📙 Part 2: Describe someone who is a good team player

This episode's vocabulary

Workplace (noun) - a building or room where people perform their jobs, or these places generally.

To handle (verb) - to deal with, have responsibility for, or be in charge of.

Duo (noun) - two people, especially two singers, musicians, or other performers.

To overcome (verb) - to defeat or succeed in controlling or dealing with something.

Perfectionist (noun) - a person who wants everything to be perfect and demands the highest standards possible.

Meltdown (noun) - an occasion when a person becomes extremely upset and is not able to deal with a problem or situation.

Flexible (adj.) - able to change or be changed easily according to the situation.

Sceptical (adj.) - doubting that something is true or useful.

Radically (adverb) - completely or extremely.

Questions and Answers

R: Well, our producer Vanya is pretty good at working in a team, now I think about it. We've been working together on our podcast "Success with IELTS" for about five years now. In fact, it's the anniversary of the podcast this year. I knew him before that though, when we worked together at our previous workplace. He worked in marketing for our IELTS department, and we went to a couple of events together, he would handle the logistics, and I would deliver the content. So we already made quite a dynamic duo back then. I'm not so sure exactly what makes him so good at working with other people. All I know is I like working in a team with him. I have done for the past several years, despite all the challenges our company has faced. We always managed to overcome any problems that came up together. Maybe it's just a case of being fairly relatable and having a sense of humour about things when they don't quite work out. I'd rather that than work with some perfectionist who has a meltdown every time something doesn't go to plan. I'm sure you know the kind of person, it's got to be done in a specific way like X, Y, and Z. But Vanya is quite flexible. We've completed several projects together, including bringing the podcast together and holding it together with our other colleagues. And sometimes we play computer games online together. Which is actually quite good fun, even though I was very sceptical at first about this, because I've never done it much before. And so I wasn't too keen, but he pushed me and it was a good idea. I've not analyzed it too much, but getting on well during these things probably made the teamwork even easier, frankly. If I hadn't met and worked with Vanya, life would be radically different now, and I'm not sure things would be as much fun. And that's coming from someone who isn't such a fan of teamwork to begin with. So there you go. It just goes to show, that it's not always about the fact you are working in a team, it's who you're working with also.

M: And what about this person? Does he enjoy working with you?

R: You'd have to ask him.