Topic 1.7.1 Project Management with Phrasal Verbs
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Warm up
- What do you think are the most important skills a project manager needs to successfully lead a team? Why?
- Can you share an example of a project you’ve worked on? What challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them?
- How do you prioritize tasks when managing a project with tight deadlines and limited resources?
- What tools or techniques have you found most effective for tracking the progress of a project? Why?
Vocabulary: Phrasal verbs
| Phrasal Verbs related to Project Management | ||
| Kick off | Meaning: | To start or launch a project or meeting. |
| Example: | We’ll kick off the project with an introductory meeting next week. | |
| Work out | Meaning: | To find a solution or plan something in detail. |
| Example: | Let’s work out the details of the implementation strategy. | |
| Take on | Meaning: | To accept responsibility for a task or project. |
| Example: | She decided to take on the responsibility of managing the marketing team. | |
| Step up | Meaning: | To take initiative or increase effort to meet a challenge. |
| Example: | The team needs to step up to meet the new deadline. | |
| Bring in | Meaning: | To involve someone or something (e.g., an expert or resource) in a project. |
| Example: | We’ll bring in a consultant to help with the technical aspects. | |
| Turn down | Meaning: | To reject or decline something, such as an offer or proposal. |
| Example: | The client turned down our proposal due to budget constraints. | |
| Pull together | Meaning: | To work as a team to achieve a goal. |
| Example: | If we all pull together, we can complete the project on time. | |
| Run into | Meaning: | To encounter problems or difficulties. |
| Example: | We ran into some unexpected issues with the software integration. | |
| Sort out | Meaning: | To resolve a problem or organize something. |
| Example: | We need to sort out the budget discrepancies before moving forward. | |
| Hold up | Meaning: | To delay or cause a problem. |
| Example: | The shipment was held up due to customs clearance issues. | |
Practice activity 1
Practice activity 2: Create a Scenario
Imagine you are managing a project that has run into several challenges. Use at least five phrasal verbs to explain how you would solve the problems.
For example: “We ran into delays due to a lack of resources, so we decided to bring in additional staff. Then, we worked out a new timeline to hold up our commitments.”
Here are some ideas:
- Tight Deadlines: Deadlines may be unrealistic, leading to rushed work and stress.
- Delays: Unexpected delays, such as supply chain issues or approvals taking longer than planned.
- Limited Budget: Insufficient funds to cover the scope of the project.
- Miscommunication: Confusion about roles, responsibilities, or project goals.
- Changing Requirements: Additional tasks or objectives being added without adjusting timelines or budgets.
- System Failures: Issues with software, hardware, or other technology critical to the project.
- Low Morale: Lack of motivation among team members can affect productivity.
- Conflict: Personality clashes or disagreements within the team.
Practice Activity 3: Role-Play
Situation: One person plays the project manager, and the other(s) play team members.
- The project manager uses the phrasal verbs to give updates or assign tasks, such as:
- “We’ll kick off the meeting now by reviewing progress.”
- “I need you to step up and take on more tasks to meet the deadline.”
- Team members respond with their own sentences using phrasal verbs, such as:
- “I’ll sort out the technical issues right away.”
Project Management
1.Look at the following words:
- Streamline
- Outline
- Timeline
- Which parts of speech are the words? Do they have different parts of speech?
- What do they mean?
- How could you use them in connection with project management?
2.Focus on vocabulary
Part A
Part B
Now in pairs, discuss the questions.
Choose one or more of the following activities to carry out.
Role-Playing Meetings
Role-play a business meeting where you outline an objective, discuss corrective actions, and make adjustments. One person can present an idea, and others give feedback.
Project Presentation Simulation
Each student presents a project plan to a group, mentioning budget, market research, and milestones. The group can act as stakeholders who ask questions.
Brainstorming Session
Brainstorm ideas for a marketing campaign or a new product launch. Ensure that you explain why your ideas align with the main objective.
Out of the Loop Discussion
One student has been “out of the loop” on a project, and the others must update them on key points like market research, current milestones, and any adjustments made.
Budget Planning Debate
Divide into two groups—one team advocates for a high budget and the other for a more conservative one.
Each group must defend their position, using relevant terms.
3.Skimming for gist
Read the article below.
4.Reading comprehension
5.Vocabulary in context
http://5.Vocabulary in context
Now listen to the speakers talking about problems with projects and check your answers.
7.Talking point
In pairs, discuss the following questions
- Do you agree with Speaker 1 about a project manager’s role at the beginning of a project? Why/why not?
- Do you agree with what Speaker 2 says about a project management team? Why/why not?
- What do you think are the main problems you can have with projects?
- What do you think is the best way to deal with problems on projects?
8.Extended activity/Roleplay
You are going to discuss a small project to print some brochures with other students. Look at your card and have a discussion about how to organise the project.
Student A You have to get 200 brochures printed for your company. Your aim is to get the brochures printed as cheaply as possible because you are in charge of the budget.
Student B You have to get 200 brochures printed for your company. Your aim is to get the brochures printed as quickly as possible because you are in charge of the timeline.
Student C You have to get 200 brochures printed for your company. Your aim is to get the brochures printed at the highest possible quality because you are in charge of sales.
Consider the following questions:
- Which local services offer printing services?
- What prices do they offer?
- How long will it take to print them all?
- What are the different levels of quality available?
- How quickly do you need the brochures?