Inefficient LeadersIt is difficult to become a good manager and an efficient leader. First of all, people must be professionals in their industry and know their business. Good leaders are ready to take responsibility and make their companies more successful. It is also important to get a good management education, because it is not easy to handle people. Leaders should understand, respect and value employees, as subordinates help bosses to make profits. Effective management depends very much on people's personal qualities, on their readiness to overcome bad traits of their characters. Unfortunately, there are many inefficient leaders, and as a rule, not all of them want to admit and correct their mistakes. Harvey Gittler, a well-known expert in management, describes poor leaders in his article Bosses I Have Known (and Would Like to Forget). In his business career, he had a total of 23 different bosses. There is much he learned from them; and there are a few experiences he would like to forget. H.Gittler uses a pseudosociological method and divides bosses into: leaders, destroyers, and inbetweens, or even simpler - normal people and difficult people. In his article he tells about a few of the difficult bosses. Fred Faultfinder Fred was the manager of a small plant. The plant was part of a multiplant organization with strong central controls. Fred was a nervous man, always wondering what "corporate" was thinking of him. And what worried Fred the most were the documents he had to sign. They really weren't important documents - time standards, job evaluations, schedule changes, and the like. He would call for explanation after explanation. His subordinates spent more time in explaining what they had done than in doing the work. But Fred seemed never satisfied until he found some error, no matter how small. Perhaps it was just a spelling error or a date error. After the error was corrected, Fred signed the document. The employees developed "The Theory of the Obvious Error." They purposely left out an obvious and important bit of information. As soon as Fred found the error and they corrected it, he signed the paper. Max Minutiae Max was a capable and experienced executive - except that, he always needed more information before he could make a decision. "We don't have all the details," he would repeat over and over again. Once the company wanted to buy a particular piece of equipment. The experts thought that the equipment was good, but Max called for further information. It took his employees three months - three long months - to collect all the additional information. But the price of the equipment had gone up 10%! Sam Stubborn "Do-It-My-Way Sam" was the entrepreneur who had started the company. He was a brilliant scientist and engineer. But he had little faith in people he had hired. No matter what his employees did, no matter how experienced they were, Sam Stubborn always knew better. He also considered himself a master of management. But he had never read a book on management - nor had he ever taken a management course. If the employees wanted to implement their own ideas, they had to convince him that it was his idea. Usually when a problem arose, Sam would call a meeting, outline the problem and then suggest the solution. The employees would go to implement Sam's ideas. But very often those ideas never solved the problem. Bill Bully Today Bill would be called "Rambo." He was emotionally instable and rough. When he went through the plant, it was with the force of a tornado. His subordinates all moved out of his path. Whenever he found something wrong in the factory, he would call the employees to the site. Then, walking back and forth like a caged lion, he would shout: "Someone is going to be fired for this!" Threatening to fire people was his basic method of problem-solving. Bill had no team. Who would want to be on his team? Stanley Smoothy Stanley was called the Statesman. He was a master in dealing with his superiors, but he couldn't deal with his peers and subordinates. Stanley was all appearance. He wore beautifully tailored suits, trendy ties and highly polished shoes. Among his staff, Stanley was known for a complete lack of integrity. What he told one subordinate was different from what he told someone else. Stanley hardly knew anything, but he had high-level supporters. In time, he became an "assistant to" a high-ranking corporate officer. Harvey Gittler says that, in his career, there were more good bosses than poor bosses. But his article can help inefficient leaders to understand their mistakes and improve their managerial skills.
Exercise 13. Find in the text the equivalents of these words and word combinations. Неумелые руководители; уважать и ценить работников; личные качества; график перехода времени; оценка сложности работы; изменения графика; и тому подобное; требовать объяснений; ошибка в правописании; подписывал документ; способный и опытный руководитель; обычно собирал совещание; подчиненные; основной метод решения проблем; высокопоставленный служащий корпорации; усовершенствовать навыки управления. Exercise 14. Answer the following questions in pairs. 1. What classification of bosses does Harvey Gittler give? 2. What were Fred's characteristic features? What was his nickname? What worried Fred the most? What did he make his subordinates do? What did he look for in all the papers? What theory did his subordinates develop? 3. What were Max's characteristic features? What was his nickname? What was Max's fixed idea? Did his work contribute to the company's profits? 4. What were Sam's characteristic features? What was his nickname? Was he a brilliant scientist and engineer? Did Sam have faith in people he had hired? Did he ever take a management course? Did he encourage creativity in subordinates? Were his ideas always productive? 5. What were Bill's characteristic features? What was his nickname? What was his favourite phrase? What was his basic method of problem-solving? Did he have a team? 6. What were Stanley's characteristic features? What were his nicknames? Could he deal with his superiors? Could he deal with his peers and subordinates? Did he work well? What was important for him? Was he frank with his subordinates? Was Stanley's career successful?
Exercise 15. Look through the list of expressions and phrases which will help you to agree or disagree with people. I. Agreement I (quite) agree (with you). I think so too. You're quite right. Certainly. Exactly. (formal) Quite so. (formal) I agree with you in a way, but... I see what you mean, but... Most likely. II. Disagreement I don't (quite) agree with you. I disagree with you (there). I'm afraid you're mistaken. On the contrary! (formal) Not at all. (direct) Nothing of the kind. (abrupt) I wouldn't say that. Most unlikely. I doubt it. I'm not sure of it. Nonsense. (rude) Rubbish. (rude)
Exercise 16. Express your agreement or disagreement. Prove your point of view. 1. People deserve their leaders. 2. The autocratic style of leadership is more effective in Russia. 3. A manager shouldn't trust his subordinates. 4. The interests of superiors and the interests of inferiors are always different. 5. The boss is always right. 6. Democratic management stimulates creatively and performance of employees. 7. When the chief follows the democratic style of leadership, the discipline is not very strict. 8. Kind teachers are better than strict ones. 9. There are more good managers than bad ones.
Exercise 17. Write about a poor leader you know. What should he / she do to improve his / her managerial skills? Exercise 18. Role-play. 1. Roles: a difficult boss and an unemployed man / woman. An unemployed man / woman is trying to get a job as a shop assistant. The manager asks him / her questions about his / her age, marital status, background, experience, latest position. He finds fault with each answer and refuses the applicant. 2. Roles: a difficult boss and a subordinate. A subordinate was told to prepare schedule changes. He / she has carried out the order and comes to his boss. The boss isn't satisfied. He calls for explanation for each change. He tells the subordinate to describe the situation in detail. The employee says that the problem has already been discussed at the meeting. The boss insists that the explanation must be submitted in writing. 3. Roles: a difficult boss and a subordinate. A subordinate comes to his boss and submits the recommendation of the group of experts to buy a piece of equipment. The experts have visited vendors and plants to see the equipment in operation. They have studied all the alternatives and analysed all the factors involved. But the boss is discontent. He sends the subordinate to collect all the additional information and prepare a more complete justification for buying the equipment. The boss wants the papers to be submitted to him in two weeks. 4. Roles: a difficult boss and a subordinate. A group of experts has come to the conclusion that advertising the company's new deodorants is not effective. The goods are not selling. Thegroup leader suggests that they should expand their activities in smaller towns and Asian countries. The boss doesn't share this opinion. He is going to suggest his own idea at the next meeting. He is sure that the implementation of his idea will be the only solution of the problem. 5. Roles: a difficult boss and some subordinates. In a factory one of the machine-tools has broken down. The boss calls the workers to the site. He blames them for spoiling the machine-tool. He threatens to fire them or cut their wages.
UNIT 5. MANAGING EMPLOYEES
5.1. Creation of Working Environment
Exercise 1. Focus on the topical vocabulary. working environment ['wE:kIN In'vaIqrQnmqnt] рабочая среда, производственные условия to direct [dI'rekt] v управлять, руководить direction [dI'rekSqn] n управление, руководство to interfere with smb / smth ["Intq'fIq] мешать кому-л. / чему-л. incentive [In'sentIv] n стимул, побуждение matter ['mxtq] n вопрос; v иметь значение praise [preIz] n похвала; v хвалить tolerance ['tPlqrqns] n терпимость (к чему-л.) belief [bI'lJf] n вера, убеждение, верование, религия to prevent [prI'vent] v предотвращать to resolve a conflict [rI'zPlv q 'kPnflIkt] разрешать конфликт to profit by ['prPfIt] v получать прибыль for the benefit of ['benIfIt] на благо brainstorm ['breInstLm] n "мозговая атака", коллективное обсуждение проблем; v проводить коллективное обсуждение to take into consideration ['teIk…kqn"sIdq'reISqn] принимать во внимание diligence ['dIlIGqns] n усердие, трудолюбие work capacity ['wE:k kq'pxsItI] работоспособность to exclude [Iks'klHd] v исключать sexual harassment ['sekSVql 'hxrqsmqnt] сексуальное домогательство hot-tempered ["hPt 'tempqd] a вспыльчивый, горячий reserved [rI'zWvd] a сдержанный, необщительный to handle ['hxndl] v обращаться, обходиться handling ['hxndlIN] n обхождение, обращение hard-working ["hRd 'wE:kIN] a усердный, трудолюбивый valuable ['vxljuqbl] a ценный hesitation ["hezI'teISqn] n колебание Exercise 2. Try to understand the meaning of the derivatives. Believe, belief; solve, resolve; south, southern; stimulate, stimulator, stimulation; interfere, interference; develop, developer, developing, developed, development; decide, decision, decisive; polite, politeness; create, creation, creative, creativity; recognize, recognized, recognition; tolerant, tolerance; profit, profitable; brain, brainstorm; value, valuable; hesitate, hesitation; determine, determination; suggest, suggestion; laze, lazy, laziness.
Exercise 3. Guess what these international words mean. Business ideas; modern managers; the leader's direction and control; to stimulate productivity; the democratic style of leadership, democratic leaders; the interests of the company; enthusiastic managers, enthusiasm; tolerance of ideas; interpersonal and intercultural conflicts; professional interests, professionalism; group leaders; individuals; analysis of ideas; individual characteristics, personal characteristics; professional characteristics of a person; sex, nationality, psychology, religion; forms of discrimination.
Exercise 4. Read the words having the negative prefixes in- and un- and say what they mean. Undisciplined, unproductive, unjust, undone, unnecessary, unrealistic, unimportant, unreal, unreasonable, unpractical, unprofitable, uncommunicative; inhuman, indecisive, invalid. Exercise 5. Read the following word combinations and give their Russian equivalents. To create working environment; to fulfil business ideas; poor management; to interfere with; to improve working conditions; to deal with business matters; to work hard; a favourable climate; to prevent conflicts; to resolve conflicts; to profit by; to praise people; to get good pay; for the benefit of a company; to work as a team; to select suitable people; to fire bad workers; to delegate responsibilities; to brainstorm a difficult problem; to suggest solutions; to build relations with employees; to take into consideration; experience, diligence, work capacity, creativity; to treat employees well; to encourage creative workers. Exercise 6. Read these sentences and express the same in Russian. 1. The manager had the letter be sent. 2. The secretary let the visitor (come) in. 3. He asked me to telephone him in the evening. 4. The director doesn't like the employees to be late. 5. Do you always make people wait for you? 6. Let it be. 7. I want you to accompany our guest to the hotel. 8. Let me know when you come home. 9. I advised her not to stay at this hotel. 10. We know the goods to have been delivered. 11. I couldn't get her to finish her work. 12. The manager heard the salesgirl speak to a customer very politely.
Exercise 7. Work in pairs. Speak about employees. Use the model and word combinations below. Model. A: What kind of employees would you like to manage? B: I would like my employees to work hard. To obey orders; to work hard; to be ready to work in a team; to be industrious, qualified, smart, inventive, efficient, truthful, trustworthy, frank, open, friendly, well-dressed.
Exercise 8. What is working environment? Read the text and give your definition.
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