abteilungssitzung, -besprechung thly — and finish faster.
emergency meeting    ,  Dringlichkeitssitzung

(employee) town hall meeting     ,  Mitarbeiterversammlung

extraordinary meeting  ,  Sondersitzung, außerordentliche

A GOOD MEETING!
Sitzung For a meeting to be successful, the
information sharing    ,  Informationsaustausch objective must clear to all involved.
innovation meeting    ,  Innovationsveranstaltung Ideally, people should come prepared
kickoff meeting  ,  Sitzung zum Auftakt eines for the topics of discussion. More
Projekts importantly, everyone should leave
monthly meeting    ,  monatliche Besprechung the meeting with a clear idea of
one-to-one meeting    ,  persönliches Gespräch, what will come next.
(US one-on-one meeting)  Gespräch unter vier Augen
pre-bid meeting    ,  Vorangebotstreffen

product development meeting    ,  Besprechung zur Produkt-

entwicklung WHICH MEETING?
project meeting    ,  Projektbesprechung Make sure people know what kind of
retreat    ,  Klausurtagung meeting they will be having:
round-table discussion    ,  Gespräch am Runden Tisch

shareholders’ meeting    ,  Aktionärsversammlung

● We have a staff meeting tomorrow mor-
ning.
staff meeting     ,  Mitarbeitertreffen, -besprechung
● Let’s have the kickoff meeting in the
stand-up meeting  ,  Stehtreffen
afternoon.
status update meeting    ,  Treffen zur Statusaktualisierung ● Everyone was at the town hall meeting .
team meeting    ,  Teamsitzung, -besprechung Where were you?
ORGANIZING MEETINGS
ARRANGING TIMES
adjourn a meeting   ,  eine Sitzung vertagen
● Could we schedule a short meeting
arrange a meeting  ,  eine Besprechung vereinbaren
for next week? I think we will need
attend a meeting    ,  an einer Sitzung teilnehmen about an hour.
bring forward a meeting  ,  eine Besprechung vorverlegen ● Can we set a time today?
call a meeting    ,  eine Sitzung einberufen ● How about Thursday at ten o’clock?

call a meeting off    ,  ein Treffen absagen ● Perfect.

cancel a meeting    ,  eine Besprechung absagen

chair a meeting    ,  eine Sitzung leiten

close a meeting    ,  eine Sitzung beenden

INVITATIONS
confirm a meeting  ,  eine Besprechung bestätigen Tell the participants the purpose of
fix a meeting  ,  eine Besprechung terminieren
the meeting in your invitation.
Send them the agenda and any
get a meeting started    ,  eine Sitzung beginnen
other documents that they need
go to a meeting    ,  zu einem Treffen gehen
for the meeting in advance. Give
have a meeting    ,  eine Besprechung haben
them time to read them before the
hold a meeting    ,  eine Sitzung abhalten meeting.
host a meeting    ,  eine Versammlung ausrichten

make a meeting  , an einer Besprechung teilnehmen
können
move a meeting   ,  eine Besprechung verschieben
open a meeting    ,  eine Sitzung eröffnen
organize a meeting    ,  ein Treffen organisieren
participate in a meeting  ,  an einer Besprechung
teilnehmen
postpone a meeting    ,  eine Besprechung verschieben
reschedule a meeting  ,  eine Sitzung neu anberaumen
I’ve booked the room for our meeting
for Friday morning at 9.30 a.m. and I’ve
sent out an invitation to everyone. As
you know, our brief is to decide on the
next phase of the project. I’ll provide
refreshments for all participants if you
provide ideas! Let me know if the time is
not convenient.

resume a meeting  , eine Besprechung wieder

aufnehmen
run a meeting    ,  eine Sitzung leiten

schedule a meeting    ,  eine Besprechung anberaumen

take part in a meeting  ,  an einer Besprechung

teilnehmen
PEOPLE, PLACES AND PURPOSE
agenda   ,  Tagesordnung

book a room    ,  einen Raum reservieren

brief   ,  Auftrag, Instruktion(en)

convenient   ,  passend RESCHEDULING

equipment   ,  Ausstattung(sgegenstände)
Can we move Thursday’s
● 
invite participants  ,  Teilnehmer(innen) einladen

participant  , Teilnehmer(in)
meeting? I have to attend
our departmental meeting.
Illustrationen: pseudodaemon, LEOcrafts/iStock.com

prepare an agenda    ,  eine Tagesordnung erstellen

provide refreshments   ,  Erfrischungen bereitstellen ● What about Wednesday at

purpose  ,  Zweck
nine?
● I’d have to postpone my
session  ,  Sitzung

set a time   ,  eine Uhrzeit festsetzen

set up a conference call    , eine Konferenzschaltung

one-to-one meeting with
einrichten John. Let me check before I
venue  , (Veranstaltungs-)Ort
confirm.
ON TIME
Always start your meetings on
time, even if some people are not
there. Also, always finish on time:
● So, everyone is here.
● OK, let’s get down to business !
Welcome to the meeting, everyone!
I’d like to start by agreeing on some
ground rules.
ASKING FOR OPINIONS
Make sure you give everyone the
chance to voice an opinion:
● What’s your opinion, Mary?
● We need to be clearer about our
objectives .
● What would you say, Simon?
DO YOU DISAGREE?
● I see your point, but I’m
not totally convinced.
● I agree to a certain degree,
but I would like to hear
more.
● And I tend to disagree.
DISCUSSIONS AND DECISIONS
action item/point    ,  Aktionspunkt
agree on ground rules    ,  sich auf Grundregeln einigen
allow everyone to participate    ,  jeden teilnehmen lassen
be prepared    ,  vorbereitet sein
bring sth. up   ,  etw. vorbringen
clarify goals/objectives  ,  Ziele/ Zielsetzungen abklären
contribute to meeting goals  ,  zu Sitzungszielen beitragen
convinced   ,  überzeugt
digress  ,  abschweifen
elaborate on sth.   ,  näher auf etw. eingehen
engage participants  ,  Teilnehmer(innen) einbeziehen
get down to business   ,  zur Sache kommen
go along with sth.   ,  sich einer Sache anschließen
listen with an open mind    ,  unvoreingenommen zuhören
monitor time    ,  die Zeit überwachen
objective   ,  Ziel(setzung)
procedure   ,  Ablauf
raise sth.   ,  etw. vorbringen
recommendation   ,  Empfehlung
review sth.   ,  etw. durchgehen, überdenken
see sb.’s point   ,  verstehen, was jmd. meint
set tasks    ,  Aufgaben stellen
show up on time    ,  pünktlich erscheinen
stay mentally present    ,  geistig präsent bleiben
stay on point    ,  bei der Sache bleiben
stay on topic    ,  beim Thema bleiben
sticking point  ,  Streitfrage
subject   ,  Gegenstand, Thema
THE MINUTES
amendment  ,  (Ab-)Änderung
AOB (any other business)  ,  Sonstiges
apologies  ,  entschuldigte Teilnehmer(innen)
attendee  ,  Teilnehmer(in),
Anwesende(r)
circulate the minutes  ,  das Protokoll verteilen
item    ,  (Tagesordnungs-)Punkt
matters arising  ,  anstehende Fragen
minutes  ,  Protokoll
minute-taker  ,  Protokollführer(in)
motion  ,  Antrag
review outcomes from a  ,  Ergebnisse der vorhergehenden
preceding meeting Sitzung durchgehen
summary minutes  ,  Ergebnisprotokoll
take notes    ,  Notizen machen
take the minutes  ,  das Protokoll schreiben
EFFECTIVE MEETINGS
an acrimonious meeting    ,  eine erbitterte Besprechung
an angry meeting    ,  eine aufgebrachte Versammlung
a crisis meeting  ,  eine Krisensitzung
a crucial meeting  ,  ein äußerst wichtiges Treffen
a decisive meeting  ,  eine entscheidende Sitzung
a difficult meeting    ,  eine schwierige Besprechung
an emergency meeting    ,  eine Dringlichkeitssitzung
an endless meeting    ,  eine endlose Sitzung
THE MINUTES
The minutes of a meeting should summarize the
main points and key decisions. They should not
include all the arguments for and against
particular suggestions, although they can inclu-
de a short description. The minutes should also
make clear who should do what and by when.
They should record all the tasks.

a fractious meeting    ,  eine hitzige Besprechung

a fruitless meeting    ,  eine erfolglose Sitzung IT’S TIME

an inconclusive meeting  ,  ein ergebnisloses Treffen ● We’re running a bit short of time. I think we should

an interminable meeting   ,  eine langwierige Sitzung bring the meeting to a close.

a key meeting    ,  eine wichtige Versammlung
● OK, let’swind up now so we can have some lunch
together.
a successful meeting  ,  eine erfolgreiche Besprechung

an urgent meeting    ,  eine dringende Besprechung

a valuable meeting 
a vital meeting  
,  eine bedeutsame Sitzung

,  ein ausschlaggebendes Treffen

END POSITIVELY
EFFECTIVE ACTIONS ● I think we made great progress today.
accept a proposal  ,  einen Vorschlag annehmen We’ve finally reached a consensus .
adopt a proposal  ,  einen Vorschlag übernehmen ● Thank you all for your helpful
carry a proposal   ,  einen Vorschlag verabschieden
contributions and input.
make a proposal   ,  einen Vorschlag vorbringen
● Yes, that was a decisive meeting .
pass a proposal   ,  einen Vorschlag verabschieden

record decisions  ,  Entscheidungen festhalten

record tasks    ,  Aufgaben festhalten

reject a proposal   ,  einen Vorschlag ablehnen

second a proposal  ,  sich einem Vorschlag anschließen

abstain  ,  sich der Stimme enthalten

abstention  ,  (Stimm-)Enthaltung

THE END
bring sth. to a close  ,  etw. beenden, zum Abschluss IMPRESSUM
bringen HERAUSGEBER Jan Henrik Groß
CHEFREDAKTEUR Dr. Ian McMaster (V.i.S.d.P.)
conclude sth.  ,  etw. (ab)schließen; (schluss)folgern
ART DIRECTOR Michael Scheufler
contribution   ,  Beitrag GESCHÄFTSFÜHRENDE REDAKTEURIN
(Chefin vom Dienst) Maja Sirola
input  ,  Beitrag
AUTORIN Deborah Capras
reach a consensus     ,  zu einem Konsens gelangen, REDAKTION Hildegard Rudolph (frei), Michele Tilgner (frei),
eine Einigung erzielen Saskia Rebmann
BILDREDAKTION Sarah Gough, Judith Rothenbusch
summarize main points    ,  Hauptpunkte zusammenfassen GESTALTUNG Georg Lechner, Alexandra Barlow
DRUCK Medienschiff Bruno, Hamburg, www.msbruno.de
unanimous   ,  einstimmig
© 2020 Spotlight Verlag, auch für alle genannten Autoren, Fotografen und Mit-
we’re running (a bit) short of time   ,  uns geht (langsam) die Zeit aus arbeiter. Der Spotlight Verlag ist ein Tochterunternehmen der Zeitverlag Gerd
Bucerius GmbH.
wind up   ,  langsam zum Ende kommen

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 WHAT YOU
SHOULD KNOW
“COULD”, “SHOULD”, “WOULD”
Use modal verbs to make your re-
quests, questions and suggestions
sound more polite:
● Could we finish at 10.30 today?
● Should we ask Tom to the meeting?
● I would suggest we look at it first.
If you feel you need to make your re-
quests even more polite, use Would
you mind…?:
● Would you mind starting at 8.30 today?

DON’T INTERRUPT!
The rule about interrupting is simple:
don’t. It’s rude. Wait until someone has
finished speaking before you start to
speak. However, if someone is talking
too much, especially about something
that is not relevant to the meeting, use
sorry to focus the discussion again:
● Sorry, could we get back on track?
If you really have to interrupt someone,
do so politely by using sorry and just:
● Sorry, Mark. Could we just hear Meg’s
views first?

FALSE FRIEND
The German word Protokoll is trans­
lated as minutes:
● Who’s taking the minutes this week?
Don’t use protocol, as this refers to a set
of rules about the correct way to act in
formal situations. The German is also
Protokoll (im Sinne diplomatischer Etikette):
● What’s the protocol for meeting the
archbishop?

BE POLITE
In some cultures, direct disagreement
is impolite. You can “soften” your disa-
greement by using would. Say I
wouldn’t agree, not “I disagree”. You
can also signal that disagreement is
coming by starting with sorry:
● Sorry, but I’m not sure about that.