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A Quiet Problem
Managing people as people — trust over pressure.
A short workplace listening story for intermediate learners. When his most reliable team member starts missing deadlines, a manager named Amir chooses understanding over anger. Listen for the big picture, then for detail, and practice modals of obligation and advice.
This is a short story set in an office in Amman, Jordan. A manager named Amir notices that one of his best employees has started missing deadlines — and he has to decide how to respond. Here are the key words and phrases you’ll hear:
| Word / phrase | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| a deadline | The time by which work must be finished. | The deadline for the report is Monday, so I’ll finish it this weekend. |
| exhausted | Extremely tired, with no energy left. | After a long flight, she was completely exhausted and fell asleep right away. |
| results | The things that get finished or achieved, as opposed to how people feel. | A good manager cares about results, but also about the people who produce them. |
| meet a deadline | To finish work by the time it is due. | If we all stay focused, we can easily meet the deadline. |
| turn in (work) | To hand in or submit finished work. | Please turn in your application before Friday — you can also turn it in online. |
| work from home | To do your job from your house, not the office. | On Fridays, most of the team works from home. |
| take care of (someone) | To look after someone and keep them safe and well. | She stayed home to take care of her sick father. |
Listen to the whole story once. Try not to read the transcript yet — just follow the big picture.
Amir managed a small team at a software company in Amman, and he was proud of them. They always met their deadlinesmeet a deadline · to finish work by the time it is due, so when Nadia started turning inturn in (work) · to give in or submit finished work her work late, he noticed right away.
Nadia was usually one of his best people. She didn’t have to be reminded about anything; she just got things done. But this week was different. Her report was two days late, and the team had to finish the whole project by Friday.
“I really should talk to her,” Amir thought. “Something must be wrong.”
He didn’t want to be the kind of boss who only cares about results. You shouldn’t treat people like machines, he believed. So instead of sending an angry email, he walked over to her desk.
“Hi, Nadia. Do you have a minute? We have to plan the last part of the project, but first — are you okay? You don’t have to tell me, but I’d like to help.”
Nadia looked up. She seemed exhaustedexhausted · very tired, with no energy left.
“I’m sorry about the report,” she said. “My son has been sick all week. I have to take him to the doctor every morning, so I can’t get to the office on time.”
“You should have told me,” Amir said gently. “You don’t have to come to the office at all this week. You can work from homework from home · to do your job from your house, not the office, and we can move your tasks to the afternoon.”
Nadia smiled for the first time in days. “Are you sure? We still have to finish by Friday.”
“We will,” Amir said. “But you must take care oftake care of (someone) · to look after someone and keep them safe and well your family first. The project can wait a few hours; your son can’t.”
By Friday, the project was done — and Nadia knew she could trust her boss.
Listen again. You can read along with the transcript now.
Amir managed a small team at a software company in Amman, and he was proud of them. They always met their deadlinesmeet a deadline · to finish work by the time it is due, so when Nadia started turning inturn in (work) · to give in or submit finished work her work late, he noticed right away.
Nadia was usually one of his best people. She didn’t have to be reminded about anything; she just got things done. But this week was different. Her report was two days late, and the team had to finish the whole project by Friday.
“I really should talk to her,” Amir thought. “Something must be wrong.”
He didn’t want to be the kind of boss who only cares about results. You shouldn’t treat people like machines, he believed. So instead of sending an angry email, he walked over to her desk.
“Hi, Nadia. Do you have a minute? We have to plan the last part of the project, but first — are you okay? You don’t have to tell me, but I’d like to help.”
Nadia looked up. She seemed exhaustedexhausted · very tired, with no energy left.
“I’m sorry about the report,” she said. “My son has been sick all week. I have to take him to the doctor every morning, so I can’t get to the office on time.”
“You should have told me,” Amir said gently. “You don’t have to come to the office at all this week. You can work from homework from home · to do your job from your house, not the office, and we can move your tasks to the afternoon.”
Nadia smiled for the first time in days. “Are you sure? We still have to finish by Friday.”
“We will,” Amir said. “But you must take care oftake care of (someone) · to look after someone and keep them safe and well your family first. The project can wait a few hours; your son can’t.”
By Friday, the project was done — and Nadia knew she could trust her boss.
All the obligation, advice and possibility language from the dialogue, in one place:
| Form | Function | Line from the story |
|---|---|---|
| have to / has to | obligation — the situation requires it (not a modal verb) | “the team had to finish the whole project by Friday” |
| don’t have to | no obligation — it is optional | “You don’t have to tell me” |
| should / shouldn’t | advice — a good or bad idea (modal verb) | “You shouldn’t treat people like machines” |
| should have + past participle | advice about the past — a missed chance (modal verb) | “You should have told me” |
| must | strong obligation, or a confident conclusion (modal verb) | “you must take care of your family first” · “Something must be wrong” |
| can / can’t | possibility or ability (modal verb) | “You can work from home” · “I can’t get to the office on time” |
Tap the better option in each sentence. You’ll see right away if it’s correct.
No options this time. Try to remember the exact words first, then reveal the answer to check yourself.
“You ______ come to the office.”
“You ______ told me.”
“You ______ take care of your family first.”
“I ______ get to the office on time.”
to ______
to ______
You listened, noticed the language, and used it yourself. Come back any time to listen again — repetition is how the words and patterns stick.
