TroublewithTeamwork
MaryOwenexaminestheroleandefficiencyofteams
Recruiterssaythatcandidateswhocangiveexamplesofworktheyhavedoneasmembersofasuccessfulteamareinasstrongapositionasthosewhocanpointtosignificantindividualachievement.Indeed,toomuchofthelattermaysuggestthatthepersonconcernedisnota'teamplayer'-oneofthemoreseriousfailingsinthebookofmanagement.
Theimportanceofbeingateamplayerisasideeffectoftheincreasinginteractionacrossdepartmentsandfunctionaldivides.Insteadofpushingreports,paperworkanddecisionsaroundtheorganisation,'teamsprovideadynamicmeetingplacewhereideascanbesharedandexpertisemorecarefullytargetedatimportantbusinessissues,'saysSteveGardner,inhisbookKeyManagementConcepts.Headds,'Globalisationhasaddedafurtherdimensiontoteamwork.Multinationalteamsnowstudypolicydecisionsinthelightoftheirimpactonthelocalmarket.'
Butisteamworkingbeingoverdone?'Somemanagersareonasmanyassevenoreightdifferentteams',saysDrCathyBandy,apsychologistwhorecentlyranaconferenceonthesubject.'Theytakeupsomuchtimethatmanagerscan'tgetonwithcoretasks.'Formingteamsandhavingmeetingshas,shesays,becomeanendinitself,almostregardlessofpurpose.Thereisalsothedangerofanunhealthydesiretokeeptheteamgoingaftertheworkhasbeendone.'Peoplefeeltheneedtobelong,andteammembershipcanprovideakindofpsychologicalsupport.'
Theideabehindteamworkingisthat,whentherightgroupofpeopleisbroughttogether,a'force'developswhichisgreaterthanthesumoftheirindividualtalents.Thisisoftentrueinsport,wheregoodplayerscanreachunexpectedheightsasmembersofaninternationalteam.However,fewbusinesssituationshaveasclearasetofobjectives,orasclearcriteriaofsuccessorfailure,aswinningamatch.
'Inbusiness,everyoneneedstobeclearaboutwhatthechallengeisandwhetherateamistherightwayofapproachingit',saysSteveGardner.'Unfortunately,peoplefocusinsteadonwhothemembersoftheteamshouldbeandwhatrolestheyaretoplay'DrBandyagrees.'Thereisalwaysadangerthatteamscanturnintocommittees,'shesays.'Inalotofsituations,oneortwoindividualswouldbemuchmoreeffective.'
Sowhatmakesasuccessfulteam?Therearesomegeneralqualitiesthathavebeenidentified.SteveGardnerrecommendsthatineveryteamthereshouldbesomeonewhoisgoodatresearchingideasandanotherwhoisgoodatshootingdownimpracticalones.Thereshouldbethosewhocanresolvethetensionsthatnaturallyoccurinateamandotherswhoarefocusedongettingthejobdone.Also,providingaclearandachievabletargetattheoutsetisthebestwayofensuringthattheteamwillmoveontogreaterthings.
13、Whatpointdoesthewritermakeaboutteamworkingatthebeginningofthearticle?
AItisthemostsuccessfulformofmanagement.
BIthaschangedtherecruitmentprocedureincompanies.
CWell-runteamsstillallowindividualstodemonstratetheirtalents.
DBeingateamplayerisnowconsideredanessentialmanagementskill.
14、Accordingtothearticle,teamworkdevelopedwithincompaniesasaresponseto
Amodernofficedesign.
Bchangingworkpractices.
Careductioninadministrativetasks.
Dtheexpansionofinternationalbusiness.
15、Inthethirdparagraph,DrBandysuggeststhat
Amanyemployeesdonotenjoyworkinginteams.
Bsomemanagersarenotveryeffectiveteamleaders.
Csometeamsarecreatedunnecessarily.
Dfewteamsarewellorganised.
16、Accordingtothewriter,teamworkismoreeffectiveinthefieldofsportbecausetheplayers
Aknowwhattheywanttoachieve.
Baremorecompetitivebynature.
Chavemoreindividualtalent.
Dcanbedrivenbynationalpride.
17、SteveGardnerandDrBandyagreethatwhenabusinessteamiscreatedpeopledonotpayenoughattentionto
Athestructureoftheteam.
Balternativestotheteam.
Cselectingtheteammembers.
Ddirectingtheteam'sactivities.
18、WhatisSteveGardner'sadviceonoperatingasuccessfulteam?
AMaintainaflexibleapproachtomembership.
BAllowpersonalitiestodevelopwithintheteam.
CSelectpeoplewhofitnaturallyintocertainroles.
DMakeeveryefforttoavoidconflictbetweenmembers.
Asian economies will continue to expand rapidly in the next two years on the back of foreign investments, exports and domestic demand, but will not be free of worries, according to a recent securities company economic report. Massive infrastructure spending, the benefits of past investments and deregulation and growing regional trade will push along regional growth.
The report tipped China’s gross domestic product to grow by 9.5 per cent in 1996 and 10.5 per cent in 1997, and Hong Kong’s to grow by 4.3 and 5.0 per cent. Singapore’s real GDP was forecast to grow by 7.6 and 7.4 per cent, Malaysia’s by 8.6 and 8.1 per cent, Thailand’s by 8.8 and 8.4 per cent, Indonesia’s by 7.3 and 7.1 per cent and Philippines’ by 5.6 and 5.8 per cent.
“However, all is not rosy,” cautioned the report, which listed overheating as the region’s biggest challenge in the short term and skilled-labor shortages in the long run.
It cited strains from rapid growth that had begun to stretch current account deficits and spur inflation in some regional economies, which could prevent their central banks from lowering interest rates.
“This implies that economic vulnerability to unexpected shocks will remain high,” the report said, forecasting a further tightening of monetary policy in countries such as the Philippines and Malaysia, and no significant easing in Thailand, Indonesia and China.
Crosby Securities also cited massive new investment programs generated by demands on infrastructure such as power, telecommunications and transport which had fuelled over-heating.
It said Asia would also face a bigger challenge from newly deregulating economies in Eastern Europe which offered lower costs and better-educated workers to foreign investors.
Asia’s main foreign investors should, however, continue to expand their presence in the region, the securities house said, noting new trends of intra-Asian investment.
Singapore is shifting its lower value-added disc drive and electronics industry to Malaysia, which in turn is moving some of its garment-making and consumer electronics manufacturing to Indonesia and Thailand. Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore are increasingly investing in Viet Nam, Myanmar and Laos.
“Asia will benefit from this trend in several ways,” the report said.
( )1Asia economy will continue to grow because of _____________.
A. foreign investment B. demands in Asian countries.
C. export D. all of the above
( )2 In the next 2 years, the highest economic growth will appear in ____________.
A. Singapore B. Thailand
C. Hong Kong D. China
( )3 Years later, the problem in Asian economy may be _________________.
A. too little investment B. too much investment
C. not enough qualified labors D. monetary instability
( )4 According to this report, economic changes in East Europe are ___________.
A. harmful B. challenging
C. helpful D. useless
( )5 The report is about the prospect of Asian economy.
A. optimistic B. pessimistic
C. more optimistic than pessimistic D. more pessimistic than optimistic
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(文學). 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(有經驗的) 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
Investingthousandsofpoundsintherecruitmentandtrainingofeachnewgraduaterecruitmaybejustthebeginning.Choosingthewrongcandidatemayleaveanorganisationpayingforyearstocome.
Fewcompanieswillhaveescapedallofthefollowingfailures:peoplewhopanicatthefirstsightofstress;thosewithlongimpressivequalificationswhoseemincapableoflearning;hypochondriacswhoseabsenteerecordbecomesastonishing;andtheunstablepersonlaterdiscoveredtobeathieforworse.
Lessdramatic,butjustasmuchaproblem,isthepersonwhosimplydoesnotcomeuptoexpectations,whodoesnotquitedeliver;whoneverbecomesahigh-flierorevenasteadyperformer;theemployeewithafinefuturebehindthem.
Thefirstpointtobearinmindattherecruitmentstageisthatpeopledon’tchange.Intelligencelevelsdeclinemodestly,butchangelittleovertheirworkinglife.Thesameistrueofabilities,suchaslearninglanguagesandhandlingnumbers.
Mostpeopleliketothinkthatpersonalitycanchange,particularlythemorenegativefeaturessuchasanxiety,lowesteem,impulsivenessoralackofemotionalwarmth.Butdatacollectedover50yearsgivesaclearmessage:stillstableafteralltheseyears.Extrovertsbecomeslightlylessextroverted;theacutelyshyappearalittlelessso,butthefundamentalsremainmuchthesame.Personalcrisescanaffectthewaywecopewiththings:wemighttakeupordropdrink,drugs,religionorrelaxationtechniques,whichcanbehaveprettydramaticeffects.Skillscanbeimproved,andnewonesintroduced,butatratherdifferentrates.Peoplecanbegroomedforajob.Justaspoliticiansarecarefullyrepackagedthroughdress,hairstyleandspeechspecialists,sopeoplecanbesentontrainingcourses,diplomasorexperimentalweekends.Butthereisacosttoallthiswhichmaybemorethanthepriceofthecourse.Bettertoselectforwhatyouactuallyseeratherthanattempttochangeit.
()1.Thepurposeofthispassageistogivemanagerstheadvicethat.
A.Employersshouldselectcandidatesfortheirpotential.
B.Employersshouldselectcandidatesforwhattheyareratherthanfortheirpotential.
C.Employersshouldselectthenewlygraduatedandsendthemontrainingcourses,diplomasorexperimentalweekends.
D.Employersshouldselectexperiencedcandidatestoavoidspendingthousandsofpoundsintraining.
()2.Accordingtothepassage,whichofthefollowingstatementsistrue?.
A.Absolutely,Peopledon’tchangeduringtheirworkinglives.
B.Generally,peoplechangetoalargeextentduringtheirworkinglives.
C.Fundamentally,peoplestaythesameduringtheirworkinglives.
D.Normally,peopledon’tchangeatallduringtheirworkinglives.
()3.Whatdoesafinefuturebehindthem(line3ofparagraph3)means?.
A.Somepeoplewillcertainlyhaveapromisingfuturethoughtheyarenotverycompetentintheirpresentwork.
B.Somepeopledon’thaveanypotentialfortheirworkthoughtheyareemployed.
C.Somepeoplecanhaveabrightfuturethoughtheycan’tdotheirworkwell.
D.Somepeoplehavepotentialwhentheyareemployed,butneverrealizethatpotential.
()4.Accordingtothepassage,people’sbasicabilitieslikelanguagelearningandnumeracy.
A.changelittleovertheirworkinglife.
B.neverchangeovertheirworkinglife.
C.changefundamentallyovertheirworkinglife.
D.changeprofoundlyovertheirworkinglife.
()5.Theworddeliver(line2ofparagraph3)means.
A.totakegoodstotheplacesorpeopletheyareaddressedto
B.togiveaspeech
C.todowhatyoupromisedtodo
D.tohelpawomantogivebirthtoababy.
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