How to speak up in a meeting in English
Does Thursday at two work for everyone?
“Is Thursday at two o'clock good for all of you?”
When: Proposing a time for the next meeting
The moment
You are in a team meeting in a Midtown Manhattan office, planning a product launch. You need to suggest a time for the next check-in, push back politely on one idea, and sum up what the team decided.
B1 · Unit 1 · Work & study
The lines
Does … work for everyone?
To suggest a time in a meeting, Americans usually ask a question instead of giving an order: "Does Thursday at two work for everyone?" It sounds open and friendly. If it is bad for someone, they can say so easily.
Does Thursday at two work for everyone?
“Is Thursday at two o'clock good for all of you?”
When to use it: Proposing a time for the next meeting
What you’ll hear back: Works for me! (Yes, that time is good for me.)
I see your point, but…
In US offices, you can disagree, but you first show you listened. Say "I see your point, but" and then give your worry softly: "I see your point, but I'm not sure we can pull that off by Friday." Words like "I'm not sure" make it gentle.
I see your point, but I'm not sure we can pull that off by Friday.
“I understand your idea, but I am not sure we can finish it by Friday.”
When to use it: Disagreeing politely with a coworker's idea
What you’ll hear back: Fair enough. What if we aim for next Wednesday instead? (That's reasonable. Can we try next Wednesday?)
Words for this scene
| Word or phrase | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Let's circle back to that. | lets SUR-kuhl BAK tuh THAT | Let's talk about that again later. |
Good question about the budget. Let's circle back to that once we have the numbers. Good question. We will talk about the money later when we know the numbers. Tip: Classic office phrase; sometimes a polite way to avoid a topic. | ||
| So just to recap… | so JUS-tuh REE-kap | So, to say again the main points quickly… |
So just to recap, Maya's doing the slides and we'll launch on the fifteenth. Quick summary: Maya makes the slides, and the launch is on the 15th. Tip: Use it at the end; Americans like clear next steps and owners. | ||
| Can we push it to next week? | kuhn-wee PUSH-it tuh NEKS WEEK | Can we move it to a later day, next week? |
I'm out on Thursday. Can we push it to next week? I am not working Thursday. Can we have it next week instead? Tip: "Push" means later; "move up" means earlier. Easy to mix up! | ||
Your objective
Propose a day and time for the next meeting, push back politely on one idea with a reason, and sum up what was agreed.
- a day and time
- a polite objection and why
- a summary of the decision
Lines that get it done
- Does Thursday at two work for everyone?
- I see your point, but I'm not sure we can pull that off by Friday.
In the live scene the objective stays on screen, and the Replay afterwards says whether you got it done.
Check yourself
1. Your manager has a plan you think is too fast. What is the most polite way to disagree?
- I see your point, but I'm not sure we can pull that off by Friday.
- No, that's wrong. We can't do it by Friday.
- I see your point, so we can pull that off by Friday.
- Your point is bad, but maybe Friday is okay.
Show the answer
I see your point, but I'm not sure we can pull that off by Friday.
First show you listened, then use "I'm not sure" to soften your worry. "Pull off" means succeed at something hard.
2. In a meeting, someone says, "Let's circle back to that." What do they mean?
- We will talk about it later.
- We need to draw a chart.
- We should all walk around the room.
- We must decide right now.
Show the answer
We will talk about it later.
"Circle back" means return to a topic at another time.
3. You want the meeting on Thursday to happen later. What do you say?
- Can we push it to next week?
- Can we move it up to next week?
- Can we pull it next week?
- Can we put it back of next week?
Show the answer
Can we push it to next week?
"Push it" means make it later. "Move it up" means make it earlier, so it does not fit here.