BEC中级第二辑阅读.docx
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BEC中级第二辑阅读
剑桥BEC真题集第2辑(中级)阅读
Test1
1thecontactbetweencoachandemployeenotsolvingalldifficultiesatwork
2thediscussionofhowcertainsituationscouldbebetterhandlediftheyoccuragain
3acoachencouraginganemployeetoapplywhathasbeentaughttoroutineworksituations
4coachingprovidingnewinteresttoindividualswhoareunhappyintheircurrentpositions
5coachingprovidingasupportiveenvironmenttodiscussperformance
6employeesbeingaskedtoanalysethemselvesandpractisegreaterself-awareness
7coachingenablingacompanytorespondrapidlytoalackofexpertiseinacertainarea
Coaching
A
Coachinginvolvestwoormorepeoplesittingdowntogethertotalkthroughissuesthathavecomeuprecentlyatwork,andanalysinghowtheyweremanagedandhowtheymightbedealtwithmoreeffectivelyonsubsequentoccasions.Coachingthustransfersskillsandinformationfromonepersontoanotherinanon-the-jobsituationsothattheworkexperienceofthecoachisusedtoadviseandguidetheindividualbeingcoached.Italsoallowssuccessesandfailurestobeevaluatedinanon-threateningatmosphere.
B
Coachingmeansinfluencingthelearner'spersonaldevelopment,forexamplehisorherconfidenceandambition.Itcantakeplaceanytimeduringanindividual'scareer.Coachingisintendedtoassistindividualstofunctionmoreeffectively,anditisapowerfullearningmodel.Itbeginswhereskills-basedtrainingends,andhelpsindividualstouseformallylearntknowledgeinday-to-dayworkandmanagementsituations.Individualsbeingcoachedareinademandingsituationwiththeircoach,whichrequiresthemtoconsidertheirownbehaviourandquestiontheirreasonsfordoingthings.
C
Thecoachprofessionallyassiststhecareerdevelopmentofanotherindividual,outsidethenormalmanager/subordinaterelationship.Intheory,thecoachingrelationshipshouldprovideanswerstoeveryproblem,butinpracticeitfallsshortofthis.However,itcanprovideaspacefordiscussionandfeedbackontopicssuchaspeoplemanagementandskills,behaviourpatterns,confidence-buildingandtimemanagement.Throughcoaching,anorganisationcanmeetskillsshortages,discusstargetsandindicatehowemployeesshoulddealwithchallengingsituations,allatshortnotice.
D
Effectivecoachesareusuallythosewhogetsatisfactionfromthesuccessofothersandwhogivetimetothecoachingrole.Givingpeoplecoachingresponsibilitiescansupporttheirdevelopment,eitherbyencouragingmanagementpotentialthroughsmall-scaleone-to-oneassignments,orbyprovidingaddedjobsatisfactiontomanagerswhofeeltheyarestuckintheirpresentjobs.Acoachisalsoaconfidentialadviser,accustomedtodevelopingpositiveandeffectiveapproachestocomplexmanagement,organisationalandchangeproblems.
BUFFETZONE
LucyRobertsonstartedworkingatatakeawayfoodbusinesstosupplementherincomeduringherstudentdaysatEdinburghUniversity,Severalyearslatershehadboughtthebusinessandnow,17yearson,sheownsGrapevineCaterers,probablyScotland'sleadingindependentcaterers,withaturnoverofalmost£6m.
Shehadneverplannedtoownabusiness,andhadcertainlyneverconsideredacareerincatering.(0).......However,herunplannedcareerbeganin1985,whenshereturnedtoEdinburghanddiscoveredthatthetakeawayshehadworkedinwasupforsale.Onimpulse,sheboughtit,butadmitsthatatthetimesheknewnothingaboutcatering.(8).........Itwasadifficulttime,butessentialintermsofgainingtheexperiencesheneeded.Thelate1980sboomwasgoodforbusiness,withlargenumbersofofficeworkerswantingtakeawayfoodfortheirlunches.(9)........'Atonepointtherewere26foodoutletswithina5-kilometreradius,'Robertsonrecalls.As
theeconomychangedandtheoncepackedofficeblocksstartedtobecomevacant,itbecameclearthatRobertsonwouldneedtodiversify.(10)........Itchangedthedirectionofthecompanyforgood.
AsRobertsonbegantowincateringcontracts,shedecidedthatthecompanywouldhavetomovetolargerpremises.In1994,themovewasmadewhensheboughtanothercateringbusinessthatalreadyhadanumberofprofitablecontractsforboardroomlunches.
Meanwhile,Robertson'smaincompetitor,theoldestcateringcompanyinEdinburgh,wascausinghersomeanxiety.'Customerloyaltyisnottobeunderestimated,'shewarns.ButRobertsonisnotsomeonewhoiseasilyputoff.(11)........Partlyasaresultofthis,turnoverdoubled,andhavingoutgrownanothersite,Robertsonboughtacity-centrelocationforthegroup'sheadquarters.
Bynow,Grapevine'smaincompetitorwasanewcateringcompanycalledTowngates.AlthoughRobertsontriedtoraiseenoughmoneytobuyTowngates,shedidnotsucceed.ThenluckintervenedandTowngateswentbankrupt.(12)........Manyacceptedandthecompany'sturnoverwentfrom£700,000to£l.5millionalmostovernight.
However,thecompany'sgrowthwasnotassmoothasitsoundsinretrospect.Robertsonadmits,'Wewereclosetotheedgeduringthegrowthperiod.Likemanyunder-capitalisedcompaniestryingtogrow,itmighteasilyhavecollapsed.'Butthat,shefeels,isthechallengeofdevelopingyourownbusiness.
AButthereareplentyofsimilarcontractstobewonintheeastofScotlandbeforeRobertsonturnsherattentionelsewhere.
BHerwayroundthisparticularproblemwastorecruitthecateringmanageroftherivalcompany.
CButthisdemandwasshort-lived,andbeforelong,increasingcompetitionmadeithardertomakeaprofit.
D'Itwasadramaticlearningcurveandverysmallamountsofmoneywereearnedatfirst,’saysRobertson.
EShedecidedthatthesolution,sincemanycompaniesrequiredworkinglunchesformeetingswithclients,wastoprepareanddelivermealstobusinesspremises.
FOnhearingthis,RobertsonimmediatelycontactedalloftheirclientsandofferedtheservicesofGrapevineCaterers.
GInstead,shestudiedaccountancyafterleavinguniversity,andasteadyifunspectacularprofessionalpathseemedset.
HOWTOMARKETYOURSELF
Wemanageourowncareersnow.Soknowinghowtobrandandpositionyourselfinthemarketas'Meplc'atdifferentstagesofyourworkinglifeisbecominganincreasinglyvitalskill.AtleastthatiswhatimageexpertMarySpillanebelieves.'Employmentasweknowitisdecreasing.Jobsdon'texist,workexists.Inthenextdecademostofuswillbesuppliers,notstaff.Wewillhaveclientsnotbosses.Ifyouareunder30,youprobablyknowthatthereisonlyonefirmtojoinforlife:
Meplc.Itpromotesyouandyourpotentialtoothers.'
'We'reworkinginmulti-national,multicultural,multi-corporateteamsandit'simportanttounderstandtheimplicationsofthis.Weneedtocreateapersonalbrandthatisunique,butcomplementsthebrandofthecorporationweareworkingfor.Youhavetofindawaytodoitsothatyouarenotjustatypicalemployee,'advisesSpillane.'Youhavetodecidewhatcentralvaluesyouwanttoproject,andalsowhatmayneedtoalterfromsituationtosituation.'
ManypeopleonlyrememberMarySpillanefortheyearsshespentrunningacosmeticscompany,butsheactuallyhasmastersdegreesininformationscienceandpolitics.Sheusedtohidethathard-hittingside,butisnoweagertoshowitandforgetaboutcosmetics.'NowthatI'mworkingintheboardroomsofmajorplcsandglobalcompanies,I'mplayingupmydegreesandmanagementbackgroundsothattheimagesideisseenonlyasanadditiontothevalueside,'saysSpillane.
Somecontractstakelongerthanothers.'TheCitylawfirmsI'mcurrentlyworkingforarereallydifficultbecausetheydon'thaveanyideaofwhattheirbrandshouldbe,andarestillverytraditionalevenwhentalkingaboutbecomingmodern.I'mshowingthemhowtodoeverythingfromchangingtheirreceptionareas-whichtendtobeveryoff-puttingwiththeirhigh-frontedreceptiondesks-tohowtomakesmalltalkthatislessformalandrigid.Companiesrebrandthemselvesallthetime,spendingmillionsonnewofficeinteriorsandsoon.Butwithoutanunderlyingchangeofattitudes,itcanproveanemptyexercise.'
Shearguesthatforindividualstoo,theremustbemorethanasurfacechange,asrebrandinggoesdeeperthanamerechangeofwardrobe.Beyondadviceonappearance,shetellsclients,'Remindyourselfofwhatyouareselling:
thepersonalvaluesthatcompriseyourbrand.Learntopresentyourselfinawaythatwillprojectwhatyouwanttodeliver.Lifelonglearningisessential,togetherwiththesortofdiscoveryandadventurethatpromotepersonalgrowth.Alwayshaveanup-to-the-minuteCVreadytoprintout,refreshingiteveryfewmonthswithyourmostrecentachievements,justtoremindothersofyourbrandvalue.'
Shebelievesitisessentialthatyouunderstandbothyourpublicselfandyourprivateself,aswellasyourblindspotsandyourpotential,inordertocreateaneffectivebrand.Thepublicselfistheimageyouprojecttotheworld,theprivateselfiswhatyouknowaboutyourselfbutothersdon't,aridblindspotsarethosethingsthatothersseeaboutyoubutyoucan'tseeforyourself.Bydecidingwhatimageyouwantotherpeopletosee,emphasisingmoreofyourprivateselfandsortingoutafewblindspots,youwillincreasenotonlyyourpotentialtoinfluenceothers,butalsoyourself-esteemandself-confidence.'
13Inthefirstparagraph,MarySpillanesayspeopleshouldlearnhowtomarketthemselvesbecause
Aitencouragescompaniestogivethemajobforlife.
Binthefutureitwillbeacompanyrequirement.
Cinmanycareersitisbecomingdifficulttosucceed.
Ditwillhelpthemadapttodevelopmentsinthejobmarket.
14Spillane