Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on business English idioms related to strengths and weaknesses.
Walk into any office or staff room and listen to what people are talking about. There’s a good chance you’ll hear people talking about other people. And in many cases those conversations are about what they’re good at, and what they’re not good at. In other words, you’ll find people talking about other people’s strengths and weaknesses.
And it not just gossip. We talk about people’s strengths and weaknesses every time we make a hiring decision, assemble a project team, or delegate tasks. We even talk about our own strengths and weaknesses in these same contexts. Whatever the situation, and whoever you’re talking about, there are lots of English idioms for discussing strengths and weaknesses. And it’s some of these idioms we’ll learn today.
In the lesson, we’ll hear a business conversation between three managers at a mining company. They’re creating a job posting for a new communications director, and they’re discussing the strengths a good Director will have and the weaknesses they want to avoid. They’re also discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the past communications director. The three colleagues use many idioms related to strengths and weaknesses during their discussion.
Listening Questions
1. According to Annette, what did they think of the previous communications director when they hired him?
2. What does Drew say about Carl’s skills with social media?
3. What does Laura say the new director will have to do, especially with an expansion and so much work in the future?
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