Unit 1

Word

Definition

Example

accountable for

responsible for what you do and able to give a satisfactory reason for it

I'm accountable for everything that goes on in Production Planning

be no point

used to say that some particular action will serve no purpose or will not yield any worthwhile results

There's no point me rambling on if you can't understand

build relationships

to form a connection between two or more companies, countries, or people

Doing your homework is essential for building relationships with businesses across cultures

build your skills

to develop an ability to do something well, especially because you have learned and practised it

Building your intercultural skills will give you a better insight

can't go wrong

used to say that a particular thing will always be suitable or successful

We can't go wrong with the way property values are increasing

consider

to spend time thinking about a possibility or making a decision

We considered the advantages and disadvantages before going ahead with the plan

coordinate

to make many different things work effectively as a whole

My role is to coordinate what happens between departments

down to earth

practical and direct in dealing with people

New Zealanders are very down to earth and very easy-going

easy-going

relaxed and not easily upset or worried

My manager has an easy-going attitude towards timekeeping

find something to be

to think or feel a particular way about something

I found it to be more of a ski resort than a business centre

form an opinion

to make up one's mind or decide what one thinks about something

Keep an open mind: don't form an opinion too early

get on somebody's case

to criticize someone in an annoying way for something they have done

Making sure that communication is optimal entails a lot of getting on people's cases

get on top of things

to keep abreast of a situation, monitoring it or otherwise making sure that you know what's going on, enabling you to react rapidly

After two years I've now managed to get on top of things

get to the point

to reach the main or most important idea of something that is said or written

To get to the point, we want to help out all the sites around the world

give somebody an insight

to help to gain an accurate and deep understanding of a complex situation or problem

Greater cultural awareness will give you a better insight into working with other nationalities

go so far as to say

to risk saying something

I wouldn't go so far as to say that they don't speak English at all

jettison

to throw away or get rid of something that is not wanted or needed

I'm empowered to jettison any sub-standard products

keep an open mind

to wait until you know all the facts before forming an opinion or making a judgment

Petra kept an open mind while she was investigating the cause

keep your eyes open

to be aware of things that you can do in a particular situation

Keep your eyes open as observation skills may be clouded

low-key

simple and not attracting attention

It's not surprising that New Zealand lifestyle is more low-key

make somebody wary

to cause someone to become careful because they think something might be dangerous or harmful

I did have some problems which makes me a bit wary

manage unknowns

to deal with something that cannot be guessed at or calculated because so little is known about it

Business is about managing unknowns

open-minded

willing to consider ideas and opinions that are new or different to your own

I could be more open-minded – I was too quick to judge

optimize

to make something as good as possible

We're currently optimizing the quality assurance procedures

out-of-the-way

far from places where many people live or usually go

The building itself is in an out-of-the-way industrial zone

outspoken

expressing strong opinions very directly without worrying if other people are offended

He's so outspoken that it can come across as arrogance

point out

to tell someone about some information, often because you believe they do not know it or have forgotten it

I'd like to point out that I have been continually improving procedures

process information

to deal with information (= facts about a situation, person, event, etc.), especially using a computer

Your mind is processing a lot of information in new environments

read a situation

to understand something in a particular way

Being able to read a situation will greatly improve your chances of success

reluctant

not willing to do something and therefore slow to do it

I'm a bit reluctant to recommend the site at this stage

run-of-the-mill

ordinary and not special or exciting in any way

Meetings can be run-of-the-mill – quite dull, really

self-assured

having confidence in your own abilities

The people are confident, self-assured and outspoken

sound promising

to seem promising (= showing signs of future success or achievement) from what is said or written

I've had a look through it, and well, it all sounds very promising

take on board

to understand or accept an idea or a piece of information

I'm ready to take on board anything I can about how to improve

take your time

said to mean that you can spend as much time as you need in doing something, or that you should slow down

Take your time to process all the information before deciding

tedious

boring and tiring, esp. because long or often repeated

I can see the need for formality, but it got kind of tedious

the global picture

the entire perspective on a situation or issue

It's becoming ever more important to look at the global picture

the point is

the meaning or most important part of what someone says or writes

The point is, we can't keep on top of demand

the point of

used to talk of the purpose or usefulness of doing something

What's the point of me being here today?

time-consuming

taking a lot of time to do or complete

I found all the constant formality very time-consuming

unexpected

not expected; surprising

One of the most unexpected things for me was how entertaining they are

up-and-coming

likely to achieve success soon or in the near future

It's so up-and-coming, investment is pouring into the place

weigh up the pros and cons

to consider the good and bad aspects of something in order to reach a decision about it

Weigh up the pros and cons of your way of doing things

work both ways

to have comparable effects for both parties involved in something

It'll work both ways as we'll both benefit