Managing a problem

Read an email managing the problems faced by a member of an international team.

Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and do the exercises.

Preparation

Reading text

From: Jo Backhouse
To: Karl Anderson
Date: 17 October
Subject: Support for Judy

Dear Karl,

I received a call from Judy a couple of days ago to discuss some of the issues that she was having and I thought I'd give you a heads-up on what was said, seeing that you are Judy's project team leader.

Judy really enjoys working with you and the team and finds the project very interesting, but I think she's feeling a bit lost and struggling to see the big picture. It seems that she's been given a fair amount of autonomy to carry out the tasks that you've given her, and of course this level of delegation is not uncommon in your branch. But I believe in her Tokyo office, she is used to a bit more managerial direction and guidance and so is finding this international project quite daunting.

When I asked her about meeting her deadlines, she mentioned that due to the recent changes to the project timeline, her goalposts have been moved, and she doesn't seem to really understand why this has happened. Bearing in mind that she's also facing simultaneous deadlines from her department in Tokyo, we can presume that she might be feeling a bit stretched.

Looking ahead, I was wondering if we could make it easier for Judy by offering her more direction when setting her tasks, at least until she learns the ropes and gets used to working unsupervised. I think she'd also appreciate you giving her a clearer idea on how her role in the team fits into the overview of things. Do you think you could maybe outline the group and individual targets at your next team meeting and that way, everyone not only gets a reminder of the end goal, but each team member, including Judy, might have a more holistic view of the whole project?

I was also thinking it might help to touch base with her every so often to make sure that she's up to date with any changes to the overall plan of attack. In the meantime, I'll write to her manager in the Tokyo office and see how aware they are of the deadlines you've given her, and if they could in some way review her responsibilities and co-ordinate her tasks so that she doesn't constantly feel pulled in both directions.

Judy is an extremely conscientious worker and is eager to contribute positively to the team. Personally, I think she is someone with high potential and will be an asset to our international projects if properly mentored. I'm keen to know your thoughts on the matter and am open to any suggestions on how we could better support Judy so that she has a more smooth-sailing experience on the team.

Best regards,

Jo Backhouse

Head of Department
International Projects

Task 1

Exercise

Task 2

Exercise

Discussion

How do you deal with problems at work? Have you ever had to write an email similar to this one?

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Language level

C1 Advanced

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Really it's Fascinating and good experience for me, this Letter was usefull, I didn't used to write such this but I'll at least imitate. At the side of C1 It's quite difficult and there is a lot of paragraps. In my opinion the Paragraphs in such this context must be easy written and more understandable
Thanks

I'm a still student. I'm not working. I don't write such email ever. Many people think that there is a lots of problems anyone can faced in workplace.

Actually, I feel the same as Judy right now because I changed my job half of the year-ago and honestly don't feel comfortable for today. I still don't fully match in my new team sometimes I feel lost a bit. Maybe because I was on maternity leave for four years and kind of lost something, don't know how to explain, working rhythm or so. Another reason for my uncomfortableness is a lockdown. Due to the Covid-19, we have to spend a lot of time at home not at the office so we work more individually not as a team. That means I have to spend more time to accustom to my new colleagues and so do they. But these problems just make my task harder but not impossible and I do my best to become a valuable part of the project and help us to meet our goals. By the way, despite all my struggles, my company offered me a contract extension. So ... they think I'm doing quite well and I'm glad to know that. Anyway, I'm going on vacation soon so I'll have a chance to recharge my batteries and do my job with new strength.

I have not written an email, but I try to explain the problem and get help from my colleagues.

How do you deal with problems at work? Have you ever had to write an email similar to this one? Firstly , I would break the problems down which allowed me to see the big picture. Also , I might ask my co-worker to help me if they have the ability to help me out to get over it. Finally , i will not make a decision based on thing that is not real or i am not certain about . I have never ever sent an email to someone in my work . what i do is that if i can handle it and solve it i will do it myself otherwise i will send an email

I would like to say that this email is quite hard to understand, it might be another way to write it. I just feel a bit of difficulty while I am reading this paragraph. May you please let's know that it could be work in real-life or it just for the practice. Thanks in advance for your kind explanations.

Hi mxoubi0, Yes, this is an C1 (advanced) level email so it will be quite difficult. It is designed to be a realistic email. You might like to try some other readings in this section, or maybe try another level (e.g. B2). Best wishes, Jonathan The LearnEnglish Team

For me too

Fascinating text, a lot of useful phrases. Task 1 - 100% Task 2 - 100% Thanks a lot!