14a

Recording 14a

Marry: Hi, Jean. You look worried. Is everything OK?

Jean: Hi, Mary. Actually, I’m facing a few problems at work and I’m not really sure how to deal with them.

Mary: What sorts of problems?

Jean: Well, we’ve just got a new boss and he’s expecting us to start work at 8 o’clock in the morning. Of course, that’s causing problems for me at home because it means my husband has to take the children to school every morning, which is making him late for work.

Maty: Oh dear. I know how you feel. I had to deal with a similar problem last year.

Jean: How did you tackle it?

Mary: Well, I didn’t at first and that created an even worse situation. The traffic is so bad nowadays that I was leaving the house at 6:30 every morning to get there in time.

Eventually I realised I would have to address the problem sooner or later, so I raise the issue with my boss.

Jean: Did you manage to resolve it?

Mary: Yes, he was terrific. He said he hadn’t realised that the early start would present a problem and he agreed to let me start half an hour later.

Jean: That’s great. I’m sure my boss has no idea how much trouble he’s closed. Perhaps I should deal with it the same way.

Marr: well, they say that identifying the problem is the hardest part. Tackling it should be the easy part.

Jean: You haven’t met my new boss!