Building Relationships

Building Relationships What are the most important relationships for you?... At your workplace? At your place of study? Outside your workplace? What do you need to build good relationships?

Vocabulary Positive Negative How can you create positive relationships and negative relationships? Positive Negative

Vocabulary Positive Negative Break off Jeopardize Build up Maintain Cement Strengthen Foster Promote Cut off Restore Develop Resume Disrupt Damage Encourage Sour Establish Undermine Endanger Improve

Agree or disagree? If you’ve got a good relationship, Even when the negotiation is already half way to be successful! Even when I’m being confrontational, I’m never personally involved, it’s just tactics! Being aggressive is a perfectly valid way of getting what you want! I hate when people get aggressive in meetings. It’s just not necessary! If I’ve got a difficult negotiation ahead, the last thing I want is to socialize with these people! When people start criticizing, it’s difficult not to take it personally!

Building Relationships Where is my order? I really need it! It was supposed to be here 2 days ago! I have absolutely no idea, but your call is very important for us

High-context and low-context cultures In a high-context culture, people understand a lot from the context. In other words, specific criticisms or problems are not spoken about. If you are accustomed to this kind of cultures, you can understand the message from the context, rather than from what is said. Another way of putting this is to say that the message is implicit, rather than explicit. In a high-context culture it this important to avoid any negativity. Harmony is maintained by smiling and even saying “yes” to something which we disagree with. Real sticking points in a negotiation are unlikely to be dealt in public. It is more likely that a concession will be offered in private. In this way, harmony is maintained and there is also no loss of face. In a low-context culture, people are far more explicit. Nothing is left to chance. The risk of miscomprehension is too great. Everything must be written down and clarified and , if possible, reinforced by a legal contract. Tolerance to negativity is therefore higher. People would prefer to say “no’’ rather than run the risk of being misunderstood. When these two cultures come into contact with each other in a tough negotiation, the western low=-context model often dominates. However, westerns need to be sensitive to the approach that will dominate when doing business in a high-context culture.

PHRASAL VERBS Compile / write down GET ON Depend on / rely on COUNT ON Cancel BUILD UP Keep / maintain HOLD ON TO Have a friendly relationship PUT OFF Arrange SOUND OUT Make bigger / stronger LET DOWN Disappoint SET UP Postpone / delay DRAW UP Find out opinions / intentions CALL OFF

1 2 3 4 Negotiating Exerting pressure Making concessions If you can… we’ll have to look elsewhere… I’m afraid we’ll have to call it a day unless… Making concessions We could offer you… We might consider… What would you say if we offer you… We might be able to… Attaching conditions But we would want… … as long as … … on one condition… … provided that… Am I out? 1 2 3 4 You finally have a contract with a costumer to supply certain number of pieces. When they first order, the number is less than agreed You’ve just received your credit card’s balance sheet with a “ghost” charge for $1,500 Because of bad economical situation, you have to let go a partner without full settlement You have been waiting a long time to be served in a shop. Finally, when is your turn, the system goes down.