Intro
1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.
2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.
It can be hard to ask for what you want. Sometimes, if you’re too direct, you can frighten people or intimidate them. But if you’re not direct enough, you can risk being wishy-washy.
Someone who is wishy-washy does not act with authority. Politicians are often accused of being wishy-washy if they won’t take a stand on a certain issue. Similarly, a good boss is usually not wishy-washy. No one would call Marni wishy-washy, but watch how Devan acts with her employees.
3. Watch - Watch the video without reading the dialog.
Dialog
1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.
2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.
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Devan: Hey guys! How’s it going?
Dale: Hey!
Ella: It’s going!
Devan: Are you enjoying your break? Well, I just got these invoices and I was thinking you might want to get to them, after you go back to work after your break? You know, maybe you could get those off for me? Maybe? Does that sound like something you could do? Because we probably should, you know, maybe?
Ella: We might?
Dale: We might…Are you saying we should do these…invoices, get to them? Or…
Devan: You could say that.
Ella: Must we do it? I mean, what’s the priority level here?
Devan: I would say that you probably should, if you can. Maybe. OK? Alright.
Dale: Thank you.
Devan: Thank you.
Ella: Huh.
Dale: Don’t you think she’s a wishy-washy boss?
Ella: Yeah, she’s a little more passive compared to Marni, who’s very in your face, direct, she knows what she wants, makes sure you get your job done.
Dale: Yeah, Marni wasn’t wishy-washy at all. “You must do this. You have to do this. You should do this.”
Ella: It works, though, you know? Compared to Marni, I like this type of work atmosphere. Goes well for me.
Dale: She didn’t really say we must do it.
Ella: She didn’t. I mean, we might? But she didn’t make it seem so important.
Dale: OK, until we get to the must, I won’t do it.
Ella: Yeah. That sounds good.
Grammar Point
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Discussion
Devan needs Ella and Dale to do some work, but she doesn’t make it seem very important. She doesn’t tell them to do it now or tell them when she needs it. She’s being a little wishy-washy.
Dale and Ella decide to take this opportunity to continue taking a break. They’ll do the work Devan needs only when they absolutely must. They like this style of leadership better than Marni’s more direct approach because it enables them to slack off.
Is your boss wishy-washy or direct? Which are you?
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