7. Essential Phrases for Approval and Feedback at Work (B1-B2)

Podcast Introduction

Hello, I’m Daryush, and welcome to the Business English Hub, the podcast that helps you speak clearly and confidently at work. This podcast is for professionals, students, and job-seekers who use English in meetings, presentations, interviews, and beyond. Listen regularly to build your vocabulary, improve your fluency, and feel more comfortable using English in the workplace. I’m joined today by my co-host, Hana.

Hana: Hello everyone, it’s great to be with you.

Welcome to the podcast, Hana. By the way, we have a free transcript for this episode. If you want to read along or review later, just check out the link in the description.

Episode Introduction

In this week’s episode, we’re talking about how to ask for approval on a plan and how to ask for and give feedback on an idea or proposal. These are essential skills for the workplace. Think about it, have you ever had a great plan at work but you weren’t sure how to get everyone on board with it? Or maybe you had an idea and you wanted some honest feedback to make it better? It can feel tricky to know the right words to use, right? Well, we’ve got you covered. Today we’ll break it all down and practice those exact situations.

Hana: I remember when I was new at my previous job. I had an idea for improving one of our processes, but I was so nervous about asking for feedback. I was afraid of getting criticism, or of my boss thinking it was a silly idea.

Oh, I’ve been there too. It’s completely normal to feel that way. Asking for approval or feedback can make anyone a bit anxious, especially in a second language. But the good news is, there are polite and effective phrases in English that can help you do this confidently. Our goal today is to teach you those phrases and show you how to use them naturally. By the end of this episode, you’ll have a handy toolkit of expressions for getting approval on your plans and for asking and giving feedback on ideas.

Hana: Sounds great! How are we going to do that?

We’ll walk through a couple of realistic business scenarios together. In each one, we’ll act out a dialogue. I’ll play one character and Hana will play another. You’ll hear how to ask for approval and feedback in a natural, conversational way. After each dialogue, we’ll break down some of the key phrases we used and talk about why they work. So, shall we dive into our first scenario?

Hana: Let’s do it!

Scenario 1: Getting Approval for a Plan

Imagine you and a colleague are planning how to promote a new product. Let’s say an application that your company is about to launch. You need to decide on the best strategy, and you want to make sure your colleague agrees with your ideas. In this scenario, I’ll be a marketing manager and Hana will be my colleague. I’m going to suggest a plan and ask for her approval. Listen for how I ask yes-or-no questions to get her agreement, and how she responds.

Dialogue

Manager: We need to decide on the best way to showcase our new translator app to potential customers. I’m thinking about presenting it at the upcoming tech expo. Do you think it’s a good idea if we start with a live demonstration at the expo?

Colleague: Absolutely. A live demo sounds like a great idea. It’ll really show people how the app works in real time.

Manager: Great! I also think we should offer a free one-month trial as a promotion to attract users. Do you agree with me on that?

Colleague: Hmm, I’m not so sure about a full month. I don’t think giving away an entire month for free is the best approach. It might be too much. Maybe a one-week free trial would work better, so we don’t undervalue our product.

Manager: That’s a fair point. A shorter free trial could be more sensible. Let’s think about it a bit more. So, we agree on the live demonstration, and we’ll revisit the trial period length.

Colleague: Sounds good. Overall, I’m on board with the plan. Let’s move forward with the expo demo and iron out the other details later.

In this dialogue, you heard a few useful ways to ask for approval and agreement. I, as the manager, asked, “Do you think it’s a good idea if we …?” This is a polite way to ask for a yes-or-no opinion on a specific plan. It’s almost like asking, “Is it okay if we do this?” Hana responded with “Absolutely” to strongly agree, and then she explained why she thought a live demo was great.

I also asked, “Do you agree with me on that?” after sharing another idea, offering a free trial. That’s another way to directly ask for approval or agreement. It invites a yes or no answer. You probably noticed that Hana didn’t fully agree with the second idea. She started her response a bit hesitantly: “Hmm, I’m not so sure …” and then “I don’t think this is the best approach.” This is a polite way to disagree or express doubt. If someone asks, “Do you agree?” and you don’t agree, you can say “I’m not sure” or “I don’t think so,” and then give a reason. Hana did that by explaining her concern that a one-month free trial would be too much. She offered a constructive alternative: a one-week trial.

Notice how asking “Do you think it’s a good idea if we …?” or “Do you agree with me?” leads to a clear yes or no answer. These yes/no questions are great when you want a quick approval or a simple agreement. In our example, we got one “yes” and one polite “no.” That’s totally normal. You won’t always get 100% agreement. The important thing is that Hana felt comfortable disagreeing politely by saying “I’m not so sure” and giving a reason. In fact, her feedback could improve our plan.

So, the key phrases from this scenario are: “Do you think it’s a good idea if we …?” and “Do you agree with me?” to ask for approval, and replies like “Absolutely” to agree, or “I’m not so sure,” “I don’t think so” to disagree politely. Also, notice we used “Let’s think about it a bit more.” That’s a nice way to pause and consider an idea that not everybody agrees on yet.

Alright, now that we’ve covered asking for general feedback and getting those yes/no responses, let’s move on to our next scenario, where we focus on asking for and giving more detailed feedback.

Scenario 2: Asking for and Giving Feedback on an Idea

Now, imagine you have a business proposal or an idea, for example, a new marketing strategy or a project plan, and you want someone’s honest feedback on it. Maybe it’s your colleague, your manager, or even a client. How do you ask for their opinion? And when you’re the one giving feedback, how can you do it constructively? In this scenario, Hana will be a team member who’s come up with a proposal, and I’ll be her colleague from another department. She’s going to ask me for feedback on her idea. Listen for the phrases we use to ask for an open opinion and how we give feedback, both positive and constructive.

Dialogue

Team Member: Thanks for taking the time to look at my proposal, Daryush. I’d love to get your feedback on it. To start, what do you think about the overall concept?

Colleague: I really like it! Honestly, it’s a creative and solid concept. I can tell you put a lot of thought into it, and it addresses a real need for our customers.

Team Member: I’m happy to hear that. Now, I want you to be completely open. What’s your honest opinion about the timeline I’ve proposed? Please be honest with me.

Colleague: Sure. Honestly, I think the timeline is a bit too optimistic. In my opinion, we might need more time for testing before a full launch. Maybe we could add two more weeks to that phase.

Team Member: That’s good to know. I had a feeling it might be a tight schedule. How about the budget section? What’s your feeling on this part of the plan?

Colleague: Let’s see … In my opinion, the budget is generally reasonable, but it might be missing a buffer for unexpected costs. What do I mean? For example, if something goes wrong or there’s a delay, we’d need extra funds. I’d suggest adding, say, a 10% contingency to be safe.

Team Member: Hmm. That’s a great suggestion. I didn’t think of that. Anything else stand out to you?

Colleague: Overall, I thought your proposal was very clear and informative. You made a strong case for the project. My main feedback would just be those adjustments: give ourselves a bit more time and include a safety net in the budget. Content-wise, I don’t have any other critiques.

Team Member: Wonderful, thank you so much. I really appreciate your honest feedback. It’s exactly what I needed. Now I can refine the proposal before presenting it to the wider team.

Let’s unpack some of the language we just used. When Hana wanted detailed input, she asked, “What do you think about the overall concept?” This is an open-ended question. Instead of just yes or no, it invites me to share my thoughts and feelings. I responded with “I really like it. It’s a creative and solid concept,” which is a positive opinion. Saying “I really like it” or “I thought it was great” is a simple, clear way to give positive feedback.

Hana also specifically asked, “What’s your honest opinion about the timeline? Please be honest with me.” Notice how she emphasized the word “honest.” She really wants constructive criticism, not just praise. Adding “Please be honest with me” signals that you welcome sincere feedback, even if it’s not all positive. It’s a great phrase when you truly want to encourage the other person to share any concerns.

In response, I started with “Honestly, I think the timeline is a bit too optimistic.” Starting with “Honestly,” or “To be honest,” is a common way to introduce feedback, especially if it might be slightly critical. It shows you’re about to give your true opinion. Then I used “In my opinion” to soften the delivery: “In my opinion, we might need more time.” Phrases like “In my opinion…”, “I think …”, or “I feel …” make it clear that you’re sharing a personal view, which is polite and diplomatic.

Hana also asked, “What’s your feeling on this part of the plan?” That’s another way to ask “What’s your opinion on this?” When giving feedback, I made sure to mention positive, and then gave specific suggestions for improvement. This is a good approach to giving feedback: mix praise with constructive criticism. If you only focus on what’s wrong, it can discourage the other person. If you only give praise, the person doesn’t learn anything new or catch potential issues. A balance helps the person feel encouraged and also get useful input.

Remember, when you ask open questions for feedback, be ready for both positive comments and constructive criticism. And if you’re the one responding, be honest but tactful. In our dialogue, I was respectful by saying “a bit too optimistic” instead of saying “completely unrealistic.” And I offered a solution rather than just pointing out a problem. Notice how Hana reacted to the feedback: she didn’t get defensive. She acknowledged the critique and appreciated the suggestion. That positive attitude shows you’re listening and open to improvement, which encourages people to keep giving you honest feedback.

Wrap-Up

We covered a lot of ground today, from getting your team’s go-ahead on a plan, to asking for and giving feedback on a proposal. These scenarios and phrases should help you feel more confident next time you’re in a meeting or working on a project and you need someone’s input. And remember, the key is to be polite and clear. Don’t be afraid to ask questions like “Do you agree?” or “What do you think?” Most people appreciate being asked for their opinion. And when you’re receiving feedback, try to welcome it with an open mind, just like Hana did in our example. That way, you create a positive environment for honest communication.

Before we wrap up, we’d love to hear from you, our listeners. How do you ask for and give feedback at work? What expressions do you tend to use, and have you found them effective? Maybe you have a go-to phrase in your meetings when you want everyone’s approval. Share your experiences with us in the comments or by sending us a message. We’re really curious to know how people handle this in different jobs and cultures, so don’t be shy! We read every response.

Hana: Yes, please do share. It’s always fascinating to hear real-world examples from you. And if you try out any of the phrases from today’s episode in your workplace, let us know how it went!

Alright, that brings us to the end of Episode 7 of Business English Hub. Thank you so much for joining us. If you found this episode helpful, remember to hit the like button and subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us reach more people. You can also leave a comment with your thoughts or questions. We love hearing from you.

Hana: And don’t forget, you can get the full, free transcript of this episode on Daryush’s website. It’s a great way to review all the expressions we talked about. You’ll also find information there about 1-to-1 English coaching with Daryush if you need more personalized help.

If you prefer a video experience, check out our YouTube channel for a read-along version of this episode. Sometimes reading the captions as you listen can reinforce your learning. And of course, you can listen to the audio-only version on platforms like Spotify and Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you once again for spending time with us today. Keep practicing these phrases in your daily work life. The more you use them, the more natural they’ll become. Until next time, keep learning, stay confident, and we’ll catch you in the next episode.

Hana: Bye everyone!

Talk to you soon.

Click here to download the full transcript in PDF format.