Business English – Lesson 8

Delegating Tasks

Focus: assigning responsibilities and discussing tasks clearly in a team

1. Review 

A list of topics for a meeting.

Talking about something to share ideas.

A discussion with colleagues to talk about work. 

An idea for improvement.

What someone thinks about something.

2. Useful Phrases (Delegating Tasks)

Could you take care of ___?

Example: Could you take care of the client report this week?

Would you be able to handle ___?

Example: Would you be able to handle the presentation for tomorrow’s meeting?

Let’s divide the tasks.

Example: Let’s divide the tasks so we can finish the project faster.

3. Natural Softeners (to Sound Professional)

If you have time, …

Example: If you have time, could you review this document?

It would really help if…

Example: It would really help if someone could update the spreadsheet.

When you have a moment…

Example: When you have a moment, could you check the numbers in this report?

4. Build Your Answer

Try to build sentences, think of tasks that you do at your job:

- Could you take care of _______________?

- Would you be able to handle _______________?

Possible tasks:

- to prepare a presentation; to write a report; to contact the client; to organize a meeting; to update the spreadsheet; to review a document; to analyze data; to take meeting notes; to check the project timeline

Vocabulary

5. Discussion Questions (Try to use Useful Phrases in Questions 1 and 4)

1. Do you often delegate tasks at work?

2. How do teams usually divide work in your company?

3. What makes task delegation effective?

4. What happens when work is not clearly assigned?

5. Is it sometimes difficult to ask colleagues to do something?

6. What problems can happen when workload is uneven?

7. What helps teams organize tasks efficiently?

6. Example Answers

1. Yes, in my team we often divide work during meetings. Someone might say, 'Let’s divide the tasks. Could you take care of the client's communication?'

2. In my company managers usually assign responsibilities. Sometimes they ask, 'Would you be able to handle the presentation for tomorrow’s meeting?'

3. Delegation works best when tasks are clear. For example, a manager might say, 'Could you take care of analyzing the data?'

4. When tasks are not clearly assigned, people may assume someone else is doing them. That’s why it helps when someone says, 'Let’s divide the tasks so everyone knows their responsibility.'

5. Yes, sometimes it can feel uncomfortable. I usually say it politely, for example, 'When you have a moment, could you review this document?'

6. If workload becomes uneven, someone might say, 'It would really help if someone could take care of the client emails.'

7. Good coordination helps teams stay organized. A team leader might say, 'Let’s divide the tasks so we can finish the project faster.'