Section D
Even if you get work done and generally get along with co-workers, you could have habits that bug your boss (not to mention your officemates). While these quirks may not necessarily get you fired, they certainly can keep you from climbing the corporate ladder. We’ve uncovered a number of habits that bug your boss and offer tips on how to avoid them.
According to LaRhonda Edwards, a human resources manager with thirteen years of HR experience, tardiness is one of the biggest concerns for managers. “If the normal work day starts at 8 o’clock, then the expectation is that you’re in the office ready to start your day,” she explains. Her advice to the chronically late? “Plan ahead,” she urges. “If you live 50 minutes away, you don’t leave 50 minutes early. Tag on extra time and anticipate road blocks.” Some people even set their clocks a few minutes early to ensure that they’re on time. Different bosses prefer different modes of communication. Lindsey Pollak, a workplace expert and author of Getting from College to Career, says if you text your boss and she prefers in-person meetings, “either your information won’t get across or you’ll irritate [her].” Fortunately, there’s a simple fix: ask your boss how and when to send updates. If you’re too shy to ask outright, then Pollak suggests observing how they communicate with you. “If you have a boss who communicates once a day by email, that’s the boss’ preferred frequency and method of communication,” explains Pollak.
A cluttered, messy work space can give your boss the impression that you’re lazy or disorganized, so try to keep your desk neat. “Never put more on your desk than you’re going to work on for the day,” recommends Edwards. “At the end of the day, make sure you set up for the next day. I may be working on five things at once, but at the end of the day, they’re gone, and I set up for the next day.” Most managers would rather you ask a question than make a mistake, but many questions can be answered on your own. “Is this something you could Google or ask a colleague?” wonders Pollak. “The internet is so vast that a lot of information you can get yourself.” If you must approach your boss with a question or issue, then Pollak recommends brainstorming beforehand. “Rather than saying ‘This client is terrible. What should I do?’ think about potential solutions,” she says.
Cell phones are practically ubiquitous in the workplace these days, but it’s still disruptive and disrespectful when they go off during a meeting. Edwards says that you should, “put your cell phone on vibrate or leave it in your own office so it’s not a distraction.” That way you won’t be tempted to text either
( )6.According to the article, how many pieces of advice are offered here? .
A. Two B. Three C. Four D. Five(B)
( )7.What is this article about? .
A. How to be successful in the workplace.
B. How to communicate with your boss.
C. How to avoid quirks that annoy your boss.
D. How to utilize your mobile phones at work.
( )8.What does the phrase “to get across” in the sentence “…she prefers in-person meetings, “either your information won’t get across or you’ll irritate …” of the second paragraph mean? .
A. To be communicated B. To be passed
C. To be promoted D. To be anticipated(A)
( )9.According to the article, which of the following modes of communication is the best when communicating with your boss? .
A. Any ways you think are appropriate.
B. In-person meetings.
C. Correspondence.
D. The way your boss communicates with you.(D)
( )10.Which of the following statements is not mentioned?
A. Employees should pay respect to their bosses anytime.
B. Employees should plan beforehand so as to show up at work on time.
C. Employees should not let their mobile phones go off during meetings.
D. Employees should keep their desks neat and organized.
6. D 7. C 8. A 9. D 10. A
暂无解析
TheImportanceofGoodCommunications
Effectivecommunicationisessentialforallorganizations.Itlinkstheactivitiesofthevariouspartsoftheorganizationandensuresthateveryoneisworkingtowardsacommongoal.Itisalsoextremelyimportantformotivatingemployees.Staffneedtoknowhowtheyaregettingon,whattheyaredoingrightandinwhichareastheycouldimprove.Workingalonecanbeextremelydifficultanditismucheasierifsomeonetakesaninterestandprovidessupport.Employeesneedtounderstandwhytheirjobisimportantandhowitcontributestotheoverallsuccessofthefirm.Personalcommunicationshouldalsoincludetargetsetting.Peopleusuallyrespondwelltogoals,providedtheseareagreedbetweenthemanagerandsubordinateandnotimposed.
However,firmsoftenhavecommunicationproblemsthatcanunderminetheirperformance.Inmanycases,theseproblemsoccurbecausemessagesarepassedoninaninappropriateway.Thereare,ofcourse,severalwaysofconveyinginformationtoothersintheorganizationwhichincludespeakingtothemdirectly,e-mailing,telephoningorsendingamemo.Themostappropriatemethoddependsonwhatexactlyitisyouarecommunicating.Forexample,anythingthatisparticularlysensitiveorconfidential,suchasanemployee'sappraisal,shouldbedoneface-to-face.
Oneofthemainproblemsforseniorexecutivesisthattheydonothavethetimeorresourcesneededtocommunicateeffectively.Inlargecompanies,forexample,itisimpossibleforseniormanagerstomeetanddiscussprogresswitheachemployeeindividually.Obviouslythistaskcanbedelegatedbutatthecostofcreatingagapbetweenseniormanagementandstaff.Asaresult,managersareoftenforcedtouseothermethodsofcommunication,likememosornotes,eveniftheyknowthesearenotnecessarilythemostsuitablemeansofpassingonmessages.
Theuseoftechnology,suchase-mail,mobilephonesandnetworksystems,isspeedingupcommunicationimmensely.However,thisdoesnotmeanthatmoreinvestmentintechnologyautomaticallyprovesbeneficial:systemscanbecomeoutdatedoremployeesmaylackappropriatetraining.Therearemanycommunicationstoolsnowavailablebutafirmcannotaffordallofthem.Evenifitcould,itdoesnotactuallyneedthemall.Thepotentialgainsmustbeweighedupagainstthecosts,andfirmsshouldrealizethatmorecommunicationdoesnotnecessarilymeanbettercommunication."
Asthenumberofpeopleinvolvedinanorganizationincrease,theuseofwrittencommunicationrisesevenfaster.Insteadofaquickconversationtosortsomethingoutnumerousmessagescanbepassedbackwardsandforwards.Thiscanleadtoatremendousamountofpaperworkandisoftenlesseffectivethanface-to-facecommunication.Whenyouareactuallytalkingtosomeoneyoucandiscussthingsuntilyouarehappythattheyhaveunderstoodandfeedbackisimmediate.Withwrittenmessages,however,youareneverquitesurehowitwillbereceivedwhatyouthinkyouhavesaidandwhattheotherpersonthinksyouhavesaidcanbeverydifferent.
Theamountofwritteninformationgeneratedinlargeorganizationstodaycanleadtocommunicationoverload.Somuchinformationisgatheredthatitgetsinthewayofmakingdecisions.Takealookattheaveragemanager'sdeskandyouwillseetheproblem--itisoftencoveredwithletters,reportsandmemos.Thisoverloadcanleadtoinefficiencies.Forexample,managersmaynotbeabletofindtheinformationtheywantwhentheyneedit.Communicationisalsobecomingmoredifficultwiththechangesoccurringinemploymentpatterns.Withmorepeopleworkingpart-timeandworkingathome,managingcommunicationisbecomingincreasinglycomplex.
1.InthefirstparagraphthewriterrecommendsthatcommunicationwithstaffshouldincludeA.somefeedbackontheirjobperformance.
B.anexplanationofhowcompanytargetshavebeenset.
C.informationonpromotionprospectswithinthecompany.
D.anindicationofwhichdutiestheycanexpectassistancewith.areastheycouldimprove
2.Accordingtothewriter,thebestwayofachievingeffectivecommunicationistoA.adaptthemessagetosuitaparticularaudience.
B.makethecontentofmessagesbriefanddirect.
C.selectthemostsuitablemeansofconveyingaparticularmessage.
D.ensurethatinformationistargetedattheappropriategroupofpeople.
3.Whatdoesthewritersayaboutthecommunicationoptionsavailabletoseniormanagers?A.Sendingmemostostaffisoneofthemostefficientmethods.
B.Itisimportanttofindthetimetodiscusscertainmatterswithstaff.
C.Theyshouldincreasetherangeofoptionsthattheyuse.
D.Gettingjuniormanagerstotalktostaffcancreatedifferentproblems.
4.Whatadviceisgivenaboutthecommunicationtoolsmadeavailablebytechnology?A.Aimtolimitstaffuseofcertaincommunicationtools.
B.Evaluatethemintermsoftheexpenditureinvolved.
C.Selectthemonthebasisofthefacilitiestheyoffer.
D.Encouragemorestafftoattendtrainingcoursesintheiruse.
5.Accordingtothewriter,aproblemwithwrittencommunicationisthatA.themessagecanbeinterpreteddifferentlytowhatwasintended.
B.itcanbeeasyforpeopletoignorethecontentsofawrittenmessage.
C.mostpeoplearemorecomfortablewithface-to-facecommunication.
D.itispossibleforcorrespondencetogetlostwithinalargeorganization.
6.Accordingtothearticle,whatistheeffectofreceivinglargeamountsofwritteninformation?A.Itiscounter-productive."
B.Itcausesconflictinacompany.
C.Itleadstochangesinworkpatterns.
D.Itmakesthemainpointsmoredifficulttoidentify.
Read the text about career-planning services.
Choose the best sentence from the opposite page to fill each of the gaps .
For each gap 9– 14, mark one letter (A-H) on your Answer Sheet .
Do not use any letter more than once .
There is an example at the beginning .(0)
Your Career Path Can Lead You Anywhere
We used to be advised to plan our careers. We were told to make a plan during the later stages of our education and continue with it through our working lives.(0)_____ some people still see careers in this way. However, to pursue a single option for life has always been unrealistic.
Planning for a single career assumes that we set out with a full understanding of our likes and dislikes and the employment opportunities open to us. (9)____ For most people this degree of certainty about the future does not exist.
Our initial choice of career path and employer is often based on inadequate knowledge and false perceptions. But with age and experience, we develop new interests and aptitudes and our priorities alter. The structure of the employment market and, indeed of employment itself, is subject to change as both new technologies and new work systems are introduced (10) _____ We must face the uncertainties of a portfolio career.
It is clear from the recent past that we cannot foresee the changes which will affect our working lives. The pace of change is accelerating , as a result of which traditional career plans will be of very limited use. (11)_____ They will need updating to reflect changes in our own interests as well as in the external work environment. Flexible workers already account for about half the workforce. (12)______ We are likely to face periods as contract workers, self-employed freelances, consultants, temps or part-timers.
Many employers encourage staff to write a personal development development (PDP) (13)_____ Although some people use it only to review the skills needed for their job, a PDP could be the nucleus of wider career plan –setting out alternative long-term learning needs and a plan of self-development.
A report issued by the Institute of Employment Studies advises people to enhance their employability by moving from traditional technical skills towards the attainment of a range of transferable skills. (14)_____ Instead, special schemes should be established to encourage people to examine their effectiveness and to consider a wider range of needs.
0 A B C D E F G H
A This dual effect means that the relationship between employers and workers has evolved to such and extent that we can no longer expect a long-term relationship with one employer.
B. It carries an implicit assumption that we ourselves, and the jobs we enter, will change little during our working lives.
C. This growth suggests that a career plan should not be expressed only in terms of full-time employment but should make provision for the possibility of becoming one of the.
D this is a summary of one’s personal learning needs and an action plan to meet them.
E Consequently, they must now accommodate a number of objectives and enable us to prepare for each on a contingency basis.
F However, it warns that employers often identify training needs through formal appraisals, which take too narrow a view of development.
G . Such a freelance of consultant would be constantly in demand.
H We were expected to work towards that one clear goal and to consider a career change as a bad thing.
Hehadalongtelephone( ).
A friend of mine was fond of drawing horse. He drew the horses very well,but he always began the tail. Now it is the Western rule to begin at the head of the horse, that is why I was surprised. It struck me that it could not really make any difference whether the artist begins at the head or the tail or the belly(肚子) or the foot of the horse, if he really knows his business. And most great artists who really know their business do not follow other people’s rule.They make their own rules. Every one of them does his work in a way peculiar(奇特的) to himself; and the peculiarity means only that he finds it more easy to work in that way.
Now the very same thing is true to literature(文学). And the question, "How shall I begin?" only means that you want to begin at the head instead of beginning at the tail or somewhere else. That is, you are not yet experienced(有经验的) enough to trust to your own powers. When you become more experienced you will
never ask the question, and I think that you will often begin at the tail --that is to say, you will write the end of the story before you have even thought of the beginning.
1. A friend of the writer’s drew the horses ____.
A. very well
B. in the way of western rule
C. in the way of his own rule
D. all of the above
2. The writer was surprised because ____.
A. the artist began to draw at the head of the horse
B. the artist began to draw at the tail of the horse
C. the artist made his own rule
D. the artist did not follow other people’s rule
3. You are not yet experienced because ____.
A. you don’t know where to begin
B. you want to begin at the head instead of beginning at the tail
C. you always asked question
D. you do not trust to your own powers
4. When you become more experienced you will ____.
A. never ask question
B. often begin at the tail
C. should write the end of the story
D. should think of the beginning
5. The topic of the passage is ______.
A. How to draw a horse
B. How to write a story
C. How to make your own rules
D. Trust to your own powers
Trouble with Teamwork
Mary Owen examines the role and efficiency of teams
Recruiters say that candidates who can give examples ofwork they have done as members of a successful team are in asstrong a position as those who can point to significant individualachievement. Indeed, too much of the latter may suggest thatthe person concerned is not a 'team player' - one of the moreserious failings in the book of management.
The importance of being a team player is a side effect of the increasing interaction acrossdepartments and functional divides. Instead of pushing reports, paperwork and decisions aroundthe organisation, 'teams provide a dynamic meeting place where ideas can be shared and expertisemore carefully targeted at important business issues,' says Steve Gardner, in his book KeyManagement Concepts. He adds, 'Globalisation has added a further dimension to teamwork.Multinational teams now study policy decisions in the light of their impact on the local market.'
But is teamworking being overdone? 'Some managers are on as many as seven or eightdifferent teams', says Dr Cathy Bandy, a psychologist who recently ran a conference on thesubject. 'They take up so much time that managers can't get on with core tasks.' Forming teamsand having meetings has, she says, become an end in itself, almost regardless of purpose. There isalso the danger of an unhealthy desire to keep the team going after the work has been done. 'People feel the need to belong, and team membership can provide a kind of psychologicalsupport.'
The idea behind teamworking is that, when the right group of people is brought together, a'force' develops which is greater than the sum of their individual talents. This is often true in sport,where good players can reach unexpected heights as members of an international team.However,few business situations have as clear a set of objectives, or as clear criteria of success orfailure, as winning a match.
'In business, everyone needs to be clear about what the challenge is and whether a team isthe right way of approaching it', says Steve Gardner. 'Unfortunately, people focus instead on whothe members of the team should be and what roles they are to play' Dr Bandy agrees. 'There isalways a danger that teams can turn into committees,' she says. 'In a lot of situations, one or twoindividuals would be much more effective.'
So what makes a successful team? There are some general qualities that have been identified.Steve Gardnerrecommends that in every team there should be someone who is good atresearching ideas and another who is good at shooting down impractical ones. There should bethose who can resolve the tensions that naturally occur in a team and others who are focused ongetting the job done. Also, providing a clear and achievable target at the outset is the best way ofensuring that the team will move on to greater things.
13、 What point does the writer make about teamworking at the beginning of the article?
A It is the most successful form of management.
B It has changed the recruitment procedure in companies.
C Well-run teams still allow individuals to demonstrate their talents.
D Being a team player is now considered an essential management skill.
14 、According to the article, teamwork developed within companies as a response to
A modern office design.
B changing work practices.
C a reduction in administrative tasks.
D the expansion of international business.
15 、In the third paragraph, Dr Bandy suggests that
A many employees do not enjoy working in teams.
B some managers are not very effective team leaders.
C some teams are created unnecessarily.
D few teams are well organised.
16 、According to the writer, teamwork is more effective in the field of sport because the players
A know what they want to achieve.
B are more competitive by nature.
C have more individual talent.
D can be driven by national pride.
17 、Steve Gardner and Dr Bandy agree that when a business team is created people do notpay enough attention to
A the structure of the team.
B alternatives to the team.
C selecting the team members.
D directing the team's activities.
18、 What is Steve Gardner's advice on operating a successful team?
A Maintain a flexible approach to membership.
B Allow personalities to develop within the team.
C Select people who fit naturally into certain roles.
D Make every effort to avoid conflict between members.
