“Useful English for Online Meetings and Team Communication”

ONLINE MEETINGS

In this lesson, we’ll look at some language for dealing with them so that you can keep things moving.

• To let participants know there is a problem, you can use the phrase:

we seem to be having some trouble with….
or
sorry, but there is a problem with…

For example:
we seem to be having some trouble with the connection.
or
sorry, but there is a problem with one of the microphones.

• To ask for everyone’s patience while you work to resolve it.

Examples:
please bear with us for a moment while we solve this problem.
Please give us a moment to figure this out.

• To provide participants with suggestions about how to solve problems, use the word, try + verb(ing)

For example:
Mel, could you please try unplugging your microphone and then plugging it back in?
Or
Roger, please try closing any programs you have running in the background.

ONLINE MEETINGS (Sound Issues)

Sound issues are common in online meetings. Here are some useful phrases for addressing them.

• For sound that is too quiet use: please turn the volume up.
• If it’s too loud: please turn the volume down.
• If the sound keeps disappearing while someone speaks, tell the speaker:
  your sound is cutting in and out.
• If somebody’s microphone is making disruptive noises:
  we’re getting some feedback from your microphone.
• Internet connection: there is a delay in the connection.
• When all the technical problems have been solved:
  everything is working now, or, everything is working again.
• Quick apology:
  I apologize for the delay there. (formal meeting)
  or
  sorry about everyone. (informal meeting)
• Get the meeting started again:
  all right, let’s get down to business.

MANAGING PARTICIPANT CONTRIBUTIONS

The first tip for maintaining order is to make sure there are established guidelines for how participants will contribute to the meeting. These should be mentioned in the housekeeping rules at the start.

• If there is a hand-raising feature:

“Could I please remind everyone to use the hand-raising button, if they would like to say something we will give you the opportunity to say what you need to say.”

or

“Would everyone kindly use the chat to write questions or comments for now? We will open the floor for questions after Angelica is finished presenting. Thank you.”

• For an informal meeting, you could even say:

“Could everyone do me a favor and use the hand-raising button if they want to add something? Otherwise, we’ll all be talking over each other. Thanks.”

• If someone is constantly asking questions:

“Thank you very much for your input, Philip. If you don’t mind, we’ll let Marjorie finish her explanation now. If you have something else to add, you can write it in the chat.”

Or

“Thanks, Nancy. We’ll look into that. You can discuss it in more detail with Jim after the meeting.”

• If a participant keeps trying to speak:

“Eric, I see you have your hand up again, but Pauline has been waiting for a chance to say something. We’ll come back to you in a moment, if you don’t mind. Go ahead, Pauline.”

By politely reminding participants of the rules and tactfully managing interruptions, you can keep the meeting moving smoothly and ensure everyone has the chance to be heard.

ONLINE MEETINGS: MANAGING MULTIPLE PRESENTERS

When multiple people are going to make presentations during a meeting, the transition from one presenter to another can be a cause of confusion and stress. Let’s review some language you can use to keep things organized and minimize the stress.

• When a presenter has finished:

thank you very much, Rebecca for explaining the new policy.

• Introduce the next presenter:

and now, Mike will talk to us about the status of the city hall project.
or
we’ll now turn to Isabel who will explain the new reimbursement policy.

• Informal:

now we’ll turn it over to Mike…
next up, Isabel…

• During transitions:

please bear with us for a moment while we get the slides ready.
or
give us just a moment to pull up the right slides. And thank you for your patience.

MANAGING INTERRUPTIONS

Interruptions are an inevitable part of any meeting, especially online meetings. You need to handle them tactfully.

• If a participant interrupts:

“Thanks, Ling, let’s address Ariel’s question and then move on to the next point. Ariel, what did you want to ask?”

• If you allow interruption:

“Ling, you were saying that we are in talks with a new telecom provider. Please continue.”

• If you do NOT allow interruption:

“If you don’t mind, I’ll address that later in the meeting.”
or
“I’ll come back to that during the question and answer session.”

• If moderating:

“Thank you, Steven, let’s please allow Raj to finish his presentation and then come back to that point.”
or
“Let’s return to that issue after Maya has finished her status report.”