LESSON OVERVIEW

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

• discuss work environment;
• practise phrases to talk about leadership;
• watch a video on the importance of creating a positive work environment.

Students discuss job satisfaction and openness about personal issues at work. They watch a video about the need to create a good workplace environment, practise vocabulary to talk about leadership (e.g. hit the numbers, keep one’s head below the radar, challenge the status quo, etc.) and read a text about organisational structures. Students also share their ideas about addressing workplace challenges.    

VIDEO AND VOCABULARY

This lesson starts with a warm-up in which students read the saying ‘People don’t leave jobs. People leave people.’, explain what it means and say whether they agree with it. Afterwards, they discuss questions on how they feel about their job. Then, students watch a video about the importance of creating a good work environment. They discuss what the speaker says about job satisfaction and expressing workplace problems. After that, they complete statements from the video about workplace performance, employee safety, and fostering an environment for innovation and improvement. They then watch the video again and check their answers. Following that, students look at phrases to talk about leadership (e.g. fear of humiliation or retribution, play it safe, hit the numbers, etc.) and match them with their meaning. Then, they discuss questions about the factors influencing job satisfaction and effective leadership.

MORE VOCABULARY AND DISCUSSION

At this point in the lesson, students read a text about the transition from hierarchical to flat organisational structures to improve company culture and employee performance. They work with phrases to talk about leadership by choosing one option to complete sentences in the text. After that, students look at the text again and challenge the benefits mentioned by coming up with possible drawbacks of a flat organisational structure. Finally, students look at sentences and choose six of them to complete with ideas that haven’t yet been mentioned in the lesson. The ideas can be something they agree or disagree with. Then, they discuss them with a partner.

HOMEWORK/REVISION

This lesson plan also includes an additional task that you can use as homework or revision. In the task, students read about some of the most common leadership styles in management and complete gaps with one word. The task is available in the teacher’s version of the worksheet. You can print it and hand it out to your students. It’s also included in the e-lesson plan.