ESL Podcast 756 - Holding Structured and Unstructured Meetings
to brief (someone) on (something) - to quickly present the most important information about something, especially when there isn't very much time
Each morning, she briefs the president on global economic news.
senior - older, more powerful, or more experienced; a term that identifies the employees who have been with the organization for the longest period of time and/or who have more power, responsibility, and decision-making authority within the organization
The senior account managers are expected to train the new account managers.
to fall to (someone) - to be someone's responsibility, especially as the result of rules or expectations
Responsibility for planning the bachelorette party falls to the maid of honor.
to stand on ceremony - to be very formal, not relaxed or casual; to follow detailed rules or expectations for how one should act and what one should say
Relax! Nobody stands on ceremony around here. Just be yourself.
agenda - a written plan for what will be discussed during a meeting, including the order and how long the discussion will last for each topic
The first item on the agenda is to review and approve the minutes from our last meeting.
item of business - something that needs to be discussed, addressed, or decided during a meeting
Don't forget to include next year's sales goals as an item of business for today's meeting.
down - listed; with one's name written on a piece of paper showing one's responsibility for some task
Jack is bringing a salad, Krystal is bringing a bottle of wine, and we've got Blanche down for dessert.
structured - rigid; planned in detail; without room for flexibility or changes
The initial training is very structured, but later trainings are more flexible.
point-by-point - one item at a time, in order
The spokesperson tried to identify the journalist's complex question point by point.
paramount - extremely important; more important than anything else
We want all of the guests to have fun, but safety is paramount.
to open the floor - to allow anyone to speak, even if the speaker or topic was not on the agenda
At the end of his presentation, Brandon opened the floor for questions from the audience.
to raise an issue - to ask a question or present a concern or worry that previously was not being discussed
Everyone is worried about Charlene's drinking, but nobody wants to raise the issue because they don't want to make her angry.
free for all - a situation where everyone is speaking at the same time in an unorganized way
That was the most disorganized press conference ever! It was a free for all, with all of the reporters shouting out their questions at the same time.
to take the pulse - to assess and understand the current situation, especially related to people's feelings and opinions about something
The CEO often visits the company's stores to take the pulse of customers and see how they are treated by employees.
to speak freely - to speak openly, without restrictions or limitations, especially without fear of getting in trouble for sharing one's opinions
Sir, may I have permission to speak freely?
to make up (one's) mind - to make a decision, especially if it takes a while to reach a decision because one cannot decide which option is best
Helena hasn't made up her mind yet about what she'll study, but it will probably be biochemistry or biophysics.
absolutely not - under no circumstances; no way; impossible; a phrase used to show that something definitely will not happen
May I borrow your car?
Absolutely not! You drove into a tree last week, and I don't want you to do the same thing with my car!
open for discussion - not yet decided, so people can share their opinions and try to persuade others
We've already completed the final product design, but pricing is still open for discussion.