This lesson will focus on using a variety of expressions related to control.
This lesson will help you use these idioms describing control. You will also get a chance to talk about your own experiences.
The topic is control, which should be a familiar subject for most students.
Guide to Business Idioms
Why idioms?
Idioms bring up a lot of pre-packaged imagery. They are emotive and they resonate with native speakers.
Don't over-use them, but on the other hand, a well-placed idiom will bring your language to life.
Warm Up
- Be quick & interesting.
- Note idioms the student uses unprompted.
- You may say, "That was a clear answer, but it wasn't very natural. Let's add some natural expressions using the phrases in the Language section."
- Praise or recommend good spoken grammar:
- use of contractions (it isn't, they're, etc...);
- short, active sentences (clear spoken English often employs such language);
- emphatic language.
Language section
You may take multiple classes for this.
- Encourage short answers, but don't move too quickly (find a balance).
- Focus on the phrase at hand.
- Make sure the student is confident with each one before moving on.
- Encourage the student to express themselves using their own experiences or knowledge as much as possible.
- Model the target language as much as possible.
Who is someone you know that is a natural leader? Give an example of how they take control.
This warm-up should take 2–3 minutes.
It's a good idea for the student to have someone in mind when they do this lesson.
Example: Michael Jordan was always in control. Here's a quick anecdote you can copy & paste into the chat box and have your student read. Use this if your student is on the quieter side.
The Chicago Bulls had just arrived at the airport. They were waiting for their luggage when Jordan held out a $100 bill and said to his teammates, “I bet you $100 my bags come out first.” Ten people took the bet. Sure enough, Jordan’s bags came out first. He laughed as he collected everyone’s money. But Jordan had a secret: he’d bribed the baggage handlers beforehand to put his bags first. Jordan always had the upper hand.
Please consider each expression and match them to the images. Your instructor has an example and a question regarding each one.
- in the driver’s seat—be in control of a situation.
- be on (one’s) toes—be active, alert and ready to react quickly.
- not take something lying down—refuse to accept something without resistance.
- take the bull by the horns—deal with a problem or difficult situation directly and confidently.
- have the upper hand—have more power than anyone else and be in control.
A. |
B. |
C. |
D. |
E. |
Spend as long or as short a time as necessary on each phrase, but make sure the student can use it smoothly before moving on. The student should rephrase the "Practice" sentence with the target idiom, and then answer the "Question" using the target idiom.
1. (A) in the driver’s seat
E.g.: The availability of such a wide range of products nowadays has put the consumer in the driver’s seat.
Practice: When it comes to AI technology, China is determined to be in control.
→Example answer: When it comes to AI technology, China is determined to be in the driver’s seat.
Question: When it comes to projects, who is in control: you or your client?
→Example answer: When we are working on a project, our team is always in the driver’s seat. It won’t work otherwise.
2. (E) be on (one's) toes
NOTE: Tell your student about the form: to keep someone on their toes.
E.g.: In her job as an investment consultant, Charlotte always has to be on her toes, ready to make snap decisions.
Practice: My boss always asks me to come up with creative ideas, so I need to be alert.
→Example answer: My boss always asks me to come up with creative ideas, so I need to be on my toes.
Question: Is it always possible to predict what your client/manager will ask you to do?
→Example answer: Absolutely not. Clients/managers are often unpredictable, so you really need to be on your toes at all times.
3. (D) not take something lying down
E.g.: My boss accused me of being lazy. I don’t take such comments lying down, so I argued that he was wrong.
Practice: Brian got fired unfairly last month, but he’s not going to accept it without resistance. He’s going to seek legal advice.
→Example answer: Brian got fired unfairly last month, but he’s not going to take it lying down. He’s going to seek legal advice.
Question: Have you ever been in a situation where someone has treated you unfairly? What did you do?
→Example answer: Yes. I was once blamed for making a mistake that wasn’t my fault. I didn’t take it lying down, though. I went straight to my line manager and explained what had really happened.
4. (B) take the bull by the horns
E.g.: Our manager was treating us unfairly, so I took the bull by the horns and went straight to the CEO to complain.
Practice: If you feel that you are being underpaid, you should confront the situation directly and demand a raise.
→Example answer: If you feel that you are being underpaid, you should take the bull by the horns and demand a raise.
Question: Have you ever had to deal with a difficult situation in a direct and confident way?
→Example answer: Actually, yes. A few months ago, I was working with a client who kept changing his requirements. In the end, we had to take the bull by the horns and demand that he settle on a consistent policy.
5. (C) have the upper hand
NOTE: tell your student about the form: gain the upper hand.
E.g.: With our new range of products, we have the upper hand in the market.
Practice: We are in control of the negotiations and should come out with a very favourable deal.
→Example answer: We have the upper hand in the negotiations and should come out with a very favourable deal.
Question: How can you have power and control in your particular industry?
→Example answer: In the consulting industry, the way to have the upper hand is to offer a service that is more effective than any other competitor.
A. Complete the anecdote
Read each section and choose an appropriate idiom from the list above.
- Things change quickly in my industry, so I always have to…
- A good manager should have a clear overview of their and their team’s goals and should be in complete control of all the steps required to realise them. He or she needs to…
- For many years, Karen’s company was behind in their industry, but following a series of changes in the management structure and the introduction of several groundbreaking services, it now…
- My firm refuses to accept it when a competitor tries to take over our market share. When it comes to that kind of thing, we…
- As a CEO, there are frequent occasions when I have to take swift action to resolve a difficult issue. At those times, I simply have to…
B. Discussion
Use idioms to discuss the following topics.
- What are the main strengths of a good manager?
- Should staff always follow their manager’s instructions? In which situations might it be advisable to question the decisions of a senior?
- Which technology companies will dominate in the next ten years?
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Images:
Unattributed via PxFuel
caropat via Pixabay
Hector Alejandro via Flickr
Neal Jennings via Flickr
Bernd Viefhues via Unsplash