Business English Vocabulary · Lesson 9

Sound Professional When Discussing Problems and Setbacks

From running into obstacles to overcoming setbacks: the phrases senior professionals use to explain delays, problems and difficult situations – clear, precise and easy for everyone to understand.

ARead: problems along the way

Read the text. Pay attention to the phrases in bold – you will need them in exercise B.

Why progress is never a straight line

Every manager knows that things rarely run smoothly. Sooner or later, every project runs into problems, and they usually appear at the worst possible moment. A key supplier closes, a team member resigns, or something urgent comes up that nobody had planned for.

Most of these obstacles are predictable. Budgets, deadlines, staff shortages and legal requirements are all common hurdles that a project has to get past before it can succeed. The real skill is not avoiding them, but overcoming them: finding a way to deal with each problem and carry on.

Negotiations bring their own difficulties. Two companies may agree on ninety per cent of a deal, but one or two sticking points – usually the price or the length of the contract – can keep both sides arguing for weeks.

Other problems are less visible. Too many approval steps, or a culture in which people are afraid to make mistakes, can quietly inhibit progress, slowing everything down without anyone really noticing.

And sometimes a company simply hits a ceiling. It has grown as far as it can with its current funding, people or market, and it cannot go any further without a major change. The same can happen in a career: if there are no senior positions left in your company, you may feel that you have hit a ceiling too.

BKey words from the text

Based on the context of the text, choose the phrase that matches each definition. Then complete the example sentence. You may need to change the form of the phrase.

A specific issue that people cannot agree on, which stops a discussion or a negotiation from moving forward

“We agree on most of the contract, but the payment terms are still a .”
To succeed in dealing with a problem or a difficulty

“I’m proud of how the team so many problems this year.”
To reach a point where you cannot grow or progress any further

“Without new investment, I think the business has .”
To start experiencing difficulties, often unexpectedly

“We problems as soon as we started the migration.”
Things or situations that get in the way and must be dealt with before you can succeed

“Strict regulations are one of the biggest for new companies in this market.”
To slow down progress, or to prevent something from developing

“Personally, I think these long weekly meetings are our progress.”
(Of a problem or a task) to appear or happen unexpectedly

“I was about to leave when a problem with the server .”

CRead: explaining a delay

Now read the email from an operations director to her CEO. The phrases in bold are for exercise D.

From: Claire Dubois, Operations DirectorTo: Richard Hale, CEOSubject: Lyon factory – reasons for the delay

Dear Richard,

I’m afraid the opening of the Lyon factory has suffered another setback, and I wanted to explain what has happened.

First, the delivery of our production equipment has been held up by a strike at the port. The equipment is sitting in Marseille, and we don’t know when it will be released. This alone will probably set us back by about six weeks.

Second, our agreement with the local logistics partner has fallen through. They decided at the last minute not to sign, so we will need to find a new partner.

On top of that, we have been hit by a sharp rise in energy prices, which has increased our running costs by almost 20%. As a result, the original timeline has completely gone out of the window, and we will need a new plan.

These are not the only problems we have to contend with. Recruiting skilled engineers in the region is proving very difficult, and the constant delays are starting to take their toll on the project team, who have been working long hours for months.

I am also concerned that further delays could be detrimental to our relationship with our biggest customer, who is expecting the first deliveries in March.

I will send you a revised plan by Friday.

Best regards,
Claire

DKey words from the email

Based on the email, choose the phrase that matches each definition. Then complete the example sentence. You may need to change the form of the phrase.

To gradually cause damage or harm over a period of time, often to people’s health or energy

“The long hours are starting to the team.”
To be delayed by something

“Our shipment was problems at customs.”
To fail to happen (a plan, a deal or an event)

“The deal at the last minute because we couldn’t agree on the price.”
Harmful; causing damage to something

“Constant restructuring is to staff morale.”
To experience a problem that stops your progress or makes the situation worse

“The project when our main supplier went bankrupt.”
(Of plans or rules) to be completely abandoned, because the situation has changed

“When the crisis started, our five-year plan .”
To have to deal with a difficult situation or problem

“Small businesses high interest rates and rising costs.”
To delay your progress by a period of time

“The flooding in the warehouse has by about two months.”
To be badly affected by something, often suddenly

“Many retailers have been rising energy prices.”

ESay it better

Each sentence below is correct, but it sounds simple. Rewrite it using a phrase from this lesson, then compare your version with the model answer.

“We had some problems with the new supplier.”

Use: run into

Show model answer
“We ran into a few problems with the new supplier.”
“In the end, the deal didn’t happen.”

Use: fall through

Show model answer
“Unfortunately, the deal fell through.”
“Because of the strike, we are now three weeks late.”

Use: set back

Show model answer
“The strike has set us back by three weeks.”
“Our original plan is not useful any more.”

Use: window

Show model answer
“Our original plan has gone out of the window.”
“The long hours are making the team very tired.”

Use: toll

Show model answer
“The long hours are starting to take their toll on the team.”
“This decision could be bad for our reputation.”

Use: detrimental

Show model answer
“This decision could be detrimental to our reputation.”

FKey words in a new context

The leadership team of a retail company is discussing its plan to open new stores. Complete the meeting with the phrases from the box. You may need to change the form of some of the words.

Word box

run into
suffer a setback
fall through
held up by
hit by
obstacles
overcome
hit a ceiling
sticking point
take its toll on
inhibit
contend with

AlanCEOThanks for coming, everyone. Let’s be honest about the expansion. We’ve a lot of problems this year.

DeborahFinance DirectorWe have. Our plan to open three new stores in March, when the deal for the Leeds building . The owner sold it to someone else.

MiaHead of OperationsAnd the Manchester store is ready, but the opening has been problems with the building permit.

DeborahLike everyone else, we’ve also been rising energy costs. Those are all serious .

AlanTrue, but none of them are impossible to .

DeborahMaybe not. But honestly, I think we’ve . Without new investment, we simply can’t grow any further.

AlanThen let’s find that investment. The bank is interested, but the interest rate is still a – we just can’t agree on it.

MiaWhatever we decide, we need to decide quickly. Six months of uncertainty is starting to the store managers. They’re exhausted.

DeborahAnd all the extra approval steps we added this year are progress. Everything takes twice as long.

AlanAgreed. We have enough outside problems to without creating our own. Let’s simplify the process.

Use it well

Three things professionals often mix up when they talk about problems.

Obstacle, hurdle or sticking point?

Obstacle – anything that is in your way.

Hurdle – a problem you expect and have to get over, often one of several.

Sticking point – one specific issue that people cannot agree on.

Price is the main sticking point in the negotiation.

Phrases with “setback”

You can suffer, experience, face, overcome or recover from a setback. It can be major, minor or temporary.

The verb set back often comes with by + a period of time:

The strike set us back by six weeks.

Hit by, held up by, or take its toll?

Hit by – badly affected, often suddenly.

Held up by – delayed.

Take its toll on – slow damage over time, often to people.

We were hit by higher costs, held up by the strike, and the stress took its toll on the team.

Glossary

All the phrases from this lesson.

Problems along the way

to run into problemsto start experiencing difficulties, often unexpectedly
to come up(of a problem or a task) to appear unexpectedly
obstacles / hurdlesthings that get in the way and must be dealt with
a sticking pointa specific issue that people cannot agree on
to overcometo succeed in dealing with a problem or a difficulty
to inhibitto slow down progress, or prevent something from developing
to hit a ceilingto reach a point where you cannot grow or progress any further

When things go wrong

to suffer a setbackto experience a problem that stops your progress
to set you back (by)to delay your progress by a period of time
to be held up byto be delayed by something
to fall throughto fail to happen (a plan, a deal or an event)
to be hit byto be badly affected by something, often suddenly
to go out of the window(of plans or rules) to be completely abandoned
to have to contend withto have to deal with a difficult situation or problem
to take its toll onto gradually cause damage or harm, often to people
detrimental (to)harmful; causing damage