delegating

Carmela: This week’s work situation is delegating 1（代表，委任） – ….and I’m going to delegate 2 the task of explaining delegating to business English expert David Evans. 
David:  Delegating is one of the most important aspects of any  manager’s job. Very simply delegating is when a senior person gives a task or a part of a task to a junior person to do. So one would normally find that a manager would take responsibility for a large job which he or she would then break down into a number of smaller tasks, each of which would be given to a more junior person in the company to complete. That really is what we mean by delegating.  
Carmela: So, delegating is handing over a task to a colleague at work. And that was today’s first useful bit of language so I hope you had a pen and paper ready to  write it down. But what’s your advice when it comes to getting colleagues to help you at work?
David: Well, it’s often important to delegate when you have too much work yourself to do. So that’s probably the time to delegate. Or indeed if you think that a colleague can perform the task more quickly or more efficiently 3 than you can, again that’s a good time to delegate. When you delegate it is important that you give clear instructions, that people understand exactly what it is they’re supposed to do. It’s also important as a manager that you still take responsibility for that task and that you don’t blame the other person if something goes wrong. And finally I think the other thing that it’s important for the manager to do, is to make sure that the junior person knows where they can go for help and for advice when they’re performing that delegated 4 task.
Carmela: Right, let’s focus on some of that delegating language right now. In the following conversation you’ll hear a new finance 5 system being discussed and the freelance（自由作家，自由记者） contracts are going to be delegated. What’s the deadline for the task?
CLIP 6
Carrie: Hi Owen. Can I have a quick word? Owen: Yeah, sure.   Carrie: I need to talk about the new finance system.  I’m going to need your help
sorting out a few things.
Owen:  Yeah, I can do that. 
Carrie:  I was wondering if you could take responsibility for the freelance contracts.  
We’ve got a huge backlog 7（积累） of contracts. 
Owen:  Yeah sure, no problem 
Carrie:  And, are you happy with the computer system?…..  
Owen:  Yes, I’m fine with the computer system.   I’ve been on the training course.  So 
when do you want me to start? 
Carrie:  I’d like you to start this job probably as soon as possible.  What’s your 
workload 8 like? 
Owen:  Um I don’t have much on at the moment. 
Carrie:  So the deadline for this is the end of the month, so really I need you to get 
your bit done say 2 or 3 days before the end of the deadline. Then we’ll have 
time to get on and check a few things. 
Owen:  Sure.  I’ll get on with it straight away. 
Carrie:  So 27th .  Would that be alright? 
Owen:  That’d be fine.  
Carrie:  Great.  If you need anything, you know I’m here.    
Owen:  Okay, thank you.  

END OF CLIP

Carmela:So, there were a couple of deadlines there actually. For the whole task the deadline is the end of the month, but for Owen’s part of it, well he has to have his work finished by the 27th.
Okay, let’s go back now to the beginning of that conversation.  It’s very important how you start to ask somebody to do something for you.

CLIP
Carrie: Hi Owen. Can I have a quick word? Owen: Yeah sure.   Carrie: I need to talk about the new finance system.  I’m going to need your help
sorting out a few things.
Owen:Yeah, I can do that.

Carrie:I was wondering if you could take responsibility for the freelance contracts. 
We’ve got a huge backlog of contracts.
Owen:Yeah sure, no problem
Carrie:And are you happy with the computer system?….. 
Owen:Yes, I’m fine with the computer system.  I’ve been on the training course.

END OF CLIP
Carmela: David, the conversation actually began in an interesting and friendly way. Can you pick out the language that was used there?
David:I think it is very interesting to note how indirect all the language that’s being used is. I think in the modern work place you can’t simply tell other people what to do. A manager can’t just delegate with very direct language. So there we heard the manager begin by saying Can I have a quick word? And that’s a very friendly way of starting a conversation. The word quick I think is important there. Can I have a quick word suggests that it’s going to be a short friendly chat. She then goes on and introduces the idea of delegating. She says I’m going to need your help.. Again, it’s a conversational 9 way of doing it. 
Carmela: And it also sounds to me like something of an appeal -  appealing to somebody’s abilities.
David: Yes, there’s certainly an idea that the person could say I’m afraid I can’t help you. There is an idea that this is a two way exchange and she continues like this by then saying I was wondering if you could take responsibility for the freelance contracts? This is again a very indirect phrase I was wondering if you could do something….
Carmela: And we use this kind of indirect language when we’re not sure that the person can help us, or when what we are asking them to do is so enormous or just because we want to be polite?
David:   I think as you say it’s to do with being polite, it’s to do with respecting the other person, their time and their responsibilities.
Carmela: Interesting too that the person then checks with Owen that they could actually do the task well, that they could actually complete what they were being asked to do. Again the language there David - could you pick it out for us and describe it?
David: I think she used the phrase Are you happy with the computer system? Again, it’s quite a nice way of expressing that just to make sure Owen can use the computer system effectively. It’s obviously always a good idea when you’re
delegating to check the other person can actually do the task.  
Carmela:Now back to our conversation. In this part they are discussing the all-important
deadline.  

CLIP
Carrie:Are you happy with the computer system?….. 
Owen:Yes, I’m fine with the computer system. I’ve been on the training course.   So when do you want me to start?

Carrie: I’d like you to start this job probably as soon as possible.  What’s your workload like?
Owen:Um, I don’t have much on at the moment.
Carrie:So, the deadline for this is the end of the month, so really I need you to get your bit done say 2 or 3 days before the end of the deadline then we’ll have time to get on and check a few things.  
Owen:Sure, I’ll get on with it straight away.
END OF CLIP
Carmela:David, lots more interesting language there. Could you isolate 10 some of the phrases for us?
David:One key phrase there was, What’s your workload like? This is the manager asking the other person how much work they have at the moment, how much work they are planning to do over the next few weeks or months. So obviously that is very important information for her to know before she goes ahead and delegates 11. Once the manager has checked the other person’s workload she then gives very clear instructions for the time available for this task. First of all she gives a clear starting date I’d like you to start as soon as possible. She then goes on and gives a very clear finish date the deadline for this is the end of the month.
Carmela: So everything’s agreed but the conversation doesn’t end there. How does it finish…?

CLIP
Carrie:So the deadline for this is the end of the month, so really I need you to get your bit done say 2 or 3 days before the end of the deadline. Then we’ll have
time to get on and check a few things.
Male:Sure, I’ll get on with it straight away.
Carrie:So 27th. Would that be alright?
Male:That’d be fine. 

Carrie:Great. If you need anything, you know I’m here.   
Male: O.K  Thank you. 
END OF CLIP
Carmela: A nice, neat（整洁的） and quick ending to the conversation. Pick out the phrase for us, David.  
David:Yes, there the manager checks that the other person is happy with the task. She uses the phrase I think, would that be alright or you could say would that be ok. And then she makes sure that he understands that if he needs help then he can ask her for advice. She says if you need anything you know I’m here. And obviously that’s a very important thing for the other person to understand. 
Carmela:OK, thanks David.  And, just to say that David Evans will be joining me next time for more Business Language to Go.
(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

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1
delegating

  
 


委派代表（delegate的现在分词形式）


参考例句：





Managers are constantly being told to spend more time planning and delegating. 管理者经常被告知应在计划工作和授权方面多花些时间。
The nurse uses judgement regarding individual competence when accepting and delegating responsibility. 护士根据个人能力接受或授权责任。












2
delegate

  
 


n.代表，会议代表；vt.委派...为代表，授权


参考例句：





They drafted her to serve as their delegate.他们选她当代表。
The Chinese people delegate their power to the People's Congress.中国人民授权人民代表大会。












3
efficiently

  
 


adv.高效率地，有能力地


参考例句：





The worker oils the machine to operate it more efficiently.工人给机器上油以使机器运转更有效。
Local authorities have to learn to allocate resources efficiently.地方政府必须学会有效地分配资源。












4
delegated

  
 


授与的


参考例句：





The states delegated some of their rights to the nation. 那些州把他们的部分权利转给了国家。
The routine office work had all been delegated to his executive staff. 一般的办公室工作都已经交给了他的执行人员。












5
finance

  
 


n.财务管理，财政，金融，财源，资金


参考例句：





She is an expert in finance.她是一名财政专家。
A finance house made a bid to buy up the entire company.一家信贷公司出价买下了整个公司。












6
clip

  
 


n.夹子，别针，弹夹，片断；vt.夹住，修剪


参考例句：





May I clip out the report on my performance?我能把报道我的文章剪下来吗？
She fastened the papers together with a paper clip.她用曲别针把文件别在一起。












7
backlog

  
 


n.积压未办之事


参考例句：





It will take a month to clear the backlog of work.要花一个月的时间才能清理完积压的工作。
Investment is needed to reduce the backlog of repairs.需要投资来減轻积压的维修工作。












8
workload

  
 


n.作业量，工作量


参考例句：





An assistant one day a week would ease my workload.每周有一天配一个助手就会减轻我的工作负担。
He's always grousing about the workload.他总是抱怨工作量大。












9
conversational

  
 


adj.对话的，会话的


参考例句：





The article is written in a conversational style.该文是以对话的形式写成的。
She values herself on her conversational powers.她常夸耀自己的能言善辩。












10
isolate

  
 


vt.使孤立，隔离


参考例句：





Do not isolate yourself from others.不要把自己孤立起来。
We should never isolate ourselves from the masses.我们永远不能脱离群众。












11
delegates

  
 


代表，代表团成员( delegate的名词复数 )


参考例句：





The conference was attended by delegates from 56 countries. 此次会议有来自56个国家的代表出席。
Delegates expressed strong opposition to the plans. 代表强烈反对这些计划。