III. Английский язык профессионального общения

Text 1

Successful Organizational Leadership: Execution through Strategic Alignment (by Gerard Abraham)

When reading the text find out the following words and expressions: потерпеть неудачу; подряд; стремительно падать; совет директоров; главный исполнительный директор; уходить в отставку; руководитель высшего звена; не оправдывать ожиданий; годовой бюджет; менеджер среднего звена; регулирование; безупречный; как следствие; общие цели; беспрестанный (непрекращающийся); совещание по организации сбыта; повседневный; достичь цели.

It is an all-too-familiar scenario. Corporation X misses badly on its commitments several quarters in a row and the stock plummets. As a result, the Board loses confidence, the CEO “resigns,” and a new CEO is appointed who immediately announces a sweeping restructure of the corporation.

In the past few years, papers have been inundated with such reports. Even at corporations where top-level executives show signs of “vision” and have articulated what seems to be a sound business strategy on paper, results fall short of expectations. We have all been there at one point or another in our careers. The leadership team spends long hours agreeing on a 3- or 5-year strategy to improve the performance of the business. Management teams work equally hard to come up with supportive annual budgets. Both teams populate long PowerPoint presentations and well-built, exhaustive spreadsheet files. Yet not much happens in terms of actual deliverables! Ambitious year-end targets are missed. Improvement curves keep being shifted to the right, until the scenario at the beginning of this article is realized. Now the process for restructure of the corporation begins.

Questions immediately arise as to why these events occur so often and include:

What has gone wrong and why?

Are the goals too aggressive?

Are the visions and/or strategies inadequate?

Are middle managers unable to execute?

If the answer is yes to all these questions, then why is it so?

All are good questions, and many have been extensively addressed with proposals on how to find corresponding solutions. Based on my experience, however, a key element that needs to be addressed is the importance of strategic alignment.

What is strategic alignment? Strategic alignment can be described as the linkage between the goals of the business, which quantify the progress of the implementation of the strategy towards the vision, and the goals of each of the key contributors. Key contributors include groups, divisions, business units, departments, or individual employees who have an interest in the continuation of a successful corporation.

Strategic alignment, put simply, is “everyone rowing in the same direction.” The tighter the linkage and the better the alignment, the likelihood of flawless corporate execution becomes stronger.

Strategic alignment has several advantages once implemented properly and practiced. Benefits include:

1. Allowing an efficient use of usually scarce resources.

2. Resulting in increased speed of execution, as a corollary.

3. Promoting team efforts towards common goals.

4. Escalating employees’ motivation, giving them a keener sense of contribution to the results of their individual groups and of the corporation as a whole.

These are good results that many corporations would benefit from, but very few corporations are able to realize them. Since many corporations and their leadership teams attempt to gain strategic alignment, the question becomes what barriers must be overcome.

How can strategic alignment be implemented effectively and what are the key success factors? The first component of a successful strategic alignment is the extensive communication necessary within the organization to understand the elements of the vision and of the key strategic directions needed. Relentless repetition by the leadership and management teams at every opportunity, including sales meetings, company meetings, and operational business reviews allow each employee to understand vividly how he/she can contribute to the overall progress. More often than not, however, these vital communication opportunities are restricted to boring presentations of high-level tables filled with data that are difficult for employees to associate with their day-to-day jobs.

The second component of a successful strategic alignment is absolutely essential to link the results of each employee’s job to the progress of the entire corporation strategy and to do it clearly and simply. This is best accomplished by using simple measures of key performances (KBMs = key business metrics, or KPMs = key performance metrics), which can be connected to the employee’s annual performance review.

One excellent example of effective strategic alignment is practiced at Thermo Electron Corporation, a leader in the field of analytical instrumentation, headquartered in Waltham, MA. Thermo Electron uses a cascading set of goals that quantitatively measure the progress of the strategic implementation. This “waterfall effect” or “goal tree” starts at the very top of the corporation and cascades down to all levels of the organization – from Corporation to Divisions; from Divisions to Business Units; from Business Units to Departments, and from Departments to Employees.

When it reaches the employee, the objectives are incorporated into her/his annual performance targets and these objectives directly support the key goals from the highest levels of the organization. This ensures both focus and alignment as the employee daily delivers on their objectives. Objectives are rolled back up the “waterfall” or “goal tree” in periodic reviews of goals at all levels in the organization.

Implementing strategic alignment is not rocket science. It requires, however, strong commitment from the top leadership and focus on relentless communication at every opportunity using simple management principles of focus, clarity and reinforcement.

In the end, effective execution of strategic alignment is a leader’s top priority and ensures that goals are met and success achieved.

Exercise 1. Decide whether these statements are true or false. Change the false ones.

When the corporation misses badly its stock increases.

1. When the corporation execution fails the Board loses confidence.

2. It happens that even if the top management fulfills its day-to-day jobs industriously, results fall short of expectations.

3. When beginning the process of restructure a good CEO starts with asking some reflective questions.

4. The key contributors are the employees of the company.

5. The tighter the linkage between the goals of the business and the better the alignment the weaker the corporate execution becomes.

6. The first component of a successful strategic alignment is the extensive communication within the company.

7. It’s useless to remind the employees about their contribution in the company success.

8. The employees should know the data about the corporation progress.

9. Implementing of strategic alignment requires the top management efforts primarily.

Exercise 2. Answer the following questions.

1. Describe the scenario of the company operation failure.

2. What are the actions of the leadership team when the things get hard?

3. What is the reason for the process of corporation restructure?

4. What are the questions the management should ask at the beginning of restructure? If the answer is yes to all the questions what is the conclusion?

5. What is strategic alignment?

6. Who are the key contributors?

7. What are the benefits of the strategic alignment?

8. What are the key success factors in strategic alignment implementation?

9. Why is it important to realize the communication within the company?

10. How should the company demonstrate the data about the company operation but the boring presentation of high-level tables. Give your reasons.

11. What is an excellent example of effective strategic alignment?

12. What does strategic alignment implementation require?

Exercise 3. Translate the sentences from Russian into English.

1. Новая стратегия компании потерпела неудачу.

2. Вновь назначенный главный исполнительный директор немедленно начинает стремительную реструктуризацию компании.

3. Работа руководителей высшего звена компании является определяющим фактором в её работе.

4. Совет директоров принял бюджет на новый год.

5. А от работы менеджеров среднего звена что-нибудь зависит?

6. Её работа была настолько безупречна, что трудно было к чему-то придраться.

7. Как следствие надёжной стратегии компания достигла общие цели.

8. Благодаря постоянному повторению при каждом удобном случае каждый работник должен понимать свою причастность к успеху компании.

9. Совещание по организации сбыта прошло успешно.

10. Несколько лет подряд компании не удавалось выбраться из неудач.

Text 2

Rolling With The Punches

(by Jeff Davidson, MBA, CMC)

When reading the text find out the following words and expressions: быть готовым; гибкий (негибкий); понимать (постигать); неизбежный (2); действовать наверняка; стараться; добиваться; мудрость (здравый смысл); обязанный отчитываться (подотчётный); обратная связь; любой ценой (во что бы то ни стало); изменить коренным образом; возникать; выражать открыто; обида (недовольство, жалоба), взаимопонимание; совместные усилия (совместная деятельность).

One of the most frustrating experiences for team leaders is when they assemble the right people, establish the right action plan, and still find that progress isn’t anywhere near what they envisioned. You’ve got to stay loose, and be willing to turn on a dime.

Flexible team leaders finish first. Inflexible team leaders are still trying to figure out what went wrong. Adopt the mindset that setbacks and mistakes that you make along the way are inevitable, and they also represent opportunities for learning, redirection, and growth. If you convey to team members that mistakes won’t be tolerated, you’ll force your staff to play it safe, proceed with caution, and not do any more than is asked of them. When fear prevails, your role becomes even more challenging.

Mistakes Happen, It’s What Happens Next that Counts. Create an environment that says “we strive to do our best, but sometimes mistakes will happen.” When team members know that you won’t blow your top and can handle some of the inevitable bumps in the road, they’re more willing to:

* take appropriate risks,

* accept responsibility for any mistakes that they do make,

* learn from them, and

* move on.

The more challenging the project, and the tighter the time frame and more restrictive the budget, the more likely mistakes will occur. Seek to have everyone acknowledge them for what they are, and ascertain if there are any opportunities as a result of a mistake.

The knowledge and even wisdom that team members gain as a result of their mistakes, shared with the whole group can sometimes benefit the entire project in ways that you might not have imagined. When team members receive support for assuming responsibilities for the mistakes they’ve made, they find it far easier to critically self-assess their own performance. That tends to make them even better employees than they were before.

How Am I Doing So Far? People at all levels of experience prefer to be held accountable for the work they do. They also want to receive regular feedback as to how they’re doing. When you give them appropriate feedback, they know what they’re doing right, they know what they’re doing wrong, and they can learn and improve. If you go too long without giving people feedback, they begin to wonder if you’re noticing at all, or if you even care.

Some team leaders make the mistake of not giving feedback, especially to highly competent staff, figuring they already know they’re doing a good job, so why bother with excess verbiage? Like partners in a loving relationship, people want to know on a continuing basis that their partners still want them above all else. So too, your team members want to hear from you, even if you only offer performance feedback as little as once a day.

When Conflict Arises. Even if you have the knowledge and skills of Peter Drucker Ph.D., the premiere management guru of the 20th century, conflict between you and team members, or between team members themselves, often is unavoidable. Too many team leaders regard conflict as something that is to be avoided at all costs. But that is not a necessarily sound approach to team leadership. When conflict is left untouched, it can fester, grow at an alarming rate, and ultimately upend a team’s progress in ways you’d prefer not to experience.

The Basic Types of Conflict. It’s best to identify conflict as it emerges and generally, you’ll encounter two basic types of conflict. With the first type, a single team member has problems relating to someone else on the team, or the entire team itself. Such conflict can result in jealousy, hostility, mistrust, disharmony, or withdrawal.

The other type of conflict you’re likely to encounter has to do with a particular task or assignment, the appropriateness of a particular procedure, or how the group itself is managing its resources. Since this type of conflict is not based on personalities of team members, conflict may have resulted regardless of who is on the team.

Antidotes for Each. Fortunately, with both types of conflicts, there are antidotes. By allowing underlying issues to emerge, a team can sweep away some of the barriers early in a project, while they’re still relatively easy to deal with, and hence help to establish an environment that leads to project success.

In the case of conflict between individual team members, by surfacing the issues and having both parties air their grievances, the entire team can benefit. Sometimes you’re able to identify and dislodge other issues that would have come up even later.

Now, in a climate of exploration and of mutual understanding, you can deal with the conflict. This opportunity wouldn’t have emerged in a climate of passivity or ignorance.

In addressing the second type of conflict, recognize that it can be constructive, energizing, and even motivating. In some instances, this type of conflict actually acts to fuel progress rather than thwart it. You can help members to recognize that they share some deep-rooted values and common aspirations.

Sometimes it’s best to take time out from the overall project, perhaps have a half-day retreat, and give team members the opportunity to join together in an atmosphere of cooperation and trust.

The synergy that you derive from holding such sessions often more than pays for themselves in terms of team member’s increased energy and renewed commitment to the project.

Exercise 1. Decide whether these statements are true or false. Change the false ones.

1. The best result for any manager is if there is no progress at all.

2. Flexible team leaders are the most successful.

3. It’s very simple to avoid regress and mistakes.

4. A successful manager should create the team which does its best and is not afraid of any mistakes.

5. Your team should learn reading a special literature and don’t pay any attention at its mistakes.

6. The employees at all levels would like to receive feedback to know what’s right and what’s wrong in their work.

7. The team leaders shouldn’t give feedback to highly competent staff as it’s experienced enough.

8. No conflicts arise in every team.

9. Don’t pay any attention if the conflict arises.

10. The basic types of conflict are those connected with personal relations and some tasks and assignments.

Exercise 2. Answer the following questions.

1. What’s the most frustrating experience for any team leader?

2. What’s the most dangerous in making mistakes?

3. What’re your team members willing to do if they see that you understand inevitability of mistakes.

4. What happens when the team members receive support for assuming responsibilities for the mistakes they’ve ever made?

5. Why do your employees prefer to be held accountable the work they do?

6. Why is it dangerous not to give feedback to your team members?

7. Does highly experienced staff need censorious remarks or approval?

8. What happens if a conflict in your team is left untouched?

9. What are two basic types of conflicts?

10. How to cope with both types of conflict?

Exercise 3. Translate the sentences from Russian into English.

1. Представьте, что вы набрали нужных людей, установили план действий, но дело так и не сдвинулось с мёртвой точки.

2. Вы пытаетесь просчитать, что пошло не так.

3. Как здравомыслящий руководитель вы должны признать, что ошибки и проблемы неизбежны.

4. Мы стараемся делать всё от нас зависящее. Вот что имеет значение.

5. Знание и опыт достигаются, только если человек признаёт свои ошибки и делает выводы.

6. Обратная связь даёт людям возможность узнать, что они делают правильно, а что нет, а также возможность улучшить свои результаты.

7. Некоторые менеджеры делают большую ошибку, не предоставляя обратной связи самым квалифицированным работникам.

8. Невозможно избежать конфликта, даже если стараться изо всех сил.

9. Результатом такого конфликта может стать зависть, враждебность, недоверие, разногласия и даже увольнение.

10. В откровенной беседе очень легко в открытую высказать все свои претензии.

Text 3

Marketing Strategies: Seven Simple Steps to More Clients in 90 Days

(by Kelly Nault)

When reading the text find out the following words and expressions: зарабатывать;

подотчётность; тренировка; стимул; достигать цели; подсознательный; промедление; чрезмерно (сильно); выбор; опираться; бесценно.

In my work as a business coach I meet with people every day who have dreams of creating success in their business. Sadly, most of them are saying the same thing, “I hate marketing, I just want to do what I’m good at without having to market myself. “ The truth about getting more clients is that it’s not that difficult, it just requires following some simple steps:

• FOCUS: How do you get to where you want to be unless you know where you are going? I always teach my clients a visualization in which they imagine where they want to be professionally in 1 year from today. How much money do you want to be earning? How many hours a week do you want to work? What kind of clients do you want to work with?

• STRATEGIES: Once you’re clear about where you want to be, you need to create strategies to get there. I tell people, “if you already knew what strategies to use, you’d probably already be there.” Strategies help you to chunk big visions into tangible, bite size action steps

• ACCOUNTABILITY: How accountable are you to yourself? Most people I meet in business for themselves, find it far too easy to slide in keeping their agreements with themselves. The magical thing about coaching is that when you have a witness to your accountability, you are much more likely to do what you said you’d do. Just knowing that someone cares and will ask you every week, “How did that action step go?”, is huge incentive to staying on track.

• DISCOVERY: As a former psychologist, one of my passions is helping people discover how they block them themselves and get in their own way of success. What I find is that everyone needs to reprogram some self-limiting beliefs, like “I don’t have what it takes to succeed” or “I don’t deserve to have a lot of money”. Another block is that most people suffer from subconscious sabotaging strategies, like procrastination. These need to be reversed. Finally, everyone I’ve ever met has a monstrous, overly developed inner critic, which I call the Gremlin. In discovery you learn to identify the voice of you Gremlin and learn to tame it way down.

• PERSPECTIVE: We all spin our wheels and get caught up in our narrow perspective. The best investment we can make in getting more clients is to have people around us that give us the option of another perspective

• SUPPORT: If you are in business for yourself, you need all the support you can get. As you put yourself out there to get more clients, you are assuming the responsibility of helping these clients. Who helps you? Who do you lean on? It is invaluable to have a support team or a committed ally in your corner.

• CELEBRATION: How often do you celebrate yourself? As a coach who teaches people how to get more clients I find that learning to celebrate not only your successes but also your efforts is the way to a long a healthy career. By learning to stop, pause and validate yourself for what you’ve done keeps this process light, fun and exciting. Also, think of how impossible it is for your gremlin to beat you up, if you are busy celebrating yourself! It is one of the joys of my work that I get to help people truly celebrate themselves.

Exercise 1. Decide whether these statements are true or false. Change the false ones.

1. Not very many people dream of creating success in their business.

2. Businessmen should imagine where they should be professionally in 1 year from today.

3. It’s necessary to create strategies to achieve your goals.

4. It’s important to be accountable to yourself.

5. If you have a witness to your promises it’s a good incentive to fulfill them.

6. Everyone needs to reprogram his self-limiting beliefs.

7. Subconscious sabotaging strategies help you to succeed.

8. The best investment we can make in getting more clients is to have people around us that give us the option of another perspective.

9. Even a big boss needs someone to lean on.

10. Never praise yourself.

Exercise 2. Answer the following questions.

1. What do some businessman think about marketing?

2. What are the questions you should ask yourself to set your objectives?

3. Why is it important to create strategies?

4. What do you need to keep your agreements with yourself?

5. How do people block themselves and how should they fight it?

6. How can you get more clients if you keep only to one narrow perspective?

7. Where can you get support in your business?

8. How often do you celebrate yourself?

9. Why is celebrating yourself a key factor to succeed?

Exercise 3. Translate the sentences from Russian into English.

1. Я хочу заниматься тем, что у меня получается, а не то, что надо.

2. Как добиться успеха, если вы не знаете своих конечных целей.

3. В каждой организации необходима строгая подотчётность работников перед своими начальниками.

4. Подотчётность – большой стимул в достижении прогресса.

5. Необходимо помогать людям определить, что их сдерживает, и как снимать эти блоки.

6. Это не стоит тех усилий, которые ты прилагаешь.

7. Некоторые подсознательные факторы приводят к тому, что люди сдерживают сами себя.

8. Он оперся на посох и медленно побрёл по дороге.

9. Поддержка окружающих бесценна, особенно если в ней очень нуждаешься.

10. Научитесь остановиться, подумать и похвалить себя за то, что уже достигнуто.

Text 4

10 Critical Elements of Successful Business

(by Megan Tough)

When reading the text find out the following words and expressions: время реагирования; отделять (отличать); совет; точно (скрупулёзно); гарантировать; принадлежать; подвергаться риску; воспринимать (осознавать); признание (одобрение); краткосрочный; долгосрочный; среднесрочный; период пуска (начальная стадия).

The rules that a successful business operate by today are very different from the rules of 20 to 30 years ago. The widespread use of technology has dramatically cut response times and elevated customer expectations of service. Competitive advantage is the catch cry, but most business owners struggle to articulate what their point of difference is. The statistics are well known: a staggering 40 % of all new businesses fail within the first 12 months. Within 5 years, more than 80 % will have failed. And yet, people are flocking to start up new businesses in ever increasing numbers.

What is it then, that sets apart the successful businesses from the unsuccessful ones? Here are my top ten tips for creating and maintaining a successful business. As you read, think to yourself – how does my business stack up?

1. Successful businesses have repeatable, scalable systems. The processes in the business are clear, usually documented and followed religiously by all. This ensures the customer gets the same experience, every time they deal with the company.

2. They don’t depend on one person. If all the knowledge and skill resides in one person’s hands or head, then the business is in serious trouble when that person wants to take a holiday, has to go to hospital, breaks an arm or leg etc.

3. Successful businesses can articulate what makes them different from others in their field. Businesses that can do this run the risk of competing on price alone, a war that nobody wins (except the customer).

4. They always add value to the customer’s experience. The customer perceives that value has been added either through service, product features, distribution etc. The customer’s perception is what’s important – find out what’s of value to them

5. Use strategies that recognize and reward their employees. Reward and incentive programs should be based on performance, not just years of service or other demographic criteria. Employees are human; they respond to recognition – both financial and non-financial

6. Most successful businesses have a powerful vision. They dream and think big, then they share it with their employees to create a uniting purpose.

7. Planning – short term, long term, medium term. There’s no escaping it – working out where you want to go and planning to get there, will set you apart from the great majority of businesses that don’t perform this activity well. Doing a plan at business start-up stage and never looking at it again doesn’t really count as planning either. Plans should be reviewed at least twice per year, and done properly, can be your most powerful business tool

8. Product innovation – re-create or die. The world moves on, people’s needs change, and so must your products or services. If you don’t offer it, no doubt your competitors will. Take time out to develop one or two new offers – road test them with your customers.

9. Surround themselves with the right support. Successful business owners know what their skills are. They also know exactly what skills they don’t have (and probably will never have). They employ or rent the expertise they don’t have – after all, it’s impossible to be an expert at everything

10. Have an exit strategy. Most people don’t plan to be in their business until they reach the end of their lives, but most people fail to plan how they will exit their business. Successful business owners know this before they start, and this drives the actions and decisions they make during the life of their business.

Exercise 1. Decide whether these statements are true or false. Change the false ones.

1. The rules of contemporary successful business hadn’t changed for 20 or 30 years.

2. Not so many people today are eager to set up a new business as they are afraid of failure.

3. Successful businesses have repeatable, scalable systems.

4. The whole business depends on one person.

5. Competiting on price alone is very profitable.

6. The customer’s perception is very important.

7. Reward and incentives of your employees is a key factor to success.

8. It’s difficult to do a long term planning that’s why there is no need in it.

9. Develop one or two new offers a year.

10. Have an exit strategy.

Exercise 2. Answer the following questions.

1. Why are the rules of the contemporary successful business different from those of 20-30 years ago?

2. What is the statistics about business failures?

3. Why is it dangerous to depend in your business only on one person?

4. Why does the business run the risk if it competes on price alone?

5. How can you add value to your customer’s experience?

6. It’s important to encourage your employees. Why? How can you do it?

7. How often should you review your plans? Why?

8. Is it important to product innovation? Why?

9. How can you get the right support in your business?

10. Why is it necessary to have an exit strategy?

Exercise 3. Translate the sentences from Russian into English.

1. Время реагирования катастрофически уменьшилось.

2. Что отличает хорошую хозяйку от плохой?

3. Не пренебрегай этими полезными советами. Скрупулёзно следуй им.

4. Точность и аккуратность гарантируют большую прибыль.

5. Точно формулируй, что ты хочешь. Или ты подвергаешься риску быть непонятым.

6. Клиент должен осознавать, что вы можете предложить ему.

7. Каждый человек положительно реагирует на признание его деятельности.

8. Планирование – долгосрочное, краткосрочное и среднесрочное – довольно важно.

9. На начальной стадии вам придётся понести много убытков.

10. Невозможно быть экспертом во всём.

Text 5

Why teambuilding activities always involve games?

When reading the text find out the following words and expressions: в конце концов; приносить прибыль; активы (средства); загвоздка (препятствие); обнаружить скрытый потенциал; раскрыть потенциал; поощрять рост; товарищество (дружба); поверхностный; глубокий (о знаниях); здравомыслящий; приобретённый навык; рабочая обстановка; предмет обсуждения; мешать; неизвестный (новый); расслабленное состояние; застенчивый (скромный); зал заседаний совета директоров; вознаграждение; всесторонний.

Team building activities are becoming increasingly popular with many organizations. Organizations are paying sums of money to consultants to get their staff out of the office to play games with them. So why play games during teambuilding? Will these games ultimately generate any benefit for the company?

People are the most valuable assets of any organization. People – humans – have been created with the capacity to achieve beyond boundaries, but, the catch is that not everyone comes close to unleashing their latent potential. Why so, you may ask?

Oftentimes, mentoring and support is essential for a person to realize his potential. Each individual’s ability to learn and change, and to subsequently put more energy into their work, very much stems from how they feel about themselves. An environment where people feel valued and capable is an environment that fosters growth – and is poised for success.

Any organization intent on success should be mindful about grooming leaders, nurturing individuals and creating synergy among individuals. Every individual must be empowered with skills that would directly influence their job scope, as well as skills that build camaraderie across job scopes.

How then to learn? In his book 'Understanding How People Learn', author David G. Reay explains that learning is in fact a natural phenomenon – something which all animals do to a greater or lesser extent, particularly during their maturing period, but also throughout adulthood. Learning is:

1. Continuous. Consciously or unconsciously, we are learning new things all the time, be it superficial – like learning it's hot today – or profound – like learning what it means to fall in love!

2. Natural. Wanting to learn is a natural state of affairs. Knowing how to do something is associated with success; not knowing is associated with failure – and no sane person wants to be a failure.

3. Closely related to practical experience – 'doing things'. Learning through theory is an acquired skill but learning through doing is a natural skill. Take the example of a child trying to force objects into a box with cut-outs of different shapes in the quest to understand spatial relationships. The child makes attempts to match shapes until he understands how it works and successfully completes his 'game'. It is only when you can do something can you actually claim to understand how it is done.

Now that we know that learning is a natural process, how is that some people don't learn? There are several barriers to learning, being:

- lack of motivation,

- unsuitable work environment,

- inappropriate subject matter,

- past experience,

- self image,

- inadequate study skills,

- poor memory.

Any combination of the above factors will hinder the learning process and cause resistance to learning. One ingenious way to overcome these barriers is to introduce and encourage learning through play – the playing of games.

Studies show that we remember well when enjoying ourselves. In her book 'The Power of Mindful Learning', Ellen J. Langer encourages introducing learning materials through play. The rationale behind it is that people seek novelty in play and have no difficulty paying attention in those situations, because when something is novel, we notice different things about it. In playing games, players look more closely at all aspects of the situation to figure out how to win – to win/overcome is a strong motivating factor in itself.

Moreover, when playing games, people are in a relaxed mode and are therefore less self-conscious and less conscious of past experiences. Defenses are also down in an informal setting, assuring low, or little resistance to the intended learning values.

Another good news is that playing games does not require comprehensive study skills or extensive use of memory – at least not for the games developed by us at energy. Thus, anyone in an organisation can participate, regardless of educational qualifications, and everyone can benefit from the intended learning points of the games.

Co-authors of "World Class Training", Kaye Thorne and Alex Machray, state that, "most memorable learning experiences usually take place in a special environment". The correct choice of location and layout are vital to encourage learning. To play games require out-of-the-norm settings, away from the rigid work-stations, structured boardroom tables or classroom/theatre-style arrangements. The different settings would prove to be a refreshing and certainly more interesting change for people. With games, the informal atmosphere also sets the stage for people to sub-consciously reveal traits otherwise concealed during formal settings.

Another research by the National Training Laboratory, USA, has also proven that learning by doing (playing games) proves to be most effective, next to personal coaching.

"If we find ways of enjoying our work – blurring the lines between work and play – the gains will be greater." – Ellen Langer, Professor of Psychology, Harvard University

Yet another gratification from playing games is the bonds that will be established within teams. When team members strive together to achieve something, the spirit of camaraderie is inculcated, and it lingers even after the event. Through having fun together, team members also gain more in-depth understanding of each other in a non-threatening environment. This would eventually help in managing differences in personality styles, and adds to the greater cohesiveness within an organisation.

What more can we say? In a nutshell, learning through games would prove to be more productive, effective, memorable and thus, more worthwhile! As articulated by a wise man of the old, "What I hear, I forget; what I see, I remember; but what I do I understand." – Confucius 451 B.C.

Exercise 1. Decide whether these statements are true or false. Change the false ones.

1. Team building activities are not very popular with the organizations.

2. People are the most valuable assets of an organization.

3. Not everybody is able to reveal his talent.

4. Learning is a natural phenomenon.

5. Knowing how to do something is not associated with success.

6. Past experience is one of the barriers to a good learning.

7. Learning through play is not successful.

8. Playing games doesn’t require good study skills and memory.

9. Informal atmosphere helps to learn quicker.

10. Playing helps to create a friendly atmosphere within your staff.

Exercise 2. Answer the following questions.

1. Why are people the most valuable assets of any organization?

2. What helps people to realize their potential?

3. What are three aspects of learning?

4. What’s the difference between acquired and natural skills?

5. What are the barriers to learning?

6. What are the benefits of learning through playing?

7. Why are the correct choice of location and layout vital to help learning?

8. Why is it important to organize playing games in teams?

9. Remember Confucius words about learning. Do you agree or disagree?

10. Make up and organize any business game for your group.

Exercise 3. Translate the sentences from Russian into English.

1. Эта стратегия, в конце концов, принесёт компании прибыль.

2. Вся загвоздка в том, что ему трудно раскрыть свой потенциал.

3. Поощряйте рост своих подчинённых, и ваша компания будет процветать.

4. Дух товарищества помогает в построении благоприятной рабочей атмосферы.

5. Глубокие знания помогают студентам стать хорошими специалистами.

6. Обучение теории в результате порождает приобретённые навыки.

7. Твоя пассивность мешает тебе достичь больших высот.

8. Когда сталкиваешься с неизвестным, ощущаешь страх.

9. Зайди в зал заседаний совета директоров. Не будь таким застенчивым.

10. Ещё одно вознаграждение, которое вы получаете, организуя деловые игры в группах, это всестороннее понимание ваших сотрудников процессов, происходящих внутри организации.

Text 6

Delegating work, responsibility, and authority (1)

When reading the text find out the following words and expressions: передавать полномочия; настаивать; осуществлять; неискренне уверять кого-то в преданности; испуг (волнение); платёжная ведомость; иметь наглость; сверхурочные часы; отставать; давайте проясним положение дел на будущее; текущие (эксплуатационные) расходы; личные качества; вызывать вражду.

Delegating work, responsibility, and authority is difficult in a company because it means letting others make decisions which involve spending the owner-manager's money. At a minimum, you should delegate enough authority to get the work done, to allow assistants to take initiative, and to keep the operation moving in your absence.

This Guide discusses controlling those who carry responsibility and authority and coaching them in self-improvement. It emphasizes the importance of allowing competent assistants to perform in their own style rather than insisting that things be done exactly as the owner-manager would personally do them.

"Let others take care of the details." That, in a few words, is the meaning of delegating work and responsibility.

In theory, the same principles for getting work done through other people apply whether you have 25 employees and one top assistant or 150 to 200 employees and several managers. Yet, putting the principles into practice is often difficult.

Delegation is perhaps the hardest job owner-managers have to learn. Some never do. They insist on handling many details and work themselves into early graves. Others pay lip service to the idea but actually run a one-man shop. They give their assistants many responsibilities but little or no authority.

How Much Authority? Authority is the fuel that makes the machine go when you delegate work and responsibility. It poses a question: To what extent do you allow another person to make decisions which involve spending your company's money?

That question is not easy to answer. Sometimes, an owner-manager has to work it out as he goes along, as did Tom Brasser. His pride in being the top man made it hard for him to share authority. He tried, but he found to his dismay that his delegating was not as good as he thought.

One day when he returned from his first short business trip. Mr. Brasser stormed out of his office. He waved a sheaf of payroll sheets and shouted "Who approved all this overtime while I was away?" I did," the production chief answered.

Realizing that all heads were turned to see what the shouting was about., Mr. Brasser lowered his voice. Taking the production manager with him, he stepped into his office.

There he told the production man, "You've got your nerve authorizing overtime. This is still my company, and I'll decide what extra costs we'll take on. You know good and well that our prices are not based on paying overtime rates."

"Right," the production man replied. "But you told me I was in full charge of production. You said I should keep pushing so I wouldn't fall behind on deliveries."

"That's right," Mr. Brasser said. "In fact, I recall writing you about a couple of orders just before I went out of town."

"You can say that again. And one of them – the big order – was getting behind so I approved overtime."

"I would have done the same thing if I has been here," Mr. Brasser said. "But let's get things straight for the future. From now on, overtime needs my okay. We've got to keep costs in line."

Mr. Brasser then followed up with his other department heads, including his office manager and purchasing agent. He called them in, told them what had happened, and made it clear that their authority did not include making decisions that would increase the company's operating costs. Such decisions had to have his approval, he pointed out, because it was his company. He was the one who would lose, if and when, increased costs ate up the profit.

Yet, if an owner-manager is to run a successful company, you must delegate authority properly. How much authority is proper depends on your situation.

At a minimum, you should delegate enough authority

To get the work done,

To allow key employees to take initiative, and

To keep things going in your absence.

To Whom Do You Delegate? Delegation of responsibility does not mean that you say to your assistants, "Here, you run the shop." The people to whom you delegate responsibility and authority must be competent in the technical areas for which you hold them accountable. However, technical competence is not enough.

In addition, the person who fills a key management spot in the organization must either be a manager or be capable of becoming one. A manager's chief job is to plan, direct, and coordinate the work of others.

A manager should possess the three "I's" – initiative, interest, and imagination. The manager of a department must have enough self-drive to start and keep things moving. A manager should not have to be told, for example, to make sure that employees start work on time.

Personality traits must be considered. A key manager should be strong – willed enough to overcome opposition when necessary and should also have enough ego to want to "look good" but not so much that it antagonizes other employees.

Exercise 1. Decide whether these statements are true or false. Change the false ones.

1. There is no need in delegating authority.

2. It’s important to allow competent assistants to perform in their own style.

3. Delegation is the hardest job owner-managers have to learn.

4. When delegating authority you should think over the extent to which you can do it.

5. Mr. Brasser was satisfied with the decisions of his production man.

6. Delegating authority is closely connected with spending your own money.

7. You delegate your authority to keep things doing in your absence.

8. Delegation of responsibility means that you just ask somebody to run your business.

9. The man you delegate authority must be technically competent and be capable of being a good manager.

10. Don’t pay any attention at personality traits of your managers.

Exercise 2. Answer the following questions.

1. Why is it difficult to delegate work, responsibility and authority in a company?

2. Why is it important to allow competent assistants to work in their own style rather than in owner-manager style?

3. How do you understand the phrase “Let others take care of the details”?

4. What are the extremes to which some owner-managers keep when running business?

5. What was the problem in Mr. Brasser case? Did he cope with the difficulties? Share your opinion.

6. What are the things you delegate authority for?

7. To whom should you delegate?

8. What’s a manager’s main job?

9. What’re the three “I’s”? Why are they important for a manager?

10. What personality traits should a manager have?

Exercise 3. Translate the sentences from Russian into English.

1. Уезжая в командировку за границу, передавай полномочия только тому человеку, которому ты доверяешь.

2. Не настаивай на этом своём решении, оно не верно.

3. Трудно осуществить эти принципы.

4. Он так неискренне уверял в своей преданности, что сразу стало понятно, что он что-то замышляет.

5. К своему испугу он обнаружил, что проехал нужную остановку.

6. Проверь платёжные ведомости. По-моему мы платим слишком много сверхурочных.

7. Не отставай от расписания.

8. И ты имеешь наглость заявлять мне об этом!

9. Просчитай текущие расходы.

10. Меня настораживают его личные качества. Он не отвечает за свои слова.

Text 7

Delegating work, responsibility, and authority (2)

When reading the text find out the following words and expressions: разъяснять; производственный отдел; отдел сбыта; управлять (2); привлечение клиентов; закупки; начальник (руководитель); правление фирмы; завод (фабрика); рассматриваемое дело; выполнить просьбу; поставка; подчинённый; достижение; отступать; отклониться; недостаток.

Spell Out the Delegation .Competent people want to know for what they are being held responsible. The experience of Charles P. Wiley illustrates how one owner-manager let them know. He started by setting up an organization. He broke his small company into three departments: a production department, a sales department, and an administrative department.

The manager who handled production was responsible for advertising, customer solicitations, and customer service. Mr. Wiley regarded the administrative department as the headquarters and service unit for the other two. Its manager was responsible for personnel, purchasing, and accounting.

Mr. Wiley also worked out with his assistants the practices and procedures necessary to get the jobs done. His assistants were especially helpful in pointing out any overlaps or gaps in assigned responsibilities. He then put the procedures into writing. Thus each supervisor had a detailed statement of the function of each's department and the extent of each's authority.

This statement included a list of specific actions which they could take on their own initiative and a list of actions which required approval in the front office – Mr. Wiley, or in his absence, the assistant general manager.

Mr. Wiley had thought about the times when he might be absent from the plant. To make sure that things would keep moving, the production manager was designated assistant general manager and given authority to make all operational decisions in Mr. Wiley's absence.

In thinking about absences, Mr. Wiley went one step further. He instructed each department head to designate and train an assistant who could run the department if, and when, the need arose.

When you spell out the delegation, be sure that departments are coordinated. The experience of another small plant owner, Ann Jones, is a case in point. She thought her departments were coordinated until the shop manager reported that he was swamped with "rush" orders.

"It's impossible for me to make good on Bill's promise," the shop chief said. Bill was the sales manager.

When Bill was called in, he said "I had to promise early delivery to get the business."

Ms. Jones resolved the problem by instructing the sales manager and the shop manager to work out delivery dates together.

Make sure that departments are coordinated when you spell out the responsibilities and authority of each key manager. Thus you reduce the chances of confusion as well as assuring that there is no doubt about who is responsible for specific jobs. Then, the particular key manager can take corrective action before things get out of hand.

Keeping Control. When you manage through others, it is essential that you keep control. You do it by holding a subordinate responsible for his or her actions and checking the results of those actions.

In controlling your assistants, try to strike a balance. You should not get into a key manager's operation so closely that you stifle him or her should you be so far removed that you lose control of things.

You need feedback to keep yourself informed. Reports provide a way to get the right kind of feedback at the right time. They can be daily, weekly, or monthly, depending on how soon you need the information. Each department head can report his or her progress, or the lack of it, in the unit of production that is appropriate for his or her activity; for example, items packed in the shipping room, sales per territory, hours of work per employee.

Periodic staff meetings are another way to get feedback. At these meetings, department heads can comment on their activities, accomplishments, and problems.

Coaching Your Staff. For the owner-manager, delegation does not end with good control. It involves coaching as well, because management ability is not acquired automatically. You have to teach it.

Just as important, you have to keep your managers informed just as you would be if you were doing their jobs. Part of your job is to see that they get the facts they need for making their decisions.

You should be certain that you convey your thinking when you coach your assistants. Sometimes words can be inconsistent with your thoughts. Ask questions to make sure the listener understands your meanings. In other words, delegation can only be effective when you have good communications.

And above all, listen. Many owner-managers get so involved in what they are saying or are going to say next, that they do not listen to the other person. In coaching a person so he or she can improve, it is important to tell why you give the instruction. When a person knows the reason, he or she is better able to supervise.

Allow Staff to Work. Sometimes you find yourself involved in many operational details even though you do everything that is necessary for delegating responsibility. In spite of defining authority, delegating to competent persons, spelling out the delegation, keeping control, and coaching, you are still burdened with detailed work. Why? Usually, you have failed to do one vital things. You have refused to stand back and let the wheels turn.

If you are to make delegation work, you must allow your managers freedom to do things their way. You and the company are in trouble if you try to measure your assistants by whether or not they do a particular task exactly as you would do it. They should be judged by their results - not their methods.

No two persons react exactly the same in every situation. Be prepared to see some action taken differently from the way in which you would do it even though your policies are well defined. Of course, if an assistant strays too far from policy, you need to bring him or her back into line. You cannot afford second-guessing.

You should also keep in mind that when an owner-manager second-guesses assistants, you risk destroying their self-confidence. If the assistant does not run his or her department to your satisfaction and if his or her department to your satisfaction and if his or her shortcomings cannot be overcome, then replace that person. But when results prove his or her effectiveness, it is good practice to avoid picking at each move he or she makes.

Exercise 1. Decide whether these statements are true or false. Change the false ones.

1. Charles P. Wiley broke his company into two departments.

2. Mr. Wiley spelt out every supervisor in his company the extent of their authority.

3. The front office of his business controlled every step of his managers.

4. The departments of the firm shouldn’t be coordinated.

5. You should get into a key manager’s operation very closely.

6. Reports are the only way to get feedback.

7. Management ability is a natural skill.

8. Delegation involves coaching.

9. Don’t deprive your subordinates of independence.

10. Don’t interfere when your manager strays too far from your policy.

Exercise 2. Answer the following questions.

1. What are the departments Mr. Wiley broke his firm into?

2. What was the administrative department manager responsible for?

3. How did Mr. Wiley inform his subordinates about the functions of each department and about their responsibilities?

4. What was the mistake of Ann Jones? How did she resolve the problem?

5. How can you control your subordinates?

6. How can you get feedback? Why is it essential?

7. What are the two things you should be careful about when coaching your staff?

8. How can you relieve yourself from details?

9. What’s more important in your managers operation, methods or results? Why?

10. Is your key manager’s second guessing a negative or positive factor? Why?

Exercise 3. Translate the sentences from Russian into English.

1. Отдел сбыта отвечает за продажи.

2. Не забудь разъяснить ему его обязанности.

3. Начальники отделов проинформированы о предстоящем собрании.

4. Правление фирмы одобрило данное решение.

5. Мне трудно выполнить его просьбу, пока дело не будет согласовано с начальством.

6. Давай вместе обдумаем время поставки.

7. Каждый работник должен отчитываться о своих достижениях и ошибках.

8. Сообщи своим подчинённым о наказаниях за опоздания.

9. Во время отступи и подумай, всё ли ты делаешь правильно?

10. Если ты не доволен работой своего подчинённого и его недостатки трудно устранить, придётся его уволить.

Text 8

Introduction to Personnel Management.

When reading the text find out the following words and expressions: управление персоналом (2); продавцы; набирать (людей); нанимать; тарифная сетка; вести переговоры (обговаривать); страхование; информировать; дорогой (2); подчиняться; вознаграждение; препятствовать; принудительное увольнение; инстинктивное чувство; должностная инструкция.

Personnel management is concerned with the effective use of the skills of people. They may be salespeople in a store, clerks in an office, operators in a factory, or technicians in a research laboratory. In a business, personnel management starts with the recruiting and hiring of qualified people and continues with directing and encouraging their growth as they encounter problems and tensions that arise in working toward established goals.

In addition to recruiting and hiring, some of the responsibilities of a personnel manager are:

• To classify jobs and prepare wage and salary scales.

• To counsel employees.

• To deal with disciplinary problems.

• To negotiate with labor unions and service union contracts.

• To develop safety standards and practices.

• To manage benefit programs, such as group insurance, health, and retirement plans.

• To provide for periodic reviews of the performance of each individual employee, and for recognition of his or her strengths and needs for further development.

• To assist individuals in their efforts to develop and qualify for more advanced jobs.

• To plan and supervise training programs.

• To keep abreast of developments in personnel management.

To understand the personnel manager's job think of how you would deal with the following examples of challenging employee situations:

The firm's employees – especially the most qualified ones - can get comparable, if not better jobs with other employers.

When a firm faces a scarcity of supervisory and specialized personnel with adequate experience and job capabilities, it has to train and develop its own people. This can be time consuming and expensive.

The cost of hiring and training employees at all levels is increasing, for instance, several thousand dollars for a salesperson. A mistake in hiring or in slow and inefficient methods of training can be costly.

Personnel managers must comply with the law by employing, training and promoting women and persons from minority groups. The problem in doing so is that many of these employees have not had appropriate experience and education in the past.

Most employees, whether or not represented by labor unions, continue to seek improvements in direct compensation, employee benefits, and working conditions. All commitments must be based upon what the firm can afford, comply with current practices of other employers, and be understood and accepted by the employee. To do this, all employee policies and operating procedures should be developed and negotiated with great care.

Some employees may not perform satisfactorily simply because their firm offers competitive compensation, benefits, and working conditions. In addition to these financial or physical compensations, they want responsibility, the opportunity to develop, and recognition of accomplishment in their jobs.

The law has established requirements for pension and other benefit plans, and also bar mandatory retirement at age 65. Complying with such changes presents real challenges.

Personnel management works to achieve practical solutions to such problems. In large firms, it generally provides support to line management. In this staff capacity, the personnel department has the responsibility to develop and implement policies, procedures, and programs for recruitment, selection, training, placement, safety, employee benefits and services, compensation, labor relations, organization planning, and employee development.

Often, the owner-manager of a firm also has to be the personnel manager. In such a case it is necessary to have an overview of current trends and practices in personnel management.

All small businesses must staff their operations. This involves bringing new people into the business and making sure they are productive additions to the enterprise. Effective human resource management matches and develops the abilities of job candidates and employees with the needs of the firm. A responsive personnel system will assist you in this process and is a key ingredient for growth.

Human resource management is a balancing act. At one extreme, you hire only qualified people who are well suited to the firm's needs. At the other extreme, you train and develop employees to meet the firm's needs. Most expanding small businesses fall between the two extremes i.e., they hire the best people they can find and afford, and they also recognize the need to train and develop both current and new employees as the firm grows.

One function of personnel management deals with how to hire and train the right people and addresses the characteristics of an effective personnel system, such as:

• Assessing personnel needs.

• Recruiting personnel.

• Screening personnel.

• Selecting and hiring personnel.

• Orienting new employees to the business.

• Deciding compensation issues.

Another function addresses the training and development side of human resource management. A third function deals with how the personnel system and the training and development functions come together to build employee trust and productivity. These three functions stress the importance of a good human resource management climate and provide specific guidelines for creating such a climate.

Human Resource Management Audit Questionnaire

• Does the business have a plan for forecasting long-term personnel needs?

• Are there guidelines for hiring personnel, or are employees hired based on gut feelings?

• Are there job descriptions for all positions?

• What do employees like about their jobs?

• What do employees dislike about their jobs?

• Why do employees leave the organization?

• Is there an active training program? Is it based on an assessment of where the firm is now or where it should be in the future?

• Are a variety of training programs available?

• How is morale in the firm?

• Do employees really believe what you have to say?

• Are all employees treated fairly?

Exercise 1. Decide whether these statements are true or false. Change the false ones.

1. Personnel management deals with sales and purchases.

2. Personnel management starts with recruiting and hiring.

3. To manage benefit programs is one of the responsibilities of a personnel manager.

4. To train and develop your staff is very cheap.

5. Women are not hired in most organizations.

6. Compensations are not enough to encourage your staff proper operation.

7. In large firms human resource management assists line management.

8. Personnel manager should make sure that a new employee is an effective addition to a current staff.

9. One function of a personnel management addresses the characteristics of an effective personnel system.

10. It’s necessary to audit human resource management.

Exercise 2. Answer the following questions.

1. What’s the purpose of personnel management?

2. What’s the starting point of human resource management?

3. Enumerate some of the personnel manager responsibilities.

4. What are the peculiarities of hiring women?

5. What are the major incentives for your staff to work?

6. How must small business staff its operations?

7. Why is a human resource management a balancing act?

8. What are the characteristics of an effective personnel system?

9. What are the three functions of a personnel management?

10. Would you like to work as a personnel manager? Why? Why not?

Exercise 3. Translate the sentences from Russian into English.

1. Продавцы в новом отделе не справляются со своими обязанностями.

2. Нанять нужных людей и помочь им справиться с первыми проблемами это нелёгкая задача.

3. Проинформируйте подчинённых об изменениях в тарифной сетке.

4. По вопросам страхования, здравоохранения и выхода на пенсию обращайтесь в отдел кадров.

5. Основать свою фирму – довольно дорогостоящее занятие.

6. Каждый гражданин должен подчиняться законам своей страны

7. Профсоюзы выступают против принудительных увольнений в связи с достижением пенсионного возраста.

8. Повинуясь своим инстинктивным чувствам, ты поступил правильно.

9. Должностные инструкции готовы?

10. Необходимо обговорить условия работы.

Text 9

Personnel management (1)

When reading the text find out the following words and expressions: вероятный (возможный); текучесть кадров; вероятность; суть (сущность); беспокойство; признание (одобрение); улучшение; желание; должностная инструкция; цепь инстанций; распоряжаться; продвижение по службе; осуществлять (применять).

It is conceivable for you to have more employees than the competition yet your company produces less and for you to have disgruntled, low-output employees even though you pay your employees more than the competition pays theirs. Productivity surveys and case studies indicate that increased worker motivation and satisfaction can increase worker output. Progressive, innovative managers now achieve productivity gains with human resource management techniques that go beyond pay incentives.

This Guide discusses how to increase worker output by motivating with quality of work life concepts and by tailoring benefits to meet the needs of employees. Cost: enlightened human resource management probably costs no more than employee turnover (hiring and training new employees), unwarranted pay increases, and low productivity. Benefit: better productivity; loyal, efficient workers; higher quality work, and increased likelihood of staying in business.

The essence of employee motivation and effectiveness is the manner in which they are managed. A direct relationship exists between effective management (i.e., providing a work environment that simultaneously achieves company goals and employees goals) and modern human resource management.

Your management success is judged by your skill and knowledge in recognizing and assessing issues that concern employees and by your ability to resolve these concerns with employee help and satisfaction.

• Do your employees know how you judge and measure their performance?

• Do you provide and encourage individual development with training and educational programs?

• Do you trust your employees and rely upon their knowledge?

• Do you let employees make decisions?

• Do you have timely, accurate, open two-way communication with your employees?

If you answer no to all of these questions, you probably are an unsatisfactory human resource manager and have (or will have) employee-productivity problems.

Quality of Work Life. Getting high quality job performance from your employees depends on giving employees opportunities for their personal growth, achievement, responsibility, recognition, and reward.

Pay – money – is the primary need and reward. Once the compensation (pay and benefits) is established properly, it is necessary to use other means to further motivate and improve your work force's output. The basis of all job enhancement efforts is your recognition of employees' desire to do good work, to assume responsibility, to achieve and to succeed.

Changes to consider in creating a new quality of work life atmosphere include going

From: detailed job descriptions with specific tasks and rigid instruction for how to do the work

To: Flexible, diverse work assignment allowing self-regulation, variety and challenge;

From: Structured chain of command, managers making decisions and supervisors bossing

To: Worker involvement in planning, decision making and operating procedure;

From: Hierarchical channels of communications;

To: Direct, fast two-way communication

From: Limited on-the-job instruction

To: Advanced training, educational and career development opportunities;

From: Job specialization in one task

To: Leeway allowed for every employee to complete many task by crossing lines of specialization;

From: Obscure, irregular job evaluations

To: Objective job performance standards with measures fairly administered;

From: Careless or neglected safety and health conditions;

To: Clean, safe and healthy working conditions.

The quality of work life technique is to involve your employees by sharing the management responsibility and authority with them - the workers who do the job.

Exercise 1. Decide whether these statements are true or false. Change the false ones.

1. Increased worker motivation and satisfaction can increase worker output.

2. Payment is the only incentive to enhance your workers productivity.

3. Sophisticated personnel management increases likelihood of your staying in business.

4. An indirect relationship exists between effective management and modern human resource management.

5. A successful manager is able to recognize problems of his employees and to resolve them.

6. The employees personal growth, achievement, responsibility, recognition and reward don’t contribute into the company’s success.

7. Money is not considered a good reward.

8. Hierarchical channels of communication hinder the company progress.

9. Clean, safe and healthy working conditions are more efficient than neglected safety and health condition.

10. A good manager should share the management responsibility and authority with employees.

Exercise 2. Answer the following questions.

1. Why do unsatisfied employees work not efficient enough even if their salary is decent?

2. What are costs and benefits of enlightened personnel management?

3. What is an effective management?

4. What is the key of your management success?

5. Why is it important to develop training and educational programs?

6. What is the primary incentive for a good performance? Why?

7. What should you recognize to enhance your company work?

8. Why is it better to cross lines of your employees’ specialization rather than to encourage job specialization in one task?

9. Why is it important to involve workers into planning, decision making and operating procedure?

10. How is it better to let your employees know about their responsibilities?

Exercise 3. Translate the sentences from Russian into English.

1. Вероятно, что ты добьёшься успеха.

2. Несмотря на высокую зарплату, в этой компании наблюдается повышенная текучесть кадров.

3. Существует большая вероятность того, что ты провалишь экзамен.

4. Суть данного вопроса в том, что надо доверять своим подчинённым.

5. Улучшение качества работы зависит от многих факторов.

6. Эта награда явилась признанием работы всей его жизни.

7. Должностные инструкции нужно соблюдать.

8. Продвижение по службе достаточно важный стимул в хорошей работе.

9. Ряд осуществлённых мер не привёл к ожидаемому результату.

10. Его поведение вызывает беспокойство.

Text 10

Personnel management (2)

When reading the text find out the following words and expressions: пособие; эксплуатационные (текущие) расходы; значительная оплата; расходы на зарплату; доход (прибыль); всеобщий (всеохватывающий); укреплять (усиливать); семейное положение; нравиться; возмещение убытков за обучение; правовая защита; отпуск; социальное обеспечение ребёнка; прожиточный минимум; мастерство (умение, квалификация).

Flexible Benefits. Compensation costs – salaries, wages, and benefits – are a large and increasing part of operating expenses; yet, productivity can decline among workers who get more pay and benefits. Workers are productive with fair pay tied to performance. Ironically, not all employee motivation and productivity problems are solved by pay raises and promotions. It isn't necessary to make pay adjustments beyond a fair industry-wide (market place) level.

The tailoring of benefits to satisfy specific needs is part of the quality of work life technique. It is a way to maximize the amount of labor costs going to the employee and to maximize your return on these costs without increasing across-the-board expenses. By making a special effort to satisfy individual employee needs, you reinforce the motivational value of the flexible benefit.

For example, you can reduce unwanted employee turnover and related recruiting, hiring, and training costs by shifting these costs from developing new employees to keeping experienced employees. You can motivate an employee to increase productivity by providing opportunities for career development (training or schooling).

At the same time you have improved the worker's skills and shown recognition of the worker's value and aspiration. A tailored benefit can be worth as much to an employee as a pay raise. Such a benefit is practical because (1) it probably costs no more than worker unrest and diminished productivity and (2) it is probably less costly than a comparable pay increase.

Age, education, job experience, job fulfillment, marital status, and family size are considerations that determine the utility and attractiveness of a benefit. Different benefits appeal to different people. Everyone's needs are different. A younger employee might be motivated by having use of a company car. An older person may want more status like a title or a professional association membership. The list of possible employees benefits and their applications is nearly unlimited. To get the maximum value, you've got to tailor the benefit to the job and your business requirements and financial capability.

Think how you could use: pre-tax thrift-savings programs; recreational programs; discounts; scholarships; personal financial planning; loans; tuition refund; profit sharing; company car; personal expense account; parking privileges; legal assistance; extra vacation; child care; job titles; professional or trade association memberships; travel.

A flexible benefit is two-fold. Not only does the benefit satisfy some employee's specific need but it also communicates your concern to meet these needs, creating the kind of work environment that contributes to increased employee productivity.

You must recognize the productivity problem and the needs of your employees so that you can tailor the benefit to meet the situation. Beyond pay and statutory benefits that provide the most value to your business.

Salary Compression. Ralph is an experienced employee. You think he is good but he is complaining that his salary is not enough. You're puzzled and angry because you gave him a raise and a cost of living increase a month ago and the salary is competitive. Ralph seems ungrateful and his output is down. After talking with Ralph, you learn that he feels he should be paid more than Ed, a new employee. You hired Ralph two years ago at $62,000, a year. He's now making $68,500. But Ed, was just hired at $66,000. Ralph thinks he should have more to show for his two years experience compared to Ed, who is younger with no experience.

You realize that starting salaries have gone up at a faster rate than regular pay increases. Attracting educated employees was competitive. Result: the difference in pay got smaller between experienced and less experienced employees. This is called salary compression.

Your experienced employees don't like it. They will react negatively, slowing down and looking for another job, another promotion, or another raise. In this situation you could recognize Ralph's experience, tenure and value with flexible benefits.

Using quality of work life techniques to motivate and to reward employees can result in productivity gains. The ultimate goal, of course, is to achieve the maximum result from the least effort, the greatest profit for the least cost, the largest output from the smallest input. To work toward this goal you've got to know how productive your company is. Thus, you must define and measure productivity for comparison from time to time.

Productivity Measurement. Definitions of and ways to measure productivity vary. A basic way to express productivity is productivity equals output divided by input i. e., productivity is the ratio of output to input, or simply output over input. The quantity of output is measured in units produced, dollars of sales, or any term that suits your need. The quality of output is measured by workmanship, adherence to standard, and absence of complaints. Input is measured by labor costs, hours worked, and number of employees. To be useful, measures must be as simple and as consistent as possible.

A simple and understandable method of productivity measurement is to divide total sales (output in dollars) by total compensation costs (input). Increases and prices are accounted for automatically; however, you must adjust for inflation. To compare productivity measures in different years, pick a base year and give it an index of 100. Then figure your ratio of compensation to sales and with that number calculate the index and compare the fluctuation of the indexes.

Using output over input, you can measure any activity and employee. A typist's productivity can be measured in terms of numbers of pages typed, a salesperson by number of customer calls or amount of sales. When deciding how and what to measure, consider what a person does, how well, how much, and how often.

The indexes measure the productivity increases and decreases that indicate changes in your company's performance. You need these measures so that you can set goals and priorities, know where you stand, are motivated by objective reasons – by numbers, not subjective feelings, and have a common basis of communication with employees, bankers and consultants.

Chancing the Change. For many, if not most, companies adoption of quality of work life and flexible benefits management techniques can dramatically change how things are done. It is difficult and risky to make these changes; however, such changes may be not only necessary but also the difference between companies that are competitive and companies that aren't. Experience shows that with proper consultation, planning, training, and implementation the innovative human resource management concept is becoming the standard for effective management.

Exercise 1. Decide whether these statements are true or false. Change the false ones.

1. Compensation costs are a large part of operating expenses.

2. Workers do not work well unless their pay depends on their performance.

3. It is necessary to recognize the value of flexible benefits.

4. To reduce employee turnover you should recruit and hire more.

5. Consider age, education, job experience, job fulfillment, marital status, and family size when calculating benefits.

6. Everybody likes equal benefits.

7. Experienced Ralph is happy that his salary is equal to the salary of Ed, a new employee.

8. The ultimate goal of any business is to gain the largest output from the smallest input.

9. The quality of output is measured labor costs, hours worked, and number of employees.

10. Input is measured by workmanship, adherence to standard and absence of complaints.

Exercise 2. Answer the following questions.

1. What are compensation costs?

2. Why is it important to adjust benefits to specific needs?

3. How can you reduce the unwanted employee turnover?

4. What are the considerations to be taken into account when calculating benefits?

5. How are your employee’s needs different?

6. Explain the phrase: “A flexible benefit is two-fold”.

7. Why was Ralph unsatisfied with his salary? Was it low?

8. What is the ultimate goal of any business?

9. How can you measure productivity?

10. Does it make sense to change the approach to personnel management in your company? Why?

Exercise 3. Translate the sentences from Russian into English.

1. Выплата пособий – важный стимул в работе.

2. Прибыль от этих затрат велика.

3. Расходы на зарплату включены в ежегодный отчёт.

4. Подкрепляйте свои слова действиями.

5. Укажите в анкете своё семейное положение.

6. Эта реклама нравится в первую очередь подросткам.

7. Эта налоговая льгота возмещает расходы на обучение.

8. Работодатель должен обеспечить правовую защиту своим подчинённым.

9. Он так хорошо выглядит после отпуска.

10. Мастерство работника определяет качество его труда.

Russian texts to summarize

Виды и функции менеджмента (В.Р. Веснин)

Рассмотрим основные виды менеджмента, свойственные современным организациям и связанные с теми или иными процессами, протекающими внутри них, используя в изложении здесь и в дальнейшем по возможности русский термин «управление».

Прежде всего речь должна идти об организационном управлении, объектом которого являются процессы создания организации, формирования структуры и системы управления ею, механизма реализации управленческих функций, выработки регламентов и инструкций и т. п. В результате складываются необходимые условия нормального функционирования организации и успешного решения стоящих перед ней задач. Но сами эти решения являются уже объектом перспективного или текущего управления.

В рамках первого ставятся долгосрочные цели организации, определяются основные пути их достижения и таким образом обеспечивается её будущая жизнеспособность. Второе связано с постановкой конкретных задач, координацией процесса их решения, обеспечением его необходимыми материальными, людскими, информационными и финансовыми ресурсами, контролем и оценкой достигнутых результатов, осуществлением необходимых корректив, поощрением или наказанием исполнителей.

Текущее и перспективное управление имеет несколько объектов, к которым можно отнести: производство, материально-техническое снабжение и сбыт готовой продукции, инновации, маркетинг, кадры, финансы, эккаунтинг, то есть деятельность по учёту и анализу хозяйственных процессов в организации. Рассмотрим их подробнее.

Управление производством направлено на выбор основных параметров технологического процесса, определение объёма текущего выпуска продукции или оказания услуг, загрузки оборудования, расстановку людей, организацию подачи материалов, сырья, комплектующих деталей, информации к местам их использования, своевременный ремонт оборудования и техники, оперативное устранение сбоев и неполадок в технологическом процессе, контроль качества.

Управление материально-техническим снабжением и сбытом готовой продукции состоит в организации заключения хозяйственных договоров, закупки, доставки и хранении сырья, материалов, комплектующих изделий, а также производственных товаров, отправки их покупателям.

Управление инновациями, то есть нововведениями, имеет своим объектом процесс научных исследований, прикладных разработок, создание опытных образцов и внедрение новинок в производство…

Имидж организации (В.Р. Веснин)

Имидж организации, то есть её образ, складывающийся у клиентов, партнёров, общественности, представляется сегодня одной из важнейших её характеристик. Его основу составляют: существующий стиль внутренних и внешних деловых и межличностных отношений персонала и официальная атрибутика – название, эмблема, товарный знак. Рассмотрим это поподробнее.

Вопрос о наименовании организации настолько серьёзен, что он специально рассматривается законодательством, правда только в отношении отражения в нём организационно-правовых форм, о сути которых мы будем говорить немного ниже.

Так наименование полного товарищества (товарищества на вере) должно содержать имена (наименования – если речь идёт об юридических лицах) всех его участников и слова «полное товарищество», либо имя (наименование) одного или нескольких из них с добавлением слов «и компания» и «полное товарищество» («товарищество на вере»). Например: «Иванов и компания» – «Полное товарищество».

В наименование обществ помимо собственного названия включаются слова «с ограниченной ответственностью», «с дополнительной ответственностью», «акционерное общество». Аналогичное требование предъявляется законодательством к наименованию кооперативов, которое должно содержать слова «производственный кооператив» или «артель».

Наименование государственных и муниципальных предприятий обязательно включает ссылку на собственника их имущества, например «государственное предприятие», «муниципальное предприятие», «казённое предприятие».

С содержательной точки зрения название может быть именным, предметным или комбинированным. В первом случае речь идёт об имени владельца или собственном наименовании, например, завод «Манометр», «Завод имени Бадаева». Предметное название содержит указание на вид деятельности – «Второй московский часовой завод». Комбинированное же совмещает оба эти подхода, скажем АЗЛК – «Автомобильный завод имени Ленинского комсомола», первая часть которого указывает на характер выпускаемой продукции. Считается, что третий подход более удачен, так как, во-первых, сразу же ясно с какой организацией приходится иметь дело, а, во-вторых, даётся её дополнительный отличительный признак в виде собственного наименования.

Конечно, выбор наименования организации – дело вкуса её владельца, но теория и практика управления выработали в данной области определённые принципы, которые целесообразно учитывать.

Первый принцип состоит в том, что наименование должно быть по возможности кратким, оригинальным, однако не содержать чрезмерных претензий (например, производных от слов держава, империя и пр.), зачастую сегодня могущих вызвать лишь улыбку или недоверие. Кроме того, оно ни непосредственно, ни при подстановке или перестановке букв не должно ассоциироваться со словами, несущими негативный или уничижительный смысл. Например, казино «Багдадский двор» легко превратить в «Багдадский вор».

Второй принцип предполагает осторожное отношение к разного рода сокращениям и аббревиатурам. Чем меньше известна организация, тем меньше у неё шансов у неё составить удачное сокращение на основе полного наименования. В качестве удачного варианта здесь можно привести пример наименование «Инкомбанк».

Третий принцип наименования организаций требует избегать употребления без надобности иностранных слов, особенно если в родном языке имеются их полные соответствия…

Делегирование прав и ответственности подчинённым (В.Р. Веснин)

Сегодня руководитель не в состоянии единолично решать все возникающие управленческие проблемы, даже непосредственно входящие в круг его служебных обязанностей, поскольку их слишком много, они разнообразны и специфичны, а его знания, опыт и имеющийся запас времени ограничен.

Поэтому, сохраняя за собой выработку стратегий, контроль и общее управление, он передаёт решение менее значительных проблем, необходимые для этого права и сопряжённую с ними ответственность подчинённым, обладающим необходимыми знаниями, опытом, заинтересованностью принять участие в управлении. В результате в рамках управленческой структуры происходит расщепление и рациональное перераспределение прав, обязанностей и ответственности между её субъектами.

Этот процесс, принципы которого были разработаны в 1920-х годах отечественным учёным П.М. Керженцевым, получил сегодня широкое распространение на Западе под названием «делегирование организационных полномочий и ответственности».

Выше мы уже встречались с понятием распределение полномочий, однако тогда речь шла о наделении ими должностей, образующих управленческую структуру; в данном случае полномочия и ответственность по предварительной договорённости передаются отдельным лицам или коллективам.

Делегирование полномочий происходит в данном случае не только на официальной, но и большей частью полуофициальной или даже неофициальной основе, и предполагает наличие благоприятного морально-психологического климата в коллективе и взаимного доверия между руководителями и исполнителями.

Делегированию полномочий предшествует значительная подготовительная работа, которую должен осуществлять руководитель. Она состоит в определении того, для чего, кому, каким образом делегировать полномочия, какие выгоды для него, самих подчинённых и организации в целом при этом могут быть получены и какие препятствия возникнуть. Но общий подход состоит в том, что делегировать полномочия нужно всегда максимальному количеству сотрудников, находящихся на самых низких этажах управленческой структуры, где на практике реализуются принимаемые решения.

Процесс делегирования начинается с классификации стоящих перед организацией или проблем составления перечня полномочий, которые могут быть реально делегированы, выгод и риска, связанных с этим, характера, способностей и моральных качеств подчинённых.

Для решения вопроса о делегировании зарубежные специалисты в области управления рекомендуют использовать так называемую матрицу Эйзенхауэра, которая в значительной степени облегчает руководителю ориентировку в ситуации.

С точки зрения необходимости контроля, делегируемые проблемы можно разделить на следующие виды: требующие текущего контроля за их результатами; требующие обычного контроля или самоконтроля с периодическим информированием руководителя; требующие специального контроля в отношении отдельных моментов; требующие полного контроля и не допускающие отклонений от предписываемых действий. В предпоследнем случае полномочия делегируются выборочно, а в последнем вообще не делегируются…