University of Foreign Languages and International Studies Chapter 11

DIVISION OF ENGLISH FOR SPECIAL PURPOSES Professionalism at Work:

Student’s name: Phạm Trà My
Business Etiquette, Ethics,
Teamwork, and Meetings
Date of birth: 21040400
Fill the gap with a suitable word or phrase. Use textbook as a reference.

Outcome 1: Defining Professional Behavior

Following is some synonyms that attempt to define professional behavior to foster
positive workplace relations:
 Civility: behavior that is considered (1) polite and considerate of others.
 Polish: nonverbal techniques that are linked to career success, such as
making first impressions, shaking hands, improving one’s voice quality,
listening, and presentation skills.
 (2) Business and Dining etiquette: Proper business attire, table manner
 Social intelligence: the ability to (3) get along well, be perceptive, show
sensitivity toward others, and grasp a situation quickly and accurately.
 Soft skills: a whole cluster of personal qualities, habits, attitudes,
communication skills, and social graces.

Outcome 2: How to Be Professional on the Job

There are six main dimensions of professional behavior at work. For each of
following component, identify the corresponding dimension:
 (4) Appearance - Appeal:
 Present yourself pleasantly with good hygiene and grooming.
 Choose attractive, yet not distracting business attire.
 Display proper business and dining etiquette.
 (5) Tolerance - Tact:
 Demonstrate self-control.
 Stay away from public arguments and disagreements
 Keep personal opinions of people private.
 (6) Courtesy - Respect:
 Be punctual.
 Speak and write clearly.
 Apologize for errors or misunderstandings.
 Accept constructive criticism.
 Provide fair and gentle feedback.
 Active listening.
 (7) Honesty - Ethics:
 Avoid even the smallest lies at all cost.
 Pay for services and products promptly.
 Keep confidential information confidential.
 Avoid vengeful behavior when you feel wronged.
  (8) Reliability - Diligence:
 Follow through on commitments.
 Keep promises and deadlines.
 (9) Collegiality - Sharing:
 Strive for excellence at all times.
 Give to customers more than they expect.
 Be prepared before meetings and when presenting reports.
 Show a willingness to share expertise.

Outcome 3: Using Your Voice as a Communication Tool

 Pronunciation: Proper pronunciation involves saying words (10) correctly
and (11) clearly with the accepted sounds and accented syllables. To
improve your pronunciation skills, listen carefully to educated people, look
words up in the dictionary, and practice.
 Voice Quality: The quality of your voice identifies your personality and
your (12) mood. To check your voice quality, record your voice and listen to
it critically.
 Pitch: Pitch refers to sound vibration frequency; that is, the highness or
lowness of a sound. Voices are most engaging when they rise and fall in
conversational tones. Flat and (13) monotone voices are considered boring
and ineffectual.
 Volume and rate:
 The volume of your voice is the degree of (14) loudness or the
intensity of sound. You should adjust the volume of your speaking to
the occasion and your listeners.
 Rate refers to the (15) pace of your speech. If you speak too slowly,
listeners are bored and their attention wanders. If you speak too
quickly, listeners may not be able to understand you.
 Emphasis: By emphasizing or stressing certain words, you can (16)
change the meaning you are expressing. To make your message
interesting and natural, use emphasis appropriately.
 For example, “uptalk,” in which sentences sound like questions,
makes speakers seem weak and tentative.

Outcome 4: Promoting Positive Workplace relations

1. Through Conversations
 Use correct names and titles: You can improve your memory of people’s
names considerably if you (17) associate the person with an object, place,
color, animal, job, adjective, or some other memory hook.
 Choose Appropriate Topics: Be sure to stay away from (18) controversial
topics with someone you don’t know very well in small talks.
 Avoid Negative judgments: Workplace conversations are not the place to
(19) complain about your colleagues. No one enjoys listening to whiners.
Moreover, your criticism of others may come back to haunt you when it is
embellished or distorted with meanings you did not intend.
  Listen to Learn: In conversations, train yourself to expect to learn
something from what you are hearing. Being attentive and listening with an
open mind means not (20) interrupting or prejudging.
 Give Sincere and (21) Specific Praise: Probably nothing promotes positive
workplace relationships better than sincere and specific compliments and
appreciation. Organizations run more smoothly and morale is higher when
people feel appreciated. In your workplace conversations, look for ways to
recognize good work and good people.
 Act Professionally in Social Situations: Dress appropriately, and avoid or
limit alcohol consumption when you attend any work-related social
situations. Choose appropriate conversation topics, and make sure that your
voice and mannerisms communicate that you are glad to be there.
2. Workplace Criticism
 When being criticized, you should listen without interrupting, paraphrase and
clarify what is said; if you agree, (22) apologize or explain what you will do
differently; if you feel the comments are unfair, disagree respectfully and
constructively.
 Offering constructive criticism is easier if you plan what you will say, focus
on improvement instead of (23) attacking, offer to help, be specific, discuss
the behavior and not the person, speak privately face-to-face, and avoid
anger.

Outcome 5: Making and Receiving Telephone Calls Professionally

1. If you must make a telephone call, consider using the following suggestions to
make it fully productive:
 Plan a mini-agenda.
 Use a (24) three-point introduction:
 name the person you are calling,
 identify yourself and your affiliation, and
 give a brief explanation of your reason for calling
 Be (25) cheerful and accurate.
 A smile can certainly affect the tone of your voice; therefore, even though
the individual can’t see you, smile at that person.
 Speak with a tone that is enthusiastic, respectful, and attentive.
 Moreover, be accurate about what you say.
 Be professional and courteous.
 Remember that you are representing yourself and your (26) company
when you make phone calls.
 Use professional vocabulary and courteous language.
 Say thank you and please during your conversations.
2. Receiving Telephone Calls Professionally by:
 Answer promptly and courteously.
 Identify yourself immediately.
 Be responsive and helpful.
 Be cautious when answering calls for others.
 Take messages carefully.
  Leave the line respectfully.
 Explain when transferring calls.

Outcome 6: Becoming a Team Player in Professional groups and Teams

 Organizations are forming teams for the following reasons: better decisions,
faster response, increased productivity, greater buy-in, less (27) resistance to
change, improved morale, and reduced risks.
 (28) Positive team behavior includes following team rules, analyzing tasks,
defining problems, sharing information, listening actively to others, and
trying to involve quiet members.
 Negative team behavior includes insulting, criticizing, aggressing against
others, wasting time, and refusing to participate.
 Characteristics of Successful Professional Teams: Small and diverse teams;
Agreement on Purpose; Agreement on Procedures; Ability to Confront
Conflict; Use of good Communication Techniques; Ability to Collaborate
rather Than Compete; (29) Shared Leadership; Acceptance of ethical
responsibilities.

Outcome 7: Conducting Productive Business and Professional Meetings

1. Before the Meeting
 Determining Your (30) purpose of the meeting
 Deciding How and Where to Meet
 Organizing an (31) agenda covers the following information:
 Date and place of meeting
 Start time and end time
 Brief description of each topic, in order of priority, including names of
individuals who are responsible for performing some action
 Proposed allotment of time for each topic
 Any premeeting preparation expected of participants
 Inviting Participants.
 Preparing the Meeting Location and Materials
2. During the Meeting
 Getting the Meeting Started: Start meetings on time and open with a brief
introduction including Goal and (32) length of the meeting; Background of
topics or problems; Possible solutions and constraints; Tentative agenda;
Ground rules to be followed
 Moving the Meeting Along
 Keep the meeting moving by (33) reserving issues that sidetrack the
group.
 The purpose of a meeting is to exchange views, the leaders should
encourage quieter participants to speak up
 Dealing With Conflict: If conflict develops, (34) encourage each person to
speak and let groups decide on a direction to follow.
 Handling Difficult group Members: To control dysfunctional group
members, lay down rules, seat potentially dysfunctional members
 strategically, avoid direct eye contact, assign them tasks, ask members to
speak in a specific order, interrupt monopolizers, and encourage nontalkers.
3. Ending and following up
 Conclude the meeting at the agreed time.
 Summarize decisions.
 Review (35) deadlines and responsibilities for action items.
 Distribute minutes.
 Check to see that all assigned tasks are completed by agreed-upon deadlines.