Unit 2. Promoting innovation

Warm-up

Fill in the test and look at the results on page 84

1. You are in charge of a department in a large company. You would strive

primarily for:

a) productivity - the optimum amount of work from your staff;

b) efficiency - everything running smoothly, giving no worries to top management;

c) harmony - doing everything you can to have a contented and cohesive staff.

2. One of your best employees has made a mistake which will take time and

money to rectify. You would:

a) reprimand her and warn that if she fouls up again, she can start looking for another job;

b) have a quiet talk with her, review what went wrong, and discuss ways of avoiding future errors;

c) do nothing - she's probably embarrassed enough already;

d) cheer her up by saying everybody's bound to goof now and then.

3. Your section is behind in its work and some staff will have to put in over-time to help to catch up. You would:

a) explain the problem and help the staff to decide as a group how to handle it;

b) assign the best-qualified workers to the various tasks;

c) ask for volunteers;

d) hire temporary help so that no one need be inconvenienced.

4. You have to announce there will be no Christmas bonus. You would:

a) call in the staff, make the announcement and tell them how sorry you are;

b) put up a notice - the news is self-explanatory and there's no reason you should have to field complaints;

c) make the announcement, emphasising that the decision was not made by you;

d) call everyone in, explain the company's reasons, and promise you'll fight to get the bonus restored next year.

5. Two girls on the staff have become bitter enemies and are likely to involve the whole office in their purely personal feud. You would:

a) ignore the situation - the rift will heal itself sooner or later;

b) call them both into your office, find out what caused the antagonism, and try to resolve their dispute;

c) tell them they must stop squabbling or you'll transfer one or both;

d) talk to them separately and try to calm them both down.

6. You've decided to fire a new man who has turned out to be lazy, inept and

unlikeable. You would:

1. delegate an assistant to tell him his services are no longer required;

b) bluntly tell him he's fired;

c) be diplomatic and kind in explaining why you feel he doesn't fit in;

d) fire him, then explain to the rest of the staff that their jobs are not in jeopardy.

7. Your section has just been given a new project. You would probably:

a) call a meeting and involve the staff in the planning;

b) make assignments according to who you feel is best suited to the various tasks;

c) sound out each employee separately on taking additional responsibility;

d) choose an able, popular member of the staff to assign and explain to the others the new duties involved.

8. Sales for your division are down and the top brass is beginning to grumble. You would:

a) call a meeting to discuss how to improve productivity;

b) set new sales quotas and warn that if they're not achieved, heads will roll;

c) speak to key employees individually, sound out their problems and make suggestions on how to improve;

d) announce that management is not satisfied and suggest that everyone make an extra effort.

Circle your answers on the table above.

	A	D	T	P
1	A	D	с	B
2	A	D	b
3	B	С	а	D
4	B	A	d	С
5	С	D	b	A
6	B	С	d	A
7	B	С	a	D
8	B	С	a	D

Reading

Read the text and render it.