Business English Podcast · Negotiations · Episode 19

Renegotiating Responsibilities in a Joint Project

The division of labour in a joint project quietly tips over — how to renegotiate responsibilities in English without pointing fingers.

B2 · Monologue · 4 Min. · free

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Editorially reviewed by James Simmonds – English teacher since 2004Published 12 August 2026

SceneMarkus runs a joint project with a Dutch partner. When the testing work quietly drifts onto his team, he has to renegotiate the division of labour — factually, without blame.

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Markus — Project manager, engineering company

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Transcript

The full transcript opens after the comprehension test — so you train real listening instead of reading along.

German support

MarkusWelcome back to the Simmonds Business English Podcast. My name is Markus, I manage joint projects for an engineering company in Germany, and today I want to talk about a difficult conversation: renegotiating responsibilities in the middle of a joint project.

MarkusLast year we started a joint project with a Dutch partner company. On paper, the division of labour was clear: our team would handle the design, and their team would handle testing and documentation. Six months in, reality looked very different.Auf dem Papier war die Arbeitsteilung klar geregelt.

MarkusTheir key engineer left the company, and slowly, quietly, the testing work drifted onto our desks. My team was overloaded, the schedule was slipping, and nobody had officially agreed to any of it.

MarkusSo I asked for a meeting with my Dutch counterpart, and I opened it like this: 'I'd like to review how we've divided the work, because the current setup no longer matches what we agreed.' Notice the tone — no blame, just facts.Kein Vorwurf, nur Fakten – so eröffnen Sie das Gespräch professionell.

MarkusThen I described the situation in neutral language: 'Over the past three months, my team has taken over most of the testing. That was not the plan, and it is not sustainable.' The phrase to take over is your key tool here — it describes a shift in responsibility without accusing anyone.

MarkusMy counterpart did not argue with the facts. But then he said something that made me smile. He said: 'We become a new test engineer in October, so the problem solves itself.' He meant bekommen, of course. In English, to become means to turn into something — werden. What he wanted to say was: 'We are getting a new test engineer in October.'„become" heißt „werden" – nicht „bekommen". Richtig: „We are getting a new engineer."

MarkusI only mention it because this mix-up matters in a negotiation. If you say "we become the resources", your partner hears nonsense — and in a tense meeting, small confusions grow quickly. If someone gives you something, you get it or you receive it. You never become it.

MarkusBack to the negotiation. We agreed on three things: their new engineer would take over the testing from November, we would receive an additional budget for the extra work already done, and we would put the revised division of labour in writing.Die neue Aufgabenverteilung wurde schriftlich festgehalten.

MarkusOne cultural note: in German business culture, many people wait for the official review meeting to raise problems. In English-speaking teams it is normal — even expected — to flag an imbalance early. A short, calm sentence like 'I think we need to rebalance the workload' is not rude. Silence, followed by an explosion three months later, is.Probleme früh anzusprechen gilt im Englischen als professionell, nicht als unhöflich.

MarkusSo remember: describe the facts without blame, use to take over and to hand over for responsibilities, ask for the changes in writing — and if you get something, you get it or receive it. You do not become it. Thanks for listening — see you next time.

Key phrases

division of labour

the way work is split between people or teams

The contract defines the division of labour between the two partners.

to take over

to start doing a task that was someone else's

Our team had to take over the documentation last quarter.

to hand over

to pass a task or responsibility to someone else

We will hand over the testing to the new engineer in November.

counterpart

the person with the same role on the other side

I discussed the issue with my counterpart at the partner company.

sustainable

able to continue at the same level over time

Working sixty-hour weeks is not sustainable for the team.

to receive

to get something that is given or sent to you

We expect to receive the revised budget next week.

to flag

to point out a problem early so it can be discussed

Please flag any capacity problems before the next milestone.

workload

the amount of work a person or team has to do

We need to rebalance the workload between the two offices.

Language notes

In this episode a project manager explains how he renegotiated responsibilities mid-project: facts instead of blame, "take over" and "hand over" as key verbs, results confirmed in writing. Plus the classic German error "we become a new engineer" — and why "become" never means "bekommen" (level B2).

Shifting responsibility without blame: take over & hand over

Saying "You stopped doing the testing" starts an argument. Saying "My team has taken over most of the testing" describes the same situation as a neutral observation. "To take over" and "to hand over" are the two verbs that name shifts in responsibility without accusing anyone. Combined with a factual opener — "I'd like to review how we've divided the work" — the conversation stays solution-focused.

Cultural note: flagging problems early

In German project culture many people wait for the official review meeting to raise an imbalance. In English-speaking teams the opposite is professional: an early, calm "I think we need to rebalance the workload" reads as ownership, not complaint. Staying silent and escalating three months later costs trust — the expectation is to flag things while they are small.

become ≠ bekommen: the classic false friend

"We become a new test engineer" literally means "we transform into a new test engineer". "To become" means "werden" — never "bekommen". If you obtain something, use "to get" (neutral) or "to receive" (more formal): "We are getting a new engineer", "We received the budget approval". Memory hook: become = werden, get/receive = bekommen. In negotiations the difference matters because a wrong "become" confuses your partner at exactly the wrong moment.

Keep practising: Learn business English online — with real teachers from Simmonds, since 2004.

Frequently asked questions

What language level is this episode for?

Level B2 (CEFR). The monologue uses upper-intermediate business English from project work; all eight key terms are explained bilingually.

How do I renegotiate project responsibilities in English?

In four steps: open factually ("I'd like to review how we've divided the work"), describe the facts without blame ("My team has taken over most of the testing"), propose concrete changes and get the result confirmed in writing.

What is the difference between "become" and German "bekommen"?

"To become" means "werden" (to turn into something). German "bekommen" is "to get" or "to receive" in English. "We become a new engineer" is wrong — the correct sentence is "We are getting a new engineer".

Where can I practise these phrases live?

In the online business English courses from Simmonds Language Services (englisch-lehrer.com/online): live lessons with real teachers on Zoom, for companies and individuals across Germany — starting with a free consultation.

Are the voices real?

Episodes are produced with high-quality AI voices (Hume) and editorially reviewed by our trainer team — the same method as our interactive lessons.

Want to practise these phrases in a real conversation?

The podcast trains your ear — in our online lessons you practise the conversation yourself, with real teachers. For companies across Germany since 2004.

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