HomeWorkplace GlossaryTabling a Proposal (US vs UK)

Workplace glossary

What is Tabling a Proposal (US vs UK)?

Tabling a proposal means opposite things on opposite sides of the Atlantic. In British, Australian and New Zealand usage, to table something is to put it ON the table: bring it forward for discussion now. In American usage, to table is to set it aside: postpone it, possibly forever.

The result is a genuine business hazard in multinational meetings: a UK chair tables a motion expecting debate while US colleagues hear it has been shelved. Multinational teams either ban the word or define it once in the meeting norms; both work better than discovering the difference live.

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