Juma's Welcome back to another letter with me, Tom.

Today we're looking at 10 English phrases that are super useful for the workplace.

So if you work in an office environment that uses English this is the lesson for you, Theo.

Okay.

The first phrase that you might hear Keep me in the loop.

Keep me in the loop.

Now.

What does this mean?

Well, they are asking you to share the information that you have with, um, maybe as something progressives.

So, for example, if you're in a meeting on your manager gives you a task and they say okay, and can you keep me in the loop?

All right.

That means they want to share any information that you have or you find with them as you go through the process.

You could also say to loop someone in So you might say to your bus loop you in as I go.

So I will update you.

I will share the information that I have with you as I progressed through the task that I'm doing.

So this is your release for phrase.

If you work in a team environment number two, have you got a sec?

set short for second.

Now, this is something that you would say to someone if you want to speak to them for a short time.

So maybe you have a problem or an issue or some kind of question.

You just ask.

Have you got a second?

You got a sec?

Now?

Another way to say this.

Can I borrow you for a sec?

Can I borrow you for a sec again?

You're just asking for that time you're saying, Can I speak to you for a short amount of time?

So these are phrases You are commonly here in an office environment.

Number three.

Can I pick your brains about something?

So the idea here is that you believe that someone has experience or the expertise or the knowledge about something, and you maybe want to ask them questions, too, to get that information.

So you wanted to share the information with you.

So maybe, for example, I'm working with a colleague and they have a great knowledge off the Chinese economy.

So maybe if I've got a project related to the trainings economy, I might say, Can I pick your brains about a few things, so I would ask them specific questions about that because I believe they have a better knowledge off that world then than I do.

So to pick someone's brains is to ask them questions to get their expertise and knowledge about something.

It could also be asking for their ideas as well.

So can I pick your brains about the new ad campaign?

Maybe you want to get their ideas, their creative ideas.

So, yeah, it could be used in lots of different ways.

And again, another fantastic phrase that you here in the office a lot again before we're having a few teething problems.

Teething problems.

Okay, teething is when a child grows teeth, right?

So when that happens, there's pain.

There's discomfort.

There's change.

Now what we're talking about here is that a project, or whatever the situation is, are having some problems, some initial problems, but that they're not gonna completely stopped the project.

Just that there are a few small problems that we can overcome.

So maybe your company has implemented a new payment system.

Okay?

Andi know everything is working perfectly.

So maybe half the team have been paid half a team haven't been paid, and they're just trying to work out what's wrong with this system.

It's not completely broken, but there are a few small problems.

So, yes, it's something has teething problems.

There are small problems that can be overcome.

Number five, A win win situation for everyone.

So what is a win win situation?

Well, it's a situation where everyone benefits.

So what could be a win win situation?

Well, working from home, the concept of working from home could be a win win situation for everyone.

The employee gets to stay at home, don't they?

Don't have to commute, so the employees could stay at home.

They don't have to commute where and so what could be a win win situation?

Andi, working from home, the concepts of working from home.

So for the employees, they get to stay home.

They don't have to go and commute to work on for the employer.

Maybe they have more space in the office.

OK, so it's less crowded on and they have more.

Maybe they have lots of staff and fewer desks, so they don't have to rent a huge office space.

Something like that.

So it's a win win situation.

Behavior on both sides benefit.

I guess you could have a lose lose situation as well as possible.

Number six.

You hear this a lot.

Let's think outside the box.

The idea of thinking outside the box is to think creatively, to think in a way that we haven't done before.

So it's not the norm.

It's not what we normally do.

If we think outside the box, we think of alternative solutions.

We think more creatively about a problem.

So, for example, maybe a company has only ever advertised on television.

I think we're okay, guys, let's let's try and do something different.

Let's think outside the box.

How can we promote our company?

No, on television, but in another way.

So to think outside the box is to think creatively and to think differently to how you normally do on this phrase.

I hear quite enough.

Could I have a quick word?

Could I have a quick way similar to with ones were talking about earlier?

This is again asking for someone's time.

You want to talk to them Now, this one, I feel slightly different from the other ones.

I feel that it's slightly more serious that the matter that they want to talk about.

The issue is more serious.

So if someone so maybe you say to someone, can I have a quick word?

Because you have a problem.

You have a worry.

Maybe you They've done something wrong.

And you want to confront them about that issue.

But you want to do it in private.

So can I have a quick word?

Yeah.

Often comes before something more serious.

Conversation not just let's talk about you know what we're gonna do for happy hour or where we go for lunch.

Something more serious than that.

Ha ha.

This is a great one.

Let's have a look.

Hands on deck.

All hands on deck.

This means that everyone must help.

Think about the situation.

This would have bean from a boat on.

Everyone on the boat is helping t stay on the ship to safety.

This is over the idiomatic language and therefore the boat is your company or your project, whatever is.

And if we have all hands on deck, everyone is helping.

Because maybe there's a problem.

There's a new emergency, some kind of difficult situation.

So, guys, we need all hands on deck like everyone has to help.

Great phrase if you're working in a team.

Okay, guys, that we got his deadline tonight.

What?

We need all hands on deck.

We need everyone to help.

I think we've got to go back to the drawing board.

So to go back to the drawing board, this means to rethink your idea.

To rethink your plan.

You kind of have to get rid of the old plan and start fresh with a new one because you're going back to the drawing board.

The drawing board is where you came up with the ideas.

Now you're gonna go back there.

Okay.

So maybe the idea you came up with is not gonna work.

Maybe it's too expensive or it's too ambitious.

You gotta forget that one and start against the Sorry guys.

We've got to go back to the drawing board with start again.

And finally, you might hear this in office.

How long is a piece of strength from What does that mean?

So it means that the answer could be anything.

OK, so you're in a meeting.

You're planning the Christmas party on?

Some says, Well, how much is this gonna cost?

And they would say how long is a piece of string like a piece of string could be any size, right?

So the answer could be anything.

There is no answer.

So in this situation, how much is it across?

I don't know.

It could be £100.

It could be £100,000.

Who knows?

OK, guys, those are 10 workplace phrases that you are bound to hear.

If you're working in an office environment using English, then you're certainly going to hear some of those phrases.

Now they are cliche.

Some people really dislike these phrases because they are cliches.

They're, like, really obvious things to say, but they're very effective.

Andi, you're probably gonna hear them.

And that's the most important thing.

Maybe you don't use them, but you might hear them.

So it's important for you to understand what they mean.

If you like more work, place English lessons and please let me know in the comments below.