2010年ESL之商务英语 19 Having a Business Mentor

 

19 Having a Business Mentor

GLOSSARY

mentor – a person who provides advice and guidance for free, usually tosomeone who is much younger and less experienced

* Clarke volunteers as a mentor for at-risk teenagers.

advisor – someone who provides advice and gives another person his or heropinion about what should be done or what decision should be made

* At most universities, academic advisors help students decide which coursesthey should take.

regularly – on a schedule; at the same time each day, week, or month

* Do you exercise regularly, or just every once in a while?

feedback – an opinion about how well one is doing on something or whethersomething was a good idea; comments based on one’s evaluation

* At the end of the conference, the organizers requested feedback from theparticipants, hoping to use that feedback to improve next year’s conference.

guidance – advice and assistance about how to do something correctly

* Before you open your own business, ask other business owners for guidanceso that you can learn from their mistakes.

protégé – a person who receives advice, help, guidance, and sometimes moneyfrom an older, more experienced person who wants to help that individual in hisor her career

* Why did you choose Mariah as your protégé? I’m sure many young peoplewould love to have you help them in their career.

to hash (something) out – to discuss something in great detail, evaluating theadvantages and disadvantages, often trying to reach an agreement on something

* They’ve spent the past few weeks trying to decide which type of car to buy,hashing out all the options.

entrepreneur – a person who takes risks and starts a new business to makemoney; a business owner

* Jun is a very successful entrepreneur, having opened more than 20 stores inthe past 35 years.

out of the blue – unexpectedly; without planning or anticipation; without anyprevious connection or relationship

* Out of the blue, I got a phone call from an old friend from high school whom Ihadn’t thought about in more than 40 years.

to accomplish – to successfully do something, especially if it is difficult,challenging, or unusual

* You’ve accomplished so much at such a young age! How did you do it?

to click – to immediately have a good relationship with another person, enjoyingeach other’s company and having a relaxed, flowing conversation

* We met only a few months ago, but we clicked almost instantly and we havebeen inseparable ever since.

to get (something) out of (something) – to receive some benefit from one’sactions or a particular situation

* Corrine gets a sense of pride from her work with the homeless.

pointer – a tip; one piece of advice; a recommendation

* Could you please give us some pointers on buying our first home?

expertise – specialized knowledge in a particular field or subject area

* Dr. Lubchenko is a zoologist with expertise in marine biology.

appreciative – feeling grateful or thankful for something that another person has

* They were really appreciative when we sent them a gift last Christmas.

compliment – kind words showing that one appreciates, admires, or respectssomeone or something

* That man just paid me the nicest compliment, saying I have the most beautifuleyes he has ever seen.

multi- – many; with more than one of something

* Even though he is afraid of heights, he has to work in a multi-story officebuilding.

in no time flat – very soon; very quickly; with no delay or hesitation

* If you keep exercising and eating well, you’ll lose the extra weight in no timeflat.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. Who would you expect to have the most expertise?

a) An advisor.

b) A protégé.

c) An entrepreneur.

2. What does Kenya mean when she says that she contacted her mentor “out of the blue”?

a) She found her mentor’s contact information in the phone book.

b) She didn’t have any relationship with her mentor before contacting her.

c) She contacted her mentor when she was feeling very depressed.

______________

WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

to click

The verb “to click,” in this podcast, means to immediately have a goodrelationship with another person, enjoying each other’s company and having arelaxed, flowing conversation: “My sister and I never really clicked with eachother until we became adults.” The verb “to click” also means to make a shortsound, like the one made by quickly pushing one’s tongue against the bottom ofone’s mouth: “The speakers of Khosian languages in southern Africa click whenthey talk.” The verb “to click” also means to push a button, especially whentalking about computers: “Click the right button on your mouse and then press‘enter’.” Finally, the verb “to click” can mean for something to finally beunderstood or become clear: “Pete had always struggled with calculus, until oneday, everything just clicked.”

pointer

In this podcast, the word “pointer” means a tip or recommendation, or one pieceof advice: “The coach gave Molly some pointers to improve her volleyballplaying.” When talking about computers, a “pointer” is the small arrow on thescreen that moves when one moves the mouse: “Put your pointer on the ‘file’

menu and then click ‘save’.” When talking about dogs, a “pointer” is a dog thathas been trained to find an animal or thing and then stand very still, showing itsowner where that animal or thing is by holding its nose in that direction: “Do youever use pointers when you go duck hunting?” Finally, a “laser pointer” is a smallelectronic device held in one’s hand that produces a thin red light that can beused to direct people’s attention: “The presenter used a laser pointer as heexplained the graph.”

CULTURE NOTE

Business mentors can be very “valuable” (worth a lot) “resources” (things thatcan help one do or build something) for young people who are just beginningtheir career or considering opening a new business. A good mentor can help a“mentee” (a person who receives advice from a mentor) identify opportunities,“evaluate” (determine whether something is good or bad) options, and avoidcommon mistakes.

It is important to identify a mentor who has the right combination of experienceand expertise. In general, a mentor should have at least 10 years more workexperience than the mentee. However, the mentor doesn’t have to work in theexact same industry, as long as he or she has valuable advice to give.

The “interpersonal relationship” (how two people interact) is extremely important.

The mentor and mentee should enjoy spending time together. Their meetingsshould be relaxed and comfortable, never “strained” (uncomfortable, with peoplefeeling forced to do something). The mentor probably isn’t expecting to receiveguidance from the mentee, but he or she probably is expecting to make a newfriend and professional contact.

It is also important to choose a mentor with a good “network” (the people whomone knows, especially professionally, and can ask for favors) and who is willingto let the mentee “tap into” (use) that network. The mentor’s “contacts” (thepeople one knows) can be helpful when the mentee needs to apply for a job, geta loan, or “seek” (look for) technical advice.

Finally, once a mentor has been chosen, it is important to have very “clear” (easyto understand; straightforward) expectations. How often will the mentor andmentee meet, and what types of advice are welcome? “Clarifying” (defining)these things can avoid “subsequent” (coming later) misunderstandings andmiscommunication.

______________

Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – a; 2 – b

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 616: Having aBusiness Mentor.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 616. I’m your host, Dr.

Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California.

Visit our website at eslpod.com. Download a Learning Guide for this episodethat will help you improve your English even faster. You can also take a look atour ESL Podcast Store, which has some additional courses in English.

This episode is called “Having a Business Mentor.” A “mentor” is a person whogives you advice. It’s a conversation between Alex and Kenya. Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Alex: Where are you going?

Kenya: I’m going to meet my business mentor.

Alex: Your business mentor? What do you do with a business mentor?

Kenya: Well, my mentor is like an advisor. We meet regularly and I get herfeedback and guidance with my ideas on starting a business.

Alex: Oh, so you’re her protégé?

Kenya: No, I’m not. I simply go to her with my ideas and she helps me hashthem out. She’s a successful entrepreneur and I’m there to learn from herexperience.

Alex: How did you get her to be your mentor? Were you already friends?

Kenya: No, I contacted her out of the blue, actually. I’ve read about hercompany and her many successes, and I wrote her a letter telling her about meand what I hope to accomplish. She agreed to meet with me, and at that firstmeeting, we really clicked and now we meet once a month.

Alex: That’s very generous of her. What does she get out of it?

Kenya: I’m not sure, but I think she enjoys giving me pointers and sharing herexpertise. I’m very appreciative and she says I remind her a lot of herself whenshe was my age. I take that as a huge compliment.

Alex: You should. If you’re like her, you’ll be a multi-millionaire in no time flat.

[end of dialogue]

Our dialogue begins with Alex saying to Kenya, “Where are you going?” Kenyaresponds, “I’m going to meet my business mentor.” A “mentor,” or “mentor,”

(mentor) is a person who provides advice, help to someone for free, usuallysomeone who is either much younger or someone who is less experienced in aparticular area. So if you decided to become a lawyer – and I hope you don’t –then you may find an older lawyer, or a lawyer with more experience to be yourmentor, to help you, to give you advice, and so forth.

Kenya says, “I’m going to meet my business mentor,” so obviously this has to dowith helping her in her business. Alex says, “Your business mentor? What doyou do with a business mentor?” Kenya says, “Well, my mentor is like anadvisor.” An “advisor” (advisor) is someone who also provides advice to anotherperson, who helps someone make a decision. A mentor is one kind of advisor.

Kenya says that she and her business mentor meet “regularly,” meaning on aschedule, perhaps at the same time and the same day each week or eachmonth. She says, “I get her feedback and guidance with my ideas on starting abusiness.” “Feedback” (feedback) is your opinion about how something is doing,whether something is working well, whether it is a good idea. The verb we use istypically “give” – “to give feedback.” We appreciate your feedback on ourpodcast – your opinions, your advice, and so forth. Well, Kenya gets feedbackfrom her mentor. She also gets guidance (guidance). “Guidance” is anotherword for advice, assistance, help on how to do something correctly; in this case,how to start a new business.

Alex says, “Oh, so you’re her protégé?” “Protégé” (protégé) is a word that weborrowed from the French. In English, it means a person who receives advice,help, guidance, perhaps even money from someone who is older or moreexperienced. So, the protégé is the person who is receiving – who is getting theadvice.

Kenya responds, “No, I’m not. I simply go to her with my ideas and she helps mehash them out.” To “hash (hash) (something) out” or to “hash out (something)” isa two-word phrasal verb meaning to discuss something in great detail, to look atevery possible piece of information about something, to spend a long timediscussing it. Often we use this expression when two people have differentviews – if they have a disagreement about something, and they’re trying to cometo an agreement. Kenya says that she’s not her business mentor’s protégé, but Ithink she really is. Perhaps she just doesn’t like that word, I’m not sure why.

You will have to ask Kenya!

Kenya says that her business mentor is a successful entrepreneur “and I’m thereto learn from her experience.” “Entrepreneur” is another word from the French.

In English it means someone who takes risks and starts a new business, usuallya small-business owner. Someone who decides to start their own business is anentrepreneur (entrepreneur).

Alex then asks, “How did you get her to be your mentor? Were you alreadyfriends?” Kenya replies, “No, I contacted her out of the blue, actually.” Kenyacontacted – made contact with her by calling or emailing or sending a bird with amessage or throwing a bottle into the water with a message. All of these areways to contact people. You can contact us here in Los Angeles. If you live nearan ocean, just put your note into a bottle and throw the bottle into the ocean andeventually we’ll get it – or email!

Where were we? Kenya – yes. Kenya had contacted her mentor out of the blue.

The expression “out of the blue,” like the color blue, means unexpectedly,something you weren’t expecting, or something you do without planning, withoutany previous connection to the person. In this case, it is really the last meaning:

without any previous or prior relationship. “Somebody called me out of the blueand asked me to teach their daughter English.” I did not know this person; theycontacted me and I wasn’t expecting it. Well, Kenya contacted her mentor out ofthe blue. She read about her company and her many successes, the things thatshe was successful at, and so Kenya wrote her a letter telling her about herselfand what she hopes to accomplish. To “accomplish” means to do somethingsuccessfully, especially something that is difficult or unusual. The noun is“accomplishment.” Running down the street isn’t an accomplishment, butrunning a marathon is. A marathon is a long race. So, it has to be somethingdifficult. The mentor has many accomplishments. She agreed to meet withKenya, and at their first meeting, she says, “we really clicked.” When we say thatwe “click with” someone, or simply “we clicked,” it means that we had a goodrelationship almost immediately with the other person, that we enjoy talking toeach other, that it didn’t take long for us to become comfortable with each other.

The word “click” (click) has a couple of different meanings in English; take a lookat our Learning Guide for some more information.

Now Kenya says she and her mentor meet once a month. Alex says, “That’svery generous of her (that’s very nice of her). What does she get out of it?” Theexpression “to get (something) out of (something else)” means to receive somebenefit from your action or your participation in something, that you getsomething too. So if you help, for example, teach a young child to read, the childlearns to read and what you get out of it is the joy, the satisfaction of knowingthat you helped that young child do something.

Alex wants to know what the mentor gets out of this relationship with Kenya.

Kenya says, “I’m not sure, but I think she enjoys giving me pointers and sharingher expertise.” A “pointer” (pointer) here means a piece of advice, arecommendation, we might say a “tip” (tip). That’s a pointer. There are someadditional meanings in the Learning Guide on this word as well. “Expertise”

(expertise) – notice that it is spelled with an “i” at the end, “ise,” but ispronounced like it were an “e,” “expertise.” Well, “expertise” is special knowledgeabout a certain subject, a certain what we may call field – area of study orinterest. A person who has expertise is called an “expert.” Kenya says thatshe’s very appreciative; she’s appreciative of her mentor. “Appreciative” meansthat you feel thankful, you feel grateful for something that another person hasdone for you. We should all be more appreciative of our families, our houses,our jobs, and so forth. There’s always things to be appreciative for in our world.

Kenya is appreciative of her mentor. Her mentor says that Kenya reminds her alot of herself when she was my age. “She reminds her of herself,” meaning shesees something about her own experience in Kenya. “I take that as a hugecompliment,” Kenya says. A “compliment” (compliment) means nice words aboutsomeone showing that you respect them, you appreciate them, you admire them.

That’s a compliment. There’s another word pronounced the same,“complement,” except there’s an “e” in the middle of the word, that meanssomething very different. “Complement” with an “e” is something that goes alongwith or matches or completes something else. A “compliment” with an “i” is anice thing you say about someone. If your husband or wife cooks you a goodmeal you should compliment them. In fact, even if it isn’t good you shouldcompliment them!

Well, Kenya takes the fact that this woman sees herself in Kenya as a huge, orbig, compliment. Alex says, “You should (you should take it as a compliment). Ifyou’re like her,” Alex says, “you’ll be a multi-millionaire in no time flat.” “Multi- (or multi-)” (multi-) is a prefix (something that goes in front of the word) that meansmany or more than one. So, a “multi-millionaire” is someone who makes morethan a million dollars – 2 million, 3 million, 10 million dollars a year, let’s say. Theexpression “in no time flat” (flat) means very quickly, very soon, in the very nearfuture. Alex means that if Kenya is like her mentor she will soon be a multimillionaire.

Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.

[start of dialogue]

Alex: Where are you going?

Kenya: I’m going to meet my business mentor.

Alex: Your business mentor? What do you do with a business mentor?

Kenya: Well, my mentor is like an advisor. We meet regularly and I get herfeedback and guidance with my ideas on starting a business.

Alex: Oh, so you’re her protégé?

Kenya: No, I’m not. I simply go to her with my ideas and she helps me hashthem out. She’s a successful entrepreneur and I’m there to learn from herexperience.

Alex: How did you get her to be your mentor? Were you already friends?

Kenya: No, I contacted her out of the blue, actually. I’ve read about hercompany and her many successes, and I wrote her a letter telling her about meand what I hope to accomplish. She agreed to meet with me, and at that firstmeeting, we really clicked and now we meet once a month.

Alex: That’s very generous of her. What does she get out of it?

Kenya: I’m not sure, but I think she enjoys giving me pointers and sharing herexpertise. I’m very appreciative and she says I remind her a lot of herself whenshe was my age. I take that as a huge compliment.

Alex: You should. If you’re like her, you’ll be a multi-millionaire in no time flat.

[end of dialogue]

We’re all very appreciative of the expertise of our scriptwriter Dr. Lucy Tse.

Thank you, Lucy.

From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan. Thank you for listening. Comeback and listen to us next time on ESL Podcast.

English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse,hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan, copyright 2010 by the Center for EducationalDevelopment.