# A POSITIVE ATTITUDE at Work - Business English communication lesson.

An episode of [Breakout Business English - Improve your vocabulary and confidence using English at work.](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1616739393), 7 Sep 2026, 25 min.

Audio: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2022761/episodes/19766306-a-positive-attitude-at-work-business-english-communication-lesson.mp3

Send us Fan Mail Dealing with negative situations at work with a positive attitude is a great way to make sure that you build a reputation for handling challenges in the best way possible. Your attitude and mindset when things go wrong can also connect directly to the opportunities that you have for career growth and promotion. Today we’re talking about the vibes that you bring to the workplace. We talk about clarifying information when people misunderstand you, and how to make sure that you always look on the bright side. Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, DET or Cambridge English tests and exams then you might find some of the vocabulary in this episode really useful. This podcast is all about helping you to communicate better, in English, at work. I work with international English speakers from around the world who use English, at work, as a second or third language and I hope that I can bring some of the ideas, vocabulary, and grammar, from those sessions, to you in this podcast. - Book a one-to-one coaching session with me at breakoutbusinessenglish.com - Use code PODCAST30 for 30% off your first coaching session Do you want to see what I do? Click here: https://youtu.be/CpkSqdI1JAU?si=YNzbpTQy899L5D9G Don’t forget that my full time job is helping international professionals who use English at work to improve their communication skills. So, if you need English to do your job but don’t speak it natively then maybe we can work together to help you to achieve your language goals. - Don’t forget to leave a review, and request future topics! - New episodes released every Monday - Watch English speaking analysis on the Breakout Business English YouTube channel #businessenglish #englishtips #englishclass #IELTS Support the show Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com

## Transcript

[0:01] Chris: Welcome back to the Breakout Business English Podcast.
[0:06] Chris: My name is Chris.
[0:08] Chris: I'm a business English and communication coach, and I've personally worked with over 1,000 international professionals, likely just like you, to improve the way that they communicate at work in English.
[0:24] Chris: Thank you so much for listening and for your time.
[0:27] Chris: I know how valuable it is.
[0:29] Chris: And our topic today is dealing with negative situations with a positive attitude.
[0:38] Chris: And one thing that I should address before that is that this is probably going to be the first breakout business English video podcast, if I can figure out the editing workflow and get the editing done relatively quickly.
[0:59] Chris: It's just me over here.
[1:01] Chris: So I'm quite used to editing audio at this point.
[1:05] Chris: I can get that edited quite quickly, but video, we'll see.
[1:10] Chris: We'll see how this works.
[1:11] Chris: We're going to try it for a couple of weeks and see how we do.
[1:15] Chris: So if you're watching this on video, hi.
[1:19] Chris: So recently we spent a couple of weeks on the podcast discussing Gen Z and how to manage Gen Z team members.
[1:32] Chris: It seems fitting then that we start today's podcast with some very Gen Z vocabulary.
[1:43] Chris: So let's talk about vibes.
[1:47] Chris: Vibes are the way that you make people feel.
[1:53] Chris: The way the atmosphere in the room changes when you are there.
[1:59] Chris: If you've got bad vibes, then maybe people leave the break room when you go to make a cup of coffee.
[2:09] Chris: People like to work with people who have good vibes.
[2:14] Chris: Importantly, this also means that people like to hire and promote people with good vibes.
[2:24] Chris: With that in mind, we're going to talk today about one very specific way that you can be one of those people who brings a positive feeling into the room with you.
[2:40] Chris: There are lots of situations at work that have bad vibes, situations where we need to bring negativity into the conversation or into the room.
[2:54] Chris: The skill I want to talk about is how to take those situations and talk about them in a positive way.
[3:03] Chris: Today we're talking about how we can change our language and communication style to turn those negative situations into more positive ones.
[3:16] Chris: Let's start with those times that you might be misunderstood at work.
[3:23] Chris: A few days ago, I was doing some interview coaching with a client who works in finance.
[3:32] Chris: After one particular question, I asked a follow-up, which he responded to by saying, No, that's not what I meant.
[3:44] Chris: Now, in a regular interaction with colleagues, this is fine.
[3:49] Chris: Although, of course, it can be better.
[3:51] Chris: It's certainly quite an innocuous answer.
[3:55] Chris: It doesn't really feel bad.
[3:58] Chris: But in a job interview, when the total length of your professional relationship is likely less than one hour, this can feel really negative.
[4:10] Chris: It can feel like you're telling someone that they're wrong.
[4:16] Chris: They failed to understand your point.
[4:19] Chris: They made a mistake.
[4:22] Chris: I really like stand-up comedy.
[4:27] Chris: Here's a quick point about me.
[4:29] Chris: So I really like stand-up comedy, and there's incredible skill in being able to stand on stage for long periods of time and make people laugh.
[4:42] Chris: I certainly think so, at least.
[4:44] Chris: Inside of that field, the field of stand-up comedy, I always think that improvised comedy is even more impressive.
[4:54] Chris: This is comedy that is not planned in advance.
[4:59] Chris: People who can stand on stage and invent comedy right there in front of their audience.
[5:06] Chris: There's a key idea in improvised comedy.
[5:11] Chris: Comedians call it yes and yes and.
[5:16] Chris: The idea is don't think but or no, think yes and so how can we apply this to our job interview situation that I just mentioned?
[5:56] Chris: What we're not going to do is change the content of what we're saying.
[6:02] Chris: The the facts, the ideas are going to remain the same.
[6:06] Chris: We're still going to correct the listener's understanding.
[6:10] Chris: We're just going to change the way we introduce the correction.
[6:16] Chris: A great word to use here is clarify.
[6:22] Chris: Clarify thats C-L A R I F Y.
[6:28] Chris: I'm guessing that you know the adjective clear, as in to be clear, or maybe the phrasal verb to clear something up.
[6:41] Chris: If something is clear, then it is communicated in a way that is easy to understand.
[6:50] Chris: If you ask whether I want milk in my coffee or not, and I tell you that I don't usually have milk, but it's nice from time to time, then you might not know whether or not I want that milk in my coffee.
[7:09] Chris: However, if I say no thank you, then what I've said is clear.
[7:15] Chris: And incidentally, I almost never want milk in my coffee.
[7:20] Chris: So clarify is the verb form.
[7:24] Chris: It means to make something clear.
[7:28] Chris: It's a great way to take the conversation in the same direction without suggesting that the other person made a mistake.
[7:39] Chris: So instead of saying, no, that's not what I meant, you're misunderstanding this, we can say something like, I should clarify what I said.
[7:51] Chris: We often use the phrase just to clarify, followed by a key point or correction.
[8:00] Chris: For instance, I know there were a lot of details in that explanation.
[8:06] Chris: So just to clarify, the deadline is going to stay the same.
[8:11] Chris: I know that there were a lot of details in that explanation.
[8:16] Chris: So just to clarify, the deadline is going to stay the same.
[8:21] Chris: Offering clarification is a great way to make even negative situations more positive.
[8:30] Chris: No one was wrong, you just needed to clarify.
[8:35] Chris: Another way to think about this is how you put something.
[8:41] Chris: Talking about how you put something.
[8:44] Chris: Therefore, if you're going to clarify what you said by choosing different words and maybe paraphrasing your ideas, another way to say this would be, let me try to put this another way.
[9:21] Chris: Let me try to put this another way.
[9:24] Chris: We often hear things like, I like the way that you put that.
[9:31] Chris: I like the way that you put that.
[9:34] Chris: Which means I like the way that you communicated your idea.
[9:40] Chris: Or maybe to put it simply, we need more time.
[9:45] Chris: To put it simply, we need more time.
[9:49] Chris: Which means to communicate something in simple and direct language.
[9:56] Chris: So the next time someone tells you that they haven't understood what you said, you could help them by clarifying or simply by putting something another way.
[10:11] Chris: And if you want to communicate with more clarity at work, then maybe we can work together.
[10:19] Chris: My full-time job is helping international professionals who use English at work to improve their communication skills.
[10:28] Chris: So if you need English to do your job, but you don't speak it natively, then I would love to meet you.
[10:36] Chris: If you'd like to book some time to meet with me through one-to-one video calls, just you and me, then you can go to www.breakoutbusinglish.com.
[10:50] Chris: That's the title of the podcast, breakoutbusinesenglish.com and find out more.
[10:57] Chris: Starting on our very first call, we can focus on the specific opportunities that you personally have to improve your English and communication skills and the mistakes that you make most often or cause the biggest problems with your communication.
[11:19] Chris: And right now you can use the code podcast30, that's podcast30 at checkout to get a 30% discount off your first booking of 30, 45, or 60 minutes, whichever feels right for you.
[11:38] Chris: Sometimes my calendar gets a little busy, so if you have trouble finding a time that works for your schedule, then you can always send me a message through the contact page on the website and ask if I have any time to fit you in.
[11:54] Chris: I've worked with well over 1,000 non-native English speaking professionals, from new graduates up to CEOs and government leaders to help them achieve their goals.
[12:08] Chris: And I look forward to meeting you.
[12:11] Chris: Okay, let's move on from clearing up and clarifying the ideas that we communicate to another professional situation that feels negative, and that is making mistakes at work.
[12:28] Chris: I think we can probably agree that everyone makes mistakes at work.
[12:35] Chris: Indeed, a lot of people would say that making mistakes is the main way that we build our problem-solving skills and grow into high-quality professionals.
[12:48] Chris: The key question, however, is how do we react when we realize that we've made a mistake?
[12:58] Chris: If possible, it can be nice to react with a growth mindset and maybe even a sense of humor.
[13:06] Chris: With that said, let's listen now to some examples of how we can do this.
[13:13] Chris: Let's chalk this one up to experience.
[13:21] Chris: Let's chalk this one up to experience.
[13:27] Chris: Let's look on the bright side.
[13:32] Chris: It could be worse.
[13:34] Chris: Let's look on the bright side.
[13:38] Chris: It could be worse.
[13:40] Chris: Well, lesson learned.
[13:46] Chris: We won't make that mistake again.
[13:49] Chris: Well, lesson learned.
[13:53] Chris: We won't make that mistake again.
[13:56] Chris: Okay, let's talk about that phrase to chalk something up to experience.
[14:07] Chris: In the first example, we heard, let's chalk this one up to experience.
[14:14] Chris: Let's chalk this one up to experience.
[14:19] Chris: And let's start with this.
[14:22] Chris: What is chalk?
[14:25] Chris: Well, chalk is the stick of white powder that lecturers and professors traditionally use to write on blackboards at the front of the classroom and teach.
[14:41] Chris: I have a blackboard, a chalkboard in my kitchen.
[14:46] Chris: We write things on that everyone in the family needs to know.
[14:51] Chris: Sometimes we just write things on there like Happy Christmas or Happy Easter.
[14:56] Chris: And this is our family message board in the kitchen.
[15:00] Chris: If you've ever seen a movie of a teacher standing at the front of a classroom, then they probably have a stick of chalk in their hand.
[15:11] Chris: However, this is not the only place that chalk is used or has been used.
[15:18] Chris: Another thing that is traditionally written on boards with chalk are scores of games.
[15:27] Chris: For instance, if you're playing darts or pool in a bar or a British pub, then when you score a point, it would be chalked up, which means that someone would take a piece of chalk, walk over to the chalkboard or the blackboard, and write the new score on it for everyone to see.
[15:58] Chris: Over time, this came to have the meaning of something being the cause of something else.
[16:08] Chris: One of the most common uses of this is to chalk something up to experience.
[16:16] Chris: To chalk something up to experience.
[16:19] Chris: However, we might also hear things like he missed the meeting and chalked it up to having a poor memory.
[16:30] Chris: He missed the meeting and chalked it up to having a poor memory.
[16:35] Chris: Or perhaps she always chalks her success up to her great people skills.
[16:44] Chris: She always chalks her success up to her great people skills.
[16:50] Chris: Moving on, look on the bright side is a phrase that we use when something negative or disappointing has happened.
[17:02] Chris: But we want to focus on the positive aspects of the situation.
[17:08] Chris: It's basically another way of saying try to find something positive about this.
[17:16] Chris: Try to find the bright side of this.
[17:18] Chris: For example, if a friend tells you that they didn't get the promotion they were expecting, you might say, that's a shame, but look on the bright side, you've got more time to find a job that's a better fit.
[17:35] Chris: That's a shame, but look on the bright side, you've got more time to find a job that's a better fit.
[17:44] Chris: Or our flight was cancelled, so we're stuck here until tomorrow.
[17:49] Chris: But look on the bright side, we've got another day in Paris.
[17:54] Chris: Our flight was cancelled, so we're stuck here until tomorrow.
[17:59] Chris: But look on the bright side, we've got another day in Paris.
[18:05] Chris: Now, this can be a genuine attempt to cheer someone up, but depending on the situation and your tone, it can also sound a little bit dismissive.
[18:19] Chris: If someone has just experienced something genuinely serious, then saying look on the bright side might come across as stop complaining and focus on the positives.
[18:33] Chris: Having said that, that example about not getting a promotion, yeah, maybe that's one of those situations.
[18:41] Chris: You can also use this phrase with at least.
[18:46] Chris: For instance, we lost the contract, but look on the bright side, at least we learned a lot from the process.
[18:56] Chris: We lost the contract, but look on the bright side.
[19:02] Chris: At least we learned a lot from the process.
[19:05] Chris: At least here is showing the minimum amount of gain that you got from the situation.
[19:14] Chris: So in everyday conversation, look on the bright side means to try to focus on the positives rather than the negatives.
[19:26] Chris: And if there is one thing that I want you to take away from this podcast, maybe as a challenge, if you like, it's to always try to find the bright side, the positive aspects.
[19:41] Chris: Always look for the positive way to react to a situation and process negative information, especially when it comes to your communication.
[19:52] Chris: Not just because it's good for your mental health, and I'm sure it is, but because being the person who brings this positive atmosphere and these positive vibes, that's V-I-B-E-S, that Gen Z vocabulary, these positive vibes into the office is almost always a good thing for your career.
[20:18] Chris: And speaking of vibes in the office and positive vibes, here's a question for you to end today's episode.
[20:28] Chris: I've decided that I need more plants in my office.
[20:33] Chris: Just a couple more to make the place a little greener.
[20:37] Chris: I currently have two real plants on the right of my desk, just to the right of my desk here, which you can't see, even if you are watching the video of this podcast.
[20:49] Chris: And I've got a couple more artificial plants, fake plants, over to my left.
[20:56] Chris: And in the next couple of days, I'm definitely going to be picking up a couple more plants, but I'm still on the fence about whether to go for real plants or just add some more artificial ones.
[21:11] Chris: This is um definitely a challenge to keep real plants alive.
[21:17] Chris: Having said that, I do have to dust my artificial plants from time to time.
[21:22] Chris: I'm not sure that's quite as big a challenge though.
[21:26] Chris: So I'm still on the fence about which to get artificial plants or real plants.
[21:32] Chris: So if you are leaving a review this week or commenting on the YouTube video for this podcast episode, then let me know where you stand on this question.
[21:44] Chris: Should I go for real plants?
[21:47] Chris: Or are you the kind of person who would rather avoid that level of responsibility and go for the fake alternatives?
[21:55] Chris: Let me know.
[21:57] Chris: So don't forget that if you would like to discuss any of the ideas, vocabulary or grammar, etc., in today's episode, or work on your communication skills in general for your career and your professional life, then you can book a session to work with me by going to www.breakoutbusinglish.com.
[22:21] Chris: That's the title of the podcast, breakoutbusinglish.com, or clicking the link in the show notes and use the code podcast30.
[22:31] Chris: That's podcast30 at checkout to get a 30% discount off your first booking.
[22:38] Chris: I've worked with over 1,000 non-native English speaking professionals from new graduates up to CEOs and government leaders to help them achieve their communication goals.
[22:51] Chris: And I look forward to meeting you.
[22:54] Chris: Between episodes of the podcast, you can get videos every couple of days on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
[23:02] Chris: Just search for Breakout Business English.
[23:06] Chris: Also, if there's a topic that you'd like to hear me talk about on the podcast, then I'd be excited to hear your ideas.
[23:14] Chris: Leave me a message or a comment on one of my YouTube videos, and I look forward to hearing from you.
[23:23] Chris: If you're listening on Apple Podcasts, then I invite you to leave a review.
[23:28] Chris: Every review really helps me out and helps to push the podcast to new listeners and to grow the show.
[23:35] Chris: So if you found this podcast useful and you think that there are some valuable things in here, then feel free to write a couple of kind words, and I thank you for that in advance.
[23:48] Chris: That's also another really great place to request the topic for a future podcast.
[23:55] Chris: So that is it for today.
[23:58] Chris: Hopefully, you've enjoyed the first video version of this podcast.
[24:03] Chris: We'll see how this turns out.
[24:05] Chris: And hey, if it uh if it helps the podcast along, then maybe it will be a weekly thing.
[24:12] Chris: Thank you so much for listening and maybe even watching and for your time.
[24:17] Chris: I really do know how valuable your time is, and I really appreciate and respect your choice to spend some of it with this podcast.
[24:25] Chris: I hope you have a great week ahead, and I'll talk to you next time on the Breakout Business English Podcast.
[24:33] Chris: Thanks a lot, everyone.
[24:34] Chris: Talk to you soon.

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