Учебник Английский язык

What sort of team player are you?

Doers vs.	Details vs. Ideas	Mind vs. Heart	Planners vs.
Thinkers			Improvisers
a)I consider what I	a) I often come up	a) I like to think	a) Meetings have
say.	with unusual	logically.	to be prepared for
	solutions.		carefully.
b) I contribute a lot	b) It’s important to	b) I keep emotions	b) I like surprises.
in discussion.	be realistic.	out of decision-
		making.
c) Action is more	c) People see me	c) I avoid	c) I hate time-
important than	as a creative	confrontation.	wasting at
reflection.	person.		meetings.
d) I listen to others	d) I like practical	d) I sometimes	d) Too much time
before I say	solutions.	tread on people’s	can be spend on
anything.		toes.	preparation.
e) Discussion	e) You shouldn’t	e) Understanding	e) People say I’m a
gives me energy	overlook details.	people is as	punctual person.
and ideas.		important as being
		right.
f) I don’t say a lot	f) You shouldn’t	f) I care about	f) I need a deadline
at meetings.	get lost in details.	other people’s	to get me going.
		feelings.

3. Meredith Belbin has identified these types of team members or team players.

a) Look at this classification and decide what kind of team player you are.

the implementer, who convert the team’s plan into something achievable

the coordinator, a confident member who sets objectives and defines team member’s roles

the shaper, who defines issues, shapes ideas and leads the action

the plant, a creative and imaginative person who supplies original ideas and solves problems

the resource investigator, who communicates with outside world and explores opportunities

the monitor evaluator, who sees all the possibilities, evaluates situations objectively, and sees what is realistically achievable

the teamworker, who builds the team, supports others and reduces conflict

the completer, who meets deadlines, corrects mistakes and sure nothing is forgotten

b) Look at the types of team members again and say if these statements are true or false.

1 Implementers are not interested in final results.

2 Co-ordinators tend to take a leading, organizing role. 3 Shapers tend to follow what other people say.

4 Plants can be useful in providing new ideas when the team has run out of steam. 5 Some resource investigators might love using the Internet.

6 Monitor evaluators are not good at seeing all sides of the problem. 7 Teamworkers may help to defuse arguments between members.

8 Completers are bad at finishing things on time.

4. a) Study typical stages of team life.

forming: the group is anxious and feels dependent on a leader; the group tries to discover how it is going to operate and what the ‘normal’ ways of working will be storming: the atmosphere may be one of conflict between members, who may resist control from any one person; there may be the feeling that the task cannot be achieved

norming: at this stage, members of the group feel closer together and the conflicts are forgotten; members of the group will start support each other; there is increasingly the feeling that it possible to achieve the task

performing: the group is carrying out the task for which it was formed; members feel safe enough to express differences of opinion in relation to others

mourning: the group’s work is finished, and its members begin to have pleasant memories of their activities and achievements

b) Read what members of a team working on a design project say and think at what stage of their work it could happen.

1We had such a great time working together

2We’re rally making progress now and we get on so well together

3We’re beginning to get to know each other better

Who does Jane think she is, taking over and behaving as if she is in charge?

6We’ll never finish this.

Do you remember that itme we worked until 3 in the morning?

8I’m new here – I don’t even know what we are supposed to be doing?

9I know we’ve had arguments, but can I help you with this?

5

We need to

I can see what we’re

appoint a leader.	supposed to be doing
	now.

VOCABULARY

1. Match the prefixes of the words 1-10 to their meanings.

Prefix		Meaning of prefix
1 mismanage	a) not	b) not badly	c) former
2 pro-European	a) opposite	b) in favour of	c) before
3 predict	a) not enough	b) against	c) before
4 post-merger	a) after	b) too much	c) not enough
5 dishonest	a) very	b) former	c) not
6 ex-boss	a) opposite	b) former	c) after
7 bilateral	a) against	b) after	c) two
8 reconsider	a) again	b) former	c) after
9 irresponsible	a) again	b) not	c) against
10 hypercritical	a) not enough	b) very	c) opposite

2. Complete the text below using some of the words in exercise 1 in the correct form.

Our company went through a difficult period a few years ago. Bad decisions were taken which caused us to lose a lot of money. Because the company has been

(1) ………. , the chief executive had to resign. Last year, we merged with a much large company. During the (2) …….…. period our future strategy was discussed. It was decided that we could consider becoming a more global organisation with a strong presence in Europe.

Most of us were (3) ………. , we liked the idea of expanding into Europe. Indeed our (4) ………. had been strongly in favour of doing this. However the two new board members were strongly against the idea but never said so openly. I think this was very (5) ………. . Instead, they behaved in an (6) ………. manner during meetings. For example, they would be (7) ………. , raising stupid objections if someone came up with a good idea.

Because the meetings were so unproductive, the Board of Directors got cold feet and asked us to (8) ………. the decision to expand onto Europe.

3. In each group, cross out the word which does not begin with a prefix.

1	a) discontinue	b) disincentive	c) distinguishe
2	a) miserable	b) mismanagement	c) misinform

3	a) billboard	b) bimonthly	c) bilingual
4	a) reconnect	b) renowned	c) realign
5	a) predict	b) premium	c) prepaid
6	a) irrational	b) irreversible	c) irritable

4. Complete the sentences with the appropriate words remaining in exercise 3.

1 Experts ……….. that there will be a marked shift from financial and technological capital to human capital.

2 Executives who fail to meet the aspirations of their employees can	be
accused of ……… .
3 The new measures restrict employees' autonomy and will undoubtedly	act
as a ……… .
4 The move towards the creation of a shared vision is ……… and lies
at the heart of a people-centred strategy.

5 A company can ……… itself around a clear business goal only when it succeeds in engaging its employees in that goal.

6 Our project manager wants us to submit a detailed ……… progress report.

5. Discuss the following questions.

1 Who is the best or worst person you have worked with? Explain why?

2 What qualities could you contribute to a team? What qualities would the other members need to create an effective team?

READING

1. Read the article. Then match these headings with the sections marked 1-6.

Open communication	Common goals with challenging targets
Measuring progress against goals	Involvement of all team members
Leadership	Conflict resolution

Team building involves more than throwing a few people together

‘Teamworking’ has infiltrated every nook and cranny within just about every organisation. You can't get away from ‘teams’ that are supposed to be able to create something that is greater than the sum of its parts. Or so the theory goes.

Yet the truth about teams is that the large majority of them do not achieve the synergies they could. For example, poor teamworking is the culprit when meetings regularly overrun, when there are frequent arguments between team

members or there is an unhealthy level of competition between individuals. Other signs of unproductive teamworking are people not always completing tasks assigned to them or last minute panics to meet deadlines. More often than not, ineffective teams are the result of poor planning.

There are six measures that need to be taken before you can get the most out of a team:

1………………………………..

In other words, a clear reason for the team to exist. But don't think of goals as wish lists — they have to be achievable, vet challenging enough to motivate team members.

2...................................................

Members must be able to express their opinions freely without fear of retribution, and feel that suggestions will be taken seriously. The team might also need to agree whether politically sensitive topics of discussion in meetings should be kept within the confines of the team or shared with other employees.

3...................................................

It is easy to think (albeit subconsciously) that a junior team member may have less to contribute than more experienced members. This is not only demoralising, it also makes no sense – people that have nothing to contribute should not have been selected for the team in the first place. You need to ensure that every member has an opportunity to add his or her thoughts to discussions.

4...................................................

Disagreements are natural and, in fact, debate and discussion should be encouraged. A team made up only of ‘yes men’ can make disastrous decisions that few people honestly agreed with in the first place. Consequently, there should be explicit rules on how lengthy disagreements should be tackled. For example, team meetings may not be the most appropriate place for a discussion that involves only two people, so the team could agree to certain issues being taken ‘off-line’.

5...................................................

Most high-performing teams (whether it is in the workplace, sports or even in a pub quiz) have leaders. A good leader should be able to play to individuals' strengths and compensate for their weaknesses. ‘A good leader is critical,’ says Gary Spellins, Managing Director of Managed Services, Lex Service plc, which delivers a range of outsourcing solutions to the public and private sector. ‘It should be someone who can act as a catalyst and a constant reminder of what the team needs to achieve.’ The leader must, above all, be skilled in sharing responsibility and delegating work to others, coaching them to achieve tasks, and providing constructive feedback on how the tasks went.

6...................................................

Team members need to be able to see how they are doing against the objectives set at the beginning of the project.

From Accountancy magazine

2. Discuss these questions.

1 What is meant to be the advantage of creating a team? (paragraph 1) 2 Which word means the same as the answer to question? (paragraph 2)

3 What are the five signs of unproductive teamworking that the article mentions?

3. There are a number of fixed phrases in English joined with and. These are called fixed pairs.

1 Look at the first sentence of the text. Does nook and cranny mean:

a)all the parts?

b)the most important parts?

c)the least important parts?

2 Complete sentences a)-h) with an appropriate fixed pair from the box. Use the words in brackets to help you.

by and large	give and take	hard and fast	on and off
pros and cons	touch and go	ups and downs	wine and dine

a)I’ve been writing this report …………. (occasionally, not continuously) for the last two weeks, but it has to be in tomorrow.

b)There isn't any …………. (strict, fixed) rule about how we are going to proceed in this negotiation.

c)You won't win this negotiation through bullying. There needs to be some

………. (compromise).

d)We’ve had a few ………. (mixture of good and bad things) in recent years.

e)It was (very unsure that something will happen) whether we’d get to the meeting on time.

f)If this contract is important, we’ll have to ………. (entertain) their management team.

g)Full employment was ……… (mostly true, in general) achieved.

h)The union discussed the ………. (advantages and disadvantages) of strike action.

WRITING

You are one of the most senior members of sales team. The team is not functioning very well at the moment, and morale is low. The sales manager is concerned, and asked all senior members to express their views in writing.

Use the notes below and your ideas to write an informal report (in 200-250 words)

explain why you think the team is not functioning properly

putting forward one or two ideas how the situation could be improved.

Problems

Solutions

team members are competing with each other

too focused on personal achievement no responsibility for mistakes

clarify team goals

focus more on group results, less on individual success

Working hours

VOCABULARY THROUGH THE CONTEXT

Old and new ways of working

I’m an office worker in insurance company. It’s a nine-to-five job with regular working hours. The work isn’t very interesting, but I like to be able to go home at a reasonable time.

We all have to clock in and clock out (clock on/off) every day. In this company, even the managers have to, which is unusual!

I’m in computer programming. There is a system of flexitime in my company, which means we can work when we want, within certain limits. We can start at any time before eleven, and finish as early as three, as long as we do enough hours each month. It’s ideal for me as I have two young children.

I work in a car plant. I work in shifts. I may be on the day shift one week and the night shift the next week. It’s difficult changing from one shift to another. When I change shifts, I have problems changing to a new routine for sleeping and eating.

I’m a commercial artist in an advertising agency. I work in a big city, but I prefer living in the country, so I commute to work every day, like thousands of other commuters. Working from home using a computer and the Internet is becoming more and more popular, and the agency is introducing this: it is called teleworking or telecommuting. But I like going into the office and working with other people around me.

Types of job and type of work

A full-time job is for the whole of the normal working week; a part-time job is for less time than that.

You say that someone works full-time or part-time.

A permanent job does not finish after a fixed period; a temporary job finishes after a fixed period.

You talk about temporary work and permanent work.

Word combinations with ‘work’:

If you work or have work, you have a job. But you don’t say that someone has a work. Work is also the place where you do your job.

I’m Frank. I work in a bank in New York City. I leave for work at 7.30 every morning.

I go to work by train and subway.

I get to/arrive at work at about nine. I’m usually at work till six.

Luckily, I don’t get ill very much so I’m not often off work.

The economy is growing fast and more people are in work than ever before. The percentage of people out of work has fallen to its level for 30 years.

1. Which person (1-5) is most likely to do each of the five things (a-e)? 1 A software designer in an Internet company. Has to be in the office.

2 An office worker in a large, traditional manufacturing company.

3 A manager in a department store in a large city. Lives in the country.

4 A construction worker on a building site where work goes on 24 hours a day. 5 A technical writer for a city computer company. Lives in the country.

a work in shifts

b work under a flexitime system c telecommute

d commute to work

e clock on and off at the same time every day

2. Read what people talk about their jobs. Think what type of job or working hours they mean.

1 I’m Alicia. I work in a public library in the afternoons from two until six. 2 My husband works in an office from 9 am to 5.30 pm.

3 Our daughter works in a bank from eight till five every day. 4 One week it’s six-to-two, the next it’s nights.

5 I’m David and I work in a cafй from 8 pm until midnight.

6 My wife works in local government and she can have this job for as long as she wants it.

7 I get in at nine o’clock and go home at five. 8 Our son is working on a farm for three weeks.

9 Our daughter is working in an office for four weeks.

10 I joined the company 10 year ago and I guess I’ll be here for another ten.

3. Complete the text with appropriate prepositions.

Rebecca lives in London and works in public relations. She leaves home ____

work at 7.30 am. She drives ____ work. The traffic is often bad and she worries about getting ____ work late, but she usually arrives ___ work at around nine. She finishes work quite late, at about eight. ‘Luckily, I’m never ill,’ she says. ‘I could

never take the time ___ work.’ she loves what she does and is glad to be ___ work. Some of her friends are not so lucky: they are ____ work.

READING

1. Read the text and fill in the gaps with suitable words from the box.

Working conditions

absenteeism	colleagues	contracts	duties	flexitime
holiday	leave	manual	maternity	morale
satisfaction	security	sick pay	workforce	vacation

My working conditions? I’d say they’re really good. The working hours are very reasonable - 38 hours a week, Mondays to Fridays only, and I get four weeks paid

(1)......... . I always go on a two-week (2) ......... in the summer and I like to take another week to go skiing in the winter. That still leaves a few days if I want to

take time	off for something else. I think we're even allowed to take unpaid
(3) .........	if it's really necessary. They introduced a (4) ……… system last year, so
I can start at

any time between 7.30 and 9.30 in the morning, so I sometimes leave at 4 in the afternoon. Of course this means we now have to clock in and clock out, so we have to do the right number of hours.

Women get generous (5) ......... leave, although that doesn't concern me yet, and there are a lot of women employed half-time or part-time here, so they have time for their children.

Of course I’m a full-time white-collar worker, hoping to make a career here. My

(6) ……… and I have permanent (7) ......... . At least we think so, it’s hard to be sure about job (8) ……… these days. We are consulted if they want to change our

(9) ......... or anything.

The entire (10) ......... is well-treated, not just us. The company's blue-collar workers, doing (11) ......... jobs, also have good conditions of employment.

It all makes a change from when I was a student, when I did casual, unskilled,

seasonal work for a fruit company, paid by the hour, with no (12)	.........	or holiday
pay or anything. They treated workers really badly, so (13) .........	was low, nobody
was motivated, productivity was minimal, and there was a lot of (14)		......... and

high turnover - I used to see new people almost every day. There was no job (15) .......... and nothing changed if our performance was good or bad, so we all did the minimum.

2. Match up the following words and expressions into logical pairs:

1. career

a. blue-collar worker

2. flexitime	b. job satisfaction
3. having a baby	c. clocking in
4. manual labour	d. permanent job
5. motivation	e. maternity leave
6. office work	f. white collar worker

3.Think what sort of job do you have or would like to have? Describe it.

What do you do? What are in charge of? What are your responsibilities?

What time do leave for work? How long does it take to get to work?

Do you have to clock on and off? Is there a flexitime system in your organization?

Do you ever work in shifts?

Could you do your job working from home?

READING 2

1.Would you like to work from home? Give your reasons.

2.Work in groups and discuss advantages of telecommuting for:

∙the company

∙the environment

3.Now read the article and check your answers.

Satisfied companies and employees expand the world of telecommuting.

It’s a lot easier for Angela Hawkins to work night and on weekends than it was last year. A few months ago, the 34-year-old Northern Telecom manager traded in her office at the company’s headquarters for an office in her home. Now she is a telecommuter, and keeps in touch with the office by e-mail, voice-mail, fax, and telephone conversations.

It’s a new and expanding world. Across the United States, there are 11 million telecommuters who work from home at least one day a month, an increase of 30 per cent from 2000.

About 500 of Northern Telecom’s 8,500 employees are telecommuters. They include people like Angela who are full-time telecommuters, and those who keep offices both at home and at the company headquarters.

In 1995 Northern Telecom began encouraging telecommuting by providing all the equipment an employee needed to set up a home office, and installing all the electric equipment. It also provides facilities at its headquarters for telecommuters who occasionally have to come into the office.

Telecommute America, which represents telecommuters, did a survey of 500 managers. They found that 53 per cent believe that telecommuting improves worker productivity. It also found that companies are offering telecommuting as a