Deliver a short update that makes progress, uncertainty and next action clear.
Your situation
The interviewer asks how you prioritise work when two teams need your help. You want to give a specific example and understand the role’s expectations.
Known detail: one request affects a customer deadline and the other concerns an internal report. Your communication task is to clarify the priorities and explain a relevant example. Keep that task in mind while practising the language; accuracy matters more than sounding elaborate.
| Your role | a candidate for a team-lead role |
|---|---|
| Other person | a hiring manager |
| What is unresolved | two urgent requests compete for the same time |
| Possible agreed outcome | you will explain how you checked the impact and agreed the order of work |
A useful language pattern
Here is where we are … The open point is … Next, we will …
A predictable structure helps the listener identify the decision or action needed.
Example: “Here is where we are: one request affects a customer deadline and the other concerns an internal report. The open point is that two urgent requests compete for the same time.” This is one way to express the idea. Change the wording when the actual situation calls for a different level of formality.
| Less useful wording | There are lots of things going on. |
|---|---|
| Clearer follow-up | Next, we need to clarify the priorities and explain a relevant example. Then we can confirm the plan. |
Example exchange
An illustrative exchange. Real conversations will take a different path.
YouHere is where we are: one request affects a customer deadline and the other concerns an internal report. The open point is that two urgent requests compete for the same time.
PartnerWhat would you like us to do next?
YouNext, we need to clarify the priorities and explain a relevant example. Then we can confirm the plan.
PartnerLet us confirm what we have agreed and what still needs checking.
Vocabulary for this conversation
| prioritise | decide which task should receive attention first |
|---|---|
| trade-off | a choice that gives up one benefit to gain another |
| responsibility | a task or area someone is expected to manage |
An eight-minute practice
- Minute 1: read the situation and identify what is known, what is uncertain and what you need to clarify the priorities and explain a relevant example.
- Minutes 2–3: Give a 30-second update using no more than three main points.
- Minutes 4–5: ask a partner to reply differently from the example. Respond to their meaning rather than restarting your prepared answer.
- Minutes 6–7: review the three criteria below. Rewrite one unclear sentence using shorter, more specific words.
- Minute 8: repeat the difficult exchange without looking at the model. Finish by confirming the next step.
Make the exercise easier or harder
You do not need an idiom or a complicated sentence to sound professional. Check that the listener understands the message, can ask a question and knows which action follows. This exercise does not assess your accent or certify a language level.
| More support | Keep this pattern visible: Here is where we are … The open point is … Next, we will … Practise one exchange at a time and ask the other person to speak more slowly when needed. |
|---|---|
| More challenge | Add a new constraint: the other person cannot answer immediately. Keep the discussion accurate while you clarify the priorities and explain a relevant example. |
| For your actual work | Replace the fictional detail “one request affects a customer deadline and the other concerns an internal report” with an appropriate, non-confidential example from your work. |
Your working sheet
Write your own version below. Notes are saved on this browser when local storage is available. Use Download to keep a separate copy; avoid adding confidential information on a shared device.
Example: Here is where we are: one request affects a customer deadline and the other concerns an internal report. The open point is that two urgent requests compete for the same time.
Example: What would you like us to do next?
Example: Next, we need to clarify the priorities and explain a relevant example. Then we can confirm the plan.
Example: Let us confirm: you will explain how you checked the impact and agreed the order of work. Have I understood correctly?
Review your work
Tick only what you can support with your answer or practice. This is a reflection checklist, not an automated assessment.
Questions about this resource
Do I need advanced English for this exercise?
Start with the sentence pattern and a short exchange. If that is comfortable, use the harder variation. The exercise can be adapted to your ability and does not assign a formal language level.
What should I focus on in job interviews?
The practical task is to clarify the priorities and explain a relevant example. Check that your language helps the other person understand the facts and respond to the request.
Can I use this dialogue at work?
Adapt it to the real situation. Do not repeat fictional details or commitments. The useful part is the communication pattern: Here is where we are … The open point is … Next, we will …
Original fictional language practice. Model answers are examples, not the only correct wording. The self-review is not a formal language assessment. About these resources.