20 - The Team Meeting

1. Narrator

Hello, welcome back to Tip Top Trading. An office meeting has been scheduled, but Paul is running late. He's asked Anna to take charge and start the meeting without him.

2. Denise

Here you go Anna, it's a print-out of the agenda for the meeting.

3. Anna

Thank you. Oh dear, I'm not sure if I know the right words to start meetings.

4. Narrator

Well, you can say something like: Thank you for coming. There are five items on the agenda today.

5. Anna

Items?

6. Narrator

It's a fancy way of saying 'things'. Then you list them: Firstly, secondly, after that, and then, finally...

7. Anna

Yes, that's easy.

8. Narrator

At the end there is often something called Any other business.

9. Anna

Any other business?

10. Narrator

That's anything else that wasn't listed on the agenda, but that people want to talk about. I expect Tom will want to talk about how great he is and Denise will want to talk about her new hairdresser or something. Then when it's time for the meeting to end, you can say: Let's wrap up. It means 'Let's finish'.

11. Anna

To wrap up. OK, I'll do my best. Ooh, it's time, everyone is gathering. Thank you… thank you for coming. Paul will be here soon, but he asked me to start the meeting. There are... one, two, three, four items on the agenda today. Firstly, the stock management systems. Secondly, plans for a team-building activity. After that, the colour of our new apples and finally any other business, before we can wrap up.

12. Paul

Oh golly gosh, there you are, here I am, good. Hello everyone. Sorry I'm late.

13. Anna

I'd just opened the meeting.

14. Paul

Great. Remind me what the first item on the agenda is?

15. Anna

Stock.

16. Paul

Stock? Stock, stock, stock. Ah yes, stock management systems, yes, right. Well, that's mainly to announce that we need to start developing a good stock management system so we can meet the huge demand I’m expecting for these laser-curved fruits. Anna, I'd like you to lead on that.

17. Anna

Me? You want me to be in charge of the stock management systems?

18. Paul

Anna's had some excellent ideas already and I think she'll do a great job. For these new fruits, stock control will be key to supplying our customers with laser-curve oranges, laser-curve lemons, laser-curve pomegramates…

19. Narrator

Well, that was good news for Anna - but not surprising after all her hard work. She opened the meeting well, too. Here's a reminder of the phrases she used: Thank you for coming. There are four items on the agenda today. Firstly... Secondly... After that... Then... And finally... Any other business. And then we can wrap up. There's only one problem for Anna now, winning over Mr Ingle the warehouse manager – that won’t be easy. Well, time for me to wrap up now. See you soon! Bye!