HoRses

Some people think that leadership skills are difficult to learn, others claim that they are inborn and it’s impossible to acquire them through any type of training. What do you think? Today we’ll get some insight into a truly unconventional training with a four-legged teacher :) and explore the world of animal idioms used in business English.

A man on a horse is spiritually as well as physically bigger than a man on foot.  ~John Steinbeck

 

Animal idioms

Choose the correct answer.

1)She is betting on the wrong …………..(=misreading the future). This project is a non-starter, everybody knows that.

a)   hound           b) dog           c) horse

2)This product is a real cash ……….. (=a good way to make money). We are making a lot of money now.

a)   goose           b) hen           c) cow

3)Being a real eager …………(=a person who is always eager to do something extra) she is climbing the career ladder pretty fast.

a)   beaver           b)cat           c)puppy

4)We had to do a little ………trading(= hard and skillful bargaining) but finally we made a deal with the new supplier.

a)   moose           b)eagle       c) horse

5)They should stop that ………. business (=unethical or bad activity)and take responsibility for the tax problems we’re facing now.

a)   apes           b) monkey       c) gorilla

6)I’m sick and tired of  this corporate ………… race(= rushing around). I think I’ll quit this job soon and start doing something else.

a)   dog           b) mice           c) rat
 
7)John is a sacred …………here(= a person or thing that is never criticized or changed even if it should be), they will never fire him.

a)   cow           b) bull               c) lamb

8)My boss decided to take the …………by the horns (=take decisive action) and start this controversial campaign.

a)   wolf           b) bear               c) bull

9)Our manager threw us to the ………..(=send someone into danger without protection) when he asked us to spy the competitors for him.

a)   vultures       b) lions           c) wolves

Key:1c2c3a4c5b6c7a8c9c

For more horse idioms go to: http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/horse

 

Now, watch the following video:

TheNaturalLeader on Workopolis

Post-watching

1)   What are the characteristics of the corporate environment? (0:25-0:35)

2)   How can you succeed in leading a horse? (0:51-1:02)

3)   Neither a horse nor your employees should be …….(1:00-1:05)

4)   What was the problem with Zoe? (1:15-1:53)

5)   How can we benefit from this type of  experiential learning?

6)   What does the whip stand for?

 

Key: 1glass towers and cubical farms2by earning the authority to lead3dragged along4every misbehavior of the horse was a mirror of her owner’s behavior, actions5we master leadership skills, emotional intelligence, become aware of who we really are and apply this knowledge at work// we learn to look like we know where we’re going and demonstrate that to our employees//we identify the sources of our employees ‘motivation//horses help us bring our emotions to the surface6 a performance appraisal tool (like in a 360 review=360-degree appraisal )//a tool to communicate with the horse/the employee,  it can be a ‘carrot’ or just a whip

 

Maja Witowska-Rubaszek- ACT Advanced Corporate Training

Doświadczona lektorka języka angielskiego, specjalizująca się w przygotowywaniu i prowadzeniu szkoleń z zakresu Business English i ogólnego języka angielskiego dla klientów korporacyjnych. Ukończyła Nauczycielskie Kolegium Języka Angielskiego i Amerykanistykę na Uniwersytecie Warszawskim. Z ACT współpracuje od 2005 roku, prowadząc zajęcia regularne oraz szkolenia specjalistyczne dla pracowników działów HR, księgowości oraz dla finansistów, a także warsztaty z dyplomatycznych rozmów towarzyskich (tzw. small talk).

Swoim bogatym doświadczeniem dzieli się z innymi lektorami prowadząc warsztaty metodyczne w ACT oraz opracowując autorskie materiały szkoleniowe, które cieszą się wielką popularnością.

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Autorem sekcji HR English @work jest ACT Advanced Corporate Training.