Professional Communication

Master the vocabulary of emails, meetings, and feedback at work. These are the words Canadian managers and colleagues actually use every day — learn them and you will sound confident in any professional conversation, from a quick stand-up to a performance review.

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Word List

Word	Phonetic	Part of Speech	Definition	Example
liaise	/liˈeɪz/	verb	To communicate and coordinate between people or groups so that everyone stays informed	You will liaise with the Vancouver office to keep both teams on schedule.
escalate	/ˈɛskəleɪt/	verb	To pass a problem to a higher level of authority when it cannot be solved at the current level; also, to become more serious	If the client is still unhappy after two calls, escalate the issue to your manager.
delegate	/ˈdɛlɪɡeɪt/	verb	To give part of your work or authority to someone else, usually someone you supervise	A good team lead knows how to delegate tasks instead of doing everything herself.
streamline	/ˈstriːmlaɪn/	verb	To make a process simpler and more efficient by removing unnecessary steps	We streamlined the onboarding process from ten forms down to three.
deliverable	/dɪˈlɪvərəbəl/	noun	A specific piece of work that must be completed and handed over as part of a project	The main deliverable for March is the final report for the client.
milestone	/ˈmaɪlstoʊn/	noun	An important stage or event in the progress of a project or career	Signing the first international contract was a major milestone for our small company.
consensus	/kənˈsɛnsəs/	noun	General agreement among the members of a group	After an hour of discussion, the committee finally reached a consensus.
facilitate	/fəˈsɪlɪteɪt/	verb	To make a process easier, or to guide a meeting or discussion so that it runs smoothly	Priya will facilitate tomorrow's workshop, so send her your questions in advance.
articulate	/ɑːrˈtɪkjuleɪt/	verb	To express an idea clearly and effectively in words	In the interview, she articulated exactly why the project had failed and what she learned from it.
concise	/kənˈsaɪs/	adjective	Giving information clearly and in few words	Keep the summary concise — executives rarely read past the first page.
diplomatic	/ˌdɪpləˈmætɪk/	adjective	Able to deal with people in a sensitive way that avoids causing offence	Be diplomatic when you point out the error in your colleague's report.
candid	/ˈkændɪd/	adjective	Honest and direct, even when the truth is uncomfortable	To be candid, I don't think this deadline is realistic for a team of three.
rapport	/ræˈpɔːr/	noun	A friendly relationship in which people understand each other and communicate well	She builds rapport with new clients by remembering the small details they mention.
accountability	/əˌkaʊntəˈbɪlɪti/	noun	The state of being responsible for decisions and being expected to explain them	Clear accountability means everyone knows who owns each part of the project.

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