THE MEETING

I Unit 10 Making meetings effective

language Checklist Skrns Checklist

I Chairing and leading discussion Preparation for meetings
Opening the meeting Chair
Thank you for coming .. . 0 Decide objectives.
I
I

(It's ten o'clock). Let's start ... Whq.t type of meeting (formal or
9

We've received apologies from . .. informal, short or long, regular or a 'one

Any comments on our previous meeting? off', internal I external information
II giving I discussion I decision making)?
In troducing the agenda e Is a social element required?

You've all seen the agenda ... o Prepare an agenda.

On the agenda, you'll see there are three items. e Decide time I place I participants I who

There is one main item to discuss ... must attend and who can be notified of
decisions.
Stating objectives " Study subjects for discussion.
We're here today to hear about plans for .. . .. Anticipate different opinions.
Our objective is to discuss different ideas .. . o Speak to participants.

What we want to do today is to reach a

decision .. . Secretary
a Obtain agenda and list of participants.

Introducing discussion c Inform participants and check:

The background to the problem is ... - room, equipment, paper, materials.

This issue is about ... - refreshments, meals, accommodation,
i The point we have to understand is . .. travel.
!
I
I I Calling on a speaker Participants
! l I'd like to ask Mary to tell us about ... o Study subjects on agenda, work out

11
Can we hear from Mr Passas on this? preliminary options.
i I I know that you've prepared a statement on .. If necessary, find out team or
your Department's views ... department views.
c Prepare own contribution, ideas, visual

Controlling the meeting supports, etc.

Sorry Hans, can we let Magda finish?
Er, Henry, we can't talk about that. · The role of the Chair
e Start and end on time.

Summarising 9 Introduce objectives, agenda.

So, what you're saying is ... .. Introduce speakers.
Can I summarise that? You mean ... o Define time limits for contributions.

So, the main point is ... o Control discussion, hear all views.

• Summarise discussion at key points.

Moving the discussion on • Ensure that key decisions are written
Can we go on to think about ... down by the secretary.
Let's move on to the next point. • Ensure that conclusions and decisions
are clear and understood.
Closing the meeting • Define actions to be taken and
I think we've covered everything. individual responsibilities.
So, we've decided ...
I think we can close the meeting now.
That's it. The next meeting will be ...
 Unit 11 Sorry to interrupt, but ...

I
LcH1guage (8necK1~st
i• • 1
ist
Discussion in meetings Participating in meetings
Stating opinion Types of meeting
It seems to me .. . Decision making meeting
0

I tend to think .. . e Information giving meeting

In my view ... " Spontaneous I emergency meeting

We think I feel I believe .. . " Routine meeting
There's no alternative to .. . Internal meeting
0

It's obvious that . .. ° Customer I Client I Supplier

Clearly I obviously . . . - first meeting
- established relationship
A.slcing for opinion
I'd like to hear from . . . Structure of decision making meetings
Could we hear from ... ? ., study I discuss I analyse the situation
What's your view? e define the problem

What do you think about ... ? "' set an objective

Do you have any strong views on . .. ? " state imperatives and desirables
Any comments? 0generate alternatives
" establish evaluation criteria
Interrupting " evaluate alternatives
Excuse me, may I ask for clarification on this? " choose among alternatives
If I may interrupt, could you say .. . ?
Sorry to interrupt, but .. . The DESC stages of a meeting
Do you think so? My impression is .. . D Describe situation
What? That's impossible. We I I think . .. E Express feelings
S Suggest solutions
Handling interruptions C Conclude with decision
Yes, go ahead.
Sorry, please let m e finish . . . Goal of decision making meetings
If I may finish this point .. . Objective: to get a consensus in a time- and
Can I come to that later? cost-effective manner
That's not really relevant at this stage ...
Can we leave that to anoth er discussion? Importance of communication
"' Two-way process
.. Participants must be aware of others'
needs
• Full communication and understanding
is essential
.. Four elements in communication:
awareness - understanding - empathy -
perception

Reaching a consensus
" Discussion leads to consensus
e Consensus is recognised and verbalised

by leader
• Decisions checked and confirmed
 Unit 12

Language Checkl~st Skms Checkf:is:t

Ending the meeting Ending meetings
Asking for clarification Two general rules
Could you be more specific? Meeting should end on time!
Can you explain that (in more detail)? Decision making meetings should end with
What do you mean by ... ? decisions!

Clarifying The Chair should close the meeting with:

~
This means .. . "<!
What I mean is ... a restatement of the objectives
~
What I want to say is ... "'-'!'
To explain this in more detail ... a summary of decisions taken
~1
Checking that the clarification is sufficient a summary of the action now required
~
Is that okay? I Is that clearer now? , ~}
reference to any individual responsibilities.
"~eferring to other speakers
As Peter has already told us ... After the meeting
I'm sure Mr Kowski knows about this .. . " A memorandum should be sent to all
Later we'll hear a report from Neil on .. . participants summarising the decisions
Professor Gilberto is certainly aware of . . . taken and the action required.
0 The memorandum should be sent to any
Delaying decisions interested individuals who were unable
I think we need more time to consider this. to attend.
I think we should postpone a decision . . . • The Chair should seek feedback on the
Can we leave this until another date? meetings to try to improve future
It would be wrong to make a final 4ecision .. . meetings.

Ending the meeting Improving meetings

• Summarising
/"' think we should end there. Just to Motivation to change
summanse ...
We've covered everything, so I'd like to go 'Ir
i
over the decisions we've taken .. . Gather information on present situation
So, to conclude ... we've agreed . . . ~
.. Confirming action Identify specific areas needing improvement
We'll contact ...
John will .. .
+
Identify alternative courses of action
W~:'ve got to .. .
We need to look at ...
+
Practise new techniques
.. Referring to next contact ~
We'll meet again next month .. . Improvement model.
We look forward to hearing from you .. .
It's been a pleasure to see you today and I look Adapted from Marion Haynes, Effective Meeting Skills
forward to our next meeting ... (London: Kogan Page Ltd., 1988).
THE REPORT
I Writing file

Reports

Report on staff lateness

Terms of Reference
Louise Dawson, Personnel Manager has requested this report on staff lateness at the new
London office. The report was to be submitted to her by 20 April.

Procedure
Out of 24 members of staff, 23 were surveyed about:
1. Their method of transport.
2. Time taken to get to work.
3. Problems encountered.

Findings
1. All staff are late at least once every two weeks.
2. Fifteen members of staff use the Underground, two use the bus and six travel by car.
3. Travelling time varies between 20 minutes and one hour.
4. All staff experienced problems.
(i) All members of staff experienced delays on the Underground (Circle, Central, Northern
and District lines) due to:
. '
l .. Signal problems
2 ~ Engineering work
· 3. Overcrowding
4. Poor train frequency on some lines
(ii) tviemb~rs of staff vvho use the bus experienced delays due to traffic jams. ('

(iii) Members ~f staff who travel by car also experienced delays due to traffic jams and two
h~d -problems parking, particularly on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Conclusions
1. All staff using public transport are late because t he Underground and bus services are
unreliable.
2. A minority of members of staff who travel by car experienced problems with parking.
3. The office opens at 9.00am and so staff are forced to travel during the rush hour.
4. Members of staff are not leaving sufficient time for their journeys which are extended due
to delays.

Recommendations
1. Members of staff should leave longer for their journeys in order to allow for delays.
2. Staff should investigate alternative routes and means of transport.
3. It is recommended that staff who travel by car and experience parking problems use the
new car park in Commercial Road , which opens next week.
4. It i.s recommended that the Personnel Director investigates the possibility of introducing a
flexitime system so staff do not have to travel during the rush hour.

John Atkinson
Office Manager
18 April
 Writing file J
1 A report should be well organised with information 4 Formal reports normally contain :
presented in a logical order. There is no set layout for a • Sections and subsections
report. The layout will depend on: • Headings and subheadings
a) the type of report (for example, it may be the result • A numbering system
of an investigation or a progress report; it may be • Indented information
short or long, formal or informal, etc.) All these help to make the report easy to read.
b) the particular style that a company uses for its
reports.
5 Terms of reference/ Introduction usually includes:
•who asked for the report
2 The format used for this example is common for many
• why the report is being written
formal reports:
• the purpose / subject of the report
• Title
•w hen it should be submitted by
• Terms of reference
The introduction to the report sometimes contains the
• Procedure
Procedure (also called Proceedings) - where/how you
• Findings
got the information.
• Conclusions
• Recommendations

6 Findings are the facts you discovered.

3 Another common structure for a short report is:
• Title
• Introduction 7 Conclusions are what you think about the facts and how
• Main body (Findings) you interpret them.
• Conclusions
• Recommendations
8 Recommendations are practical suggestions as to what
should be done to solve the problem, remedy the
situation , etc.

Notices
Notices are used to inform people
about changes of plan, instructions
or warnings.

A notice needs a clear heading.

Information must be presented in a

clear, concise form .
The tone of notices is usually rather
formal and impersonal.

It must have the name and position

of the person who wrci.te it, and the
date.
IL.;Writing file __ _
_ _ _____

Reports
;;.-

Parry;~pa~ri; & 'Gibson

Site acci~.ent report

Ex~c~tiv~ sommary
Damage has been caused to the emergency generator on the Witherby power plant site. It was caused
by a fire started by the eleCtrical contractors Mullet & Sons. Although the packing material that caught fire
w as left by another subcontractor, the personnel from Mullet started work before cleari ng the waste matter
aw ay, in contravention of contract regulation 2.3 .8. M ullet & Sons should therefore pay for the
replacement of the damaged equipment.

Introduction
This report wi ll look at:
• the sequence of events
• the subcontractors involved
• the ~esponsibilities of the subcontractors
• th~financial compensation from the subqontractors
• recommendation:; to avoid future incidents ot this nature

Fin'dings"'··i\: . . . . . . .•
l . .Fi r~· hoke ou·t at~ 17. JOpnJriday l 3 .()ctoBer~ in. the working area arbund the emergency ge~erator: .
All p~rsonpel were clear~dfrom the site.and the fire service informed by 17.45 . The fire service arrived
at 18.00.i:md the blaze; w as extinguished by 18 .30. . "'' ·"•·"~
2.. J~~ electrl~9J°Contrac;;;/M~llet
& So;: started the fire \/Vnen cdrry i ng occid~ntally o0t~~~~ connection ·
. w6rk:.of the'g~~ercitor;td.the main pow.er:liri'e:'· Packing material left t.He 'g~ound qri byanother ·
s~bc:ontrac:J2f Ha rvestJ:0sfcdouga11.'plc causih.'. .f_[r~ and t~is quickly spreaq._ : . · '."...
• '·· ':O-· .. - - .. ;_ ,~1::. .t . :--{::_-•.._.. ,( :;~- -. "·' : ' - ~:: - " ., . = - '·> - -.--;-:··-·:: _.,_.··:· •. ';.~---~, ,::.-

3. Although Harvest.Macdougall are obliged to remove any packaging material they .brinsfwi tb them .·.
-~~ems .tpaJ.)~i:; -electriciqns from Mul l~ttQld .tbefl) to just leave it. Weg~?Whe' t~ey w?ntesf to get.° their ·"' ·
'o~~: workd()ne 'as qui~kly os possib'I~ s9 that .they could finish for ,the V\le~k:end. 'Storti ~·g w elding
without fir~tmc;iking sure there is no inflamma"ble material around is in direct contraven'tior{ of contract ;
regulation ;2. 3. 8.

Conclusion
Mullet & Sons .must pay for the replacemE:mt of the generator (€ 90, QOO) as they are solely responsible .for
the da[nagei':(:, · :
' .- .··

Recom'm endations
l . Mullet & Sons should not be offered a ny more work on site if they do not accept these ter~s .
2. Harvest Macdougall should receive a formal warning .
. 3. All subcontractors must be reminded of their obligation to follow all fire and safety regulation s.

Normal Poole
Site Manager'
19 October
'
 Writing file
---·-·--~----·---·------·
i
··-··'

1 A report should be we ll organised with 4 The executive summary is a summary of .

information presented in a logical order. the main points and conclusions of the
There is no set layout for a report. The report. It gives the reader a very quick
layout will depend on: overview of the entire situation.
a)the type of report
b)the company style.
5 The introduction defines the sequence of
points that will be looked at.
2 The format used for this exa mple is
common for many formal reports:
• Title 6 The findings are the facts you discovered .
• Executive summary
• Introduction
• Findings 7 The conclusion is what you think about
• Conclusion the facts and how you interpret them.
• Recommendations
3 Another possible structure would be : 8 Recommendations are practical
• Title suggestions to deal with the situation and
• Terms of reference ideas for making sure future activities run
• Procedure more smoothly.
• Findings
• Conclusions
• Recommendations
THE PRESENTATION
 l Jn.it 6 Planning and getting started

The introduction to apresentation

'"l ""'Ja
Ulcr on
raJL-i.1 ,,
Greeting l

Good morning I afternoon ladies and

Audience
gentlemen.
expectations
0

(Ladies and) Gentlemen ...

" technical knowledge
" size
Subject
questions and I or discussion
0

I plan to say a few words about . ..

I'm going to talk about .. . Speaker's competence
The subject of my talk is . . . .. knowledge
The theme of my presentation is .. . " presentation technique
I'd like to give you an overview of .. . Content
what to include
0

Structure length I depth (technical detail)

0

I've divided my talk into (three) parts. number of key ideas

0

My talk will be in (three) parts. Structure

I'm going to divide . .. sequence
0

First .. . - beginning, middle, end

Second . . . repetition, summarising
0

Third .. .
Delivery
In the first part ...
" style
Then in the second part . . .
- formal I informal
Finally ...
- enthusiasm I confidence
e voice
Timing
- variety I speed
My talk will take about ten minutes.
- pauses
The presentation will take about two hours ...
" body language
but there'll be a twenty minute break in
- eye contact
the middle. We'll stop for lunch at 12
- gesture I movement
o'clock.
- posture

Policy on questions I discussion Visual aids

Please interrupt if you have any questions. " type I design I clarity
After my talk there'll be time for a discussion " relevance
and any questions. Practice
., tape recorder
" script or notes
Room
., size I seating
equipment (does it work?)
0

• sound quality
Language
e simple I clear

" spelling
e sentence length

e structure signals
 Unit 7 Image, impact and making an impression

rsc c:.e - · ...,J

I I • •
usina v1sua s
Types of visual support overhead projector (OHP)
visual (n. ) - transparency (Br. Eng.)
film I video - slide (Am. Eng.)
picture flip chart
diagram whiteboard
chart metaplan board
pie chart
- segm ent Introducing a visual
table graph I'd like to show you . . .
- x axis I horizontal axis H ave a look at this . . .
- y axis I vertical axis This (graph) shows I represents ...
- left hand I right hand axis Here we can see .. .
line graph Let's look at this . . .
- solid line Here you see the trend in . ..
- dotted line
- broken line Comparisons
This compares x with y
Equipment Let's compare the ...
(slide) proj ector Here you see a comparison between ...
- slides (Br. Eng. )
- diapositives (Am. Eng. )

De~cri bing trends

to go up to go down
to increase an increase to decrease a decrease
to rise a n se to fall a fall
to climb a clim b to decline a declin e
to improve an improvem ent to deteriorate a deterioration
to recover a recovery
to get b etter an upturn to get worse a downturn
to level out a levelling out
to stabilise
to stay the same
to reach a peak a peak to reach a low point
to reach a maximum to hit bottom a trough
to peak
to undulate an undulation
to fluctuate a fluctuation \

Describing the speed of change

a dramatic dramatically
a marked markedly
increase I fall to increase I fall
a significant slightly
a slight significantly
 Unit 7 Image, impact and making an impression

Visuals must be: Use of colour

0 well prepared For slides, white writing on blue I green is
0 well chosen good. Use different colours if colour
e clear improves clarity of message (e.g. pie
charts).
Available media Use appropriate colour combinations: yellow
Use media which suit the room and audience and pink are weak colours on white
size. backgrounds.
0 overhead projector (OHP)
- transparencies I OHTs I slides Use of room and machinery
(Am. Eng. ) Ch eck equipment in advance.
e slide projector Check organisation of room, equipment,
- slides I diapositives (Am. Eng.) seating, microphones, etc.
0 video I computer graphics I flip chart I Use a pointer on the screen (not your hand).
whiteboard Have a good supply of pens.
Check order of your slides I OHTs, etc.
Use of visual aids
Combination of OHP and flip chart with pens You in relation to your audience
often good. Decide appropriate level of formality, dress
First visual should give the title of talk. accordingly.
Second should show structure of talk - main Keep eye contact at least 80% of the time.
headings. Use available space.
Keep text to minimum - n ever just read text Move around, unless restricted by a podium.
from visuals. Use gesture.
Do not use too many visuals - guide is one
per minute.
Use pauses - give audience time to
comprehend picture.
Never show a visual until you want to talk
about it.
Remove visual once finished talking about it.
Switch off equipment not in use.

J
\
I
 Unit 8 The middle of the pres~e_n_t_a·~ti_o_n---~------~------------1111

c•
,.,s
!1

Si-r·ur·
U lLru.i·e r2 J T
1 ne ma:n hoa:'V
" 'I \
1
I l.1 Iv• :,

Signa.lling diffeirent pairts in a piresenta:.1tion: Organisation of presentation

Ending the introduction " Logical progression of ideas and/or
So that conclu des the introduction. parts of presentation.
That's all for the introduction. ° Clear development.
e Sequential description of processes.

Beginning the main body Chron ological order of events,

@

Now let's move to th e first part of my talk, i.e. background present future .
which is about .. . Topic
So, first ... To begin with ... '
Mainpairts Sections Subsections
A 1 a.
Listing 'D.
There are three things to consider. First . . . 11.
Second ... Third ... B 1. a.
There are two kinds of . . . . Th e first is ... The b.
secorid is ... 11.
~

We can see four advantages and two iii. a.

disadvantages. First, advantages. b.
One is . . . Another is .. . A third advantage is c.
... Finally . .. c 1. a.
On the other h and, the two disadvantages. b.
First . . . Second .. . 11.

Linking: Ending parts within the main body Internal structure of the main body of a
That completes I concludes . . . complex presentation
That's all (I want to say for now) on . . .
Signalling the structure
Linking: Beginning a new part Use listing techniques.
Q

Let's move to (the next part which is) . .. e Link different parts.
So now we come to . . . " Use sequencing language.
Now I want to describe . ..
Signalling the structure .. .
Sequencing makes the organisation of the talk clear
There are (seven) different stages to the h elps the audience to follow
process helps you to follow the development of
First I then I next I after th at I then ( x ) I your talk.
after x there's y, last ...
There are two steps involved.
The first step is . . . . The second step is . ..
There are four stages to the project.
At the beginning, later, then, finally ...
I'll describe the development of the idea.
First the background, then the present
situation, and then the prospects for the
future.
 The end is near .. . this is the end

LanvHJaae
-''
Cheddlst
.~·

The end of the presentation Handling questions

Ending the main body of the presentation Understood but difficult or impossible to answer
Right, that ends (the third part of) my talk. That's a difficult question to answer in a few
That's all I want to say for now on ... words.
- It could be ...
Beginning the summary and/or conclusion - In my experience ...
I'd like to end by emphasising the main - I would say ...
point(s). - I don't think I'm the right person to answer
I'd like to finish with ... that. Perhaps (Mr Holmes) can help ...
- a summary of the main points. ~ I don't have much experience in that
some observations based on what I've said. field ...
- some conclusions I recommendations.
- a brief conclusion. Understood but irrelevant or impossible to
answer in the time available
Concluding I'm afraid that's outside the scope of my talk I
Thereiare two conclusions I this session. If I were you I'd discuss that
recommendations. with ...
What we need is . . . I'll have to come to that later, perhaps during
I think we have to .. . the break as we're short of time.
I think we have seen that we should ...
Not understood
Inviting questions and/or introducing Sorry, I'm not sure I've understood. Could
discussion you repeat?
That concludes (the formal part of) my talk. Are you asking if ... ?
(Thanks for listening) ... Now I'd like to Do you mean . .. ?
invite your comments. I didn't catch (the last part of) your question.
Now we have (half an hour) for questions and If I have understood you correctly, you
discussion. mean .. . ? Is that right?
Right. Now, any questions or comments?
So, now I'd be very interested to hear your Checking that your answer is sufficient
comments. Does that answer your question?
Is that okay?
 Unit 9 The end is near ... this is the end

<
_v · ~ri ,.. ( h tv~d~ st
e~ :ll .1. b ni~\..t: \'.i.e D . .

Structure (3) Ending the presentation

A summary Handling questions
" Restates main point(s). 0Listen very carefully.
• Restates what the audience must e Ask for repetition or clarification if

understand and remember. necessary.

" Contains no new information. " Paraphrase the question to check you
" Is short. understand it.
" Give yourself time to think - perhaps by
A conclusion paraphrasing the question.
" States the logical consequences of what .. Check that the question is relevant. If
has been said. not, don't answer if you don't want to.
Often contains recommendations.
Q .. Refer.questioner to another person if
o May contain new and important you can't answer.
information. " Suggest you'll answer a question later if
" Is short. you prefer.
" Check that the questioner is happy with
Questions your answer: eye contact and a pause is
• Inviting questions implies that the often sufficient.
audience are less expert than the s Keep control.

speaker. " Don't allow one or two people to

e Beware of the 'nightmare scenario' - dominate.
total silence! Have one or two prepared o Be polite.

questions to ask the audience. e Signal when time is running out - 'Time

e Keep control of the meeting. for one last question'.

" At the end, thank the audience.
Discussion
e Inviting discussion gives the impression

that the audience have useful

experience, so is often more 'diplomatic'.
-- "" .. You still need to control the discussion.

Inviting discussion and questions

.. Often the best solution.
" Keep control, limit long contributions,
watch the time.
BUSINESS NEGOTIATION
 Unit 13 Know what you want

Language Checklist Skills Checklist

Negotiations (1) Negotiations (1)
Making an opening statement Planning and preparation

Welcoming Type of negotiation

Welcome to ... • towards agreement
I'm sure we will have a useful and productive - both teams try to suit joint interests
meeting ... • independent advantage
- each team aims to get best deal
First meeting • conflict
We see this as a preparatory meeting .. . - a team aims to win and make the other
We would like to reach agreement on .. . team lose

One of a serif.;s of meetings Purpose of negotiation

Following previous meetings we have agreed • exploratory (possible areas of interest)
on some important issues. Today we have • conciliatory (resolving differences)
to think about ...
We have reached an important stage ... Targets
• scale (e.g. 1- 10)
Stating your aims and objectives • decide realistic maximum and minimum
I'd like to begin with a few words about our acceptable scores
general expectations ...
May I outline our principle aims and Facts and figures
objectives today ... • prepare statistical data
We want to clarify our positions ... • know facts
We have a formal agenda ... • prepare visuals
We don't have a formal agenda, but we hope
to reach agreement on ... Strengths and weaknesses
There are three specific areas we would like to • list your bargaining strengths
discuss. These are ... • know your possible weaknesses
We have to decide ... • calculate your bargaining position

Stating shared aims and objectives Possible concessions

Together we want to develop a good • plan your bargaining strategy
relationship .. . • list essential conditions
We agree that .. . - impossible to concede
It is important for both of us that we agree • list possible concessions
on ...
Opening statements
Handing over • state general objectives
I'd like to finish there and give you the • state priorities
opportunity to reply to this. • state independent (n9t joint) objectives
I'd like to hand over to my eolleague ... , who • be brief
has something to say about ...

• ..•• I<, ' • •

t.' . . .... , ,. .
'1~. . . ' .. ~ ~ "~ . . . ' ' ~ ~
 Unit 14 Getting what you can

Language Checklist Skills Checklist

Negotiations (2) Negotiations (2) - Bargaining in
Bargaining
negotiations
We can agree to that if ... Concession rules
on condition that ... 'A key principle in negotiating is to give a little
so long as .. . and get a little at the same time.'
That's not acceptable unless ... • Ask for concessions
without ... • All concessions are conditional
• Conditions first' If ... then .. . '
Making concessions • 'It's a package'
If you could .. . we could consider ... • Give what's cheap to you and valuable to
So long as ... we could agree to .. . them.
On condition that we agree on ... then we
could ...
During the negotiation
Let's think about the issue of ...
We could offer you ... Main speaker
Would you be interested in ... ? • Create a joint, public and flexible
Could we tie this agreement to . .. ? agenda.
• Question needs and preferences.
Accepting • Don't talk too much.
We agree. • Listen.
That seems acceptable. Don't fill silences.
That's probably all right. • Build on common ground.
• Explore alternatives 'What if ... ?'
Confirming • Be clear, brief and firm.
Can we run through what we've agreed? • Follow concession rules.
I'd like to check what we've said I confirm
I think this is a good moment to repeat what Support speaker
we've agreed so far. • Wait till the Chair or your main speaker
brings you in.
Summarising • Be clear, brief and firm.
I'd like to run through the main points that • Follow the concession rules.
we've talked about. • Support your main speaker
So, I'll summarise the important points of - Agree (nod, 'That's right ... ' )
our offer. - Emphasise ('This point is very
Can we summarise the proposals in a few important')
words? - Add forgotten points ('And we must
remember ... ' )
Looking ahead - But don't make concessions for your
So, the next step is ... main speaker.
We need to meet again soon. - Listen.
In our next meetin7 we need to . .. - Don't fill silences.
So, can we ask you to ... ?
Before the next meeting we'll . ..
We need to draw up a formal contract.
 Unit 15 Not getting what you don't want
II
Language Checklist
Negotiations (3)
Dealing with conflict
I think we should look at the points we agree on ...
We should focus on the positive aspects ...
We should look at the benefits for both
sides ...
It is in our joint interests to resolve the
issue ...
What do you think is a fair way to resolve this problem?
We hope you can see our point of view ...
Let us explain our position ...
Could you tell us why you feel like that?
I think we should look at the whole package, not so much at individual areas of difficulty.
Perhaps we could adjourn for a little while.
I think we need to consider some fresh
ideas ...

Rejecting
I'm afraid we can't ...
Before agreeing to that we would need .. .
Unfortunately .. .
I don't think it would be ser;sible for us to ...
I think if you consider our position, you'll see that ...

Ending negotiations
So, can we summarise the progress we've made?
Can we go through the points we've agreed?
Perhaps if I can check the main points .. .
So the next step is ...
What we need to do now is ...
It's been a very useful and productive meeting.
We look forward to a successful partnership .
.S
Breaking off negotiations
I think we've gone as far as we can.
I'm sorry, but I don't think we're going to agree a deal.
It's a pity we couldn't reach agreement this time.
Unfortunately we appear unable to settle our differences.
It would be better if we looked for some independent arbitrator.

/
 Unit 15 Not getting what you don't want

Skills Checklist
Negotiations (3)
Dealing with conflict
• Show understanding of the other side's position
• Highlight advantages of agreement

Don't ... Do ...

• be sarcastic • ask questions
l
• attack
• criticise
• listen
• summarise
I
• threaten
• blame
• build on common ground
• explain your feelings
ll -------
Types of negotiator
Hard Principled Soft
negotiates to win looks for common benefits looks for agreement
makes demands makes offers accepts what's on offer

Independent Creative
negort°'
win - lose wm-wm looks for agreement

Rejecting
• Ask for an adjournment.
• Discuss options.
• Remember your limits.
• Decide if your interests are being met: if not, reject the proposal on offer, or suggest
alternatives.

After the negotiation

• Compare the result with your objectives, targets and limits.
• Examine the process of the negotiation:
the planning - the strategy - team roles - the issues.
• Learn from failure:
- what went wrong and why?
- identify weaknesses\and errors
- discuss and plan ahead.
• Build on success:
- recognise success
- praise people
- develop teamwork and partnership.
BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE
UNIT THREE
In this unit you will learn how to reply to some of the letters
of enquiry that you studied in Unit Two.

Exercise 3.1 Here is the reply to the letter from Mr Evans of Motofleet
Hire pie.

Read it carefully and answer the questions that follow.

rEiiiSPEEDTEL
Speedtel pie Tel: 0372 4343
Cables: SPEEDTEL
Registered Number: 2334121 England
Registered Office: 70 BuSh Lane, Epsom, Surrey El3 4TW
70Bush Lane
Epsom Telex: 546876 SPEED G
Surrey
EL34TW

Mr D Evans Your ref: DE/ts

Managing Director Our ref: JB/12
Motofleet Hire plc
Fleet House
1 London Road
Winchester
Wiltshire
WNl 2TS 4 February 19-

Dear Mr Evans

We thank you for your le tter of 2 February 19- , in which you enquired
about our Autocomm car phone.

We enclose our latest catalogue and price list and we are sending the
promo tional video film which you requested under separate cover. We
can quote you a discount of 10% for orders over a hundred, increasing
to 15% on orders over two hundred .

Our promotional film provides an informative introduction to the 'Autocomm',

but we would like to suggest that one of our representatives should visit
you to demonstrate the exceptional quality of our product. Please do
not hesitate to contact us to arrange a suitable date and time for a
demonstration.

Yours sincerely

Joanne Browning (Mrs)

Senior Sales Manager

37
UN IT FIVE
Exercise 5.1 In this letter Silver Office Supplies places an order with
Shonan Computers. Read the letter and answer the questions
that follow.

Silver Office Supplies ltd Registered Num ber: 7713455 England

14 North Street Registered Office: 3 Newcastle Street, London NW1 2AA
London
ECl 7AD

Tel : Ot 280 4868

Cables · SOSUP
Telex : 934518 SILVOS G

Mr A Suzuki Your ref: AS/ tg

Sales Manager Our r e f: DJ/ wd
Shonan Computers
1- 33 Kitashinjuku 7-chome
Shinjuku-ku
Tokyo 160
Japan 5 February 19-

Dear Mr Suzuki

Order for the SCROLL 2000 word processor

We thank you for your letter of 17 January, in which you enclosed

your catalogue and price list , together with the booklet on the
SCROLL 2000 word processor.

We have contacted Mr Nixon, as you suggested, and his demonstration

of the SCROLL 2000 convinced us that this model will meet our
requirements. Your offer of a 20% trade discount, with a further
discount for bulk orders, is also quite satisfactory .

We are therefore placing an order for 600 SCROLL 2000 word

processors. We enclose our official order form No.YT 945.

We discussed terms of payment with Mr Nixon and would like to confirm

that payment is to be made by Documentary Credit. Our bank will issue
a Documentary Credit in yo\lr favour CIF Southampton . You will be
informed, through your own bank, of the type and number of documents
that you must prepare.

Delivery by 30 April is essential, and we reserve the right to cancel

the order and/or return the shiµnent at your risk and expense at any
time after that date.

We look forward~o receiving the shiµnent and doing business with you
in future.

Yours sincerely

David Jackson
Chief £uyer

Enc. Order Form

58
UN IT SIX
Exercise 6.1 Here is a reply from The New Art Manufacturing Company
to an order they have received for sofa-beds. Read it carefully
and answer the questions that follow.

The New Art Manufactu ring

Company Ltd
96-98 Wood Lane
Chiswick
London
W5A3EU

Tel : 01 747 2323

Cables NEWART
Telex 375232 NAMC G
VAT Registration No 161 4269 64
Registered Office :
96 Wood Lane London W5A 3EU
Registered No : 317889 England

Mr J Schmidt Your ref : JS/12

Chief Buyer Oux ref: GD/hd
Kurt Schiller Gmb H
Freidensstr. 44
2000 Hamburg 50
West Germany 4 June 19-

Dear Mr Schmidt

Your order (No 1331) for sofa-beds

We thank you for your order for twenty sofa-beds, which we received today.

We are glad to confirm that we can supply the above order from stock, and
we enclose a pro-forma invoice for the goods, C I F Hamburg.

The order will be despatched as soon as we have received confirmation of

your Documentary Credit from Finlays Bank in London. We have already
contacted our forwarding agent to make arrangements for the transportation
of the goods, and we assure you that we can meet your delivery deadline of
31 July.

We look forward to hearing of the safe arrival of your order and to doing
further business with you.

Yours sincerely

Georgina Dickenson (Ms)

Enc. Pro-forma invoice

Check your understanding According to the information in the letter, are the following
statements TRUE or FALSE or is there NOT ENOUGH
INFORMATION to say?

74
 i ·!
I'

UN IT NINE
Exercise 9.1 Here is a letter of complaint from Robert Hart of Marlin
Electronics. Read it carefully and answer the questions that
follow.

Marlin Electronics
3 Atlantic Square
Toronto
Ontario
Canada
M4V 2Z2

MARLIN
ELECTRONICS
Tel: 617 3344
Cables: MARLEX
Telex: 0525134 MARL

Mrs M Corbett Your ref: (1.:/AF

Sales Manager our ref : RH/32
Techno Products pie
30 Thorpe Way
Manchester
~1 3RT
United Kingdom 30 June 19-

Dear Mrs Corbett

Our order No 3151 Video scanners
I am writing with reference to the above order fo= security video
scanners, which we received today.
Seven of the cases contained the correct merchandise, which arrived
in good condition. However, I have to inform you that case nWTber 6
contained security alarms instead of security video scanners. I can
only assume that your forwarding agent made a mistake, and the contents
of this case were intended for another customer.
I must ask you to arrange for the irrmediate despatch of replacements,
as we have firm orders from our own customers for the entire consignment.
I enclose a list of the content s of case nurrber 6, which we will keep
in our warehouse until we receive instructions from you.
Yours sincerely

Robert Hart
Chief Buyer

Check your understanding a Why is Mr Hart complaining?

b Why is this an urgent matter?
c What do you think will happen to the contents of case
number 6?
d Does Mr Hart sound angry?

108
 TECHNO PRODUCTS plc
30 Thorpe Way, Manchester MN13RT
Tel061660891 Fax group three 061 54541

Mr Thomas Cooper
Managing Director
Kingston Electroµics
32 Medina Way
Canbena
New South Wales
Australia
Your ref: TC3 3
Our ref; JCMS32

29 June 200

Dear Mr Cooper,

Yr order no.620 - satellite dish antennae

We thank you for the above order and confirm that we have now received payment for
the satellite dishes which we delivered to you last June.

Unfortunately, we are unable to supply you with satellite dish antennae by the date which
you requested in your order. We are already working at full capacity to satisfy the heavy
demand for this product and it is unlikely that we will be able to meet your order for at
least six months.

However; if you are willing to pay in advance, we would be prepared to give your order
priority and deliver by the date you request.

We await your further instructions in this matter.

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Corbett

Sales Manager
UN IT TEN
Exercise 10.1 Replies to letters of complaint are known as LETTERS OF
ADJUSTMENT. Read Mrs Corbett's letter, about wrongly
delivered goods, and answr-r the questions that follow.

TECHNO PRODUCTS

Mr Robert Hart
Chief Buyer
Marlin Electronics Your ref: RH/32
3 Atlantic Square Our ref: MC/EW
Toronto
Ontario
Canada
M4V 2Z2 5 July 19-

Dear Mr Hart

Your order No 3151 for video scanners

We thank you for your letter of 30 June, in which you informed us that
case number 6 of the above consignment contained the wrong goods.

We have looked into this matter and discovered that there appears to
have been some confusion in the numbering of two different orders which
were collected by our forwarding agent for despatch to Canada. We have
reviewed our coding system and can assure you that similar mistakes will
not happen again.

We have already despatched replacements for the contents of case number

and instructed our representative in Canada to collect the wrongly -
delivered goods as soon as possible.

Finally, we would like to apologise for the inconvenience you were

caused and to thank you for your patience in this matter .

We look forward to hearing of the safe arrival o·f the replacements and to
doing further business with you.

Yours sincerely

flavgav'4- {$~
Margaret Corbett (Mrs)
Sales Manager

122
 ADJUSTMENT LETTER (2)

Dear Ms Jones,

Yr letter of 30 October

We acknowledge receipt pf your above letter complaining about the quality of our last
shipment of shirts.

We have examined the matter and found that, having had a very busy time, we have
bought material from another supplier than our traditional one. Following your
complained we have canceled the contract of this supplier and can assure you that similar
problems will not happen again.

We are therefore ready to offer you a discount of 10% on the original price, which we
trust we cover your losses.

We would like to apologize for the inconvenience you were caused and look forward to
receiving your early reply.

Yours sincerely,

ADJUSTMENT LETTER (3)

Dear Mr. Brown

Yr letter of29 August

We acknowledge receipt of your above letter.

We were surprised to learn that our last shipment of wheat was below standards as our
wheat was very carefully graded before dispatch and we have never had any complaints
bout its quality.

However, a serious mistake may have occurred and we would therefore wish to have the
consignment inspected. Please advise us when our inspectors can visit your warehouse.

As soon as we received their report, we will be able to revert with a mutually satisfactory
solution.

We look forward to receiving your early reply.

Yours sincerely,
 ADJUSTMENT LETTER (4)

Dear Mr. Smith,

Shipment of 31 March - cucumber seeds

We acknowledge receipt of your letter of 1 April in willch you advised us that you had
received only gg cases of cucumber seeds instead of 100 and asked us to supply the
missing quantity free of charge.

We regretfully inform you that we cannot accept responsibility for tills shortage as the
order stipulates delivery FOB Amsterdam airport. Please find enclosed a photocopy of
the carrier's acceptance of all 100 cases duly signed by the airline representative in
Amsterdam attesting that we have fulfilled our obligations.

We would therefore suggest you to address your complaint to the carrier and are willing
to assist you in every possible way to recover your loss from them.

We are also prepared to send you another case containing 5 kg of cucumber seeds of the
same quality as soon as we receive your bank transfer of the value thereof.

We hope that tills solution will offer you satisfaction and look forward to hearing from
you.

Yours sincerely,

Jim Benson
Sales Manager

Enc: - photocopy of carrier's acceptance of goods

 c

UNIT TEN

Exercise 10.10 You will remember that Techno supplied satellite dishes to
Letters about Kingston Electronics, Aust;alia (see page 93). Read these
non-payment questions and find the answers in the three letters that follow.

a What are the letters about?

b In what ways are they the same? In what ways are they
different?
c These letters were written on the following dates: 28th
October, 14th December, 7th February. Which date goes
with which letter?
d Which words express the most polite request for
paymen t?
e Which words set a deadline for payment?

LETTER A

Dear Mr Cooper

Your ord er (No 412) for satellite dishes

We are writing to remind you that we have not yet recei ved payment for
this o rder.

As you must realise, it is not possible for us to continue to supply

goods on such favourable terms unless our customers clear their accounts
promptly.

We have not had any explanation from you concerning your reasons for this
delay, or any indication of when you intend to settle the account, despite
our reminder.

We therefore have to ask you to notify us immediately of the arrangements

you are making for payment.

Yours sincerely

11~yd Ur/uJr
Margaret Corbett (Mrs)
Sales Manager

130
 UNIT TEN

LETTER B

Dear Mr Cooper

Your order (No 412) for satellite dishes

We refer to the invoice for the above order which we sent to you by air
mail on 14 June .

According to the terms of the invoice , settlement of this account was to

be made within ninety days. However, we do not appear to have received
payment from you. In case you did not receive the original invoice, we
enclose a copy with this letter .

As payment is now overdue, we would be grateful if you would arrange for

early settlement.

Yours sincerely

11~C'fl~ ~~
Margaret Corbett (Mrs)
Sales Manager

LETTER C

Dear Mr Cooper

Your order (No 412) for satellite dishes

You have still not given us any explanation for your failure to clear
this account.

We have been very patient and have made every effort to maintain a good
business relationship with you. However , if we do not receive payment
by the end of this month, we shall have no alternative but to place the
matter in the hands of our solicitors, who wilb take the necessary steps
to secure payment.

Yours sincerely

111VJ&fW'ef ~/;.R){
Margaret Corbett (Mrs)
Sales Manager

131
 LETTER PLANS

ENQUIRY

I .Say where you saw the advertisement

-We have seen your advertisement in today's "Guardian" ...
-We have read your advertisement in this month's edition of ...
We have seen your advertisement in "The Times" of 22"d January.

2.Give some general information about your business

-We are one of the largest importers of.. .
-We are a c0-mpany which specializes in ... .
-We are a well established company specialized in, ..

.. ~ 3.State y-0ur general reason for writing

-We are interested in importing your range of...
-We are interested in purchasing ...

4Reguest action
-Please send us your latest catalogue and price list ...
-Could you please send us some samples of...
-We would appreciate it if you would send us more information about .. .
-We would appreciate it if you would make us an offer for ... (goods) ... as follows:
-Quantity
-Quality
-Packing
-Delivery time

5.Close-the letter
-We look forward to receiving your r<(ply.

6.Add a formal ending

REPLY TO ENQUIRY

I .Acknowledge the letter

-We thank you for your letter of 2 May enquiring about ...
-Thank you for your letter of 1 March requesting .. .
-We acknowledge receipt of your letter of 6 June .. .

2.Statewhat action your are taking

-We- have pleasure in enclosing our latest catalogue and price list.

3.Focus attention on important information

-Please note that we are offering a 10% trade discount.
-We would like to draw your attention to our offer of...

4.Answer any specific questions the enquirer has asked

-We are sending the samples you requested under separate cover.
-Our prices include insurance and delivery.
-We are glad to inform you that we are able to deliver from stock.

5.Suggest ways in which you could help the enquirer to make a decision to buy
-If you wish, we can arrange for a demonstration by ...
-We would like to suggest a demonstration of this model by one of our representatives.

6.Invite the enquirer to ask for further information

-Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like any further information.
-If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contaq us.

7.Close the letter and add the appropriate ending

OFFER

I .Acknowledge the letter

-We thank you for your letter of2 May enquiring about ...
-Thank you for your letter of I March requesting .. .
-We acknowledge receipt of your letter of 6 June .. .

2.Make the offer

-We have pleasure to offer you firmly ....(goods) ... as follow~:
-We offer you without engagement ... (goods) ... as follow~:

3 .List the offer characteristics in order

-Quantity
-Quality
-Packing
-Delivery time
-Price
-Payment
-Offer validity

4.Close the letter and add the appropriate ending

ORDER (order-rorm enclosed)

I .Acknowledge previous correspondence

-(We) thank you for your letter of 5 May.
-We acknowledge receipt of your letter of 6 June.

2.State your reaction to the prices, discounts, samples, etc.

®
-We are satisfied that the quoted terms are acceptable.
-We have examined the samples and are satisfied with their quality.
-We have tested the samples and are satisfied with their performance.

3.Place the order

-We are therefore ordering ...
-We therefore enclose our official order form for ...

4.Confirm terms of payment

-As agreed, payment is to be made by documentary credit.

5.Set deadline for delivery (if appropriate)

-Delivery before 3 April is a firm condition of this order.

6.Close the letter add add a formal ending

-We look forward to receiving our order and doing business with you in future.

ORDER (order form not included)

I .Acknowledge previous correspondenc-e

-(We) thank you for your letter of 5 May.
-We acknowledge receipt of your letter of 6 June.

2.State your reaction to the prices, discounts, samples, etc.

-We are satisfied that the quoted terms are acceptable.
-We have examined the samples and are satisfied with their quality.
-We have tested the samples and are satisfied with their performance.

3.Place-the order
-We are therefore ordering ... (goods) ... as follows:
-Quantity
-Quality
-Packing
-Delivery time
-Price
·-Payment

4.Close the letter add add a formal ending

-We look forward to receiving our order and doing business with you in future.

i\CKNOWLEDGMENT OF ORDERS

I .Acknowledge receipt of the order

-We thank you for your order for ... (goods) ... , which we received today.
-Thank you for your order of 2 I March for ... (goods) ...
2.Confirmthat you are able to supply the goods
-We are glad to confirm that we can supply the above goods.
-We can confirm that we are able to supply the above order from stock.

3.Say what you have done about the order

-Please-find enclosed ...
-We have already dispatched a pro-forma invoice.

4.Say what you are goind to do next about the order

-The goods will be dispatched on receipt of...
-We will dispatch the goods immediately we have received ...

5.Assure the buyerthat you can meet the conditions of the orderI
-You may be sure that we will carry your instructions in full.
-You can depend on us to dispatch the goods promptly.
-You can rely on us to follow your instructions to the letter.

6.Close the letter

-We look forward to hearing that your order has arrived safely and to doing business wi~h
you in future.

REJECTION OF ORDERS

I.Thank the customer for the order

-Thank you for your order, which we received today.

2.Say that you cannot meet the order

-We very much regret that we cannot ...
-Unfortunately, we can supply only part of your order.
-Owing to heavy demand for these goods from our existing customers, we are unable to
accept new orders at present.
-We are sorry to tell you that we are unable to supply the goods you have re.quested~

3.Say why you cannot meet the order

-Model no. H4/001 is temporarily out of stock.
-The model has .been discontinued and replaced by ...
-These items are only available in packs of one hundred.
-The minimum order for this item is fifty.
-We are unable to offer as large a discount as you have requested.

4.Suggest an alternative
-We can assure you that model no .2311 will be suitable for your needs.
-If you are willing to wait for a short period, we can supply you in four weeks' time.
-Perhaps y-0u would consider increasing your order to ...
-We expect to have this item in stock in July.

®
COMPLAINT

I .Refer to ijfder
-I am writing about/concerning ...

2.State reason for complaint

-I regret to inform you that ...
-I would like to inform you that. ..

3.Suggest possible causes of the problem (optional)

-There seems to have been ...
-It appears that the boxes were ...

4.Prove your romplaint

-We enclose a report on the damage from ...
-Please find enclosed the report no.123 stating the same.

5.State-action(s) you require the other company t°'taj}e

-I must insist that you ...
-In accordance with our contract, I IlltlSt ask you tor ..

6.State action taken by your company (if appropriate)

-The goods have been placed in out warehouse.
-We will keep the goods until.. .

ADJUSTEMENT LETTERS (1, 2)

I .Acknowledge the letter of complaint

-(We) thank you for your letter of 5 May.
-We acknowledge receipt of your letter of 6 June.

2.Explain the cause of the problem (optional)

-We have investigated the matter and discovered that ...
-We have looked into the matter and found that ...

3.State action taken to prevent the problem happening again (optional)

-Our new packing materials will prevent this king of damage in future.
-The new quality control procedures we have introduced will ensure that this proqlem
does not happen again.

4.Reassure the customer

-You may be sure that this will not happen in future.

5.State action taken to solve the immediate problem

-I have authorized the despatch of replacements by air freight.
-We have arranged for the collection of the wrongly delivered go9ds by ...

®
-However, we trust that ...
-We are therefore prnpared to offer you a discount of 10% on the contractual price, which
we trust will cover your losses.

6.Apologize
-Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience you were c~usyd.

7 .End optimistically

ADJUSTMENT LETTERS (3)

I .Acknowledge the letter of complaint

2.Show surprise and explain why you are surpris~d.
3.Ask for time to investigate.
4.Promise to revert.
5.Close the letter.

ADJUSTMENT LETTERS (4)

I .Acknowledge the letter of complaint.

2.Reject the complaint.
3.Explain why you are rejecting the complaint.
4.Prove your point (if possible).
5 .Suggest analtemative.
6.0ffer support (if appropriate).
7.Close the letter.
 COMPLAINTS

1. You work for Smith &Sons Industries. Last month you placed an order for some
special components for your manufacturing process with Ocean View Components
Inc. ofNew York. The goods were delivered on Friday. Now it's Monday.
Your production manager, Mr Robinson, has left a message for you on the telephone
answering machine: all the 5,000 pieces received are model GJl 7 while the order was
for JG 70. They should all be replaced, out of which 500 should be received by next
Wednesday, otherwise he'll have to stop production.
Write a complaint to Ocean View Components inc.

2.You work for Ocean View Components. Reply to the complaint sent by Smith &
Sons Industries. Promise to replace all 5,000 opieces out of which 500 by next
Wednesday.

3.You are the General Manager of Alimex SRL, str. Sperantei no.1 , Bucharest-7. You
placed the order no.3231/20_ with Tebbit Green & Co Ltd, 18, Field Road,
Chiswick, London Wl, England, for 10,000 jars of strawberry jam. The shipment
arrived on 2 November 2012.
The quality reception in Romania was made by a neutral laboratory which sent you
the Tests Results no.4534 stating that the sugar content was 15% lower than the one
provided in the order.
Write a complaint to your supplier. Ask a discount of 25% off the contract price and
inform him that you will refrain from paying his invoice until you receive the
requested compensation.

4.You work for Tebbit Green & Co Ltd. Reply to the complaint received from
Alimex. Suggest a 15% discount off the contract price.
 REPORTS

I.You are the Sales Manager of Work's Fun Ltd specialized in selling DIY products.
The Commercial Director of the company, Mr John Brown has asked you to draw up
a report on the distribution of your products. You have the following information.
Your products are distributed as follows:
a)Specialised small shops - they sell 50% of your products; unfortunately, their
market share is nowadays only 4% of the total DIY products market;
b)Supermarkets and hypermarkets - they distribute 36% of your products; today,
their market share is only 20%;
c)Specialised large shops - they account for 8% of your distribution whereas their
market share is 45%
d)E-commerce - this is a new type of distribution for you which you started only last
year and which accounts for 6% of your sales. However, their market share is now
31 % and increasing.
Make recommendations to improve the distribution of your company's products.

2. You are the deputy director of HR in « Green Fingers », a company producing

garden equipment. Your company has two factories, one in Trenton and the other one
in Tring. Each of them employs about 100 people, out of which 50% men and 50%
women. Most women are workers under the age of 30 while most men are engineers
and craftmen.
Last year, flexible working hours were introduced at the Trenton factory as
follows:
8h 10 h 12 h 14 h 16 h
Flexband Core time Flexband (30 Core time Flexband
minutes lunch
break)

Employees can choose their starting and finishing time and must be present during the
core time.
The Ting factory preserved its fixed working hours from 8 a.m. to 4.45 p.m. with a
lunch break between 12.30 and 1 p.m.
The following table shows absenteeism in the two factories since their foundation, 4
years ago, up to the present time:
Year Trenton Tring
1 M: 1550 hours M : 2200 hours
F : 3 000 hours F : 2800 hours
2 M: 1500 hours M : 2900 hours
F : 2000 hours F: 3000 hours
3 M : 1400 hours M: 2900 hours
F : 1900 hours F : 2900 hours
4 M : 1200 hours M : 2900 hours
F : 1600 hours F : 2950 hours

Three days ago, the HR director, Janet Farnes, asked you to write a report on
absenteeism in the two factories, making recommendations on how to reduce it. The
report should be present to her today.