From Brief to Done: SMART & KISS
Grammar: Discourse markers and connectors for structuring professional communication
A Business English English lesson exploring business.
What's in this lesson
A Business English ESL lesson on business, practising discourse markers and connectors for structuring professional communication. The worksheet has a reading, target vocabulary and discussion questions.
From the reading: From Brief to Done: SMART & KISS
In 2021, the Project Management Institute estimated that organisations around the world lose an average of $122 million for every $1 billion invested in projects — largely because teams start building before they finish thinking. The symptom is almost always the same: a brief that sounds clear at the kick-off meeting but unravels the moment someone asks, "But what exactly are we delivering?" Two frameworks, one old and one surprisingly simple, have become the professional standard for answering that question before work begins.
Vocabulary
- SMART
- KISS
- ambiguous
- discipline
- gradual
- precise
- creep
- criteria
- mortem
- pivot
Discussion questions
- When did a project at work go wrong because the goal was unclear?
- Do you prefer detailed plans or flexible ones at the start of a project?
- What makes a good brief — what must it always include?
From Brief to Done: SMART & KISS
Grammar: Discourse markers and connectors for structuring professional communication
What's in this lesson:
Full lesson plan with reading, grammar, vocabulary, and discussion.
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