📚Welcome to our newsletter dedicated to the art of finding common ground and the magic of “what if,” “if only,” and “Supposing” in grammar! We need to use creativity to find common ground. That’s the magic we need to use when:
1️⃣ Brainstorming: When you’re generating ideas or trying to find creative solutions, consider alternative perspectives.
2️⃣ Planning and decision-making: can assist in evaluating potential consequences. It allows you to envision different scenarios and assess their feasibility.
3️⃣ Problem-solving: It encourages critical thinking and helps you prepare for various contingencies.
4️⃣ Exploring possibilities: often used in storytelling, science fiction, or speculative discussions to imagine alternate realities, hypothetical situations, or potential future developments.
5️⃣ Reflecting on the past: We can engage in retrospective analysis. It allows us to consider how things might have turned out differently if certain factors had changed.
Well, this is the topic of the day. I have added a bit of creative humor by using a cooking metaphor. Enjoy!!
👀 Remember there are the advanced, intermediate, and lower intermediate levels.
🧩Advanced
Disagreements are full of potential creativity. They are full of promise and opportunities. Disagreements can lead to negotiations, rapport building, and finding common ground which are like ingredients in a secret recipe for success. Think of it as cooking up a delicious dish of agreement soufflé. Just as each element plays a crucial role, let’s sprinkle in some humor to flex creativity.
Rapport building is like warm butter that brings the negotiation process together, making everyone feel cozy and comfortable. It’s like wearing your favorite fuzzy slippers to a negotiation meeting. So, break the ice with a good-natured joke or a witty remark that gets everyone smiling.
Finding common ground is like discovering the perfect topping for a negotiation pizza. Uncovering shared interests makes everyone say, “Oh, we’re on the same wavelength!” It’s like finding out your favorite toppings match perfectly with the other party’s choices—pineapple and ham lovers unite!
Active listening and empathy are the spices that add flavor to the negotiation stew. They’re the magic seasoning that brings out the best in everyone’s ideas. Picture yourself as a master chef, adjusting the seasoning to create a harmonious blend of flavors. Remember, good listening is about understanding the nuances and savoring the full flavor of each perspective.
Respectful communication is the buttery smooth sauce that coats your negotiation dish, adding richness and elegance. Let’s stir the sauce of collaboration, ensuring it’s the perfect consistency—neither too thick nor too thin. A pinch of humor keeps the sauce from sticking to the pan, making it glide smoothly across the negotiation table.
In the end, negotiations, rapport building, and finding common ground are like creating a delectable feast of agreement. Sprinkling in some humor makes the experience enjoyable and memorable for everyone involved. So, put on your apron, grab your spatula of wit, and let’s cook up negotiation success with a side dish of laughter.
Remember, negotiations can be serious business, but a touch of humor turns down the heat and makes the journey delightful. Let’s add a little laughter to create a negotiation experience as satisfying as a perfectly cooked meal. Bon appétit!
Intermediate
Disagreements have great potential for creativity. They can lead to negotiations, building good relationships, and finding common ground – the secret recipe for success. Think of it like cooking up a delicious dish together! Just as each ingredient is essential, adding humor can boost creativity.
Building rapport is like warm butter that brings people together, making the negotiation process comfortable, like wearing your favorite slippers. Break the ice with a light joke or funny remark that makes everyone smile.
Finding common ground is like discovering the perfect topping for a negotiation pizza. Uncovering shared interests makes everyone feel like they’re on the same page. It’s like finding out that your favorite pizza toppings match perfectly with someone else’s.
Active listening and empathy add flavor to the negotiation stew, bringing out the best in everyone’s ideas. It’s like adjusting the seasoning to create a perfect blend of flavors. Respectful communication coats your negotiation dish with richness and elegance. A pinch of humor keeps it smooth and enjoyable.
In the end, negotiations, building rapport, and finding common ground create a delectable feast of agreement. Adding humor makes the experience enjoyable and memorable. So, put on your apron, grab your wit, and let’s cook up successful negotiations with a side of laughter.
Remember, negotiations can be serious, but humor makes the journey delightful. Let’s add some laughter to create a satisfying negotiation experience. Bon appétit!
Lower intermediate
Disagreements hold creative potential and positive outcomes, leading to negotiations, strong relationships, and finding common ground – the recipe for success. Just as essential ingredients make a delicious dish, humor enhances creativity.
Building rapport is like warm butter, cozying up the negotiation process. Break the ice with a light joke or witty remark to bring smiles.
Finding common ground is like discovering perfect pizza toppings, making everyone feel connected. Active listening and empathy add flavor, creating a harmonious blend of ideas. Respectful communication coats negotiations with richness. Adding humor makes the experience enjoyable and memorable.
In the end, negotiations, rapport, and common ground form a delectable feast of agreement. So, let’s cook up successful negotiations with laughter. Remember, humor makes the journey delightful. Bon appétit!
🔤 Words, words, words…
🤝 Rapport building: Establishing a positive connection or relationship with someone through communication and understanding. It involves creating a sense of trust and mutual understanding.
🌍 Common ground: Shared beliefs, interests, or opinions between individuals or groups, which can serve as a basis for understanding and agreement.
🍮 Soufflé: A delicate and fluffy baked dish made from beaten egg whites and various ingredients such as cheese, chocolate, or vegetables. It rises and puffs up while baking.
✨ Sprinkle: To scatter or distribute small particles or drops over something, typically by sprinkling them from a container. It can refer to adding small amounts of ingredients like sugar, salt, or glitter to enhance the appearance or taste of something.
💪 Flex: To show off or demonstrate one’s physical strength or abilities, often in a boastful or proud manner. It can also refer to demonstrating one’s skills, achievements, or attributes in a confident way.
🛋️ Cozy fuzzy slippers: Comfortable footwear typically made of soft materials like fur, wool, or fleece. They provide warmth and comfort while being worn indoors.
❄️ Break the ice: To initiate or start a conversation or interaction with someone, especially in a social setting, to ease tension or awkwardness. It helps to create a comfortable and friendly atmosphere.
🍧 Topping: A food or ingredient placed on top of another dish to enhance its flavor, texture, or appearance. It can refer to sauces, fruits, nuts, or other items added as a finishing touch to a dessert, salad, or main course.
🍲 Stew: A hearty and slow-cooked dish consisting of meat, vegetables, and often broth or sauce. It is simmered over low heat for an extended period to allow the flavors to meld together.
🌿 Seasoning: The process of adding salt, herbs, spices, or other flavoring agents to food to enhance its taste. It can also refer to the mixture of spices and herbs used to flavor dishes.
🍽️ Savoring: The act of enjoying or appreciating food or a drink by relishing its flavors, aromas, and textures. It involves taking time to fully experience and derive pleasure from the eating or drinking process.
⛑️ Ensuring: The act of making certain or guaranteeing something. It involves taking measures or precautions to ensure a desired outcome or result.
⛸️ Glide: To move smoothly and effortlessly, often in a graceful manner. It can refer to ice skating, rollerblading, or any other motion that appears effortless and flowing.
🍽️ Delectable: Extremely delicious or enjoyable to taste. It describes food that is highly appetizing and pleasurable to eat.
👩🍳 Apron: A protective garment worn over clothing, typically tied around the waist, to shield the wearer’s clothes from stains or spills while cooking or performing other messy tasks in the kitchen.
🍴 Spatula: A kitchen utensil with a flat, flexible blade and a long handle, used for lifting, flipping, or spreading food during cooking. It is commonly used for flipping pancakes, turning meat, or spreading frosting.
🎭 Wit: The ability to think quickly and express oneself in a clever, humorous, or intelligent manner. It involves having a sharp and quick sense of humor.
👨🍳 Cook up: To prepare or create something, especially a meal or dish, by cooking it. It implies using one’s culinary skills and creativity to make something delicious.
🍚 Side dish: A smaller dish served alongside the main course in a meal. It complements the main dish and adds variety to the overall dining experience. It can include items like salads, vegetables, or grains.
🧱Structures
To explore the unreal or imaginary situations we can use many structures, here are some of them: 1. (Person) + wish, if only, 2. (Person) + wish + would, 3. suppose, supposing, what if, 4. (person) would rather, and (person) would sooner. I call them the “What if? & Co.” family. These questions are a powerful tool to expand our thinking, ignite creativity, and explore uncharted territories.
🤞 I wish and If only are used with the simple past to express regret and desire for things that are unlikely to change and it is occurring now. If only is more emphatic than I wish.
If only my job was closer to home. I wish my job was closer to home.
😔 I wish and if only are used with the past perfect for regrets.
If only/I wish I hadn’t turned down the job offer in Madrid.
😒 Wish + would and if only are used with the infinitive to express dissatisfaction or annoyance and a desire for change.
I wish you’d remember to recharge my iPad after you’ve borrowed it.
If only he wouldn’t talk on the phone so loudly.
🚨 Would isn’t used if both clauses have the same subject:
I wish I had a bigger house (not I wish I would have a bigger house)
🤔 Suppose, supposing, and what if are used to form questions about the consequences of hypothetical situations or to make suggestions. Suppose and supposing are more formal than what if.
Suppose the business didn’t make any money what would we do?
Supposing I were to help you / would you be interested?
💭 We use the present tense when we think something is more likely to happen.
What if we run out of cash partway through the trip?
👉👈 We use would rather or would sooner + subject + past tense to express a preference.
I’d rather / I’d sooner you didn’t text during the meeting.
🏋️♂️ Put into practice
Objective: The objective of this role play is to practice negotiating a pay raise/a schedule change/price increase between an employee and their manager or client.
Instructions:
Choose Roles: Pair up participants – one as the employee seeking a raise /a schedule change/price increase, the other as the manager.
Define Scenarios: Decide on the scenario details, like reasons for the raise request.
Prepare Talking Points: Jot down key points for the negotiation – achievements, budget, etc.
Start the Role Play: The employee/client initiates the conversation.
Practice Active Listening: Listen attentively to each other’s concerns.
Seek Common Ground: Look for compromises and solutions.
End the Role Play: Debrief and discuss the outcome.
Rotate Roles: Switch roles for a comprehensive experience.
🎧 Listen to Learn
🌟Catch you later communicators!
Embrace disagreements, grow, engage in respectful dialogues, celebrate our differences, and build bridges of empathy, lead us to a brighter future.
📣 Shout out
To Laura and Mercedes from Madrid for their inspiration and trial runs.