Business Spotlight Socializing - Top tips for success in international business situations (Vorschau)

BusinessSpotlight
BusinessSpotlight
Englisch für den Beruf
Januar–Februar l Ausgabe 1/2014
Language Test
101 key terms
for business
Profile
Arianna
Huffington
Easy English
How to reach
agreement
Careers
Do you need
a coach?
Retailing
All the
vocabulary
you need
Socializing
Top tips for success
in international
business situations
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A • E • I • L • P (cont.) • SK: € 13,90

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■ EDITORIAL
Uncertain times
At a recent conference for
business English trainers, I gave a
presentation on the future of the
industry with Bob Dignen, author
of our Business Skills section. One
of the main points we made was
that, in an increasingly uncertain
Ian McMaster, editor-in-chief
business world, it is impossible to
give simple “dos and don’ts” for international business communication.
Instead, we need to learn to accept uncertainty,
to see its advantages and to learn how to manage it more effectively.
Bob provides many interesting tips on how to do so in
his latest Business Skills article (p. 30).
A major area of uncertainty for many economies
is how they will meet their future energy needs. Hydraulic fracturing
(“fracking”) is currently seen as the answer by some people
— and as a way to reduce the world’s dependence on oil.
For others, fracking is an environmental disaster. We asked two
experts for their views on
this controversial subject.
You will find their comments
in our latest Headto-Head
debate (p. 42).
Uncertainty and hope
often go hand in hand at
the start of a new year. The
Business Spotlight team
would like to thank you
for your support and feedback
in 2013. We hope
iStock
Uncertainty: learning how to manage it
that it has been a good year for you — both personally and at
work — and we wish you all the best for 2014. One thing we
can be sure of is that the new year will be full of uncertainty
and surprises for us all.
Sprachen lernen –
Menschen treffen
Sprachkurse in allen Weltsprachen
beruflich und privat
Gruppen- und Einzeltraining
und Inhouse-Training
KERN AG
IKL Business Language Training & Co. KG
Leipziger Straße 51, 60487 Frankfurt / Main
kern.frankfurt@kerntraining.com
☎ (0 69) 7 56 07 39-0
www.kerntraining.com
Ian McMaster, editor-in-chief
Contact: i.mcmaster@spotlight-verlag.de
1/2014
Aachen · Augsburg · Berlin · Bielefeld · Bochum · Bonn
Braunschweig · Bremen · Darmstadt · Dortmund · Dresden
Duisburg · Düsseldorf · Essen · Frankfurt / Main · Freiburg
Friedrichshafen · Hamburg · Hannover · Heilbronn · Ingolstadt
Kaiserslautern · Karlsruhe · Kassel · Kiel · Köln · Leipzig
Mainz · Mannheim · Mönchen gladbach · München · Münster
Nürnberg · Offenbach · Saarbrücken · Schweinfurt · Stuttgart
Ulm · Weil a. Rh. · Wiesbaden · Wuppertal · Würzburg

■ CONTENTS 1/2014
10 Language test
22 Socializing
iStock
Wavebreak Media
WORKING WORLD
6 Names and News
The latest from the world of business
LANGUAGE TEST
➤10 101 Key Business Terms
Test your knowledge of important expressions
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
➤22 Socializing
Entertaining business partners across cultures
27 Looking Back
Michelle Carstens on Australia’s challenges
28 Travel Tips New Year’s events in Scotland
English on the Move The car ferry
all levels
advanced
medium
advanced
medium
easy
LANGUAGE SECTION
44 Vocabulary The fire brigade
45 Grammar at Work Reported speech
➤46 Easy English Reaching agreement
48 Wise Words
Deborah Capras on reduplicatives
50 Short Story Top dog
52 Translation False friends and more
53 Language Cards To pull out and practise
➤55 SKILL UP! Retailing
Your latest vocabulary guide
56 English for… Weather conditions
58 Legal English Legal training
easy
medium
easy
medium
easy
medium
medium
advanced
BUSINESS SKILLS
30 Uncertainty
Dealing positively with uncertainty at work
Survival Guide to cut out and keep
36 Toolbox
Ken Taylor on answering a colleague’s phone
medium
medium
medium
59 Economics and Finance
Debts, exports and imports
60 Teacher Talk
Interview with Vicki Hollett
62 Products What’s new?
63 Key Words Vocabulary from this issue
advanced
medium
medium
37 Say It in Style
Introducing yourself and others
GLOBAL BUSINESS
➤38 Profile
Arianna Huffington, multimillionaire media mogul
42 Head-to-Head
Should fracking be banned?
easy
advanced
advanced
CAREERS
➤64 Career Coaches
How to get the advice you need at work
68 Tips and Trends
Business trips and the value of handshakes
70 Leisure Time
Art, architecture, a new book and DVDs
medium
medium
medium
Multimedia learning with Business Spotlight
Business Spotlight plus
Practise the language in the magazine
with our exercise booklet.
In this issue, we focus on key
language for negotiations, the retail
business, food and culture,
and the weather at work. See
page 17 for subscription details.
plus This symbol indicates that
related excercises can be found
in Business Spotlight plus.
Business Spotlight in the classroom
This six-page supplement for teachers
and trainers provides lesson activities
based on articles in Business Spotlight.
It is free to those who subscribe to the
magazine. To order, send an email to:
schulmedien@spotlight-verlag.de
READERS’ SERVICE
Email: abo@spotlight-verlag.de
Internet: www.spotlight-verlag.de
Telephone: +49 (0)89/8 56 81-16
Fax: +49 (0)89/8 56 81-159

38 Arianna Huffington
64 Career coaching
Corbis
Corbis
MANAGEMENT
72 Middle Managers
A closer look at the bosses we love to hate
76 What Happened Next
Low-cost air travel
77 Executive Eye
Adrian Furnham on overcoming adversity
TECHNOLOGY
80 Solar Aeroplanes
Saving the planet with solar flight?
82 Trends
Dynamic mosh pits and spray-on caffeine
83 Language Focus
Mechanical valves
PEOPLE
86 Our Working Life
Two yacht service providers
medium
medium
medium
advanced
medium
advanced
REGULAR SECTIONS
3 Editorial
21 Business Press: Behind the headlines advanced
71 Classified Ads
78 SprachenShop
84 Feedback / Impressum
85 Preview
➤ Cover topics
easy
55 Useful
vocabulary
GUIDE
LANGUAGE IN BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
Articles in the magazine use the style, spelling, punctuation and
pronunciation of British English unless otherwise marked.
US American style, spelling, punctuation and pronunciation
are used in these articles.
easy Approximately at CEF level A2
medium Approximately at CEF levels B1–B2
advanced Approximately at CEF levels C1–C2
All articles are marked with their level of language difficulty.
CEF stands for the Council of Europe’s “Common 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 UK usage; US: chiefly North American usage
Cover photograph: Ocean/Corbis
Business Spotlight Audio
Our audio product offers more than 70 minutes of texts,
dialogues, exercises and interviews. On this CD, you
can listen to our short story, practise using reported
speech and hear views on Australia’s economy.
This symbol indicates that related texts and
exercises can be heard on Business Spotlight Audio.
Business Spotlight Online
Our website offers activities for even
more language learning, as well as
news and blogs. Subscribers have
full access to our online content.
www This symbol indicates that related
content can be found on our
website: www.business-spotlight.de
www.business-spotlight.de 5

■ WORKING WORLD NAMES AND NEWS
Where is everybody?
Many streets in
Pittsburgh are empty
U.S.
Immigrants welcome
Do immigrants enrich local communities or do they take
jobs away from native-born residents? Americans are
divided on the subject, with residents of southern and
southwestern states, like Alabama and Arizona, strongly in
favor of laws restricting the influx of illegal immigrants
from Mexico and Cuba.
But economic development agencies in the Rust Belt —
the formerly strong manufacturing region of the Midwest
and mid-Atlantic states from western Pennsylvania to the
Mississippi River — are taking steps to attract foreign-born
workers. “We’ve had neighborhoods decimated by population
loss,” explains Pittsburgh city councilman Bill Peduto.
“The only way we can rebuild is by bringing new people
here,” Peduto told The Wall Street Journal. In addition
to Pittsburgh, the cities of Detroit, Cleveland, and St. Louis
councilman [(kaUns&lmEn]
Stadtrat
enrich sth. [In(rItS]
etw. bereichern
entrepreneurial [)A:ntrEprE(n§:riEl*] unternehmerisch (eingestellt)
federation [)fedE(reIS&n]
Verband
health plan [(helT plÄn]
Krankenversicherungsprogramm
hip replacement [(hIp ri)pleIsmEnt] künstliches Hüftgelenk
influx [(InflVks]
Zustrom
neighborhood [(neIb&rhUd*]
(Wohn-)Viertel
Rust Belt [(rVst belt] US ifml. Rostgürtel
think tank [(TINk tÄNk]
Denkfabrik
* This symbol marks standard US pronunciation that differs from standard UK pronunciation.
are looking for ways to attract skilled workers in high-tech
fields, as well as unskilled laborers who are willing to do
work that native-born residents do not want to do. “Our
businesses need both workers and consumers,” says economics
professor Jack Strauss of St. Louis University.
Politicians also hope that entrepreneurial immigrants
will start new businesses and create jobs, but this is not
easy. Immigrants decide to relocate based on the presence
of other family members along with potential employment,
according to Jeanne Batalova of the Migration Policy Institute,
a think tank based in Washington, D.C.
Listen to this text on Business Spotlight Audio
$40,364 $7,731
Average cost of a hip
replacement in the US
advanced US
Average cost of a hip
replacement in Spain
Sources: International Herald Tribune; “2012 Comparative Price Report” by the International
Federation of Health Plans (ww.ifhp.com)
National Geographic
Credit
“People will forget what you said. People
will forget what you did. But people
will never forget how you made them feel”
Maya Angelou, 85, US writer (I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings)
6 www.business-spotlight.de
Reuters

NORTH KOREA
Woman power
medium
It’s hard to find anything positive about North
Korea’s economic decline. Yet one group has benefited
from the situation. Women are increasingly
becoming the main breadwinners, making them
more assertive.
“Men can’t make enough money to run the family,
so it’s the women’s job now,” says Lee Young-le,
one of those women. “It’s the mother who pays for school for the child, who dresses the child and feeds
the child. Men want women to obey, but when the basis of everything is money and eating, you can’t say
anything,” Lee, a travelling saleswoman, told The Guardian.
Korean culture has traditionally been patriarchal, according to Kyung-Ae Park, professor of political science
and director of the Centre for Korean Research at the University of British Columbia. “Women consistently
lagged behind men in an elaborate social hierarchy, and were powerless and dependent,” Park says.
Although women in North Korea gained legal and social rights, and were encouraged to work outside the
home, they were paid less and lacked political power. Now, however, many women are setting up small home
businesses, such as taking in sewing or trading. Men have been reluctant to set up market stalls, fearing
loss of face. In addition to her work as a trader in meat, fruit, rice and cigarettes, Lee regularly crosses the
border into China, where she works as a carer for 2,000 yuan (about €240) a month. “Even if things are
hard, to me, it’s better,” Lee says. “Women were very weak before, but now we fight to live.”
Sasse/laif
Market trader:
a good job
for a woman?
Listen to this text on Business Spotlight Audio
assertive [E(s§:tIv]
breadwinner [(bredwInE]
carer [(keErE] UK
consistently [kEn(sIstEntli]
decline [di(klaIn]
elaborate [i(lÄbErEt]
lag behind sb.
[)lÄg bi(haInd]
loss of face [)lQs Ev (feIs]
market stall [)mA:kIt (stO:l]
obey sb. [E(beI]
quit one’s job
[)kwIt wVnz (dZQb]
reluctant: be ~ to do sth.
[ri(lVktEnt]
research [ri(s§:tS]
take in sewing
[)teIk In (səUIN]
travelling saleswoman
[)trÄv&lIN (seI&lzwUmEn]
energisch; hier: selbstbewusst
Ernährer(in), Brotverdiener(in)
Pflegekraft
durchweg
Niedergang
kompliziert, durchorganisiert
hinter jmdm. zurückbleiben;
hier: zurückstehen
Gesichtsverlust
Marktstand
jmdm. gehorchen
kündigen
etw. nur widerstrebend tun
Forschung
Näharbeiten (für zuhause)
annehmen
Handelsreisende
Nach Paris schnell und komfortabel.
Mit ICE oder TGV*.
1/2014
70
Percentage of Americans who
consider quitting their jobs after
taking holidays
Sources: The Huffington Post; Monster.com
Frankfurt–Paris 5x täglich direkt unter 4 Stunden, Stuttgart–Paris 4x täglich
direkt unter 3¾ Stunden und München–Paris ebenfalls direkt in die Innenstadt.
Ohne Stress, ohne Stau und ohne zeitraubendes Einchecken.
Reisen Sie Ihrem Ziel mit bis zu 320 km/h entspannt entgegen und genießen
Sie den erstklassigen Service und Komfort an Bord. In der 1. Klasse (ab
69 Euro) auf diesen Strecken inklusive: eine leichte Mahlzeit, die wir Ihnen
am Platz servieren. Erhältlich überall, wo es Fahrkarten gibt.
Die Bahn macht mobil.
*TGV ist eine Marke der SNCF

■ WORKING WORLD NAMES AND NEWS
picture-alliance/dpa
BRITAIN
All in the family
medium
Holly Branson never wanted to follow her famous father,
Sir Richard, in the family business. Instead, the 31-
year-old trained and worked as a medical doctor. But in
2008, after a year as a junior house officer in the neurology
department at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
in London, she took a year off. She never returned.
“It was my dad who said, ‘Well, why don’t you come
work at Virgin?’” Holly Branson told WSJ Magazine. “I did
internships at all the businesses and at the end of the first
year, I thought, ‘Oh, I’m just not ready to go back’. By the
end of the second year, it was clear I was never going
back.”
Holly Branson’s job title is special-projects manager at
Virgin Management Limited. She is also on the board of
Virgin Unite, a non-profit foundation that provides support
for entrepreneurs, particularly in developing countries.
She admits that getting involved in business has not
always been easy. “I’m taking courses in it, but I don’t
much like numbers,” she says.
Her father is certain that Holly will be successful. “Virgin
is the number-two or number-three most respected
brand in the world, and it helps to have a powerful personality
to get that brand out there. If I get run over by a
truck tomorrow, Holly will be in a position to do that.”
www You’ll find more stories online: www.business-spotlight.de/news
The new face of Virgin: Holly Branson
What they said…
“A rich man is just a poor man
with money”
W. C. Fields (1880–1946), US actor and comedian
“There’s no reason to be the richest
man in the cemetery. You can’t do
any business from there”
Colonel Harland Sanders (1890–1980), founder of the Kentucky
Fried Chicken restaurant chain
“Money can’t buy friends, but you
can get a better class of enemy”
Irish comedian Spike Milligan (1918–2002)
board: be on the ~ of sth. [bO:d]
brand [brÄnd]
cemetery [(semEtri]
entrepreneur [)QntrEprE(n§:]
founder [(faUndE]
get a brand out there [)get E )brÄnd (aUt DeE] ifml.
internship [(Int§:nSIp]
junior house officer [)dZu:niE )haUs (QfIsE] UK
limited [(lImItId] UK
neurology department [nju&(rQlEdZi di)pA:tmEnt]
non-profit foundation [)nQn (prQfIt faUn(deIS&n]
take a year off [)teIk E )jIEr (Qf]
bei etw. im Vorstand/Verwaltungsrat sein
Marke
Friedhof
Unternehmer(in)
Gründer(in)
eine Marke werbewirksam vertreten
Praktikum
etwa: Arzt/Ärztin im Praktikum
etwa: GmbH
Abteilung für Neurologie
gemeinnützige Stiftung
eine Auszeit von einem Jahr nehmen
“Action may not always bring happiness;
but there is no happiness without action”
Benjamin Disraeli (1804–81), former British prime minister
8 www.business-spotlight.de 1/2014

Single in the shops:
alone but not lonely
GLOBAL
Focus on singles
easy
The number of people living alone is rising dramatically
worldwide. As a result, consumer brands are changing
the way they market their products.
According to the market research firm Euromonitor
International, the number of single households has risen
from about 153 million in 1996 to 277 million in 2011.
That number is forecast to rise to 331 million in 2020.
The trend is strongest in western Europe (31 per cent of
households) and North America (27.6 per cent). Sweden
has the highest proportion of single households in the
world — 47 per cent. In Norway, 40 per cent of the population
live alone.
Singles are not necessarily lonely, says consumer psychologist
Kit Yarrow. “In fact, they are much more connected
than families in many ways, helped by technology. They
are very social,” Yarrow told the Financial Times.
iStock
Single-person households in 2020
Germany 15.5 million
India
17.4 million
Japan
18.2 million
China
31.6 million
The number of births in Britain is at its highest
level since 1972. A total of 813,200 babies were
born in the UK between June 2011 and June
2012, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Births in Britain have been rising over the
past decade, unlike in the rest of Europe, where
fertility rates are falling.
Sources: Financial Times; Office for National Statistics
(www.statistics.gov.uk)
The number of British universities offering
degrees in modern languages has fallen from
105 in 2000 to 62 in 2013. According to the Department
for Education, the number of A-level
candidates wanting to study French and German
fell by 50 per cent between 1996 and 2012.
The British Chamber of Commerce says the
trend could have a “potentially disastrous” effect
on the country’s future exports.
Sources: The Observer; Department for Education
(www.education.gov.uk)
➡
➡
US
Sources: Financial Times; Euromonitor International (www.euromonitor.com)
Sprachkurse
im Ausland
Karrierefaktor
Fremdsprachen
36.3 million
Erweitern Sie Ihren beruflichen Horizont und vertiefen Sie Ihre
Fremdsprachenkenntnisse!
A-level [(eI )lev&l] UK
chamber of commerce
[)tSeImbEr Ev (kQm§:s]
consumer brand
[kEn(sju:mE brÄnd]
degree [di(gri:]
Department for Education
[di)pA:tmEnt fEr edju(keIS&n] UK
disastrous [dI(zA:strEs]
fertility rate [f§:(tIlEti reIt]
forecast: be ~ to do sth. [(fO:kA:st]
market sth. [(mA:kIt]
market research firm
[)mA:kIt ri(s§:tS f§:m]
etwa: (mit) Abitur
Handelskammer
Verbrauchermarke; hier:
Markenproduzent
Abschluss
Bildungsministerium
verheerend
Geburtenziffer
voraussichtlich etw. tun
etw. vermarkten
Marktforschungsunternehmen
EF bietet Ihnen die Möglichkeit in andere Sprachen und Kulturen
einzutauchen und somit Ihre Sprachfähigkeiten und interkulturelle
Kompetenz zu verbessern. Wählen Sie aus 40 Reisezielen, 15
Ländern und 7 verschiedenen Sprachen.
Profitieren Sie von:
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> speziellen Fokusschulen für Erwachsene
> Kurz – und Langzeitsprachkursen
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Education First
Königsallee 92a
40212 Düsseldorf
Tel.: 0211-688 57 210
www.ef.de/absolventen
TESTEN SIE
IHR ENGLISCH
www.ef.de/test
1/2014

■ LANGUAGE TEST 101 KEY BUSINESS TERMS
Rising to
the top
Viele Begriffe sind einfach unentbehrlich, wenn man das
Tagesgeschäft auf Englisch abwickeln muss. In den
Übungen von HILDEGARD RUDOLPH und CAROL SCHEUNEMANN
können Sie 101 davon testen.
advanced
A new approach:
how a small business
can go global
Stockbyte

THE SITUATION:
Hopper’s Hops, a small,
independent brewery in
Sussex, England, is talking
about joining a large
beverage group, Global
Bottle. Let’s look at the
language that is used.
1.
The vision (10 points)
Max Hopper, the owner of Hopper’s Hops, explains a new strategy to his workers. Complete
the sentences below using the synonyms — found in the box — of the words in bold.
approach ■ consensus ■ contract ■ enhance ■ generate ■ impact ■ implement
■ issue ■ objective ■ purchase
As you know, we were dealing with the a) ________ (problem) of falling sales. We have now
developed a new b) ________ (strategy). After much discussion among the management team,
we’ve reached a(n) c) ________ (agreement). We’ll sign a(n) d) ________ (legal agreement) with
Global Bottle, who will e) ________ (buy) 50 per cent of the company. Belonging to a large
group will f) ________ (improve) our image on the market and g) ________ (create) business.
It will also have a positive h) ________ (effect) by helping us to reach our i) ________ (aim) of
returning to profitability. We hope to j) ________ (realize) the deal by the end of Q1.
4
1/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 11

■ LANGUAGE TEST 101 KEY BUSINESS TERMS
Fuse
2.
Company structure (10 points)
Ruth Stuart, head of Global Bottle, describes the company structure. Fill in the
missing vowels of the words in bold.
Cutting the pie:
dividing up tasks
between offices
Our a) c_ngl_m_r_t_ is a global player in the beverage market, with b) s_bs_d_ _ry
businesses in several other markets, including the office-supplies and food-products
sectors. Our c) h_ _dq_ _rt_rs are in London, and we also have six d) br_nch _ff_c_s
in five European countries. The marketing e) d_p_rtm_nt does advertising for the entire
f) c_rp_r_t_ _n. The consumer-products g) d_v_s_ _n is located in Rotterdam.
Back-office h) _p_r_t_ _ns, such as order entry, are in Dublin. Our largest bottling
i) f_c_l_ty is located there, too. All of the j) b_s_n_ss _n_ts report to London.
3.
All about communication (10 points)
Ruth and Max are discussing details of the acquisition. Add the missing endings to complete the verbs in bold.
Ruth:
Max:
Ruth:
Max:
Ruth:
Max:
I’d like to a) emph______ that this will greatly increase your market.
I’m afraid we’re not prepared to b) nego______ the price further.
If we c) colla______ on development, we can d) ach______ faster growth.
I’ll have to e) rev______ your offer before I can f) con______ the deal.
Could you g) desi______ a representative to h) bar______ with your union workers?
OK. Could I just i) clar______ something? Let me j) summ______ the main points.
-arize
-asize
-borate
-firm
-gain
-gnate
-ieve
-iew
-ify
-tiate
12 www.business-spotlight.de 1/2014

4.
Day-to-day (10 points)
Over in production, the master brewer is talking to a trainee. Complete the sentences below by
changing the verbs in brackets to nouns.
Brewer:
This year, we’ve had lots of a) __________ (apply) for the brewer position.
Trainee:
How many candidates will you choose for b) __________ (assess)?
Brewer:
Three. In particular, we’ll evaluate their skills and c) __________ (perform) under stress.
Their d) __________ (commit) to the company is also very important.
The right mix:
various skills are
needed in a firm
Trainee:
Is there high employee e) __________ (retain) here?
Brewer:
Yes. However, in certain cases, f) __________ (terminate) may be necessary.
Trainee:
Right. So, when is the coffee beer g) __________ (launch)?
Brewer:
Well, it was on the h) __________ (schedule) for 1 October. But we’re still waiting for
i) __________ (deliver) of the malt. Maybe the j) __________ (ship) has been delayed.
iStock; Zoonar
5.
Money and finance (10 points)
The auditors (Buchprüfer) are checking the companies’ finances. Match the terms to their
correct definitions.
a) account
b) assets
c) billion
d) commission
e) debt
f) fee
g) funds
h) interest
i) invoice
j) revenue
1. An amount owed
2. A fixed amount charged for a service
3. A sum of money, usually intended for a specific purpose
4. A bill for goods or services
5. A record of debit and credit transactions
6. Another word for “income”
7. A sum awarded to an agent for selling something
8. A thousand million (1,000,000,000)
9. A charge for borrowing money, expressed as a percentage
10. Cash, property or goods owned
1/2014
a–■; b–■; c–■; d–■; e–■; f–■; g–■ h–■; i–■; j–■
4

■ LANGUAGE TEST 101 KEY BUSINESS TERMS
iStock (2); Zoonar
“Don’t confuse
activity with
achievement”
John Wooden (1910–2010),
US basketball player and coach
6.
Confusing pairs (10 points)
A newspaper article on the acquisition uses pairs of business terms that look similar.
Choose the correct words to complete the sentences.
takeover
turnover
downgrade
downturn
a) The firm’s identity may suffer following the __________.
b) Hopper’s Hops was suffering from a drop in __________.
c) Another factor was a __________ in the beer market.
d) Hopper’s Hops feared a __________ of its creditworthiness.
underlie
e) Poor management decisions __________ Hopper’s Hops’ problems.
underwrite f) Global Bottle will __________ product-development costs.
Analysis needed:
discovering what
could be better
overhead
overdraft
g) The brewery needed cash, but had reached its __________ limit.
h) Hopper’s Hops’ __________ costs were higher than its revenue.
trademark i) The Hopper’s Hops __________ is valuable for market recognition.
benchmark
j) Our production can become a __________ of modern brewing.
14 www.business-spotlight.de 1/2014

7.
Word partnerships (10 points)
Take one word from each box to form the missing terms in this excerpt from a memo.
annual
balance
business
corporate
job
key
mission
sales
share
target
account
card
forecast
group
interview
price
report
responsibility
sheet
statement
a) We prepare a(n) ______ ______ every year to describe the firm’s activities.
b) Our company’s purpose and reason for existing are given in our ______ ______.
c) Working in an environmentally friendly way is an example of our ______ ______.
d) The company assets and liabilities are listed on the ______ ______.
e) Since announcing the acquisition, Global Bottle’s ______ ______ has risen.
f) Most of our sales come from our ______-______ customers, such as pubs.
g) With the addition of new products, the ______ ______ for the region will go up.
h) Low-calorie beer should help to expand the ______ ______ to include more women.
i) We’ll be hiring new employees through our regular ______-______ proccess.
j) Each employee will receive a new ______ ______ with the Global Bottle logo.
4
Better together:
and now, let’s all
get to work!
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■ LANGUAGE TEST 101 KEY BUSINESS TERMS
8.
Short forms (10 points)
Complete the abbreviations in these remarks made by brewing-industry experts.
a) They’re expecting several thousand people at the annual _____ meeting (AGM).
1. general 2. group
b) Their new customer _____ management (CRM) system has a social-media component.
1. return 2. relationship
c) The Global Bottle beverage group plans further _____ and acquisitions (M&A).
1. mixtures 2. mergers
d) Hopper’s Hops plans for an initial _____ offering (IPO) were dropped.
1. public 2. price
e) Global Bottle’s _____ on investment (ROI) is expected to be very favourable.
1. return 2. revenue
f) Before the deal, Hopper’s Hops didn’t have a human _____ (HR) department.
1. relations 2. resources
g) Hopper’s Hops’ _____ and development (R&D) budget will triple in size.
1. research 2. revenue
h) They’ll have more capital than a small and medium-sized _____ (SME).
1. enterprise 2. employer
i) But their unique selling _____ (USP) will remain their Belgian-style cherry beer!
1. proposition 2. principle
j) Global Bottle has a “bring your own ______” (BYOD) policy.
1. device 2. download
9.
Who does what? (10 points)
Hopper’s Hops is updating the information on its website.
Choose the terms that best complete the statements.
Many home brewers dream of being an a) entrepreneur / undertaker. The b) founder / freelancer
of our company was no exception. Every c) executive / chef has a background in beer brewing,
including our new d) chair / creditor of the board. Hopper’s Hops’ e) stakeholders / brokers include
farms and a bottling-machine f) driver / manufacturer. Our strengths include an in-house
g) engineer / trader who works to improve our brewing technology, and a h) vendor / censor who
can offer local ingredients. We also have a reliable i) contract / contractor for the bottles. Our
biggest j) consultant / competitor has a 20 per cent market share.
16 www.business-spotlight.de 1/2014

Hemera; Zoonar
10.
Looking forward (10 points)
Finally, Max and Ruth are finishing their discussions. Take words
from the correct categories to complete the conversation.
Meeting: agenda minutes postpone
Product: brand customize quotation stock
Policy: compliance diligence sustainable
“The only limit
to your
impact is your
imagination and
commitment”
Tony Robbins, 53, US self-help guru
Max: So, we’ll provide the list of materials we have in a) ________.
We’ll also get a(n) b) ________ on the price of larger tanks. Let’s look
at the c) ________ of our last meeting. I think there might be one
item missing from the d) ________. Or did we agree to e) ________
the discussion about a new f) _______ name? It can wait until we’ve
had a chance to g) ________ our range for foreign markets.
Ruth: For the authorities, we’ll have to prove h) ________. In other
words, that we’re in i) ________ with international laws and that our
production is j) ________. That’s it. Welcome to Global Bottle!
4
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■ LANGUAGE TEST 101 KEY BUSINESS TERMS
...and
finally
word 101: “stuff” (Zeug)
This general word can be used in business situations —
and can mean just about anything! Usually, the listener
knows what the speaker is referring to. Sometimes, you can
use “stuff” when you don’t know the correct term.
■ What stuff did they talk about at the meeting?
■ We need some computer stuff for our new employee.
■ I’m impressed. He really knows his stuff!
Hemera; Zoonar
How did you do?
The vocabulary tested here is mainly used
in business situations rather than in everyday
language.
90–100 points: Excellent! You are very familiar
with key words used in business.
70–89 points: Very good! You understand
and can use essential business English
terms.
50–69 points: Good! You know quite a few
important business words and terms.
49 points or fewer: Nice try! Improve your
business English by learning the words
here that you don’t know.
ANSWERS
1. The vision
a) issue = Problem, Angelegenheit
b) approach = Methode, Herangehensweise
c) consensus = Übereinstimmung
d) contract = Vertrag
e) purchase = kaufen
f) enhance = auf-, verbessern
g) generate = (neu) schaffen
h) impact = (Aus-)Wirkung, Einfluss
i) objective = Ziel(setzung)
j) implement = hier: abschließen
2. Company structure
a) conglomerate = (Groß-)Konzern
b) subsidiary (business) = Tochterunternehmen
c) headquarters = Firmenzentrale,
Hauptsitz
d) branch offices = Niederlassungen
e) department = Abteilung
f) corporation = Unternehmen
g) division = Abteilung, Bereich, Sparte
h) operations = (Arbeits-)Vorgänge
i) facility = (Betriebs-)Anlage
j) business units = Geschäftseinheiten,
-bereiche
3. All about communication
a) emphasize = hervorheben, betonen
b) negotiate = verhandeln
c) collaborate = zusammenarbeiten
d) achieve = erreichen
e) review = (über)prüfen
f) confirm = bestätigen
g) designate = bestimmen, benennen
h) bargain = verhandeln
i) clarify = klären, klarstellen
j) summarize = zusammenfassen
4. Day-to-day
a) applications = Bewerbungen
b) assessment = Beurteilung; hier: Personalauswahlverfahren
c) performance = Leistung(en)
d) commitment = Engagement
e) retention (employee retention = Mitarbeiterbindung)
f) termination = Kündigung, Beendigung
(des Arbeitsverhältnisses)
g) launch = Markteinführung
h) schedule = Zeitplan
i) delivery = Lieferung
j) shipment = Lieferung, Transport
5. Money and finance
a–5 (Konto)
b–10 (Vermögenswerte)
c–8 (Milliarde)
d–7 (Provision)
e–1 (Schuld(en), Verbindlichkeit(en))
f–2 (Honorar, Gebühr)
g–3 (finanzielle Mittel)
h–9 (Zins(en))
i–4 (Rechnung)
j–6 (Einkünfte)
6. Confusing pairs
a) takeover = Übernahme
b) turnover = Umsatz
c) downturn = Abschwung, Rückgang
d) downgrade = Herabstufung
e) underlie = zugrunde liegen
f) underwrite costs = versprechen, die
Kosten zu übernehmen
g) overdraft = Überziehung
h) overhead (costs) = fixe Kosten,
Gemeinkosten
i) trademark = Markenzeichen, Handelsmarke
j) benchmark = Bezugswert, Richtgröße
7. Word partnerships
a) annual report = Jahresbericht
b) mission statement = Leitbild
c) corporate responsibility = unternehmerische
Verantwortung
d) balance sheet = Bilanz
e) share price = Aktienkurs
f) key-account customer = Großkunde
g) sales forecast = Umsatzprognose
h) target group = Zielgruppe
i) job interview = Bewerbungsgespräch
(job-interview process = Einstellungsverfahren)
j) business card = Visitenkarte
8. Short forms
a–1 (Jahreshauptversammlung)
b–2 (Kundenbetreuung, -bindung)
c–2 (Fusionen und Akquisitionen)
d–1 (Börsengang)
e–1 (Kapitalrendite, Rentabilität)
f–2 (Personal-)
g–1 (Forschung und Entwicklung (F&E))
h–1 (klein- und mittelständisches Unternehmen
(KMU))
i–1 (Alleinstellungsmerkmal)
j–1 (Eigene Geräte, z.B. Smartphones,
Tablets oder Laptops, dürfen in der
Firma benutzt werden.)
9. Who does what?
a) entrepreneur = Unternehmer(in)
b) founder = Gründer(in)
c) executive = Führungskraft
d) chair = Vorsitzende(r)
e) stakeholders = am Unternehmen Interessierte
f) manufacturer = Hersteller(in)
g) engineer = Ingenieur(in),Techniker(in)
h) vendor = Händler(in)
i) contractor = Lieferant(in)
j) competitor = Konkurrent(in)
10. Looking forward
a) stock (in stock = auf Lager)
b) quotation = Angebot
c) minutes = Protokoll
d) agenda = Tagesordnung
e) postpone = verschieben
f) brand = Marke
g) customize = den Kundenwünschen
anpassen
h) diligence = Sorgfalt
i) compliance (be in compliance with a
law = ein Gesetz einhalten)
j) sustainable = nachhaltig
Do related exercises on Business Spotlight Audio
www Download a PDF of the 101 terms at www.business-spotlight.de/114
CAROL SCHEUNEMANN is a writer and editor at
Business Spotlight. She is also responsible for Business
Spotlight Audio.
Contact: c.scheunemann@spotlight-verlag.de
HILDEGARD RUDOLPH is a certified translator and
a freelance editor, teacher and book author.
Contact: bs.lektorat@spotlight-verlag.de
18 www.business-spotlight.de 1/2014

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IN THE NEWS BUSINESS PRESS ■
Behind the headlines
Headlines in the English-language media are often difficult to understand because they use jargon and
wordplay, and leave out words. Here, we look at the meaning of recent business headlines.
advanced
Financial Times
The Economist
Butt hang on a minute: This headline uses wordplay. The
story is about the tobacco industry, represented here by the
word “butt”. The headline is telling readers to stop (“hang
on a minute”) and rethink something — here, the common
belief that anti-smoking campaigns have caused cigarette
sales to drop. In fact, recent figures show that the tobacco
industry is doing well, mainly because of market growth
in emerging economies.
In simple English: Stop for a moment. There is something
about the tobacco industry you need to rethink.
The Guardian
Runway or another: This is a play on words. The headline
is about airports, which is why “runways” is used. “Runway”
sounds like “one way”, so the headline is a play on
the expression “one way or another”, which implies that
a decision must be made between two ways. In this case,
it concerns deals between airports and airlines. Larger airlines,
which use big, unsubsidized airports, say that subsidized
airports provide low-cost carriers with cheaper
services and that this is unfair competition. The EU Commission
has proposed rules to decide what is fair.
In simple English: A decision about the way in which airports
do things must be made.
The Wall Street Journal
March of the makers? In 2011, UK Chancellor of the
Exchequer George Osborne said in his budget speech that
he wanted to start a “march of the makers”, meaning, to
develop British manufacturing. If something is “on the
march”, it is moving or has become active.
car manufacturers: Here, British car manufacturers.
mileage: This word is used here to continue the headline’s
symbolism of movement and cars. The headline is saying
that only car manufacturers are showing results.
In simple English: Is (British) manufacturing on the move?
Only car manufacturers are showing positive results.
butt [bVt]
Chancellor of the Exchequer
[)tSɑ:nsElEr Ev ði Iks(tSekE]
emerging economy [i)m§:dZIN i(kQnEmi]
hang on [)hÄN (Qn] ifml.
literally [(lIt&rEli]
low-cost carrier [)lEU kQst (kÄriE]
mileage [(maIlIdZ]
one way or another [)wVn weI O:r E(nVDE]
runway [(rVnweI]
share [SeE]
stock market [(stQk )mA:kIt]
unsubsidized [)Vn(sVbsIdaIzd]
verge: on (the) ~ of [v§:dZ]
Zigarettenstummel, -kippe
Schatzkanzler(in)
Schwellenland
warten
wörtlich
Billigfluggesellschaft
Kilometer-, Fahrleistung
so oder so
Start- und Landebahn
Aktie
Aktienbörse
nicht subventioniert
am Rande von
Commodities: These are raw materials or primary agricultural
products that can be bought or sold, for example,
oil, metals or sugar. Here, the word refers to the
price of commodity shares (as a group) on world stock
markets.
run-up: This is the financial term for an increase in share
values. Here, it refers to a decades-long rise in commodity
prices.
on verge of mortality: This phrase means, literally, “close
to death”. But in the headline here, it is used instead to
refer to the end of the rise in commodity prices, which
are now falling. In other words, the run-up could end
soon.
In simple English: A period of rising commodity share
prices could come to an end in the near future.
www Are you confused by the language in the press? Keep your
English up to date at www.business-spotlight.de/news
1/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 21

Getting
Goodshoot
to know you
Sollte man Berufliches und Privates strikt trennen oder eher doch vermischen?
ROBERT GIBSON zeigt an Beispielen, wo und wann vor allem Geschäftsbesucher aus
dem Ausland Kontakte außerhalb der Arbeitszeit sogar erwarten. medium
Practice makes
perfect: learning new
table manners

SOCIALIZING INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION ■
For some British bankers in the City of London, it
might be quite normal to go to the pub every
Thursday evening with their colleagues. US business
partners whom you hardly know may invite
you to a barbecue at their home. Japanese hosts may
insist that you go with them to a karaoke bar. In Germany,
socializing with colleagues may be restricted to a team
event once a year or, in the case of customers, to a meal at
a restaurant. After all, “Dienst ist Dienst und Schnaps ist
Schnaps”: work and pleasure generally do not mix.
Have you ever wondered what to do after work with
that important client from abroad, or what to expect when
you are travelling on business? Many business people who
are completely confident during formal meetings feel surprisingly
uncomfortable about socializing with their foreign
business partners.
How people entertain their business partners is very different
in different places, depending on whether it is normal
in their culture to keep one’s business and private lives
separate (see Key concepts, this page). In this article, we aim
to help you to get a feeling for what is appropriate in different
situations and what you should avoid.
1. What is normal for you?
Before looking at the cultural differences described in the
article, think about what is normal for you. How often do
you do the following with business partners in your own
country? For each activity, indicate how often you do it
with colleagues and business visitors by putting the letter
“C” and “V” in the appropriate column.
Activity Often Sometimes Never
Go with them to the
canteen at work
Go with them to a
cafe or bar
Go with them to a
restaurant for lunch
Go with them to a
restaurant for an
evening meal
Invite them to your
home for a meal
Go sightseeing with
them
Go shopping with
them
Go with them to a cultural
event (e.g. concert)
or sporting event
(e.g. football match)
Key concepts
Comments
While it may be quite normal for you to go to the canteen
for lunch, in some companies and cultures, there may not
be a canteen or even a lunch break as such. In Britain, for
instance, employees may “just grab a sandwich”. Also, if
there is a meeting, you may have a working lunch with
light refreshments served as the meeting continues.
Taking visitors out for lunch is often the minimum you
should do. Some individuals and people from certain cultures
feel awkward eating alone. There is a saying in
Colombia: “If you eat alone, you die alone.” If you do take
appropriate [E(prEUpriEt]
awkward [(O:kwEd]
barbecue [(bA:bIkju:]
cafe [(kÄfeI]
City of London
[)sIti Ev (lVndEn] UK
distinction [dI(stINkS&n]
grab sth. [grÄb]
host [hEUst]
impact [(ImpÄkt]
karaoke [)kÄri(EUki]
light refreshments
[)laIt ri(freSmEnts]
objective [Eb(dZektIv]
overlap [)EUvE(lÄp]
saying [(seIIN]
socialize with sb.
[(sEUSElaIz wID]
take sb. out (for a meal)
[)teIk (aUt]
Public and private
Cultures differ in the degree to which they make a distinction
between what people do in public and what they do in
private. Intercultural expert Fons Trompenaars uses the terms
“specific” and “diffuse” to describe these different types of
culture.
In specific cultures, people normally keep their work life and
their personal life separate. As a result, they believe that relationships
don’t have much impact on work and that people can
work together without having a particularly good relationship.
Examples of specific cultures are those we find in Germany and
Switzerland, as well as the Nordic countries and the Netherlands.
In diffuse cultures, people see an overlap between their work
life and their personal life. They believe that good relationships
are essential to meeting business objectives, and that their
relationships with others will be similar, whether at work or in
social situations. People in diffuse cultures often spend time
outside work with colleagues and customers. Examples of
countries with diffuse cultures are Argentina, China, India,
Russia and Spain.
Adapted from Riding the Waves of Culture (see “For more information”, p. 26)
angebracht, richtig
unbehaglich
Grillparty
[wg. Aussprache]
Londoner Finanzdistrikt
Unterscheidung
sich etw. schnappen; hier:
schnell etw. essen
Gastgeber(in)
Einfluss
[wg. Aussprache]
Snacks und Erfrischungsgetränke
Ziel(setzung)
Überschneidung
Sprichwort
sich mit jmdm. außerhalb
der Arbeit treffen
jmdn. (zum Essen) ausführen;
hier: einladen
4
1/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 23

■ INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION SOCIALIZING
visitors out, check that suitable food is available for them
and, if necessary, explain what the different dishes contain.
A visit to a cafe or bar is an informal alternative to a
meal and may be combined with something light to eat. In
Spain, this might be early evening tapas, in Italy an ice
cream.
Important business partners may expect to be taken to
a restaurant for lunch or an evening meal. In the US, it is
not unusual to be invited to your host’s home; in South
America, this may well be an informal barbecue. If you
don’t provide some sort of social event for your guests
from these countries, you may be considered to be cold or
unfriendly.
Chinese visitors often appreciate a shopping trip. In En -
gland, a visit to an out-of-town shopping outlet like Bicester
Village near Oxford is high up on the list of musts for
Chinese tourists. Your visitors might want to buy clothes
for important appointments, so it may be advisable to plan
this early in the trip.
In some cultures, small talk is not considered a
waste of time but an essential part of business
In some countries, including the US and the UK, playing
golf is a popular way of combining business and pleasure.
In Finland, you may be invited to go to the sauna with
your business partners, while in China, an invitation to a
formal banquet is a sign of your status. In Japan, a
karaoke evening can be a way of getting to know your
Japanese colleagues and finding out information that you
would probably not get in formal meetings.
2. Frequently asked questions
I am looking after a group of Indians who will be coming to
Germany. What should I give them to eat?
As India is an enormous country with many different cultures,
there is no simple answer to this question. Many
people from India are Hindus or Muslims and so it is best
to avoid beef and pork. For Hindus, the cow is sacred and
so beef cannot be eaten; for Muslims, the pig is considered
to be dirty and so pork cannot be eaten. In any case, you’d
be advised to offer a vegetarian option. In India, spicy food
is very popular, so just serving a salad may not be very satisfying
to Indian visitors. The best thing to do is to ask
your guests what they would like, rather than making
assumptions.
Should I take my foreign guests to a restaurant offering food
from their culture (for example, a Chinese restaurant for the
Chinese or an Irish pub for the British)?
Some business visitors may appreciate getting familiar
food. On the other hand, many Chinese or Indian restaurants
in other countries don’t offer authentic Chinese or
Indian food — they have adapted their food to local taste.
Many visitors will also want to try local specialities. The
best thing is to provide them with some alternatives so that
they can decide for themselves. If you are hosting an international
group, a good solution is to offer a buffet with a
wide variety of food. Make sure that you label the dishes
in English so that they know what they are eating.
I have to go to China and have heard that the Chinese eat
some strange things, like chickens’ feet. How should I react
without offending anyone if someone offers me something
that I really don’t want to eat?
What is considered edible differs widely in different cultures.
While in France, horsemeat can be considered a delicacy,
in the UK, it is taboo to eat it, as the recent scandal
about horsemeat in lasagne showed. If you can, it is polite
to taste a small amount of
the unknown dish. If you
really can’t face eating
something, don’t say this
directly but make an excuse
by saying something
like, “I really can’t eat any
more”. In China, you will
probably be offered a wide range of food anyway and you
are certainly not expected to eat everything — if you do,
more food is likely to be brought.
People tell me that I will be expected to drink lots of vodka
when I am in Russia and that it is impolite not to join in
the drinking. But I don’t like to drink a lot of alcohol — what
should I do?
Attitudes to alcohol are changing in Russia, so heavy
drinking in business situations is not what it once was. You
can tell the hosts that you don’t drink alcohol for health
reasons but then you have to be careful that you are not
caught later drinking a beer at the bar. An alternative is to
appointment [E(pOIntmEnt]
appreciate sth. [E(pri:SieIt]
banquet [(bÄNkwIt]
buffet [(bUfeI]
edible [(edEb&l]
host sb. [hEUst]
label sth. [(leIb&l]
lasagne [lE(zÄnjE]
make an assumption
[)meIk En E(sVmpS&n]
offend sb. [E(fend]
outlet [(aUtlet]
pork [pO:k]
sacred [(seIkrId]
spicy [(spaIsi]
Termin
etw. zu schätzen wissen
Festessen; hier: festliche Bewirtung
[wg. Aussprache]
essbar, genießbar
Gastgeber(in) von jmdm. sein
etw. mit einem Schild versehen
[wg. Aussprache]
eine Vermutung anstellen
jmdn. kränken
Verkaufsstelle; hier: Outlet
(mit Verkaufsstellen bekannter
Handelsmarken)
Schweinefleisch
heilig
pikant, scharf gewürzt
24 www.business-spotlight.de 1/2014

Dinner at
home: some
business
partners will
expect this
Fuse
join in but make sure that you have lined your stomach
well with fatty food to absorb the alcohol.
Is it OK to talk about business with my visitors during the
meal? I don’t want to waste their valuable time with small
talk.
In cultures that tend to be more people-oriented than taskoriented,
small talk is not considered to be a waste of time
but an essential part of getting to know one’s business partners.
In others, it is quite usual to discuss business matters
and even negotiate during a meal. The best advice is to follow
the example of your host. If in doubt, wait until formal
meetings to discuss business.
When travelling in the US and the UK, people have often
said, “You are welcome to drop by any time”. How do I know
if this is a real invitation or not?
Again, this depends on the situation, but this “invitation”
may indeed just be a polite phrase. You can be sure that it
is a real invitation only if it is concrete — for instance,
when someone asks you, “What are you doing at the weekend?
Would you like to come round for a drink?”
Who orders the food and who pays the bill in a restaurant?
In some countries, such as China, the host will probably
order for the whole group. The food is not in individual
portions but is shared by the group. Paying individually is
unusual outside the German-speaking world. Either one
person (for example, the host) picks up the tab or one person
pays and then the bill is shared by the group.
3. Socializing checklist
The checklist below will help you to prepare for receiving
visitors from other cultures or for socializing with international
business partners when you are travelling.
In your country
Pre-visit
What sort of accommodation is suitable for your visitor?
■ Low-budget for those with a limited expense account.
■ More luxurious for important visitors from high power
distance cultures like China and Russia. Anything too simple
might be considered to be an insult.
4
On a trip to Tokyo, my Japanese colleagues invited me to go
with them to a karaoke bar. I thanked them but thought it
was more important to finish my presentation for the meeting
the next day. Was that the best thing to do?
Even if it is important for you to feel confident about your
presentation, you may find it just as useful to socialize with
your Japanese colleagues. They don’t expect you to sing
perfectly; in fact, the whole reason for karaoke is to “let
your hair down” and show that you are human. In a
society such as Japan, where hierarchy is very important,
your Japanese colleagues may be more open to you in a social
situation in which the boss is not around.
accommodation [E)kQmE(deIS&n] UK
come round [)kVm (raUnd] UK
drop by [)drQp (baI]
expense account [Ik(spens E)kaUnt]
fatty food [)fÄti (fu:d]
hierarchy [(haI&rA:ki]
high power distance [haI (paUE )dIstEns]
insult [(InsVlt]
let one’s hair down
[)let wVnz (heE daUn] ifml.
line one’s stomach
[)laIn wVnz (stVmEk]
luxurious [lVk(ZUEriEs]
negotiate [nI(gEUSieIt]
phrase [freIz]
pick up the tab [)pIk Vp DE (tÄb] ifml.
Unterbringung
vorbeikommen
vorbeikommen
Spesenkonto
fetthaltige Nahrungsmittel
[wg. Aussprache]
mit hoher Machtdistanz
Beleidigung, Affront
aus sich herausgehen
etwa: eine gute Grundlage
haben
[wg. Aussprache]
verhandeln
Floskel
die Rechnung bezahlen
1/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 25

■ INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION SOCIALIZING
Corbis
■ What is the time difference? Do you need to take jet lag
into account when scheduling meetings?
■ Do you need to take their religious beliefs into account
(for example, a prayer room and breaks for Muslims)?
■ Do you need to organize a social programme for your
visitor, for their spouse, for their family?
■ What form of socializing is appropriate? Restaurant
meal, sightseeing, shopping trip, a visit to your home?
■ Should you organize a photo of the group or team?
Should they be photographed with important people, such
as the CEO?
Meeting the visitor: who
should do it?
■ A room with special facilities. Asian guests often appreciate
a kettle to make hot water and tea, while US visitors
often like an ice machine, and high-ranking Arab guests
may want a suite with their own cooking facilities.
On arrival
■ Should someone meet the visitor at the airport or railway
station? If so, who should meet them (you yourself, a
team assistant, a colleague, a manager, the CEO)?
■ If the visitor comes directly to your organization, who
should meet them in the office reception area?
■ What form of transport is appropriate (public transport,
taxi, hire car, limousine)?
During the visit
■ What sort of food do they eat? Are there any dietary
restrictions for health or religious reasons? When do they
normally eat?
account: take sth. into ~ [E(kaUnt]
CEO (chief executive officer) [)si: i: (EU]
compliance regulation
[kEm(plaIEns regju)leIS&n]
dietary restriction [)daIEtEri ri(strIkS&n]
edible [(edEb&l]
embarrassment: cause sb. ~
[Im(bÄrEsmEnt]
figure of speech [)fIgEr Ev (spi:tS]
foodie [(fu:di] ifml.
guideline [(gaIdlaIn]
hire car [)haIE (kA:] UK
idiom [(IdiEm]
kettle [(ket&l]
mortality [mO:(tÄlEti]
reception area [ri(sepS&n )eEriE]
schedule sth. [(Sedju:l]
senior consultant [)si:niE kEn(sVltEnt]
spouse [spaUs]
etw. berücksichtigen
Geschäftsführer(in)
Compliance-Regelung
Ernährungsvorschrift
essbar; hier: im Zusammenhang
mit Essen
jmdn. in eine peinliche
Situation bringen
Redensart, Redewendung
Feinschmecker, Gourmet
Richtlinie
Mietwagen
Redewendung
Wasserkessel
Sterblichkeit
Empfangsbereich
etw. anberaumen
leitende(r) Berater(in)
Ehepartner(in)
When abroad
Should you take a gift for your business partners? If so,
what is appropriate? This can help to build the relationship.
Be careful about what you take, however. In China,
clocks can be considered to be connected with mortality.
A bottle of wine would be inappropriate in Islamic cultures.
Make sure you also respect company guidelines:
some do not allow employees to accept gifts over a certain
value because of compliance regulations. It could cause
your business partners embarrassment if you give them
something over the price limit.
■BS
For more information
BOOKS AND ARTICLE
■ Guidebooks such as the Lonely Planet or Rough Guide series
provide useful information about entertainment and places
to eat.
■ Riding the Waves of Culture: Understanding Diversity in
Global Business, Fons Trompenaars, Charles Hampden-
Turner (Nicholas Brealey Publishing)
■ “Das esse ich nicht!”, Annette Schäfer, Psychologie Heute
7/2013
WEBSITES
■ “Foodie Figures of Speech: A World of Edible Idioms”, Sophie
Mackenzie, The Guardian. Interesting article about food, culture
and language: www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordof
mouth/2012/oct/17/foodie-figures-speechworld-edible-idioms
■ Kwintessential is one of the many sites on the internet providing
intercultural information about specific cultures:
www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/country-profiles.html
■ “15 International Food Etiquette Rules that Might Surprise
You”, Amanda Ruggeri, Budget Travel magazine: www.
budgettravel.com/feature/international-dining-etiquetterules,8358
Listen to Robert Gibson on Business Spotlight Audio
plus You’ll find a culture quiz in Business Spotlight plus
www Read Robert Gibson’s blog at www.business-spotlight.de/blogs
For more on food idioms, see www.business-spotlight.de/intercultural
ROBERT GIBSON is a senior consultant for intercultural
business competence at Siemens AG in Munich
(www.siemens.com) and the author of Intercultural
Business Communication (Cornelsen). Contact:
gibson.rob@siemens.com
26 www.business-spotlight.de 1/2014

LOOKING BACK INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION ■
“If things are so rosy Down Under, why did Australians
throw out their government in the 2013 elections?”
MICHELLE CARSTENS ON CHALLENGES FACING AUSTRALIA
advanced
Land of the
“fair go”?
In dieser Kolumne berichten unsere Mitarbeiter über ihre Heimat.
MICHELLE CARSTENS, die aus Australien stammt, fragt sich, ob die neue
Regierung tatsächlich die Werte vertritt, die Australiern wichtig sind.
As an Aussie living overseas, I’m
usually met with interest, enthusiasm
and a bit of envy. Australians are
widely seen as relaxed, friendly and
open-minded — and we take pride in
these attributes. Probably the most
important Australian value is giving
everyone a “fair go”— a chance —
whatever their background is.
These attitudes, combined with our
spectacular landscapes and exciting,
multicultural cities, make Australia a
dream destination for many. Economically,
we’re also in a dream position.
Australia has enjoyed more
than 20 years of economic growth.
Yet if things are so rosy Down Under,
why did Australians throw out
their government in the September
2013 elections? Simple. The last six
years of Labor government were
some of the most chaotic in our history.
A power struggle between Prime
Minister Kevin Rudd and his deputy,
Julia Gillard, saw the leadership
affluent [(ÄfluEnt]
asylum seeker [E(saIlEm )si:kE]
Aussie [(Qzi] Aus. ifml.
backflip [(bÄkflIp]
carbon tax [(kA:bEn tÄks]
carbon trading scheme [)kA:bEn (treIdIN ski:m]
deputy [(depjUti]
envy [(envi]
gay marriage [)geI (mÄrIdZ]
iron ore [)aIEn (O:]
surplus [(s§:plEs]
switch from Rudd to Gillard and
back to Rudd again. And both politicians
became known for backflips on
policies such as the introduction of a
carbon trading scheme and the treatment
of asylum seekers.
When the global financial crisis hit
in 2008, Australia was in a strong position.
The country had a budget surplus,
its banks had not taken unnecessary
risks and China was hungry
for our coal and iron ore. But by
2013, there were signs that the boom
was ending. Demand from China was
falling and the budget surplus had
been spent. The Australian dollar was
high, making it an expensive country
to do business in and for tourists to
visit. Combined with the political
chaos in Canberra, this led to many
Australians losing confidence in Labor’s
ability to manage the economy.
The result was a huge victory for the
opposing Liberal Party, led by Tony
wohlhabend
Asylbewerber(in)
Australier(in)
Rückwärtssalto; hier: 180-Grad-Wende
CO 2 -Abgabe, Klimasteuer
Emissionshandelssystem
Stellvertreter(in)
Neid
Homoehe
Eisenerz
Überschuss
Abbott, a social conservative who opposes
gay marriage and wants to cut
government spending. A climatechange
sceptic, he has cut Australia’s
carbon tax. He also supports populist
measures against asylum seekers who
try to enter Australia by boat.
I am watching the new government
carefully as it deals with its many
challenges. It needs to manage Australia’s
immense natural resources
while also taking its environmental
responsibilities seriously. It needs to
Australia: humane and multicultural?
develop humane policies towards
asylum seekers, as a nation that is so
affluent and multicultural should do.
And whole communities of Aborigines
still need to be lifted out of extreme
poverty.
The boom may be ending, but Australia
remains wealthy. My hope is
that we can use this wealth wisely —
without endangering our key value of
a “fair go” for all, for which we are
known around the world. ■BS
MICHELLE CARSTENS studied international
relations at the University of South
Australia. She has lived and worked in
Munich for 14 years.
AFP/Getty Images
Listen to more views on this topic on Business Spotlight Audio
1/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 27

n INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION TRAVEL TIPS
Where to go and what to do
Sie planen eine Geschäfts- oder Urlaubsreise? SARAH GOUGH empfiehlt Ihnen Orte und Ereignisse, die
Sie nicht verpassen sollten, und gibt Ihnen noch weitere interessante Informationen. medium
What’s on?
Alamy
Up Helly Aa: celebrating Scotland’s Viking past
n It’s holiday season and Scotland has
some unusual festivals. Hogmanay, on
31 December, sees the tradition of firstfooting:
visiting neighbours and
friends, bringing gifts and being the
first person in the new year to set foot
on someone’s doorstep, which is said to
bring luck. Up Helly Aa in Lerwick,
Shetland, on the last Tuesday in January,
is a celebration of the island’s
Viking past. It includes marches, a
torch-lit parade and the burning of a
Viking galley. On 25 January, Scots
worldwide celebrate their national
poet, Robert Burns (1759–96), with a
Burns Supper. That means haggis,
whisky, bagpipes, singing and the reciting
of the bard’s poetry.
www.visitscotland.com
DID YOU KNOW?
Fifty Shades Freed, the third in E. L. James’s
erotic trilogy, was the book most often left behind
in the UK hotel chain Travelodge. A total of 1,209
guests abandoned their copy in the past year.
abandon sth. [E(bÄndEn]
accommodation
[E)kQmE(deIS&n] UK
bagpipe [(bÄgpaIp]
bard [bA:d]
B&B (bed and breakfast)
[)bi: En (bi:]
boutique hotel
[bu:)ti:k hEU(tel]
doorstep [(dO:step]
galley [(gÄli]
haggis [(hÄgIs]
hier: etw. liegen lassen
Unterbringung(smöglichkeit)
Dudelsack
Barde, Dichter
Übernachtung mit
Frühstück
Boutique-Hotel (individuelles
Hotel der gehobenen
Preisklasse)
Türschwelle
Galeere
Haggis (Gericht mit Schafsinnereien
und Hafermehl)
Bewertung
review [ri(vju:]
self-catering [)self (keItErIN] UK Selbstversorgung
torch [tO:tS]
Fackel
Places to stay
Romantic
Mr and Mrs Smith is a review and booking site that specializes
in romantic boutique hotels around the world, all of which the
owners say they have visited personally and anonymously. The
descriptions are detailed and amusing. You can search and book
online, or even call! www.mrandmrssmith.com
Budget
University accommodation is a cheap alternative to hotels, and
www.university-rooms.com offers rooms worldwide. You can
choose between B&B or self-catering. For more options, look up
the universities in the town you next plan to visit.
iStock
28 www.business-spotlight.de
Traditional: Cambridge University

Guides
The Xenophobe’s Guide to the Scots is
tongue-in-cheek, as are all the books
in this series. Still, it provides the outsider
with a useful and amusing look
at the Scottish soul.
Lonely Planet Scotland is a comprehensive
and well-structured guide. Practical and lively, it includes
etiquette tips such as how to greet the locals or how
to behave at the pub. The handy “If You Like…” section gives
tips and locations according to category,
such as “Castles” or “Wild
Beaches”. There’s also a month-bymonth
calendar listing festivals, holidays
and sporting events to help you
plan your trip. “Must-see sights” in
the cities, as well as itineraries, walking
tours and tips on where to play golf, are also included.
Individual chapters or the whole guide are available in PDF
format. www.lonelyplanet.com
ad-free [)Äd (fri:]
caravan [(kÄrEvÄn] UK
entry [(entri]
ferry [(feri]
handy [(hÄndi]
itinerary [aI(tIn&rEri]
queue [kju:] UK
raise the barrier [)reIz DE (bÄriE]
rear-view mirror [)rIE )vju: (mIrE]
ticket barrier [(tIkIt )bÄriE] UK
ticket clerk [(tIkIt klA:k]
tongue-in-cheek [)tVN In (tSi:k]
trailer [(treIlE]
turn off the ignition [t§:n )Qf Di Ig(nIS&n]
visible [(vIzEb&l]
xenophobe [(zenEfEUb]
werbefrei
Wohnwagen
Eintrag
Fähre
nützlich, praktisch
Reiseplan, -route
(Warte-)Reihe, Spur
die Schranke öffnen
Rückspiegel
(Fahrkarten-)Sperre
Mitarbeiter(in) am Fahrkartenschalter
ironisch
Anhänger
die Zündung abschalten
sichtbar
Fremdenfeind(in)
App
AroundMe is a helpful orientation app
for when you are in an unfamiliar place.
Using your location, it tells you where to
find the closest shops, bars, hotels or
banks. Descriptions are detailed, but
the gastronomy entries unfortunately do
not tell you what kind of place to expect.
Try upgrading to the ad-free
version. www.aroundmeapp.com
English on the Move
The car ferry
Fähren transportieren Sie und auch Ihren Wohnwagen vom
Festland auf die Insel. KEN TAYLOR bringt Sie sicher an Bord.
easy
At the ticket barrier
William: Good morning. We’re booked on the 10.45 ferry.
Ticket clerk: Good morning, sir. Do you have your ticket?
William: Yes, I booked online.
Ticket clerk: That’s fine. One car with a trailer, two people and
the 10.45 ferry.
William: That’s right.
Ticket clerk: Can you hang this sign on your rear-view mirror
so that it’s visible, please? And here are your travel documents.
William: Thanks.
Ticket clerk: Just drive over to passport control. Once you’ve
gone through, you’ll be directed to a special queue for trailers
and caravans. You can then leave your car. There’s a coffee
bar and shop there.
iStock
William: Sounds good.
Ticket clerk: Listen for any announcements over the loudspeakers
and be sure to get back to your car when told to.
William: Right. Will do.
Ticket clerk: I’ll raise the barrier. Have a good trip.
Driving on board
William: The caravan in front is starting to move. We should
be going soon.
Lucy: Yes, there’s a man showing us which way to go. What
was that sound?
William: We’ve just gone on to the gangway of the ferry.
Lucy: Open your window — I think that man wants to say
something.
Ferry worker: Can you park as close as you can to that truck?
We’re very full today. I’ll guide you.
William: Right. Is that OK?
Ferry worker: Fine. You can turn off your ignition now.
William: OK. Lucy, take anything you need for the trip and we
can go up on deck and explore.
nBS
1/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 29

Uncertainty: a key dimension
of modern business life
Finding
your way
Ständiges Umstrukturieren, fehlende Informationen über die Firmenstrategie und
Unklarheit über die eigene Rolle verunsichern Arbeitnehmer und beeinträchtigen
ihre Arbeit. BOB DIGNEN gibt einen Überblick über Arten von Unsicherheit und zeigt,
dass man ihr durchaus Positives abgewinnen kann.
medium
Fuse

UNCERTAINTY BUSINESS SKILLS n
If you talk to people about their jobs, they are very
likely to complain not only about being overworked
and receiving too little pay but also about the increase
in the level of uncertainty they are experiencing.
This may be the result of absent leaders, constant
reorganization and a lack of focus in their roles and in their
organization’s strategy. This uncertainty can negatively
affect people’s effectiveness, as well as their happiness and
health.
The ability to manage uncertainty is a core competence.
In this article, we look at the different types of uncertainty
that we face at work and at strategies to manage them.
Before you read further, think about how you would answer
these questions:
n What forms of uncertainty do people experience?
n How do people normally respond to uncertainty?
n What are the best ways to deal with uncertainty?
As you read on, compare your answers with the points
made in the article.
1. Thinking about uncertainty
Uncertainty is nothing new. One could say that our evo -
lutionary history has been driven by attempts to master
uncertainty. In business contexts, we plan and forecast in
order to manage the unknown. We build complex IT systems
for effective controlling and reporting. We research
markets and work towards sales targets. And we appraise
staff, in an attempt to bring some kind of scientific certainty
to human performance.
But reminders that we live in an uncertain world are always
present. Disappointing sales figures, overruns on
project budgets and key colleagues who move to rival organizations
remind us that the world constantly escapes
our efforts to control it.
Although we try to manage uncertainty with rationality,
we often respond to it in irrational ways. We may
experience strong feelings of anxiety, insecurity or indeed
panic. But even if we recognize the irrationality of our
feelings — “it’s crazy to be so nervous about giving a presentation”
— there often seems to be little that we can do
about them. This can then lead to further uncertainty and
more anxiety.
The worlds of science and business now tell us that uncertainty
is the norm and not the exception. Planning and
knowledge may drive much modern management activity,
but there is a realization among leaders that we live in a
world of inherent uncertainty.
And away from the world or work, few of us want to
live in a wholly predictable world. Mystery and surprise
are fascinating, exciting aspects of life. We plan surprises
for our friends and family, and we wrap birthday and
Christmas presents so that others don’t know what they
There is something inherently
human about delighting in
the unknown and unexpected
are. There is something inherently human about delighting
in the unknown and unexpected.
In other words, uncertainty has many positive aspects.
The key to managing it effectively lies in viewing its opportunities
more constructively.
2. Managing uncertainty
The first step towards engaging constructively with uncertainty
is to consider the challenges it presents. We then
need to think creatively about the opportunities that result
from these challenges and to prioritize our actions. Below,
we look at some key areas of uncertainty and some possible
positive responses. Think about which ones are relevant
to your work situation.
a) Organizational uncertainty
Many people experience anxiety and frustration as a result
of this form of uncertainty. They feel that managers fail to
provide sufficient clarity of vision. When revenues shrink
and market conditions change, employees worry about
their organization’s business model. Indeed, they may also
wonder whether their firm or organization will even continue
to exist in the future.
affect sth. [E(fekt]
sich auf etw. auswirken
anxiety [ÄN(zaIEti]
Angst, Beklemmung
appraise sb. [E(preIz]
jmdn. beurteilen
challenge [(tSÄlIndZ]
Herausforderung, Schwierigkeit
clarity of vision [)klÄrEti Ev (vIZ&n] Klarsicht, Durchblick
core competence [)kO: (kQmpItEns] Kernkompetenz
engage with sth. [In(geIdZ wID]
sich auf etw. einlassen
forecast [(fO:kA:st]
Vorhersagen treffen
inherent [In(herEnt]
inhärent, von Natur aus
zugehörig
master sth. [(mA:stE]
etw. beherrschen; hier:
überwinden
overrun [(EUvErVn]
Überschreitung
performance [pE(fO:mEns]
Leistung(en); Ergebnis(se)
predictable [pri(dIktEb&l] vorhersagbar, prognos -
tizierbar
prioritize (several things)
(mehrere Dinge) nach
[praI(QrItaIz]
Priorität ordnen
reorganization [ri)O:gEnaI(zeIS&n] Umstrukturierung
research sth. [ri(s§:tS]
etw. erforschen
respond to sth. [ri(spQnd tu]
auf etw. reagieren
response [ri(spQns]
Reaktion
revenues [(revEnju:z]
Einnahmen
sales target [(seI&lz )tA:gIt]
Absatz-, Verkaufsziel
shrink [SrINk]
schrumpfen
uncertainty Unsicherheit, Verun -
[Vn(s§:t&nti]
sicherung
4
1/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 31

n BUSINESS SKILLS UNCERTAINTY
iStock
Problem and
opportunity:
uncertainty
at work has
two sides
A lack of transparency and honesty in decision-making
makes staff lose faith in and become increasingly cynical
about a company. Organizational politics often undermine
cooperation, and managers seem to spend more time protecting
their own silos than acting constructively. The
many low scores one sees in employee engagement surveys
make clear this crisis of confidence in management.
POSITIVE RESPONSES:
n Learn more about how your sector is changing and about
possible future business models that could be relevant to
your company.
n Rather than complaining about the behaviour of leaders,
understand the skills needed to influence people during periods
of change.
n Uncertainty provides opportunities for innovation in
your organization. Volunteer for extra project responsibility
in order to become someone who shapes the future.
b) Job-related uncertainty
This type of uncertainty takes on many forms. Decisionmaking
can be problematic if you don’t have the necessary
information and are unable to communicate effectively
with colleagues or managers located in another country.
Organizations with multiple reporting lines and unclear
roles and responsibilities can compromise individual
autonomy and cause stress. Change initiatives and budget
constraints can reduce managers’ focus on the career development
of their staff. As a result of these factors, many
people struggle to understand or identify with their jobs.
POSITIVE RESPONSES:
n Unclear lines of authority provide an opportunity to take
greater responsibility and achieve unexpectedly high levels
of success for yourself and your team.
n An open role definition can give you greater freedom to
act and define your role to fit your personal preferences
and ambitions.
n In such organizations, you have the chance to build up
more contacts, extending your range of influence and
opening up alternative career opportunities.
c) Self-uncertainty
The pressure on employees to accept increased workloads
and deliver higher-quality products and services has grown
considerably. Many people feel uncertain about whether
they have the skills needed to meet their targets. They are
also unsure how to balance the demands of work and family
life. Some individuals will even question the sense that
they have of living to work when they feel they should be
working to live a more meaningful life.
POSITIVE RESPONSES:
n Try to view doubt and anxiety positively. If you can, see
them as useful first steps on your personal journey to discover
a stronger sense of purpose.
achieve sth. [E(tSi:v]
change initiative [(tSeIndZ I)nISEtIv]
compromise sth. [(kQmprEmaIz]
constraint [kEn(streInt]
employee engagement survey
[Im)plOIi: In(geIdZmEnt )s§:veI]
meet one’s targets [)mi:t wVnz (tA:gIts]
reporting line [ri(pO:tIN laIn]
score [skO:]
sense of purpose
[)sens Ev (p§:pEs]
silo [(saIlEU]
volunteer for sth. [vQlEn(tIE fO:]
workload [(w§:klEUd]
etw. erreichen
Veränderungsmaßnahme
etw. beeinträchtigen
Beschränkung; hier: Knappheit
Umfrage zum Mitarbeiterengagement
sein Soll erfüllen
Weisungskette, Berichtsweg
Punkt; hier: Ergebnis
Sinn dafür, warum man lebt
und arbeitet
(isolierter) Bereich
sich für etw. anbieten
Arbeitspensum
32 www.business-spotlight.de 1/2014

The perfect
Christmas present!
n Talk regularly to your partner at home. Together, set expectations of
your work-life balance so that frustration and stress do not corrode your
relationship.
n A life coach and/or professional mentor can help you to identify your
strengths and key motivations. Then you can decide how best to develop
your professional future and manage your personal life.
3. Uncertainty intelligence (UI)
Just as there is logical, emotional and cultural intelligence, we can also talk
about “uncertainty intelligence” — a set of attitudes and behaviours that
help people to succeed in highly uncertain contexts. Think about the extent
to which you have the following qualities:
n Focus. This is the ability to set big-picture goals and realistic targets,
monitor performance, etc. These are the classic tools of project management
for dealing with uncertainty. Applying this focus releases energy for
activity in the face of uncertainty.
n Flexibility. External changes and internal uncertainties will require you
to change your plans and goals. Expect and embrace changes to the journey
that you have planned. This flexibility will enable you to manage
change more effectively.
n Openness. No individual has all the information needed to take the right
decisions. Also, our perspectives are influenced by conscious and unconscious
bias. Develop openness, trust and confidentiality with others so that
you can receive additional information and hear different opinions.
n Decisiveness. The most difficult decisions are those that don’t promise a
certain outcome. To create direction in your professional and personal life,
you need to have the courage to take decisions on the basis of incomplete
information and with limited certainty about the outcome.
n Ability to learn. Decisions don’t always (or just) provide us with solutions.
They also offer information about gaps in our knowledge, which enables
us to take better decisions in the future. We have to balance the need to
learn from errors with the business pressures to get decisions right.
attitude [(ÄtItju:d]
bias [(baIEs]
big-picture goal
[bIg )pIktSE (gEUl] ifml.
confidentiality [)kQnfI)denSi(ÄlEti]
corrode sth. [kE(rEUd]
embrace sth. [Im(breIs]
gap [gÄp]
life coach [(laIf kEUtS]
monitor sth. [(mQnItE]
outcome [(aUtkVm]
release sth. [ri(li:s]
work-life balance
[)w§:k )laIf (bÄlEns]
1/2014
You need to have the courage
to take decisions on the basis of
incomplete information
Einstellung
Voreingenommenheit
großes, übergreifendes Ziel
Vertraulichkeit
etw. aushöhlen; hier: zerstören
etw. annehmen, begrüßen
Lücke; hier auch: Defizit
etwa: Lebensberater(in)
etw. überwachen
Ergebnis
etw. freisetzen
(ausgewogenes) Verhältnis zwischen Berufsund
Privatleben
4
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lovers. Order a year’s subscription of
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Take advantage of this special offer
and make language learning fun for
your family and friends.
For more details, see page 19.
Order now!
www.spotlight-verlag.de/weihnachten
Tel. +49 (0)89/8 56 81-16
extra charge [)ekstrE (tSA:dZ]
subscription [sEb(skrIpS&n]
take advantage of sth.
[)teIk Ed(vA:ntIdZ Ev]
Zusatzkosten
Abonnement
etw. nutzen,
von etw. Gebrauch
machen

n BUSINESS SKILLS UNCERTAINTY
4. Uncertainty and
communication
Communicating successfully is a great challenge
at work. It becomes even less certain
when people are using a second language,
when they don’t know each other very well,
when there are cultural differences or when
they are mainly using written communication
rather than face-to-face contact.
It is therefore extraordinary that people don’t try more
often to clarify the meaning of what they say and hear, in
order to reduce possible misunderstandings. The reason
may lie in some dangerous thinking patterns that drive
much of our behaviour:
n “I understood what was said.” This is probably the main
reason why people don’t clarify: a belief that there is no uncertainty.
But this is often false, particularly when working
internationally. Instead, assume that you generally misunderstand
others (and they misunderstand you) without
realizing it.
n “I don’t know how to clarify.” Forming questions in a second
language can be more difficult grammatically than
making statements. And it can be hard to know when and
how to interrupt a speaker. One strategy is to make a positive
comment that asks for more information: “That’s very
interesting. Can you say a little more about that?”
n “What if I get even more information that I can’t understand?”
Yes, that’s possible. But questions can be used to
narrow down what people will talk about. It is normally
much more difficult to listen to someone in silence, as we
then have little influence on what is said.
n “What if the other person can’t answer my question?” This,
too, is a possibility and there may be questions of status
and of saving face (who may ask questions and how does
someone look if they can’t answer?) in certain cultures.
Check with your business partners on which processes of
clarification are accepted culturally and psychologically.
n “Maybe it’s not really that important to clarify.” If life is so
uncertain, don’t we just have to accept a certain level of
ambiguity and do our jobs without constant clarification?
To an extent, yes. Not all discussions benefit from total
clarity. Some things are best left unsaid. But when working
internationally, we should aim to be as transparent as
iStock
possible. Ask yourself during your next conversation how
happy you are — and how happy the other person is — to
walk away with either of you not really having understood
what was said. If you are not happy, clarify!
5. An uncertain future
We all have our own psychological bias in relation to uncertainty.
Some of us cannot tolerate it for good reasons:
high levels of uncertainty can mean high risk. Others cannot
tolerate uncertainty for poor reasons: they want to exercise
too much control over themselves and others. Yet,
others can tolerate high levels of risk and uncertainty because
they see themselves as being open and embracing potential.
But some people within this group are simply unfocused
and justify their lack of detailed planning by calling
it “openness”. With so many different types of people
and outlooks, uncertainty is inevitable. We all need to find
our own way of managing it, knowing that the outcome
will also be uncertain.
nBS
For more information
Stop and think: how clear
is your communication?
BOOKS
n Harvard Business Review on Managing Uncertainty (Harvard
Business School Press)
n Managing Uncertainty: Strategies for Surviving and Thriving
in Turbulent Times, Michel Syrett, Marion Devine (The Eco n -
omist)
WEBSITES
n This is an interesting article on communication challenges:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_Motivated_Information_
Management
n The business school IMD in Lausanne is a great source of
ideas on managing uncertainty and working internationally:
www.imd.org/research/challenges/TC032-09.cfm
ambiguity [)ÄmbI(gju:Eti]
assume sth. [E(sju:m]
business school [(bIznEs sku:l]
clarification [)klÄrEfI(keIS&n]
clarify sth. [(klÄrEfaI]
clarity [(klÄrEti]
face-to-face [)feIs tE (feIs]
inevitable [In(evItEb&l]
narrow sth. down [)nÄrEU (daUn]
save face [)seIv (feIs]
thinking pattern [(TINkIN )pÄt&n]
thrive [TraIv]
Unklarheit
von etw. ausgehen
Wirtschaftshochschule
Klärung, Klarstellung
etw. klären, klarstellen
Klarheit
persönlich
unvermeidlich
etw. eingrenzen
das Gesicht wahren
Denkmuster
florieren, Erfolg haben
Do exercises on this topic on Business Spotlight Audio
www Watch our Business with Bob series of videos for more tips on
how to improve your communication skills: www.businessspotlight.de/videos/bob
BOB DIGNEN is a director of York Associates
(www.york-associates.co.uk), which specializes in language,
communication and intercultural training. He
is the author of many business English books, including
Effective International Business Communication
(Collins). Contact: bob.dignen@york-associates.co.uk
34 www.business-spotlight.de 1/2014

SURVIVAL GUIDE BUSINESS SKILLS n
Managing uncertainty
Here are more language suggestions for managing uncertainty. However, you should use only
the language that you feel comfortable with in your specific work situations.
medium
1. Uncertainty intelligence
FOCUS
Deciding on big-picture goals
n I think our main aim is to…
Setting realistic goals
n The first thing we should do is…
Monitoring performance
n We need to look at this again by…
Releasing energy for activity
n By doing this, we will be able to…
FLEXIBILITY
Expecting change
n We may need to adapt this if…
Embracing change
n If we make this change, it will allow us to improve…
OPENNESS
Asking for opinions
n What do you think about this?
Building trust
n I trust your experience in this, so…
Creating confidentiality
n My personal view on this, between you and me, is that…
DECISIVENESS
Taking decisions
n So let’s decide to…
Highlighting importance
n It’s important to take a decision because…
Discussing risks
n I don’t think there is any risk that…
Emphasizing opportunities
n In fact, if we decide this, then we’ll be able to…
ABILITY TO LEARN
Accepting a lack of solutions
n We may need to discuss this again because…
Recognizing information gaps
n We don’t yet know whether…
Accepting mistakes
n If we make a mistake, that’s OK because we can…
Showing determination
n I’m confident that we can make progress.
2. New thinking patterns
“I NEED TO CLARIFY REGULARLY.”
Clarifying content
n That’s interesting. What do you mean when you say… ?
Clarifying intentions
n That’s important. Why do you say… ?
“I SHOULD USE MORE QUESTIONS TO CONTROL CON-
VERSATIONS AND TO BE CLEARER.”
Open questions
n What… ? / Why… ? / When… ? / Which… ?
Closed questions
n Is it… ? / Are you… ? / Did they… ? / Will she… ?
“I NEED TO HELP PEOPLE TO ANSWER MY QUESTIONS.”
Appealing to expertise
n You’re an expert on this subject. Why is it that… ?
Appealing to feelings
n I feel really confused by this. Why does she want to… ?
Appealing to efficiency
n Are we sure that we are doing this in the best way?
Appealing to politeness
n Sorry if I missed something, but could you explain why… ?
appeal to sth. [E(pi:&l tu]
big-picture goal [bIg )pIktSE (gEUl] ifml.
clarify sth. [(klÄrEfaI]
confidentiality [)kQnfI)denSi(ÄlEti]
embrace sth. [Im(breIs]
emphasize sth. [(emfEsaIz]
expertise [)eksp§:(ti:z]
gap [gÄp]
highlight sth. [(haIlaIt]
monitor sth. [(mQnItE]
performance [pE(fO:mEns]
postpone sth. [pEUst(pEUn]
release sth. [ri(li:s]
thinking pattern [(TINkIN )pÄt&n]
uncertainty [Vn(s§:t&nti]
an etw. appellieren
großes, übergreifendes Ziel
etw. klären, klarstellen
Vertraulichkeit
etw. annehmen, begrüßen
etw. betonen
Sachkenntnis(se)
Lücke; hier auch: Defizit
etw. hervorheben
etw. überwachen
Leistung(en); Ergebnis(se)
etw. zurückstellen, vertagen
etw. freisetzen
Denkmuster
Unsicherheit, Verunsicherung
“I SHOULD CHECK THAT WE HAVE ACCEPTABLE LEVELS
OF UNCERTAINTY.”
Agreeing on sufficient information
n Do we have enough detail at this point in time?
Signalling limits to one’s knowledge
n We can take a decision, but I still don’t know whether…
Requesting more detail
n I don’t think we can decide yet. We need to know more…
Postponing conflict
n OK, let’s agree to disagree for the moment and move on to…
Organizing a further meeting
n Shall we come back to and clarify this at a later date? nBS
1/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 35

■ BUSINESS SKILLS TOOLBOX
Answering calls for colleagues
In dieser Rubrik nutzt KEN TAYLOR Erfahrungen, die er in vielen Organisationen und
in verschiedenen Ländern sammeln konnte, und beantwortet häufig gestellte
Fragen zur Kommunikation im internationalen Geschäftsleben.
medium
iStock
1. What should I say when answering the phone for a
colleague who is out of the office?
There are several ways you can explain your colleague’s
absence. It depends on how much information
you wish to give the caller. With some callers, you
won’t need to explain why your colleague is absent.
There are several phrases you can use for this:
■ I’m afraid she’s not available at the moment.
■ I’m sorry, but she’s not at her desk at present.
These are safe options if you don’t know the caller or
are not sure about their relationship with your colleague.
In the case of other callers, you might like to
give them a clear reason for your colleague’s absence.
Maybe the caller has tried to contact your colleague
several times that day or urgently needs to talk to
them. Here are some phrases for the most common
reasons:
■ He’s gone for the day.
■ He’s in a meeting.
■ He’s on another line.
After you have told the caller that they cannot speak
to the person they want, you need to offer an alternative.
Here are some possibilities:
■ She’s expected back at two o’clock. Perhaps you
could call back then.
■ Would you like me to give her a message?
■ Is there someone else you would like to speak to?
■ May I ask what it’s about? Perhaps I can help you.
answer the phone
[)A:nsE DE (fEUn]
available: not be ~ [E(veIlEb&l]
beep [bi:p]
consultancy [kEn(sVltEnsi]
director [dE(rektE]
give sb. a message [)gIv E (mesIdZ]
gone for the day: be ~
[(gQn fE DE )deI]
line: be on another ~ [laIn]
outgoing message
[)aUtgEUIN (mesIdZ]
phrase [freIz]
speaking [(spi:kIN]
voicemail message [(vOIsmeI&l )mesIdZ]
einen Anruf entgegennehmen,
ans Telefon gehen
nicht erreichbar sein
Piepton
Beratungsfirma
Geschäftsführer(in)
jmdm. etw. ausrichten
heute nicht mehr erreichbar
sein
auf einer anderen Leitung
sprechen
Ansagetext (auf dem Anrufbeantworter)
Ausdruck, Formulierung
am Apparat
Mailbox-Nachricht
2. How can I sound professional at work when I pick
up the phone to answer a call in English?
Have a standard response prepared: “Good morning,
Quick Print, Mark Drew speaking. How may I help
you?” This sounds competent and professional. Or,
you may recognize the caller’s phone number:
■ Hi, Christine. What can I do for you?
Sometimes, a caller whom you do not know will ask
for you:
■ “Sorry? Is that Mr Drew?” Then all you need to say is,
“Speaking.”
If the caller gives you his or her name, repeat it to
check that you are saying it correctly and use it during
the conversation and when ending the call.
3. What should I say in my voicemail message in
English?
First of all, callers do not want to listen to a long message.
But you might need to have an outgoing message
first in your own language and then in English. So
keep it short and simple:
■ This is Mark Drew’s voicemail. I’m not available at the
moment. Please leave a message after the beep.
You might feel that you should include your company
name or position in the organization, but this is not
really necessary. If you do think it is important to include
more information, keep it short:
■ This is Mark Drew, Quick Print’s head of marketing. I’m
not available at the moment. Please leave a message
after the beep.
Try to sound friendly. Callers are more likely to leave
a message with someone who sounds pleasant. ■BS
Do an exercise on this topic on Business Spotlight Audio
KEN TAYLOR is the director of Taylor Consultancy
Ltd, an international communication consultancy in
London, and the author of 50 Ways to Improve Your
Telephoning and Teleconferencing Skills (Summertown).
Contact: KTaylor868@aol.com
36 www.business-spotlight.de 1/2014

SAY IT IN STYLE BUSINESS SKILLS ■
Introducing yourself
and others
Making a good
first impression:
“Grace, I’d like you
to meet Steve”
iStock
Am Anfang eines jeden Gesprächs mit neuen Kollegen oder
neuen Geschäftspartnern steht das gegenseitige Vorstellen.
ANNA HOCHSIEDER erklärt, wie man es richtig macht. easy
Introductions are your first chance to make a good impression.
Here, we present some typical situations, along with
tips on how to get introductions right.
Introducing yourself to another person
Grace:
Steve:
Grace:
Steve:
Grace:
Steve:
Hello, I’m Grace. Grace Reynolds.
Hi, Grace. I’m Steve Ramírez.
Nice to meet you, Steve.
Nice to meet you, too, Grace.
Did you fly in this morning, Steve?
No, I arrived late last night. I’m still feeling a
bit jet-lagged!
Tips
■ Always give your first name as well as your surname.
Remember that it is common to use first names in the
English-speaking world.
■ Repeat the other person’s first name. This is not only
friendly — it also helps you to remember it.
■ In very formal situations, you might say “How do you
do” instead of “Nice/Good/Pleased to meet you”.
■ Follow up with a friendly question to get the conversation
going.
Introducing others
Grace:
Ed:
Steve:
Grace:
Steve, I’d like you to meet my colleague Ed
Taylor. Ed, this is Steve Ramírez, from ALC Systems
in New York.
Hello, Steve. Nice to meet you.
Good to meet you, too, Ed.
Ed is in charge of our online marketing campaign,
so he should be able to answer some of
your questions, Steve.
Tips
Here are some more phrases you can use to introduce people
to each other:
■ I don’t think you two have met. Steve, this is Ed Taylor.
Ed, this is Steve Ramírez.
■ Steve, I’d like to introduce you to Ed Taylor, our UK
marketing manager.
■ Ed, have you met Steve Ramírez? Steve, this is Ed
Taylor.
■ Tell the people you are introducing to each other what
they do or where they are from. It is your job to assist them
in starting a conversation.
Introducing yourself to a roomful of people
Steve:
Hello, everyone. My name’s Esteban Ramírez,
but everyone calls me Steve. I’m in charge of
online marketing at ALC Systems. As you know,
ALC Systems is based in New York. We’re planning
to expand our business to Europe, and
that, in a nutshell, is why I’m here today.
Tips
■ If you are going to give a lecture, or if you are taking part
in a meeting with people you have not met before, you will
need to tell the others a few facts about yourself first.
■ Start with a greeting. This can be an informal “hi” or
“hello”, or a more formal “Good morning/afternoon”.
■ Then, say your name and explain what you do, who you
work for and your reason for being there.
■ Keep it short: talking on and on about yourself does not
make a good first impression!
■BS
based: be ~ [beIst]
fly in [)flaI (In]
follow sth. up with sth. [)fQlEU (Vp wID]
in a nutshell [)In E (nVtSel]
jet-lagged: be ~ [(dZet lÄgd]
lecture: give a ~ [(lektSE]
phrase [freIz]
surname [(s§:neIm]
seinen Sitz haben
einfliegen; hier: ankommen
etw. auf etw. folgen lassen
kurz gefasst
unter Jetlag leiden
einen Vortrag halten
Ausdruck, Formulierung
Nachname
plus For more on this topic, see Business Spotlight plus
www Learn more phrases at www.business-spotlight.de/skills
ANNA HOCHSIEDER is a Munich-based teacher of
English as a Second Language who writes on language
issues in Spotlight and Business Spotlight.
Contact: a.hochsieder@googlemail.com
1/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 37

Non-stop energy:
businesswoman
Arianna Huffington
Getty Images
Her next
act
The Huffington Post gilt als beliebteste englische Nachrichtenplattform, von der
es seit Oktober 2013 auch eine deutsche Ausgabe gibt. Hinter all dem steht
Arianna Huffington, die sich mit der Gründung der Onlinezeitung einen Traum
erfüllte. DECCA AITKENHEAD schreibt über die Medienmogulin.
advanced

PROFILE GLOBAL BUSINESS ■
Arianna Huffington has been confounding
expectations ever since she arrived in London
from Greece as a 16-year-old with her mother
and sister, saw a photo of Cambridge University
and decided to apply. With the exception
of her mother — “my Rock of Gibraltar” — everyone
told her she didn’t have a chance, not least because she
could barely speak English. She won a place to study economics,
joined the Cambridge Union, got laughed at for her
accent and total ignorance of the rules of debating, but was
elected its first foreign female president.
Arianna Huffington describes
The Huffington Post as her “last act”
ate liberal and society queen. She ran against Arnold
Schwarzenegger for state governor in 2003, before using
40 years of networking to get her rich and famous friends
to finance and write for The Huffington Post, which she
describes as her “last act” and the realization of her life’s
work and dreams.
How has she managed to do all this? People who know
Huffington say her charm is the answer — so I ask her to
demonstrate. We meet at Huffington Post UK in London,
one of nine global offices producing one of the most popular
English-language news websites on the planet. Created
in 2005, its mix of original journalism, links to other
published articles and blogs is now read by more than 75
million people every month, and was bought by AOL in
2011 for $315 million.
The first clue is her research notes on me. This, I can
safely say, has never happened before. She mentions articles
I’ve written, and tells me she’s ordered a book I wrote
years ago, The Promised Land. “I love the title,” she says
warmly. “I love it. I think I’m going to learn a lot about
you.”
Let’s pretend I’m a powerful political player she’s just
met at a cocktail party, I suggest. What would she say to
me? “For me, it is about how good a listener you are,” she
says. “Because the worst thing you can do in terms of connecting
with people is when you are looking over their
shoulder to see if there is someone more interesting in the
room. And I think what we all want is to be seen in a real
way. To really be present.”
Huffington, who likes to boast that she comes from
“Greek peasant stock”, was soon appearing on TV discussion
shows. She fell in love with the celebrated Times
columnist Bernard Levin and published her first bestseller
— as Arianna Stassinopoulos — at 23. Called The Female
Woman, it was a critical response to Germaine Greer’s The
Female Eunuch. By the time she was 30, her fourth book
had been serialized in The Sunday Times for a recordbreaking
£150,000. But when Levin, twice her age, refused
to marry and have children, off she went with her mother
and sister to conquer New York.
Soon, she was Manhattan’s leading socialite, and before
long, an oil billionaire’s wife. Moving to Washington, DC,
in the 1980s, she became the darling of
the Republican right, getting her husband
elected to Congress and establishing
herself as a glamorous Washington
power broker. After 11 years
and two daughters, the marriage ended
following Michael Huffington’s
announcement that he was bisexual, which resulted in another
move for her — to California, again with mother
and sister — where she reinvented herself as a passionbillionaire
[)bIljE(neE]
clue [klu:]
confound expectations
[kEn)faUnd )ekspek(teIS&nz]
debating club [di(beItIN klVb]
editorial [)edI(tO:riEl]
in terms of... [In (t§:mz Qv]
networking [(netw§:kIN]
peasant stock: come from ~
[(pez&nt stQk]
(peasant
power broker [(paUE )brEUkE]
profound [prE(faUnd]
rehash sth. [ri:(hÄS]
reinvent oneself [)ri:In(vent wVn)self]
research [ri(s§:tS]
resilience [ri(zIliEns]
run against sb.
[)rVn E(genst]
serialize sth. [(sIEriElaIz]
socialite [(sEUSElaIt]
win a place to study sth.
[)wIn E )pleIs tE (stVdi]
Milliardär(in)
Anhaltspunkt
(allen) Erwartungen widersprechen
Debattierclub
Leitartikel
was ... betrifft
Kontaktaufbau und -pflege
eine bäuerliche Herkunft
haben
(arme(r)) Bauer/Bäuerin)
Strippenzieher(in)
tiefsinnig
etw. wiederkäuen
sich ein neues Image geben
Recherche(n)
Belastbarkeit
hier: gegen jmdn. kandidieren
etw. in Fortsetzungen veröffentlichen
Mitglied der Schickeria
einen Studienplatz für etw.
(angeboten) bekommen
She doesn’t discuss current affairs, she tells me.
“Few people have really profound thoughts on the news
of the day, right? They’re just rehashing whatever the
editorial said. I want to talk to people about themselves.
What’s happening in their lives. And I think that’s what
people really talk about. I’m much more interested in having
real conversations.”
The real secret, however, seems to be her astonishing
resilience in the face of criticism or failure, a result of her
A CLOSER LOOK
The Cambridge Union (also known as “the Union”) is a short
form for the Cambridge Union Society, a debating club at
Cambridge University. Founded in 1815, it is the model for
many other debating societies, including the Oxford Union
and the Yale Political Union. It has attracted many leading
figures as guest speakers and debaters.
4
1/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 39

■ GLOBAL BUSINESS PROFILE
Now in German:
HuffPost Deutschland
launched in October
The Huffington Post in Germany
iebe Grüße from Munich,” Arianna Huffington wrote when her
“L website held its German launch on 10 October 2013. Huffington
Post Deutschland is a partner of Burda Media’s Tomorrow Focus,
a digital media company. Editorial director of “HuffPost Deutschland”,
as Huffington calls it, is Cherno Jobatey, former host of ZDF
Morgenmagazin, while the editor-in-chief is Sebastian Matthes, formerly
head of the science and technology section at the business
magazine WirtschaftsWoche. Tennis legend Boris Becker and politician
Ursula von der Leyen were among launch-day bloggers.
Although The Huffington Post has won a number of awards — including
a Pulitzer Prize, the top award in American journalism —
German media reaction has been sceptical, mainly because of the
site’s payment policy. HuffPost Deutschland currently employs only
15 journalists; most of its content comes from unpaid bloggers, who
are hoping that their presence on The Huffington Post will divert
traffic to their own websites. Newspaper and magazine commentators
as well as the German journalists’ union DJV have criticized the
HuffPost business model. Spiegel Online International pointed out
that Huffington “unsuccessfully approached several German publishers, including
Spiegel and Axel Springer” before finding a partner in Burda Media.
mother’s “unconditional love”. Huffington says: “The
feeling she brought me and my sister up on was: try, whatever
it is. Failure is not the opposite of success but a stepping
stone to success. So if you stand up at the Cambridge
Union and they ridicule you, it doesn’t matter — you’ll
stand up again and you’ll learn and get better at it.” She
used to replay humiliations over and over in her head. “But
my mother would say: ‘Change the channel, darling.’”
Huffington’s name for self-criticism is “the obnoxious
flatmate in my head”, whom she appears successfully to
have evicted.
Her latest big idea is a movement she calls The Third
Metric and describes as “the third wave of feminism”,
which may come as a surprise to all the feminists who
thought they’d launched the third wave some time around
1990. “What we’re saying is, we need to reshape the world
in which women are participating. Not just break through
ceilings in the current broken system. We have to get away
ceiling [(si:lIN]
channel [(tSÄn&l]
divert sth. [daI(v§:t]
editorial director [edI)tO:riEl dE(rektE]
editor-in-chief [)edItEr In (tSi:f]
evict sb. [I(vIkt]
flatmate [(flÄtmeIt] UK
host [hEUst]
humiliation [hju)mIli(eIS&n]
launch (sth.) [lO:ntS]
metric [(metrIk]
obnoxious [Eb(nQkSEs]
publisher [(pVblISE]
ridicule sb. [(rIdIkju:l]
stepping stone [(stepIN stEUn]
traffic [(trÄfIk]
unconditional [)VnkEn(dIS&nEl]
union [(ju:niEn]
Decke; hier: Barriere
Sender
etw. umlenken
Redaktionsleiter(in)
Chefredakteur(in)
jmdn. zur Räumung zwingen,
vertreiben
Mitbewohner(in)
Gastgeber(in); hier: Moderator(in)
Demütigung
(Markt-)Einführung; etw.
starten
Metrik, Maßsystem; hier:
Metrum
unausstehlich
Verlag; Verleger(in)
jmdn. verspotten
Sprungbrett
hier: Besucheraufkommen,
Zugriffe
bedingungs-, rückhaltlos
Gewerkschaft
40 www.business-spotlight.de
HuffPost Voces: the Latino version

Proud mother: with
daughters Christina
(left) and Isabella
from the way men have constructed work around war
metaphors and sports metaphors and praising each other
for working 24/7, working round the clock — these
phrases simply encourage a very destructive way to lead
our lives, and we are paying a very high price.”
She mentions Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, whose best ideas
apparently came after meditating or disappearing to a technology-free
log cabin. “We must learn to really think and
connect with our wisdom, and I really believe we all have
that deeper wisdom in us.” But the government keeps saying
the problem is that we’ve grown much too lazy, I say.
If we want to compete with the emerging economies, don’t
we all have to become like South Koreans?
“We have to get away from the way
men have constructed work”
action press
24/7 [)twenti fO: (sev&n] ifml. rund um die Uhr
aggregation [)ÄgrI(geIS&n]
Zusammenlegung, Bündelung
apparently [E(pÄrEntli]
anscheinend
CFO (chief financial officer) [)si: ef (EU] Finanzvorstand/-vorständin
cheekbone [(tSi:kbEUn]
Jochbein
clarity [(klÄrEti]
Klarheit; hier: klarer Kopf
compete with sb. [kEm(pi:t wID] mit jmdm. konkurrieren
conundrum [kE(nVndrEm]
Rätsel
discredited [dIs(kredItId]
verrufen; hier: widerlegt
emerge [i(m§:dZ]
entstehen
emerging economy
Schwellenland
[i)m§:dZIN i(kQnEmi]
engineer [)endZI(nIE]
Techniker(in)
fracture sth. [(frÄktSE]
etw. brechen
link back to sb./sth. [)lINk (bÄk tu] auf jmdn./etw. verlinken
log cabin [)lQg (kÄbIn]
Blockhütte
mindfulness [(maIndf&lnEs]
Aufmerksamkeit, Achtsamkeit
obsolete [(QbsEli:t]
überholt
performance-enhancement technique Technik zur Leistungs-
[pE)fO:mEns In(hA:nsmEnt tek)ni:k] verbesserung
phrase [freIz]
Floskel
trade-off [(treId Qf]
Austauschbeziehung
traffic
hier: Besucheraufkommen,
[(trÄfIk]
Zugriffe
“Well, look at the rate of suicide in South Korea,
look at the price they are paying for the way that they
work,” Huffington responds. “We launched in Japan recently,
and there’s a whole literature that emerged because
the way the Japanese worked didn’t help the economy. I
read a piece in The New York Times by the former CFO
of Lehman Brothers, and she described her life, working
round the clock, no personal life. She destroyed her marriage,
paid a heavy price. And I kept thinking all the time:
but you weren’t even a good CFO, or you would have noticed
that there was an iceberg about to hit Lehman Brothers.
So my point is, it’s not a trade-off: either you work
really hard and are successful, or not. We are seeing that
mindfulness and meditation are all also performanceenhancement
techniques.”
Lots of journalists would love to stop working 24/7,
I say, but blame websites, including The Huffington Post,
for taking their work and giving it away for free. “I’m surprised
because that’s such a discredited argument,” she
says. “I’m a big believer in aggregation, but we always link
back to the creators, so he or she would have a lot more
traffic for their work. Beyond that, The Huffington Post
has 800 jobs for journalists, editors and engineers, so that
argument is really obsolete.”
Huffington is an immensely likeable conundrum: a curious
mixture of inspired thoughts and really quite banal
observations. But they are certainly no less original than
those of most successful men. The irony of a media mogul
who owns three BlackBerrys now promoting a more relaxed
working culture should be funny, but she says that
since fracturing her cheekbone by falling asleep on her keyboard
in 2007, she has transformed her own working life.
“I now sleep seven to eight hours — before it was four to
five. That makes a huge difference, in everything — not
just my health and my well-being, but also my decisionmaking.
I have more clarity, I can make better and faster
decisions, I’m less reactive.”
At 63, she is a multimillionaire and cannot think of a single
famous living person she would like to meet but has
not. She has surely reached the point at which she could
stop. “But what else would I be doing? I’d be bored to
death lying on a beach in the south of France.” ■BS
© Guardian News & Media 2013
1/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 41

■ GLOBAL BUSINESS HEAD-TO-HEAD
Should we ban fracking?
Zur Sicherung der zukünftigen Energieversorgung gewinnt das Fracking an Bedeutung. Doch nehmen auch die
kritischen Stimmen gegen das Verfahren zu. VICKI SUSSENS hält das Für und Wider fest.
advanced US
NO!
“Yields increase
with each
frack and so
does safety”
JOEL KURTZMAN
If done incorrectly, hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking”,
can be dangerous. It’s been linked to earthquakes and
groundwater contamination. Even so, a study of
20,000 wells in the U.S. by scientists at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology found that one percent or fewer
showed signs of leakage.
Controversy about fracking technology is to be expected.
Although its roots go far back, it is still a relatively
young technology and continues to develop. Yields increase
with each “frack” — and so does safety. In the U.S.,
a number of states have examined the risks of fracking. So
far, each state that has done so, has given it the go-ahead.
The technology is complex. A hole is drilled two kilometers
deep or more, well below groundwater level. Then, the
drill turns sideways and drills horizontally for another 5
to 15 kilometers. Next, the holes are lined with steel and
concrete, and holes are blasted in the horizontal sections.
A mixture of water and sand, along with some solvents, is
forced into these horizontal holes under intense pressure.
This fractures, or “fracks”, the rock, freeing the natural gas
and oil trapped there. Thousands of wells are fracked each
year, almost all without problems.
The results of fracking have been fantastic. Studies, including
those by the Energy Information Administration,
show the U.S. will soon be energy independent as a result
of fracking for oil and natural gas. Other studies suggest
we will become a net energy-exporting nation in the
2020s. Only a decade ago, Americans were building terminals
to import liquefied natural gas from the Middle East.
While the rest of the world — especially Europe — becomes
more dependent on Russia, the Middle East, and the
rest of OPEC for its energy sources, America is breaking
free. The NAFTA countries (Canada, the U.S. and Mexico)
no longer worry about having enough energy to move
their economies forward. Rather, the concern is having
enough space to store what’s coming out of the ground.
Even more important, as a result of fracking, natural gas
in the U.S. is cheap — one third to one quarter the cost of
natural gas in Europe. That fall in price has made it practical
for electric utilities to switch from coal, and in some
cases from nuclear energy, to natural gas. The results have
been significant. Though the U.S. has not signed the Kyoto
Protocol, its greenhouse gas emissions have fallen to
1993 levels — very close to Kyoto’s goals.
Natural gas is everywhere: in North America, Europe,
and some parts of Asia. The only way to get at it, how ever,
is through fracking.
Fracking comes with risks. Most energy sources do. But
instead of leaving its large reserves of energy untapped, European
companies, universities, and research institutions
should work to accurately measure and then lower the
risks associated with fracking. Rather than condemning
this new technology, as most European countries have
done, why not contribute to perfecting it?
JOEL KURTZMAN is a senior fellow at the Milken Institute, a U.S.
economic think tank based in Santa Monica, California, and the
Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
blast sth. [blÄst*]
etw. sprengen
concrete [(kA:nkri:t*]
Beton
drill (sth.) [drIl]
Bohrer; etw. bohren
earthquake [(§:TkweIk]
Erdbeben
electric utility [i(lektrIk ju)tIlEti] Stromversorgungsunternehmen
frack (sth.) [frÄk]
Frack-Verfahren; etw. zerbrechen
fracture sth. [(frÄktS&r*]
etw. zerbrechen
go-ahead: give sth. the ~ etw. die Genehmigung erteilen
[)goU E(hed*] ifml.
greenhouse gas emissions Treibhausgasemissionen, CO 2 -
[)gri:nhaUs )gÄs i(mIS&nz] Ausstoß
hydraulic fracturing
Fracking
[haI)drO:lIk (frÄktS&rIN*]
leakage [(li:kIdZ]
Ausströmen, Undichtigkeit
liquefied [(lIkwIfaId]
Flüssignatural
gas [)nÄtS&rEl (gÄs] Erdgas
senior fellow [)si:nj&r (feloU*] wissenschaftliche(r) Mitarbeiter(in)
solvent [(sA:lvEnt*]
Lösungsmittel
think tank [(TINk tÄNk]
Denkfabrik
trap sth. [trÄp]
etw. einschließen
untapped [)Vn(tÄpt]
unangetastet, nicht genutzt
well [wel]
Brunnen; hier: Bohrloch
yield [ji:&ld]
Ausbeute, Ertrag
* This symbol marks standard US pronunciation that differs from standard UK pronunciation.
42 www.business-spotlight.de 1/2014

P. Andrews/Reuters
Hydraulic fracturing:
opportunity or danger?
YES!
“We are still
learning about
the effects
of fracturing”
GEERT DE COCK
Hydraulic fracturing creates many economic, environmental,
and public-health problems, threatening
the long-term health of our planet and communities.
To protect ourselves and our essential
resources, we must ban fracking.
As with deep-sea oil drilling, oil and gas companies claim
that their operations are safe and pose minimal environmental
risks. However, such promises have proven false
time and again. The fossil fuel sector has zero credibility
when it comes to adequately informing the public about
the risks involved in their operations.
credibility [)kredE(bIlEti]
Glaubwürdigkeit
deny sth. [di(naI]
etw. leugnen, abstreiten
emphasize sth. [(emfEsaIz]
etw. hervorheben
exempted: be ~ from sth. [Ig(zemptId] von etw. ausgenommen sein
extraction [Ik(strÄkS&n]
Förderung
fluid [(flu:Id]
Flüssigkeit
fossil fuel [)fA:s&l (fju:El*]
fossiler Brennstoff
integrity problem [In)tegrEti (prA:blEm*] Integritätsproblem
migrate [(maIgreIt*]
abwandern; hier: austreten
obfuscate sth. [(A:bfVskeIt*]
etw. verschleiern
overwhelmed [)oUv&r(welmd*]
überwältigt, überfordert
policy officer [(pA:lEsi )A:fEs&r*]
etwa: Referent(in)
shale formation [(SeI&l fO:r)meIS&n*] Schiefergesteinsformation
shale gas [(SeI&l gÄs]
Schiefergas
wellbore [(welbO:r*]
Bohrloch
* This symbol marks standard US pronunciation that differs from standard UK pronunciation.
1/2014
One of the most controversial aspects of hydraulic fracturing
is its effect on groundwater quality. The oil and gas
industries continue to deny the connection between fracking
and groundwater contamination. By emphasizing the
point that the fracked rocks are situated two to three kilometers
underground, the industry obfuscates a key point:
to access shale formations, the wellbore must pass through
the overlying formations, where groundwater is present.
Scientific and industry publications have shown that
integrity problems in wells are very common in the oil and
gas industry. Up to 45 percent of offshore wells experience
integrity problems, where gas and fracking fluids can
migrate outside the wellbore. Yet, you will never hear such
statistics on these risks from the industry.
We are still learning the full extent of the environmental
and health effects of fracking. Unconventional oil and
gas extraction took everyone by surprise, even the major
oil and gas companies. Moreover, public authorities have
been overwhelmed by the fracking boom. This, in addition
to fracking being exempted from key U.S. federal regulations,
has led to a situation in which the negative effects
of the “shale revolution” have been poorly monitored.
Ignoring the environmental dimension, what could be
the economic effects of shale gas in Europe? Because of the
thousands of wells needed, shale gas will not make a significant
contribution to Europe’s energy mix before 2030.
It is not a short-term solution. The limited size of the shale
resource in the EU means it will not decrease gas prices,
nor significantly reduce Europe’s import dependency.
Shale gas offers limited economic benefits, while causing
major environmental damage. Fracking cannot be safely regulated.
The EU as a whole should take inspiration from
France and Bulgaria — as well as the 350 U.S. communities
that have stopped fracking — and ban it altogether. ■BS
GEERT DE COCK is a policy officer with Food & Water Europe,
the European section of Food & Water Watch, which is based in
Washington, D.C. The organization’s focus is to protect food and
water from coming under corporate control.
www.business-spotlight.de 43

■ LANGUAGE VOCABULARY
easy
The fire brigade
In dieser Rubrik präsentieren wir nützliche Begriffe aus der
Arbeitswelt. Von CAROL SCHEUNEMANN
2
1
20
3
4
6 5
19
11
18
13
12
10
7
8
16
15
14
9
17
Ken Raut
1. extension ladder Schiebeleiter
[Ik(stenS&n )lÄdE]
2. extinguish sth. [Ik(stINgwIS] etw. löschen
3. blaze [bleIz] (Groß-)Brand
4. fire escape [(faIEr I)skeIp] Feuerleiter
5. firefighter’s helmet Feuerschutzhelm
6. face shield [(feIs Si:&ld] Gesichtsschutz
7. face mask Gasmaske
8. firefighter Brandbekämpfer(in)
9. breathing apparatus Atemschutzgerät
[(bri:DIN ÄpE)reItEs]
10. spray nozzle [(spreI )nQz&l] Spritzdüse
11. fire brigade [(faIE brI)geId] Feuerwehr
(US fire department
[(faI&r di)pA:rtmEnt])
12. fireproof garment feuerfestes
[)faIEpru:f (gA:mEnt] Kleidungsstück
13. chief fire officer (US fire chief) Brandmeister(in)
14. hydrant [(haIdrEnt] Hydrant
15. (fire) hose [((faIE) hEUz] (Feuerwehr-)Schlauch
16. fire extinguisher Feuerlöscher
[(faIEr Ik)stINgwISE]
17. foam [fEUm] Schaum
18. fire engine [(faIEr )endZIn], Löschfahrzeug
appliance [E(plaIEns]
(US also fire truck)
19. fire station [(faIE )steIS&n] Feuerwache
20. siren [(saI&rEn] Horn, Sirene
Exercise: Council Road fire
Complete the sentences with words from the list.
The a) ________ that started in a Council Road block
of flats at 4 p.m. yesterday was b) ________ without
widespread damage. The local c) fire ________ arrived
quickly, as the burning building was just two miles
from the d) fire ________. Five e) fire ________ with
35 f) ________ were sent to the scene. There was
heavy smoke, so in addition to their usual g) ________
garments, the crew needed h) _______ apparatuses
and i) face ________. The j) chief ________ was injured
by a falling object as he wasn’t wearing a(n) k) ________.
People on the second floor were evacuated using a(n)
l) ________ ladder. A resident who had tried to control
the flames using a m) fire ________ received minor
burns and skin irritation from the n) ________.
Answers on page 62
44 www.business-spotlight.de 1/2014

medium
GRAMMAR AT WORK LANGUAGE ■
Reporting what someone said
Wenn Sie berichten möchten, was jemand zu Ihnen gesagt hat, sollten Sie ein paar grammatische
Regeln kennen. ANNA HOCHSIEDER erläutert sie anhand von Beispielen.
What did the boss say?
Neil:
Julia:
Neil:
Julia:
Neil:
Julia:
Neil:
Julia:
Neil:
How did your performance review go, Julia?
It was good. Paul says he’s happy with my work.
You see! I told you it would be fine.
Yeah. He said he’d had positive reports about
my work. He told me about a customer he’d spoken
to the previous week who had praised me.
Really? That’s great!
Yeah. Then he asked me to name my top five
achievements of the past year. So I told him I’d
run the department on my own while Clare was
on sick leave.Then he asked me if I wanted to go
on a course to develop my leadership skills.
Really? Sounds as if you might be promoted!
I’m not sure. I mentioned that my salary hadn’t
been raised since 2011 and he just smiled
sweetly and said: “This is a performance review,
not a salary review.” In other words, he told me
to forget about it.
Yeah! Whenever you mention money, Paul just
goes, “Let’s talk about that another time.”
Exercise
Change these sentences to indirect speech.
a) “Mr Smith is no longer with us.”
The receptionist told me (that) __________________
_____________________________________________.
b) “I’ll let you know soon.”
The sales assistant promised (that) she __________
_____________________________________________.
c) “I spoke to Emma yesterday.”
He told me last week (that) _____________________
_____________________________________________.
d) “Have you ever been to Canada?”
She asked me ________________________________
_____________________________________________.
e) “Forget about it!”
He ________________________________.
Answers on page 62
Explanations
1. When reporting what someone said in the past, we usually
use a reporting verb in the past, with or without
“that”, for example: He said (that) or She told me
(that). The verb tense used in the reported sentence is
usually one step further in the past than the tense used
in the direct speech, for example:
■ “I’ve had positive reports.” ➔ He said he’d had positive
reports.
■ “It will be fine.” ➔ I told you it would be fine.
2. If the situation the original speaker was talking about
is still the same, we can use a reporting verb in the
present, as in the original comment:
■ “I’m happy with your work.” ➔ Paul says he’s happy
with my work.
3. Reported questions have no auxiliary, and the word order
is the same as in statements. Yes/no questions are
introduced with “whether” or “if”:
■ He asked me if I wanted to go on a course.
4. Remember to change pronouns and possessive adjectives
to the point of view of the reporting speaker:
■ “I’ve had” ➔ he’d had
■ “your work” ➔ my work
References to time and place also sometimes have to
be adapted, for example:
■ “last week” ➔ the previous week
■ “here” ➔ there
5. Reporting verbs are not always followed by a “that”-
clause. Requests are reported with ask sb. to + infinitive:
he asked me to name… Commands are reported
with tell sb. to + infinitive: he told me to forget about it.
6. You do not have to use reported speech when talking
about past conversations. It is also common to quote direct
speech, as Julia does when reporting what her boss
said about her salary. In informal conversations, go (or
went) can be used as a reporting verb. ■BS
Do an exercise on this topic on Business Spotlight Audio
plus Find related exercises in Business Spotlight plus
www More exercises at www.business-spotlight.de/grammar
ANNA HOCHSIEDER is a Munich-based teacher of
English as a Second Language who writes regularly
on language issues in Spotlight and Business
Spotlight. Contact: a.hochsieder@googlemail.com
1/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 45

n LANGUAGE EASY ENGLISH
Reaching agreement
Negotiating:
some simple
strategies can
help you
Digital Vision
Ist man sich über seine gemeinsamen Ziele und Interessen einig, ist es gar nicht so
schwierig, auch in einfachem Englisch erfolgreich Verhandlungen zu führen. MIKE HOGAN
liefert dazu passende Wendungen und Grammatik.
We negotiate all the time at work — with colleagues,
managers, customers and suppliers (see Business
Spotlight 5/2013). Even when people have the same
goals, they may have different ideas about how to reach them.
Here, we look at how you can reach agreements at work by
using simple English.
1. Strategies for reaching agreement
There are many strategies you can use to identify and solve
problems, and reach satisfactory agreements. Read the dialogue
below and think about the answers to these questions:
n How does Jo politely reject Ron’s suggestion?
n How does she show understanding for Ron’s position?
n How does she move the dialogue forward?
n How do both speakers check that the solutions are good for
everyone?
Jo: I can understand the position you’re in, Ron, but I hope
you also understand ours. Our production costs will rise as
a result of your order, which was why we were hoping for a
larger amount.
Ron: Oh, I see.
Jo: Let me suggest something. How about placing an order
of 20,000? We’ll have 10,000 ready within two weeks and
the other 10,000 in around six weeks. And to help minimize
your risk, I can give you a discount of eight per cent.
Will that work for you?
Ron: OK, I’ll increase the order to 20,000, but I’m thinking
about ten per cent for the discount. How does that sound?
Jo: Hmm. Yes, I suppose we could manage that.
Ron: And I’ll need to have it all completed within four weeks,
not six. I know you understand how important it is for us
to get to market quickly.
Ron: So, we’re looking at an order of around 10,000 units
and we will need delivery by the end of the month.
Jo: Oh, really? To be honest, we were expecting a larger order
with a lead time of around six to eight weeks.
Ron: I’m sorry, Jo. I know that we normally have larger orders
and longer lead times, but we’re testing a new market here.
So we need to act quickly, and we don’t want to order too
many units at first. What sort of order were you thinking of?
discount [(dIskaUnt]
get to market [)get tE (mA:kIt]
goal [gEUl]
I see [aI (si:]
lead time [(li:d taIm]
looking: be ~ at sth. [(lUkIN]
negotiate [nI(gEUSieIt]
reject sth. [ri(dZekt]
unit [(ju:nIt]
work [w§:k]
Preisnachlass
auf den Markt kommen
Ziel
ich verstehe
Vorlaufzeit
etw. in Betracht ziehen;
hier: an etw. denken
verhandeln
etw. ablehnen
Stück
hier: in Ordnung sein
46 www.business-spotlight.de 1/2014

easy
Jo: OK, Ron. Let me make some calls and see if we can
squeeze you into our production schedule. I will contact you
on Thursday and let you know.
Ron: Thanks. I appreciate it.
Jo: No problem. It’s good working with you.
Here are the answers to the four questions:
n Jo politely rejects Ron’s suggestion by being honest with
him about what she had expected. This is a better basis for
business than just saying “yes/no” or “I agree/disagree”.
n Jo shows understanding by telling Ron she appreciates the
position he’s in. She also asks Ron to understand her position.
It is easier to reach agreement when you know what
is important to the other person, even if there are differences
in your positions.
n Jo moves the dialogue forward by signalling that she is going
to make a suggestion (“Let me suggest something”).
This gets Ron ready to listen and, potentially, to be open
to other solutions.
n Jo checks for agreement by saying “Will that work for you?”
Ron asks: “How does that sound?” It is important to make
sure that everyone is happy with the suggested solutions.
2. Preparing for a negotiation
Preparation
n Know your goals. How flexible can you be?
n Put yourself in the other person’s position. What do
they want and why?
n Understand differences and think about how you can
solve problems by being flexible.
n Don’t plan everything in advance.
3. Useful phrases for reaching agreement
a) Reacting politely
n Really? To be honest, I was expecting something different.
n That will be difficult for us.
n I understand your position, and
hope you also understand mine. TIP: Remember to use the
b) Asking questions
n What were you thinking of?
n I’d like to understand this better.
What is most important for you?
c) Making suggestions
n Let me suggest something. How
about… ?
n To help you with… , I could…
d) Conditional suggestions
n If I can fit you into our production schedule, we’ll be able
to deliver by the end of the month.
n If you increase your order to 20,000 units, I can give you
an eight per cent discount.
n I should be able to give you an answer on Friday if you
provide me with the data by Thursday.
e) Checking for agreement
n Will that work for you?
n How does that sound?
f) Reaching agreement
n Yes, I think I can agree to that.
n Yes, I think we can manage that.
n OK, that sounds possible.
n That will work for us.
correct prepositions when
speaking about dates:
on Thursday
in January
by the end of the month
within two weeks
in (around) six weeks
GRAMMAR: the continuous form
The continuous can be helpful when trying to find agreement with business partners. Look at these sentences from
the dialogue and their meanings:
n We’re looking at an order of around 10,000 units. (It
is our plan at the moment to place an order of this size
with you.)
n We were expecting a larger order… (This is what we had
hoped for, but we are flexible and open to further
discussion.)
n What sort of order were you thinking of? (What was
your plan? We are open to being flexible.)
n I’m thinking about ten per cent for the discount. How
does that sound? (This is our current suggestion, but
we are open to others.)
nBS
plus Practise the language of negotiating in Business Spotlight plus
appreciate sth. [E(pri:SieIt]
etw. zu schätzen wissen
continuous [kEn(tInjuEs]
Verlaufsform
in advance [In Ed(vA:ns]
im Voraus
production schedule [prE(dVkS&n )Sedju:l] Produktionsplan(ung)
squeeze sb. into sth. [)skwi:z (Intu] jmdn. in etw. unterbringen
MIKE HOGAN is a communication-skills trainer and
head of training and development at the LTC Language
Training Center (www.ltc-online.de). His publications
include Business English for Beginners A1
and A2 (Cornelsen). Contact: m.hogan@ltc-online.de
1/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 47

■ LANGUAGE WISE WORDS
“Reduplicatives are great for baby talk — and for
describing how politicians and business people work”
DEBORAH CAPRAS ON LANGUAGE IN THE NEWS
Dilly-dally,
willy-nilly
Nicht nur in der Kindersprache gibt es Wörter mit verdoppelten
Silben und Lauten wie „wauwau“ und „winke, winke“. Sie finden sich
auch in Politik und Wirtschaft, wo sie oft ganz ernsthaft eingesetzt
werden. DEBORAH CAPRAS nennt Beispiele.
iStock
When a “walkie-talkie“ suddenly turns into a “walkiescorchie”,
you know that someone is having fun with
the English language. A walkie-talkie is normally a
two-way radio. Until recently, it was also the nickname of a
new building at 20 Fenchurch Street, London, because, quite
simply, it looks like a walkie-talkie. The outside of the building
is glass — very smooth glass. On one particularly hot and
sunny day, the building reflected so much sunlight on to the
streets below that the heat melted parts of a Jaguar that was
parked nearby — and also fried some eggs. In the press, it
was cleverly renamed “Walkie-Scorchie”. “Scorch” means
“burn”, and it is usually done by the sun.
Both “walkie-talkie” and “walkie-scorchie” are quite special.
They are reduplicatives. These are expressions that contain
two words that are identical or that sound (more or less)
similar. In The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English
Language, the linguist David Crystal writes that reduplication
is not a major way to create new words, but “it is perhaps the
most unusual one”. It is also fun.
Baby talk from politicians
A sheep goes “bah-bah”, a cow goes “moo-moo” and a train
goes “choo-choo”. And politicians go “blah-blah” or “yadda
yadda”. Or they do when we use reduplicatives to talk about
them. As you can probably guess from the examples, these
expressions are often found in baby talk — or childdirected
speech. They’re less popular in business or politics,
as they should be. When commenting on the recent US government
shutdown, however, some reporters didn’t write out
the arguments in full, but replaced them with a simple “yadda
yadda” (or even “yadda, yadda, yadda”). This reduplicative
is used to show that something is not worth talking about
in full, generally because what is being said is just the usual
boring, predictable stuff and is of no interest to anyone.
At times, the stand-off between US President Barack Obama
and the Republicans was called a playground fight, so it may
be that it was appropriate to use childish language.
There are a few terms formed by reduplication that you may
hear at work. We can have a win-win situation, which is when
everyone is happy with a result — and not just feeling “soso”.
A win-win situation was never going to happen with the
government shutdown: that was a definite no-no, which is
something that is not possible or acceptable.
appropriate [E(prEUpriEt]
go [gEU] ifml.
nickname [(nIkneIm]
playground [(pleIgraUnd]
predictable [pri(dIktEb&l]
reduplication [ri)dju:plI(keIS&n]
reduplicative [ri(dju:plIkEtIv]
scorch sth. [skO:tS]
shutdown [(SVtdaUn]
stand-off [(stÄnd Qf]
stuff [stVf]
win-win situation
[)wIn )wIn sItSu(eIS&n]
yadda yadda [(jÄdE (jÄdE] US ifml.
angebracht
hier: machen
Spitzname
Spielplatz
vorhersagbar; hier: zu
erwartend
Verdoppelung
Wort, bei dem eine Silbe
oder ein Laut verdoppelt
sind
etw. versengen
Stilllegung (der US-
Verwaltung)
Pattsituation
Zeug
Situation, von der alle
Beteiligten profitieren
bla bla
48 www.business-spotlight.de 1/2014

medium
Critical and informal
We have powwows where the bigwigs hobnob or chit-chat with
other nitwits. We use pairs of nonsense words to talk about
what we do there: talk mumbo jumbo, get up to hanky-panky,
dilly-dally and then decide on a mishmash of wishy-washy solutions.
As you see, these terms are often used to criticize or
ridicule something or someone.
But let’s go back to “walkie-talkie”, which belongs to the
kind of rhyming reduplicative that you’ll find most often in
more serious business situations. These expressions are made
up of two words, each of which has its own meaning. Together,
they make the sense of the combined words stronger.
Here’s one that was used to describe the way US politicians
tried to incriminate each other for the government shutdown:
they were playing the “blame game”. The politicians on both
sides kept telling us how it wasn’t their fault — it was always
someone else’s — and this went on for weeks. At times, I felt
we should use another term to describe the situation in the
government: there’s been a “brain drain”. Normally, we use
this expression to talk about a situation when intelligent
people are leaving a country to work elsewhere, but maybe a
lot of intelligent people have left politics, too.
IN THE NEWS
“Democrats won’t win a ‘blame
the GOP’ game on the shutdown”
This sentence from The Guardian plays with the common
expression “blame game”. It suggests that the Democrats’
attempt to blame the Republicans for the chaos in Washington
won’t succeed.
bigwig [(bIgwIg] ifml.
hohes Tier
blame game
gegenseitige
[(bleIm geIm] ifml.
Schuldzuweisungen
brain drain [(breIn dreIn] ifml.
Flucht der Intelligenz
chit-chat [(tSIt tSÄt] ifml.
plaudern, schwatzen
dilly-dally [(dIli )dÄli] ifml.
(herum)trödeln
get up to hanky-panky
mauscheln; hier auch: ein
[)get Vp tE )hÄNki (pÄNki] ifml.
Techtelmechtel haben
GOP (Grand Old Party) [)dZi: oU (pi:*] US Republikanische Partei
hobnob with sb.
mit jmdm. (von höherem
[(hQbnQb] ifml.
sozialem Status) freundschaftlich
verkehren
incriminate sb. [In(krImIneIt]
jmdn. beschuldigen
mishmash [(mISmÄS]
Mischmasch, Durcheinander
nitwit [(nItwIt] ifml.
Dummkopf
powwow [(paUwaU] ifml.
Versammlung, Besprechung
ridicule sb. [(rIdIkju:l]
sich über jmdn. lustig
machen
shutdown [(SVtdaUn]
Stilllegung (der US-
Verwaltung)
talk mumbo jumbo
Kauderwelsch reden
[)tO:k )mVmbEU (dZVmbEU] ifml.
wishy-washy [(wISi )wQSi]
wischiwaschi, lasch
* This symbol marks standard US pronunciation that differs from standard UK pronunciation.
USEFUL EXPRESSIONS
Here’s a list of popular reduplicatives used in business
situations.
argy-bargy UK
Loud, intense arguments:
■ There was a lot of argy-bargy about the new system,
but it’s been accepted now.
dilly-dally
To waste time through indecision or by dealing with
unimportant tasks:
■ I’ve been dilly-dallying all day. I need to finish this.
higgledy-piggledy
Very confused and untidy:
■ The papers were all higgledy-piggledy on his desk, so
I couldn’t find what we needed.
hotchpotch (US hodgepodge)
A confused mixture:
■ This report is just a hotchpotch of old ideas.
nitty-gritty
The most important details of something:
■ We need to focus on the nitty-gritty or we’ll never make
any progress.
shout-out
A mention of someone or something, especially on a radio
show or in any other media:
■ Don’t forget to give us a shout-out in your presentation.
willy-nilly
Without direction or planning, carelessly. Also, if something
happens willy-nilly, it happens whether you want it
to or not. It is a later spelling of “will I, nill I”, which
means “I am willing, I am unwilling”:
■ They fired people willy-nilly.
wingding US
A big, fun party or event:
■ Wow, that was some wingding you had for your 50th
birthday.
■BS
For more on this topic, see Business Spotlight Audio
plus For related exercises, see Business Spotlight plus
DEBORAH CAPRAS is the deputy editor of Business Spotlight.
She has lived in a number of European countries, including
Greece. You can read her blog, Wise Words, and do her online
language exercises at www.business-spotlight.de/blogs
1/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 49

■ LANGUAGE SHORT STORY
Man’s best friend:
can he help you with
your problems?
Mit Massage, Pediküre und Räucherstäbchen lassen sich wahre Wunder bewirken und unlösbar erscheinende
Probleme des beruflichen Alltags lösen, wenn auch auf ungewöhnliche Weise. Von JAMES SCHOFIELD
iStock
Something very strange happened to me last week.
Something nearly impossible to explain. It started when
I took my dog, a Jack Russell named Toby, to Dr Chang,
who specializes in traditional Chinese medicine for animals.
Actually, there was nothing really wrong with Toby, I just
thought he was looking depressed. He had a massage, had
his teeth and nails cleaned, and was washed with an allnatural
shampoo. When I walked in to get Toby, he was sitting
on a table and talking to Dr Chang.
Yes, talking. Toby made dog noises while Dr Chang took
notes. Then she turned to me.
“Mr Bassett,” she said, “Toby is tired of you complaining
about your company when you get home.”
I forgot to tell you. I own a small company that was started
by my great-grandfather, Jeremiah Bassett.
“That’s not fair,” I said. “It’s not easy running a company.
I need to talk to somebody.” I gave Toby an angry just-waittill-I’ve-got-you-on-your-own
look. He licked himself.
“Toby thinks he could sort everything out in a day.”
“Really?” I said. “How would he deal with investments?
And with my dreadful, but efficient, sales manager, Jilks?”
Dr Chang looked at her notes.
“Is that the man who pushes you around and flirts with
Lucy Honeycomb, the accountant? The girl you dream about
marrying, but are too afraid to ask for a date?”
I felt betrayed.
“Toby, that was between you and me!” Toby wagged his tail.
“Mr Bassett,” continued Dr Chang firmly, “take Toby to the
office for a day.”
“But my people can’t speak ‘dog’, Dr Chang!” I said.
“Then Toby will have to speak English, Mr Bassett,” she answered.
“Burn these incense sticks when you get home and
see what happens.”
People don’t disagree with Dr Chang. She’s the determinedgrandmother
type you always obey. So that evening, I lit the
incense sticks and waited for Toby to say something.
“Toby?” I called after a while.
He growled sleepily from his basket.
“Well, that might be understood in Texas, Toby, but not in
London,” I said. He was already snoring.
accountant [E(kaUntEnt]
betrayed [bi(treId]
dreadful [(dredf&l]
great-grandfather [)greIt (grÄndfA:DE]
growl [graUl]
incense stick [(Insens stIk]
lick oneself [(lIk wVn)self]
sales manager [(seI&lz )mÄnIdZE]
snore [snO:]
sort sth. out [)sO:t (aUt]
wag one’s tail [)wÄg wVnz (teI&l]
Buchhalter(in)
verraten
schrecklich
Urgroßvater
knurren
Räucherstäbchen
sich abschlecken
Vertriebsleiter(in)
schnarchen
etw. regeln
mit dem Schwanz wedeln
50 www.business-spotlight.de 1/2014

easy
When I woke the next morning, I had my first surprise. I
was in Toby’s basket and somebody, probably Mrs Padma, was
in the kitchen. Mrs Padma cleans my flat. She also takes Toby
for a walk every morning.
“What ho!” I barked. “Is that you, Mrs Padma?”
Barked. I barked. That was the second surprise, closely followed
by surprise number three, when a strange man came
in wearing my favourite suit. It was me … but it wasn’t.
“Surprise number three was
when a strange man came in
wearing my favourite suit”
“Good morning, Bassett, old boy!” said Toby cheerfully.
“Look at us, eh? Those incense sticks have worked. We’ve
changed places!”
“Help! Call Dr Chang! We’ve got to…,” I tried to say, but
all that came out were excited barks.
“Don’t worry,” said Toby, putting on my favourite tie. “It’s
only for one day. I’ll sort out your office, and tomorrow, we’ll
be back in our usual bodies. Say hello to Fifi the poodle when
you go to the park.” Then, he left.
Of course, I worried all day. Even in the park, instead of
chasing birds and Fifi the poodle, I just followed Mrs Padma
in a depressed kind of way. When I finally heard the key in
the lock that evening, I rushed to the door with a hundred
questions.
“Down boy, down!” said Toby. “And would you please stop
barking?”
He went to my fridge and got himself a beer. “I’ve always
wanted to try one of these,” he commented, then sat down
and told me about his day. “The first thing I saw when I got
to your office was Jilks, sitting on the corner of your desk
reading your newspaper. I sprang over to him: ‘Don’t sit on
my desk, Jilks!’ I growled, pushing my face up close to his.
‘Ever!’”
“S… s… sorry, sir,” he stuttered. “You… you’re not going
to bite me, are you?”
bark [bA:k]
biscuit [(bIskIt]
breed (animals) [bri:d]
credit line [(kredIt laIn]
crunch sth. up [)krVntS (Vp]
fridge (refrigerator) [frIdZ] ifml.
jealous [(dZelEs]
old boy [)EUld (bOI] ifml.
paw [pO:]
poodle [(pu:d&l]
prick up one’s ears [prIk )Vp wVnz (IEz]
puppy [(pVpi]
sniff sth. [snIf]
stutter [(stVtE]
tie [taI]
bellen; Gebell
Keks
(Tiere) züchten
Kreditrahmen
etw. (lautstark) zermalmen
Kühlschrank
eifersüchtig
alter Junge
Pfote
Pudel
die Ohren spitzen
Welp
an etw. schnuppern
stottern
Krawatte
“Only if I see you flirting with Miss Honeycomb. Get out!”
Then, Toby laughed. “And off he went with his tail between
his legs.” I covered my eyes with both paws.
“After that, I met Lucy Honeycomb,” he continued. I took
my paws off again. “She’s very pretty! I can imagine...”
I growled in response.
“Sorry! You are the jealous type, aren’t you? Anyway, I went
up and sniffed her neck. Then I said, ‘Goodness, Miss Honeycomb,
you smell wonderful today!’
“Her face turned pink. ‘Oh... thank you,’ she said, and
then, ‘Mr O’Connor from the bank is here. We need to make
a decision about building the new factory.’”
Toby continued. “The meeting was dreadful, but at least
there were plenty of biscuits there. I crunched them all up
as Mr O’Connor used lots of finance jargon, such as capital
investment, and credit lines. Miss Honeycomb took notes and
looked very efficient. As Mr O’Connor threatened us with another
line of numbers, I shouted, ‘Yes, we’ll build it!’ After
that, Miss Honeycomb and I went for a walk in the park.”
I pricked up my ears.
“Well, you’re quite right about her,” said Toby. “The sooner
you get married and have some puppies...”
I growled again.
“You humans are strange animals, never actually doing
these things, just thinking them all the time! Anyway, I got
what you wanted. And then I chased a ball.”
I put my head to one side with a question mark in the air.
“Well, a date with Lucy, of course! You’re going to a show
and dinner on Friday.”
Toby, I have to say, sorted things out at the office, as
promised. Next morning, we were back to normal. Almost. I
think I must have kept something of Toby’s. Because whenever
I think about all this, I feel like wagging my tail. ■BS
Language point
top dog ifml. The head of a company or the
most influential person in a group. He or she
gives the appearance of having everything under
control.
(Parson) Jack Russell A type of fox terrier. The
name comes from the Reverend John Russell of
Devon, England, who bred these dogs for hunting
in the mid-1800s.
What ho! A greeting used by Bertie Wooster, a
character in the “Jeeves” stories by British author
P. G. Wodehouse (1881–1975).
Down boy, down! What people commonly say to
a dog that is jumping up on them.
You can listen to this story on Business Spotlight Audio
JAMES SCHOFIELD is co-author of the Double Dealing
series and has published several business short
stories. If you’d like to read more of his stories in English,
see his blog at http://jrtschofield.blogspot.de
1/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 51

n LANGUAGE TRANSLATION
False friends
You mean… You should say… Don’t say… As this means…
Branche field/industry branch Zweig;
Wie lange arbeiten Sie schon How long have you been Zweigstelle, Filiale
in der IT-Branche?
working in the IT industry?
Maschine aeroplane/plane machine Gerät, Apparat
Die Maschine konnte nicht The plane wasn’t able to
landen.
land.
toll amazing/fantastic/great toll [tEUl] Maut
Das ist eine tolle Sache!
That’s fantastic!
medium
Do an exercise on false friends on Business Spotlight Audio
Don’t confuse... shadow and shade
n A shadow (Schatten) is a shape or silhouette of an object
or person created by sunlight or a light.
n Shade (Schatten) is a cool, dark area created by something
that blocks the sunlight: “Let’s sit in the shade.”
n A shadow is often something negative: “There’s a shadow
on his lungs.” “The shadow economy is booming.”
n In the context of colours, shade is Schattierung, Farbton.
n In British English, a shadow minister (Schattenminister
(in)) is the opposition’s counterpart of a minister in office.
n A shady (dubios) character is a dishonest person.
n If you have shadows under your eyes, you can wear
shades (ifml. Sonnenbrille) to hide them.
n If you shadow sb. (jmdm. über die Schulter schauen),
you learn about a job by following someone around. If
you shade something, you protect it from the light.
Tricky translations by MIKE SEYMOUR
How do you say “bargain” in German?
A “bargain” is something you buy more cheaply than usual,
making it good value for money: “My new suit was a real
bargain.” It is best translated as Schnäppchen or Sonderangebot.
Mein neuer Anzug war ein echtes Schnäppchen.
“Bargain hunters” (Schnäppchenjäger) look for offers
in the “bargain basement” (Schnäppchenecke).
A “bargain” is also an agreement or deal (Vereinbarung):
“We reached a bargain.” — Wir haben eine Vereinbarung
erzielt. If you are a tough negotiator, you can “drive a hard
bargain” (hart verhandeln). “Collective bargaining” (also
“wage bargaining”) (Tarifverhandlungen) refers to negotiations
between trade unions and management.
If you “bargain with someone”, you try to get a better
deal: “I never bargain.” Here, we translate it as handeln or
feilschen: Ich feilsche nie. If you “bargain for/on sth.”, you
are prepared for it or expect it to happen: “He’s bargaining
on my resignation.” It is translated as mit etwas rechnen:
Er rechnet mit meinem Rücktritt.
How do you say Folge in English?
Folge can refer to a result or an effect of a particular action
or condition: Die Folgen solcher Kürzungen wären
katastrophal. It is translated as consequence, effect or
outcome: “The effects of such cuts would be disastrous.”
When Folge describes a list or the chronology in which
actions happen, especially in science and mathematics,
it is best translated as sequence, order or series: Eine
Folge von 8 Bit ist ein Byte. — “A sequence of 8 bits is
a byte.” In libraries, books are arranged in alphabetischer
Reihenfolge (in alphabetical order).
When talking about television or radio programmes, a
Folge is one part of a series (US season): Die erste Staffel
hatte 29 Folgen. Here, it is translated as episode: “The
first series had 29 episodes.”
The expression in Folge is translated as in a row or,
more informally, on the trot (UK): Sie hat dreimal in Folge
gewonnen. — “She won three times in a row.” When used
with time expressions such as drei Jahre in Folge, we
translate this as “running” (three years running).
Exercise 1 Translate the following sentences.
a) You got ten DVDs for €50. What a bargain!
Exercise 2 Translate the following sentences.
a) Ich kenne zehn Ziffern in der Fibonacci-Folge.
b) I couldn’t bargain with him — I had to pay €100.
b) Hast Du die letzte Folge von Friends gesehen?
Answers on page 62
52 www.business-spotlight.de 1/2014

y DEBORAH CAPRAS
CARDS LANGUAGE ■
Grammar
Grammar
Which is correct?
“Flying business class is by far / far
the most expensive option.”
Complete this sentence with the correct form
of the verb “open”.
“Would you mind _____ the window?
It’s really hot in here.”
www.business-spotlight.de
www.business-spotlight.de
Translation
Translation
Translate this exchange into English.
John: “Er hat sich sehr viel Mühe geben.”
Mary: “Allerdings!”
Translate this sentence into German.
“Shall we grab a bite?”
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Word choice
Word choice
Which word is correct?
“He has an analytical head/mind.”
Which word is correct?
“He’s got a great head/mind for business.”
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Business talk
Business talk
What does the speaker mean?
“I didn’t know you had a
zero-hours contract.”
What does the speaker mean?
“This car-sharing service is a good example of
collaborative consumption.”
www.business-spotlight.de
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■ LANGUAGE CARDS
“Would you mind opening the window?
It’s really hot in here.”
If a verb comes directly after the verb mind, it
takes the -ing form.
“Flying business class is by far the most
expensive option.”
We use by far with a superlative to mean
“by a great amount”. We use far only in front of
comparatives to emphasize a difference:
“Flying business class is far more expensive
than flying economy.”
BS 1/2014 BS 1/2014
Sollen/Wollen wir schnell einen Happen essen?
When referring to an informal meal — typically
something small that is eaten fairly quickly —
we talk about grabbing a bite (to eat).
John: “He tried really hard.”
Mary: “Indeed, he did!”
When allerdings is used to express agreement,
we can translate it as indeed, which is typically
followed by the appropriate subject and auxiliary
verb (“he did”).
BS 1/2014
BS 1/2014
“He’s got a great head for business.”
Someone who has a head for business is good at
doing things related to business.
“He has an analytical mind.”
Someone who has an analytical mind thinks
about something in a logical way, especially by
looking at its separate parts.
head for business = Geschäftssinn
analytical mind = analytische Denkweise
BS 1/2014 BS 1/2014
Collaborative consumption is when items and
goods are rented, lent and shared rather than
bought or sold to be used by only one person.
gemeinschaftliche Nutzung
BS 1/2014
In Britain, by signing a zero-hour(s) contract, a
contractor agrees to be available for work, but
the company does not guarantee any particular
working hours. The person is paid only for the
hours worked, which means there might not be
any pay at all at the end of the month.
Vertrag über Arbeit auf Abruf
BS 1/2014

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1/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 55

■ LANGUAGE ENGLISH FOR...
The rain ends:
two rainbows
let us hope
that there will
soon be sun
Weather conditions
Alle reden vom Wetter. Es beeinflusst unsere
Stimmung und Freizeitaktivitäten. Im Tourismus
und in der Landwirtschaft entscheidet es über
Erfolg und Misserfolg. NICOLE REMPE-BURTEA
geht Wetterphänomenen auf den Grund.
Weather is perhaps the most popular subject of all for small
talk — nearly everyone has something to say about it. This
can include mentioning typical characteristics of the four seasons,
or comparing rainy and dry periods. The weather influences
our mood and activities, and plays an important role
in many industries, including aviation, agriculture, logistics
and tourism.
In much of Europe, autumn announces the coming of winter
through increasing frequency of wind, overcast skies and
rain. What to an office worker is just a cloudy day could be
a complex situation for a pilot, as it commonly involves poor
visibility. Winter brings below-zero temperatures and snow
cover, which are essential conditions for the winter-sports
industry. But blizzards accompanied by lightning, spontaneous
frost or frozen rain keep power-line repair crews busy.
In spring, too much rain can ruin agricultural plants. When
summer arrives, most of us wish for sunny days, but a heat
wave can soon have farmers complaining about drought, and
bush fires give firefighters no rest.
Exercise: Weather wise
Choose the correct answer for each sentence.
a) For a safe flight, you need good _____________.
1. intensity 2. visibility 3. climate
b) When there is _____________, you might need an
umbrella.
1. lightning 2. frost 3. precipitation
c) _____________ skies may result in rain.
1. Overcast 2. Drought 3. Forecast
d) Global average _____________ have gone up.
1. forecasts 2. winds 3. temperatures
Answers on page 62
Weather conditions can change suddenly.
The situation of sunshine one minute and rain
the next occurs when air masses — large bodies
of air that have different temperatures, pressure
and amounts of moisture — collide and create
fronts. Cold fronts form when cool air overtakes
warm air, and may result in severe storms.
At some point, air that is holding the maximum amount of
moisture possible releases it as precipitation, which can be
in liquid form, such as rain, or solid, such as snow or hail.
Intense precipitation in its various forms tends to present the
greatest weather risks for pilots. On the other hand, high
winds create the biggest danger for sea voyagers.
Accurate weather forecasts are thus essential, and they are
produced by meteorological offices around the world. The Met
Office Hadley Centre in Exeter, England, in cooperation with
the University of East Anglia, also calculates global average
temperatures using a set of data on sea-surface and land-air
temperatures that has been collected since January 1850.
The data show that global temperatures are increasing. This
helps to explain phenomena such as El Niño, a weakening of
the normal trade winds over the Pacific Ocean, which has
allowed surface water temperatures off South America to
warm up. The warmer atmosphere and oceans are melting
polar snow and ice, causing sea levels to rise. Other threats,
such as frequent hurricanes or drought, may be a result of
climate change, and show us that the weather has become
much more than just a subject of conversation.
iStock
aviation [)eIvi(eIS&n]
blizzard [(blIzEd]
drought [draUt]
firefighter [(faIE)faItE]
hail [heI&l]
lightning [(laItnIN]
meteorological office
[)mi:tiErE)lQdZIk&l (QfIs]
moisture [(mOIstSE]
overcast [)EUvE(kA:st]
power line [(paUE laIn]
precipitation [pri)sIpI(teIS&n]
severe [sI(vIE]
trade wind [(treId wInd]
visibility [)vIzE(bIlEti]
weather forecast [(weDE )fO:kA:st]
Luftfahrt
Schneesturm
Dürre
Feuerwehrmann/-frau,
Brandbekämpfer(in)
Hagel
Blitz(einschlag)
Wetterdienst
Feuchtigkeit
bedeckt
Stromleitung
Niederschlag
schwer
Passatwind
Sicht
Wettervorhersage
56 www.business-spotlight.de 1/2014

medium
Clouds and cloud cover
altocumulus
[)ÄltEU(kju:mjUlEs]
cirrostratus [)sIrEU(strA:tEs]
cirrus [(sIrEs]
contrails from aircraft
[)kQntreI&lz frQm (eEkrA:ft]
cumulonimbus
[)kju:mjUlEU(nImbEs]
cumulus [(kju:mjUlEs]
lenticular [len(tIkjUlE]
low ceiling [)lEU (si:lIN]
low drifting [)lEU (drIftIN]
nacreous cloud [(neIkriEs klaUd]
nimbostratus [)nImbEU(strA:tEs]
noctilucent [)nQktI(lu:s&nt]
overcast [)EUvE(kA:st]
stratocumulus
[)strÄtEU(kju:mjUlEs]
stratus [(strA:tEs]
visibility [)vIzE(bIlEti]
Fog
advection fog
[Ed(vekS&n fQg]
evaporation fog
[i)vÄpE(reIS&n fQg]
foggy [(fQgi]
haze, mist [heIz, mIst]
humidity [hju(mIdEti]
radiation fog [reIdi(eIS&n fQg]
sea smoke [(si: smEUk]
steam fog [(sti:m fQg]
upslope fog [(VpslEUp fQg]
valley fog [(vÄli fQg]
Precipitation
drizzle [(drIz&l]
hail [heI&l]
moisture [(mOIstSE]
rainfall [(reInfO:l]
saturated [(sÄtSEreItId]
sleet [sli:t]
snow [snEU]
snow pellets [(snEU pelIts]
Altokumulus (grobe
Schäfchenwolke)
Zirrostratus
(Schleierwolke)
Zirrus (Federwolke)
Kondensstreifen
Kumulonimbus
(Schauer- und
Gewitterwolke)
Kumulus
(Haufenwolke)
Lenticularis („linsenartige“
Föhnwolke)
tief hängende
Bewölkung
tief ziehend
Perlmuttwolke (polare
Stratosphärenwolke)
Nimbostratus (feuchte,
graue Wolkenschicht)
leuchtende Nachtwolke
bedeckt
Haufenschichtwolke
Schichtwolke
Sicht
Advektionsnebel
(Abkühlungsnebel)
Seerauch, Meerrauch
(Verdunstungsnebel)
neblig
Dunst
Luftfeuchtigkeit
Strahlungsnebel
Seenebel
Dampfnebel
Orographischer Nebel,
Hangnebel
(Abkühlungsnebel)
Talnebel
(Strahlungsnebel)
Niesel-, Sprühregen
Hagel
Feuchtigkeit
Niederschlag, Regen
gesättigt
Schneeregen
Schnee
Graupel
Wind
Weather idioms
■ the calm before the storm: die Ruhe vor dem Sturm
■ chase rainbows: Hirngespinsten nachjagen
■ (come) rain or shine: komme, was da wolle
■ every cloud has a silver lining: auf Regen folgt Sonnenschein
■ save money for a rainy day: Geld auf die hohe Kante legen
■ a storm in a teacup UK: ein Sturm im Wasserglas
■ with a face like thunder: mit finsterer Miene
Frost and ice
air frost [(eE frQst]
black ice [)blÄk (aIs]
glaze [gleIz]
ground frost [(graUnd frQst]
hoar frost [(hO: frQst]
slush [slVS]
blow [blEU]
breeze [bri:z]
gust [gVst]
microburst [(maIkrEUb§:st]
Descriptors
chilly [(tSIli]
damp [dÄmp]
flurry [(flVri]
patch [(pÄtS]
scorching [(skO:tSIN]
shallow [(SÄlEU]
temperate [(tempErEt]
Storms
blizzard [(blIzEd]
lightning [(laItnIN]
thunder [(TVndE]
thunderstorm [(TVndEstO:m]
For more information
Luftfrost
Glatteis
überfrierende Nässe,
Glatteis
Bodenfrost
(Rau-)Reif
Schneematsch
wehen
Brise, leichter Wind
Windstoß, Bö
Fallbö
kühl, kalt
feucht
Gestöber
Schwaden, Feld
brütend heiß
flach
gemäßigt
Schneesturm
Blitz(einschlag)
Donner
Gewitter
■ BBC Shipping Forecast: www.bbc.co.uk/weather/coast_and_
sea/shipping_forecast
■ Met Office: www.metoffice.gov.uk/learning/science
■ NOAA’s National Weather Service: www.weather.gov
■ World Meteorological Organization (WMO):
www.wmo.int/pages/index_en.html
Do a related exercise on Business Spotlight Audio
plus Find more exercises on this topic in Business Spotlight plus
www More job vocabulary at www.business-spotlight.de/vocabulary
NICOLE REMPE-BURTEA provides personalized
English-language training and specializes in aviation.
She also works for universities in North Rhine-
Westphalia. Contact: info@world-connected.de
1/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 57

■ LANGUAGE LEGAL ENGLISH
advanced
Alamy/Mauritius
Legal training
Wie wird man Rechtsanwalt? MATT FIRTH gibt Auskunft über die
Unterschiede in der akademischen und praktischen Ausbildung
britischer und amerikanischer Juristen.
Very complex: lawyers need
both theory and practice
The legal systems of both the United Kingdom and the
United States are based on traditional English common
law (see Business Spotlight 3/2011). However, the training
to become a lawyer is very different.
In England and Wales, there are two types of lawyer, called
solicitors and barristers. Solicitors mainly advise clients,
gather information and prepare cases for court, but don’t
represent their clients before higher courts. To become a
solicitor, you must have at least a bachelor’s degree, then take
the Legal Practice Course (LPC). The course lasts one year
for candidates who studied law and two years for graduates
in other areas. Following the academic stage, there is a
After the academic stage,
students work full-time at
a law firm for two years
practice-based period, known as a training contract. In this
two-year phase, students work full-time at a law firm or for
other organizations that deal with legal matters. During the
training contract, students must normally take the Professional
Skills Course (PSC) to qualify as a solicitor. Graduates who
have successfully completed these requirements are permitted
to join the roll of solicitors in England and Wales.
Exercise: A career in law
Choose the words that best complete the text.
In England and Wales, there are two types of lawyer.
a) Barristers / Solicitors cannot represent their clients
in higher courts. Barristers work in a b) professional
skills course / set of chambers. In the US, lawyers
are also known as c) advocates / attorneys and must
complete the d) bar exam / legal practice course. Law
students can make contacts in a(n) e) internship /
pupillage. To become a lawyer in the US, one usually
must take an f) assistant / ethics examination.
Answers on page 62
Solicitors give instructions and the details of a case to a
barrister, who then represents the client before a court.
Becoming a barrister involves three stages of training: academic,
vocational and pupillage. During the academic
stage, future barristers take either a law degree (Bachelor of
Laws, or LLB) or any other subject followed by a conversion
course, which usually takes about a year. Students receive
vocational training through the one-year Bar Professional
Training Course (BPTC). This is followed by a year in pupillage,
either at a barristers’ chambers or in another organization
that has been approved by the Bar Standards Board, to
gain experience. Barristers are generally self-employed and
work in a set of chambers, the name given to their workplace.
In the US, lawyers are also known as attorneys. Students
can take any degree course at university before sitting the
Law School Admission Test (LSAT). This is a standardized
test required for admission to law schools that have been approved
by the American Bar Association (ABA). A practicebased
stage is not typically a requirement of US legal training,
so internships, also called “externships”, are popular.
These programmes allow future lawyers to gain experience
and build contacts, although the work is normally unpaid.
Law-school graduates sit the multistate bar exam or one
for a particular US state. Many states also require an ethics
examination. If the exams are successfully completed, the
graduate is qualified to work as a lawyer. ■BS
Anwaltschaft; Anwalts-
Rechtsanwalt/-anwältin
bei höheren Gerichten
Anwaltskammer
bar [bA:]
barrister [(bÄrIstE] UK
barristers’ chambers
[(bÄrIstEz )tSeImbEz] UK
common law [)kQmEn (lO:]
conversion course [kEn(v§:S&n kO:s] UK
degree [di(gri:]
graduate [(grÄdZuEt]
internship [(Int§:nSIp]
law firm [(lO: f§:m]
pupillage [(pju:pElIdZ] UK
roll of solicitors
[)rEUl Ev sE(lIsItEz] UK
sit a test [)sIt E (test] UK
solicitor [sE(lIsItE] UK
vocational [vEU(keIS&nEl]
Gewohnheitsrecht
etwa: Vertiefungsstudium
Abschluss
Absolvent(in)
Praktikum
(Anwalts-)Kanzlei
Lehrzeit
Liste zugelassener
Anwälte/Anwältinnen
eine Prüfung ablegen
Rechtsanwalt/-anwältin
bei unteren Instanzen
Berufs-
MATT FIRTH teaches legal English at the University
of St Gallen, Switzerland. He helped to establish the
European Legal English Teachers’ Association
(EULETA). Contact: matthew.firth@unisg.ch
58 www.business-spotlight.de 1/2014

advanced
ECONOMICS AND FINANCE LANGUAGE ■
iStock
Debts, exports and
imports
Die einen Länder exportieren mehr, und bei anderen liegen die
Importe höher. Aber auch ein Überschuss in der Handelsbilanz
kann Probleme verursachen, wie IAN MCMASTER erklärt.
In the last column (Business Spotlight 6/2013), we discussed
the fact that total net debt always equals zero. For
every debt, there is an equivalent credit.
This accounting identity does not mean, however, that
debts don’t cause problems. Any individual, firm or country
can (theoretically) go bankrupt if it is unable to repay its
debt. In the case of countries, it is more likely that — as with
Greece and Ireland — they will be cut off from borrowing on
the financial markets and become dependent on other nations
for financial support.
But debts can be a problem for creditors, too. If your
debtors can’t pay back the money they owe, you may have
to accept a reduction (“haircut”) in the sum owed to you,
or agree to lower the interest payments that you will receive.
Alternatively, you may have to agree to an extension to the
time period over which the debt is paid back (sometimes
called “extend and pretend”, as it is often uncertain whether
the money will ever be repaid). In the worst-case scenario,
you might have to write off the debt completely.
Both creditors and debtors have to take responsibility for
the problems that can arise as a result of an increase in the
total debt in an economy. After all, no one can borrow unless
someone is prepared to lend. One cause of the financial
crisis was that lenders were too willing to extend credit
and ignored the risks of default.
“Both trade deficits
and trade surpluses can
cause problems”
Another area in which both debtors and creditors have responsibility
is international trade. Again, it is an accounting
identity that the total value of world exports must equal the
total value of world imports. (The world does not yet trade
with other planets.) But individual countries can, of course,
have a trade deficit (if they import more than they export)
or a trade surplus (if they export more than they import).
Both trade deficits and trade surpluses can cause problems
internationally. Deficit countries may see the value of
their currencies fall. They may also be forced by other countries
to cut their domestic demand to reduce their imports
and their trade deficit.
Exports and imports: a question of balance
But surplus countries, such as Germany or China, can also
be a cause of problems for other countries. This is because
they don’t pay as much in total for their imports as they receive
in total for their exports. This deflationary impact on
world demand is the basis of the recent criticism of Germany’s
large trade surplus.
The argument is not that Germany should export less. It
is that Germany should increase its domestic demand and
therefore automatically its imports from other countries. By
doing so, Germany would reduce its own trade surplus, help
other nations to reduce their trade deficits, and increase the
total level of world demand and production. ■BS
Finance
What are “samurai bonds”?
Samurai bonds are bonds denominated in yen but sold
by non-Japanese governments or institutions, such as
banks. For European institutions, they offer another
way of raising finance. For Japanese investors, samurai
bonds are attractive because their interest payments
are higher than those on Japanese government bonds.
accounting identity [E(kaUntIN aI)dentEti] Bilanzgleichung
bond [bQnd]
Anleihe
creditor [(kredItE]
Gläubiger(in)
currency [(kVrEnsi]
Währung
debtor [(detE]
Schuldner(in)
default [di(fO:lt]
Zahlungsverzug; -ausfall
denominated in [di(nQmIneItId In] ausgestellt in, lautend auf
domestic demand [dE)mestIk di(mA:nd] Binnennachfrage
go bankrupt [)gEU (bÄNkrVpt]
Bankrott gehen
impact [(ImpÄkt]
(Aus-)Wirkung
interest payment [(IntrEst )peImEnt] Zinszahlung
net debt [)net (det]
Nettoverschuldung
owe sth. [EU]
etw. schulden
raise finance [)reIz (faInÄns]
Kapital aufbringen
trade deficit [)treId (defEsIt]
Handelsbilanzdefizit
trade surplus [)treId (s§:plEs]
Handelsbilanzüberschuss
write sth. off [)raIt (Qf]
etw. abschreiben
IAN MCMASTER is editor-in-chief of Business Spotlight.
You can also read his weekly blog on topics relating
to global business at www.business-spotlight.de/blogs
Contact: i.mcmaster@spotlight-verlag.de
1/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 59

■ LANGUAGE TEACHER TALK
Read, watch, play, learn
Zu einem effektiven Fremdsprachenunterricht gehört das Erlernen der Sprache im Kontext
und unter aktiver Einbeziehung der Lernenden. Dazu gehört auch der Einsatz von Videos.
Und die Lektüre englischer Bücher dient der Erweiterung des Wortschatzes. DEBORAH CAPRAS
sprach mit der Dozentin und Autorin Vicki Hollett über ihre langjährigen Erfahrungen.
Current positions
I’m a freelance teacher, teacher trainer, writer — and also a
video producer.
Home
Philadelphia.
When did you start teaching business English?
I wanted to travel and saw an advertisement for a job in
Japan. It was back in the 1970s and the International House
in Tokyo kindly paid for my training. Those were the days, eh?
And business? Well, I’d grown up in a family business, so
business English felt very comfortable to me.
Languages spoken
Rusty French and Japanese. I’m British by birth but I now live
in the US, so I’m learning to speak ’merican (US English). I
write a blog about it here: www.merican.vickihollett.com
What is the role of the teacher?
Helper.
Who is Vicki Hollett?
Vicki Hollett is the author of
many English coursebooks for
Oxford University Press and
Pearson, including the prizewinning
Business Objectives and Business Opportunities.
She has recently published Action, a
video course with English360. A graduate of Reading
and Essex universities, Vicki has taught English
in Japan, Algeria, the UK and the US. She
has been a trainer for the LCCI Diploma in Teaching
English for Business, the New School’s MA
(Master of Arts) TESOL (Teaching of English to
Speakers of Other Languages) programme and she
has run hundreds of workshops for teachers in
Asia, the Middle East, South America and Europe.
For teachers: www.vickihollett.com
For learners: www.simpleenglishvideos.com
Contact: vicki@simpleenglishvideos.com
How will business English teaching change in the next five
years?
I’m a bit worried about this. I think we could see more companies
requiring learners to study as part of their continuing
professional development, but with poorly written online materials.
I fear the ethos will be: “Do this exercise so we can
tick a box to say you’ve received training.” But they’ll be wasting
their time if the quality of the materials isn’t given more
attention.
What do you offer that makes your classes special?
I speak with a British accent, which can be a novelty in the
US, and I use a lot of videos.
What are some of the key principles that promote effective
language learning?
First, large quantities of understandable language in context.
Second, engaging activities that allow students to put the language
to use.
What can learners do on their own to improve their language
skills?
Stacks! Watch English videos on YouTube. Play computer
games with people from other countries. Watch British and
American movies. Get an English boyfriend/girlfriend. Read,
read, read.
Is there a secret to learning vocabulary?
Read, read, read. Oh, did I just say that? There’s a lot of
evidence to show that lots of reading works. Watching videos
and movies is powerful as well.
eh? [eI] ifml.
engaging [In(geIdZIN]
ethos [(i:TQs]
evidence [(evIdEns]
freelance [(fri:lA:ns]
graduate [(grÄdZuEt]
novelty [(nQv&lti]
objective [Eb(dZektIv]
rusty [(rVsti]
stacks [stÄks] ifml.
those were the days [)DEUz w§: DE (deIz]
tick sth. [tIk]
was?
interessant, fesselnd
hier: Grundsätze
Belege
freiberuflich
Absolvent(in)
Novum; hier: etwas nicht
Alltägliches
Ziel(setzung)
eingerostet
eine Menge
das waren noch Zeiten
etw. ankreuzen
60 www.business-spotlight.de 1/2014

medium
They make a
difference:
mobile devices
and the internet
“What I value most has been
around for a long time: it’s video”
iStock
Favourite quote
“I’m writing a book. I’ve got the page numbers
done.”
What non-language skills do you focus on and why?
My classes focus on getting a work-related task done and language
skills always come up in the process. So it’s hard to
think of a non-language skill we might look at in isolation.
How important is grammar?
It depends. Communicating clearly is the main priority for
most of my students. Grammar may be of low priority if getting
their point across is the key thing. Other times, they
might do a lot of writing, where correct grammar is likely to
matter more.
Has any new kind of technology or tool made a difference to
how you teach or how learners learn?
The use of mobile devices and the internet during classes
has certainly made a difference. But actually, the technology
I value most has been around for a long time: it’s video. It
transports us out of the classroom and lets us see the language
in context.
What kind of support do you expect from ELT (English Language
Teaching) publishers?
Golly, none at all at the moment. Most seem to be struggling
to keep their heads above water and I’m actually wondering
what support we should give them.
Ambitions and dreams
I’d like to self-publish a business English video course. Oh,
and I’d like to publish a book about British and American
English. Video plays a key role in my dreams for the future.
Must-read: ELT
Investigating Workplace Discourse by Almut Koester. Almut’s
work is very valuable for business English teachers.
Must-read: non-ELT
Watching the English by Kate Fox. An oldie but a goodie.
Who inspires you?
Mostly, it’s YouTubers. There are experienced people making
excellent how-to videos on the tools I use. There are also
schoolkids doing creative things with video and animation
that I find very inspiring.
What language or intercultural mistakes have made you — or
your learners — laugh out loud?
Ah, so many. “I am very interesting” (instead of “interested”)
is a funny one. I once taught a purser who used to say “I sink”
instead of “I think”. And here’s a curious intercultural one:
we once entertained a friend from Thailand and took him to
Independence Hall, where the US Declaration of Independence
and constitution were written. After we’d left, he asked
what the significance of the feather was. The feather? Yes.
From a bird? Yes. Quack, quack? Yes, a feather from a bird.
We hadn’t noticed any feathers. It turned out he was asking
about the images of a quill pen that he’d seen on wall signs.
We had a good chuckle when we realized that important historical
documents would have been written with brushes in
Thailand.
■BS
chuckle: have a good ~ [tSVk&l]
constitution [)kQnstI(tju:S&n]
device [di(vaIs]
discourse [(dIskO:s]
get one’s point across
[)get wVnz (pOInt E)krQs]
golly [(gQli] ifml.
isolation: look at sth. in ~ [aIsE(leIS&n]
keep one’s head above water
[)ki:p wVnz )hed EbVv (wO:tE]
oldie but a goodie: an ~
[)EUldi bVt E (gUdi] ifml.
publisher [(pVblISE]
purser [(p§:sE]
quill pen [(kwIl pen]
quote [kwEUt]
ordentlich lachen
Verfassung
Gerät
Diskurs, Kommunikation
sich verständlich machen
Mann
etw. isoliert betrachten
sich über Wasser halten
etwas Zeitloses
Verlag; Verleger(in)
Chefsteward/-stewardess
Federkiel
Zitat
www More for teachers at www.business-spotlight.de/teachers-zone
1/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 61

■ LANGUAGE PRODUCTS
medium
What’s new?
Sie wollen noch tiefer ins Englische eintauchen? Wir
haben uns für Sie nach neuen Produkten umgesehen.
Book with DVD-ROM and
audio CDs
Business Intensivkurs English
With this new business English digital
course, learners can prepare online for
dealing with international partners. It is
linked to the online learning platform
Speexx, which offers listening and pronunciation exercises
and such options as attending live classes in a virtual
classroom. The course is available up to CEF level
C1. Digital Publishing, €99.99*
adjust sth. to sth. [E(dZVst tu]
CEF (Common European Framework
of Reference for Languages)
[)si: i: (ef]
ethical label [)eTIk&l (leIb&l]
impact [(ImpÄkt]
maintain sth. [meIn(teIn]
ponder sth. [(pQndE]
rapport [rÄ(pO:]
topic [(tQpIk]
travelogue [(trÄvElQg]
worksheet [(w§:kSi:t]
Book with CD-ROM
Intercultural Competence in
Business English
This book can be used by trainers of
business English who want to make
their learners fit for intercultural situations.
It includes examples and activities
as well as a CD-ROM with checklists,
worksheets and further-reading links. Rudi Camerer,
Judith Mader (Cornelsen), €28.95*
etw. an etw. anpassen
GER (Gemeinsamer
Europäischer Referenzrahmen
für Sprachen)
ethisches Gütezeichen
Auswirkung(en)
etw. aufrechterhalten
über etw. nachdenken
gutes Verhältnis
Thema
Reisebericht
Arbeitsblatt
Books
Großer Lernwortschatz — Business
English aktuell
This book offers business English vocabulary
and can be used for selfstudy,
in school, at university and in
the workplace. It is clearly structured
by topic, such as work, products and
services, complaints and travel. Indexes
in German and English at the end of the book make
finding specific terms easy. Barry Baddock, Susie Vrobel
(Hueber), €19.99*
The Essentials of Business Etiquette
This book is a practical guide to how one
should behave in any business situation.
It offers advice on building and maintaining
rapport with business partners, having
a business meal and focusing on the
skills you need to adjust your career to the
dynamics of the workplace. Readers can
experiment with ideas in the sections “Try
this Suggestion” and “Point to Ponder” throughout the book.
Barbara Pachter, Denise Cowie (McGraw-Hill), €12.99
Where Am I Eating? An Adventure
through the Global Food Economy
Coffee from Colombia, chocolate from
West Africa, bananas from Costa Rica
and apple juice from China. This book
is a culinary travelogue based on the realities
of the global food economy. It
looks at arguments for and against the
globalization of food and its impact on
people, the environment and society.
Topics include workers’ rights, rural poverty, the loss of cultural
and biodiversity, climate change, ethical labels and fair
trade. Buying and consuming food will never be the same
again. Kelsey Timmerman (Wiley), €21.90 ■BS
*These products are available at www.sprachenshop.de
SOLUTIONS
Vocabulary (p. 44):
a) blaze; b) extinguished; c) brigade/department;
d) station; e) engines/trucks; f) firefighters;
g) fireproof; h) breathing; i) masks;
j) fire officer; k) helmet; l) extension; m) extinguisher;
n) foam
Grammar at Work (p. 45):
a) Mr Smith was/is no longer with them.
b) ’d/would let me/us know soon.
c) he’d/he had spoken to Emma the day before.
d) if/whether I’d/I had ever been to Canada.
e) He told me/us to forget about it.
Translation (p. 52):
1. a) Du hast für €50 zehn DVDs bekommen.
Was für ein Schnäppchen!
b) Ich konnte mit ihm nich handeln — ich
musste €100 zahlen.
2. a) I know ten numbers in the Fibonacci
sequence/series.
b) Did you see / Have you seen the last
episode of Friends?
English for... weather conditions
(pp. 56–57):
a–2; b–3; c–1; d–3
Legal English (p. 58):
a) Solicitors d) bar exam
b) set of chambers e) internship
c) attorneys f) ethics
62 www.business-spotlight.de 1/2014

Use this list to practise key words from the current Business Spotlight magazine.
KEY WORDS LANGUAGE n
Nouns and noun phrases
bigwig ifml. an important or powerful person hohes Tier
blame game ifml. a situation in which people accuse each other of causing a gegenseitige
problem instead of taking responsibility and looking for a solution Schuldzuweisung(en)
credit line the amount of money you can borrow, usually from a bank Kreditrahmen
electric utility a company that provides electricity to the public Stromversorgungsunternehmen
expense account the budget a company makes available to an employee for travel Spesenkonto
and entertainment
marina a harbour where yachts and small boats can moor (stay) Jacht-, Segelhafen
setback something that causes a problem or a delay Rückschlag
stand-off a situation in which agreement between two equally matched Pattsituation
parties in a conflict seems impossible
Verbs
burn out to become completely exhausted and ill from too much work sich völlig verausgaben
empower sb. to give someone the authority and power to do something jmdn. mit Befugnissen
ausstatten
enrich sth. to make something better, to improve the quality of something etw. bereichern
impede sth. to delay or prevent something by making it more difficult to etw. behindern, einer Sache
do or happen
im Weg stehen
incriminate sb. to make it appear that someone is guilty of doing something wrong jmdn. beschuldigen
micromanage to control every part of something, even the smallest of details jmds. Arbeit bis ins
kleinste Detail kontrollieren
obfuscate sth. to make something deliberately unclear or hard to understand etw. verschleiern
outnumber sth. to be greater in number than something else etw. zahlenmäßig
übertreffen
overdo sth. to do something in a way that is extreme etw. übertreiben
Adjectives
disturbing making you feel very worried or upset aufwühlend
engaging attractive in a way that makes you interested interessant, fesselnd
jealous feeling angry or unhappy because someone else does or has eifersüchtig
something that you would like to do or have
overwhelmed feeling unable to deal with something or react to something that überwältigt; überfordert
is viewed as important
untapped not being used, although it is available in large quantities unangetastet, nicht genutzt
Idioms and expressions
get one’s point across to make people understand what is important to you sich verständlich machen
go-ahead: give to say that something can happen; to authorize something etw. die Genehmigung
sth. the ~ ifml.
erteilen
long hours: work ~ to work longer than what is a normal working day lange arbeiten
pick up the tab ifml. to pay for something (typically a meal in a restaurant) die Rechnung bezahlen
talk mumbo jumbo to use words that make something difficult or impossible to Kauderwelsch reden
ifml.
understand; to talk nonsense
think on one’s feet to react quickly and effectively schnell denken und agieren
www Subscribers to Business Spotlight can download the following lists at www.business-spotlight.de/words
n a PDF of this Key Words list with an MP3 audio file of the words, definitions and example sentences
n a PDF of the complete vocabulary list (English–German) for each issue of the magazine
1/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 63

What’s the best job for me?
A coach can help find answers
Good
Sie möchten beruflich weiterkommen? Ein Karriereberater könnte Ihnen
dabei helfen. Wie Sie den für Sie passenden Berater finden und wodurch
sich dieser auszeichnet, sagt Ihnen MARGARET DAVIS, die außerdem mit
einem Experten über dieses Thema gesprochen hat.
medium
Stockbyte

CAREER COACHES CAREERS n
Sometimes, all it takes is a neutral opinion from an
experienced observer. When your career is stalled
and you want to move up within your own company,
when you want to make a radical career
change or even if you’re simply struggling to
adapt to a demanding workplace — informed advice from
a professional career coach could be just what you need.
But how do you find a career coach and how can you
tell whether the coach you have chosen is right for you?
“Because coaching does not require credentials, you must
be very careful,” warns US career coach Marty Nemko (see
interview p. 66). “The field is rife with lightweights,”
Nemko says.
He’s not just talking about the American situation. According
to the German business weekly WirtschaftsWoche,
Finding a good career coach
Are you looking for a career coach? Here are some tips:
n Check the coach’s website, paying close attention to former
clients’ testimonials.
n Get recommendations from your friends.
n Check the coach’s professional background — has the
coach had personal experience in recruiting, managing or
hiring employees?
n Request at least three references from the coach before signing
a contract. Ask the references about the coach’s
strengths and weaknesses; also ask them to tell you what
progress they made in their own careers after consulting the
coach. It is a good idea to find out whether the person providing
the reference would use the coach’s services again.
n To avoid spending a huge amount on services you don’t need,
give preference to career coaches who charge per session
rather than offering an expensive package of services and
assessments.
n Don’t feel obligated to continue working with a coach if you
have doubts or feel uncomfortable after the first session.
Sources: PsychCentral.com, About.com
If you want to get ahead, ask
for informed advice from
a professional career coach
there are about 35,000 career coaches in Germany, only
about 5,000 of whom are considered to be serious. The
German consumer organization Stiftung Warentest recommends
contacting several coaches to compare prices and
services before deciding to hire one. Different coaches have
different styles of communication and only you can decide
whether you feel comfortable with the way a potential
coach deals with you. The average hourly cost of a career
coach in Germany is €150, so before entering into an
agreement, get the terms in writing.
Most experts advise hiring coaches by the hour, starting
with a limited number of agreed sessions rather than a
lump-sum payment. “Some firms market themselves by
saying they will help you institute your job search for a
$6,000 upfront fee and claiming they have access to a
‘hidden job market,’” says Margaret Dikel, editor of The
Riley Guide, a career-information directory. “Run away
from that,” Dikel told Forbes magazine.
the work of
a psychotherapist. “If you’re depressed, it’s unlikely an
executive coach is going to help you,” says Ben Dattner, organizational
psychologist, executive coach and author of
The Blame Game (Free Press). “If you’re under severe
stress because of work–family issues or preoccupied with
a situation at home, not getting enough sunlight, [not] eating
well, [not getting enough] exercise — those bigger life
things get in the way of simple, straightforward coaching,”
Dattner told CNN Money.
What can career coaches do and what tools do they use?
“The goal is to support people in making informed decisions
about their career development and trajectory, as
4
access [(Äkses]
assessment [E(sesmEnt]
blame game [(bleIm geIm] ifml.
career-information directory
[kE)rIEr InfE(meIS&n dE)rektEri]
credentials [krE(denS&lz]
editor [(edItE]
executive coach [Ig(zekjUtIv kEUtS]
exercise [(eksEsaIz]
get in the way of sth.
[)get In DE (weI Qv]
goal [gEUl]
institute sth. [(InstItju:t]
issue [(ISu:]
lightweight
[(laItweIt] ifml.
Zugang
Einschätzung, Beurteilung
gegenseitige Schuldzuweisung(en)
Informationsdienst für
Stellensuchende
(Leistungs-)Nachweise
Redakteur(in); hier: Herausgeber(in)
Trainer(in) für Führungskräfte
Bewegung, Sport
etw. behindern
Ziel(setzung)
etw. in die Wege leiten
Problem
hier: Experte/Expertin ohne
ausreichende Kompetenzen
lump-sum payment
[)lVmp )sVm (peImEnt]
package [(pÄkIdZ]
recruiting [ri(kru:tIN]
reference [(ref&rEns]
rife: be ~ with sth. [raIf]
session [(seS&n]
severe [sI(vIE]
stalled: be ~ [stO:ld]
straightforward
[)streIt(fO:wEd]
terms [t§:mz]
testimonial [)testI(mEUniEl]
trajectory [trE(dZektEri]
upfront fee [)Vp(frVnt fi:]
Zahlung eines Pauschalbetrages
hier: Leistungspaket
(Personal-)Einstellung; hier
auch: Abwerbung
Referenz, Empfehlung
von etw. wimmeln
Sitzung
stark
festgefahren sein, nicht
vorankommen
direkt, offen
Vertragsbedingungen
Empfehlung(sschreiben)
Flugbahn; hier: Karriereverlauf
Voraus-, Einmalzahlung
1/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 65

n CAREERS CAREER COACHES
INTERVIEW
“Most great career coaches have a wealth of
workplace experience”
DR MARTY NEMKO is one of America’s
top career coaches. Now in his 26th year
as a career coach, he has worked with
over 4,000 clients. Nemko, author of the
Business Spotlight column The Job Doctor
from 2008 to 2012, has written seven
books, including How to Do Life: What They Didn’t Teach You
in School (CreateSpace).
What do career coaches do?
Services could include any of the following: helping people identify
a well-suited career; helping them get a good job or start their
own business; helping them get off to a good start in their new
job; developing a short- and long-term career plan; troubleshooting
problems they’re having on the job. If there’s a problem with
communication, office politics or attitude issues (for example,
procrastination), the client and coach can work to improve those.
If there’s a problem with drug abuse, deep psychological issues,
etc., a coach can refer the client to an appropriate professional.
Sometimes, a relationship or the lack thereof can have an effect
on the client’s working life. If the coach has the expertise, he or
she can advise the client on how to improve the situation.
Who needs a career coach?
Anyone who could benefit from one or more of the things I just
mentioned. And people just starting out as CEOs can often benefit
greatly from an excellent career coach.
How can I find the right coach?
Try the online service Yelp, but beware of phoney, bad references
written not by clients of coaches, but by the coach’s competitors.
Also useful are personal referrals and talking with three diffe -
rent coaches for a few minutes each to get a sense of compatibility
of style as well as expertise. Because coaching does not
require credentials, you must be very careful. The field is rife with
lightweights.
Suppose I think I might make a good career coach. What training
do I need?
Like in many fields, much is a matter of giftedness in career
coaching: being a master at unlocking people to be their best
self, having great intuition about what’s behind people feeling
stuck, etc. You must be willing and able to ask the right questions
to help clients come up with their own solutions where possible
but have a rich fund of ideas and the ability to generate new
ones on the fly. Practised well, career coaching is a high art. That
can’t be taught.
Most great career coaches have a wealth of workplace experience.
They’re not just counsellor types with little experience in
the work world. Yes, there are many coaching training programmes,
but they get mixed reviews. Do check them carefully
by speaking with a number of graduates. The key question to ask
participants is this: “Did the training increase your effectiveness
in helping clients to improve their lives enough to justify the time
and money spent on the training?”
well as offer various tools that they can use — résumés,
cover letters, LinkedIn profiles — to meet those goals,”
career coach Donna Sweidan told Forbes.
The best career coaches combine concrete and abstract
approaches. For example, they might ask you to list your
skills but also suggest that you think about your dream job
— the one that you would have if you didn’t need to worry
about money. “They should be asking important questions
that set off light bulbs in your head,” says management
professor Christine Pearson, of the Thunderbird
approach [E(prEUtS]
Vorgehensweise, Methode
appropriate [E(prEUpriEt]
geeignet
CEO (chief executive officer) [)si: i: (EU] Firmenchef(in)
come up with sth. [)kVm (Vp wID] etw. ersinnen
competitor [kEm(petItE]
Konkurrent(in)
counsellor [(kaUnsElE]
Berater(in)
cover letter [(kVv&r )let&r*] US
Begleit-; hier: Bewerbungsschreiben
credentials [krE(denS&lz]
(Leistungs-)Nachweise
expertise [)eksp§:(ti:z]
Fachkenntnis(se), Kompetenz(en)
fund [fVnd]
Fundus
get off to a good start
einen guten Anfang haben
[get )Qf tu E gUd (stA:t]
giftedness [(gIftIdnEs]
Begabung
graduate [(grÄdZuEt]
Absolvent(in)
issue [(ISu:]
Frage, Problem
lightweight [(laItweIt] ifml.
hier: Experte/Expertin ohne
ausreichende Kompetenzen
master: be a ~ at sth. [(mA:stE]
etw. sehr gut können
* This symbol marks standard US pronunciation that differs from standard UK pronunciation.
on the fly [)Qn DE (flaI]
phoney [(foUni*] US ifml.
procrastination
[prEU)krÄstI(neIS&n]
professional [prE(feS&nEl]
reference [(ref&rEns]
referral [ri(f§:rEl]
résumé [(rezEmeI*] US
review [ri(vju:]
rife: be ~ with sth. [raIf]
set off light bulbs in sb.’s head
[)set Qf )laIt bVlbz In )sVmbEdiz (hed]
(light bulb
short- and long-term
[)SO:t En )lQN (t§:m]
stuck: feel ~ [stVk]
troubleshoot sth. [(trVb&lSu:t]
unlock sb. [Vn(lQk]
wealth [welT]
well-suited [)wel (su:tId]
spontan
falsch
ständiges Verzögern,
Aufschieberitis
Experte/Expertin
Referenz, Empfehlung
Empfehlung
Lebenslauf
Beurteilung
von etw. wimmeln
jmdn. zu wichtigen Erkenntnissen
führen
Glühbirne)
kurz- und langfristig
sich wie festgefahren fühlen
etw. lösen
hier: jmdm. Wege aufzeigen
Fülle
(gut) passend
66 www.business-spotlight.de 1/2014

First job? Get good advice
from the very beginning
School of Global Management in Glendale,
Arizona. “They should be able to
sum up what you’re telling them in a
way that sheds new light on to your situation,
rather than just repeating what
you said.”
Among the potentially useful services
a career coach can provide are mock job
interviews, which allow job seekers to
practise answering typical questions.
Some coaches will do video analyses of
such interviews, giving the job seeker
a chance to recognize and eliminate
annoying gestures or repetitive speech.
Coaches may also give advice on handling networking
situations or may provide tips on salary negotiations.
assessment tools
available to career coaches. These include personality tests
and interest lists, as well as “accomplishment exercises that
identify what people are most proud of and job-description
analyses that can pinpoint the kind of work and workplaces
that are the best fit for someone”. Sweidan says
there’s a difference between “coaching” and “counselling”.
“In general, ‘coaching’ tends to be a solution-oriented approach,
which involves working with clients to see what
concrete steps they can take to achieve career objectives.
‘Counselling’, however, is more process-driven — you look
at whether there are any behavioural, emotional or psychological
issues that could be impeding a person’s desired
career ambitions.”
Leistung
nervig
Einschätzung, Beurteilung
Training und Beratung
etw. ersinnen
Unternehmens-
(psychologische) Beratung
sich am besten für jmdn.
eignen
Basis, Grundlage
Fundus
Geste
etw. behindern, einer Sache
im Weg stehen
Bewerbungsgespräch
Einstellung
Schein-, simuliert
Verhandlung
Kontaktaufbau und -pflege
Ziel(setzung)
spontan
hier: Werdegang
etw. genau bestimmen
frühere(r,s)
etw. erhellen
etw. zusammenfassen
gut abgefasst
was man braucht, um etw.
zu tun
accomplishment [E(kVmplISmEnt]
annoying [E(nOIIN]
assessment [E(sesmEnt]
coaching [(kEUtSIN]
come up with sth. [)kVm (Vp wID]
corporate [(kO:pErEt]
counselling [(kaUnsElIN]
fit: be the best ~ for sb. [fIt]
footing [(fUtIN]
fund [fVnd]
gesture [(dZestSE]
impede sth. [Im(pi:d]
job interview [(dZQb )IntEvju:]
mindset [(maIndset]
mock [mQk]
negotiation [nI)gEUSi(eIS&n]
networking [(netw§:kIN]
objective [Eb(dZektIv]
on the fly [)Qn DE (flaI]
path [pA:T]
pinpoint sth. [(pInpOInt]
previous [(pri:viEs]
shed light on (to) sth. [)Sed (laIt Qn (tu)]
sum sth. up [)sVm (Vp]
well-crafted [)wel (krA:ftId]
what it takes to do sth.
[)wQt It (teIks tE du:]
iStock
MARGARET DAVIS is a Canadian journalist. She is the
editor of the Careers and Global Business sections of
Business Spotlight. Contact her at: m.davis@spotlightverlag.de
What you are looking for will help you decide what coach
you need, says corporate psychologist Bill Berman. “If you
need to build your emotional intelligence, you should use a
psychologist. If you want to present more effectively, talk to
a communications expert,” Berman told CNN.
When is coaching most useful? Sweidan says it’s never
too early to consult an effective career coach: “While I believe
that career coaching can be helpful at every point of
someone’s professional path, I would say that good career
coaching in the early years of college or immediately postcollege
can put individuals on more solid footing — not
just with a well-crafted résumé and a suitable career path,
but also with a mindset that helps them understand that
the career path of today is not as direct as it might have
been in previous generations.”
After being coached by someone else, you may feel you
have what it takes to become a career coach yourself. Be
realistic about your talents, advises Nemko. “You must be
willing and able to ask the right questions to help clients
come up with their own solutions where possible but have
a rich fund of ideas and the ability to generate new ones
on the fly,” he says. “Practised well, career coaching is a
high art. That can’t be taught.”
nBS
For more information
BOOKS
n Career Coach, Corinne Mills (Trotman Publishing)
n Coaching & Mentoring for Dummies, Marty Brounstein
(Wiley)
WEBSITES
n Deutscher Bundesverband Coaching: www.dbvc.de
n Marty Nemko’s website and blog: www.martynemko.com
and martynemko.blogspot.com
n Stiftung Warentest: www.test.de
www More career trends at www.business-spotlight.de/careers
1/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 67

■ CAREERS TIPS AND TRENDS
All in a day’s work
medium
Sollte man auf einer Geschäftsreise nur arbeiten? Wie entschuldigt man sein Fehlverhalten bei
einem Bewerbungsgespräch? Ist Händeschütteln unhygienisch? MARGARET DAVIS gibt Antworten.
Blend Images
Business trips
How much work?
Your company has sent you on a business trip, on a course or to a conference
in another city — or even another country. How much work
should you feel obliged to do? The answer might surprise you.
Professor Cary Cooper of Lancaster University says that “guilt and being
alone in a hotel” often cause people to work unnecessarily long hours.
“A lot of it’s just sending and responding to emails,” Cooper told the
Financial Times. “Your inbox becomes the electronic equivalent of having
a jacket on the back of your chair. It’s a form of presenteeism.”
Instead of trying to impress your boss back home, Cooper suggests finding
out more about the people you’re doing business with. “Invest the time
in networking and socializing. Get to know the country, the city and the
business.” You can answer those emails when you get home.
Out of the office:
don’t feel guilty
Job interviews
Oops! Did I say that?
When you need work, every job interview is important.
So what can you do if you realize,
too late, that you have said or done the wrong
thing?
Jay Canchola, an independent HR expert from
the US, says it is possible to take action. “For
example, if the candidate believes their responses
to questions were off target, he or she can send a
well-crafted follow-up letter to the interviewer admitting
a misunderstanding of the questions,”
Canchola told Forbes.
Just don’t overdo it. Say you’re sorry in writing
or in person — but not both.
Trend
Hands off
What has happened to the business handshake? Body-language
expert Patti Wood says it’s in decline, especially in North
America. That’s because people think shaking hands is unhygienic,
particularly in winter, when colds multiply. Yet Wood claims
that you would need to spend three hours talking to achieve the
feeling of connection
that happens immediately
with a handshake.
“It’s amazing that you
can shake hands with
someone and, in a moment,
make him feel as
safe and comfortable
with you as if you’d
been talking for hours,”
she told Maclean’s.
Source: www.pattiwood.net Don’t worry
about illness:
handshakes
build trust
Stockbyte
amazing [E(meIzIN]
decline: be in ~ [di(klaIn]
follow-up letter [(fQlEU Vp )letE]
guilt [gIlt]
HR (human resources) [)eItS (A:]
job interview [(dZQb )IntEvju:]
long hours: work ~ [)lQN (aUEz]
networking [(netw§:kIN]
erstaunlich
zurückgehen
Folgebrief
Schuldgefühl
Personalwesen
Bewerbungs-, Vorstellungsgespräch
lange arbeiten
Kontaktaufbau und -pflege
obliged: feel ~ to do sth.
[E(blaIdZd]
overdo sth. [)EUvE(du:]
presenteeism
[)prez&n(ti:)IzEm]
socializing [(sEUSElaIzIN]
target: be off ~ [(tA:gIt]
well-crafted [)wel (krA:ftId]
sich verpflichtet fühlen, etw. zu
tun
etw. übertreiben
Präsentismus (lange am Arbeitsplatz
bleiben, um positiv aufzufallen)
Umgang mit Menschen
danebengehen
gut gearbeitet; hier: gut formuliert
68 www.business-spotlight.de 1/2014

Fuse
HOW TO...
Make the best of a bad job
Bored? Try
learning
something
new
If you’re like most people, there are probably days when you
don’t enjoy your job. And if the bad days outnumber the
good ones, you may even hate it. But what can you do if leaving
your job is not possible? Sanjay Sathe, head of the Silicon
Valley outplacement company RiseSmart, has some tips.
■ What do you hate about your job? “Take a step back and
look at the big picture,” Sathe told USNews.com. “What
specifically do you hate about your job? Is it the day-to-day
work, the company, your boss or your colleagues?”
■ Minimize tasks that don’t match your skills. “It could be as
simple as talking to your manager about taking on more tasks
that are in line with your strengths — perhaps you really enjoy
interacting with others but your current role keeps you shut
in your office all day.” When you add enjoyable tasks, you may
find you no longer dislike routine activities as much.
■ Learn something new. “Look into opportunities to work
within a different and interesting department for a short period,”
Sathe suggests. Or offer to join a committee.
■ Remember that there is life outside the office. “By spending
time outside of work on things you love, you will become
happier overall, which in turn will positively affect how you
feel at work,” Sathe comments.
Statistically speaking
You’ve got mail
Do you sometimes feel like you’re drowning in emails?
According to a 2012 study by McKinsey Global Institute,
workers in the knowledge economy spend an average
of 11.2 hours a week (28 per cent of a 40-hour
working week) reading and answering emails. A survey
by the technology market-research firm Radicati Group
found that Americans receive an average of 75 business
emails a day and send 35.
Sources: New York Magazine; McKinsey&Company (www.mckinsey.com);
The Radicati Group, Inc. (www.radicati.com)
The devil wears…
In Britain, more than a third of female employees say
they would prefer to have a male boss. A survey by
the designer clothing company Hobbs
found that 34 per cent of women aged
18 and over said they would rather
have a male boss. About 26 per cent of
men also said they would prefer a
male manager. One positive result for
women leaders: young people between
the ages of 18 and 24 said they would
prefer a female boss to a male one.
affect sth. [E(fekt]
big picture: the ~ [)bIg (pIktSE] ifml.
department [di(pA:tmEnt]
drown in sth. [(draUn In]
Source: The Daily Telegraph
fictional [(fIkS&nEl]
knowledge economy [(nQlIdZ i)kQnEmi]
market research [)mA:kIt ri(s§:tS]
outnumber sth.
[)aUt(nVmbE]
outplacement [(aUt)pleIsmEnt]
survey [(s§:veI]
Bosses in Britain:
men preferred?
etw. beeinflussen
das große Ganze
Abteilung
in etw. ertrinken;
auch: ersticken
erfunden
wissensbasierte Wirtschaft
Marktforschung
etw. zahlenmäßig übertreffen
Außenvermittlung
Umfrage
Stockbyte
Dilbert
www.dilbert.com dilbertcartoonist@gmail.com
© 4/23/2013 Scott Adams, Inc. Dist. by Universal Uclick
1/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 69

■ CAREERS LEISURE TIME
Away from your desk
medium
Verbannen Sie die englische Sprache und die englischsprachige Welt nicht an Ihren Arbeitsplatz!
Mit Büchern, Kunst und anderen Genüssen räumen Sie ihnen auch in Ihrer Freizeit einen Platz ein.
MARGARET DAVIS gibt Empfehlungen.
Clean lines:
Mackintosh house
Architecture
Scottish architect and artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh
(1868–1928) was famous for his clear, simple
designs. Many examples of his work can be seen in
his home town, Glasgow. One of the most extensive of
these is the House for an Art Lover. Designed for an
international competition in 1901, the house was not
built until 1989–96. Today, it is a museum, with a
cafe and shop, as well as meeting and conference
rooms. www.houseforanartlover.co.uk
Book
Australian actress and writer Merridy
Eastman (see My Way,
Business Spotlight 3/2011) spent
four years in Munich with her German
husband and young son. Her
memoir of those years, How Now
Brown Frau (Allen & Unwin), is both
sensitive and laugh-out-loud funny.
It will ring true with anyone who has
ever tried to adjust to a new language and culture, to a
new relationship and to parenthood — all at the same
time. Eastman is a lively, likeable guide to the potential
risks — and pleasures — of expat life and intercultural
communication. A very enjoyable read.
Exhibition
British painter Lucian Freud (1922–2011) was not
known for the beauty of his portraits. Instead, his
often disturbing, realistic works showed the human
form with all its strengths and weaknesses. Following
a successful exhibition
in London, the Kunsthistorisches
Museum
Wien is now presenting
the first exhibition
of Freud’s work in
Austria. The featured
paintings were selected
together with the
artist. The show can
be viewed in Vienna
through 6 January.
www.khm.at
Self-portrait: Lucian Freud
DVDs
Set in London’s East End in the 1950s, Call the
Midwife (Ruf des Lebens) is based on the memoirs
of Jennifer Worth, who worked as a midwife in
the early years of the NHS. Thanks to a mixture of
drama, history and humour, this BBC
television production has been immensely
successful in Britain and
abroad. It combines the talents of
such veteran actresses as Jenny
Agutter and Judy Parfitt with relative
newcomers like Jessica Raine and
comedy star Miranda Hart.
adjust to sth. [E(dZVst tu]
competition [)kQmpE(tIS&n]
disturbing [dI(st§:bIŋ]
exhibition [)eksI(bIS&n]
expat(riate) [)eks(pÄt(riEt)]
feature sth. [(fi:tSE]
midwife [(mIdwaIf]
NHS (National Health Service)
[)en eItS (es] UK
ring true with sb. [)rIN (tru: wID]
sich an etw. anpassen
Wettbewerb
aufwühlend
Ausstellung
dauerhaft im Ausland lebende
Person
etw. zeigen
Hebamme
Staatlicher Gesundheitsdienst
für jmdn. glaubhaft klingen
©The Lucian Freud Archive/Bridgeman Art Library
70 www.business-spotlight.de 1/2014

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Email: brigitte.sherlock@reichardt.eu
Sprachreisen
weltweit
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Bournemouth One to One
English Language School
F+U Academy of Languages
Hauptstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg
Tel. 06221 8994-2944, sprachen@fuu.de
www.fuu-heidelberg-languages.com
Lernen Sie Englisch in England
Ideal für Geschäftsleute, leitende Angestellte und Teilnehmer,
die Einzelunterricht vorziehen. Bournemouth ist ein lebhafter
Badeort. Wir bieten auch Kurse für Englisch kombiniert mit
Golf oder mit englischer Kultur an.
Tel: 0044 1202 257775 www.bournemouth121.com
cdc.de
Bildung ohne Grenzen
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Corbis
the middle
Sie leiten ein Projekt oder eine Abteilung. Sie sind Vorgesetzte und Untergebene in einem und somit
doppeltem Erwartungsdruck ausgesetzt. Die Rede ist von mittleren Führungskräften, ohne die globale,
komplexe Unternehmen nicht funktonieren könnten. VICKI SUSSENS führt aus, über welche Fähigkeiten
sie verfügen sollten und welche Aufgaben sie haben.
medium
The boss from hell: is middle
management in crisis?

MIDDLE MANAGERS MANAGEMENT ■
Scott Adams, who created the Dilbert comic strip
(see p. 69), once called middle managers “hamster-brained
sociopaths”. He explained that he
started his comic strip while working for a telephone
company where his manager was so bad
that all those around him were planning businesses as a
way to leave the company. Bad managers were therefore
good for America’s economy, he joked in a Wall Street
Journal article in 1996.
A colleague sitting near Adams started a concert equipment
rental company. Another set up a computer techsupport
firm. “We had inventors, authors and just about
any other business you can imagine. I think we all understood
that working in a cubicle and being managed by
Satan’s learning-challenged little brother was not a recipe
for happiness.”
Middle managers are the bosses we love to hate,
as they have huge power over the quality of our working
lives. If they are Dilbert bosses — micromanaging and
undermining us, and not giving us a chance to develop our
talents — then we spend eight
hours a day, five days a week in
frustration. That is a huge part
of our lives.
So it is not surprising that
Dilbert is so popular. It is published
in 2,000 newspapers and
magazines in 25 languages in
65 countries. Also hugely successful
are the British and US
versions of the TV series The Office and its German equivalent,
Stromberg. The main character in all three series is a
manager who is sometimes lovable, but mostly frustrating.
The Office is one of the ten most-watched TV series ever.
But is the pointy-headed Dilbert manager still relevant? After
all, he was created in 1996, and a lot has happened in
the world of management since then. For example, the increasing
focus on the “flat organization”, one in which layers
of management have been removed so that staff can be
their own bosses and thus release their talent.
At the same time, the terminology to describe running
firms has changed from “management” to “leadership”. In
this inflated world of “vision”, “strategy” and “innovation”
— in which “C-level” executives are encouraged to
rise to greatness and become the next Nelson Mandela or
Dalai Lama — the boring middle manager has no place,
it would seem.
There are signs, however, that the middle manager
might be making a comeback, perhaps because of the sensational
rise — and fall — of leadership in recent years. In
the past year, a number of studies have shown that middle
managers are “the bedrock of our economy”, as a recent
article in The Wall Street Journal called them. Indeed, despite
talk of flat hierarchies, middle managers never went
away. In the US, they number 10.8 million, or 7.6 per cent
of all those working. And Britain currently has five million,
ten times more than 100 years ago.
These figures become even larger if they include all those
who are not called managers, but whose jobs are largely
assistant professor [E)sIstEnt prE(fesE] Juniorprofessor(in)
supervisory. David A. Buchanan, a professor of organizational
behaviour at the Cranfield University School of
bedrock [(bedrQk]
Fundament
“C-level” executive
Führungskraft der obersten
[)si: lev&l Ig(zekjEtIv*] US
Ebene
Management, recently did a study of middle managers in
corporate [(kO:pErEt]
Firmencubicle
Britain’s National Health Service (NHS). He found that 30
[(kju:bIk&l]
(abgetrennter) Arbeitsplatz per cent of staff had supervisory jobs, although only three
im Großraumbüro
flat [flÄt]
hier: mit flacher Hierarchie per cent were officially regarded as managers.
hierarchy [(haI&rA:ki]
[wg. Aussprache]
impact [(ImpÄkt]
Auswirkung(en) Recent studies show that today’s large, complex,
layer [(leIE]
Ebene
learning-challenged
geistig minderbemittelt global companies cannot function without middle managers.
However, because firms have not given them the at-
[(l§:nIN )tSÄlIndZd]
micromanage sb.
jmds. Arbeit bis ins kleinste tention they deserve, they do not have either the support
[(maIkrEU)mÄnIdZ]
Detail kontrollieren
National Health Service (NHS)
Staatlicher Gesundheits- or the training they need. The result? They keep alive the
[)nÄS&nEl (helT )s§:vIs] UK
dienst
Dilbert stereotype.
pointy-headed [(pOInti )hedId] US ifml. superschlau
“Corporate leaders spend a lot of time worrying about
recipe [(resEpi]
Rezept
release sth. [ri(li:s]
etw. freisetzen
the impact of their strategy. But they overlook the impact
stereotype [(steriEtaIp]
Klischee
of the people who make the thousands of small, critical
supervisory [)su:pE(vaIzEri]
beaufsichtigend,
choices that truly make the difference between success and
überwachend
undermine sb. [)VndE(maIn]
jmdn. schwächen; hier: failure,” Ethan Mollick, an assistant professor of management
at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsyl-4
[)VndE(maIn] verunsichern * This symbol marks standard US pronunciation that differs from standard UK pronunciation.
“We all understood that being managed
by Satan’s learning-challenged little brother
was not a recipe for happiness”
Scott Adams, creator of the Dilbert comic strip
1/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 73

■ MANAGEMENT MIDDLE MANAGERS
The top six reasons why people
hate their bosses
Ronald E. Riggio, a professor of leadership and organizational
psychology at the Claremont McKenna College
in Claremont, California, writes that in most cases, the
wrong people are chosen to be bosses. In Psychology
Today (February 2013), he identifies the six reasons why
they fail:
1. They see employees as a means to an end rather than
as people with feelings.
2. They make unrealistic demands by expecting staff to
work round the clock for the company.
3. They fail to see their own faults.
4. They punish first and ask questions later.
5. They are bullies.
6. They are dishonest. The most hated bosses are ones
who appear to be fair and honest but who are capable
of stabbing you in the back.
vania, wrote in September 2013 on the blog network of the
Harvard Business Review.
Mollick was discussing the results of his research into
computer-game makers. He discovered that the most important
factor in the success of a firm was the quality of
the middle manager in charge of important projects. “Just
the mention of ‘middle managers’ is enough to make people’s
eyes roll back. But these supposedly boring cogs of the
corporation can have a profound impact on innovation
and performance,” he says.
One problem is that the middle-management position “is
usually seen as a way station to ‘real’ management. Companies
make little effort to retain the most effective middle
managers. And a lot of project managers buy into this
view, accepting that they should do everything possible to
shed the ‘middle’ label and move on,” says Mollick.
Middle managers have a hugely stressful job. A
recent study compared their roles to those of middlehierarchy
Barbary macaque monkeys. Researchers from
Liverpool and Manchester universities observed the monkeys’
social behaviour for nearly 600 hours, measuring
stress hormones. They found that monkeys in the middle
of the hierarchy were the most stressed because they faced
conflicts with both those above them and those below
them. These research results can be applied to middle managers,
who are also caught between their bosses and those
they manage, says Katie Edwards of the University of
Liverpool’s Institute of Integrative Biology.
In Britain’s NHS, those in managerial roles have a complex
and stressful job, according to the study by the Cranfield
University School of Management, which is titled
“Middle Managers: The Front Line of Change”. It looked
at the roles of almost 1,200 middle managers and found
they must manage day-to-day operations, firefight and
troubleshoot in addition to finding solutions to ill-defined
problems. They are also expected to develop staff, improve
systems, and support change and innovation.
“A lot of the managers we spoke to felt that they
were simply under so much pressure they didn’t have time
to carry out some of those responsibilities as effectively as
they would have wished,” reports Buchanan on the
management school’s website. He says middle managers
need more space, more time, more autonomy and more
freedom. “‘Let me manage’ was a common comment
from a lot of those we spoke to,” he says, adding that letting
them do so does not cost any money.
The firm that has best understood both the value and the
needs of middle managers is, perhaps surprisingly, Google.
Once a strong supporter of flat management — like most
start-up tech firms, where creativity is essential — it is now
a fan of middle managers.
Google’s founders, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, at first
firmly believed that people should be their own bosses. But
they also understood that staff perform best if they are
happy. Being a firm of engineers, to whom data is essential,
Google makes management decisions based on data.
Its famous “People Operations” team, called “POPS” for
short, even has its own group of social scientists, called
PiLab (People & Innovation Lab), who research ways to
improve management.
Barbary macaque monkey
[)bA:bEri mE)kA:k (mVNki]
bully [(bUli]
buy into sth. [)baI (Intu] ifml.
cog [kQg]
corporation [)kO:pE(reIS&n]
day-to-day operations
[)deI tE )deI QpE(reIS&nz]
engineer [)endZI(nIE]
firefight [(faIEfaIt]
founder [(faUndE]
front line [)frVnt (laIn]
label [(leIb&l]
means to an end: a ~ [)mi:nz tu En (end]
perform [pE(fO:m]
profound [prE(faUnd]
research (sth.) [ri(s§:tS]
researcher [ri(s§:tSE]
retain sb. [ri(teIn]
roll (back): make sb.’s eyes ~
[)rEUl ((bÄk)]
shed sth. [Sed]
stab sb. in the back [)stÄb In DE (bÄk]
troubleshoot [(trVb&lSu:t]
way station [(weI steIS&n] US
Berberaffe
Tyrann(in)
von etw. überzeugt sein,
sich etw. anschließen
Rädchen (im Getriebe)
Firma, Unternehmen
das Tagesgeschäft
Techniker(in); Ingenieur(in)
hier: unvorhergesehene
Probleme lösen
Gründer(in)
vorderste Front
Etikett
ein Mittel zum Zweck
Leistung(en) erzielen
tiefgreifend
Forschung, Studien; etw.
erforschen
Forscher(in)
jmdn. halten
jmdn. die Augen verdrehen
lassen
etw. ablegen
jmdm. in den Rücken fallen
Fehler beheben; hier auch:
vermitteln
Zwischenstation
74 www.business-spotlight.de 1/2014

Good manager, happy team: workers with good bosses
are more productive than those left on their own
Fuse
“‘Let me manage’ was a common comment
from a lot of middle managers we spoke to”
David A. Buchanan, in his report “Middle Managers: The Front Line of Change”, a study
of 1,200 managers in the British National Health Service
In 2009, PiLab was given the job of determining if successful
middle managers have skills in common and
whether or not these can be taught to unsuccessful ones.
They also wanted to find out if middle managers mattered
at all.
PiLab got feedback on managers from both the
managers’ staff and their bosses. It found that managers
with the highest ratings had significantly more productive
teams and less staff turnover. Successful managers were
good coaches, didn’t micromanage, had a clear vision and
strategy for the team, helped employees with career development,
and were productive and results-oriented.
In fact, Google found that staff with good managers
worked better than staff left to be their own bosses. They
then created a list of eight qualities that make good managers
and started to coach those bosses who did not rate
highly in the research. The qualities are: be a good coach;
empower your team and don’t micromanage; express interest
in employees’ success and well-being; be productive
and results-oriented; be a good communicator and listen
to your team; help your employees with career development;
have a clear vision and strategy for your team; and
possess the technical skills needed to advise your team.
Since 2009, ratings for Google managers as a whole have
risen every year. And since 2010, Google has won the Fortune
magazine title of best company to work for every year.
A close look at Dilbert shows that much-maligned middle
managers are guilty of nothing more serious than taking
themselves — and all their weaknesses — to work. But
as Google has proved, it is possible to persuade Satan’s little
brother to leave his worst self at home. ■BS
empower sb. [Im(paUE]
much-maligned [)mVtS mE(laInd]
staff turnover [)stA:f (t§:nEUvE]
jmdn. mit Befugnissen
ausstatten
viel geschmäht
Mitarbeiterfluktuation
VICKI SUSSENS is a South African journalist and
an editor at Business Spotlight, with a special
focus on man agement, business and social issues.
Contact: v.sussens@spotlight-verlag.de
1/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 75

■ MANAGEMENT WHAT HAPPENED NEXT
Low-cost air travel
Der erbitterte Konkurrenzkampf im Luftverkehr macht insbesondere
Billigfliegern zu schaffen. VICKI SUSSENS verfolgt die Entwicklung eines
der noch immer aktiven Pioniere der Billigflugsparte. medium
Getty Images
The background
Southwest
Airlines:
the low-cost
carrier began
in Texas
The air industry experienced dramatic growth when jets
were introduced in the late 1950s. By the mid-1960s, over
100 million Americans had travelled by air, with that number
doubling by the mid-1970s. Federal regulators found
it difficult to control the increasingly complex industry,
which was dominated by big, monopolistic players. Deregulation
to remove government control over ticket prices,
routes and route entry did not begin until 1978. In the early
1970s, air travel was expensive, with cheaper flights
available only as part of package tours. In 1967, the Air
Southwest Company was born in Texas, with a modern
air-travel concept: providing commuters with cheap,
“no-frills” flights — without services such as meals and
baggage transfers. It was one of the world’s first “low-cost
carriers”, the “low” referring to operating costs.
The problems
Southwest’s first challenge was to fight monopolies. In
1968, the Texas Aeronautics Commission gave it permission
to fly to Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. However,
three airlines filed suit to prevent it from flying. Its
second challenge was to prove that customers would
choose price over service and that, if the company kept its
operating costs low, it could be profitable. At the time, traditional
airlines, which had large and expensive fleets and
hubs, regarded service as key to winning customers.
The solutions
The new airline fought its case all the way to the US
Supreme Court, which it won. That was in December
1970. In 1971, now called Southwest Airlines, it started
operating its services. Southwest cut costs by flying just
one type of aircraft to simplify maintenance and training.
A well-trained and highly motivated staff increased
productivity. While it cut services, Southwest focused on
good customer relations. It set up “culture committees”
throughout the company to promote the “Southwest
way”, which was to be customer-friendly but funloving. To
meet the needs of commuters, it flew out of airports close
to urban centres. It also simplified ticketing. Finally, it had
a policy of growing slowly, meaning it avoided the debts
that caused problems for many carriers during recessions.
This policy allowed it to increase its business in bad times.
What happened next
Airfares in the markets that Southwest entered dropped.
For example, when it started its service to Baltimore–
Washington International Airport in 1993, fares fell by 70
per cent, increasing passenger traffic to the airport. Called
the “Southwest effect”, this phenomenon was studied in
business schools. In 1993, a US Department of Transportation
report wrote that the growth of the low-cost carrier
Southwest was the “principal driving force behind the
dramatic changes in the US airline industry”. Because
Southwest’s low fares and focus on commuters increased
passenger traffic wherever it flew, some businesses chose
new locations based primarily on the availability of Southwest
services. Southwest became a model for other lowcost
carriers such as easyJet, Ryanair and Laker Airways,
the first to offer a transatlantic service. Low-cost carriers
opened up air travel to people who, before, could not afford
to fly.
aeronautics [)eErEU(nO:tIks]
Luftfahrt
aircraft [(eEkrA:ft]
Flugzeug
airfare [(eEfeE]
Flugpreis
business school [(bIznEs sku:l]
wirtschaftswissenschaftliche
Fakultät
challenge [(tSÄlIndZ]
schwierige Aufgabe
commuter [kE(mju:tE]
Pendler(in)
department [di(pA:rtmEnt*] US
Ministerium
driving force [(draIvIN fO:s]
treibende Kraft
federal regulator [)fedErEl (regjuleItE] Bundesaufsichtsbehörde
file suit [)faI&l (su:t]
Klage erheben
fleet [fli:t]
Flotte
hub [hVb]
Drehscheibe
low-cost carrier [)lEU )kQst (kÄriE] Billigfluglinie
maintenance [(meIntEnEns]
Wartung
no-frills [)nEU (frIlz]
ohne Extras
(frill
Rüsche)
operating costs [(QpEreItIN kQsts] Betriebsaufwand, -kosten
package tour [(pÄkIdZ tUE]
Pauschalreise
passenger traffic [(pÄsIndZE )trÄfIk] Passagieraufkommen
route entry [(ru:t )entri]
Verkehrsaufnahme auf einer
neuen Route
Supreme Court [su)pri:m (kO:rt*] US Oberster Gerichtshof
ticketing [(tIkItIN]
Buchung
* This symbol marks standard US pronunciation that differs from standard UK pronunciation.
■BS
76 www.business-spotlight.de 1/2014

EXECUTIVE EYE MANAGEMENT ■
“Adversity has an important function. If we overcome
our difficulties, we become more resilient”
ADRIAN FURNHAM ON THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MANAGEMENT
medium
Learning to overcome
difficulties
Read any biography of a famous
personality and you’ll find the author
has looked for examples of adversity
that shaped the person. They are often
dramatic — being made a refugee,
losing all their money or surviving a
dangerous illness, for example.
Failures and setbacks teach people
lessons. Enquire into most people’s
backgrounds and you’ll find something
happened that tested them —
the death of a relative, a change in
family fortunes or moving country.
Adversity has an important function.
It tests our limits. If we overcome
our difficulties, we become
more resilient. But adversity can also
traumatize and break people. They
may be haunted by powerful memories
that cripple them. Or they may
live with an inner voice that whispers
to them at critical moments: “What
do you know? You’re a failure! You
can’t do this!”
Training for the professions and
the military often includes adversity
to build strength. This could be sleep
deprivation, physical exhaustion or
overwork. Business and medical
schools also pile on the pressure to
give students a taste of real life.
Resilient people do cope better: they
bounce back faster and they carry less
baggage from the past. They feel less
influenced by luck or fate and more in
control. Most importantly, they don’t
fall apart when economic, political or
psychological conditions worsen.
Resilient people know who they
are, who they can count on and
where to get help. They don’t pretend
to be tougher than they are. They are
self-aware. But can resilience be
learned? Popular self-help books suggest
it can, and give this advice:
■ Focus on what you are really good
at and what others value you for.
adversity [Ed(v§:sEti]
Widrigkeit
baggage: carry less ~ [(bÄgIdZ] weniger (seelischen) Ballast mitschleppen
bounce back [)baUns (bÄk]
wieder auf die Füße kommen
challenge [(tSÄlIndZ]
Herausforderung; hier auch: Chance
cope [kEUp]
klarkommen
cripple sb./sth. [(krIp&l]
jmdn./etw. lähmen; hier: stark beeinträchtigen
fall apart [)fO:l E(pA:t]
etwa: einen Zusammenbruch erleiden
family fortune [)fÄmli (fO:tSEn] Familienschicksal
haunt sb. [hO:nt]
jmdn. verfolgen
nurture sth. [(n§:tSE]
etw. hegen; entwickeln
physical exhaustion [)fIzIk&l Ig(zO:stSEn] körperliche Erschöpfung
pile on the pressure
den Druck erhöhen
[)paI&l )Qn DE (preSE] ifml.
refugee [)refju(dZi:]
Flüchtling
resilience [ri(zIliEns]
(seelische) Robustheit
resilient [ri(zIliEnt]
(seelisch) robust
risk-averse [(rIsk E)v§:s]
risikoscheu
school [sku:l]
hier: Fakultät
setback [(setbÄk]
Rückschlag
sleep deprivation [(sli:p deprI)veIS&n] Schlafentzug
■ Take greater control of your life
and drop all that negative, “can’t do”
thinking.
■ Reduce your stress levels by being
more realistic, by asking others for
support when you need it and by expressing
your feelings more.
■ Learn to be more comfortable with
conflict at home and at work.
Photodisc
Taking control: try to drop
negative, “can’t do” thinking
■ Concentrate on being active so
that you make things work for you.
■ Work on your mental and physical
fitness as a way of reducing your
stress levels.
■ Practise seeing each setback as a
challenge from which you can learn
useful lessons.
If people react constructively to setbacks,
they will indeed learn resilience.
If they don’t, they will be left
vulnerable, risk-averse and prone to
stress. The earlier they learn this, the
better. Resilience is an extremely valuable
life characteristic that can and
should be nurtured. ■BS
ADRIAN FURNHAM is a psychology professor
at University College, London, a
management expert and the author of
more than 60 books. His latest is The Engaging
Manager: The Joy of Management
and Being Managed (Palgrave Macmillan).
plus For related reading-comprehension exercises, see Business Spotlight plus
1/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 77

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Wings
of change
Historic flight:
the Solar Impulse
over the Golden
Gate Bridge
Solar Impulse/revillard/Rezo.ch
Er hat eine Spannweite wie der Airbus 340. Photovoltaikzellen auf seinen Tragflächen versorgen
ihn mit Treibstoff. TOM CHESHIRE befasst sich mit dem Solarflugzeug Solar Impulse, dessen Erfinder
hoffen, mit dieser Technologie eines Tages vielleicht sogar unseren Planeten zu retten. advanced
The wings of the experimental aircraft measure
more than 63 metres from end to end, the same
span as an Airbus A340, but they look weak,
supported on the ground by wheeled struts.
They are covered with 11,268 photovoltaic cells,
which look dark blue in the early hours of the morning.
The four ten-horsepower propellers they power now start
to turn silently. Bertrand Piccard, a 55-year-old explorer
and psychiatrist, puts on his helmet and oxygen mask and
completes his final checks. The Solar Impulse quietly taxies
forwards. The plane is travelling impossibly slowly —
30 kilometres an hour — when it gently raises its nose and
leaves the ground. With air beneath them, the long, thin
wings seem to gain strength; the fuselage that on the
ground appeared almost breakable becomes elegant, like
a long-legged, long-necked bird in flight. It seems not to fly,
though, so much as float. Piccard spends the day steering
the solar-powered plane through the air around the Matterhorn
and lands 12 hours later, after sunset. But the
Solar Impulse is a plane that could fly forever.
In 2013, it crossed the US. It took off in San Francisco
in May and landed at New York’s JFK airport in July,
covering the distance in five stages, with Piccard and the
other project leader, André Borschberg, a former fighter pilot
in the Swiss air force, changing places in the cockpit.
The flight was a remarkable success: the Solar Impulse flew
further than any solar-powered plane before it.
The plane that crossed America is a prototype, with the
name HB-SIA. The next Solar Impulse, the HB-SIB, is currently
being built, and will try to fly around the world in
2015. Solar power can seem the least exciting of clean energy
sources: it just sits there, absorbing the sun. However,
projects such as these seek adventure as they test the
limits of technical knowledge. That the technology involved
might also one day save the planet is a nice bonus.
aircraft [(eEkrA:ft]
air force [(eE fO:s]
fuselage [(fju:zElA:Z]
nose [nEUz]
oxygen mask [(QksIdZEn mA:sk]
span [spÄn]
strut [strVt]
take off [)teIk (Qf]
taxi [(tÄksi]
Luftfahrzeug, Flugzeug
Luftwaffe
(Flugzeug-)Rumpf
hier: Bug
Sauerstoffmaske
Spannweite
Stütze
abheben, starten
rollen
80 www.business-spotlight.de 1/2014

SOLAR AEROPLANES TECHNOLOGY ■
Piccard started the Solar Impulse project because
he had a problem with other fuels, a personal
one — they had nearly cost him his life.
In March 1999, along with British pilot Brian
Jones, he had made the first non-stop journey
around the world by balloon, in Breitling Orbiter
3. “We started with 3.7 tonnes of liquid
propane,” he says today. “We landed with only
40 kilos.” Piccard promised himself that his
next circumnavigation would rely on clean energy
alone.
As remarkable as the Orbiter 3 flight was, Piccard
was flying in a high-tech form of a technologically
obsolete means of travel, the hot-air
balloon. “Orbiter 3 was the end of 200 years of
ballooning,” Piccard says. “But Solar Impulse is
the beginning of a new cycle in the history of
aviation.”
The cycle also represents a new type of exploration,
a new kind of adventure. Piccard knows
about both. His father, Jacques Piccard, took a
submarine to the deepest point on earth, seven miles (11.2
kilometres) underneath the sea to the Challenger Deep, in
the Mariana Trench; his grandfather, Auguste Piccard, a
physicist and friend of Albert Einstein’s, invented a balloon
that he flew to a record height of 10 miles (16 kilometres)
in August 1932, becoming the first person to enter the
stratosphere and to see the curvature of the earth.
Today, according to Bertrand Piccard, the job of the
modern explorer should focus on improving life on earth.
“I think the pioneering spirit is not any more to conquer
the planet, because it’s been done. There have been 12 people
on the moon. Is it useful to be the 13th or 14th one?
The Solar Impulse is a plane
that could fly forever
Luftschiff
Luftfahrt
Ballonluftfahrt
Kohlefaser-
Umseglung, Umschiffung;
hier: Erdumrundung
Krümmung
stellvertretende(r) Chefredakteur(in)
Machbarkeitsstudie
Brennstoff, Treibstoff
Führung; hier: verantwortlicher
Umgang
unglaublich
Flüssigpropan
Marianengraben
Mikrometer
Kollektor, Paneel
U-Boot
airship [(eESIp]
aviation [)eIvi(eIS&n]
ballooning [bE(lu:nIN]
carbon-fibre [)kA:bEn (faIbE]
circumnavigation
[)s§:kEm)nÄvI(geIS&n]
curvature [(k§:vEtSE]
deputy editor [)depjUti (edItE]
feasibility study [)fi:zE(bIlEti )stVdi]
fuel [(fju:El]
governance [(gVv&nEns]
incredible [In(kredEb&l]
liquid propane [)lIkwId (prEUpeIn]
Mariana Trench [)mÄriA:nE (trentS]
micron [(maIkrQn]
panel [(pÄn&l]
submarine [(sVbmEri:n]
I don’t care. I think now the pioneering spirit should be
more about the quality of life, better governance of this
planet. Solar Impulse is a symbol of this. We can do better
now.”
At first, Piccard and Borschberg considered a Zeppelinlike
solar-powered airship but realized it would be just as
difficult to make as an aeroplane and would fly more slowly.
In November 2003, with only a feasibility study of the
project and a model plane complete, they announced the
Solar Impulse project. They spent the next decade finding
investors — their budget, over ten years, is €90 million —
and building the company, based in Lausanne, Switzerland.
At the same time, they were inventing the aircraft
itself. Its solar cells are 135 microns thin,
the same as a human hair. Its motors waste only
six per cent of the energy they consume, compared
with a typical loss of 70 per cent. Its
carbon-fibre panels, which form the structure
of the wings and fuselage, are three times lighter
than writing paper. The new plane, the HB-SIB, can fly
through night and day, clear skies and storms, at a top
speed of 70 kilometres an hour. “We built the first plane
with the technology of 2007,” Piccard says. “We built the
second plane with the technology of 2015.”
With the Solar Impulse, Piccard hopes to change peoples’
attitudes towards solar power and other forms of alternative
energy. “If a plane can fly around the world with no
fuel, nobody can say that we cannot reach incredible goals
with clean technology.”
Adventure pilots: Piccard (left)
and Borschberg in New York
■BS
© Guardian News & Media 2013
TOM CHESHIRE is deputy editor of Wired magazine and author
of The Explorer Gene (Short Books Ltd), which follows three generations
of the Swiss explorer family, the Piccards.
Solar Impulse/F. Merz/Rezo.ch
1/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 81

■ TECHNOLOGY TRENDS
Ideas and inventions
Gibt es Neuigkeiten? CAROL SCHEUNEMANN präsentiert technische
Innovationen und neue wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse. medium
Getty Images
When crowds go wild
He’s heavy:
concert fans
can also be
extreme
If you think that physics, chemistry, mathematics
and computer science are purely intellectual,
think again. Imagine a heavy-metal concert with
thousands of long-haired, wildly jumping, blackclothed
headbangers and you may be inspired to
create a behavioural model of crowd dynamics.
Jesse Silverberg did. Silverberg, a graduate student
of physics at Cornell University in Ithaca, New
York, watched fans slam into each other in “mosh
pits”. The activity reminded him of how molecules
in gas collide. “In mosh pits, the participants
(moshers) move randomly, colliding with one another
in an undirected fashion,” he says. The collective
movement is aggressive and extreme, like
crowds in a panic situation or a riot.
Silverberg and another graduate student, Matt
Bierbaum, used automatic tracking techniques on
videos of heavy-metal concerts to follow where
each person went. With “simple math models”,
they then developed a computer simulation of the
crowd motion and individual collisions.
The team discovered that some fans “flock”, and
follow others, while some struggle to remain in
place. Silverberg hopes that learning how overstimulated,
uncontrolled crowds behave could
make large gatherings safer.
COMING UP
A dose of caffeine: it’s not
your usual cup of coffee
$15
The cost of a bottle (about 40 doses) of
Sprayable Energy liquid caffeine — it is
clear and odourless — that you spray on
your skin.
Source: http://sprayable.co
DID YOU KNOW?
Thanks to awareness campaigns, the number of deaths
from lightning strikes has dropped by nearly 80 per cent
in the US since 1969. More people are struck by lightning
while fishing than during any other outdoor sport, including
camping, boating, playing football or golf.
iStock
150
The average number of times per day smartphone
users swipe their screen to unlock it,
whether to send text messages, make calls,
check the time or activate apps.
Look, no hands! Cows use the
Astronaut without any help
Source: 2013 “Internet Trends” report, KPCB (www.kpcb.com)
lely.com
Astronaut A4
A fully automatic
walk-in machine that
allows cows to milk
themselves.
Source: Lely (www.lely.com)
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov)
flock [flQk]
sich (zusammen)scharen
graduate student [(grÄdZuEt )stju:d&nt] Master-, Doktoratstudent(in)
lightning strike [(laItnIN straIk]
Blitzeinschlag
mosh pit [(mQS pIt]
Moshpit (Gedränge, in dem
Tänzer sich hart anrempeln)
(pit
Grube, Kessel)
odourless [(EUdElEs]
geruchlos
randomly [(rÄndEmli]
willkürlich
riot [(raIEt]
Krawall
slam into sb. [)slÄm (Intu]
gegen jmdn. prallen
swipe sth. [swaIp]
mit dem Finger über etw.
streichen
text message [(tekst )mesIdZ]
SMS-Nachricht
tracking technique
Methode zur Erstellung von
[(trÄkIN tek)ni:k]
Bewegungsprofilen
1/2014

Under control:
valves regulate
liquid or gas
LANGUAGE FOCUS TECHNOLOGY ■
iStock
Vocabulary
actuator [(ÄktSueItE]
Stellantrieb
angular [(ÄNgjUlE]
winklig, Winkelbackflow
[(bÄkflEU]
Rückfluss, -strömung
ball valve [(bO:l vÄlv]
Kugelventil
bicycle tube [(baIsIk&l tju:b]
Fahrradschlauch
body [(bQdi]
(Ventil-)Gehäuse, -Körper
boiler [(bOIlE]
Kessel
bolt [bEUlt]
(Ventil-)Bolzen
bonnet [(bQnIt]
(Ventil-)Aufsatz
butterfly valve [(bVtEflaI vÄlv]
Drosselventil, -klappe
carburettor [)kA:bE(retE]
Vergaser
chamber [(tSeImbE]
(Ventil-)Kammer
check/non-return valve
Sperr-, Rückschlagventil
[(tSek/)nQn ri(t§:n vÄlv]
closure member [(klEUZE )membE] Verschlussstück
deflect sth. [di(flekt]
etw. umleiten, umlenken
diaphragm valve [(daIEfrÄm vÄlv] Membranventil
disc [dIsk]
Teller
dissipate sth. [(dIsIpeIt]
etw. ableiten
distillate [(dIstIlEt]
Destillat
flow control [(flEU kEn)trEUl]
Durchflussregelung
gate valve [(geIt vÄlv]
Absperrschieber
globe valve [(glEUb vÄlv]
Kugelventil
hinge [hIndZ]
Drehgelenk
hydraulic [haI(drO:lIk]
hydraulisch
linear-motion valve
Ventil mit linearer Antriebs-
[)lIniE (mEUS&n vÄlv]
bewegung
needle valve [(ni:d&l vÄlv]
Nadelventil
nozzle [(nQz&l]
(Ventil-)Düse
pinch valve [(pIntS vÄlv]
Quetschventil
piping [(paIpIN]
Verrohrung
piston [(pIstEn]
Kolben
plug [plVg]
(Ventil-)Kegel
quarter-turn valve [(kwO:tE t§:n vÄlv] Drehstellventil
reverse-acting valve [ri(v§:s )ÄktIN vÄlv] Umschaltventil
rotary-motion valve [(rEUtEri )mEUS&n vÄlv] Drehventil
seal [si:&l]
Abdichtung
seat [si:t]
Ventilsitz
steam trap
Kondenstopf, Kondensat-
[(sti:m trÄp]
ableiter
stem [stem]
(Ventil-)Schaft
throttle (valve) [(TrQt&l (vÄlv)]
Drosselklappe, -ventil
trim [trIm]
Garnitur
upstream pressure [)Vpstri:m (preSE] Vordruck
vacuum [(vÄkjuEm]
Saugluft
valve [vÄlv]
Ventil
vent valve [(vent vÄlv]
Entlüftungsventil
vessel [(ves&l]
Gefäss
For more information
BOOKS
■ Valve Handbook, Philip L. Skousen (McGraw-Hill Professional)
■ Valves, Piping & Pipelines Handbook, R. H. Warring (Elsevier
Advanced Technology)
WEBSITE
■ Valve Manufacturers Association of America: www.vma.org
Answers: a−3; b−1; c−3
Mechanical valves
Jeder kennt das Ventil am Fahrradschlauch.
Welche Ventile mit welcher Funktion es sonst
noch gibt, erklärt PAUL KAVANAGH. advanced
Many people’s first experience with valves is probably
with a bicycle tube. A valve is a tool for controlling the
pressure and flow of liquids or gases. The main elements
of most valves include the body, bonnet and disc. The body
holds together the parts inside, which are collectively called
the trim. The bonnet covers the body and its purpose is to
prevent leaks. The closure member, also called the disc,
permits, slows or prevents the flow of the liquid or gas.
The valve industry began in 1712, when English inventor
Thomas Newcomen built a steam machine to power a
water pump, and used valves to regulate the steam. Today’s
valves are opened or closed by hand, with the help of an
actuator, or by using a pneumatic or hydraulic system.
Selecting the correct valve for a specific purpose is essential.
There are hundreds of different valve types, and these
are divided into two main categories, according to their
mechanical motion. In linear-motion valves, such as gate
valves, the closure member moves in a straight line to control
or completely stop the flow. These are used where operating
temperatures and pressure are very high.
In rotary-motion valves, such as butterfly valves, the closure
member moves along an angular or circular path to
regulate flow. This type of valve is relatively inexpensive
and lightweight and is commonly used in car carburettors
to control the amount of air the engine takes in. ■BS
Exercise: Ins and outs
Answer the questions based on the text.
a) The flow of gas through a valve is _______ by the disc.
1. covered 2. heated 3. controlled
b) A gate valve uses _______ motion.
1. linear 2. rotary 3. reverse
c) A _______ valve is used in car carburettors.
1. plug 2. gate 3. butterfly
PAUL KAVANAGH teaches business English at
Flowserve GESTRA and other international firms. He
has created the website www.englishcrossword.com,
which offers free vocabulary practice. Contact:
info@englisch-in-arbeit.de
1/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 83

■ FEEDBACK READERS’ LETTERS
Vokabellisten
Readers’ let ters should be sent to:
The editor-in-chief, Business Spotlight, Fraun -
ho ferstr. 22, 82152 Pla negg, Deutsch land;
by email to i.mcmaster@spot light-ver lag.de;
or by fax to +49 (0)89/85681-210. Please
include your postal address, email address
and phone number. We reserve the right to
edit readers’ comments for clar ity or length.
Zunächst mal, herzlichen Glückwunsch zu einem wirklich
hervorragenden Heft. Aufbau, Inhalt, Themen — alles super.
Ich hätte einen Kandidaten für “Tricky translations”: die
Verwendung von “doch, noch, schon” (still, yet) in der englischen
Sprache — bitte mit möglichst vielen Beispielen. Ist mir
bis heute nicht hundertprozentig klar!
Bernd Matthes, via email
Many thanks for your comments and your suggestion. We will cover this topic
in a future issue of the magazine.
The Editor
Project management
Iwould appreciate seeing an article about project management
again in Business Spotlight. I believe the last time you wrote
about this topic was in issue 3/2008.
Jan Falke, via email
Thank you for your suggestion. You are correct
that our last magazine article on this topic
(“A chain reaction”) appeared in the Business
Skills section of issue 3/2008. But in
Business Spotlight 6/2010, we also devoted
our Skill Up! vocabulary guide to projects and
plans.
The Editor
Cultural clichés?
Ihave been a reader of Business Spotlight from the beginning.
As I work in an international environment with colleagues
and business partners from all over the world, one of my
favourite topics in your magazine is intercultural communication.
However, sometimes your reports seem to be just gathering
popular clichés. Your articles, like the recent one on
Switzerland (Business Spotlight 6/2013), quite often focus on
typical stereotypes, and, of course, you never forget to describe
the Germans as rude and uncultivated while the rest of the
world is really brilliant and sophisticated. (OK, I’m exaggerating
a little bit.)
Gerhart Thomas, Hamburg
Thank you for your feedback. We do try to avoid cultural clichés and it is certainly
not our intention to be negative about Germans.
The Editor
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84 www.business-spotlight.de

2/2014 PREVIEW ■
In the next issue:
iStock
The power of introverts
Do you prefer to work alone instead of in a group? Do
you like to think carefully before you speak? If this
sounds like you, you may be an introvert. In our next
Careers article, we provide you with some practical
advice for the workplace.
Photodisc
NEW SERIES: back to basics
How can you become a more effective communicator
when using English internationally? In the first part of
our new Business Skills series, Bob Dignen offers ten
key tips for becoming a better listener, as well as a personal
training plan to help you improve your skills.
SKILL UP!
Improve your
BUSINESS
VOCABULARY
with our
essential guide
Digital Vision
Test: job titles and professions
One of the most difficult tasks for many native speakers of German
is to translate their job title and profession into English.
For example, how would you translate Sachbearbeiter or Diplom-
Ingenieur? Find out by taking our special language test.
In the next issue...
In the next issue...
INNOVATION
ESSENTIAL IDIOMS: light-bulb moment
FALSE FRIENDS: brave, virtuous
WORD BANK: the innovation process
BusinessSpotlight 2/2014 is on sale from 12 February 2014
1/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 85

■ PEOPLE OUR WORKING LIFE
Kim Williams & Duncan Surridge
Yacht service providers
Aus einem Winter wurden 13 Jahre. Nun bieten sie in Port
Yasmine und anderen tunesischen Häfen Dienstleistungen
für Jachten an, wie sie VICKI SUSSENS erzählten. easy
the superyachts started to arrive, with famous people on
them, including royalty. Another big change has been the
Tunisian revolution. On the night that former president
Ben Ali left the country, everyone came to our yacht and
we had a party. The protests now are peaceful, and most
Tunisians are not violent. We feel safe here.
24/7! Sometimes yachts arrive
at four in the morning. And we make a living.
Duncan Surridge and Kim Williams: owners of YS Tunisia
Kim, 53, Duncan, 63. We have three
children and four grandchildren. They all live in the UK.
Our yacht in Port Yasmine in Hammamet, Tunisia.
But we’re building a house in the north of the country,
which is like the south of France — green and pretty.
We own YS Tunisia, which provides services
to yachts in Port Yasmine and other marinas in Tunisia.
Our clients are captains or owners, people who manage the
yachts and people who fuel the yachts. Fuelling yachts is
a big business here because fuel is duty-free and cheap.
We do almost anything our customers
ask of us. This includes clearing customs, getting visas for
the crew, organizing fuel or tourist work, such as arranging
trips into the desert.
Duncan was a director
of a telecommunications company and Kim was a project
manager. We worked too hard and realized that if we did
not change things, we would burn out. So in 2000, we
bought a boat and sailed to the Mediterranean.
We decided to spend
our first winter in Tunisia and chose Port Yasmine. We’ve
never left! Boat owners asked us for favours, such as looking
after their yachts when they were away. Duncan is an
engineer, so he would do repair jobs, too. When the luxury
yachts started to arrive, we realized this could be a business.
When we arrived, the
harbour was new and there were a few small yachts. Later,
A bit of Arabic and French.
Knowledge of yachts, a
few languages and being very organized. When the yachts
come in, many people want your attention — the captain,
the chef, the engineer. So you need to be able to prioritize
their needs and to delegate.
I enjoy meeting the very different
people who come here.
The bureaucracy. In
the current political situation, you can’t get decisions taken.
We were in the desert with a client
who was riding his various quad bikes, and his girlfriend
suddenly wanted to ride a horse. Where do you find a
horse when you are miles from anywhere? We did in the
end. In this job, you have to think on your feet! ■BS
For more information, go to www.ys-tunisia.com
24/7 [)twenti )fO: (sev&n] ifml. rund um die Uhr
bureaucracy [bju&(rQkrEsi] Bürokratie
burn out [)b§:n (aUt]
sich völlig verausgaben
chef [Sef]
(Schiffs-)Koch/-Köchin
clear customs [)klIE (kVstEmz] die Zollformalitäten erledigen
director [dE(rektE]
Geschäftsführer(in)
engineer [)endZI(nIE]
Ingenieur(in); hier auch: Schiffsingenieur(in)
fuel (sth.) [(fju:El]
Treibstoff; etw. betanken
make a living [)meIk E (lIvIN] sein Auskommen haben
marina [mE(ri:nE]
Jacht-, Segelhafen
Mediterranean [)medItE(reIniEn] Mittelmeer
prioritize (things) [praI(QrItaIz] (Dinge) nach Priorität ordnen
quad bike [(kwQd baIk]
Quad
royalty [(rOIElti]
Mitglied(er) eines Königshauses
think on one’s feet
schnell denken und agieren
[)TINk Qn wVnz (fi:t]
yacht [jQt]
[wg. Aussprache]
86 www.business-spotlight.de 1/2014

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BusinessSpotlight
SKILL UP!
VOKABELTRAINING LEICHT GEMACHT
AUSGABE 24
Retailing
also:
From flagship to internet | Pricing and strategies

CONTENTS
SHOP TILL YOU DROP
“A nation of shopkeepers” is how Napoleon I once famously described the
English (in French, of course). Today, there are more shopkeepers than ever
— and more opportunities to shop without going shopping. From the comfort
of your sofa, you can shop till you drop (off to sleep). This Skill Up! presents
the vocabulary you will need to talk about the retail business.
In Picture This! (pp. 4–5), our illustration shows a typical afternoon at a
shopping precinct, a popular destination for shoppers and non-shoppers
alike — it’s the place to spend money and lots of time. For an overview of
the many different types of stores, products and online platforms, turn to
the Word Bank (pp. 6–7). Our In Focus section (pp. 10–11) presents the
terms you will need to talk about retailing strategies and pricing decisions.
We have dialogues in Essential Idioms (pp. 12–13) to help you learn common
shopping idioms for talking about business situations. And in Small Talk
(pp. 16–17), you’ll find more informal expressions, this time, for talking
about the importance of customer satisfaction. In False Friends (pp. 8–9),
you’ll learn the difference between complain and reclaim.
Finally, in Close Relations (pp. 14–15), we focus on the “sell” word family.
We hope we haven’t sold this guide short.
Deborah Capras, deputy editor
bs.deputyeditor@spotlight-verlag.de
SKILL UP!
As you work through this vocabulary guide,
make a note of words that belong to the
same family (for example, “shop”, “shopping”,
“shoplifter”). Using the words — and
your dictionary — create your own wordfamily
chart. Refer to our chart in
Close Relations (p. 14) for ideas.
As a follow-up, create sentences using the
vocabulary from your chart — together
with expressions from this guide.
SKILL UP! online
On our website, you’ll find selected
vocabulary from this guide in our
Word of the Day section. To listen to
the words, definitions and example
sentences — and to download the
MP3 file of each word — go to
www.business-spotlight.de/skill-up
2 SKILL UP!
ISSUE 24

Doing the shopping:
has nothing changed?
iStock
CHECKLIST: WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Below, you will find the contents of this issue of Skill Up! and a checklist of what you should
be able to do with confidence after studying this guide. Ask yourself what you can really do.
If you can’t say yes to every statement, go back and spend more time on learning the relevant
vocabulary. Don’t forget to read our Skill Up! tips and do the online exercises!
Contents Page(s) Checklist
Picture This!
The whole experience 4–5 I can talk about what people do in a shopping precinct.
Word Bank
From flagship 6–7 I can use the correct terms to describe traditional types
to internet
of shops and online platforms.
False Friends
Lock the warehouse 8–9 I can identify the false friends presented here — and
use the correct translations.
In Focus
Pricing and 10–11 I know the common terms used to talk about pricing
strategies
and retailing strategies, both traditional and modern.
Essential Idioms
Lemons and hot 12–13 I can correctly use idiomatic business expressions that
cakes
have their roots in retailing.
Close Relations
Sell out 14–15 I can correctly use the “sell” word family.
Small Talk
Pushy people 16–17 I can make small talk about shopping and in shops.
Your Profile
A shopper’s guide 18 I feel more confident using the vocabulary in this guide.
Preview 19
Not yet A little Yes!
n n n
n n n
n n n
n n n
n n n
n n n
n n n
n n n
ISSUE 24 SKILL UP! 3

PICTURE THIS!
So much to do
— and buy
1
15
2
5
4
9
10
11
3
6
14
13
7
8
12
Bernhard Förth
THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE
When people can easily do most of their shopping at home, retailers have to work hard
to attract customers to their shops. Here, we focus on a whole new shopping experience.
1. shopping precinct / Einkaufspassage/
centre [(pri:sINkt] -zentrum
(US shopping mall)
shopping and leisure Zentrum mit
destination [)SQpIN En Freizeitangeboten
)leZE destI(neIS&n]
spend a day at the einen Tag in einem
mall
Einkaufszentrum
verbringen
2. high-end clothing Boutique mit
boutique
gehobener Kleidung
3. big spender ifml. Person, die für viel
Geld einkauft
4. single-price store Geschäft mit
[stO:]
Einheitspreisen
4 SKILL UP!
5. multistorey car park Parkhaus
(US parking garage)
6. lift (US elevator) Aufzug, Lift
7. reluctant shopper zurückhaltende(r)
[ri(lVktEnt]
Käufer(in)
8. pickpocket Taschendieb(in)
9. gym, fitness studio Fitnessstudio
work out
(Fitness-)Sport
treiben
What are they saying?
Bargain hunter: “I love it here. I’ve just saved
a fortune.”
Impulse buyer: “I love it here, too. I’ve just
spent a fortune.”
ISSUE 24

Photos.com
10. wine bar Weinbar, -lokal
go to a wine-tasting eine Weinprobe
machen
wine and dine with mit Freunden gut
friends
(zu Abend) essen
11. hairdresser Friseur(salon);
Friseur(in)
get a makeover sich einen neuen
Look verpassen
lassen
12. escalator [(eskEleItE] Rolltreppe
13. impulse buyer Spontan-, Gelegen-
[(ImpVls]
heitskäufer(in)
spend a fortune ein Vermögen ausgeben
go for a stroll round einen (Einkaufs-)
the shops
Bummel machen
[)gEU fO:r E (strEUl]
Experience and service
art gallery
Kunstgalerie
barber shop
Herrenfriseurgeschäft
brow bar [braU]
Augenbrauenstudio
dry-cleaner
chemische Reinigung
florist
Blumenladen
jewellery shop
Juwelier(in); Juwelier-,
[(dZu:Elri]
Schmuckgeschäft
laser salon [(sÄlQn]
Laserstudio
nail bar
Nagelstudio
parking space
(einzelner) Parkplatz
petrol station (US gas station) Tankstelle
photo-processing shop Fotoshop
retail bank
Privatkundenbank
service- and experience- Geschäft, in dem das
oriented store
Einkaufen zum Erlebnis
wird
tech retailer [tek (ri:teI&lE] ifml. Technomarkt
vintage store
Geschäft mit Artikeln
[(vIntIdZ]
im Retrolook
Spot the customers
fashionista [fÄSE(ni:stE] ifml.
foot traffic
loyal shopper [(lOIEl]
prospect [(prQspekt]
shoplifter
Modefan
Laufkundschaft
Stammkunde/-kundin
potentieller Kunde
Ladendieb(in)
14. bargain hunter Schnäppchen -
[(bA:gIn]
jäger(in)
save a fortune ein Vermögen
[)seIv E (fO:tSEn] sparen
window-shop
einen Schaufensterbummel
machen
15. cinema / Kino / Kinoleincinema
screens wände
watch a film
einen Film anschauen
hang out with friends mit Freunden chillen
SKILL UP!
n In the US, people usually talk
about “stores”, but in the UK, people
use “shop” and “store”. In our
lists, we give “store”, unless
“shop” is the only option for the UK.
When there is a completely diffe -
rent US term, we give it as well.
n In the UK, we often use the name
of the profession as the name of
the shop. In this case, we often use
it with an apostrophe plus “-s”. For
example, we can say “dry-cleaner”
and “dry-cleaner’s”. Here, it’s
understood that we mean “a drycleaner’s
shop” but we don’t normally
say “shop” as well. It’s the
same with “chemist”, “hairdresser”,
“florist” and other shops
that use the name of the profession.
Food and entertainment
health-food store
indoor theme park
snack bar
Reformhaus
überdachte Freizeitanlage
Schnellimbiss
ISSUE 24 SKILL UP! 5

WORD BANK
FROM FLAGSHIP TO INTERNET
Retail businesses come in
many shapes and sizes. We
look at the traditional stores
and online platforms.
Shopping today:
social, local,
mobile!
I prefer the
old-fashioned
bookshop
Traditional stores
bookshop (US bookstore)
butcher [(bUtSE]
charity shop
chemist (US pharmacy)
clothes shop (US apparel
store [E(pÄrEl])
concept store
corner shop
(US mom-and-pop store)
cosmetics store
DIY (do-it-yourself) store
[)di: aI (waI] (US home
improvement store)
fabric(s) store [(fÄbrik(s)]
furniture store
gentlemen’s outfitter
greengrocer UK
haberdasher
[(hÄbEdÄSE]
newsagent [(nju:z)eIdZEnt]
(US newsstand)
off-licence [(Qf )laIs&ns]
(US liquor store)
stationer [(steIS&nE]
6 SKILL UP!
Buchhandlung
Metzger(in); Metzgerei
Sozialkaufhaus
Apotheke
Bekleidungsgeschäft
Themenkaufhaus
Tante-Emma-Laden,
Laden an der Ecke
Kosmetikgeschäft
Bau-, Heimwerkermarkt
Stoffgeschäft
Möbelgeschäft
Herrenausstatter(in)
Gemüsehändler(in);
-geschäft
Kurzwarenhändler (in);
-geschäft (UK); Herrenausstatter(in)
(US)
Zeitungshändler(in);
-kiosk
Spirituosengeschäft
Schreibwarenhändler(in);
-laden
sweet shop (US candy store) Süßwarengeschäft
warehouse [(weEhaUs]
women’s fashion
retailer [(ri:teI&lE]
Lagerhalle, -haus
Fachgeschäft für
Damenmode
Types of retailers
anchor store
Ankergeschäft (Hauptgeschäft
im Einkaufszentrum)
big-box store großflächiges, meist
eingeschossiges Kaufhaus
category killer Billigkaufhaus
chain store
Filiale (einer Kette)
convenience store Mini-Markt, Bedarfs-
[kEn(vi:niEns] artikelgeschäft
24/7 ifml. rund um die Uhr geöffnet
department store Kaufhaus
discount store Discounter
factory outlet Fabrikverkauf
fast-food outlet Schnellimbiss(stand)
flagship store Hauptgeschäft
franchise [(frÄntSaIz] Franchise, Franchising
general (merchandise) Gemischtwaren-,
store [(m§:tSEndaIz] Kramladen
limited-line store Fachgeschäft
pop-up shop, Pop-up-Verkauf
flash retailer
single-brand store Filiale einer Handelsmarke
speciality (US specialty) Spezialartikeldiscounter
discount outlet
supermarket
Supermarkt
Where to go
high street
(US main street)
strip mall US
Haupt(einkaufs)straße
Einkaufsmeile
Fuse

What are they selling?
durable goods
consumer electronics
furniture
household appliances
[E(plaIEnsIz]
household items
kitchenware
[(kItSEnweE]
semi-durable goods
langlebige
Gebrauchsgüter
Unterhaltungselektronik
Möbel
Haushaltsgeräte
Haushaltsgegenstände
Küchengeräte,
-utensilien
Konsumgüter mit
einer Lebensdauer
zwischen 6 Monaten
und 3 Jahren
SKILL UP!
When we “do the shopping”, we refer to food items. The
word “shopping” generally describes all the things you
have bought in a store, especially food. If you “go shopping”,
you might be buying food or other, larger items.
Now and the future?
clothing (US apparel
[E(pÄrEl])
fabric(s) [(fÄbrIk(s)]
sporting goods
stationery [(steIS&nEri]
toys
non-durable goods
foodstuffs
[(fu:dstVfs]
perishables
[(perISEb&lz]
personal-care products
Inside the store
self-checkout area
aisle [aI&l]
till (US checkout)
section
shopping basket
shopping trolley [(trQli]
(US shopping cart)
PoS (point of sale)
[)pi: EU (es]
queue [kju:] (US line)
Kleidung
Stoff(e)
Sportartikel
Schreibwaren
Spielsachen
kurzlebige
Konsumgüter
Nahrungs-, Lebensmittel
leicht verderbliche
Waren
Körperpflegeartikel
Kassenzone mit
Selbstbedienung
Gang
Kasse
Abteilung
Einkaufskorb
Einkaufswagen
Verkaufsstelle,
-ort
(Warte-)Schlange
iStock
Non-store selling
automatic vending
machine
catalogue retailer
direct selling
e-tailer
television home selling
Verkaufsautomat
Versandhandel
Direktverkauf
E-Tailer, Online-
Händler(in)
Teleshopping
Online retailers
electronic storefront
expert reviews
in-app purchase
live chat
purchase history
real-time inventory
shopping cart/basket
testimonial
user rating
digitale Ladenzeile
Expertenmeinungen
In-App-Kauf
Live-Chat
Kaufhistorie
Echtzeitbestand
Warenkorb
Empfehlung
Nutzerbewertung
Able Stock
Bricks-and-mortar stores
click-and-mortar store
digital coupons
digital rewards
in-store app
with built-in bar code scanner
omni-channel experience
konventionelles Geschäft
Online- und Filialgeschäft
digitale Gutscheine
digitale Prämien
In-Store-App
mit integriertem Strichcodeleser
Kauferlebnis über alle Kanäle
ISSUE 24
SKILL UP! 7

FALSE FRIENDS
LOCK THE WAREHOUSE
There are many words in German and English that sound similar but have very different
meanings. They are “false friends”. Learn the correct translations of these terms.
attract
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Abercrombie_%26_Fitch_Hong_Hong_store
lock
iStock
What’s locken in English?
locken = attract, lure, tempt
“The shop uses half-naked models to attract
people into the store.”
It’s not lock!
lock sth. = etw. abschließen
“It’s simple — they got into the shop last night
because you forgot to lock the door.”
complain
8 SKILL UP!
What’s reklamieren in
English?
etw. reklamieren = complain
about sth., make a complaint
about sth.
“I’d like to make a complaint. My
internet connection isn’t working
properly.”
It’s not reclaim!
reclaim (land) = (Land) neu
gewinnen
“Hong Kong’s international airport
was built on land that was reclaimed
from the sea.”
reclaim
HKIA Momkey Business

and
mark
What’s Marke in English?
Marke = brand
“When it comes to baby food, customers generally
choose the more expensive brand.”
It’s not mark!
mark = Fleck, Kratzer
“This one has a mark, but I’ll take it if you reduce
the price.”
iStock
Creatas
Creatas
What’s Warenhaus in English?
Warenhaus = department store
“London is home to some of the most
exclusive department stores, including
Harrods and Liberty.”
It’s not warehouse!
warehouse = Lagerhalle, Warenlager
“The goods will be dispatched from our
warehouse within two days.”
department store
M
SKILL UP! Audio
Do a related exercise on
Business Spotlight Audio.
warehouse
Digital vision
YOUR PROFILE
Write down example sentences that are useful to you. This makes it easier to remember false
friends and other tricky expressions.
ISSUE 24

IN FOCUS
PRICING AND STRATEGIES
Today’s shoppers can find out the price of an
item at the click of a button. Store retailers
therefore have to use many different strategies
to make their products more attractive.
Old strategies
bait-and-switch
This is a dishonest retail strategy that is a type
of fraud. It’s illegal in the UK and Wales. Retailers
attract customers with a cheap offer, only to
try to persuade them to buy something more expensive
once they are in the shop — often because
the advertised item has “sold out”.
razor/razor-blade model
This is where retailers sell one item at break-even or
at a small loss to subsidize sales of dependent or
complementary items. Retailers of razors, printers
and e-readers often use this model.
BOGOF
This stands for “buy one, get one
free” and is pronounced [(bQgQf].
Essential vocabulary for prices
anchor pricing
Festsetzen eines
[(ÄNkE]
Ankerpreises
artificially low price künstlich niedrig
gehaltener Preis
cost-plus pricing Preisfestsetzung durch
Gewinnzuschlag auf
die Selbstkosten
cost price
Selbstkostenpreis
fire sale
Notverkauf
high-ticket item
hochpreisiger Artikel
loss-leader
Lockartikel, -vogel
margin [(mA:dZIn] Gewinn-, Handelsspanne,
Marge
odd-even pricing Festsetzung eines psychologischen
Preises
prestige pricing
Festsetzen von
[pre(sti:Z]
Prestigepreisen
price-fixing
(illegale) Preisabsprache
price-skimming
Abschöpfungs-,
Skimmingstrategie
pricing
Preisfestsetzung
promotional discount Werbe-, Aktionsrabatt
recommended retail price unverbindliche
(US manufacturer’s Preisempfehlung
suggested retail price)
steep discount
saftiger Rabatt
trade discount
Händlerrabatt, Skonto
bait-and-switch Lockvogel(angebote)
BOGOF
zwei Artikel zum Preis
von einem
complementary item Komplementärartikel
dependent item abhängiger/zugeordneter
Artikel
fraud
Betrug, Täuschung
razor/razor-blade model Razor-Blade-Prinzip
sell sth. at break-even etw. kostendeckend
verkaufen
subsidize sth.
etw. subventionieren,
stützen
10 SKILL UP! ISSUE 24

New trends
How do you get the
best deal?
mobile wallet
This kind of software or application allows you to make secure payments
with a smartphone. They are used to redeem vouchers or offers and to
identify, track and reward mobile shoppers and customer loyalty.
loyalty scheme
Many retailers offer loyalty schemes
or loyalty cards. Cardholders receive
discounts and are awarded points for
using the cards. Loyalty programmes
usually require that people trade personal
details for rewards.
award a point einen Punkt erhalten
browse for sth. sich nach etw. umsehen
customer loyalty Kundenbindung, -treue
digital voucher digitaler Gutschein
find a better deal ein besseres Angebot
finden
in-store
in-store, im Geschäft
location-based mobile standortgestütztes
offer
mobiles Angebot
loyalty scheme Kundenbindungs-
[(lOIElti ski:m] programm
make a secure payment sicher bezahlen
mobile promo ifml. Handywerbung
mobile wallet
digitale Geldbörse
push notifications Benachrichtigungen
versenden
location-based mobile offer
Geolocation technology allows retailers to push notifications
of special offers, digital vouchers and deals to shoppers who
want to receive mobile promos while they are in the store or in
a nearby location.
showroom
Tech-savvy shoppers like to showroom. They
browse for items in-store and then use their
smartphone to find a better deal online.
receive a discount einen Rabatt erhalten
redeem a voucher einen Gutschein
[ri)di:m E (vaUtSE] einlösen
reward sb./sth. [ri(wO:d] jmdn./etw. belohnen
showroom
einen Artikel real ansehen
und online kaufen
tech-savvy shopper technisch versierte(r)
Käufer(in)
track sb./sth.
jmdn./etw. verfolgen
trade personal details persönliche Daten für
for rewards
Prämien weitergeben
Sell it, buy it — don’t steal it!
Retailers...
adjust prices
Preise anpassen
Artikel bündeln
zum Großhandels-
preis kaufen
einen Preis senken
Senkung
einen Preis erhöhen
Erhöhung
Tiefstpreise anbieten
bundle items
buy at wholesale
price
mark down a price
markdown
mark up a price
markup
offer rock-bottom prices
Shoppers...
bargain over sth.
[(bA:gIn]
get a five-finger
discount ifml.
haggle over a price
look for a bargain
shoplift sth.
steal sth.
um etw. handeln,
feilschen
einen Fünf-Finger-Rabatt
erhalten (ugs. einen
Ladendiebstahl begehen)
um den Preis feilschen
nach einem Schnäppchen
suchen
etw. im Laden stehlen
etw. stehlen
iStock
ISSUE 24 SKILL UP! 11

ESSENTIAL IDIOMS
LEMONS AND HOT CAKES
We use idioms to talk about shopping — and “shopping” idioms to talk about business.
Here, we present some of the most common expressions.
SKILL UP!
First, read the two versions of the short conversations. Then
cover up the idiomatic version and read the simpler version
again. Can you remember how to say the same things idiomatically?
Check that you’ve understood them with our translations.
iStock
It’s over: time to
shut up shop
First, the idiomatic way
Mike: Before deciding which offices to buy, you should really
shop around.
Joan: I plan to. Listen, I heard that Martin Ltd might be shutting
up shop. The owner is selling.
Mike: Interesting. You should take a butcher’s inside.
Now, more simply
Mike: Before deciding which offices to buy, you should really
look for the best price available.
Joan: I plan to. Listen, I heard that Martin Ltd might be closing
down the business. The owner is selling.
Mike: Interesting. You should have a look inside.
Check the translations
shop around sich umsehen
shut up shop den Laden dichtmachen
take a butcher’s* sich mal (an)gucken
* “Butcher’s” is short for “butcher’s hook”,
which is cockney rhyming slang for “look”.
First, the idiomatic way
Joan: Martin Ltd is right next to the shops, so I’ve
just been on a bit of a shopping spree. I
splashed out on a few things, including a
new smartphone. They were selling like hot
cakes. For €400, it was a steal.
Mike: You were robbed. That model’s ancient!
Now, more simply
Joan: Martin Ltd is right next to the shops, so I’ve
just been doing a lot of shopping. I spent
a lot of money on a few things, including
a new smartphone. They were selling really
fast. For €400, it was a great offer.
Mike: You paid too much. That model’s ancient!
Check the translations
shopping spree: be on a ~
splash out on sth. UK
sell like hot cakes
steal: be a ~
robbed: be ~
einen Großeinkauf machen
sich etw. spendieren
wie warme Semmeln weggehen
ein Schnäppchen sein
geneppt werden
iStock
Shopping sprees
are expensive
ISSUE 24

You bought another lemon!
Check the translations
buy a lemon
sich etwas andrehen
lassen
sich dumm und däm-
lich zahlen
vom Laster gefallen
(ugs. geklaut)
pay through the
nose for sth.
off the back of a lorry UK
Purestock
First, the idiomatic way
Joan: You were right. I bought a lemon.
Mike: You don’t look well. What happened?
Joan: I told the guy in the shop what you said.
You know, that basically I’d paid
through the nose for the smartphone.
And he went crazy. Someone called the
police. It turns out that the smartphones
were off the back of a lorry!
Now, more simply
Joan: You were right. I bought a bad product.
Mike: You don’t look well. What happened?
Joan: I told the guy in the shop what you said.
You know, that basically I’d paid far too
much for the smartphone. And he went
crazy. Someone called the police. It
turns out that the smartphones were all
stolen!
First, the idiomatic way
Joan: I haven’t finished. I got my money back
in the end. But on my way back, I met
someone coming out of Martin’s office.
The poor guy’s been taken to the cleaners.
Mike: What? How?
Joan: A couple of his employees had their fingers
in the till.
Mike: Wow! Hey, where are you going now?
Joan: Oh, sorry, it’s been a long day. I need
some retail therapy.
Now, more simply
Joan: I haven’t finished. I got my money back
in the end. But on my way back, I met
someone coming out of Martin’s office.
Someone has taken everything — all his
money — from the poor guy.
Mike: What? How?
Joan: A couple of his employees were stealing.
Mike: Wow! Hey, where are you going now?
Joan: Oh, sorry, it’s been a long day. I need to
go shopping to make me feel better.
Photodisc
Check the translations
take sb. to the cleaners
have one’s fingers
in the till
retail therapy
Who had their fingers in the till?
jmdn. reinlegen,
übers Ohr hauen
in die Kasse
greifen
Shopping-,
Einkaufstherapie
ISSUE 24 SKILL UP! 13

CLOSE RELATIONS
SELL OUT
We can use many members of the “sell” word family to talk about retailing — and other
business topics. Here, we present the family and look at related terms and idioms.
cross- + cross-sell + ing cross-selling
Fuse
out +
outsell
over +
oversell
under +
undersell
up +
upsell
+ ing upselling
sell
+ er seller
+ ing selling
best +
best +
bestseller
bestselling
short- +
short-selling
+ -in sell-in
+ -off sell-off
+ -out sell-out
+ able sellable
un +
unsellable
The “sell” family
bestseller
bestselling
cross-sell
cross-selling
outsell
oversell sth.
sell sth.
Bestseller, Renner, Verkaufsschlager
besonders verkaufsstark
Zusatzverkäufe (mit ergänzenden
Produkten) tätigen
Quer-, Kreuzverkauf
sich besser verkaufen, einen
höheren Preis erzielen
von etw. mehr verkaufen als
geliefert werden kann; zu teuer
verkaufen
etw. verkaufen; umsetzen
sellable
seller
sell-in
sell-off
sell-out
short-selling
undersell sb.
unsellable
upsell
upselling
verkäuflich
Verkäufer(in), Veräußer(in)
Vorabverkauf
Abverkauf
Verkaufsschlager; ausverkauftes Haus
Baissespekulation
unter dem Preis von jmd. anderem
verkaufen
unverkäuflich
höherwertige Produkte anbieten
Anbieten höherwertiger Produkte

Retailing
sell sb. a pup UK ifml. jmdn. übers Ohr hauen
sell sth. at (a price)
sell sth. at cost
sell sth. below cost
sell sth. for (a price)
sell sth. off
sell out of sth.
sell sb. short
sell sth. short
etw. zu (Preis) verkaufen
etw. zum Selbstkostenpreis
verkaufen/abgeben
etw. unter dem Selbstkostenpreis
verkaufen/abgeben
etw. für (Preis) verkaufen
etw. abstoßen, verramschen
von etw. alles verkaufen,
etw. abverkaufen
jmdn. betrügen
etw. nicht gut genug verkaufen
Verbs: sell
Other situations
sell sb. on sth.
sell oneself
sell out to sb./sth.
sell sb. out to sb.
sell sth. to sb.
jmdn. von etw.
überzeugen
sich verkaufen, sich
profilieren
sich an jmdn./etw.
verkaufen; Verrat
begehen
jmdn. an jmdn.
verkaufen
jmdn. von etw.
überzeugen
Useful expressions: sell
sale
for sale
have a sale on sth.
on sale
sales assistant
(US associate/clerk)
sales pitch
sell-by date UK
sold
be sold on sth.
sold out
the hard sell
go for the hard sell
hard-sell approach
the soft sell
soft-sell approach
Verkauf/Ausverkauf
zum Verkauf, zu verkaufen
eine Rabattaktion für etw. haben
im (Sonder-)Angebot
Verkäufer(in)
Verkaufsargument
Haltbarkeitsdatum
verkauft
von etw. angetan/begeistert sein
ausverkauft
die harte Tour
eine aggressive Verkaufstaktik
anwenden
aggressive Verkaufstaktik
die weiche Tour
weiche Verkaufstaktik
IN ACTION: SELL
‡ If you are sold on sth., you believe that
something is very good. It’s often used in
the negative:
“I’m not sold on the idea of reducing the
prices.”
‡ If you can sell sth. to sb., you can persuade
that person to accept something, to
do something or to have something:
“Do you think you could sell your idea to
the boss?”
‡ A shop can sell out of items when it no
longer has the product in stock. However, if
someone sells out (often to sth.), they do
something that shows they no longer have
the high moral principles they once had:
“We’ve sold out of the latest model.”
“He was a punk rocker, but he sold out to
the Establishment.”
USE THE FAMILY
The customer
My local tech shop was having a sale on last
year’s digital cameras. On sale was one that
I had always wanted. Instead of selling it at
the usual price of €800, the store was selling
it for €400. I went down this morning,
but they had already sold out. The sales
assistant showed me this year’s model.
I wasn’t entirely sold on the idea of spending
€1000 on a camera, but in the end, he convinced
me. I hope he hasn’t sold me a pup.
The retailer
If you go for the hard sell, the customer will
know it and will leave. I use the soft-sell
approach. The main problem is that most
sales clerks sell our products short —
that’s why they don’t sell. To sell more, they
have to upsell and cross-sell without letting
the customer know.
iStock
ISSUE 24 SKILL UP! 15

SMALL TALK
PUSHY PEOPLE
Shopping is a great topic for small talk — but small talk can also be an important part
of the shopping experience. On these pages, we look at both aspects.
Situation:
Sue wants to buy a new computer and discusses the
best way to go about it with Joe, her colleague.
On the customer side
Sue: I need to buy a new computer but I can’t face going
to the shops. They overpromise and underdeliver.
Joe:
Order online then.
Sue: But I like ordering online even less. There’s too much
choice. And if I don’t like something, it’s always such
a hassle to return it.
Joe:
What’s wrong with the tech retailer in the high
street?
Sue: Aren’t the sales people there really pushy? They’ll
tell me that I need to buy a premium brand or an
extended warranty... or a service contract. You know
what I mean, don’t you? It’s like when you buy a pair
of shoes and the shop assistant tries to sell you a
waterproof spray. Every single time!
Joe:
Yeah — even when you buy sandals.
Sue: Exactly!
Joe:
The last time I bought a computer, I actually told the
sales guy to go easy on the hype.
Sue: You did?
Joe: Yeah, I told him: “I’ve done my research online —
all I want to do is pick it up.”
Sue: What happened?
Joe:
We had a great chat about the sites that compare
prices. In fact, the customer service was topnotch.
I left a very satisfied customer.
Sue: Really?
Joe: OK, he did sell me a nice little case to go with the
computer that I’ve never actually used.
Sue: You see?
can’t face doing sth.
case
customer service
do one’s research
extended warranty
[(wQrEnti]
go easy on sth. ifml.
hassle [(hÄs&l]
high street
(US main street)
hype [haIp] ifml.
overpromise
[)EUvE(prQmIs] ifml.
pick sth. up
premium brand
pushy [(pUSi]
return sth.
satisfied customer
service contract
tech retailer
[tek (ri:teI&lE] ifml.
top-notch
[)tQp (nQtS] ifml.
underdeliver ifml.
waterproof spray
jmdn. graulen, etw.
zu tun
hier: Tasche
Kundendienst
Nachforschungen
anstellen
erweiterte
Garantieleistungen
mit etw. sparsam
umgehen
Mühe, Theater
Haupt(einkaufs)-
straße
Rummel, übertriebene
Werbung
zu viel versprechen
sich etw. holen
Premiummarke
penetrant
etw. zurückgeben
zufriedene(r)
Kunde/Kundin
Servicevertrag
Technomarkt
erstklassig
schlechte Ware liefern
Imprägnierspray
Fuse
What do I do when
they overpromise
and underdeliver?
ISSUE 24

On the sales side
Situation: Sue goes to the tech retailer, where
Tom is responsible for customer care.
You won't feel buyer's
remorse here
Alamy/Mauritius
Tom: Good morning. My name’s Tom. How can I
help you today?
Sue: I’m just looking, thanks.
Tom: If you need anything at all, I’ll be over here.
Sue: Thanks, but I’m just browsing.
Tom: Just one thing, I see you have a smartphone.
Did you know that we have an instore
app? You can download it on the
store’s free Wi-Fi — and get a ten per cent
discount today.
Sue: Really?
Tom: Yes, and it allows you to do a bit of comparison
shopping. You know, check the
prices online and if you find something
cheaper elsewhere — we’ll offer you a
discount.
Sue: Seriously?
Tom: Absolutely. Also, if you find the product
elsewhere for less within seven days, our
app lets you inform us — and we’ll refund
the difference. We have a price-matching
guarantee.
Sue: That is cool.
Tom: If you feel buyer’s remorse, you can always
ask for your money back within the
cooling-off period. That’s also seven days.
But I’ll let you shop in peace now.
Sue: Actually, I do have a question about the
latest model...
Some useful shopping phrases
n Do you take credit cards?
n Do you give discounts for cash payments?
n Is this item returnable?
n Can I exchange this item if it doesn’t fit?
n What kind of warranty does it come with?
n I’m afraid that’s a bit out of my price range.
exchange sth.
außerhalb seiner Preis-
vorstellungen liegen
give a discount
out of one’s price
range: be ~
returnable
absolutely
browse
comparison shopping
cooling-off period
feel buyer’s remorse
[ri(mO:s]
offer sb. a discount
price-matching guarantee
refund the difference
take credit cards
warranty [(wQrEnti]
etw. umtauschen
einen Preisnachlass gewähren
umtauschbar
aber sicher
sich umsehen
Kreditkarten akzeptieren
Garantieleistungen
Vergleichen von Angeboten
Bedenkzeit
einen Kauf bereuen
jmdm. einen Rabatt
geben
Tiefstpreisgarantie
die Differenz erstatten
ISSUE 24
SKILL UP! 17

YOUR PROFILE
A SHOPPER’S GUIDE
Personalize this guide by adding your own example sentences — which should reflect
words and expressions you need in order to talk about your circumstances.
SELLING OR BUYING?
If you are in the retail business, name the kinds of stores where you sell your products. If you are interested
in retailing only on a personal level, write about the stores where you often go shopping.
Do you shop online or in bricks-and-mortar stores? Do you use in-app stores? Describe your typical shopping
experience. For more practice, see Business Spotlight plus.
Use the idiomatic expressions in Essential Idioms (pp. 12–13) to describe recent events at your company.
How many idioms are relevant to your situation?
SMALL TALK: YOUR VIEW
How do you feel about customer service? Where do you get the best service — where do you get the worst?
Write down your views using expressions from our Small Talk section (pp. 16–17).
18 SKILL UP! ISSUE 24

In the next issue:
PREVIEW
iStock
IMPRESSUM
HERAUSGEBER UND VERLAGSLEITER:
Dr. Wolfgang Stock
CHEFREDAKTEUR: Dr. Ian McMaster
STELLVERTRETENDE CHEFREDAKTEURIN:
Deborah Capras
GESCHÄFTSFÜHRENDE REDAKTEURIN (CvD):
Maja Sirola
AUTORIN: Deborah Capras
REDAKTION: Margaret Davis, Hildegard Rudolph,
Michele Tilgner
BILDREDAKTION: Sarah Gough (Leitung),
Thorsten Mansch
GESTALTUNG: loop grafikdesign München
REDAKTIONSASSISTENZ: Michelle Carstens
PRODUKTIONSLEITUNG: Ingrid Sturm
VERTRIEBSLEITUNG: Monika Wohlgemuth
MARKETINGLEITUNG: Holger Hofmann
ANZEIGENLEITUNG: Axel Zettler
VERLAG und REDAKTION:
Spotlight Verlag GmbH
Postanschrift: Postfach 1565, 82144 Planegg
Hausanschrift:
Fraunhoferstraße 22, 82152 Planegg
Telefon: +49 (0)89 8 56 81-0;
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Internet: www.business-spotlight.de
LITHO: HWM GmbH, 82152 Planegg
DRUCK: novaconcept schorsch GmbH
95326 Kulmbach
© 1/2014 Spotlight Verlag, auch für alle
genannten Autoren, Fotografen und Mitarbeiter.
Cover photograph: iStock
ISSUE 24
INNOVATION
Innovation is not an option — it’s a necessity.
“Innovate or die” is how Bill Gates describes
it. In our next Skill Up!, we present the language
you need to talk about innovation today.
Do we need
modern
offices to
innovate?
ESSENTIAL IDIOMS: light-bulb moment
FALSE FRIENDS: brave, virtuous
WORD BANK: the innovation process
also:
SMALL TALK
Imagine this!
Google

Immer und überall –
deine Lieblingssprache
NEU!
dalango mobile
Sprachen online lernen – jetzt auch unterwegs!
Optimiert für Tablet und Smartphone:
www.dalango.de/togo
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