Vocabulary Engels

Hoofdstuk 5.1: secondments abroad

Global mobility Movement of individuals as they choose to live, word
and/ or retire abroad.
Secondment A period of time that you spend working for the same
organisation but in a different location.
Secondee A person who is seconded.
Exchange programme An arrangement in which people from different
countries visit each other's country, perhaps to
strengthen links between them or to improve foreign
language skills.
Internship A period of time during which a student or new
graduate works for a company or organisation in order
to get work experience.
Intern Someone, especially a student who works for a short
time in a particular job in order to gain experience.
Big four The four largest audit- and consulting firms in the
world (Deloitte, EY, PwC, KPMG).
Abroad In or to a foreign country or countries.
Adapt To change your ideas or behaviour to make them
suitable for a new situation.
Interpreter A person whose job is to translate what somebody is
saying into another language.
Visa An official document or mark made in a passport that
allows you to enter or leave a particular country.
Accommodation A place to stay or live.
A property agent A person whose job is to arrange the sale, renting or
= an estate agent management of homes, land and buildings for the
= a letting agent owners.
= a rental agent
Retain To keep or continue to have something.
Retention The act of keeping somebody or something.
Skill An ability to do an activity or job well, especially
because you have practised it.
Skilled (at/in) Having the abilities needed to do an activity or job
well.
Settle in To become comfortable in a new place.
International network A group of people or organisations that are connected
or work together globally.
Developmental opportunity A chance to grow and learn new things about oneself
or one’s job.
Brief someone To give someone all the information about a situation
that they will need.
Claim expenses To request money from an employer for something an
employee has paid for.
Pay a deposit To pay money when you rent something, which will be
given back if you do not damage it.
Personal perspective A way of thinking about something that one particular
person has.
Global mobility team The department in a company which supports

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 colleagues on secondment.
Colleague One of a group of people who work together.
Adopt To choose to accept a proposal or idea.
Adoption The act of choosing to accept a proposal or idea.
Adoptive Used to describe that a proposal or idea has been
chosen and accepted.
Assign To give someone a particular job or task or make them
responsible for a particular person or thing.
Assignment A piece of work that is given to someone as part of
their job.
Compensate 1. To pay someone in money and other ways for
work that they do.
2. To replace or balance the effect of something
bad (= to make up for).
Compensation 1. Money paid to someone because they have
suffered injury or loss.
2. The total amount of money and other
advantages that someone receives as an
employee.
Globalise To have business activities all over the world.
Globe 1. The world.
2. A map of the world made in the shape of a ball
and attached to a support.
Globalisation The process of making something such as a business
operate in a lot of different countries all around the
world, or the result of this.
Global Affecting or including the whole world.
Immigrate (to/into a country) To come into a country in order to live there
permanently.
Immigrant (to a country) A person who has come into another country in order
to live there permanently.
Immigration (to/into a country) The act of someone coming to live in a different
country permanently.
Mobilise Start to use the things or people you have available in
order to achieve something.
Mobility The ability to move easily from one job, area or social
class to another.
Mobile Able or free to change your situation, e.g. by doing
different work, becoming part of a different social
class, or moving to a different place.
Process To deal with documents in an official way.
Process A series of actions that you take in order to achieve a
result.
Relocate (to a place) 1. To move to a different place, esp. for work.
2. To move a person to a different place, esp. for
work.
Relocation The act/process of moving to a different place, esp. for
work.
Ship To send goods somewhere by ship, plane, lorry, etc.
Ship A large boat for travelling on water, especially across
the sea.
Shipping The delivery of goods, esp. by ship.
Shipment A large amount of goods sent together to a place, or

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 the act of sending them.
Tax To charge (= ask money) a tax on something.
Tax An amount of money that you must pay to the govt (=
government) according to your income, property,
goods, etc. and that is used to pay for public services.
Taxation The system of charging taxes, or the money that
is collected as a tax.
Taxable If money that you receive is taxable, you have to pay
tax on it.
Line manager 1. Your line manager: somebody who is one level
higher in rank than you in a company and is in
charge of your work.
2. A manager who is responsible for the main
activities of production, sales etc.

Hoofdstuk 5.2: relocation and retention

Dealership A business that sells a particular company’s product,

especially cars.
Fully-fledged Completely developed, trained or established.
Independent outlet A shop, company or organisation where products are
sold but which is not owned by the producer of the
products.
Scarce If something is scarce, there is not enough of it.
Labour-scarce Not having enough people to fill particular jobs.
Shortage A situation in which there is not enough of something.
Broad-based Found in many places, wide-ranging.
From scratch From the beginning.
Innovative An innovative idea or way of doing something is new,
different, and better than those that existed before.
Profitable Making or likely to make a profit.
(have) in mind To intend to do something.
-based Used to form adjectives showing the main place or
area in which something or someone works, lives, or
does business.
Equity stake (in a company) The part of a company that a person or organisation
owns, represented by the number of shares they
have.
Employer Your employer is the person or organisation that you
work for.
Employee Someone who is paid to work for an organisation or
someone else.
Compete (with/ against) If one company or country competes with another, it
tries to get people to buy its goods or services rather
than those available from another company or country.
Cover To deal with or direct attention to something.
Secure To get something, sometimes with difficulty.
(be) entitled (to) To have the right to have or do something.
Rarely Not very often.
Seldom Not very often.
Little Not very often or to only a small extent.

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 Only Used to show that something is limited to not more
than, or is not anything other than, the people, things,
amount, or activity stated.
Never Not at any time or not on any occasion.
Not only …, but (also) … Used to introduce two elements in a sentence,
emphasizing the idea that both elements are important
or significant.
No sooner … then Used to show that one thing happens immediately
after another thing.
Not until … Not before a particular time or event.
Not once … Used to emphasise that something has never
happened.
Under no circumstances Never, or in no case or situation.
On no account … Not at any time or for any reason.
At no time … Used to say strongly that something never happened
or should never happen.
In no way … Not at all.

Hoofdstuk 5.3: giving feedback on performance

Performance review (= A meeting between an employee and a manager to

appraisal) discuss the quality of the employee’s work and areas
for future progress.
Pros and cons The advantages and disadvantages of something,
which you consider when making a decision about it.
Achieve To successfully reach a desired result by effort, skill or
courage.
Excel To do something very well, or much better than most
people.
Hiccup A minor setback or problem.
Rapport A friendly, harmonious relationship.
Room for improvement Something is not perfect and needs to be improved.
Invoice A bill for goods or services provided.
People person Someone who is good with people and enjoys
interacting with others.
Contribute To do something that helps to make something
happen.
Contribution Something giving or offered to help achieve a goal.
Rewarding Making you feel happy and satisfied because you feel
you are doing something useful or important.
Challenging Difficult but stimulating.
Prioritise To put several things, problems, etc… in order of
importance, so that you can deal with the most
important ones first.
Inexperienced Lacking experience.
Be on the receiving end To be the person who is affected by something.
Time-consuming Taking a lot of time.

Hoofdstuk 5.4: presentations

MBA Master of Business Administration, a graduate degree

in business management.
Fast-track A quick route to achieving a goal.

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 Corporate social responsibility A way of doing business that tries to help people,
(CSR) society, the environment and the economy.
Senior Higher in rank or experience.
Commit To say that someone will definitely do something.
CV Curriculum Vitae, a summary of one’s education and
work experience.
Apply To make a formal request or put something into action.

Hoofdstuk 6.1: strategic alliances

Strategic alliance An agreement in which companies share knowledge

and resources with each other.
Agreement A mutual arrangement or contract.
Codeshare agreement An arrangement where 2 or more airlines share the
same flight.
Competition The act of competing; rivalry.
Competitor A rival business or individual.
Competitive Involving competition; wanting to win.
Resources Assets that can be used to achieve goals.
Industry A sector of the economy.
Airline A company that provides air transport services.
Destination A place to which someone is going.
Objective Able to think about a situation in a way that is based
on facts, rather than on your feelings or beliefs.
Pursue objectives To work towards goals.
Market leader A company that has the largest market share in an
industry.
Network A group of people or organisations that are connected
or work together.
Partner A person or organization with whom one is associated
in a joint venture.
Partnership A collaborative relationship.
Potential Likely to develop into a particular type of person or
thing in the future.
Cooperation Working together towards a common goal.
Sums (of money) Amounts of money.
Investment The act of putting money into something to gain a
profit.
Outweigh To be more important or valuable than something else.
Acquisition When one company buys another one or part of
another one.
Acquire To obtain something by buying it or being given it.
Takeover When one company takes control of another by
buying more than half its shares.
Joint venture A business activity in which 2 or more companies
have invested together and in which they work
together.
Long-term Continuing for a long period of time, or relating to what
will happen in the distant future.
Regulatory approval When a plan or decision is accepted by an official
power that has control over activities and makes sure
they are done in a satisfactory way.
Equity stake When a company or organisation owns shares in a

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 business.
Shareholder Someone who owns shares in a company or
business.
Synergy The additional effectiveness, advantages or profits
that are produced when 2 or more companies or
people work together and combine their ideas and
resources.
Turnaround A complete change from a bad situation to a good
one.
Win-win Ending well for everyone involved in it.
Domestic market The market within a country.
Gain an advantage To obtain a favourable position.
Build a foundation To do the work that makes it possible for something to
be successful in the future.
Strong presence (in a market) Being well-established and influential in a market.
Share knowledge and To exchange information and assets for mutual
resources benefit.
Greater access The ability or opportunity to do or use something.
Expand your business To make a company or business bigger by opening
new shops, factories, etc… or to become bigger by
doing this.

Hoofdstuk 6.2: business partnerships

Brand Type of product

Trademark A special name, sign or word that is marked on a
product to show that it is made by a particular
company, that cannot be used by any other company.
Efficiency The quality of doing something well and effectively,
without wasting time, money or energy.
Leadership The act of leading a group or organization.
Management structure The organization of management in a company.
Ownership The state of owning something.
Stakeholder Someone who has invested money into something, or
who has some important connection with it, and
therefore is affected by its success or failure.
Technology The application of scientific knowledge for practical
purposes.
Merger The joining together of 2 or more companies or
organisations to form 1 larger one.
Merge (with) To join together and become one company.
Friendly (acquisition/ takeover) A takeover that is supported by the management of
the target company.
Hostile (acquisition/ takeover) Relating to a situation in which 1 company tries to buy
another company whose shareholders do not want to
sell.
Pre-defined Described in an exact way that says what the limits of
something are before it happens or is agreed.
Mutually beneficial In a way that is acceptable or good for both or all the
people involved.
Form a (new) company To develop or make something.
Share A portion of stock in a company.
Reissue To issue something again.

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 Join forces To work together with someone to achieve a common
goal.
Consult To seek advice or information.
Business partner An associate in a business venture.

Hoofdstuk 6.3: diffusing conflict

Shy away To avoid doing or dealing with something because you

are not confident enough or you are worried or
nervous about it.
Bad blood (between people) Ill feeling or animosity.
Assertive Confident and self-assured without being aggressive.
Collaboratively In a way that involves 2 or more people working
together to achieve something.
Compromise An agreement that is achieved after everyone involved
accepts less than what they wanted at first, or the act
of making this agreement.
Open (a lot of) doors To create opportunities.
Fall out To have an angry argument or disagreement and stop
being friendly to someone.
Client A person or organization using the services of a
professional.
Burn your bridges To destroy relationships or opportunities.
Take off time (from work) To be absent from work for a period.
Behind schedule Late in completing something.

Hoofdstuk 6.4: learning from mistakes

Inevitable Certain to happen: unavoidable.

Inevitably Used for saying that something is certain to happen
and cannot be avoided.
Perfectionist Someone who is not satisfied with anything unless it is
completely perfect.
Fail fast principle The concept of rapidly testing and discarding failures
to quickly move on to more promising ideas.
Budget An estimate of income and expenditure for a set
period.
Budget to plan the expenditure of money over a set period of
time.
Commission (a project) To formally assign or authorize someone to begin
working on a project.
Construction The process of building something, especially large
structures.
Construct To build or form by putting together parts.
Despite Without being affected by/ in spite of.
Contractor A person or company that agrees to do work or
provide goods for another company.
Background check An examination by an employer of the work history,
qualifications, etc, … of someone who wants to work
for them.
Qualified Having the necessary skills, experience or credentials
for a particular job or activity.
Extensive Containing or dealing with a lot of information and

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 details.
Slow down To reduce speed or activity.
Drill A tool or machine for making holes/ or a training
exercise.
Make provisions for something To make sure you provide what is needed for
something that may happen in the future.
Contingency A plan for dealing with an event or situation that might
happen or cause problems in the future.
Overestimate To think something is better, more important, etc …
than it really is.
Engineer A person who designs, builds or maintains engines,
machines or structures.
(just) around the corner Happening or coming very soon.

Hoofdstuk 7.1: a resilient building

Earthquake A sudden violent movement of the earth’s surface,

sometimes causing great damage.
Richter scale A system used to measure the strength of an
earthquake.
Collapse To fall down suddenly because of pressure or having
no strength or support.
Damage To harm or spoil something.
Damage Harm or injury.
Destroy/ demolish To completely destroy a building, especially in order to
use the land for something else.
Insured loss Damage or destruction covered by your insurance.
Heart of (a place) The central or most important part.
Resilient Strong, not easily damaged, and recovering quickly
after damage or a problem.
Vulnerable to Able to be easily hurt, influenced or attacked.
Engineer A person whose job is to design or build machines,
engines or electrical equipment, or things such as
roads, railways, or bridges, using scientific principles.
Risk analysis A careful examination of a situation or activity to see
what the risks may be and what you can do to prevent
them.
Assess To make a judgment about a situation after thinking
carefully about it.
Hazard to A risk that cannot be avoided.
Pose a hazard/ threat/ problem To cause a hazard/ threat/ problem.
Preventive, preventative Intended to stop something you do not want to
happen, such as illness, from happening.
Resist To try to prevent a change from happening, or prevent
yourself from being forced to do something.
Resistant Not easily damaged or affected by something.
Smart systems Relating to something that is controlled by computers
and is designed to react in a suitable way to changing
situations.
Occupant Someone who lives or works in a building.
Forward thinking Plans, ideas, etc … that are helpful in a way that
prepares you for the future.
Mitigate To make a situation or the effects of something less

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 unpleasant, harmful or serious.

Hoofdstuk 7.2: risk in investment

Groundbreaking Work or research that involves making new

discoveries, using new methods, etc …
Portfolio A collection of shares and other investments owned by
a particular person or company.
Stockbroker A person or organisation whose job is to buy and sell
stocks, shares, bonds, etc … for people.
Variance The amount by which 2 or more things are different or
by which they change.
Volatile A volatile situation is likely to change suddenly and
without warning.
Undergraduate degree A post-secondary degree earned after completing a
program of study, usually lasting 3 to 4 years.
Graduate degree An advanced degree obtained after completing a
bachelor’s degree, such as a master’s or doctoral
degree.
Economics The social science concerned with the production,
distribution and consumption of goods and services.
Revolutionise To completely change the way people do something or
think about something.
Risky Involving a chance of loss or danger.
Supervisor A person who oversees the work of others.
Bond An official document promising that a government or
company will pay back money that it has borrowed,
often with interest.
Return (on investment) The amount of profit that you get from something.
Risk manager A professional responsible for identifying, assessing
and prioritizing risks and implementing strategies to
manage them.

Hoofdstuk 7.3: dealing with risk

Work extra hours To spend additional time working beyond the usual
hours.
Damage limitation, damage The act or process of controlling how much harm or
control damage something will cause.
Scaremongering The practice of deliberately making people worried or
nervous, especially in order to get a political or other
advantage.
Overcautious More careful to avoid danger or risks than you need to
be.

Hoofdstuk 7.4: analysing risk

Identify To recognise or discover something and understand

what it is like.
Probability How likely something is, sometimes calculated in a
mathematical way.
Impact The effect or influence that an event, situation, etc …
has on someone or something.

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 Matrix A grid-like arrangement of elements, often used in
mathematics and organizational structures.
Graph A diagram representing data, usually in the form of
lines, bars or pie segments.
Model A simplified representation of a system or concept
used to analyse and predict its behaviour.
Axis A reference line used in a graph to show the values of
variables.
Plot To mark or illustrate data points on a graph or chart.
Intersect To cross or meet at a point.
Risk rating An assessment of the level of risk associated with an
activity or investment.
Run over schedule To take longer than planned.
Employee turnover The rate at which employees leave a company and
are replaced by new ones.
Handover plan A detailed document outlining the transfer of
responsibilities from one person to another.
Position A job or role within an organization.
Flood An overflow of water onto normally dry land.
Flood To inundate or cover with water.

Hoofdstuk 5.2: communication skills: relocation and retention

Grammar: inversion:
Inversion = changing the normal word order of a sentence. It is used for emphasis in
statements (= nadruk in uitspraak).
Inversion used to ask questions:

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 - You are interested to go to the program (= normal sentence).
- Are you interested to go to the program (= question)?
Inversion with negative adverbials:
They can be used to begin sentences (seldom, rarely, never, little, …). To form it, we put the
adverbial first and change the normal position of the subject and auxiliary verb.
- Never have I been so happy to see someone.
- Not only did he win the match, but he came back from a difficult start.
- Barely had she got back in bed when her alarm went off.
if there is no auxiliary verb, we need to add one. We add do for present simple verbs and did
for past simple verbs.
- Regular sentence: they not only arrived late but they talked throughout the film.
- Inverted sentence: not only did they arrive late but they talked throughout the film.
Oefening: complete using the words and phrases in the box:

At no point – in no way – little – never – not – not only – no sooner – only after – scarcely –
on no account – rarely – under no circumstances

1. were the security guards to blame for what happened.

2. once did the old woman thank me for helping her.
3. seeing the doctor was Theresa allowed to leave hospital.
4. will passengers be allowed to carry more than 2 pieces
of hand luggage.
5. were they late to work, but they also forgot to bring the
reports.
6. during the party did anyone mention that Peter and Julie
were getting married.
7. had Alan arrived in Mexico when he was arrested.
8. did the passengers know that the driver was really an
undercover police officer.
9. do you meet anyone as charming as Mr. Peterson.
10. should unaccompanied children be allowed to enter the
pub.
11. before has the company found itself facing such stiff
competition.
12. had the alarm gone off than the police cars arrived.

Hoofdstuk 5.3: communication skills: giving feedback on performance

Performance review:
Performance review = a meeting between an employee and a manager to discuss the quality
of the employee’s work and areas for future progress.
Preparation for performance review as a manager:

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 - Gather data
- Review goals and objectives
- Seek feedback
- Prepare documentation
- Create a balanced view
Preparation for performance review as an employee:
- Self-assessment
- Document achievements
- Review goals
- Prepare questions
- Be open to feedback
Pros and cons:
- Pros:
o Improved performance
o Goal alignment
o Career development
o Recognition and motivation
o Clarification of expectations
- Cons:
o Stress and anxiety
o Bias and subjectivity
o Time-consuming
o Potential for conflict
o Limited scope

2 approaches to giving feedback on performance:

- Directive approach
- Interactive approach
Directive approach:
Directive approach = be direct and clear. Tell the person what he/ she is doing well and not
doing well. Give clear directions and be transparent about what the expectations are of him/
her.
Characteristics:
- Clear instructions
- Close supervision
- Authority and control
- Quick decision-making
- Structured environment
Pros and cons:
- Pros:
o Efficiency
o Clarity
o Control
o Consistency

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 - Cons:
o Reduced employee motivation
o Limited creativity
o Dependency
o Conflict

Interactive approach:
Interactive approach = ask the person questions about his/ her evaluation of his/ her own
performance, any problems she/ he has had, and guide him/ her towards ways he/ she can
improve.
Characteristics:
- Collaborative decision-making
- Open communication
- Empowerment
- Flexibility
- Trust and respect
Pros and cons:
- Pros:
o Increased motivation
o Better decision-making
o Employee development
o Improved job satisfaction
- Cons:
o Time-consuming
o Conflict potential
o Unclear authority
o Risk of groupthink

Functional language:
- Is there anything in particular that you’re not prioritising?
- I’d like to hear your thoughts on that.
- How would you describe your on-the-job performance?
- You’re consistently imaginative when handling problems.
- What do you think you could do to improve on that?
- There’s definitely room for improvement.
- And you’ve provided strong evidence of problem-solving skills.
- What has been the most rewarding aspect of the work?
- You’ve excelled at making sure everything runs smoothly.
- You’ve certainly achieved everything we’ve asked of you.
- You tend to lack organisation there.

Hoofdstuk 5.4: business skills: presentations

Giving a good presentation:
1. Clear purpose: what do you want to achieve?
a. Convince, inform and entertain.

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 2. Content: accurate, relevant (to your audience), complete, visual support
a. Je informatie moet correct zijn.
3. Structure: intro, body, closing:
a. Introductions: very important. Mag kort zijn, zorg dat de mensen weten
waarover het gaat. (topic, content overview)
b. Body: main information
c. Closing: memorable, summarising sentence.
4. Dynamic delivery: (contact met publiek)
a. Volume, eye contact, enthusiasm, posture, supporting, hand gestures, …
5. Engaging:
a. Keep your audience’s attention.
b. Enthusiasm, use of different media, asking questions to your audience.
Functional language:

Strategies Voorbeeld zinnen

Highlight the positives One clear benefit is that (you will meet new people).
This alone can undoubtedly (enable you to have a
successful career).
State 2 advantages together This is not only (cheaper) but also (quicker).
for impact This gives you the twin benefits of (a bigger network) and
(a better career).
Give data to defend an The evidence from (the survey) clearly shows that
argument (employees want more feedback).
Data on (early career travel) prove without doubt that
(this is reality).
Reduce negative risks What’s the worst thing that can happen? Maybe …
Even if things don’t go well, (you’ll still be able to come
home).
Simplify to make a clear point Put simply, (you need experience of working abroad).
In a nutshell, (travel is not an option, it’s an obligation).
Suggest easy steps for The obvious thing to do is (to talk to you manager).
success It’s simply a matter of (taking a look at our website).
Emphasise possible lost If you don’t (work harder) then you’ll never (be
opportunities promoted).
Without this, it’s unlikely that (you’ll ever reach a top
leadership position).

Hoofdstuk 6.2: business partnerships

Grammar: past modals:

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We use modal verbs to talk about regrets and express disapproval, disbelief and surprise
about the past.
How to farm past modals:
- Past modal + have + past participle
Example:
- I really should have known better.
- You should have solved the problem when we spoke about it several months ago.
- He can’t have told you the details of the acquisition as he doesn’t know them himself.
Past modals:
- Can – could
- May – might
- Shall – should
- Will – would
- Must
Semi modals:
- Need
- Dare
- Used to
- Ought to

Function Modal verb

Regret Should(n’t) or ought (not) to + have + past participle
Disapproval Should(n’t) or ought (not) to + have + past participle
Disbelief or surprise Can’t or couldn’t + have + past participle
Deductions Can’t + have + past participle
Deductions based on evidence Must + have + past participle
Speculation or possibilities Could/ might/ may + have + past participle

Oefening: choose the correct option in italics to complete the sentences:

1. We ought not to / can’t have merged with them as they want to make all the decisions
now.
2. No, they ought not to / can’t have left on time or they would be here by now.
3. They may / must have told their employees about the upcoming strategic alliance as
everyone knows about it already.
4. She could / may have decided to stay with the company and take on the new role that
was offered to her, but she didn’t want to relocate.
5. She ought to / shouldn’t have been more careful about her choice of a business
partner.
6. They couldn’t / mustn’t have known that their new brand would become so popular.

Hoofdstuk 6.3: communication skills: diffusing conflict

2 approaches to diffuse conflict:

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 - Assertive approach
- Collaborative approach
Assertive approach:
assertive approach = involves standing up for your own rights and expressing your thoughts,
feelings, and beliefs in a direct, honest, and appropriate way. It aims to communicate clearly
and confidently, without being aggressive or passive.
Characteristics:
- Direct communication
- Confidence
- Respect
- Control
- Honesty
Pros and cons:
- Pros:
o Clarity
o Confidence building
o Healthy relationships
o Reduced anxiety
o Better conflict resolution
- Cons:
o Perception of aggression
o Risk of conflict
o Cultural sensitivity
o Requires skill

Collaborative approach:
Collaborative approach = focuses on working together with others to find mutually beneficial
solutions. It emphasizes cooperation, shared goals, and collective problem-solving.
Characteristics:
- Teamwork
- Open communication
- Mutual respect
- Flexibility
- Shared goals

Pros and cons:

- Pros:

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 o Synergy
o Improved relationships
o Innovation
o Commitment
o Shared responsibility
- Cons:
o Time-consuming
o Complexity
o Dependency
o Conflict avoidance

Functional language:
- I’ll get straight to the point.
- What If we were to just (meet them and see how it goes)?
- The potential problem I see is (they’ll try to take us over).
- What most concerns me is (our cash-flow problems).
- Would you be prepared to (hear them out at least)?
- I’ll agree to (set up a meeting with ZX).
- I’d like to figure out the issue of (that call).
- What’s your main concern?
- So, we’re agreed on that.
- How would you feel about (collaborating on one project)?
- I’m glad we’ve reached a compromise.
- Let’s raise other ways to (drum up some new business).

Hoofdstuk 6.4: business skills: learning from mistakes

List of questions you can ask:
- What was the mistake and what happened exactly?
- Why did it happen?
- What unforeseen events happened, and with what results?
- What could have been done to avoid the mistake?
- What was your main learning point from this mistake?
- What advice would you give to prevent others from making this kind of mistake?

Functional language:

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 Strategy headings Sentences
Specify the mistake clearly In many ways, I think that the main problem was (a
leadership failure).
Our biggest mistake was (not) to (have regular
progress meetings).
Explain the results of the mistake It meant that (people lost trust in us).
This created the problem that (people had different
versions of the schedule).
Propose alternative past actions With hindsight, we should have (used a project
planning tool).
If we’d spent much more time (getting to know the
other team), we would have (identified problems
earlier.
Describe unexpected problems One thing I hadn’t expected was (that they’d need so
much guidance).
It wasn’t foreseen that (budgets would be cut).
Summarise the main learning The key takeaway for me is (building on relationships).
point My main lesson learnt is (that problems need to be
addressed early).
Summarise the general All in all, (the project has been a success).
experience Considering everything that happened, (I’m very proud
of what we achieved).
Recommend future actions Going forward (I would suggest that project leaders
budget for regular travel).
In future (roles and responsibilities should be defined
more clearly).

Hoodstuk 6.5: writing report extract

Report extract = formal report discussing problems and recommendations.
Structure:
- Background information
- Description of problems
- Action points for the future
Example of a report extract:

Functional language:

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Background information Last year we formed a strategic alliance.
… in the hope of expanding into new markets.
Following the friendly takeover last year …
The intention at the time was to facilitate the growth of
the company ...
Description of problems Our company does not appear to be benefiting as
much as expected.
Problem areas have been identified by …
There is hardly any advantage for us in …
It is clear that the alliance is not working for us.
It is evident that the rewards are not as great as
expected.
As a result of these issues …
Action points for the future … focusing on one specific joint venture.
This change is bound to lead to some structural
changes.
As a result of these issues …
For these reasons, we are considering …
Furthermore, we plan to …

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Hoofdstuk 7.2: risk in investment
Grammar: second, third and mixed conditionals

Form Use Example

Zero conditional If + present simple  Things that are If you freeze water, it
(C.O) present simple generally true, like becomes solid.
laws and rules. If I drink too much
coffee, I can’t sleep at
night.
First conditional If + present simple  Likely or possible If I see her, I’ll tell her.
(C.I) will + infinitive situations. I’ll finish this
assignment by tonight
if I do my best.
Second If + past simple  Unlikely or If I won a lot of
conditional (C.II) would + infinitive impossible money, I’d buy a big
situations. house in the country.
I wouldn’t worry if I
were you.
Third conditional If + past perfect  Imagining a We wouldn't have got
(C.III) would have + past different past. lost if my phone
participle hadn't run out
of battery.
If I’d known you were
in hospital, I would’ve
visited you.
Mixed conditional If + past perfect (C.III) Different past If I hadn't got the job
(I)  would + infinitive action  different in Tokyo, I wouldn't be
(C.II) present result. with my current
partner.
Mixed conditional If + past simple (C.II)  Different present It's really important. If
(II) would have + infinitive condition  it wasn't, I wouldn't
(C.III) different past have
result. called you on
your holiday.

Zie oefeningen word document op chamilo.

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Hoofdstuk 7.3: communication skills: dealing with risk
2 approaches to risk:
- Risk-tolerant approach
- Risk-sensitive approach
Risk-tolerant approach:
Risk-tolerant = able to accept the possibility that something bad, unpleasant or dangerous
may happen.
Characteristics:
- High return potential
- Long-term focus
- Innovative and bold strategies
- Resilience to volatility
- Diversification
- Strong risk appetite
- Proactive risk management
Risk-sensitive approach:
Risk-sensitive = easily upset or worried about the possibility that something bad, unpleasant
or dangerous may happen.
Characteristics:
- Conservative return expectations
- Cautious and proven strategies
- Low risk appetite
- Low volatility tolerance
- Short- to medium-term focus
Functional language 7a:
- We can deal with issues as they arise.
- We could hire temporary staff as and when we need to.
- It’s impossible for us to foresee every problem (that might arise).
- We’ll take it as it comes; work extra hours.
- I think you’re probably paying too much attention to the media’s scaremongering.
- There’s no knowing for everything.
- We can’t plan what might happen.
- Trying to imagine every possible problem, and then prepare for it, would be incredibly
time-consuming and expensive.
Functional language 7b:
- We need to be prepared for all eventualities.
- The worst case scenario is that the whole day is ruined.
- We should expect the unexpected.
- We need to cover all bases.
- We’re not being over-cautious by considering all the possibilities.
- We’re just doing damage limitation.
- If we’re prepared for anything we’ll seem more professional.
- Those plans give us a lot of confidence.

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Hoofdstuk 7.4: business skills: analysing risk
Risk assessment matrix:
Risk assessment matrix = a tool used to evaluate and prioritize risks by categorizing them
based on their likelihood of occurrence and the potential impact on an organization or
project. It helps in visualizing the risks to facilitate better decision-making regarding risk
management strategies.
Description of model:
- It consist of a grid where:
o Row represent the likelihood/ probability of risk events occurring.
o Columns represent the impact/ severity of these risk events if they occur.
- The intersection of rows and columns helps to classify each risk:
o Likelihood (Probability): Often rated on a scale from low to high (e.g., Very
Low, Low, Medium, High, Very High).
o Impact (Severity): Often rated on a similar scale from low to high (e.g.,
Insignificant, Minor, Moderate, Major, Catastrophic).
- Each cell in the matrix represents a combination of likelihood and impact, with colour
coding often used to highlight the risk level visually.

Use of the risk assessment matrix:

- Identify risks
- Evaluate likelihood and impact
- Populate the matrix
- Analyse the matrix
- Prioritize risks
- Develop mitigation strategies
- Monitor and review
Example of risks:
- Someone forgets their ID/ passport.
- The weather forecast is very bad.
- The flight/ train is overbooked when you arrive at the airport/ station.
- Someone needs a dentist while you are away.
- …

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Functional language:

Talking about risk analysis We need to analyse the situation/ market/ issues so we
can better understand the possible risks.
I’d like to look into things that can go wrong as I feel
there may be some not on our radar.
Identifying risks We can use various methods to establish which risks
we’re facing.
From our analysis we identified 3 main areas of risk.
Talking about probability and There’s a medium level of probability that it will happen,
possible outcomes and if it does, the impact will be low.
It’s very likely that this will happen, so we obviously
want to avoid that.
If that happens and we’re not ready, the effect would be
catastrophic.
Deciding on action Let’s address this one next week.
There is a(n) urgent need to mitigate this one as soon
as possible. We’re going to prioritise this.

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