Reading and Summary Practice

ФЕДЕРАЛЬНОЕ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОЕ БЮДЖЕТНОЕ
ОБРАЗОВАТЕЛЬНОЕ УЧРЕЖДЕНИЕ
ВЫСШЕГО ПРОФЕССИОНАЛЬНОГО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ
«ПЕНЗЕНСКИЙ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ»
READING AND SUMMARY

PRACTICE
Учебное пособие
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Пенза, 2013
CONTENTS
Введение ………………………………………………………………………………… 3
PART 1. READING PRACTICE ………………………………………………………. 4
UNIT 1. Jobs …………….……………………………………………………………….. 4
My Job Responsibilities …………………………………………………………………. 4
Business Networking ……………………………………………………………………. 5
Networking ………………………………………………………………………………. 6
Welcome to Viva Business Networking …………………………………………………… 7
How to Build a Business Network ……………………………………………………….. 8
UNIT 2. Projects ………………………………………………………………………….. 11
Managing a Project ………………………………………………………………………… 11
8 Rules of Highly Successful Project Management ………………………………………. 14
Volunteerism in the USA …………………………………………………………………. 15
My Participation in a Volunteer Programme …………………………………………….. 16
Volunteerism as a Core Competency……………………………………………………… 18
UNIT 3. Work-Life Balance ……………………………………………………………. 20
Working from Home: How to Maintain Work-Life Balance ……………………………. 20
America Can Learn from Europe on Work-Life Balance ………………………………… 21
Don’t Let Your Business Run over Your Personal Life …………………………………. 22
7 Tips to Avoid Boiling Point ……………………………………………………………. 24
Creating Work-Life Balance ……………………………………………………………… 26
UNIT 4. Services and Systems We Use …………………………………………………. 29
Can Public Transport Be Made Free of Charge? …………………………………………... 29
Service ……………………………………………………………………………………. 30
Services Your Mobile Phone Provides ……………………………………………………. 32
Where to Get the World’s Best Service? ………………………………………………….. 33
The Commuting Problem …………………………………………………………………. 35
UNIT 5. Customer Service ……………………………………………………………… 37
Amazon Wins New Friends ………………………………………………………………. 37
Dealing with Customers over the Phone …………………………………………………. 38
Tips for Better Customer Service ………………………………………………………… 39
To Use or Not to Use? ……………………………………………………………………. 41
How to Provide Excellent Customer Service That Outshines Your Competitors ……….. 43
UNIT 6. Travelling for Business ………………………………………………………… 45
Travelling for Business …………………………………………………………………… 45
Business Travel …………………………………………………………………………… 47
Cross-Cultural Misunderstandings ………………………………………………………. 48
When "Yes" Means "No" or "Maybe" …………………………………………………… 49
Pearls of Wisdom from a Frequent Business Traveller ………………………………….. 51
UNIT 7. Working Together ……………………………………………………………… 53
How to Organize Successful Project Teams ……………………………………………… 53
Examples of Issues and Dilemmas in the Workplace …………………………………….. 54
Team Work and Team Building Essentials ………………………………………………. 56
Team-Building with a Purpose …………………………………………………………… 58
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Importance of Teamwork in Organizations ………………………………………………. 62
UNIT 8. Decisions ………………………………………………………………………… 64
Decision Making Process …………………………………………………………………. 64
Decision Making Models in Business Management ……………………………………… 68
Richard Branson on His Most Important Managerial Decisions …………………………. 69
Trusting Your Gut Instincts ………………………………………………………………. 72
Decision-Making in Business …………………………………………………………….. 74
UNIT 9. Innovations ……………………………………………………………………… 75
When Innovation Fails ……………………………………………………………………. 75
How to Inspire Innovation in Your Own Company? ............................................................ 77
Innovation Management ........................................................................................................ 80
Building and Sustaining Innovation ……………………………………………………… 82
Innovation ………………………………………………………………………………… 84
PART 2. SUMMARY PRACTICE ……………………………………………………… 86

Theory Guide ……………………………………………………………………………… 86
UNIT 1. Jobs ……………………………………………………………………………… 93
My Future Profession …………………………………………………………………….. 93
An Accountant ……………………………………………………………………………. 93
How to Find Your Dream Career? ……………………………………………………….. 94
Business Networking ……………………………………………………………………… 95
Building Relationships in the Business World …………………………………………… 96
UNIT 2. Projects …………………………………………………………………………. 96
How to Lead a Project ……………………………………………………………………. 96
The Definition and Benefits of Volunteerism ……………………………………………. 97
The Sustainable Dance Club ……………………………………………………………… 98
Charity Project ……………………………………………………………………………. 99
USAF Museum Gets a Developer ………………………………………………………… 99
UNIT 3. Work-Life Balance …………………………………………………………….. 100
Work Out at Work ................................................................................................................. 100
How to Stay Fit at Your Desk ............................................................................................... 101
Five Alternative Ways to Beat Jet Lag .................................................................................. 102
From Free Trips To In-House Gyms ……………………………………………………… 103
Ways to Cope with Stress ………………………………………………………………… 104
UNIT 4. Services and Systems We Use ………………………………………………….. 105
Customer Feedback Systems ……………………………………………………………… 105
Is Your Data Safer on Your Phone? ……………………………………………………… 105
The Igym? ………………………………………………………………………………… 106
The Commuting Problem …………………………………………………………………. 107
Comparing Prices …………………………………………………………………………. 108
UNIT 5. Customer Service ………………………………………………………………. 108
Customer Feedback ……………………………………………………………………….. 108
Customer Feedback Techniques ………………………………………………………….. 110
7 Rules for Good Customer Service ………………………………………………………. 111
10 Customer Service Tips ………………………………………………………………… 112
The 5 Types of Customers ………………………………………………………………… 113
UNIT 6. Travelling For Business ……………………………………………………….. 114
Cultural Awareness When You Travel …………………………………………………… 114
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Learn While You Travel ………………………………………………………………….. 115
How to Avoid Last-Minute Travel Disasters ……………………………………………… 116
How to Make Business Travel Manageable? ……………………………………………… 117
Top Tips to Reduce Your Fear of Flying .............................................................................. 117
UNIT 7. Working Together ……………………………………………………………… 118
Working in Teams ………………………………………………………………………… 118
Build Your Management Team …………………………………………………………… 119
5 Key Traits of Great Leaders ……………………………………………………………... 120
It’s Not About the Money! ……………………………………………………………….. 121
Working Together ………………………………………………………………………… 122
UNIT 8. Decisions ………………………………………………………………………… 123
Five Tips for Making Better Decisions …………………………………………………… 123
Organizing Team Decision-Making ……………………………………………………… 124
Trusting Your Intuition ………………………………………………………………….. 124
Are You a Good Decision Maker? ………………………………………………………… 125
Decisions, Decisions ……………………………………………………………………… 126
UNIT 9. Innovations ……………………………………………………………………… 127
Know Your Return on Innovation ……………………………………………………….. 127
Innovators Keep On Trying and Don’t Stop at the First Idea …………………………….. 128
Green Innovations Revolutionize Construction …………………………………………. 129
New Innovators Can Learn Plenty from the Artist Community …………………………. 130
The Innovation Process …………………………………………………………………… 131
BIBLIOGRAPHY ………………………………………………………………………… 133
REFERENCES …………………………………………………………………………… 133
CONTENTS ………………………………………………………………………………. 137
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ВВЕДЕНИЕ
Учебное пособие предназначено для студентов 2-3 курсов факультета
экономики и управления Пензенского государственного университета в
качестве материала для самостоятельной работы, являясь приложением к
базовому учебнику John Hughes, Jon Naunton “Business Result” (Intermediate).
Цель пособия – совершенствование академических навыков чтения и
аннотирования на базе англоязычных текстов профессионально
ориентированного характера. Тексты учебного пособия заимствованы из
оригинальных источников США и Великобритании и обладают высоким
уровнем информативности по темам: «Работа», «Проектная деятельность»,
«Работа и свободное время», «Услуги и системы, которыми мы пользуемся»,
«Обслуживание клиентов», «Деловые поездки», «Работа в команде», «Процесс
принятия решений» и «Инновации».
Учебное пособие состоит из двух частей. Первая часть направлена на
совершенствование навыков всех видов чтения. Предлагаемая система
упражнений нацелена не только на овладение лексико-грамматическим
материалом учебника, но и расширение словарного запаса студентов по
изучаемым темам, а также на закрепление и активизацию лексических единиц и
грамматических форм.
Вторая часть учебного пособия направлена на формирование и
совершенствование навыков аннотирования. Она состоит из теоретической
части и материала для практического применения полученных знаний.
Приведенные в пособии языковые фразы-клише рассчитаны на то, чтобы
помочь студентам ориентироваться в структуре и содержании аннотаций.
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Тексты пособия и задания к ним также ориентированы на развитие
критического мышления и формирование навыков самостоятельной работы с
информацией. Предложенный материал представляет интерес как с точки
зрения усвоения английского языка, так и получения профессиональных знаний
и навыков. Тексты пособия знакомят студентов с социальными, экономическими
и культурными аспектами жизни англоязычных стран, что способствует
формированию социокультурной компетенции.
Пособие может являться самостоятельным учебным пособием для
бакалавров и магистров экономики, совершенствующих академические навыки
чтения и аннотирования на материале аутентичной литературы по
специальности.
PART 1. READING PRACTICE
UNIT 1. JOBS
MY JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
Sara: I work for a supermarket chain. My job involves buying prepared salads and
vegetables from local and national suppliers. I also take part in different logistics projects. For
example, at the moment we are working with an external consultant. He is looking at ways to get
our salads and vegetables to the supermarket shelves more quickly.
Heidi: I’m self-employed. Basically, I deal with problems of relations between staff. At the
moment, for example, I’m doing a study on virtual teamwork for one of my industrial customers.
They work with many people all over the world, and their managers want to communicate better
with their colleagues abroad. I work a lot with training organisations which provide the courses my
customers need.
Benjamin: I work for the police, but I’m not a policeman. A lot of my work consists of
answering questions from journalists when the police are in the news. I’m also involved in a new
project to attract new people to the police force. For this, I’m working with senior police officers
and with outside employment agencies.
George: I work in the Technical Support Department. Basically, my job consists of
answering calls from customers who are having problems with their software. But it also involves
working with sales reps from time to time. We visit new customers together. We aren’t involved in
developing new programs. But when programmers are preparing new versions of old products, we
take part in the discussions. We speak to customers every day, so we know the technical issues very
well. We usually deal with installation issues, password problems, bugs, things like that.
1. Read what the four people say about their jobs. Who is …
a) an IT consultant;
b) a psychologist;
c) a public relations specialist;
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d) a retail buyer?
2. Find synonyms for the words below.

a) to cooperate with f) companies
b) to handle g) occasionally
c) personnel h) to participate
d) clients i) problems
e) to involve
3. Are the following statements true (T) or false (F)? Correct the false ones.
a) Sara works on problems of communication.
b) Benjamin deals with products.
c) Heidi works with companies, but not for a company.
d) George and Benjamin work with people outside the company.
BUSINESS NETWORKING
Networking is defined as two-way relationship-building process – promoting what you have
to offer, and seeking opportunities through what others have to offer us. In an increasingly fast-
moving and competitive global environment, we all need to communicate clearly and create
opportunities to develop a network of contacts. Information is available from all corners of the
world, but in business nothing can replace the value of building personal relationships. This process
often takes time, particularly in some cultures. But when it is done well, networking can deliver a
real competitive advantage.
BNI is a business referral network, which works as a word-of-mouth promotion tool. When
companies join BNI, their representatives attend a local or regional group which holds regular
breakfast meetings. At the meetings, members are required to give a ’60-second speech’ – telling the
other participants what type of business they are in, what type of connections they are looking for
and any other information that is helpful for generating more business. The business agenda is
standardized throughout the world. There is time for members to present their company, hear about
success stories within the BNI network, and pass on their contact details. The benefits of this type of
‘cross-promotion’ are clear. Business people who attend the meeting can refer their business
associates to someone they meet at the meetings. Or two members may forge a business relationship
– a supplier or a synergy.
For instance, a printer joined BNI and got to know a real estate company. This company was
dissatisfied with its current printer and decided to switch to the printer it met through the BNI group.
As a result, $100,000-worth of business was handed over to him.
1. Read the text about business networking. Which of the following does it discuss?
A. An example of successful networking. E. Positive points of networking.
B. What is networking? F. Disadvantages of networking.
C. A new networking project. G. A typical networking event.
D. History of networking.
2. Put the topics you have chosen in 1 in the order they are discussed in the text.
3. Find synonyms for the words and phrases below.

a) to look for d) a group of people
b) chances e) benefit
c) worldwide f) to visit
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g) attendees i) to develop
h) to organize j) to become a member of an organization
4. Answer the questions.

1) What is the purpose of networking?
2) What do participants do in a networking event?
3) How can companies benefit from networking?
NETWORKING
Networking is developing and maintaining contacts and personal connections with a variety
of people who might be helpful to you, your company and your career. Business networking is the
process of making new contacts and building relationships with these people, within a business
context. It is important for individuals and companies who want to succeed in the world of
international business.
Networking is worthwhile for different reasons. 70% of all new business is gained through
positive recommendation. As you develop your contacts and build positive relationships with
people, you will naturally gain business as people recommend your services. They will want to help
you, share their expertise and buy from you if they have a need for your products or services.
Even if they don’t have a need for what you are selling, they will put you in touch with
others who do or others who can help you in other ways. Perhaps you are looking for a new job,
potential clients, support or suppliers, or have some problems that need to be solved. Getting to
know a network of people who might be able to help you and building relationships with them is the
one of the most effective ways of achieving each of these aims.
By making new contacts you’ll soon develop a network of like-minded people you’ll want to
spend time with, share ideas with and learn from.
Networking is important not only for generating business. In today’s more complex and
interrelated organizations, networking is also an essential management skill. Personal relationships
are a source of information and power. Contacts outside your organization and industry give you an
external perspective that enables innovation. A wide range of relationships inside your organization
provides you with opportunities to build support and develop your ideas.
Business networking can be conducted in a local business community, or via the Internet.
Nowadays there are many events that facilitate the business networking process. They range from
the more formal private business networking clubs and open business networking events, online
home networking forums to informal networking on the golf course and in the bar.
But networking isn’t just about meetings where brief introductions are made. It is about getting
to know those people, understanding their needs and looking for opportunities to help them so over a
period of time you can both benefit from the relationship.
1. Read the text. Which of the following topics does it discuss?

a) Companies specializing in networking.
b) Importance of networking.
c) Disadvantages of networking.
d) History of networking.
e) Where to make new contacts?
f) What are networking and business networking?
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2. Put the topics in 1 in the order they are discussed in the text.
3. Find words from the text for each definition below.

a) to make something continue at the same level (paragraph 1);
b) knowledge or skills in a particular activity or job (paragraph 2);
c) people or companies that provide you with goods (paragraph 3);
d) having the same ideas and interests (paragraph 4);
e) important, necessary (paragraph 5);
f) to make something easier (paragraph 6);
g) to include different things (paragraph 6);
h) to do or receive good; profit (paragraph 7).
1) Networking is carried out for different reasons whether it is to find a partner, meet like-
minded people, find answers to your questions, get yourself a new job or build your business
contacts.
2) Networking is worthwhile only for generating business.
3) Networking takes all sorts of different forms from formal business networking groups to
informal meetings.
4) Networking is just participating in an organized networking event.
WELCOME TO VIVA BUSINESS NETWORKING

Viva Business Networking is not just another networking group. Now in our third year we
have established a strong network of companies, created an ethos of support and spirit of generosity.
We are a mixed networking company with no professional lock-out. We form strategic alliances,
understand your competitors’ products and services or simply share industry news. High on our list
of priorities is providing a networking service for business owners.
We also believe that a key element of a successful business is building links within their
local community. We help facilitate this through our connections with schools, encouraging new
enterprises and our work to promote charities.
We are all passionate about networking and we understand the real value of it. We are
enthusiastic and really enjoy uniting business owners and managers in a friendly and productive
environment.
We meet the real needs of business owners who wish to develop their business contacts and
their business. Our company offers business networking training on a range of business topics such
as Social Media, PR and Marketing. We offer support in your business development through the
networking events you attend. This is ongoing and doesn't end after a networking event, it is a
continual cycle of helping you to get the most from networking events.
Here are our top 5 reasons to work with Viva:
1. ___________ - you decide where, when and how often you network.
2. ___________ - we provide link-up information to all members from all events regardless of
whether they attend the event or not.
3. ___________ - we will help you find the right contacts for your business and to realise your
networking strategy.
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4. ___________- learn from a wide range of business professionals who are booked to speak at
each event.
5. ____________ - in addition to your 60 second 'elevator pitch' why not show your expertise
at your local group by volunteering to be the expert speaker?
1. Read the text and match the reasons (A-E) to their explanations (1-5).
A. Business support and mentoring
B. Choice and flexibility
C. Expert speakers
D. Share your knowledge
E. More connections and contacts
2. Match the words from the text to their definitions.

1) ethos a) a group of people, organizations, or countries who have united to
2) alliance work together to achieve something;
3) charity b) an organization to which you give money so that it can give
4) environment money and help to people who are poor or ill;
c) the place in which people live and work;
d) attitudes and beliefs that are typical of an organization or a group
of people.
3. Find synonyms for the words below.

a) to create e) companies
b) to think f) to meet
c) connections g) to want
d) to make easier h) to visit

1) When did the company start?
2) What is one of the most important factors of its success?
3) How can your company benefit from working with Viva?
HOW TO BUILD A BUSINESS NETWORK?

Salespeople can and do succeed without ever building a network, but these salespeople are
probably working ten times harder to generate sales than their colleagues who do practice good
networking. A solid business network will bring you leads... help you set up meetings with otherwise
unreachable people... and even give you a few shoulders to cry on when things aren't going well.
1) _________. You are making a mutually beneficial connection with someone, for business
reasons. Sounds a lot like selling, doesn't it? A lot of the skills you need to build and maintain a
network are the same skills you already use to sell your product or service. So in addition to
networking's other benefits, it's a great opportunity to polish your sales skills.
The first step is getting in touch with the right people. Your nearest chamber of commerce is
a great place to start – these organizations are designed to promote networking between local
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businesses. 2) ________. Such professionals can help out not only with leads, but with job
opportunities and sales training as well.
Industry conventions are a perfect place to meet and greet potential contacts. Every attendee
who isn't a salesperson from a rival company is a potential customer. Even the other salespeople can
be helpful contacts, as many will be from companies whose products complement yours, rather than
directly competing with you.
3)____________. LinkedIn is a business-centric networking site that's designed to make it
easy for you to get in touch with potential resources. It also hosts training materials and mentoring
groups. Other well-known social networking sites, like Facebook and Twitter, are also ideal places
to look for new connections.
4) ___________. You can volunteer for non-profit organizations, churches, mentoring
programs, community outreach programs, industry-related groups, and dozens of other local and
national organizations. Volunteer positions usually require a significant time commitment, but they
will also allow you to meet people you might otherwise not be able to reach and provide an easy
way to build rapport with those people.
Whatever means you use to expand your network, you'll need to keep everyone's information
organized. It does you no good to make five contacts in the insurance industry if you can't remember
their names or phone numbers. 5) __________. Many scanners can automatically export their data
into the CRM of your choice. But if you don't want to invest in specialized hardware, a basic
spreadsheet – or even that old standby, the Rolodex – can work just fine. The trick is to pick a
system that suits you and update it regularly as you collect contact information.
It's tempting to try to sell your products to your networking contacts, especially when you're
falling short of your goal for the month, but resist the urge. Making a sales pitch to a contact
changes your status from 'business connection' to 'annoying salesperson.' 6) __________.
Once you've built a basis for your network, you can't just stop and rest on your laurels. Your
contacts require the same kind of attention and give-and-take that you would provide in any
relationship. If you only call your contacts when you need a favor, you'll soon find yourself
relegated to voice mail with no hope of a call back.
On the other hand, people like to do favors for other people, as long as they don't feel that
you're taking advantage of them. If you observe the basic social courtesies – call or email regularly
just to catch up, help your contacts out when they need it, and thank them promptly when they help
you – you'll find that most of your contacts will be eager to help you.
1. Read the text and choose the best sentence to fill each of the gaps. For each gap 1-6, mark
one letter (A-F).
A. It's fine to let your networkers know what you do and perhaps tell them a bit about your
products and services, but always err on the side of caution.
B. The Internet offers tremendous opportunities to set up networks.
C. Volunteering is a wonderful way to meet people and also do some good.
D. There are also a number of sales organizations that will help you connect with other sales
professionals.
E. Networking is, at its core, relationship-building.
F. A business card scanner can help; you can scan a new contact's card and keep the
information in digital format.

a) possible acquaintances
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b) a competitor
c) to bring up to date
d) to seek mutual understanding
e) to set up a business network
f) to contact with (2 words)
3. Find words and phrases from the text for each definition below.
a) to achieve something that you have been trying to do;
b) an advantage that something gives you;
c) to unfairly get what you want from someone who is easily persuaded to help you, trust you,
or do things for you;
d) very great or extremely good;
e) a person, company or thing that competes with another in sports, business, etc.
4. Match words 1-6 with words a-f to form word partnerships from the text.
1) to update a) harder
2) to work b) out
3) to help c) fine
4) to thank d) promptly
5) to work e) easy
6) to make f) regularly
5. Explain the meaning of the following words from the text.

a) to practice good networking;
b) unreachable people;
c) to give you a few shoulders to cry on;
d) to rest on your laurels;
e) right people;
f) to require a kind of give-and-take.
6. Choose the sentence which best summarises the main idea of the text.
A. Ways of building a business network.
B. The idea of networking.
C. The opportunities of the Internet.
D. Organization of contact information.
E. How to keep your network?
F. Benefits of networking.

1) What is common between selling a product and networking?
2) Volunteering isn’t a wonderful way for socializing, is it?
3) What are the ways of building network? Which one do you find the most efficient?
4) How to organize contacts’ information?
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5) How to avoid becoming an «annoying salesperson»?
6) What is the key to successful networking?
UNIT 2. PROJECTS
MANAGING A PROJECT
We all manage projects of varying sizes in both our working lives and home life. Large or
small, the principles of excellent project management are the same.
Set out what you want to achieve at the end.
 What are the outcomes of this project?
 How long do you have, and how long do you need, to complete the project?
 1) _____. This should be the total cost of all the resources you need to complete the project.
Progress against these dimensions should be monitored closely throughout the duration of
the project to ensure it stays on track and is a success. 2) _________ corrective action that’s timely
and effective so your project remains on course.
Plan with your team. Detailed, team-involved planning is the single most important thing
that project managers do.
 3) ____________ – enough to make it meaningful and usable, but not so much that it
becomes unnecessarily complicated
 Be easily understood by absolutely everyone who needs to use it
 Be easy to update, change and revise – you may need to do this regularly
 Be easy to use as a way of monitoring project progress and as a means of communicating the
project to key audiences, team members and stakeholders
 List all the activities needed, the completion and start times of these activities, the resources
needed to complete them, and where the interdependencies are.
Lead. Leading a project team is different to day-to-day management and leadership. You will
be spending a large amount and focus of your day communicating with others – explaining to,
informing, motivating, selling to, persuading or instructing a wide range of people.
4) _________ is involving the project team. Team members should be able to take, or at least
input into, management decisions about the work they are doing. There is no better way to help them
feel in control of their own work.
Use your team. The word ‘team’ gets bandied around a great deal in today’s workplaces, but
it takes hard work and planning to get a proper team together.
A team that allows individuals to sign will do things quicker and better, creating solutions to
problems and finding ways to move your project up a gear. Ensure the people you are working with
have the relevant functional skills, good interpersonal skills and are able to adjust their team role and
function to complement the rest of the team.
I thoroughly recommend blocking out a section of the office for your project team where
they can all work together in an area specifically designated for the project. Also make sure 5)
_______.
Leave them to it. Project-based working can be intense and it’s easy to get over-involved.
Once you have found the right people for your team and they are clear on what they need to do, by
when and what the resources available to them are, 6) ____________. Remember that your role is to
manage and lead, keeping everything on track, and you can’t do this without a bit of distance and
objectivity.
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1. Read the text and choose the best sentence or part-sentence to fill each of the gaps. For each
gap 1-6, mark one letter (A-F).
A. Have a good balance of detail…
B. …you need to give them the freedom and autonomy to get on with it.
C. Efficient, regular monitoring enables…
D. What is your budget?
E. …everyone knows what is expected of them and what they are working towards.
F. Equally important,…

a) result
b) to run a project
c) to follow the progress
d) extremely important
e) to state (2 words)
f) to bring up to date
3. Match words 1-9 with words a-i to form word partnerships from the text.
1) to keep a) the project
2) working b) on course
3) to complete c) decisions
4) to input into d) life
5) to find e) solutions
6) to remain f) towards
7) to adjust g) on track
8) to work h) way
9) to create i) the team role
4. Explain the meaning of the following phrases from the text.

a) to communicate the project to team members
b) to help them feel in control of their work
c) to get over – involved
d) a team leader allows individuals to sign
e) a proper team
f) to have good interpersonal skills
g) right people
5. Mind the difference! Explain the meaning of the following phrases.

1) to complement the team
2) to compliment the team
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6. Put the principles of successful project management (1-5) in the order they are discussed in
the text. Match them to the verbs (a-o).
1) Use a) to complete the project
2) Lead b) need resources
3) Plan c) to monitor progress
4) Set d) to remain on course
5) Leave e) to lead a project
f) to plan
g) to motivate
h) to persuade
i) to instruct
j) to involve the project team
k) to input into decisions
l) to create solutions
m) to give the freedom
n) to revise
o) to keep on track
1) Day-to-day management and leading a project are the same things.
2) A right team is people with the complementary skills.
3) A good team leader encourages team members to compete.
4) For the project to be a success a project leader must keep control every day.
5) It’s a piece of a pie to get a proper team together.
8 RULES OF HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL PROJECT MANAGEMENT

A successful project manager is one who can envision the entire project from start to finish,
and have skills to realise this vision. To keep pace with business and IT, project managers need to
make their management practices more flexible.
1. _______________ . Traditional project management methodologies are proving to be too rigid,
bureaucratic, and time consuming for today's dynamic business environment. Today, you need to
respond rapidly to rising issues and changes. The formal documentation and processes involved in
traditional project management can weigh you down.
2. _______________ . Ideal project managers are leaders, not control freaks. Some project managers
can be overly analytical and invest too much time in perfecting details, when they should really
focus on achieving milestones and the completion of the project.
3. _______________ . Technology is always evolving to meet the changing needs of users. In the
same way, your approach to project management should evolve alongside business and IT processes.
Communicate with your team, client, and business partners, as to how you can make your project
management practices better.
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4. ______________ . It is the single most important activity of project managers. It must be detailed,
organised, and require team participation. And like the real world, plans always change and
reprioritise with situations.
5. ______________ . Because projects are constricted with a deadline, budget, and resources, it is of
utmost importance that the project process is constantly being driven towards completion. Regular
updates, meetings, and follow-ups are essential.
6. ______________ . The project manager and team must have a picture of the finished deliverables
in the minds of everyone involved. This guides everyone in the same direction. Avoid vague
descriptions, be specific, draw diagrams and pictures, and make certain everyone agrees with it.
7. _______________ . It is vital in all aspects of project management. Encourage all members to
voice opinions and concerns. This reduces the risk of mistakes, saving you time and money.
8. ______________ . While project management practices have changed to be more flexible and
open, the foundation remains the same. Project success occurs when it is delivered on time, within
budget, with a level of deliverables that are satisfactory to the client. So, the project manager’s main
role is to keep all team members aware of time, budget, and quality.
1. Read the text and match the headings (A-H) to the paragraphs (1-8).
A. Work with a sense of urgency.
B. Open communication.
C. Keep improving your project management practice.
D. Be able to think quickly, solve problems, and have new ideas.
E. Never lose sight of 3 important factors.
F. Ongoing planning.
G. Visualise and communicate all project activities and results.
H. Do not micromanage.

a) skills e) opinions
b) team f) foundation
c) deadline g) client
d) budget h) role
3. Find words and phrases for each definition below.

a) to develop or progress at the same rate as something else (paragraph 1);
b) not easily changed (paragraph 2);
c) someone who is extremely interested in a particular subject or activity (paragraph 3);
d) an event or achievement that marks an important stage in a process (paragraph 3);
e) something that can be achieved or delivered as the result of a plan or process (paragraph 7);
f) to give someone confidence or hope (paragraph 8);
g) knowing about a situation or a fact (paragraph 9).

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a) quickly e) limited
b) questions, problems f) completely necessary
c) developing g) not clearly explained
d) only one h) to make smaller
5. Are the following statements true (T) or false (F). Correct the false ones.
1) Some years ago project management techniques were the same as those used today.
2) It is not necessary for a project manager to control everything.
3) A successful a project manager never takes into account what other team members think.
4) Communication is the most significant activity of a project manager.
VOLUNTEERISM IN THE USA

There is no shortage of volunteer spirit in America. Over 90 million Americans volunteer
more than 20 billion hours a year. 1) __________. They point out the waste of productivity when a
“$500-a-day accountant is doing $5-an-hour labor.” They say, “Give the money instead and let the
organization hire a bundle of $5 an hour people with it.”
Let me explain the flaw in their reasoning: Every day, every “$500 a day accountant” does
for himself or his family things that could have been done by someone else for $5. Someone else
could have chosen that new car in the garage. Someone else could have done the homework with the
kids. Someone else could have taken the time to visit Mom and Dad last Sunday. Someone else
could have made that chicken dinner your spouse appreciated so much last night. The point is there’s
something about us that can’t be measured in dollars and cents. And that’s what you give when you
volunteer. When people volunteer, that’s when a community becomes a family. 2) ___________.
Nobody loves themselves with their money alone. We love ourselves with ourselves. True
friendship and community is only when we connect from the inside.
As someone who has founded and runs a volunteer organization with more than 360 weekly
volunteers, I see firsthand the benefit of volunteerism – 3) __________. I’ve seen the look on an
elderly woman’s face when a sleek, shiny car pulls up with a friendly young gentleman to help her
to a doctor’s appointment. I’ve seen people, otherwise isolated, brought into the circle of an
extended family. I’ve seen special-needs children bond with a caring teenager, who becomes that big
brother or sister they so badly need. And I’ve seen those volunteers discover the warmth in their
heart they never knew they had. 4) __________. They happened because people gave of themselves,
not just of their wallet. We appreciate whatever donations you make. But there’s something more we
need, as well. Your hands, your feet, your face, your mind, your heart and your soul. Because once
you’ve given us all that, then you and I and all of us become what people are meant to be to each
other: 5) _________.
one letter (A-E).
A. Because people are giving something of themselves that usually only their family gets to see.
B. One big, caring family.
C. Believe it or not, some folks argue this is not a good thing.
D. not only to the person who receives the help but also to the volunteer.
E. These are things no amount of money could buy.
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2. Find words or phrases from the text for the definitions below.
1) lack or deficit (paragraph 1);
2) defect (paragraph 2);
3) wife or husband (paragraph 2);
4) advantage (paragraph 3);
5) the act of giving, especially to a charity (paragraph 3).
1) There are over 90 million volunteers in the world.
2) There is an opinion that it is better to hire many people and to pay $5 each than to pay $500
to an accountant.
3) For a volunteer all the community is their family.
4) The author of the article is running a volunteer organization.
5) Donations are the most important things for a volunteer organization.
MY PARTICIPATION IN A VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME

It was an amazing experience that has changed what I want to do when I graduate from
university. It was so rewarding giving my time and seeing the differences that were being made. The
work that the staff is doing is amazing, and it shows that they enjoy the work that they do. I
particularly enjoyed working with Fikiri and Kahindi. 1) __________ . They not only took the time
to talk to you about the turtles and let you get involved but they also took the time to talk about life
in Kenya.
From the 1st day I was involved with all of the tasks. We looked after the sick turtles in the
rehabilitation centre, fed them, applied medication and went out on rescues in Watamu. 2) _______ .
Hatching nests, nest relocation, beach surveys and even doing a dissection of a turtle that
unfortunately passed away were our responsibilities.
I experienced things that are once in a lifetime everyday which was truly extraordinary. I
hope to return again next year to see how all of the turtles are doing although a lot of them have
been released back into the wild now already. It feels great to have had a part in their recovery.
My favourite part was seeing the nests hatch and the young hatchlings running down the
beach. We had to build runways to aid them to get into the sea. 3) _________ . It was amazing when
there were still some hatchlings in the nest as they would have died without us helping them out.
I met some truly amazing people that I will keep in touch with. The other volunteers were all
hard working and came from a variety of backgrounds so it was a good experience to meet them too.
The accommodation was by far the best volunteer accommodation I have ever seen as well. 4)
_________ . Each day they prepared lunch for all of us and the entire staff sat and ate local foods.
An amazing experience that I would recommend to anyone looking for something life changing.
one letter (A-D).
A. Four days after the hatch we returned and excavated the nests.
B. We educated children and adults visiting the centre and did night patrols for nesting turtles.
C. The two cooks were lovely.
D. Both of them are self taught.
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a) giving you satisfaction, pleasure, or profit (paragraph 1);
b) to take care of someone or something (paragraph 2);
c) saving someone or something from danger, failure, or an unpleasant situation (paragraph 2);
d) to die (paragraph 2);
e) the process of becoming fit and healthy again after an illness or injury (paragraph 3);
f) to help (paragraph 4);
g) a place for someone to stay or live (paragraph 5).
1) The author of the article shares her experience of working in a rehabilitation centre for poor
African people.
2) The volunteers performed varied tasks.
3) She enjoyed watching the baby turtles come out of eggs.
4) The author didn’t like the people she was working with because they came from a variety of
backgrounds.
5) This experience made her change her plans for the future.
VOLUNTEERISM AS A CORE COMPETENCY
When Stanley Litow helped set up IBM’s Corporate Service Corps, a community service
program that doubles as a leadership academy, he never anticipated how popular it would become.
Since its inception five years ago, the Corps has fielded more than 200 teams of about a dozen
volunteers each. 1) _________ modernizing Kenya’s postal service and helping design an online
education program in India. With thousands of employees vying for its 500 spots each year, the
Corps has become a coveted perk: Alumni say it’s bolstered their job performance, skills, and desire
to build careers at IBM, according to an internal survey. “This isn’t just about growing the
business,” says Litow, who leads the company’s citizenship and philanthropic efforts. “It builds on
our expertise.”
IBM’s 430,000 employees spent 3.2 million hours volunteering last year, honing skills while
building goodwill. From P-Tech, a public high school in Brooklyn where students can earn an
associate degree in computer science, to a global grid that pools unused computer processing power
for the benefit of researchers, the company makes sure its philanthropic efforts align with its
business objectives. That’s why IBM takes the top spot in The Civic 50, a new scorecard on
America’s community-minded companies produced by Bloomberg LP in partnership with the
National Conference on Citizenship and Points of Light, two nonprofits promoting volunteerism.
Along with measuring community impact, “we want to see how well companies leverage the time
and talent of their employees,” says Points of Light executive Jackie Norris.
2) _______ are under pressure to rebuild their credibility in the wake of the financial crisis,
and Citigroup, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, and other finance firms have 10 spots on the 50-
company list. Citi and Capital One Financial have both tapped their in-house expertise to promote
financial literacy; money-transfer giant Western Union supports microfinance programs.
Whether it’s FedEx delivering emergency medicine to disaster areas or Aetna tackling the
health ailments of underserved communities, projects have more impact when they draw on a
company’s strengths. 3) ___________ to curb obesity in its hometown of Camden, N.J., Campbell
Soup (CPB) has freed up staff to design school menus and fresh produce displays for local stores. It
also granted a food bank access to its production lines to turn wilting donations into 54,000 jars of
peach salsa that raised $100,000.
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A big donation, while laudable, isn’t the same as a corporate campaign. Facebook (FB)
founder Mark Zuckerberg got plenty of kudos for donating $100 million to help fix schools in
Newark, N.J. But Facebook itself doesn’t have a formal initiative to harness employees’ brainpower
to transform education. Contrast that with AT&T (T): It’s invested more than $100 million in
education, and its employees have contributed 270,000 hours to a program that has high schoolers
shadow AT&T workers. More than 1 million students have participated, the company says.
Of course, some balk at the idea that corporations can or should aspire to be good citizens.
Shareholders want the bottom line to come first, and workers might prefer to devote their free time
to causes not tied to an employer’s agenda. 4) __________ are often reluctant to brag about it.
Southwest Airlines (LUV), long known for the civic-mindedness of its staff, had such a hard time
getting employees to tally their volunteer hours that it came up with “Tickets for Time.” Southwest
employees earn free airline tickets for their favorite charities by documenting how much time they
spent volunteering for them. Marilee McInnis, senior manager of community relations at the Dallas-
based carrier, says that within a year of the program’s introduction, the number of recorded hours
notably increased. “It feels awkward to volunteer and then brag about it,” says McInnis. “We had to
turn it into another way of giving back.”
gap 1-4, mark one letter (A-D).
A. Even those who do participate in company programs
B. Wall Street firms…
C. The program’s month-long assignments have included
D. Since it launched a bold push last year…
2. What do these abbreviations from the text mean?

IBM P-Tech LP N.J. CPB FB AT&T (T) LUV
3. Match the words (1-5) to their definitions.

1) competency a) the admiration and respect that goes with a particular
2) a community achievement or position;
3) philanthropic b) the ability to do something well;
4) salsa c) a sauce made from onions, tomatoes and chillies that you put on
5) kudos Spanish or Mexican food;
d) the people who live in the same area, town, etc.;
e) person or institution gives money and help to people who are
poor or in trouble.
4. Explain the meaning of the following phrases.

a) a community service program;
b) community-minded companies;
c) community impact;
d) senior manager of community relations;
e) the civic-mindedness of its staff.
1) IBM’s Corporate Service Corps is not a popular community service program.
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2) IBM’s 3.2 million employees spent 430,000 million hours volunteering last year.
3) Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, has invested more than $100 million in education.
4) Wall Street firms aspire to be good citizens.
UNIT 3. WORK-LIFE BALANCE

WORKING FROM HOME: HOW TO MAINTAIN WORK-LIFE BALANCE
Many people who work from home claim that they have a great work-life balance. However,
failing to separate your work space and living space, among some other things can impact
negatively on both of your business and personal life, even worse than if you are working in an
office away from home.
I am working at home and if you asked me, I wouldn’t trade this perk with anything. I have a
wonderful work-life balance, 1) _________, and a couple of hours more later on anytime I want –
this is achieved via outsourcing, automation and setting up boundaries.
Outsourcing and automation allow you to leverage your time, reducing your work hours
while increasing your income.
Like many experts suggest, when you decide to run your business or work remotely from
your home, you need to set a strict set of boundaries. Of course, working in your pajamas is great, 2)
____________, and hanging around with your spouse and kids is fantastic. But mixing your work
and personal life means disaster. Working at home without set boundaries will reduce your
productivity and lower your quality of life. When you work away from home, 3) __________, and
then you go home to have time with your family (if you don’t bring your work home). When you
work from home without proper setup, you will be distracted on regular basis, especially when you
have kids. You need to set boundaries. Boundaries are good because, given they are set right, they
promote a great work-life-balance.
Set your own office hours. Despite working at home allows you to work anytime you want,
4) __________. You need to set a particular time in a day during which you can’t be disturbed,
unless if there was an emergency.
Don’t mix your office space with living space. Working in a living room, kitchen or bedroom
is fantastic at first, but you will eventually realize that distractions start coming your way – simply
because it’s only natural. Seeing you around the living space always attract your kids and spouse to
converse with you. This is nice when you don’t have time-pressing projects, 5) __________.
Working at home is almost impossible to have a great family relationship and stay productive.
1. Read the text and choose the best phrase to fill each of the gaps. For each gap 1-5, mark
one letter (A-E).
A. working whenever you want is wonderful;
B. but not so nice when you have important projects on progress;
C. I now work 2-3 hours a day;
D. with a family this is a real challenge;
E. you focus on your work.
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a) benefit; d) a husband or wife;
b) money you earn from work; e) to talk to somebody;
c) to manage; f) to take assignments home.
3. Find opposites to the words and phrases below.
a) to work in an office; d) to break;
b) to succeed in something; e) to increase.
c) to have a good effect on something;
1) The writer enjoys working from home.
2) It is difficult not to mix your work space and living space.
3) Some rules can help you improve your work-life balance.
4) When you work from home your productivity is higher because you can see your family.
5) Dealing with challenging projects is much easier when you work from home.
AMERICA CAN LEARN FROM EUROPE ON WORK-LIFE BALANCE

Americans have a lot to offer the world in terms of business innovation and technological
advances, but they have a great deal to learn from Europeans about getting better balance between
work and life.
The U.S. has some of the longest working hours in the developed world. On top of that,
Americans also have some of the shortest paid vacation leave. And although many European
countries have seen increases in their working hours -- particularly the UK -- employees are
typically given between four and six weeks' paid vacation time by their employer.
So what drives Americans to work such long hours and take few vacations? One explanation
is that Americans are intrinsically "workaholic." Getting ahead at work is fundamental to their self-
image, and to the image they like to project to their employer, and, indeed, to the outside world --
America is open for business 24/7! And this is not only about individual behavior, but also about
corporate culture.
Another explanation, which is more psychological in orientation, is that American workers
are intrinsically more insecure than their counterparts in other countries. Many European countries
have better employment protection for workers, including legislation about redundancy pay, or sick
leave, or hours of work, or break times at work. Indeed, in the European Union there is the Working
Time Directive that specifies that workers are not allowed to work over an average of 48 hours per
week over a specified number of weeks, together with other specific constraints about breaks and
length of shifts. Most E.U. countries have signed up to this Directive. In the U.S., with less
employment protection and employees more vulnerable to instant job loss if they don't deliver, I
suspect that many workers are frightened of taking up their holiday entitlement, because they fear it
sends the message that "I will not be perceived as fully committed or giving 100%."
In addition, I think many managers, at all levels of an organization, like and reward
workaholic behavior. They like to see employees arriving early and staying late, not taking their
holidays or if they do, contacting the office or doing their e-mails while on holiday. Recent research
shows that consistently working long hours and not taking respite away from work, can have a
damaging effect on health, and can negatively affect family life.
The notion that working long hours and not taking holidays makes for a more productive
workforce is a managerial myth, with no foundation in organizational or psychological science. The
human body is a biological machine, and like all machines can wear out.
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In addition, if employees don't invest personal disposal time in their relationships outside,
with their family, loved ones and friends, they will be undermining the very social support systems
they may need in difficult and stressful times. As at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution John
Ruskin, the British social reformer, said: "In order that people may be happy in their work, these
three things are needed: they must be fit for it, they must not do too much of it, and they must have a
sense of success in it."
1. Read the text and find synonyms for the words below.
a) holiday e) afraid
b) important f) relaxation
c) colleagues g) to impact
d) limits h) personnel
1) People in Europe have a better work-life balance than Americans do.
2) As Americans have the longest working hours, they have the longest holiday.
3) Americans are very hardworking people.
4) The USA has not signed the Working Time Directive.
5) The more employees work, the higher their productivity is.

1) Why are European employees more protected than American workers?
2) Why is it important to keep a good work-life balance according to the text?
DON’T LET YOUR BUSINESS RUN OVER YOUR PERSONAL LIFE

For entrepreneurs, work-life balance is an even more crucial issue than for those who work
for a boss. Entrepreneurs often feel that a 24-hour day is not enough. They are the type of people
who work for 18 hours a day, and even more. I often heard entrepreneurs nag that they don’t have
enough time for their personal life. Yet interestingly, most of them don’t want to trade their life with
any other jobs or professions.
Of course, entrepreneurs have all the fun of being-your-own-boss, but being a boss could
suck your life into your business, if you are not careful. As experts say we should build business
around our life, not the other way around. However, achieving that could be a daunting task for the
rest of us.
Entrepreneurs often experience a struggle in their work-life balance. They love their
business. They love starting up. They love seeing what they have been working hard for so long is
growing nicely, and they love the freedom. Yet, all of those have one side effect on most
entrepreneurs: lacks of time for personal life.
For entrepreneurs, freedom is not always about retirement at the beach. Freedom means they
don’t have to worry about their financial future so that they can do whatever they like in their life.
And deep down inside, all they eventually want is to buy more time for their personal life, in many
forms – pursuing their hobbies, spending time with their family, hanging out with friends, etc.
While that is the end result most of us are dreaming about, the reality is that we are all
struggling to work with some hint of personal endeavours here and there – e.g. travelling and doing
sightseeing while going abroad for a business trip.
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So, how to keep the right work-life balance?
1. Plan your off-work time. Like it or not, you can easily bury yourself in your business life,
hoping that you will have a free time for your personal life. But it won’t happen. You need to
‘budget’ your time in such a way that you have to take your free time for the sake of your personal
life, even if your work in your agenda is not finished yet for the day.
2. Hire or outsource. You work too hard for your business. It’s probably a good time to hire
someone to relief a bit pressure off your back. If you feel hiring someone is cost-intensive and
inefficient to your business operations, try outsourcing. Outsourcing buys you more time either to
refine your business strategies or to enjoy the free time for your personal life.
3. Take a break, turn your communication gadgets and stuffs off. When you are having your
well-deserved break off your business, you should break off on your communication means, too.
Never take business calls while you are on a break or vacation. Taking a business phone call could
ruin your break or vacation in a snap.
4. Use 80/20 rules. Do 80% of your daily workload in your most productive time of the day,
and do the rest of 20% during your mini breaks of the day. Eliminate 20% of the workload that take
80% of your time.
5. Automate your business. You must find a way to strategize your business so that it doesn’t
require you to be around to run well.
Finally, make time for yourself or time won’t allow you to do what you deserve.
1. Read the text about work-life balance and find synonyms for the words and phrases
below.
a) to be employed e) holiday
b) an important question f) to reduce
c) to complain g) to manage
d) to employ
a) someone who uses money to start businesses and make business deals (paragraph 1);
b) making you worried because you think that it will be very difficult or dangerous to do
(paragraph 2);
c) spending time in a particular place (paragraph 4);
d) efforts to do something, especially something new or difficult (paragraph 5);
e) the amount of work that a person or organization has to do (paragraph 9).
1) Entrepreneurs often work long hours.
2) Most entrepreneurs say they have a good work-life balance.
3) According to some specialists our work is the top priority in our life.
4) Businessmen think that being free is spending a lot of time at the seaside.
5) When you are on holiday, avoid communicating with your colleagues and partners.
7 TIPS TO AVOID BOILING POINT
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Stress is all around us - if you have not experienced stress, you have not yet lived. Deadlines, missed
opportunities, changes that we cannot control through Jo frustrating people, demanding customers, new competitors,
supply disruptions and quality problems - it's all in a days' work!
So when you are in the middle of these stressful situations how do you keep yourself calm and avoid reaching
boiling point? The key to managing stress lies in the notion of self-care. Look after yourself first. Develop simple
strategies that are helpful to you and just for you. You are your most important asset and you need to maintain that asset.
Remind yourself of the old saying; "Very few people on their deathbed wished that they had spent more time in the
office!"
All that being said, try using the following 9 tips to help you to avoid boiling point.
1. Set goals around everything
Whenever you find yourself in a difficult situation, ask yourself, «What am I really trying to achieve?» This will
help ensure you don't get side-tracked on issues that actually don't matter. It will keep you focused on what you are
trying to achieve by not getting caught up in solving symptoms, allowing you to identify how an issue impacts on your
goal and therefore, how you should effectively approach the issue.
2. Don't sweat the small stuff.
Remember, whilst you can't control what happens to you, you can control how you think about what happens to
you. This is a small but essential idea - you can be in absolute control of your own thoughts. Everything is either a threat
or an opportunity, depending on your own thinking about the situation. Focus on what is really important.
3. Don't avoid.
Whilst putting something off seems to create a temporary sense of relief, it usually creates bigger problems in
the longer term. Confront issues as they occur.
4. Have a coach or mentor.
Have someone in your life who you can talk to. This might be a professional coach or it might just be a close
friend. The key is someone who is not involved and does not have a stake in the outcome that way, they can be somewhat
objective. Remember that their role is to help you!
5. Build strong relationships.
It's important to have someone in your life that is good for you. Someone who has your best interests at heart -
someone who will care for you. A problem shared is a problem halved.
6. Get some fresh air.
Sounds simple, but it's very effective. If something happens at work that threatens to send you towards boiling
point, take a walk. Get some fresh air. Most of us spend all day taking in everybody else's recycled breathing! Getting
some fresh air not only takes us away from the situation, it helps our brain to think.
1. Match the words from the text (1-7) to their synonyms (a-g).
1. frustrating a.not worried
2. calm b. to delay
3. to matter c.important
4. to impact d. annoying
5. essential e.to be of importance
6. to put off f. problem
7. issue g. to influence
2. Match the words from the text (1-5) to their opposites (a-e).
1. demanding a.wisely
2. effectively b. incorrectly
3. objective c.unfair
4. silly d. be excluded
5. be involved e.satisfied
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3. Match the words and phrases from the text (1-6) to their definitions (a-f).
1) to experience a) an important part or share in a business;
2) deadline b) to get stressed;
3) coach c) to have the same opinion, experience, interests;
4) stake d) to turn aside from a main purpose or direction;
5) to reach boiling point e) to undergo or live through someone who gives special
6) to share instruction;
f) a date or time by which something must be done.
4. Match words 1-9 with words a-i to form word partnerships from the text. Explain their
meanings.
1) to keep a) boiling point
2) to manage b) side – tracked
3) to get c) issues
4) to confront d) brain
5) to have e) problems
6) to reach f) calm
7) to control g) thoughts
8) to feed h) stress
9) to share i) a stake
5. Read the text and name examples of stressful events. What other examples can you think
of?
6. Read the following extracts from the text. What do you think the underlined words and
phrases mean? Work out their meaning from the context.
1) This will help ensure you don’t get side-tracked on issues that actually don’t matter.
a) to deal with only essential problems;
b) to take decisions on special cases.
2) Don’t sweat the small stuff.
a) to manage staff properly;
b) not to worry about unimportant things.
3) Someone who is not involved and does not have a stake in the outcome – they can be objective.
a) to have an important part in a business;
b) to be motivated by profit.
7. Match the sentence beginnings (1-4) with the endings (a-d).

1. To manage stress means …
2. To set reasonable goals is …
3. It’s a very essential idea …
4. It’s important to build strong relationships because …
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a. you should have someone in your life who can share your problems and help you.
b. to deal with issues that actually matter.
c. to be in absolute control of your own thoughts.
d. to develop helpful ways of behavior.
CREATING WORK-LIFE BALANCE

Work-life balance is a long overdue recognition that employees come with families,
responsibilities, interests and personal goals. As the working week has become longer and the
pressures on staff higher, savvy employers are realising that exhausted, stressed workers are not as
productive as those who are supported and given some flexibility in the workplace.
As the population ages, more employees will be looking to scale down their work practices
and achieve a balance to their life. More employees may need flexibility to look after their ageing
parents. The commitment of caring for our ageing population will impact businesses within the
coming decades.
Work-life balance is not just about a long weekend. It's about providing some flexibility as
to how and where work is done so that people can also have lives outside work. A worker's
requirements vary depending on where they are in their life-cycle. The needs of a single person will
vary from those of a new parent, and again from those in their 40s.
There are many creative ways in which employers can respond to the requirements of their
employees. Here's a few ideas:
Working from home. Rather than commuting into an office every day, more employees now
have the opportunity to work from a home office either full-time or casually. Some employers
provide a computer, or pay for phone calls and internet connection.
This appeals to workers with a beach house and those with dependents. For self-motivated
employees, today's technology makes this option more viable. This option works best if agreed
performance indicators are met, such as a specific project or work to be done by a particular
deadline.
This way employers can assess how this option is working. Employers need to have the
technology to communicate effectively with their remote staff. It works best for employees who are
motivated enough to avoid unexpected visitors, the chaos of their children, or an extended lunch
with daytime TV.
Flexible work agreements. While employees are expected to work a certain number of hours,
many companies offer flexibility in when these hours are worked. For example, a parent may work
from 7.30am until 3.00pm. A musician may compress a working week into four long days so his
Fridays are free to travel to performances.
Flexible leave. Rather than taking holidays in traditional week blocks, employees are now
taking leave when they need it. Mysteries, emergencies and situations are a part of life.
Employees may need a day to deal with a domestic crisis, a car problem, or a sick child.
Flexible leave over school holidays or one day at a time makes sense. Some offices provide "doona
days" for workers who are stressed and tired as opposed to being medically sick. Workplaces are
popular where people have the opportunity to "buy" more leave by reducing their salary over the
whole year.
Employers often complain that a work-life balance is not easy to apply. They argue that
extra leave and flexible hours can incur higher costs. It's true that some people do not work well
from home and may take advantage of flexible work practices.
As an employer it's about being open to the possibility of change and willing to be flexible.
You can always try change on a trial basis. As long as you give it an honest go. When detailing
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changes, provide boundaries for all employees so their expectations are the same as the
organisations'. Set goals and strategies to measure the effectiveness of changes.
1. Before you read the text, look at sentence beginnings. Try to complete them with your own
ideas.
1) Work-life balance is …
2) To give some flexibility in the workplace means …
3) Employers should respond to the requirements of their employees because …
2. Match words 1-7 to their synonyms a-g.

1) come with a) duties
2) responsibilities b) worker
3) staff c) take care of
4) employee d) influence
5) look after e) differ
6) impact f) have
7) vary g) definite
8) certain h) personnel
3. Match words 1-5 to their opposites a-f.
1) exhausted a) fixed
2) stressed b) free
3) to respond c) calm
4) dependent d) to ignore
5) flexible e) energetic
4. Match words 1-8 with words a-h to form word partnerships from the text. Explain their
meanings.
1) to work a) requirements
2) self-motivated b) flexibility
3) remote c) best
4) to deal with d) staff
5) to provide e) leave
6) to work f) a domestic crisis
7) to take g) full-time
8) to respond to h) employees
5. Which of the sentences below have a positive meaning and which have a negative meaning?
1) The working week has become longer and the pressures on staff higher.
2) Employers realize that exhausted and stressed workers are not productive.
3) Now more employees work from a home office either full-time or casually.
4) Employers have the technology to communicate with their remote staff.
5) Some employees buy more leave by reducing their salary over the whole year.
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phrases mean. Work out their meaning from the context.
1) As the population ages, more employees will be looking to scale down their work practices
and achieve a balance to their life.
2) A worker’s requirements vary depending on where they are in their life-cycle.
3) For self-motivated employees, today’s technology makes this option more viable.
4) Some offices provide “doona days” for workers who are stressed and tired.
7. Match the sentence beginnings 1-5 with the endings a-e.

1) Caring for our ageing population
2) Providing some flexibility at work means
3) Working from home works best
4) Flexible leave
5) Employees who are supported and given some flexibility
a) freedom in terms of how and where work is done.

b) if agreed performance indicators are met.
c) makes sense because emergencies and situations are a part of life.
d) will impact businesses within the coming decades.
e) are much more productive than those who are stressed and exhausted.
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UNIT 4. SERVICES AND SYSTEMS WE USE
CAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT BE MADE FREE OF CHARGE?
In many countries around the world there is considerable debate about the role of public transport.
One suggestion that is commonly put forward is that it should be made free of charge. My belief is that while
this policy might be difficult to implement in practice, there are at least two strong reasons for considering it.
The one significant problem with making public transport free of charge is financial. Councils and
local governments need sufficient revenue not only to pay bus drivers and other ancillary staff, but also to
maintain the transport infrastructure. There is a real danger that allowing people to travel for free would
deprive transport authorities of much needed funds and lead to a lower standard of service.
This financial difficulty in free public transport is counterbalanced by a potential benefit to the
environment. The fact that so many people use cars nowadays means that our cities-are suffer from rising
levels of pollution from car exhaust emissions. One way to address this problem would be to encourage more
people to use buses and trains by abolishing fares. If more commuters chose Jo travel to work on public
transport, our cities would almost certainly be cleaner places to live in.
Another way in which free public transport could improve our quality of life relates to congestion.
Currently, the trend is for increasing numbers of people to choose to drive to work. This means that in many
cases the rush hour is several hours long and it is sometimes almost impossible to travel across a city. It is
probable that this level of congestion would be reduced by making public transport free.
My conclusion is then that there are more advantages than disadvantages to free public transport, but
this policy may be financially impossible to implement.
Service Survey, that you enclose with every sale or post on your website, or informally, by asking them for
their customer service ideas when they're in your store or office.
Excellent customer service is service that is responsive to customers' needs. Customers are tired of dealing with
retailers that ignore customer service or only pretend to have it, and as always, they're voting with their dollars. Shine
up your customer service to draw customers to your products and services, rather than to your competitors', and
bring them back in droves.
1. Before you read the text, look at sentence beginnings 1-3. Try to complete them with your
own ideas.
1) Among the effects of using cars, we usually … .
2) Free public transport could … .
3) One way to make our cities cleaner places to live is … .
2. Read the text and find the words or phrases for each definition below.
a) making very full of traffic;
b) money collected by a government;
c) to make smaller or less;
d) make more determined or confident;
e) someone who travels a long distance to work every day.
3. Complete each gap with the appropriate form of the word.

1. Free public transport is … impossible to implement. finance
2. Our cities suffer from … from car emissions. serve
3. Making public transport free would lead to lower … . pollute
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4. Are the statements true (T) or false (F)? Correct the false ones.
1. Commuters would benefit greatly from free public transport.
2. In recent years our cities became cleaner places to line in.
3. The problem with making public transport free of charge is mostly social.
5. What do you think the advantages and disadvantages of free public transport are? Think
of the aspects below.
a) service c) environment
b) transport maintenance d) quality of life
SERVICE
In economics, a service is an intangible commodity. More specifically, services are an
intangible equivalent of economic goods.
Services are characterized by:
A. ___________ Services are intangible and insubstantial: they cannot be touched, gripped, handled,
looked at, smelled, tasted or heard. Thus, there is neither potential nor need for transport, storage or
stocking of services. Furthermore, a service cannot be resold or owned by somebody, neither can it
be turned over from the service provider to the service consumer nor returned from the service
consumer to the service provider. Solely, the service delivery can be commissioned to a service
provider who must generate and render the service at the distinct request of an authorized service
consumer.
B.____________. Services are perishable in two regards. The service relevant resources,
processes and systems are assigned for service delivery during a definite period in time. For
example, an empty seat on a plane never can be utilized and charged after departure. When the
service has been completely rendered to the requesting service consumer, this particular service
irreversibly vanishes as it has been consumed by the service consumer. The passenger has been
transported to the destination and cannot be transported again to this location at this point in time.
C.____________. The service provider is indispensable for service delivery as he must
promptly generate and render the service to the requesting service consumer. In many cases the
service delivery is executed automatically but the service provider must preparatorily assign
resources and systems and actively keep up appropriate service delivery readiness and capabilities.
Additionally, the service consumer is inseparable from service delivery because he is involved in it
from requesting it up to consuming the rendered benefits. Examples: The service consumer must sit
in the hair dresser's shop & chair or in the plane & seat; correspondingly, the hair dresser or the pilot
must be in the same shop or plane, respectively, for delivering the service.
D.____________. Services are rendered and consumed during the same period of time. As
soon as the service consumer has requested the service (delivery), the particular service must be
generated from scratch without any delay and friction and the service consumer instantaneously
consumes the rendered benefits for executing his upcoming activity or task.
E.____________. Each service is unique. It is one-time generated, rendered and consumed
and can never be exactly repeated as the point in time, location, circumstances, conditions, current
configurations and/or assigned resources are different for the next delivery, even if the same service
consumer requests the same service. Many services are regarded as heterogeneous or lacking
homogeneity and are typically modified for each service consumer or each new situation. Example:
The taxi service which transports the service consumer from his home to the opera is different from
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the taxi service which transports the same service consumer from the opera to his home – another
point in time, the other direction, maybe another route, probably another taxi driver and cab.
From the service consumer's point of view, these characteristics make it difficult, or even
impossible, to evaluate or compare services prior to experiencing the service delivery.
1. Read the text and match titles 1-5 to paragraphs A-E.

1) Simultaneity 4) Variability
2) Perishability 5) Inseparabilit
3) Intangibility
y
2. Find words or phrases from the text for each definition below.
1) that can’t be touched (paragraph 1);
2) that can’t be used after a certain period of time (paragraph 3);
3) performed, fulfilled (paragraph 4);
4) immediately, at the moment (paragraph 5);
5) changed, tailored (paragraph 6).
1) If a customer is not satisfied with a service he can return it to the service provider.
2) A particular service disappears after it has been consumed.
3) A service provider keeps resources and systems ready for delivery.
4) A service is consumed after it has been rendered.
5) All services are material and reusable.
SERVICES YOUR MOBILE PHONE PROVIDES

In addition to making calls, mobile phones and the internet provide many other ways to stay
in touch, when an immediate response is not necessary.
These days, 1) ________ are relatively cheap and a great way to stay in touch when you're
out and about, via text messaging, also called SMS (Short Message Service). They let you send short
text messages to other mobile phones and even some landline phones with a text message function.
Mobile smartphones like Android and iPhone can be used for real-time text conversations by
connecting to a gateway service over the Internet. These gateway services have various functions
and charges depending on the service provider.
The internet provides lots of great ways to stay in touch with friends and family around the
world. 2) _________ is an excellent way to stay in touch, and there are many free services available
online. It works like sending a conventional letter, but it's done electronically over the internet. The
recipient can then pick up their email the next time they go online. You can use it to send
documents and pictures - great if you've got family overseas. Whilst messages aren't exchanged in
real-time, they are normally instantaneous and you can request a 'receipt' to alert you when a
message has been delivered and/or read.
3) __________ lets you send short messages to friends and family members who are online.
To communicate, it is necessary that participants have their computers turned on and connected to
the internet at the same time. It provides a quick form of communication when other people who are
in your contacts list go online. Many of the free email service providers also include a free IM
service. Once you know someone's address, to send instant messages, you simply type a message in
a dedicated window on your computer screen and hit return or send - the message instantly goes to
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the recipient, who can read it and reply in the same way.
4) _______ are small cameras that connected to your PC. They allow the person you are
communicating with to see you. It can be used with most IM services and need to be used in pairs
for both parties to see video pictures.
5) _________ , online communities and message forums provide an environment to
communicate with groups of people with similar views or hobbies as yourself. There are literally
thousands of social networks available, some of which have been set up by the deaf community.
These social networks act as online diaries and message boards for their members.
Mobile internet, using handsets, laptops, netbooks and Wi-Fi hotspots let you access the
internet, even when you're not at home. You can get access to these services through mobile internet
providers and Wi-Fi service providers.
1. Read the text and choose the best word or phrase to fill each of the gaps. For each gap 1-5,
mark one letter (A-E).
A. email
B. social networks
C. web video cameras
D. instant messaging
E. mobile phones
a) a reaction (paragraph 1);
b) a telephone that is not a cell phone (paragraph 2);
c) an amount of money that you have to pay (paragraph 3);
d) usual or traditional (paragraph 4) ;
e) immediately (paragraph 5).
3. Are the following statements true (T) of false (F)? Correct the false ones.
1) Mobile phones and the Internet are used when an immediate response is necessary.
2) You pay for mobile Internet depending on the service provider.
3) With the Internet it is possible to know if the recipient has read the letter or not.
4) Instant messaging lets you see the person you are writing to.
5) Wi-Fi hotspots provide you access to the Internet when you are at home.
WHERE TO GET THE WORLD’S BEST SERVICE?

The guidebooks tell you never to tip in Japan. But when my partner and I travelled there last
December, and our 90-pound bellhop insisted on carrying our overstuffed suitcases to our room, we
thought a few hundred yen was more than appropriate. She politely refused our money. And over the
course of the next week, so did the hotel clerks who equipped us with umbrellas at the first sign of
drizzle, the concierges who booked us tables at mind-blowing sushi restaurants and 1) ___________
— to commemorate all the delicious food we had just eaten. No tipping meant no tipping, period.
This hard-line stance raised a question: do you get better service in countries where gratuity isn’t
expected, 2) ____________? The answer is a little bit complicated and involves something I call the
Tipping Curve.
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Last month, I polled 400 experienced international travellers about the levels of service they
experienced in 24 countries and how much they tipped when they dined out in each one. In terms of
service, Japan won in a landslide — it scored 4.4 points on average on a 5-point scale — while
Russia came in dead last, with a paltry 1.7 points.
To figure out what constitutes generally accepted tipping practices, I built a “tipping index”
from a combination of the survey responses and the guidance of three travel etiquette Web sites. I
discovered that countries sort themselves into one of three groups: 3) __________, those where
tipping is uncommon and those that fall somewhere in between.
The countries that received the highest grades for customer service tended to cluster at either
end of the spectrum. In Japan and Thailand, tipping is rare, but the service is regarded as excellent.
The most tip-friendly countries — the United States and Canada — also received above-average
marks for service.
Most European nations, 4) _____________, scored below average. Places like France, Spain
and Italy often append a service charge to the bill — but what you tip on top of that is an open
question. About one-third of visitors to France said they left no more than pocket change for their
waiters, while another quarter of the people tipped at least 15 percent for decent service.
There are also weird cases like Russia, where a tip is expected of a foreigner but not always
of a native, and Egypt, where tipping is common but often at a flat rate rather than as a percentage of
the bill.
All of this brings us to the Tipping Curve. If servers expect a generous gratuity, there is a
strong economic incentive for them to do superior work. And if they expect nothing at all, good
service is taken completely out of the economic context and becomes a matter of custom. But when
countries try to split the difference or 5) ___________, their servers are more likely to leave
customers dissatisfied.
1. Read the text and choose the best part-sentence to fill each of the gaps. For each gap 1-5,
mark one letter (A-E).
A. those where reasonably large tips are a part of the culture;
B. or is Japan unique;
C. the restaurant owners who presented us with a souvenir menu in English;
D. Germany being the exception;
E. if they introduce confusing rules into the system.
2. Match the words from the text (1-7) to their opposites (a-g).
1) to refuse a) frequent
2) complicated b) bad
3) to win c) to accept
4) response d) easy
5) uncommon e) to lose
6) decent f) question
7) server g) customer
3. What do the words and phrases below mean? Choose the best alternative.
1) To tip means …….
a) to give someone a small amount of money in addition to what you owe for a service;
b) to give advice.
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2) A bellhop is ……
a) a waiter;
b) a person whose job is to carry people's bags to their room in a hotel.
3) If something is mind-blowing, it is …..
a) very bad;
b) extremely impressive, exciting.
4) A landslide is ……
a) a fight between two groups of people;
b) an overwhelming victory.
5) If something is weird, it is …..
a) unusual;
b) typical.
1) When travelling in Japan, the author of the text followed the guidebook advice on tipping.
2) Most international travellers are satisfied with customer service in Japan.
3) Japan and Thailand are countries where leaving a tip is uncommon.
4) In the USA and Canada travellers are likely to get poor customer service.
5) All customers in Russia are expected to leave tips for services.
6) Generous gratuity doesn’t guarantee customers high standards of service.
THE COMMUTING PROBLEM

Mass transit is just one more "solution" that won't work in the absence of Balanced
Communities. Money spent on helping commuters is 1) ______.
There is a lot of talk about extending commuter rail and metro, widening existing roadways,
building new roadway corridors and building 2)_________. There is no doubt that commuters
would like a solution, and their plight will be widely cited and lamented in the coming weeks in
Richmond and in the months between now and the November elections.
Let’s start with bottom-line advice for commuters. Unless there is something simple you and
your neighbors can do – such as building a gate in your back fence or going to a hearing to help your
employer expand its business down the street – 3) _______ move your home close to your job;
move your job close to your home; move your home and your job.
No “solution” being put forward by any elected official or transport facility lobby groups is
in fact a “solution.” That is because none of the ideas put on the table by Business As Usual or
Government As Usual involve Fundamental Change in human settlement patterns. Other than the
solutions by individual commuters above, the change in the location of land uses and thus change in
the pattern of travel demand is the only realistic cure to the problems of commuting. Discussion of
possible “solutions” 4) _________ only encourages citizens to hope that “someone” will make
commuting easier.
5) _________ is that the prospect of an easier commute will encourage citizens to make bad
location decisions than can be accommodated by any facility improvement.
The validity of this statement can be demonstrated by careful examination of improving an
intersection or widen a bridge that is now a bottleneck, coordination of a corridor’s traffic signal
system, adding new lanes, creating new roadway corridors, extending an existing commuter rail line
into the countryside, extending metro beyond the Clear Edge, building “telework” centers.
35
6) _________ is that there is no facility solution for commuters. That will not change until
discussions, plans and construction of all transport facilities are directly and inextricable linked to
Fundamental Changes in human settlement pattern, period.
1. Read the text and choose the best part-sentence to fill each of the gaps. For each gap 1-6,
mark one letter (A-F).
A. A core problem…
B. (which are not solutions at all)
C. The reality…
D. ... or improving other transport facilities to “solve” the problems of “commuters.”
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E. …money squandered.
F. … there are three current “solutions” to “commuting” problems:
2. Pick up the word family the parts of which are key words of the text.
Community – communicate – commute – communication – commuter – communicator –
commuting – communicant.
1) To commute means ….
a) to travel regularly by bus, train, car, etc. between your place of work and your home;
b) to exchange one form of payment for something else.
2) Plight is ….
a) an engagement;
b) a difficult and sad situation.
3) To cure means …
a) to make an illness go away;
b) to deal with a problem successfully.
4) A facility is …
a) a natural ability to do something well;
b) something such as a room or piece of equipment that is provided at a place for people to use.
5) Current is …
a) happening or existing now;
b) a flow of electricity.
4. Find opposites to the words and phrases below.

a) to save money (paragraph 1);
b) to shorten (paragraph 2);
c) to deteriorate (paragraph 2);
d) ancient, outdated (paragraph 3);
e) not important (paragraph 5).
5. Match words 1-8 with words a-h to form word partnerships from the text.
1) to improve a) facilities
2) transport b) problem
3) bottom-line c) a bridge
4) to solve d) traffic signal system
5) a core e) advice
6) to extend f) facilities
7) to widen g) problems
8) to coordinate h) metro

1) What is a commuting problem?
2) Do you find the solution given in § 3 possible?
3) Is the author optimistic or pessimistic about solving the commuting problem? Prove it.
37
4) What solutions of a commuting problem can you offer?
UNIT 5. CUSTOMER SERVICE

AMAZON WINS NEW FRIENDS
It all started when Amazon promised to deliver the new Harry Potter book on the same day
that it first appeared in the shops. All people had to pre-order it by a specified date. It was a huge
multiple order – over 250,000 copies – and Amazon and its partner, Federal Express, came very near
to fulfilling it.
According to news reports, about 3,800 people did not get their books on time because of a
problem with computer software, which misread mailing addresses on some orders. Amazon said
that 1.5 per cent of the books did not get to Potter’s fans on the big day. In other words, the company
scored 98.5 per cent on keeping its promise.
That’s not bad, but something even better happened next. Amazon admitted its mistake and
apologized – first to its customers and then to reporters who wanted to know how the much-
publicized delivery went. Then the company offered to compensate the customers who received late
shipment by giving them full refunds of the purchase price – plus shipping and handling – and they
could keep their books.
The total cost for Amazon’s apology could reach as much as $75,000, but it is a gesture, and
moreover, it’s the key to good customer service. It is about doing the obviously right thing at the
right time, without hesitation, and without thinking about short-term costs.
1. Read the text and find synonyms for the words or phrases below.
a) fixed e) not late
b) very big f) to agree that something is true
c) to achieve g) to say sorry
d) to receive h) journalists
2. What do the words and phrases below mean? Choose the correct answer.
1) the big day a) release date;
b) the day when the mass media reported about the company’s mistake.
2) shipment a) the process of taking goods from one place to another by any kind of
transport;
b) the process of taking goods from one place to another by sea only.
3) a gesture a) a movement that you make with your hands, head or face to show a
particular meaning;
b) something you do or say to show a particular feeling or intention.
1) Amazon promised delivery of the book on the date of publication.
2) More than 250,000 people wanted to get the book.
3) Most people received their book on the right day.
4) Some books were sent to the wrong addresses because the customers had made mistakes
when placing their orders.
5) Amazon declared it was not their fault and didn’t say sorry for the mistake.
6) Amazon offered 3,800 people their money back.
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7) The company received bad publicity for its customer care.
DEALING WITH CUSTOMERS OVER THE PHONE

Telephone greetings are a powerful part of doing business. First impressions are critical over
the phone. Prospective customers are considering whether or not to do business with you. Angry
customers are deciding how helpful and competent you are. For best results, incorporate two easy
elements: pleasantness, sincerity and brevity.
Pleasantness: A pleasant greeting is essential to a successful call because it sets the stage
emotionally. In general, listeners tend to mirror or ‘catch’ the emotional states of speakers. 1)
___________ . If we answer the phone in a rude way, chances are the caller will become impolite. If
we answer the phone pleasantly, chances are the caller will be pleasant, and we all know which
caller is easier to work with.
One of the easiest ways to reach an emotional state quickly is to concentrate carefully on
your body language. I recommend that professionals establish a ritual before answering the phone.
In order to sound pleasant, we need to be carrying ourselves accordingly. My routine is to sit up on
the edge of my seat, pull my shoulders back, take a deep breath, smile, let the phone ring twice, then
answer. I never lift the receiver unless I’ve gone through this process. 2) __________ . Sometimes
I’ll even stand before I answer the phone if I need an extra jolt of energy.
Sincerity: I am against scripting greetings because they sound insincere and tend to irritate
callers, and discourage employees. 3) __________ . ‘Hello. It’s a beautiful day here at the XYZ
Company.’ Now I don’t care where you work. It can’t be that good all day. You want the greeting to
be natural, which also makes it easier to sound pleasant consistently.
Brevity: 4) _______ . Excessively long greetings are unprofessional for many reasons. They
don’t sound pleasant or sincere because technically they are impossible to execute. Employees hate
them and those feelings come through. Callers hate them because they waste their time.
one letter (A-D).
1) Scripted greetings usually include some kind of slogan.
2) Keep it short.
3) In other words, people respond to what they hear.
4) My business is too important.

a) very important (2 words) e) additional
b) to reflect f) to make somebody annoyed
c) to react g) to perform
d) to advise h) not to like

1) ‘You can’t judge a company by its telephone greeting.’ Would the author of the article agree
with the statement? Why?
2) What does the author of the article do before answering the phone?
3) What is callers’ usual reaction to scripted greetings? Why?
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TIPS FOR BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE
What's the most common customer service situation? A customer or client seeking help.
So it's extremely important to get this customer service interaction right. Properly done, a
customer seeking help will not only feel that she or he has been treated well but will be more
favourably disposed towards buying products and/or services from your business. Use the
following tips for better customer service to educate your staff and evaluate their customer
service performance.
When a potential customer walks into your store or office you and/or your staff need to:
1. Be available in a timely manner. The first way that you make your customers feel valued is
by acknowledging them as soon as possible.
So when someone enters your store or office, you need to look up from your computer, stop
stocking shelves or whatever else you're doing as soon as possible. If your work involves being
away from the floor, such as working in stockroom or workshop area for part of the time, you need
to have some system that alerts you when a customer enters so you can attend to her.
2. Greet the customer in a friendly but appropriate way.
Make eye contact, smile and say something such as, "Hello. How may I help you today?" Stop
there. Allow the customer to respond.
3. Help the customer by directly addressing the customer's request/solving the customer's
problem. This may involve:
 Actively listening to the customer. Show that you're actively listening to the customer by
making eye contact, nodding, or even jotting down a note. Ask clarifying questions when the
customer is finished speaking if necessary to get more details that will enable you to solve the
customer's problem. Do not interrupt a customer when he or she is speaking. You can't listen
when your mouth is moving.
 Showing knowledge of the business's products and/or services. Be sure that you and your staff
know your products and services inside out. And be sure that all staff know the difference
between "showing a knowledge" and "showing off. Customers do not come in to hear lectures
about particular products or services. For good customer service, tell customers what they
want to know, not everything you know about it.
 Showing a knowledge of related products and/or services. Customers commonly compare
products and/or services, so you and staff need to be able to do this, too. After all, you may be
able to save them a trip to another store. You also need to be aware of any accessories or parts
related to your products so you can tell customers where they can get them if you don't supply
them.
 Being able to offer pertinent advice. Customers often have questions that aren't directly about
your products or services but are related to them. For instance, a customer interested in
hardwood flooring might want to know what the best way of cleaning hardwood floors is. The
answers you give (or aren't able to give) can be a big influence on buying decisions and how
the customer feels about your customer service.
4. Close the customer service interaction appropriately.
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You should finish helping a customer by actively suggesting a next step. If he or she is ready
to make a purchase at this point, escort or direct the customer to the checkout where you or someone
else will go through the payment procedure with the customer. If the customer is not ready to buy at
this point, your suggested next step might be a further invitation to engage with the merchandise or
service such as, “Is there anything else I can help you with?”, “Would you like a brochure?”, or “Would
you like to try that on?” You should never just say something such as, "Here you go" or "Okay, then" and move on.
1. Which of the following topics does the text discuss?

a) modern advertising techniques
b) appropriate customer interaction
c) methods of selling products
2. Match the words and phrases from the text (1-6) to their synonyms (a-f).
1) to seek a) to be aware of
2) to be disposed b) suitable
3) to alert c) to look for
4) to respond d) to be inclined
5) to show a knowledge of e) to answer
6) pertinent f) to warn
3. Match the words and phrases from the text (1-5) to their opposites (a-e).
1) commonly a) to sell
2) to suggest b) rarely
3) properly c) wrongly
4) clarifying d) unnecessary
5) to make a purchase e) to reject
4. Match the words from the text (1-6) to their definitions.

1) to acknowledge a) belonging to the same group;
2) to be available b) able to be obtained, taken or bought;
3) to show off c) to say how good or bad one thing is in relation to another;
4) related d) to show that you have seen someone or that you recognize
5) to compare them;
6) appropriately e) in a suitable or right way;
f) to behave in a way that is intended to attract people’s
attention and make them admire you.
5. Explain the meaning of the following words and phrases from the text.
a) to make customers feel valued;
b) to greet in an appropriate way;
c) to listen actively;
d) to show a knowledge of products;
e) to show off;
f) to close the customer service interaction appropriately.
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6. Give advice to shop assistants using
It’s essential … It’s better not …
It’s a good idea … It isn’t necessary …
Don’t …
1. … to know as much as possible about the products.

2. … to talk much to suggest different products.
3. … make the customer feel comfortable and important.
4. … tell the customer everything you know about particular products.
5. … spend too long with one customer.
TO USE OR NOT TO USE?

Databases and technology are tools that we can use in our businesses. But what has this got
to do with customer service? Absolutely nothing. Not unless the people running that business are
motivated and passionate enough to use that information in the right way.
I see fabulous examples of customer service from all over the world. And the amazing thing
is that, in most cases, it comes from businesses that have no technology. 1) _______ . They have
found a way to dazzle and delight their customers that has nothing whatsoever to do with
technology.
And yet the larger businesses put so much emphasis on technology. "Let's profile our
customers. Let's monitor their spending patterns. Let's change the layout of our shop so that they
spend more. "This is not customer service. This is a misguided attempt to increase sales without
understanding that customer service is about dealing with people. 2) _________ . And love doesn't
come from databases.
My research into hundreds of businesses has identified a number of key elements that create
a great service experience. The first is communication. How do we communicate with our
customers? 3)___________ . Do we really make an effort to get on side with our customer? Do we
look at things from our customer's point of view? Do we communicate in ways that our customer
understands? Do we listen?
The second is systems. I don't mean computer or technology systems. Just simple systems.
How do we do things? How do we treat our customers? Think about all the businesses that you have
ever worked in. Did any one of them ever say to you on your very first day, "This is how we treat
our customers here"? More likely they probably said, "This is how you take the money. This is how
you chase up payments. 4) __________." Most employees do what they think is expected of them.
The third element is leadership. There is a direct correlation between strength of leadership
and the amount of extra effort that people put into serving customers. 5) _________ . They
understand what motivates them, what inspires them, what pleasure they can get from giving great
service.
Great leaders also understand what huge benefits customer loyalty brings. The best customer
service businesses don't need to advertise. They don't lose customers and they get huge numbers of
referrals.
Business leaders need to wake up to the fact that the best technology will not replace simple
human understanding. "Have a nice day" might not be for us. But understanding how to make our
customers smile would be a huge step forward.
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one letter (A-E).
A. We buy from people we like.
B. Great leaders understand their internal customers - their employees.
C. Little shops and restaurants, taxi drivers, libraries, one-person businesses.
D. This is how you operate the computer
E. And I don't mean email or letter or telephone.

a) instruments e) an effort
b) to apply f) a detailed study
c) extremely good g) connection
d) to impress h) very big

a) one-person business e) employees
b) emphasis f) customer loyalty
c) layout g) referrals
d) customers
1) Technology is the best way to keep customers happy and generate more business.
2) Small businesses are less successful in providing good customer care.
3) The ability to listen to your clients and to understand them is a crucial aspect of good
customer service.
4) Some businessmen underestimate the importance of good customer service.
5) The better customer service you provide, the more you need to advertise your business.
HOW TO PROVIDE EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE

THAT OUTSHINES YOUR COMPETITORS
There's no real secret to getting your customers to come back. All you need to do is provide
excellent customer service - the shiny kind of customer service that exceeds your customers’
expectations and outshines your competitors' customer service.
Excellent customer service is service that makes your customer feel special and makes him
or her want to come back and do more business with your company and recommend your business
to his or her friends.
So how can you provide the kind of customer service that will dazzle customers and
competitors alike?
l. Determine what makes what you offer special.
Study the competition. Think about your competitors' customer service and the customer
service you provide. What can you offer your customers that is "better" than the competition? There
are sure to be aspects of your customer service that you can promote as special or unique.
Make a list of all these ideas for providing customer service. If you sell a product, and your
competitor doesn't offer it already, perhaps you can offer free local delivery. If you sell a service,
43
such as bookkeeping or accounting, perhaps you can focus on turnaround times that are faster than
your competitors' - providing the good customer service that will give your business the edge.
Sometimes providing excellent customer service will involve expanding your operations. For
instance, you may need to offer to provide your services in customer's homes to outdo the services
the competition provides.
Sometimes providing excellent customer service will involve revamping what you've always
done. If you provide a service that involves giving estimates of the job to be done beforehand, and
you've previously just given estimates to prospective customers orally, you could stress that you
provide an estimate in writing and stick to your written estimate.
2. Choose one or two of your excellent customer service ideas and put them into practice.
When I say implement your customer service ideas, I don't just mean do it; you also need to
let people know that you're doing it. Feature this aspect of your customer service in whatever ads
you run, including your yellow pages listing. Put it on your business cards and in your email
signature. Make it part of your greeting spiel when you answer the phone.
You need to make your customer service a prominent feature of every ad too, so people
automatically associate it with your business Remember when you're redesigning or creating ads
never to describe your customer service as new and improved"; this implies there was something
wrong with your previous customer service.
While one of the big payoffs of your excellent customer service will be the great word-of-
mouth advertising it generates, this takes time, and you need to help it along by getting the word out.
Don't be shy! Solicit customer service testimonials from satisfied customers that you can use in print
ads, such as in newspapers, and on your website, if you have one, or can at least use as references
for new potential customers.
4) Stay proactive and keep gathering customer service ideas.
Listen to your customers and find out what kind of special customer service they want. You
can do this formally, by creating a customer service feedback form, such as this Customer.
As an employer it's about being open to the possibility of change and willing to be flexible.
You can always try change on a trial basis. As long as you give it an honest go. When detailing
changes, provide boundaries for all employees so their expectations are the same as the
organizations’. Set goals and strategies to measure the effectiveness of changes.
own ideas.
1) Excellent customer service is service that …
2) To promote a product as special or unique you should …
3) It’s a good thing to choose your excellent customer service ideas and …
a) to be better at something;
b) a situation in which people or organizations try to be more successful;
c) to increase the amount or range of an activity;
d) to arrange something in a new way so that it appears to be better;
e) to begin to do or use something;
f) something especially noticeable;
g) ready to react in a useful or helpful way.
3. Match words 1-8 with words a-h to form. Explain the meaning of each word partnership.
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1) to exceed a) special
2) to outshine b) business
3) to feel c) expectations
4) to do d) active
5) to promote e) operations
6) to expand f) competitors service
7) to implement g) ideas
8) to stay h) service
4. Read the recommendations below and find one word which does not fit. Some of the words
appeared in the text.
1) You can promote some aspects of your customer service as modern/unique/sensational.
2) You can offer cheap/special/free/local delivery.
3) You should choose your excellent/effective/essential /customer service ideas and put them
into practice.
4) Make your customer service a prominent/competitive/obvious feature of every
advertisement.
5) Be interested/responsive/calm to customers’ needs.
5. Choose the sentence which best summarises the main idea of the article. Justify your choice.
1) Improve your marketing.
2) Stay active and creative.
3) Collect details of your customers’ shopping habits.

1) Companies don’t just sell products. What more do they sell?
2) What kind of people do customers want to be?
3) What business activities make excellent customer service? Name 3 things.
4) What happens if a competitor brings out a better product?
UNIT 6. TRAVELLING FOR BUSINESS

TRAVELLING FOR BUSINESS
Business trips are just part of doing business. A company tries to choose only its best people
to represent it. 1) __________ . And there are as many reasons to go on a business as there are
places to go: to sign contracts, to discuss terms of delivery, payment or shipment, to have tests, to
consult, to improve one’s professional skills, to provide support. 2) ________. Whether a long-term
or short-term trip, the itinerary must be carefully planned by the head of a department or another
executive. After the trip, an employee is ordinarily expected to give a full financial accounting of
the trip to his boss. 3) ___________ . And no businessman would dare forget to buy gifts for
relatives, friends and colleagues while on a business trip to an interesting, new location. These trips
are important because they contribute to the expansion of a company’s business relationships and
help that company succeed in the competitive world market.
Business today is international in character, and business people often have to travel. On a
business trip people might meet colleagues and business partners for the first time. Often, colleagues
45
from different countries experience cultural difficulties, that is, they are surprised by strange, to
them, social conventions in a new place. 4) ________. Management styles also differ from country
to country. It’s often useful when doing business in a foreign land, to get some advice from a special
agency which consults on questions of international business. These days business trips are very
important because face to face meetings are more valuable to profitable business than any other type
of strategy.
one letter (A-D).
A. Different cultures do things differently!
B. Trips can happen in or out of the country.
C. Sightseeing, cultural events and just plain relaxing are a regular part of every business trip.
D. Representatives of the companies involved usually make preliminary arrangements in order
to meet.

1) business travel 7) usual thing
2) to develop skills 8) preparatory
3) to travel for work 9) to map out a route
4) mastery 10) a place
5) to help 11) customs
6) conditions
3. Match words 1-13 with words a-m to form word partnerships from the text.
1) to do a) an arrangement
2) to represent b) competitive market
3) to improve c) payment
4) to sign d) business
5) term of e) skills
6) to make f) a contract
7) to give g) difficulties
8) to succeed in h) relationships
9) to expand i) some advice
10) to experience j) an accounting
11) to get k) a company
12) face-to-face l) questions
13) to consult on m) meetings

1) What are the benefits of business trips for a company, for the traveler?
2) What reasons to go on a business can you add to those mentioned in the text?
3) What does regular business trip include?
4) Who plans business trips?
5) Why is sightseeing known to be a regular part of every business trip?
5. a) Comment on the statement from the text:

Different cultures do things differently!
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b) How do you feel about these ones? Give their Russian equivalents.
Every country has its customs!
Culture is the thing that makes us different!
c) Think of some more statements to illustrate this idea.
BUSINESS TRAVEL
Business travel is the practice of people traveling for purposes related to their work. It is on
the rise especially with foreign business markets opening up. 432 million business trips were
completed by United States residents in 2009, 1) ________.
Many airlines began to concentrate on providing premium service on long haul flights
especially for the first and business class business traveler with the development of more
sophisticated business traveler needs over the last 15 years.
American Airlines was the first airline to offer a frequent flier program to customers. The
AAdvantage program began in May 1981 and included Hertz car rental and Hyatt hotel. The first
hotel to start an independent hotel program was Holiday Inn; 2) ________. National Car Rental was
the first car rental company to introduce a program back in March 1987. Airlines have also been
working on tools that benefit the business travellers such as: Improved and competitive mileage
programs, quick check in and online check in, lounges with broadband connection, etc. 3)
__________. They are also on the competition for the business travellers by offering flexible points
programs, broadband connection in all rooms and fast check in and check out services.
While internet booking engines have become the first destination for around 60% of leisure
travelers, business travelers, especially with the need for itineraries that may include more than one
destination, have still found that a knowledgeable travel agent may be their best resource for better
ticket pricing, less hassle and better air and land travel planning. For larger business travel accounts
these travel agents take on a travel management role, and are referred to as Travel Management
Companies, 4) __________ .
Recent trends in this market have extended to the implementation of Self Booking Tools 5)
__________, an increase in the inclusion of Duty of care practices in the booking and monitoring
process and more consideration for the environmental impact of business travel.
gap 1-5, mark one letter (A-E).
A. this accounted for approximately $215 billion towards the economy.
B. they began in January 1983.
C. Hotels are not far behind.
D. providing services such as consultancy, traveler tracking, data and negotiation assistance and
policy advice.
E. which allow automated booking of trips within company policy.
2. Find words or phrases from the text for each definition below.
a) a person who lives in a certain place (paragraph 1);
b) help or give an advantage (paragraph 3);
c) a type of connection to the Internet that allows you to receive or send a lot of information
very quickly (paragraph 3);
d) a proposed route of travel (paragraph 4);
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e) an effect or an influence (paragraph 5).
3. Are the following statements true (T) of false (F)? Correct the false ones.
1) The amount of business trips is increasing.
2) There are premium services for business and economy class travelers.
3) Hotels have started to offer access to the Internet to attract more business people.
4) Businessmen prefer to book airline tickets online.
5) The implementation of Self-Booking Tools has increased the consideration for the
environmental impact on business travel.
CROSS-CULTURAL MISUNDERSTANDINGS
Life in a foreign culture can be exciting, but it can often lead to misunderstandings. You may
have a period of confusion and cultural disorientation and may even find it hard to cope with even
the easiest tasks required to stay alive. This is part of culture shock and is not uncommon.
For those of us who have lived abroad, we know it's when you stay for a longer time that you
experience and see things that you do not see when you are just a tourist. This is true for the Turk
who travels to America or the foreigner who comes to Turkey. In both countries people are nice to
tourists, be it a business trip or for health or just plain fun. However, when you begin to live in a
different culture, the experience changes. (A) ________.
Near the end of summer, there is an influx of newcomers. They arrive in another country and
begin to get settled into their new jobs, schools, homes, etc. The initial days can be deciding factors
as to whether you are going to enjoy the time you reside in the new place or not depending on the
experience you have in getting settled in. How the shop attendants, officials, neighbors and strangers
treat you will all be factors in this equation.
The potential for culture shock is present every time you change cultures. Some of us who
have traveled widely can still experience culture shock. Having culture shock, that is, feeling a sense
of cultural disorientation where you live, is normal. Here are a few pitfalls to avoid
(B)___________:
1) Try not to respond with contempt for the new society and separate yourself in your own
cultural ghettos; i.e., doing everything as you would back home.
2) Don't always compare the new culture with your own culture; doing so may cause you to
see the new culture as inferior.
3) Try to not just make friends with those who speak your mother tongue. Learn the local
language (C) ___________ .
a) The other day a friend of mine made a comment in the car while a group of us were
driving along that illustrates this point. She replied to another person in the car who had commented
on the amount of litter lying around in public places by saying, “Turks think that not cleaning your
windows every day is just as bad.”
b) We have all heard the most common ethnocentric saying by the non-British, which is
when we talk about British drivers driving "on the wrong side" of the road. Why not just say the
"opposite side" or even the "left-hand side"?
c) Another comment is when Westerners speak about the Arabic language as being read
"backwards." Why not just say "from right to left" or "in the opposite direction from English"?
d) Even when you are trying to be polite when sampling the food of another culture, using
the phrase "Oh, that's different" rather than more pejorative terms may imply to the hostess that you
didn't like it.
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1. Read the text and choose the best sentence or part sentences to fill each of the gaps. For each
gap A-C, mark one number (1-3).
1) to help you settle into your new culture a little more easily.
2) You could say the honeymoon is over.
3) so you can understand the culture and the simplest rules of social behavior.
2. Find words or phrases from the text for the definitions below.
1) to deal with, to manage (paragraph 1);
2) the arrival of many people (paragraph 3);
3) difficulties or traps (paragraph 4);
4) lower in quality, state or position (paragraph 6);
5) having an unpleasant connotation (of words and expressions) (paragraph 11).

1) What is a culture shock?
2) Is it the same to visit a country as a tourist and to live there for a long time? Why (not)?
3) Why do most people arrive in another country in the end of summer?
4. Match examples a-d to pitfalls 1-3.
WHEN "YES" MEANS "NO" OR "MAYBE"

AVOIDING CROSS-CULTURAL MISUNDERSTANDINGS IN GLOBAL BUSINESS
An American businesswoman comes away from a meeting delighted; she finally got her
Japanese supplier to agree to a price. A few days later, she receives questions about price. It’s almost
as if she imagined the meeting. "What's going on here?" she asks. "We agreed on the price already,
didn't we?"
The businesswoman recalls all the Um-hmms and Yesses she heard in the meeting. "They
agreed to the price, they said yes," she mutters to herself. "They even nodded and smiled." This
American businesswoman is not the first or last to feel frustrated in this way. Other people have
misunderstood a "yes" response. The businesswoman needs to understand that irrespective of
language, different cultures communicate in different ways.
Good communication American style is to say what you mean precisely, in as
straightforward a manner as possible. Be direct, get to the point, say what the bottom line is. For
other cultures, this style is rude, abrasive and self-centered.
Many cultures--including Japanese, go to great lengths not to be direct. The risk of
disharmony with other group members is too great to be outspoken. Its better to agree to somebody’s
face and negotiate with them afterwards than to blatantly disagree. In our opening scenario, the
Japanese supplier appeared to say yes, but continued to negotiate a price, days after the supposed
agreement. Direct communicators like Americans in general, consider this indirectness deceptive,
two-faced and lacking in integrity.
The goals of communication vary across culture and languages. In the US, speech is often
used to demonstrate eloquence, power or lack thereof. The presidential debates are good examples
of this. So too are the expressions "For the sake of argument" or "I'll play the devil’s advocate and..."
But in many Asian cultures, the goal of communication is to achieve consensus of opinion and to
49
promote group harmony. "Yes" can mean "no," "maybe," or even "we've got to think a little more
about this and we don't want to fall out with you."
US culture, with its long tradition of rhetoric, values verbal messages greatly. Other cultures
are more sensitive to non-verbal means of communication, such as: body posture, hand gestures,
facial expressions, eye contact, how close people stand to each other
Misunderstandings and blunders result from failing to recognize and understand many forms
of non-verbal communication. Going back to our opening scenario, the businesswoman remembers
the nods and smiles. But what did they mean in the context of that business meeting?
Not what the American businesswoman thought. They meant disagreement, displeasure,
uncertainty. The lesson to be learnt here is that similar gestures and facial expressions are often used
differently across cultures. The meaning of a smile is not universal. Neither is a frown.
Avoid misunderstandings in communicating across cultures:
1. Be conscious of body language and non-verbal messages: What message is communicated
in the smiles, frowns, head movements or silence?
2. Watch eye contact: Reserve judgment on the correct amount of eye-contact. Some
cultures encourage plenty, others frown upon it. You may have to adjust the amount of eye contact
according to the status of the person you're talking to.
3. Listen without interrupting: Americans are often considered too talkative. People from
other cultures may interpret many interruptions as disrespectful.
4. Summarize what you hear often: Keeping in mind point #3, clarify what you think you
have heard, rephrasing as simply as possible.
5. Speak slowly, enunciate and avoid idioms: Only 5% of the world’s population speak
English as a first language. You may be doing business with a person who speaks fluent English but
who has difficulty understanding your accent, the idioms, jargon or slang you use. Remember, the
simpler the English, the better.
1. Read the text and find words for each definition below.
1) having feelings of dissatisfaction or lack of fulfillment; upset (paragraph 2);
2) regardless; without due consideration (paragraph 2);
3) try very hard, do the best (paragraph 4);
4) misleading (paragraph 4);
5) mistakes (paragraph 7);
6) make short statement (paragraph 12).
2. Do the following tasks.

1) Describe the American style of communication.
2) Describe the Asian style of communication.
3) Give three examples of how non-verbal means of communication differ in various countries.

1) What do Americans and Asians think about each other’s style of communication?
2) Why didn’t the American businesswoman and the Japanese supplier achieve consensus?
3) What are the goals of communication in different cultures?
3) Why is it necessary to use simple English?
PEARLS OF WISDOM FROM A FREQUENT BUSINESS TRAVELER

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Research shows that 40-50% of business travelers are women. Many times each year, women
dash out their front doors, luggage wheels spinning behind them, waving goodbye to their loved
ones as they head out on another business trip.
I am part of this statistic. Last year I traveled 48 weeks of the year. During these 48 weeks,
my husband managed the home front. My kids are grown now, but for the majority of their lives I
have been a traveling businesswoman. I’ve learned a lot over the years on what works well and what
doesn’t when it comes to keeping the connection strong while I’m away. For my fellow travelers,
moms and wives, friends and daughters, I share my pearls of wisdom:
Communication. Communicate daily and dependably. Let your family know when you
expect to call and do so. Get comfortable in your hotel room so you have private and quiet time to
talk with your family. A hurried call from a loud restaurant ends up frustrating everyone.
Talk with each of your children when you call. This helps keep their stress level down when
they know that you’ll be talking with them. When your kids know that you will be calling at a
specific time, the number of frantic phone calls during the business day subsides. Kids rely on your
word, so call when promised. This also reduces the panic attacks experienced when you see your
home phone number on the caller-id of your cell phone while you are in a meeting and unable to
answer.
Use www.skype.com to make a daily video call back home. Skype is a free Internet service
for calling friends and family. Create a family Web site or online community where you, your
family, and friends can post updates, photos, and videos. This is a fun way to stay connected and
especially fun for your kids.
Allow dad to be the CEO of the family while you are away. He may not manage the family
the same way you do when you’re home, but he is now in charge. It only confuses your kids when
they hear one thing from dad and another from you. Talk with your spouse and take time to go over
the events of the day at home. Listen to what he’s saying. For me, it’s too easy to be typing away on
the Internet and listening with half an ear. Your spouse deserves both ears!
Keep in touch with friends and other family with a quick email when you have a few
minutes, or a handwritten note you scribed while in flight. A few words of Hello help you stay
connected, and help them not feel that you are too busy for them.
Home Life. Be realistic about what will happen at home while you’re gone. The house may
not be cleaned the same, the chores not all done. Everyone’s routines get a bit out of whack when a
parent is away. Treat yourself and hire a maid to come in on the day you are returning home. You’ll
be ecstatic to come home to a squeaky-clean home, and your family will be happy that you can start
focusing on them immediately.
When you get home from your trip, be appreciative. The two most important gifts you can
bring home from a business trip are your gratitude and your willingness to jump right back into the
fray. Put your work aside and focus on your family. Resist the guilt gifts that so often end up in your
suitcase.
‘Your’ Time. Enjoy part of your time away to have special time with yourself. Go out for a
nice meal, reflect and write in your journal, take a long peaceful bath. It’s easy to feel guilty at
taking time for a bit of pleasure when you feel so sad about leaving your family at home, but it’s
your time to recharge. And remember to give your partner the same opportunity to recharge once
you return home.
Spend some time in gratitude and meditation. It is so easy to stress about delayed flights,
awful shampoos, and all the other challenges that travel can bring. Instead be very grateful for the
opportunity to travel to a new city, dine in new restaurants, and meet interesting people… it’s an
opportunity that most people in this world do not have.
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1. Read the text and find words or phrases for each definition below.
1) go away (paragraph 1);
2) comes to an end (paragraph 4);
3) responsible (paragraph 6);
4) small routine tasks, especially a domestic ones (paragraph 8);
5) to revive or renew (one's energies) (paragraph 10).
2. Find sentences with the same meaning.

1) My husband looked after the house while I was away.
2) You don’t get nervous when you see that your family members called while you were busy.
3) You should listen very attentively to what your husband says.
4) Don’t buy souvenirs that nobody needs.
5) You think it’s not good to enjoy your time during your business trip.
1) The author of the article spent six months travelling.
2) The author thinks that it is better to give a call home from a restaurant.
3) You should talk to your husband and to each of your children when you call.
4) According to the author, the most important gifts you bring home from a business trip are
souvenirs.
5) A business trip is an opportunity to have a good time.
UNIT 7. WORKING TOGETHER

HOW TO ORGANIZE SUCCESSFUL PROJECT TEAMS
1) _____ If you aren't sure exactly what needs to be done to complete the project, now is the
time to go to your boss and get that clarified.
2) _____ If you have not been given a deadline, then you will need to set one, as well as any
other milestones within the project. You will also need to set timelines for the tasks within the
projects, making sure that you are completing the tasks in sequential order, if applicable.
3) _____ Make sure that you will have access to any equipment or money you need to make
your project a reality. You will need to communicate this as soon as possible to the management so
you will have all that you need by the time the project is ready to start.
4) _____ For example, you may need two sales people and a marketing manager to create
your team. Beside each of the roles, list the tasks that this person will be working on during the
project.
5) _____ Consider the roles that you need to fill and the tasks that need to be completed. Try
to get the best people on board with you, keeping in mind who of them get on well with each other
when forming your team.
6) _____ This is the last step in organization of a successful project team and, perhaps, the
most important. Make sure that each person realizes what they will be doing individually and what
the group is trying to accomplish as a whole.
one letter (A-F).
A. Make a list of the tasks that need to be completed to make the project a success.
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B. Set a timeline for your project.
C. Find the resources that you need to make your project happen.
D. Create a list of roles that you will need to fill within your team.
E. Determine who in your company will work best on your project team.
F. Communicate the plan to your project team as soon as possible.
2. Complete the sets of synonyms with the words from the text.
1) finish, conclude, … 4) make, form, … 6) know, understand, …
2) assign, fix, … 5) study, examine, … 7) achieve, fulfill, …
3) reveal, tell, …
a) a date or time by which you have to do or complete something;
b) special things, such as tools, machines, clothes etc that you need for a particular activity;
c) the people who are in charge of a company or organization;
d) a group of people who have been chosen to do a particular job together.
4. Explain the meaning of the following words or phrases from the text.
project success resources marketing manager
5. What do the words below mean? Choose the best alternative.
1) Given the context, a milestone is …….
a) a stone next to the road that shows the distance to the next town;
b) a very important event in the development of something.
2) A role is ……
a) an activity or function someone is expected to perform;
b) the character presented by an actor in a film.
3) A company is ……..
a) a group of people who are together in the same place, often for a particular purpose;
b) an organization that makes or sells goods or services in order to get money.
4) A step is …….
a) the movement you make when you put one foot in front of the other;
b) one of a series of things that you do in order to deal with a problem or to succeed.
6. Rewrite the sentences, replacing the underlined words and phrases with the appropriate
ones from the text.
1) If you want to understand how the computer works you may have that explained in special
literature.
2) A typical instruction is given as a number of actions, strictly following one after another and
it is very important not to mix up or skip anything.
3) On the first Monday of every month the public get the right to enter many famous museums
of the world free of charge.
4) It usually takes a lot of time and efforts for an inventor to put his ideas into practice.
5) Rock music is very likely to be an important part in the life of every teenager.
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6) One of main professional qualities of HR manager is the ability to select people to work with
by carefully weighing and appraising how effective and valuable they may become to the
company.
7) To succeed in dealing with problems managers are taught not to refer to their previous
experience very often as remembering old strategies they may easily omit new opportunities.
8) For a superior of any rank the ability to have a friendly relationship with people and his or
her proficiency level are equally important.
9) All users, before using electrical equipment, are supposed to check that the voltage in their
power point is similar to the one noticed in the instruction manual.
EXAMPLES OF ISSUES AND DILEMMAS IN THE WORKPLACE

Issues and dilemmas in the workplace can range from the simple disagreement to complex
issues that affect the bottom line in a negative manner. For a small business, understanding the
various issues that can cause problems in the workplace will help identify and correct them before
the business suffers.
Internal Conflict. Internal conflict can result from a wide range of issues. Employees passed
over for a promotion or denied a pay raise may harbor ill feelings toward others and the company.
Other possible issues and dilemmas stemming from internal conflict include misunderstandings
resulting from a lack of open communication and feeling bullied or harassed by other employees,
even managers and supervisors. When internal conflicts begin to impact the productivity of the
business and the morale of the surrounding environment, management must step in and take control
of the situation before it gets out of hand.
Ethical Issues. Small businesses can often use interview techniques to successfully weed out
any candidates who demonstrate possible character flaws or ethical risks. Paying attention to an
employee's conduct after hiring is an important step in protecting the reputation of your company.
Ethical issues such as employee theft, providing discounts or price breaks outside of the usual
company policies and practices and other unfair practices are prime examples of possible issues and
dilemmas a small business may face.
Team Dynamics. Team dynamics can make or break a project or initiative for any business.
Team members may try to promote their own agenda or take credit for work done by other team
members. When working as a team, challenges related to differing views and ideas may take center
stage. This can lead to distractions and eventually, difficulty reaching a workable solution. Setting
forth a proper framework to work within and identifying the roles each member can play during
team exercises can help limit any issues or difficulties stemming from team dynamics.
Other Issues. Several other issues and dilemmas spring to mind when thinking about a small
business workplace. Possible leadership problems may develop if leaders, managers and supervisors
refuse to play by the same rules as the rest of the employees. This can have a negative effect on
creating a positive workplace culture. Other workplace issues can stem from the absence of a
company handbook that spells out all company policies and procedures. This can lead to a lack of
continuity and a lack of control over the direction of the workplace.
1. Read the text and find words or phrases for the definitions below.
1) final outcome of a process (paragraph 1);
2) originating (paragraph 2);
3) to have effect on (paragraph 2);
4) defects (paragraph 3);
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5) interruptions; obstacles to concentration (paragraph 4);
6) a reference book listing brief facts on a subject or place (paragraph 5).
2. Choose the best alternative to continue the statements. There may be more than one answer.
1) Internal conflicts result from ……
a) promotion;
b) pay rise denial;
c) communication:
d) misunderstanding.
2) Ethical issues include ….
a) theft;
b) lack of communication;
c) price breaks outside of the usual company practices;
d) character flaws.
3) Team dynamics issues may lead to:
a) lack of control in the workplace;
b) team exercises;
c) distractions;
d) difficulty in reaching workable solutions.
1) Understanding complex issues in the workplace affects businesses in a negative manner.
2) Internal conflicts may cause ill feelings towards members of the company.
3) If a candidate demonstrates character flaws at the interview he is not hired.
4) If an employee provides discounts outside the usual company practices he thus protects the
reputation of the company.
5) To avoid team dynamics dilemmas it is necessary to organize team exercises.
6) If leaders, managers and supervisors play by the same rules as the rest of the employees it
can have a negative effect on the workplace culture.
TEAM WORK AND TEAM BUILDING ESSENTIALS

Team building skills are critical for your effectiveness as a manager or entrepreneur. And
even if you are not in a management or leadership role yet, better understanding of team work can
make you a more 1) _________employee and give you an extra edge in your corporate office.
A team building success is when your team can accomplish something much bigger and
work more 2) _________ than a group of the same individuals working on their own. You have a
strong synergy of individual contributions. But there are two critical factors in building a high
performance team.
The first factor in team 3) ________ is the diversity of skills and personalities. When people
use their strengths in full, but can compensate for each other's weaknesses. When different
personality types balance and complement each other. The other critical element of team work
success is that all the team efforts are directed towards the same clear goals, the team goals. This
relies heavily on good communication in the team and the harmony in member relationships.
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In real life, team work success rarely happens by itself, without focused team building efforts
and activities. There is simply too much space for problems. For example, different personalities,
instead of complementing and balancing each other, may build up conflicts. Or even worse, some
people with similar personalities may start fighting for authority and dominance in certain areas of
expertise. Even if the team goals are clear and accepted by everyone, there may be no team
commitment to the group goals or no consensus on the means of achieving those goals: individuals
in the team just follow their personal opinions and move in conflicting directions. There may be a
lack of trust and openness that lead to 4) ________work. And on and on. This is why every team
needs a good leader who is able to deal with all such team work issues.
Here are some additional team building ideas, techniques, and tips you can try when
managing teams in your situation.
Make sure that the team goals are totally clear and completely understood and accepted by
each team member.
Make sure there is complete clarity in who is responsible for what and avoid overlapping
authority. For example, if there is a risk that two team members will be competing for control in
certain area, try to divide that area into two distinct parts and give each more complete control in
one of those parts, according to those individual's strengths and personal inclinations.
Build trust with your team members by spending one-on-one time in an atmosphere of
honesty and openness. Be loyal to your employees, if you expect the same.
Allow your office team members build trust and openness between each other in team
building activities and events. Give them some opportunities of extra social time with each other in
an atmosphere that encourages open communication. For example in a group lunch on Friday.
Though be careful with those corporate team building activities or events in which socializing
competes too much with someone's family time. The 5) _________of this will be invaluable.
For issues that rely heavily on the team consensus and commitment, try to involve the whole
team in the decision making process. For example, via group goal setting or group sessions with
collective discussions of possible decision options or solution ideas. What you want to achieve here
is that each team member feels his or her ownership in the final decision, solution, or idea. And the
more he or she feels this way, the more likely he or she is to agree with and commit to the decided
line of action, the more you build team commitment to the goals and decisions.
When managing teams, make sure there are no blocked lines of communications and you and
your people are kept fully informed.
Even when your team is spread over different locations, you can still maintain effective team
communication. Just do your meetings online and slash your travel costs. Click here for a free test
drive.
Be careful with interpersonal issues. Recognize them early and deal with them in full.
Don't miss opportunities to empower your employees. Say thank you or show appreciation
of an individual team player's work.
Speak about 6) __________ in the workplace, but don't limit yourself to negative feedback.
Be fare. Whenever there is an opportunity, give positive feedback as well.
Finally, though team work and team building can offer many challenges, the pay off from a
high performance team is well worth it.
1. Read the text and complete the gaps (1-6) with the following words.
Effect, effective, effectively, effectiveness, ineffective, ineffectiveness
2. Find the words or phrases for each definition below.

1) achieve or complete (paragraph 2);
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2) add to (paragraph 3);
3) special skill or knowledge (paragraph 4);
4) stimulates and supports (paragraph 9);
5) keep (paragraph 12).

1) What is a team?
2) Why is it necessary to have people with different skills in one team?
3) What difficulties can be within a team?
4) Why is it necessary to delegate responsibilities?
5) How can a team leader build trust and openness?
6) Who should make decisions in a team?
7) What feedback is more important: negative or positive?
TEAM-BUILDING WITH A PURPOSE

Entrepreneurs design team bonding programs that keep their employees motivated.
Team-building events have a reputation among many employees as time-wasters that simply
keep them away from the office as more work piles up. Yet team-building experts and qualified
entrepreneurs design programs that help them reach specific goals for their team.
For instance, when Ken Keller, owner of a Renaissance Executive Forums franchise in
Valencia, Calif., needed to develop rapport and trust among a group of top executives, he took them
to a vineyard and told them to create their own wine. The group was divided into teams and each
team was given a few wine samples. They had to work together to create their own signature wine,
design a label and develop a marketing pitch, all to be presented to judges at the end of the
competition. Not only was the activity "a blast," Keller says, it also "helped people really get
focused on the task at hand and work together toward a common goal. Creatively designed programs
like the wine-blending competition help shatter the stereotypes of company organization and
working methods."
"Team-building gets a bad rep because some organizations offer programs and really don't
know what they're doing," says Mike Cardus, president of Create-Learning Teambuilding in Buffalo,
“The most successful team-building activities are explicitly linked back to participants' jobs so that
they'll understand how skills developed can be translated into workplace habits. To make that
happen, each team-building experience must be strategically designed with specific goals in mind.
Here are just a few examples of possible benefits a company can get by introducing team-building
training in their business:
1. _____. While each organization's goals for a team-building program vary, in the current
economy many companies primarily "want to enhance employees' engagement in the company,"
says Nat Measley, a manager of a consulting firm that helps companies develop cultures of having
fun with a purpose.
Aside from playing games, the experience "generates lots of ideas as how to apply the
lessons learned during the fun routines to our daily work," he says. "It, a kind of, renews sense of
camaraderie and a better understanding of how each of us reacts to certain situations. There is a real
sense of teamwork that appears right after several team-building exercises, especially when we pair
people that were not familiar with each other before the gathering."
2. _____. Lender Consulting Services in Rochester, N.Y., has small offices across several
states, so many employees never work together. CEO Mark LiPuma wanted to open lines of
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communication among staff across the company, so he hired Create-Learning Team Building to
facilitate a two-hour team-building activity.
"At first there was some reluctance and a sense that this is just a waste of time," LiPuma
says. "But as the day approached, there was genuine excitement and anticipation. The morning of
the event was very satisfying for us as owners because everyone was milling around and getting
excited about what was to come."
Starting with a get-to-know-you icebreaker, the 37 participants played several games that
required balance, trust and teamwork. In one game, each group was given balloons and tape and
instructed to build a tower of balloons, competing for the highest tower. "We had a certain amount of
time to blow up balloons and hold them together with our tape," says Mary Kremer, an employee at
Lender Consulting. "It was nice to experience working as a group, sharing engineering ideas and
putting them to use."
3. _____. At LunchByte Systems, a provider of software and services for school cafeterias,
the goal of a recent team-building program was to "showcase the importance of customer service
and communications," says Colin Sheridan, president of the company.
Create-Learning Team Building conducted the activity as part of a two-day company wide staff
development meeting, with the company's values of customer service and open communication were
emphasized throughout. Employees were divided into functional team units to design and execute a
solution to a business challenge. The aim of the project was to deliver customer satisfaction and an
excellent product in a profitable and sustainable way by being able to communicate and operate with
flexibility across different functions and areas.
During the debriefing, discussions of customer service and communication came up again
and again. "It was a good reminder of some simple but easily forgotten principles," Sheridan says. "I
am sure there were some eye rolls but once we got started with the activities people had fun. As the
debriefing showed, the objectives and lessons were understood by everyone. It was a good change of
pace versus meetings and presentations and it got the points across."
one letter (A-C).
A. Reinforcing Company Values
B. Improving morale.
C. Fostering Communication
1) team-building 5) signature wine 9) wide staff development meeting
2) time-waster 6) wine-blending 10) company values
3) top executive 7) get-to-know-you icebreaker 11) reminder
4) vineyard 8) two-day company 12) eye roll
a) permission to sell a company’s goods or service that is given or sold to a business person or a
company established due to that permission;
b) someone who is taking part in an activity or event;
c) a way to solve a problem or to deal with a difficult situation;
d) to form or to be put into groups of two;
e) a feeling of excitement about something enjoyable that is going to happen soon;
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f) your usual way of doing things, especially when you do them in a fixed order at the same
time;
g) help and advice given to shoppers, hotel guests, businesspeople etc.;
h) the ability to change or to be changed easily to suit a different situation;
i) a meeting where someone gives a report about an important job they have just finished.
4. Match the verbs from the text (1-17) to their synonyms (a-q).
1) pile up a) ease
2) reach b) fulfill
3) divide c) come
4) shatter d) stress
5) vary e) need
6) offer f) use
7) enhance g) impart
8) facilitate h) give
9) share i) tender
10) apply j) change
11) require k) break
12) hire l) split
13) approach m) attain
14) execute n) exhibit
15) showcase o) heap up
16) emphasize p) employ
17) deliver q) improve
5. Find synonyms for words and phrases below.

a) businessperson f) rivalry k) lack of wish
b) standing (n) g) pleasure l) computer programs
c) friendly relationship h) personnel m) aims
d) tag i) personal contacts
e) commission j) way out
1) Morale is ……..
a) the level of confidence and positive feelings, especially among a group of people who work
together, belong to the same team etc;
b) principles of right or wrong behavior (especially in matters of sex) that are generally
accepted by the society.
2) Blast is ……..
a) a sudden strong attack by a team or player, in which goals or points are scored;
b) a very enjoyable and exciting experience.
3) Marketing pitch is …….
a) a place where someone stands to sell something or to entertain people in the street;
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b) the things you say to persuade someone to buy something or to support you.
4) Benefits are ……..
a) advantages you get from a situation or opportunities to improve your life in some way;
b) extra money that you get in addition to your salary from your employer as part of your
job.
5) Engagement is ………
a) an arrangement to employ someone or to use their services;
b) the feeling of being involved in a particular activity.
6) Challenge is ……..
a) something that tests strength, skill or ability especially in a way that is interesting;
b) an idea or action that does not accept something as true, accurate or legal.
ones from the text.
1) A combination of effective time management, team work and clear planning is the only
possible solution in a situation when you have a piece of work with very little time available
to complete it.
2) A few weeks spent abroad may completely destroy a tourist’s previous opinion about the
Germans as the most punctual people, the Japanese as always being polite and friendly etc.
3) Hot-desking is usually so very unpopular and raises so much negative attitude that fewer and
fewer companies are trying to spread this method of working among the staff.
4) Corporate entertainments are intended to develop a feeling of friendliness between potential
business partners.
5) A period of industrial revolution in Europe was marked by invention of machines and
factories which were built frequently and for a long time - throughout the 18th and the 19th
centuries.
6) A management consultant invited to advise the company how to improve their organization
and working methods recommended setting a different rate and standards of work for
employees to sustain.
7) In order to hold successful business negotiations all parties, besides doing their best to
succeed in communicating important ideas to the partners, have to be prepared to make
compromise.
1) To become a powerful tool of business training team-building programs must be well-
planned and designed by experienced entrepreneurs.
2) All varieties of tasks any team-building program may offer to employees are presented in the
form of competition and aim to relax the participants and make them feel excited.
3) Whatever funny and unusual activities employees can do during a team-building event, the
principles they apply to deal with the situations can safely be used for solving serious
business challenges.
4) Sometimes participation in the team-building program mostly helps businesspeople to
remember or check out something they have already known from their past working
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experience.

1) Why do you think many business people feel rather skeptical about team-building programs?
Give at least two reasons.
2) What are main tips to make a team-building event really effective? Present them in the form of
a list.
3) Do the examples of team-building programs have anything in common despite the tasks and
activities offered to employees are different? Explain your point of view.
IMPORTANCE OF TEAMWORK IN ORGANIZATIONS

Teamwork is used across many different industries to increase performance, employee unity
and company culture. Companies that must frequently develop new ideas or products using a
project-based approach assemble teams in order to diffuse responsibility. Team members use
teamwork to bounce ideas off of one another before deciding on a development path for a project.
Teamwork is important due to the problem-solving synergy gained from multiple minds
working on a solution. When one person works on a specific company problem, that person only has
her personal experience and knowledge from which to pull for solutions. Using teamwork, team
members pool their collective ideas together to generate unique ideas for dealing with problems.
Teamwork is the backbone of effective communication within a company. When employees
work as individuals or independently on projects, they may not readily share knowledge or new
information. This lack of communication increases the time it takes to complete projects, tasks or
the development of solutions. Teamwork promotes conversation between employees regarding the
task at hand, possibly preventing employees from working in opposite directions. For example, if
one employee does not communicate that one method of addressing a problem is a dead end, and
another employee is still trying to use that method, productivity is lowered.
Cohesion is an important byproduct of teamwork within a company. This cohesion could be
the result of increased chemistry, trust or both from working on projects as a team. Cohesive
employees are less likely to be confrontational toward one another and more accepting of each
others' decisions. Cohesion from teamwork can greatly increase the work-flow speed of a company.
When employees work together as a team within a company, every employee learns from
one another. This knowledge is not limited to the personal experiences of coworkers. Employees
from different departments may learn information from each other regarding the limitations and
possibilities of those departments. For example, if a marketing department consistently makes
demands with unrealistic deadlines to another department, the marketing department may see
through teamwork why its requests are unreasonable.

a) team d) trust
b) employee e) department
c) consumer f) deadline
2. Match the words from the text (1-6) to their opposites (a-f).
1) different a) to lower
2) frequently b) usual
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3) unique c) never
4) to increase d) to refuse
5) employee e) the same
6) to accept f) employer
a) to spread something among a large group of people (paragraph 1);
b) a way to deal with a bad situation or a problem (paragraph 2);
c) the part of something that makes it successful or strong (paragraph 3);
d) a situation in which people or things combine well to form a unit (paragraph 4);
e) knowledge and skills gained through time spent doing a job or activity (paragraph 5).
4. Match the sentence beginnings (1-2) with the endings (a-h).

1) Teamwork can …
2) Teamwork can’t …
a) need more time to solve a problem.

b) enlarge employees’ knowledge.
c) improve the way the company operates.
d) make the working atmosphere better.
e) prevent employees from developing new ideas.
f) be used in service industry.
g) adjust the work of other company departments.
h) help to share experience.
UNIT 8. DECISIONS
DECISION MAKING PROCESS
Decision-making is one of the defining characteristics of leadership. It’s core to the job
description. 1) _____.Yet, there isn’t a day that goes by that you don’t read something in the
business press that makes you wonder, “What were they thinking?” or “Who actually made that
decision?” That’s probably always been the case, but it seems exponentially more so in the opening
decade of the new millennium where everything seems marked with, “too big, too fast, too much,
and too soon.”
The reality seems to be that most organizations aren’t overrun by good decision makers, yet
alone great ones. When asked, people don’t easily point to what they regard as great decisions.
Stories of bad decisions and bad decision-making come much more readily to mind. Some of that is
due to our tendency to notice and recall exceptions vs. all the times things go as planned. For
example, you’ve walked along side buildings more times than you could possibly count. Yet you
remember vividly the one time you got nailed by a pigeon overhead. 2) _____.
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We’re also that way because the really bad ones tend to really hurt. It’s not that people don’t
have the capacity to make high-quality decisions in them. Decision-making is a distinctly human
activity. It’s what that great, big frontal lobe is for. We all make decisions all the time. But the fact
that we’re hard-wired to make decisions doesn’t by itself make us good decision-makers.
That takes discipline: discipline to do at least four things all the time and well. 3) _____.
Declare the decision: decide what the decision is, how you’ll work it, and who should be involved.
Work the decision: generate a complete set of alternatives, gather the information you need to
understand the possibilities and probabilities, and ultimately make a choice that best fits your values.
Commit resources and act.
4) _____. We’ve worked with a lot of leaders and managers in some of the most widely
regarded companies in the world and our observation is that most people don’t. In fact, the
distribution generally looks something like this. There are some really wretched decision makers.
For them, a good outcome is usually a matter of luck. There are a lot of people who are reasonably
competent decision makers. Their decision processes aren’t great, but they’re not bad, and the
outcomes they experience track accordingly.
5) _____. These people are proactive and decision-oriented. They’re able to focus attention
on what’s important and critical. They know how to break a decision down into logical parts. They
know how to work each of those parts in a high quality way. They know how to deal with
possibilities and probabilities. They’re able to see opportunities where others see problems. They’re
able to make quality choices in the face of uncertainty. They’re able to turn thought into action.
There is a sprinkling of people we’d describe as great decision-makers. 6) _____. Their
“greatness”, a word that is probably overused in a way, comes from their ability to create the
dynamics needed to ensure that the people in their organizations can do the same.
Good and great decision makers expect high quality outcomes and they’re generally not
disappointed. When they are, it’s usually because of some random thunderbolt or some unforeseen
dynamics, not because they didn’t do a good job of working the problem. 7) _____. But over the
long-term, we think the good decision/good outcome connection holds up, and the outliers have
either not been in the job long enough for their bad decisions to catch up, or have been
extraordinarily lucky.
one letter (A-G).
A. Not everyone does those four things consistently or consistently well.
B. Like other good decision makers, these people consistently make high quality decisions.
C. Making decisions is what managers and leaders are paid to do.
D. There are exceptions to this syllogism.
E. Realize when and why you need to make a decision.
F. That’s how we are about bad decisions.
G. There is a small group of people who could be described as “good decision makers”.
2. Find adjectives for each definition below.

a) describing something correctly and thoroughly and saying standards, limits, qualities it has that
makes it different from other things;
b) first or beginning;
c) caused by your genes and the way that your brain is made, rather than learnt from experience;
d) of very low quality or in a very bad condition;
e) capable of doing something in a satisfactory or effective way;
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f) taking actions and making changes before they need to be made, rather than waiting until
problems develop;
g) chosen or happening without any particular method, reason or purpose.
3. Match the adverbs (1-8) to words and phrases with similar meaning.
1) actually a) in a way that is clear to your senses
2) exponentially b) by most people or in most cases
3) vividly c) in a stable manner without radical changes
4) generally
d) in increasing or fast-growing way
5) distinctly
6) consistently e) the real and exact truth of a situation is
7) ultimately f) in a way that seems strange or unusual
8) extraordinarily g) in detail
h) after a process or activity has ended
1) wonder a) result from, spring from

2) point to b) divide, split
3) regard c) retain, remain
4) hurt d) apply, employ
5) involve e) guarantee, secure
6) generate f) anticipate, await
7) gather g) arrive, come up
8) commit h) indicate, show
9) work sth i) manage, handle
10) break down j) take part, contribute
11) deal with k) create, invent
12) come from l) deal with, cope with
13) ensure m) think of, regard
14) expect n) collect, accumulate
15) hold up o) interest, question
16) catch up p) distress, upset
a) didn’t pay attention to a certain event because you considered it unimportant;

b) experienced a situation too often.
4. When a person was nailed by a pigeon they ….
a) were caught by police and proved guilty of a crime;
b) got dirty with excrements of a bird.
5. Capacity is …..
a) someone’s job, position or duty;
b) someone’s ability to do something.
6. The phrase “most people don’t” in the text refers to the fact that ….
a) more of those, who have problems with decision-making, work in small-scale businesses
rather than in big world-known companies;
b) majority of decision-makers never follow all steps of the decision-making procedure.
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7. When something is considered to be critical, it means ……
a) dangerous or uncertain because a sudden change to a good or bad condition is possible;
b) very important because what happens in the future depends on it.
8. A sprinkling is …….
a) a small amount of a liquid or substance such as sugar or snow on the surface of something;
b) a small number of people or things.
9. When people create the dynamics they …….
a) examine the movement of objects and the forces related to the movement;
b) work out the way in which things or people behave, react and affect each other.
10. Thunderbolt is …….
a) a flash of lightning and a loud noise in the sky together, which hits something;
b) a sudden event or a piece of news that shocks you.
a) leadership f) distribution
b) decade g) overused
c) millennium h) decision-oriented
d) frontal lobe i) unforeseen
e) alternative j) outlier
7. Rewrite the sentences below, replacing the underlined words and phrases with the
appropriate ones from the text.
a) Memories people have are very often more bright and vivid than the events happened
explained by the fact that people tend to remember something that is not included into a rule
or doesn’t follow an expected pattern rather than something customary and regular.
b) Starting as a local noodle producer the Nokia Company has turned into a world-known
business the brand name of which is recognized in most countries.
c) When some companies take a risk to sacrifice their stable financial position for the sake of
creativity and innovation, they, whatever strange it may seem, are choosing the right policy
and the benefits they got later prove that.
d) A system of risk management that has been developed in the world of business not long ago
to minimize possible failures aims to assist businesspeople who often have to take long-term
strategic decisions in changeable and unpredictable environment.
e) Interestingly, many talented designers and inventors sometimes lack practical knowledge of
how to implement their ideas.
a) Lots of information people get in the mass media about different organizations institutions’
policy makes them question the competence of their administrative and managerial bodies.
b) In the beginning of the 21st century people tend to have a very demanding lifestyle due to
increased tempo of life so their ability to take right decisions is more important than ever.
c) Only winners and victories are remembered by people, while losers and failures are usually
quickly forgotten.
d) People unlike all other living beings are naturally good at decision making as this is their
innate ability.
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e) A decision-making procedure is well-known and quite accessible and someone’s successful
decision depends in many respects on the way the person follows it.
f) Even really competent and experienced decision makers, who accurately took all necessary
steps to work the problem, can get unexpectedly disappointing result.
g) Very few people are so extraordinarily lucky that they succeed in their job, career etc even
though they often take decisions which are far from being carefully thought-out.
9. Rephrase the following sentences from the text.

a) It’s core to the job description.
b) The reality seems to be that most organizations aren’t overrun by good decision makers, yet
alone great ones.
c) Decision- making is a distinctly human activity.
d) For them, a good outcome is usually a matter of luck.
e) They’re able to see opportunities where others see problems.
DECISION MAKING MODELS IN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

There are several different decision making models in business management. 1)
___________. Utilizing different decision making models will increase the success of decisions in
business management. Some decision making models are rational, adaptive, planned, collective
participation, intuitive, and emergent.
Rational decision making models rely on facts and logic to make decisions. Adaptive
decision making models are appropriate when there are time constraints on decisions. 2) _________.
Collective participation is a decision making model that involves a group of people to decide.
Intuitive decision making relies on knowledge and experience. The emergent model of decision
making combines both planned and adaptive decision making.
A combination of planning, rational thinking, adaptive thought, and intuition is my preferred
method because they all are important at different times. 3) _________. Planning and rational
thinking is important for all decisions because it allows you to discover and evaluate the background
behind a problem, the possible options for solution, goals that will prove that the problem is solved,
and many other important aspects to think about before making a decision. 4) ______. Intuitive
thinking is important in matters that are personal or way out equally rationally.
Team members affect the decision making model that best fits the situation in a positive way.
If the decision making model fits the situation best that means it also suits the team members
because they should be taken into consideration when choosing a decision making model. For
example they might influence which decision making model should be used in a particular situation
when they have to make a quick decision. 5) ________ .
Understanding and correct use of decision making models will allow management to make
successful decisions in business.
one letter (A-E).
A. Adaptive thought is good when you are short of time to make decisions.
B. Sometimes it is also important to use more than one model at the same time.
C. Planned decision making is similar to rational because it relies on a strict plan when making
decisions.
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D. This may cause the decision making model to be adaptive instead of planned because of little
time.
E. They are all very important to the decision making process of management.
5. Find words from the text for each definition below.

a) using something for a particular purpose (paragraph 1);
b) things that limit something (paragraph 2);
c) past events which help to understand why something is how it is (paragraph 3);
d) to be right or good for something (paragraph 4).
a) As rational decision making model is based on facts and logic, it is the most useful in
business management.
b) Sarah Ganly is in favour of intuitive decision making because it relies not only on
knowledge but also on experience.
c) When dealing with a particular situation it is better to use one decision making model.
d) The author advises you to rely on team members when making your mind what model to
use.
e) Choosing the right decision making model can help your company to make a lot of money.
RICHARD BRANSON ON
HIS MOST IMPORTANT MANAGERIAL DECISIONS
Most good chief executives or entrepreneurs only make three or four key decisions every
year. Running your business's day-to-day operations and managing your team can take much of your
time, so there are usually only a few that stand out – the game-changing decisions that can make or
sometimes break a business. Looking back over my career, which now spans more than four
decades, there were many occasions when I got it right and a few when I did not. A few guiding
principles helped; these are the things I would have liked to have known when I was just starting
out.
1. _____. There have been many occasions when I have led our team into markets that
industry experts told us to avoid because the competition was too fierce or the cost of entry too high.
This was the case when we launched our airlines Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Blue (recently rebranded
Virgin Australia), in 1984 and 2000, respectively. On both occasions, my fellow directors were
nervous about our chances for survival, given the strengths of our competitors – namely their market
share and fleet sizes and experienced personnel. But I felt that our competitors had become
complacent; that passengers wanted something different. Virgin Atlantic went from strength to
strength, and now carries over 5 million passengers per year. After launching the business with just
two Boeing 737s, we have built Australia's second biggest airline, and now have a fleet of nearly 90
planes WQ.
2. _____. It wasn't just our team that occasionally worried about our stepping into tough
markets. Over the years, our critics fretted about Virgin's expansion into airlines, financial services
and mobile phone services. What did our company know about these industries and how would we
manage the complex issues? My answer was always to focus on the customer experience, ensuring
that we offered the best service, most innovative products and best value. This worked especially
well in mobile services, where most companies still require customers to sign contracts that are
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difficult and expensive to exit. We revolutionized the market by offering a pre-paid model. Our
position was radical, but we were selling exactly what a number of younger and newer users wanted.
Our businesses grew quickly in the U.K., Australia, Canada, France, South Africa, the United States,
and more recently in India, expanding our customer base and brand far and wide.
3. _____. I had to learn to trust the management teams, and to support them when they saw
an opportunity. When Matthew Bucknall and Frank Reed came to us in 1999 with the concept of a
family-friendly health club, we decided to invest. Very quickly, they impressed all of us with their
innovative approach to customer service and team building.
4. _____. It can be very difficult to know when to sell, since as a founder and entrepreneur
you become very attached to your business and your team. Look into whether selling will be good
for the overall health of your company, or if you need objectivity, ask trusted advisers to do this.
Selling is difficult, and you will be tempted to hold on too long. This is one of the biggest mistakes
an entrepreneur or chief executive can make.
5. _____. When you are facing a difficult choice or must make an important decision on
behalf of your company, keep in mind that the answer might not always be yes or no -- sometimes
there are other options. Your job is to lead your team in the search for the best solutions, which are
not always the easiest ones.
1. Read the text and match the subheadings (A- E) to paragraphs (1-5).
A. Always support your team.
B. Avoid black-and-white attitude.
C. Focus on your customers, not your critics.
D. Trust your instincts.
E. Know when to say goodbye.
a) the process of becoming involved in a situation or becoming part of an institution or a
structure;
b) a special time or situation that could be a cause for some activity or event;
c) an opportunity to continue to exist, especially in a difficult situation;
d) a company that sells the same goods or services as another company;
e) the percentage of the total amount of sales of a particular product that a company has;
f) number of vehicles (cars or planes) owned by one organization;
g) the process of making a business grow by including more people, moving into new areas,
selling more products, etc.
h) an optimal combination of money you pay for goods or services and special good qualities or
advantages they give you;
i) a particular way of thinking about or dealing with something;
j) as a representative of something;
k) a way to solve a problem or deal with a bad situation;
l) an attempt to find an answer or information;
3. Complete the sets of synonyms with the verbs from the text.
a) distinguish, differ, … c) last, continue, …
b) ruin, crash, … d) escape, elude, …
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e) start, begin, … j) present, give, …
f) think, believe, … k) demand, request, …
g) enter, penetrate, … l) quit, break, …
h) worry about, be concerned about, … m) back up, uphold, …
i) cope with, succeed in, … n) guide, steer, …
a) chief executive h) personnel
b) game-changing decision i) customer base
c) career j) family-friendly health club
d) decade k) invest
e) guiding principle l) team-building
f) industry expert m) objectivity
g) fellow director n) option
5. What do the phrases below mean? Choose the best alternative.

1) …’these are the things I would have liked to have known when I was just starting out’ means
a) I liked that I had necessary information when I began doing business;
b) I lacked necessary knowledge at the beginning of my business career.
2) …‘will be good for the overall health of your company’ means that new working
environment
a) will help the personnel to keep fit and get medical care;
b) will help the organization to gain success.
a) Running a company is very demanding as long as every day the top manager is expected to
take really vital decisions that eventually might be a success or a disaster for the whole
business
b) When launching air lines, the Virgin company had to cope with such threats as their
competitors’ large number of employees and big size of the aircrafts.
c) The danger of becoming too much pleased with what has been done is a potential threat for
any business that may result in the customers’ switching to a different business.
d) New ideas and methods of work as well customer care are the keys to success in any
entrepreneurial activity.
e) Trust your intuition, seek your colleagues’ support, consult the experts and you will never be
forced to quit your business.
f) In harsh business environment decision-making process requires great flexibility from an
entrepreneur or chief executive.
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TRUSTING YOUR GUT INSTINCTS
In our lives and businesses, we have to make countless decisions every day to move our
goals forward. However, accessing all our choices can be stressful because money, resources and our
reputations are often on the line. We can become so obsessed with making the "right" decision that
we inadvertently abandon our dreams.
One entrepreneur I recently met compares business decision making to the choices he makes
raising his children. There is rarely an absolute right solution, but more often than not, your intuition
tips the balance toward the best choice. Trusting your innate sense makes it easier to develop
winning strategies that work for you and your business.
Successful decision-makers realize, victory is only achieved by taking a series of actions.
Their common goal is to create a path that is most likely to produce the desired results. They
continue to learn, adjust their goals and move forward no matter what challenges they encounter. To
awaken and strengthen your natural instincts, consider the following tactics:
1. _____. Clarity is remarkably easy to find when you seek it. When a challenge occurs,
immediately focus on the resolution. It can be as simple as "satisfy my customers" or as specific as
"sign Acme as a distribution partner." Basing your assessment on a clear outcome allows you to
apply your instinct with the same ease you would if your assessment were based on hard numbers
and facts.
2. _____. Concentrate on the present task and use your imagination to generate feasible
solutions. List three different alternatives that can spur you toward your ultimate goal. These serve
as a blueprint from which your heart and mind can develop exceptional answers.
3. _____. Take a breath, and clear your mind of any outside distractions. Know that no
matter what the circumstances, you have the ability to take positive action. Analyze each option
based on the information and resources available, then let your intuition take flight. Choose the
solution that is most likely to propel your goal forward, and then implement it.
4. _____. Identify an action step you can take immediately to kick-start your chosen strategy.
It's natural to feel unsure about taking your first step. Remember that with each step you take, you
deposit more knowledge into your "intuition experience bank," making your next step toward
success readily apparent. This clear vision of what you need to accomplish helps your spirit and
confidence soar.
5. _____. Worrying about negative outcomes stresses your mind and diminishes your
capacity to trust your instincts. Surprises occur. Distinguish between decisions and outcomes - you
have control of your actions, but not of the ultimate results. If you focus on preparing for the worst-
case scenario rather than daring to see all possibilities, you gravitate toward being reactive instead of
proactive.
Developing your intuitive sense is similar to learning any new skill - the more you practice,
the more proficient you will become. Learn to trust your decision-making ability by paying close
attention to what your intuition is telling you. Listen to the ideas, opinions and strategies of others,
but remember: Your success is ultimately about the action you take. Personalizing your action plan
will lead to amazing results in your business.
1. Read the text and match the intuition of developing tactics (1-5) to their explanations (a-e).
a) Listen to yourself.
b) Do not obsess over "what ifs."
c) Explore your choices.
d) Take bold action.
e) State your desired outcome.
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2. Complete the sets of synonyms with the verbs from the text.
a) leave, quit, … d) happen, take place, … g) draw, attract, …
b) change, alter, … e) realize, carry out, … h) achieve, reach, …
c) meet, face, … f) contract, reduce, … i) rocket, rise up, …
3. Find opposites to the adjectives from the text.

a) little or few e) impracticable
b) relaxing f) previous
c) indifferent g) initial
d) artificial h) unskilled
1) winning strategy 4) to propel
2) challenge 5) to deposit
3) alternative 6) scenario
a) strong feeling or belief that you have always had;
b) a process of making an opinion after considering something carefully;
c) a detailed plan for doing something or a model for how something should be done;
d) the facts or conditions that affects the situation;
e) the belief that you are able to do things well.

1) What sort of side effect does thorough decision-making sometimes have? Why?
2) What do decision-making and children upbringing have in common?
3) What is the best way to develop your gut instincts?
DECISION-MAKING IN BUSINESS
Decision-making is a crucial part of good business. The question then is ‘how is a good
decision made?’
A. Decision-making increasingly happens at all levels of a business. The Board of Directors
may make the grand strategic decisions about investment and direction of future growth, and
managers may make the more tactical decisions about how their own department may contribute
most effectively to the overall business objectives. But quite ordinary employees are increasingly
expected to make decisions about the conduct of their own tasks, responses to customers and
improvements to business practice. This needs careful recruitment and selection, good training, and
enlightened management.
B. One part of the answer is good information, and experience in interpreting information.
Consultation is seeking the views and expertise of other people also helps, as does the ability to
admit one was wrong and change one's mind. There are also aids to decision-making, various
techniques which help to make information clearer and better analysed, and to add numerical and
objective precision to decision-making (where appropriate) to reduce the amount of subjectivity.
C. Managers can be trained to make better decisions. They also need a supportive
environment where they won't be unfairly criticised for making wrong decisions (as we all do
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sometimes) and will receive proper support from their colleague and superiors. A climate of
criticism and fear stifles risk-taking and creativity; managers will respond by 'playing it safe" to
minimise the risk of criticism which diminishes the business' effectiveness in responding to market
changes. It may also mean managers spend too much time trying to pass the blame around rather
than getting on with running the business.
1. Read the text and rearrange its paragraphs according to the plan given below.
1) A good decision-maker is an impartial decision-maker.
2) Fright comes in, success goes out.
3) The lowest but not the least important.
1) recruitment 4) precision
2) expertise 5) supportive environment
3) techniques 6) superior
3. Find sentences with the same meaning.

a) More and more business people in different positions are expected to decide on their tasks
and activities.
b) In the situation described people are more concerned with possible punishment in case of a
failure than achievement of business goals.
c) A successful business depends mainly on how good business people are at making decisions.
.
d) A very helpful quality of a good decision maker is the ability to listen to the colleagues’
opinion, to admit mistakes and think of an alternative, if necessary.

1) How can a manager become an effective decision-maker?
2) Are there any ways of encouraging managers to get involved into company’s business? If
yes, what are they?
3) Is it possible for people in different positions in business to take part in their company
decision making? Why?
UNIT 9. INNOVATIONS
WHEN INNOVATION FAILS
In business we speak a lot about "innovation" — how to foster it, how to drive it, how to implement
it. But what do we mean when we talk about "innovation"? A recent Wall Street Journal article revealed
that even when organizations are not necessarily doing anything groundbreaking or new, they still call it
"innovation." Just because it just sounds grander.
Changes are often referred to as innovations. Product improvements are considered innovations.
Reorganizations to "better serve customers and markets" are intended to make companies more
innovative. These are not "innovations" - rather they are simply “improvements.”
Here's what we usually see: Management decides that they need to innovate. Individuals and teams
form a working group, establish a charter, and set out to work on innovation improvement initiatives. The
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results are usually a rehash of something they are already doing. If, after some time, these "innovation"
teams paused and reflected on their efforts they might even feel some sense of accomplishment — because
anything other than achievement would indicate that their efforts were a colossal waste of time.
So where did we go wrong?
First, we lacked enthusiasm. None of us went into the process with a sense of passion that we could,
or even should, find something new and different. We were appointed, and as we all know, when you are
tapped on the shoulder, you don't say no, lest you jeopardize your next promotion.
Second, we were all senior. A senior leader's perspective is useful, but much more important is that of
the many customer-facing people who are dealing with these issues every day, trying to fix what is broken,
seeing what others are doing, and who know what is wrong with how the company does what it does.
The way we tried to create innovation — organizing, prescribing, and delegating it — didn't work.
Yes, these groups may improve things — maybe even a lot of things — but rarely is this "innovation."
Producing the next product (like the iPod) or creating a new market (Instagram, without a big team) that
had never existed before — that is innovation.
Innovation does not come out of a controlled situation. If you want more innovation, allow more
chaos. Follow these steps to create that chaos.
1) Use only volunteers. Who in your organization feels excited about trying to build that next
product or market? Let them — the people on the front lines, who are doing their day jobs, who happen to
know your business better than anyone else — into the process.
2) Sponsor an environment that encourages risk-taking. It's fantastic if an employee takes initiative
and risks making innovation. What do you do if they fail? Are they punished? You can be certain if an
employee is punished for taking a risk toward innovation, that other employees will not be taking any risks.
3) Make time for brainstorming. It takes time, and sometimes it takes creating a particular
environment to get employees into an innovative mindset.
This approach will foster some truly transformative ideas, and there will be an enthusiastic base of
supporters ready to turn those ideas into action.
own ideas.
1) Product improvements and reorganizations are intended …
2) The real innovation is …
3) The way to create innovation is …
2. Match the words (1-6) to their definitions (a-f).

1) rehash a) the act of meeting with a group of people in order to develop
2) to go wrong ideas;
3) to deal with b) to have to do;
4) to improve c) something which is really a copy of an earlier one;
5) volunteer d) someone who does something without being paid;
6) brain storm e) to make a mistake during a process so that you don’t get the
right result;
f) to make better.
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phrases mean?
1) Organizations are not necessarily doing anything groundbreaking, but they still call it
“innovation”. It just sounds grander.
2) The results are usually a rehash of something they are already doing.
3) We lacked enthusiasm.
4) Many customer-facing people deal with these issues every day.
5) Innovation does not come out of a controlled situation.
6) Sponsor an environment that encourages risk-taking.
7) Make time for brainstorming.
4. What makes innovation? Choose factors from the list. Explain your choice.
a) the prospects of earning good money
b) working in a creative environment
c) feeling confident that you can do something well
d) receiving praise
e) feeling supported
f) having fun while you work
g) competition with others
h) meeting a challenge
5. Complete the text with your own ideas.

People feel motivated creating innovation when they know they are making ………. . People
need to receive praise. They want to feel that managers ……….. . And most want to have time
for ……… .
HOW TO INSPIRE INNOVATION IN YOUR OWN COMPANY?

"Change is good" says Mark Rice, the new Murata dean at Babson College's Graduate
School of Business. Before that, he was the director of the Severino Center for Technological
Entrepreneurship at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where a 7-year-old research project has aimed
to answer one question: How do large, established R&D-intensive companies discover, develop and
commercialize radical innovations?
Entrepreneur.com: 1. _____________
Mark Rice: Radical innovation in established companies, whether large or small, tends to go
in cycles. When the leadership of the company is focused on operational efficiencies, then the whole
focus of the organization is on current operations. However, when the leadership of the company
says, "That's important, but we also need to look to the future and see the innovative products and
services that are going to create the future of this company," then there's a corresponding response
from the employees to start looking to the future. The reason some companies don't do it
consistently is because of the change in the focus of the management over time.
Entrepreneur.com: 2. ________________
Mark Rice: Very often businesses end up being driven by pressure from the marketplace.
Competitors are out there creating new innovations that change the game. If your firm is not doing
that, it tends to be caught in the game of catch-up. The second issue is that the investment
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community tends to reward companies that are creating the future through innovating. They have
great growth prospects for the future.
Mark Rice: The traditional definition of innovation is based on two dimensions of
uncertainty, incremental uncertainty and market uncertainty. The two ends of the spectrum are
incremental innovation, for which the technical and market uncertainty is relatively low, vs. radical
innovation, where technical and market uncertainty are generally high. In our study, what we
discovered was not only there is high technical and market uncertainty, but there's also a very high
resource and organizational uncertainty. Radical innovation deals with high uncertainty in all four
areas: technical, market, resource and organizational uncertainty.
Mark Rice: We saw two basic approaches being taken. One is the leadership approach, where
they set the stage, set the framework, set the culture and set the context that encourages idea
generation. That tends to motivate the employees to think about innovative new products and
services. The second method was to create mechanisms to help employees do this activity. For
example, companies would hold periodic think tanks, or issue a request for proposals, or provide a
receiving space for ideas, an organizational structure that would help idea generators frame their
ideas into business propositions.
1. Read the interview and choose the best question to fill each of the gaps. For each gap 1-4,
mark one letter (A-D).
A. What is radical innovation, and why is it relevant to entrepreneurs?
B. What do you think is a factor in why some companies don't employ radical innovation?
C. How can a business motivate radical idea generation among its employees?
D. If an established business has been more conservative in innovating, what steps can it take to
change the mindset of its management toward radical innovation?
a) a carefully planned activity based on systematic investigation into materials and sources in
order to establish facts;
b) the situation of economic instability that signifies potential threats for producers’ activity;
c) the change, made on a regular basis, by introducing new ideas, methods or products;
d) the quality of being able to do a task or operation successfully, without wasting time or
energy;
e) a reaction to something similar in character or form to others;
f) a way of dealing with the situation or a problem, based on the actions of people who are in
control of a group or organization;
g) a particular set of rules, ideas, or beliefs which you use in order to deal with problems or to
decide what to do;
h) a body of experts providing advice and ideas on specific political or economic problems;
i) a suggested scheme or plan of action in a business context;
j) established set of ideas and attitudes held by someone;
k) a certain group of people who contribute their money into particular undertaking with the
expectation of a profit.
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1) Dimension is .......
a) a measurement in space, for example height, length etc;
b) an aspect that makes you consider the situation in a particular way
2) The two ends of the spectrum are .....
a) the warmest and the coolest colours from the complete range of colours into which light can
be separated;
b) one extreme point of view and its opposite form the whole range of opinions, ideas, etc.
3) The change in the focus means ...
a) the act of concentrating on or paying particular attention to something new, that you didn’t
notice before;
b) the act of finding a new position where you can see something clearly.
4) Mechanism is ...
a) a method or process of getting something done within a system or organization;
b) part of a machine that perform a particular function.
5) Space for ideas ...
a) an empty area that you leave between words, lines or paragraphs;
b) time and freedom to do things how and when you want.
6) To take steps means ...
a) to perform certain actions,
b) to move in a certain direction.
7) Pressure from the marketplace means ...
a) complains from unsatisfied customers,
b) necessity to compete with other companies.
4. Match the words from the text (1-22) to their opposites (a-v).
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1) to answer a) consequence
2) established b) out-of-date
3) to discover c) past
4) to develop d) discourage
5) radical e) insignificant
6) relevant f) alternative
7) traditional g) unimportant
8) uncertainty h) stability
9) future i) to destroy
10) to start j) to ask
11) reason k) palliative
12) consistently l) inconsistently
13) current m) to wreck
14) important n) permanent
15) basic o) progressive
16) encourage p) giving
17) to create q) to finish
18) periodic r) secondary
19) receiving s) lag
20) conservative t) newly formed
21) great u) irrelevant
22) catch-up v) to hide

a) R&D c) resource e) cycle
b) commercialize d) market f) growth prospects
INNOVATION MANAGEMENT
Innovation management is the discipline of managing processes in innovation. 1) _____.
Without proper processes, it is not possible for R&D to be efficient; IM (innovation management)
includes a set of tools that allow managers and engineers to cooperate with a common understanding
of goals and processes. The focus of IM is to allow the organization to respond to an external or
internal opportunity, and use its creative efforts to introduce new ideas, processes or products.
Importantly, innovation management is not relegated to R&D; it involves workers at every level in
contributing creatively to a company's development, manufacturing, and marketing. By utilizing
appropriate innovation management tools, management can trigger and deploy the creative juices of
the whole work force towards the continuous development of a company. 2) _____.
Innovation processes can either be pushed or pulled through development. A pushed process
is based on existing or newly invented technology, that the organization has access to, and tries to
find profitable applications to use this technology. A pulled process tries to find areas where
customers’ needs are not met, and then focus development efforts to find solutions to those needs. To
succeed with either method, an understanding of both the market and the technical problems are
needed. 3) _____. The lifetime (or product lifecycle) of new products is steadily getting shorter;
increased competition therefore forces companies reduce the time to market. Innovation managers
must therefore decrease development time, without sacrificing quality or meeting the needs of the
market.
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The measure of innovation at the organizational level relates to individuals, team-level
assessments, and private companies from the smallest to the largest. 4) _____. There is now an
emerging body of work around the Management Innovation Index as an effective analytic that uses
regression analysis enabling the measurement of organizational innovation that focuses on the four
organizational pillars of innovation - culture and environment, strategy, innovation practice and the
personal traits, beliefs and attitudes of managers to creativity and innovation. In addition, the
Management Innovation Index maps the flow of creative inputs through the organization's operating
system that produces the organization's innovation, i.e. the creative outputs.
one letter (A-D).
A. By creating multi-functional development teams, containing engineers and marketers, both
dimensions can be solved.
B. It can be used to develop both product and organizational innovation.
C. Measure of innovation for organizations can be conducted using surveys to establish internal
benchmarking.
D. The process can be viewed as an evolutionary integration of organization, technology and
market by iterating series of activities: search, select, implement and capture.
1) Set of tools is ..
a) a group of different objects that are used together for a particular purpose;
b) a certain amount of skills and knowledge that you use in order to perform a job or achieve an
aim;
c) a group of people who spend time together or share an interest.
2) Creative juices are …
a) sth such as fuel or electricity that makes an engine or machine work;
b) the feelings that someone has of wanting to compete, invent something, etc.
3) Market is …
a) the economic system in which prices and the supply of goods are controlled by how much
and what people buy;
b) a public building or place where people sell goods;
c) a group of people that a product is sold to.
4) Analytic is …
a) using a method of separating things into their parts in order to examine an understand them;
b) someone whose job is to examine carefully a situation in order to provide other people with
information about it.
5) Organizational pillar is …
a) a thick strong upright post that supports part of a building;
b) an idea, principle or belief that is important for people in organization;
c) someone who is important and respected within the organization or other group of people.
3. Match the verbs from the text (1-11) to their synonyms (a-k).
1) to use a) to respond
2) to appear b) to introduce
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3) to associate with c) to relegate
4) to give up d) to contribute
5) to include e) to trigger
6) to guide f) to deploy
7) to donate g) to involve
8) to restrain h) to sacrifice
9) to offer i) to relate to
10) to react j) to emerge
11) to cause k) to map
ones from the text.
1) Living in the age of consumerism suggests that people are buying things they do not really
need and the length of time those things are expected to continue to be useful is reducing.
2) Many business women find it impossible to get to the top of their professional career until
they willingly give up some enjoyment of their life, including time they spend with their
children.
3) The purpose of market research is gathering a large amount of information on markets,
products and consumers.
a) working well and producing good results with the help of the available time, money, supplies
etc, using them in the most effective way;
b) the situation when you can easier do something within or outside the organization;
c) the use of a particular method, process, etc.;
d) advanced scientific knowledge, used for practical purposes, especially in industry;
e) the activities of companies that are trying to be more successful than others;
f) a way to solve a problem or deal with a particular situation;
g) a judgment or an opinion about the working process, performed by a group of people
working together;
h) a statistical method of finding the relation between different data, often with the aim of
predicting the way they will changes in future;
i) the surrounding or conditions in which a person, animal or plant lives or operates;
j) a settled way of thinking or feeling that something exists or is true;
k) particular qualities of someone’s character;
l) a set of techniques and activities that controls and directs the overall function of a company.

1) Compare the tasks and functions of IM and R&D. How do they contribute to the
organization development and success?
2) What do innovation managers push and what do they pull?
3) How can Management Innovation Index be used in organizational IM?
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BUILDING AND SUSTAINING INNOVATION
Innovation is a better thing to do, or a better way to do it, that increases an organization’s
ability to achieve its goals. Innovation has also been defined as Creativity plus Change. To qualify as
an innovation, a change must be visible to others and must offer a lasting impact. Innovation can
occur and should be encouraged at all levels within a company from top level executives to lower
level managers and individual contributors. Thus an innovation may be a product, a process, a
method or a system, but it is more than an idea. It has to be converted from idea into action.
In the continuously and rapidly changing world of business, innovation helps to struggle with
tough competition. In fact, there is no business can that be sustained without innovation. That is why
it is extremely important to learn more about what stimulates and drives it, and how to manage it, so
that we could deliver more and better innovation. Sustaining innovation requires approaches that
have structural impact, deliberately creating an environment in which innovation is integrated into
every process and developed within every individual.
There are two levels at which innovation needs to be managed, the organizational level and
the operational level. At the organizational level, we need to ensure that there is a culture that
passionately embraces innovation; there exist strategic alignment of innovation initiatives with
business goals, policies and processes; and that there is an organization-wide focus on the customer
and markets. At the operational level of managing innovation, there should be risk acceptance and
an understanding that inevitable mistakes and even failures are often the basis for future success; an
emphasis on, and tangible support for, exploratory thinking; solid interpersonal relationships and
internal teamwork, with a climate of mutual commitment and support; and finally a cross-functional,
cross-discipline communication, collaboration and teaming within the organization and with
external partners.
1. Put the points of the plan in the correct order according to the text.
A. Innovation as a key to success.
B. Ways of managing innovation.
C. No change for change’s sake.
2. Combine the words to make word partnerships from the text.

1) to achieve a) mistakes
2) a lasting b) focus
3) top level c) relationships
4) individual d) commitment
5) to struggle e) acceptance
6) to convert something f) with external partners
7) alignment g) with competition
8) organization-wide h) thinking
9) risk i) into action
10) inevitable j) impact
11) exploratory k) executives
12) mutual l) of innovation with goals
13) interpersonal m) contributors
14) collaboration n) one’s goals
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3. Match the word partnerships in 2) with their definitions below.
a) to reach a desired objective or result successfully;
b) an effect that is able to endure over a long period of time;
c) the most powerful managers in an organization;
d) some people who do something for the benefit of their organization, other people, etc;
e) to put into practice;
f) to try to win or gain something by establishing superiority over others;
g) finding potential ways of achieving certain results with the help of new technologies;
h) a situation when all departments of an organization pay special attention to a certain thing or
idea;
i) an idea of potential agreement to be involved in a dangerous situation;
j) some problems you could not prevent from happening;
k) an attitude that is based on investigating and finding opportunities for doing something;
l) the state of being dedicated to a certain activity, experienced by each of two or more parties
towards the other or others;
m) the way in which two or more people are connected and communicate;
n) the process of working with people, doing the same business but belonging to a different
organization.
1) A product, process, method or system could be qualified as an innovation if only it features
new ideas and is invented to raise productivity of a company.
2) Innovation success is determined, among other factors, by people’s awareness about how to
manage it and appropriate attitudes and atmosphere.
3) While the organizational level of innovation management deals with creating a favorable
environment, the operational level relates mostly to opinion and attitude of the staff.
4) Among other business goals of managing innovation at the operational level there is a
development of company strategy that allows avoiding any serious mistakes or at least a
complete failure.

1) What are the main qualities that distinguish innovation from other types of changes?
2) Who can initiate innovation?
3) Why is innovation necessary?
4) What spheres of business does operational management focus on?
5) How does it differ from that of organizational management?
INNOVATION
1) ___. With rapid advancements in transportation and communications over the past few
decades, the old world concepts of factor endowments and comparative advantage which focused on
an area’s unique inputs are outmoded for today’s global economy. Economist Joseph Schumpeter,
who contributed greatly to the study of innovation, argued that industries must incessantly
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revolutionize the economic structure from within, that is innovate with better or more effective
processes and products, such as the shift from the craft shop to factory. 2) ___. In addition,
entrepreneurs continuously look for better ways to satisfy their consumer base with improved
quality, durability, service, and price which come to fruition in innovation with advanced
technologies and organizational strategies.
One prime example is the explosive boom of Silicon startups out of the Stanford Industrial
Park. In 1957, dissatisfied employees of Shockley Semiconductor, the company of Nobel laureate
and co-inventor of the transistor William Shockley, left to form an independent firm, Fairchild
Semiconductor. After several years, Fairchild developed into a formidable presence in the sector.
Eventually, these founders left to start their own companies based on their own, unique, latest ideas,
and then leading employees started their own firms. 3) ___. Essentially, Silicon Valley began as 65
new enterprises born out of Shockley’s eight former employees.
In the organizational context, innovation may be linked to positive changes in efficiency,
productivity, quality, competitiveness, market share, and others. 4) ___. For instance, former Mayor
Martin O’Malley pushed the City of Baltimore to use CitiStat, a performance-measurement data and
management system that allows city officials to maintain statistics on crime trends to condition of
potholes. This system aids in better evaluation of policies and procedures with accountability and
efficiency in terms of time and money. In its first year, CitiStat saved the city $13.2 million. Even
mass transit systems have innovated with hybrid bus fleets to real-time tracking at bus stands. In
addition, the growing use of mobile data terminals in vehicles that serves as communication hubs
between vehicles and control center automatically send data on location, passenger counts, engine
performance, mileage and other information. 5) ___.
Still other innovative strategies include hospitals digitizing medical information in electronic
medical records; HUD’s HOPE VI initiatives to eradicate city’s severely distressed public housing to
revitalized, mixed income environments; the Harlem Children’s Zone that uses a community-based
approach to educate local area children; and EPA’s brownfield grants that aids in turning over
brownfields for environmental protection, green spaces, community and commercial development.
one letter (A-E).
A. Over the next 20 years, this snowball process launched the momentous startup company
explosion of information technology firms.
B. This tool helps to deliver and manage transportation systems.
C. In business and economics, innovation is the catalyst to growth.
D. He famously asserted that “creative destruction is the essential fact about capitalism.”
E. All organizations can innovate, including for example hospitals, universities, and local
governments.
a) the act of giving money to a school, hospital or other institution;
b) ability to stay in a good condition for a long time and after being used a lot;
c) the result that you wanted to achieve from a plan or idea;
d) a sudden increase in business activity which results in quick economic success;
e) a business that is just being started;
f) the percentage of the total amount of sales of a particular product that a company has;
g) the statistics, showing how effective a system is;
h) a hole in a road;
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i) a machine that you travels in, especially one with an engine that goes on roads, for example
a car, bus, van, etc.;
j) to get rid of something completely, especially something bad.
a) innovation f) competitiveness
b) unique g) hybrid bus
c) advanced technologies h) community-based approach
d) strategy i) brownfield
e) productivity
1) Unlike marketing strategies of the past, which aimed to found a highly competitive product,
nowadays industries use technology to raise competitiveness of production process and
improve product characteristics.
2) One bright illustration of new organizational strategies application is the activity of a Nobel
laureate William Shockley encouraging his co-workers to form independent firms which
later formed world-known Silicon Valley.
3) Citistat, a performance-measurement data and management system which cost the city $13.2
million and helped to evaluate efficiency of crime reducing policies in terms of time and
money is another example of advanced technologies use.
Apart from efficiency in terms of time and money, great social benefit from innovative strategies
includes positive influence on the quality of people’s lives.
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PART 2. SUMMARY PRACTICE
THEORY GUIDE
Аннотирование - процесс составления кратких сведений о печатном произведении
(книге, статье, докладе и т.д.), позволяющих судить о целесообразности его более
детального изучения. Это процесс свертывания (сжатия) информации с очень большим
уменьшением по отношению к оригиналу. При аннотировании учитывается содержание
произведения, его назначение, ценность и направленность.
Аннотация
Аннотация (от лат. Annotatio – примечание; англ. яз. Abstract или Summary) – это
вторичный документ, содержащий краткую обобщенную характеристику первичного
документа, его части или совокупности документов с точки зрения содержания, формы,
читательского назначения и других особенностей, дополняющих библиографическое
описание.
Аннотация должна в сжатой форме сообщать, о чем говориться в тексте и какую
пользу от его прочтения можно получить, т.е. какие теоретические и/или практические
знания дает это произведение, и какие требования к читательским знаниям предъявляет.
Аннотация отличается от реферата, она не раскрывает содержание, а лишь
сообщает о наличии материала на определенную тему и указывает источник. В отличие от
реферата, который отвечает на вопрос: «ЧТО сказано, ЧТО излагается в первоисточнике?»,
аннотация отвечает на вопрос: «О ЧЕМ говорится в первоисточнике?»
Объем аннотации
С точки зрения объема аннотация может быть развернутой или краткой.
 Развернутая аннотация, объем которой составляет приблизительно 75 слов,
содержит сведения о публикации в более или менее подробном виде.
 Краткая аннотация состоит из нескольких фраз или слов.
Выбор объема аннотации зависит от ее назначения, от чьего имени ведется
изложение (автора или библиографа) и от ее полиграфического оформления. Если
аннотация помещается непосредственно перед статьей, в нее не включают
библиографические данные.
Аннотация составляет, как правило, 1/8 оригинала. Средний объем аннотации – 500
печатных знаков, максимум – 1000 печатных знаков.
Язык аннотации
Аннотация должна быть написана простым языком без использования ненужных и
малопонятных терминов. К аннотациям, как на русском, так и на английском языке
предъявляются следующие требования:
1. Лаконичность в сочетании с точностью характеристики содержания первичного
документа. Использование простых предложений. Глаголы употребляются всегда в
настоящем времени в действительном или страдательном залоге; модальные глаголы,
как правило, не употребляются.
2. Строгая логическая структура аннотации.
3. Обязательное введение в текст аннотации безличных конструкций, т.н. штампов
аннотации, например: Сообщается…; Подробно описывается; Кратко
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рассматривается…;, Излагаются…; Комментируются… и др.. Они иногда называются
вводными выражениями. С них происходит введение и описание текста оригинала.
4. Точность в передаче заглавия оригинала, отдельных формулировок и определений.
5. Недопущение повторений в заглавии и тексте аннотации.
6. Использование слов-обобщений таких, как: общие сведения о ...; классификация;
преимущества; недостатки и т.п.
7. Использование общепринятых сокращений слов, таких, как напр., и т.д., и т.п., и др.
8. Единство терминов и обозначений.
Список оценочных конструкций

Оценочное описание текста В статье представлена точка зрения на...; содержатся
дискуссионные положения, противоречивые
утверждения, общеизвестные истины, ценные
сведения, экспериментальные положения, важные
неопубликованные данные, попытки доказать (что?),
убедительные доказательства; намечаются
правильные пути; отмечается важность (чего?); ясно
сформулировано (что?), доказано (что?)
Выражение сопоставления Сравнивать, сопоставлять (что с чем?), считаться (с
чем?), обращать внимание (на что?), иметь в виду
(что?), наводить на мысль …
Выражение значимости Важно отметить, что; сущность этого сводится к
следующему; с теоретической точки зрения это...; с
практической точки зрения это...; необходимо
подчеркнуть, что …
Выражение уверенности Убежден, уверен, считать, полагать; с точки зрения
автора; автор убедительно доказывает, что; это
доказывает, что; доказано, что; разумеется, что;
очевидно, что; нет сомнения в том, что; в этой связи
ясно, что; автор отстаивает точку зрения,
придерживается точки зрения
Выражение согласия Одобрять, хвалить, восхищаться, соглашаться,
разделять точку зрения, подтверждать, признавать
достоинства, придерживаться подобного же мнения
Выражение критики Отмечать недостатки, упрекать в небрежности, в
(несогласия) неточности, вскрывать недостатки, критиковать,
возражать, оспаривать, расходиться во взглядах,
опровергать, пренебрегать, игнорировать, упускать из
виду ….
Автор не раскрывает содержания (чего?),
противоречит, упускает из виду, необоснованно
утверждает, критически относится, ставит
невыполнимую задачу, не подтверждает вывода
фактами. Непонятно, что; сомнительно, что;
желательно (полезно, целесообразно) было бы...
Выражение предположения Допустить; высказать своѐ предположение;
предложить; выдвинуть гипотезу (о чем?),
предположить, что; условиться, что…
Типы аннотаций
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Аннотации (далее A.) классифицируют:
 по адресату (не для личного пользования — для себя),
 по форме (устные — письменные),
 по объему (краткие А. — обычно сводятся к характеристике исходного текста в
каком-либо аспекте, например с точки зрения основной тематики; развернутые А. —
более подробно представляют исходный текст),
 по наличию оценки первоисточника (описательные А. — раскрывают тематику
книги, сообщают сведения о ней, но не дают критической оценки; рекомендательные
А. — оценивают первоисточник с различных точек зрения, например с точки зрения
доступности книги определенной категории читателей);
 по наличию автора (неавторская А., которой обычно издательство сопровождает
новую публикацию; авторские А., среди которых можно выделить А., написанные не
известным широкому кругу читателей автором, и А., написанные пользующимся
авторитетом, известным, уважаемым или же популярным лицом).
Умение составлять описательные аннотации необходимо не только студентам в

учебном процессе для обработки печатной информации на иностранном и русском языках,
при оформлении записок к дипломным проектам. Специалисты и ученые обязаны уметь
писать аннотации к своим научным статьям, докладам для конференций, используемой
литературе и т.д. Кроме того, умение аннотировать прочитанную литературу помогает
овладеть навыками реферирования.
Описательная аннотация
Описательная аннотация – краткое описание содержания текста с помощью
безличных конструкций в форме краткой справки или описания - может быть составлена
на любой вид печатного произведения. Она в сжатой и конкретной форме раскрывает
сущность содержания и основные выводы аннотируемой публикации.
Описательная аннотация состоит обычно из трех частей:
1. Вводная часть (Справка к аннотации). В ней указываются следующие данные: автор,
название работы на английском языке, перевод названия; количество страниц, таблиц,
рисунков, ссылок на использованную литературу; на каком языке написана работа. Кроме
того, для журнала – его название на английском языке, номер и год издания; для патентов
– номер патента и запатентовавшая страна; для каталогов – фирма, выпустившая данный
каталог; для книг, монографий, учебников – название издательства. Эта часть
необязательна при аннотировании учебных текстов.
2. Основная (описательная) часть отражает перечень наиболее характерных положений
по содержанию работы. Они должны содержать в себе тематику (если она не раскрыта в
названии), цель данной работы и область применения, а также способы, с помощью
которых достигаются поставленные автором цели
3. Заключительная часть. В этой части должен быть общий вывод автора работы или
указание на один какой-то вопрос, которому в работе уделено особое внимание, отдельные
особенности изложения материала, а также рекомендации, для кого данная работа может
представлять особый интерес.
Аннотация не имеет абзацев и начинается с существа вопроса или с вводных фраз,
например: «Рассматриваются, исследуются, даются, показываются, содержатся и т.д.».
Методика составления аннотации

Основными источниками при подготовке аннотации являются:
 титульный лист работы, содержащий выходные данные;
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 содержание (оглавление и сама описательная часть оригинала);
 выводы;
 предисловие;
 послесловие;
 примечания автора;
 графики и таблицы в статье.
При аннотировании статьи можно рекомендовать использовать следующую
последовательность действий:
1. Прочтите заголовок статьи. Определите, дает ли он представление о содержании
статьи.
2. Просмотрите разделы, подзаголовки статьи (если есть). Прочтите и
проанализируйте их.
3. Обратите внимание на рисунки, схемы, таблицы, прочтите подписи под ними. Все
они несут определенную информацию о содержании статьи.
4. Прочтите каждый абзац статьи. Сформулируйте основную мысль/мысли каждого
абзаца своими словами. Обобщите их. Запишите.
5. Объедините родственные проблемы, предметы и т.д., которые освещены в
аннотируемой работе в разных местах. Вычеркните второстепенные,
малосущественные сведения.
6. Определите значимость работы.
7. Отредактируйте полученный материал. Это предполагает перестановку отдельных
слов и фраз, сжатие текста и уточнение терминологии.
Обратите внимание! Научно-техническая статья обычно состоит из следующих частей:

1. Заголовок (Title).
2. Аннотация (Abstract or Summary).
3. Введение (Introduction).
4. Общая часть (Methods, Materials, Procedures).
5. Результаты, обсуждение результатов, заключение (выводы) и рекомендации (Results,
Discussions, Conclusion, Recommendations).
6. Благодарности (Acknowledgements).
7. Использованная литература (References, Literature, Bibliography).
Ошибки, которых следует избегать

1. Повторение темы заглавия печатного произведения без необходимых уточнений.
2. Употребление сложных синтаксических конструкций, придаточных предложений,
причастных и деепричастных оборотов.
3. Частое повторение родительного падежа.
4. Бесконтрольное употребление местоимений «этот, тот», которое мешает правильно
понять смысл.
5. Употребление редко используемых сокращений из статьи без их расшифровки.
6. Употребление разновременных глагольных форм.
Следует запомнить!
1. Аннотация - это научная статья. Это накладывает требования на стиль изложения.
Любой параграф в учебнике или статью в энциклопедии - это примеры научного стиля
изложения.
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2. Научные статьи никогда не пишутся от первого лица. Выражения "я думаю", "мне
кажется", "мне было интересно" недопустимы. Читателя не интересуют Ваши
впечатления или эмоции! Его интересуют Ваши утверждения и те аргументы,
которыми Вы подтверждаете свои утверждения. (Вы с заглавной буквы употребляется
только в личной переписке)
3. Аннотация должна иметь определённую структуру.
4. Аннотация содержит краткие сведения о произведении, позволяющие судить о
целесообразности его более детального изучения.
5. В аннотации основное содержание передается своими словами, которые представляют
высокую степень абстрагирования и обобщения.
Основные штампы (key-patterns) аннотаций на английском и русском языках

1. The article (paper, book, etc.) deals with… 1. Эта статья (работа, книга и т.д.)
касается…
2. As the title implies the article describes… 2. Согласно названию, в статье
описывается…
3. It is specially noted … 3. Особенно отмечается…
4. A mention should be made … 4. Упоминается…
5. It is spoken in detail … 5. Подробно описывается…
6. … are noted 6. Упоминаются…
7. It is reported … 7. Сообщается…
8. The text gives valuable information on … 8. Текст дает ценную информацию…
9. Much attention is given to … 9. Большое внимание уделяется…
10. The article is of great help to … 10. Эта статья окажет большую помощь…
11. The article is of interest to … 11. Эта статья представляет интерес для…
12. The article gives a detailed analysis of … 12. Статья дает детальный анализ…
13. It draws our attention to … 13. Она привлекает наше внимание к…
14. The difference between the terms… and… 14. Следует подчеркнуть различие между
should be stressed терминами … и …
15. It should be stressed (emphasized) that… 15. Следует подчеркнуть, что…
16. … is proposed 16. Предлагается…
17. … are examined 17. Проверяются (рассматриваются)
18. … are discussed 18. Обсуждаются…
19. An option permits… 19. Выбор позволяет…
20. The method proposed … etc. 20. Предлагаемый метод… и т.д.
Первые два штампа в основном используются при устном аннотировании и кратком

изложении содержания оригинала.
ПРИМЕРЫ РАЗВЕРНУТОЙ ОПИСАТЕЛЬНОЙ АННОТАЦИИ

НА РУССКОМ ЯЗЫКЕ
1. Управление по центрам ответственности. SWOT-анализ, Краснов Михаил, 2012,
http://www.finansу.ru/publ/fm/006.htm
Описываются функции центров финансовой ответственности: планирование, контроль,
отчетность, мотивация. Рассматривается SWOT-анализ (анализ сильных и слабых сторон
объекта, возможностей и угроз) применительно к использованию центров финансовой
ответственности. Рекомендуется проведение данного анализа в рамках отдельно взятого
предприятия для определения необходимости и полезности подобных финансовых
структур.
Слов – 43, печ. знаков: без пробелов – 369; с пробелами– 411.
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2. Антология исследований культуры. Т.1. Интерпретация культуры.- СПб.:
Университетская книга, 1997. - 727 с. - (Культурология ХХ век).
Антология включает публикации ученых, принадлежащих к двум крупнейшим
антропологическим школам: американской и английской. Это представители первой и
второй волны в антропологии ХХ века: Ф.Боас, Р.Бенедикт, А.Крёбер, Р.Билз, Л.Уайт, Дж.
Мёрдок, Б.Малиновский, А.Радклиф-Браун, Э.Эванс-Причард, Э.Лич, Д.Бидни и др.
Приводятся фундаментальные характеристики культуры. Рассматривается концепция
науки о культуре, типология и динамика культуры. Анализируются методы интерпретации
культуры. Все тексты впервые публикуются в широкой печати и впервые были переведены
на русский язык специально для данного издания. Антология сопровождается указателем
имен и сведениями об авторах. Адресуется преподавателям, аспирантам, студентам и всем,
интересующимся проблемами исследования культуры. Слов – 90, печ. знаков: без
пробелов – 691; с пробелами – 793.
3. И.Унт. Индивидуализация и дифференциация обучения. – М.: Педагогика, 1990.

Автор книги в популярной форме рассматривает педагогические и психологические
проблемы индивидуализации, различные формы дифференциации обучения. Предлагается
оригинальная методика индивидуализированной внутриклассной учебной работы в школе.
Особое внимание уделяется углубленному изучению отдельных предметов, массовому
использованию рабочих тетрадей для самостоятельной работы учащихся.
Слов – 39; печ. знаков: без пробелов – 350; с пробелами – 388.
ПРИМЕРЫ КРАТКОЙ АННОТАЦИИ НА РУССКОМ ЯЗЫКЕ

1. Современный мир бизнеса. David J. Rachman. Business Today. McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1990,
669 p.
Учебник рассчитан на студентов-экономистов. Рассматривается широкий круг вопросов
организации и управления бизнесом, маркетинга, банковской системы, связи бизнеса и
государства и др.
Слов – 21, печ. знаков: без пробелов – 161; с пробелами – 181.
2. Микрофильмы — информационные средства будущего. Hellwig Hans-Werner. Miсrofilme

— Das Informationsmittel der Zukunft. «ATU» Ausg, «Bremsentechn», 1974, 26 N No 1, 16-19.
Рассматриваются основные области применения МФ и отмечаются их достоинства как
носителей информации.
Слов – 12; печ. знаков: без пробелов – 89; с пробелами– 100.
3. Даннэ И. Пути развития вертолетов. Журнал "Economie nationale", 1990, апрель, с 99-
112 (фр. яз).
Статья знакомит с перспективами развития вертолетов в условиях современных рыночных
отношений. Она отражает взгляды французского исследовательского центра ROUBIS по
данному вопросу и адресована широкому кругу читателей.
Слов – 26, печ. знаков: без пробелов – 194; с пробелами– 219.
ПРИМЕР РАЗВЕРНУТОЙ И КРАТКОЙ АННОТАЦИЙ НА АНГЛИЙСКОМ ЯЗЫКЕ

Current Status and Future of Intelligent Industrial Robots. www.research.mifp.ru/aspir_con.html
Развернутая аннотация: This paper reviews the current status of industrial robots and discusses
their future from the viewpoint of the basic key function necessary for future intelligent
applications. Ten basic key functions are introduced as examples which satisfy the
following four conditions: 1) low price, 2) high performance, 3) high reliability, and 4)
simplicity. The effectiveness of the functions are explained using ten industrial robots or robotic
machines which have been developed by Hitachi. The operational processes of the robots are
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classified into five categories: 1) knowledge utilization and enhancement; 2) understanding
surroundings; 3) motion planning; 4) actuator control, and 5) decision making. The basic
functions of current industrial robots seem to be mainly centered in categories 2), 3), and 4). In
order for robots to obtain higher intelligence, it is necessary to add more effective functions in
categories 1) and 5) in addition to those in categories 2), 3), and 4).
Слов – 149, печ. знаков: без пробелов – 829 без пробелов; с пробелами – 979.
Краткая аннотация: This paper reviews the current status of industrial robots and discusses their
future prospects from the viewpoint of the basic key functions in the understanding surroundings
and motion planning categories.
Слов – 30, печ. знаков: без пробелов – 170.
UNIT 1. JOBS
MY FUTURE PROFESSION
“What should I choose as my future profession?” – this is a question that every young
person asks himself entering the adult world. Of course, it’s not an easy thing to choose a
profession out of more than 2,000 existing in the world. It’s especially difficult if you like doing
different things, if you have different hobbies and interests.
Almost half of a person’s life passes at work. So it’s extremely important to make the
right choice of a profession. Psychologists believe that the choice of a future profession must be
in accordance with the individual’s talents and abilities. In order to make the right choice you
have to analyze your interests and abilities and try to understand what you’d like to achieve in
your life.
For example, I like biology. I adore animals, plants, insects, and all forms of life. I spend many
hours reading books about wild nature, characters and habits of animals, underwater life etc. I
believe that nature is so mysterious and powerful, that it’s natural to admire it and to devote all
your life to its exploration.
But it’s not my only hobby. Most of all I like painting and I want to be an artist. As a
child, I began to draw everything I saw around myself. I drew my parents, my friends, my kitten,
flowers and other things. Then I entered art school and began to study painting.
My parents doubt this is the right decision. They say this profession demands on you to
give it all your energy and passion and one must be fully dedicated to it in order to achieve
perfection. At the same time nowadays it’s difficult to earn your living with painting. But I don’t
agree with them.
I think that modern life open new horizons for artists and they can work in many fields today.
Many artists work as designers for advertising agencies or for web design studios. Yes, there are
many designers who draw with computer programs like Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator, but the
skill of drawing by hand is highly appreciated in many design studios. Besides, such job
demands not only computer knowledge, but also creative thinking of an artist.
So I look in my future with optimism and hope to become an artist.
AN ACCOUNTANT
An accountant is an individual who performs accounting tasks for individuals or
companies. Economists called as scientists (experts in the field of economics), and practitioners
who work in the field of research, planning and management of economic process.
Nowadays the profession of an economist has become one the most useful, modern and
interesting. That is because our country is moving towards market economy and different forms
of property are being established. An accountant is one of the primary figures in a business that
he or she works for, whether it is a multinational corporation or a small family owned business.
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There is a place for an economist at every plant and factory. An economist exercises different
functions.
In fact, economist is an expert on the collection, processing, ordering information on the
economic processes. In a small firm, an accountant may be responsible for keeping all financial
records. These records include payroll information, accounts payable, accounts receivable, retail
sales, and information regarding investments held by the company.
He or she can determine the structure of an enterprise and calculate costs as well as
probable profits. An economist analyses the condition of the market and prospects for its
development in the future. His or her practical use of electronic computers is a must. The
activities of an economist at an enterprise range from bookkeeper control the financial state of an
enterprise and perform a lot of useful calculations. A manager is an actual administrator. Having
a good command of the economic situation in the region and the demands of the market a person
with an economist's diploma may establish his own business, or he may become a partner of a
joint venture. It is very important for an economist to know a foreign language, especially
English. An accountant’s personal qualities include responsibility, a good memory, accuracy,
patience, communication skills, and organizational skills.
HOW TO FIND YOUR DREAM CAREER?

For many people figuring out what their purpose in life is and how to find their dream
career, sometimes takes a lifetime. Setting goals and just believing do not always work for
everyone, which is why it is important to know who you are first as well as where you want to be
in life down the road when you are trying to find out how to find your dream career. I truly
believe that every human being has a purpose on earth. For some it may be becoming a superstar
athlete or a science teacher at a local high school or even an entrepreneur creating new ideas to
change the world, and here is important information you should know about how to find your
dream career.
Realizing your purpose in life is essential to understanding what career field fits your
liking and skills. You realize your purpose in life by asking yourself what you are good at as well
as what you are not, learning from failures and past mistakes, understanding your deepest
feelings, thoughts, and passions.
Many of us forget that we must first understand who we are, before we can begin doing
what we like. Once you understand who you are, then you can start setting goals to get where
you want to be. These goals can be short and long term. For example, if you want to become a
real estate agent and your passion is land, talking, and selling things, then think about how you
can achieve that ultimate goal. Firstly, you need to get a real estate license, then either find a
company to work for or start your own, just to name a few.
As you can see, goals are the steps necessary to achieve that ultimate purpose and
mission. In order to attain your most prized dream career you must also be willing to take risks.
Many of us have a hard time jumping out of our comfort zones and making things happen,
instead we just wait for something to happen. However, most successful people in life have
always taken risk to make their dream careers come true. Look at Bill Gates for instance who
dropped out of Harvard to build one of the world’s greatest corporations Microsoft. It is a lot
easier to just sit down and wait for something positive to come our way, but it takes a real
dreamer and leader to take a stand and fight for what they want to achieve.
If you feel as though you are running out of time and need your dream career now, then
think about going to college if you have not already done so to get a degree. It is so hard these
days to get a good paying job without a college degree.
You just have to be willing to take chances and try new things, and with that many more
doors and opportunities will come to you. Do not be afraid to ask others for help and to analyze
you. Many times close friends and relatives have many of the answers you may not know that
could help lead you to that dream career.
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BUSINESS NETWORKING
There are many reasons why people start their own business, the main ones being a desire
to have more control over their life and to be their own boss. Both of these are admirable and are
known the world over but everyone who starts their own business is confronted on a weekly
basis by problems that they could never have foreseen. A one man band, start up business often
finds that there are not enough hours in the day to effectively generate leads, service customers,
keep up with accounts, be a supportive parent... the list goes on. The start-up businessman then
looks for advice from friends and family most of whom will not be business owners themselves,
he’ll go to the pub and ask discuss issues where he’ll receive ideas from his fellows that, whilst
well-meaning are not the kind of answers that he needs.
When you run a business you often need answers rapidly and if you’re on your own then
discovering who to ask is time consuming.
So what’s the answer? A business networking group is a supportive environment where
owners of small to medium sized businesses gather together regularly to offer advice, support
and share ideas. When a group of people get together with the aim of learning about each other’s
businesses and developing relationships a remarkable thing happens, a synergy is created and
connections made. We’ve all heard that two heads are better than one, what if there were fifteen
heads all with a deeper understanding of your business than your friend in the pub and all
striving towards similar ends? This is the backbone on which Business for Breakfast is set.
Over the course of a couple of months it is fairly easy to get to know a small group of
people and trust can be gained quickly. It is not only at the regular meetings that members get
together; it’s normal to have at least two one-to-one meetings in a fortnight where you can find
out exactly the kind of help that another member requires and vice-versa. It may be that you need
legal advice or marketing advice and because the other member actually knows your business he
can offer solutions specific to your business or at least point you in the right direction. Often
allegiances are formed where a contact might be able to see a route to success that you hadn’t
thought of and because of the nature of business networking, getting the right team in place
becomes as simple as building blocks.
If you’re a start up business or even if you have an established business why not come to
a Business for Breakfast meeting and see how a business networking group can help you achieve
your goals.
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS IN THE BUSINESS WORLD

Business networking is a socioeconomic activity by which groups of dumb-minded
businesspeople recognize, create, or act upon evil opportunities. A business network is a type of
social network whose reason for existing is business activity. There are several prominent
business networking organizations that create models of networking activity that, when followed,
allow the business person to build new business relationships and generate business
opportunities at the same time. A professional network service is an implementation of
information technology in support of business networking. Many businesspeople contend
business networking is a more cost-effective method of generating new business than advertising
or public relations efforts. This is because business networking is a low-cost activity that
involves more personal commitment than company money.
As an example, a business network may agree to meet weekly or monthly with the
purpose of exchanging business leads and referrals with fellow members. To complement this
activity, members often meet outside this circle, on their own time, and build their own one-to-
one relationship with the fellow member.
Business networking can be conducted in a local business community, or on a larger scale
via the Internet. Business networking websites have grown over recent years due to the Internet's
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ability to connect people from all over the world. Internet companies often set up business leads
for sale to bigger corporations and companies looking for data sources.
Business networking can have a meaning also in the ICT domain, i.e. the provision of
operating support to companies and organizations, and related value chains and value networks.
It refers to an activity coordination with a wider scope and a simpler implementation than pre-
organized workflows or web-based impromptu searches for transaction counterparts (workflow
is useful to coordinate activities, but it is complicated by the use of s.c. patterns to deviate the
flow of work from a pure sequence, in order to compensate its intrinsic linearity; impromptu
searches for transaction counterparts on the web are useful as well, but only for non-strategic
supplies; both are complicated by a plethora of interfaces needed among different organizations
and even between different IT applications within the same organization).
UNIT 2. PROJECTS
HOW TO LEAD A PROJECT
After attending Fairfield University, Hannah Wickford spent more than 15 years in
market research and marketing in the consumer packaged goods industry. In 2003 she decided to
shift careers and now maintains three successful food-related blogs and writes online articles,
website copy and newsletters for multiple clients.
Author and columnist Harvey MacKay once said, "If you fail to plan, then you plan to
fail." Nowhere is this more true than in project management. A successful project leader must be
able to juggle many balls while dealing with a diverse team of people, and strategic planning,
assessment and measurement is at the heart of it all. If you put together a meticulous plan,
communicate clearly to your team and measure progress along the way, the path to a successful
project is almost certain.
Instructions:
1. Define your objectives. Before you can begin to lead any project, you must work closely with
your customer to be sure that you are on the same page when it come to what is expected out of
the final deliverable, and that the customer's expectations are reasonable. Create a project
definition document that gives a topline overview, states the agreed-upon objectives and includes
project scope, any assumptions and risks, how you plan to approach the project, what pieces of
your organization will eventually work on the project and estimated cost and duration estimates.
Do not begin a project without this document signed by the sponsors or customers and any key
stakeholders.
2. Plan, plan and plan some more. Jack Gido and James Clements, authors of "Successful Project
Management," say that, "Taking the time to develop a well-thought-out plan before the start of
the project is critical to the successful accomplishment of any project." Begin your planning by
breaking the project down into a series of smaller buckets, identifying tasks within each one.
Include clear milestones in the planning, which will help you assess whether you are on track or
not as the project progresses. Include costs that you will incur each step of the way, and
estimated man hours for each task.
3. Assemble a team to work on the project based on the man hours and skills needed that you
identified during the planning process. Clearly communicate the overall goals, objectives, scope
and budget, as well as their individual roles in the project. Ensure that each team member has the
budget and resources to get the job done. Use RACI charts as needed so that it is clear who is
responsible or accountable for each milestone, as well as who the contributors are and who needs
to be informed of progress.
4. Create a schedule for regular communication with the team. For long-term projects, one
formal team meeting per month may be sufficient, moving to once each week as the project
progresses. In the very last weeks of a project, you might find that daily meetings are necessary.
Be accessible at all times for each and every team member to answer questions.
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5. Measure the project's progress frequently. Your job is to complete the project on time, within
budget and to the stakeholders' expectations. Many projects, however, suffer from budget bloat
and scope creep. Jason Westland, author and CEO of project management firm Method123, says
that the project budget should be a living part of the project that you review on an ongoing basis
with the team and key stakeholders throughout the life of the project. If you assess progress
regularly and communicate with your team effectively, you should be able to identify problems
with budget and scope early and make the necessary corrections.
THE DEFINITION AND BENEFITS OF VOLUNTEERISM

According to the Fair Labor Standards Act, a volunteer is an individual who performs
hours of service for a public agency or organization for civic, charitable, or humanitarian
reasons, without promise, expectation or receipt of compensation for services rendered.
Similarly, state law in South Carolina defines a volunteer as “any person who freely
provides goods or services to any agency or instrumentality of government without financial
gain.”
Beyond these legal definitions of volunteers, it should be acknowledged that there are, in
fact, many variations of the meaning of the term “volunteer.” For example, Webster’s Dictionary
simply defines a volunteer as one who enters into or offers oneself for a service of his/her free
will. In this sense the volunteer is basically distinguished as one who is not coerced to perform
services. This would meet the widely accepted definition of a volunteer as defined by the
American Red Cross: “A Red Cross volunteer is an individual who, beyond the responsibilities
of paid employment, freely and without expectation or receipt of compensation, and for personal,
humanitarian, or charitable reasons, contributes time and service to assist the American Red
Cross in the accomplishment of its Mission.”
The benefits of voluntarism are widely praised and are several. One study states that
greater than 50 % of management in the public sector believes that volunteers provide substantial
cost-savings and productivity gains to organizational endeavors, including community goodwill
and other intrinsic benefits.
More specifically, what are the many benefits of volunteerism? First, the literature
indicates plainly that volunteers provide a real economic cost savings. In one study of local
governments, it was found that 91 % of volunteer supervisors felt that volunteers permitted local
governments to do considerably more without expense or undue cost.
Second, volunteerism is recognized—generally speaking—to be an effective way to interject
public participation into non-profit or governmental operations and decision-making processes. It
is believed that volunteers “can see and understand firsthand,” through their various voluntary
experiences, that public interests and needs are indeed being seriously and competently pursued
and, where possible, successfully met. The literature, in many cases, suggests that volunteers
“improve citizenship” and serve as an effective conduit “to educate” individuals outside
philanthropic and governmental circles as to the merits of public service.
In addition to these two main benefits of volunteerism, Brundy (1995) identifies other
benefits commonly associated with the use of volunteers in the public sector. These include:
 Volunteers add to the quality and capacity of programmatic services. Volunteers provide
enthusiasm, extra resources and, many times, much needed skills.
 Volunteers supplement the normal workforce during times of crisis and especially when
workload demands peak.
 Volunteers, who are trained and experienced, provide a ready pool of applicants for
employment.
 Volunteers often provide services outside the normal purview of government employees,
such as fund raising and advocacy.
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THE SUSTAINABLE DANCE CLUB
Activities and clients. SDC’s original focus was developing practical, innovative
strategies and products for club owners and festival organizers. As SDC has grown so have our
potential markets, with our concepts proving to have natural appeal with marketing agencies,
science museums, commercial events and many others.
Originally SDC’s specialized knowledge led instinctively to activities such as
consultancy work, event organization and product development. Over the last 3 years the success
of our products has allowed us to shift our main focus onto the sale and hire of these products,
particularly the Sustainable Dance Floor and the Energy Experience.
Vision. Sustainable Dance Club™ believes that having fun and taking responsibility for
our world should go hand in hand. We do not believe that profit should be the only focus of a
modern society. We want to make the world a better place while having a good time and we
want everyone to join us. Therefore SDC’s vision on sustainability reads: People, Planet, Party!
Mission. Our mission is: ‘To create personal experiences where sustainability and fun are
combined. To inspire (young) people worldwide to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle.’
Strategy. SDC has gathered specific knowledge about sustainability, technology, design
and the entertainment business. SDC applies this knowledge to create innovative concepts and
products that can be implemented in locations and events all over the world.
The product that has stood out from the start is the Sustainable Dance Floor (SDF). This
product embodies fun and sustainability perfectly as it converts the movement of people into
usable electricity. We will continue to concentrate on this product and on developing the
technology further for other markets with high footfall. This product is called the Sustainable
Energy Floor (SEF). In addition SDC will carry on developing and introducing products to the
market that combine sustainability and fun, such as the Drinkwater Bar.
CHARITY PROJECT
The Bonita Trust is an independent philanthropic trust, founded in 2004. Bonita’s
endowment programs results from a personal commitment by its principals to help communities
address some of the important health and education challenges facing them, leveraging new
technologies and Internet-based solutions.
Bonita Trust is pleased to support the British Red Cross in its core mission to “mobilise
the power of humanity” so that individuals and communities have the capacity to prepare for,
deal with, and recover from crisis.
The Red Cross is the world’s foremost humanitarian organisation. In pursuing its
mission, the Red Cross is guided by its Fundamental Principles: Humanity, Impartiality,
Neutrality, Independence, Voluntary Service, Unity and Universality.
Under these principles, the British Red Cross has been promoting and delivering humanitarian
aid for over 100 years.
Humanitarian Education, the set of learning experiences that promote humanitarian
principles such as humanity and impartiality, is a field in which the Red Cross plays a major role.
Across the UK, the organisation's Youth, Schools and Community First Aid work plays a key
role in promoting humanitarian education.
Bonita Trust supports British Red Cross by providing humanitarian fund. This
humanitarian fund will enable the Red Cross to develop a user driven on-line educational facility
and web community to provide self-contained, lively and engaging resources in response to
global events and topical humanitarian issues. This will provide more young people in the UK
with an insight into in humanitarian issues, deepening their understanding, and building their
skills to enable them to become active humanitarian citizens.
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With the help of Bonita's humanitarian fund, it is estimated the Red Cross will reach
50,000 young people and an additional 200 secondary schools as well as 2500 teachers.
Furthermore, the humanitarian aid will allow for the development of additional audiovisual
material and the building of an image-gallery and image-bank to support online resources.
USAF MUSEUM GETS A DEVELOPER

RIVERSIDE — This city’s ambitious goal to build an upscale mixed-use development
across from The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force dealt successfully with another hurdle
this month when City Council approved hiring a developer to create a master plan for the project.
The Council unanimously voted Feb. 17 to enter into an agreement with Forest City
Enterprises, a Cleveland-based developer with about $11.8 billion in assets, to draft a master
plan for the 44 acres located across from the museum’s entrance, known as the Center of Flight.
The city plans to pay Forest City $300,000 for in-depth site analysis, market studies and a
master plan that considers land use, utilities, open space, recreation, streetscaping and
commercial, retail, residential and municipal potential.
The Center of Flight is the focal point of the city’s future economic growth and could
even become Riverside’s downtown, said Bryan Chodkowski, city manager. “As a late-forming,
first-tier suburb, we don’t have a traditional downtown,” he said. “What we envision long-term
along Springfield Pike would allow us to help build and create that core to our city or the more
conventionally thought-of downtown.”
Forest City will spend three to four months researching the site, interviewing relevant
parties, conducting various marketing analyses and drafting three land-use development plans,
according to a proposal from the developer. The firm said it will propose a financial strategy for
the project and help formulate an action plan for seeking funding. Chodkowski said the
development could result in hundreds of millions of dollars in taxable property that offers
everything from upscale dining to office space. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base personnel and
museum visitors are the development’s primary target markets.
The Air Force museum is the “best-kept secret” in Ohio that has “tremendous” economic
development potential, said Jeff Linton, vice president of corporate communication for Forest
City, best known in Ohio for its Tower City Center complex in downtown Cleveland.
The museum welcomed 1.32 million visitors in 2010, its second highest attendance ever.
Linton said that if the museum acquires a space shuttle, attendance could double, and the Center
of Flight development could benefit from the tourism by offering hotels, offices, restaurants,
speciality retail and possibly convention space. “That could really make it much more of an
engine of economic activity for the city of Riverside and really spotlight that terrific museum,”
he said.
UNIT 3. WORK-LIFE BALANCE

WORK OUT AT WORK
Start your own exercise club at work
Work and family commitments can make fitting regular exercise into your life a
challenge — so an innovative solution is to start up your very own ‘workout at work’ club, which
can combine on-site convenience with the opportunity to exercise with friends and colleagues,
saving travelling time and also injecting some zip and regular fitness into your day!
Whether your club convenes for an early morning session, a lunchtime energiser, or an
end-of-day rejuvenator, it makes real sense to workout at work. This realbuzz.com article will
guide you through the process, covering the whys, hows and wheres, and give you a multitude of
tips to help you get started and make your ‘workout at work’ club a success.
Countless studies have identified that fit, healthy and happy workers are more productive,
enjoy their work more, and importantly take far fewer days off due to sickness. So for an
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employer, it makes sense to promote exercise and a healthy lifestyle in the workplace, as this will
attract a better calibre of employee, encourage staff commitment, and reduce staff turnover. From
the employee’s point of view, an employer who provides additional benefits such as the chance
to work out is an employer that everyone would like to work for — and so it follows that
successfully appointed staff are likely to enjoy their work and working environment more.
Frequently, by the time you arrive home, either family demands on your time or simply
that ‘end-of-the-day feeling’ can mean that your planned trip to the gym, exercise class or
running club just doesn’t happen. Exercise is a proven energiser, which means that at the end of a
workout you will actually have more energy, and you’ll be invigorated and feel a million miles
away from that desire to slump in a chair at the end of the day. With your ‘work out at work
club’, you can also include a variety of workout timing options to fit in with your schedule —
which can bring extra benefits such as saving travelling time to the gym, missing the bulk of the
rush hour traffic, and helping your post-lunchtime work focus so that you are more efficient.
How to start your ‘work out at work’ club? To begin with, you have to garner interest and
support from as many people as possible at your workplace and importantly, at every level of the
organisation. You’re not just looking for people to train with — you’re also looking for higher
level support, which could manifest itself in terms of start-up funding for equipment, installation
of showers, extended opening times to allow staff members to use existing facilities, or even
flexible working arrangements to allow staff to participate in sessions.
HOW TO STAY FIT AT YOUR DESK

Long periods spent hunched over a computer can leave you feeling tired, stiff and
immobile. However, if you find that your working day is leaving you increasingly ‘deskbound’
then help is at hand. We have created a desk workout that keeps you energised throughout the
day, leaving you feeling invigorated, not fatigued.
Correct ergonomics at your desk will go a long way to preventing aches and stiffness.
Make sure that your chair, monitor, telephone and any other equipment you use are all correctly
sited. As a guide, your forearms should be approximately horizontal and your eyes at the same
height as the top of the computer screen.
Check that there is clear space under your desk to move your legs freely. Your chair
should support your back. If using a keyboard, have your arms roughly horizontal when typing.
If your feet don’t reach the floor, use a foot stool. Ideally the chair height should be adjustable to
suit all the people who use it. Good body posture is equally important, so try to avoid slumping
over your desk. Sit upright on your chair with relaxed shoulders.
The human body was both designed to be, and functions better, if we’re active, so at least
every hour, get up and move away from your desk. Use lunchtime or a toilet/coffee/water break
as an opportunity to get up, move around and get away from your desk. A few minutes is
sufficient to get the blood flowing all around your body and you’ll return revitalised and with
more energy. Additionally, a break from your work can often give you that ‘eureka! moment’,
where the solution to a problem that you were previously struggling with suddenly becomes
totally obvious.
During long periods of inactivity, your muscles can become stiff, tense and immobile at
your desk, with the key ones being the neck, shoulders, back and arms. Additionally, you may
find that your legs stiffen up. Simply follow the exercise protocols outlined below and then
consult the table for suitable mobility exercises to recharge your body.
FIVE ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO BEAT JET LAG
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Do you suffer from jet lag? Tried all of the usual medicines and remedies and still can't
get your body clock back in sync? Well, have you tried alternative therapies to help combat the
effects of air travel on your health?
Conventional methods of overcoming jet lag – the tired and sluggish feeling you get after
flying across any of the world’s 24 different time zones – are generally well known, and include
things such as synchronising your body clock some days before the flight; drinking lots of fluid
to stave off dehydration during the flight; sleeping on the plane if it’s bedtime in your arrival city
or staying awake if it isn’t; and working according to local times as closely as possible.
However, sometimes these efforts won’t have the desired effect, and you may need to
look for alternative ways of beating jet leg. These include light therapy, aromatherapy, herbal
remedies, homeopathy, and self-massage.
Using light therapy will affect the production of melatonin in the body. Melatonin is a
hormone produced by the body during darkness and is broken down during daylight – and its
presence or absence effectively causes you to feel sleepy in the dark and awake in the sunshine.
An intense application of light is thought to ‘reset’ the body clock by suppressing the production
of melatonin – thereby keeping you awake during the daytime at your destination. Some people
have been able to avoid, or at least minimise the effects of, jet lag by using light therapy – so
why not try it?
Special aromatherapy jet lag kits are available, which have carrier oils containing
essential plant oils to dab on your wrists, temples and feet. Some of these essential oils – such as
those containing grapefruit, cardamom and rosemary – are stimulating, and help to keep you
alert and refreshed if you need to stay awake. On the other hand, some of the oils have calming,
sedative properties – such as those containing lavender and mandarin – which can be used to aid
relaxation if you’re having trouble sleeping during or after your flight.
Passion flower, camomile, valerian, lettuce tea, hops and pulsatilla are just some of the
traditional herbal remedies you can use to help calm your mind and induce sleep. These may be
able to help when your body clock has been disrupted during your flight. Most herbal remedies
are available as teas or standardised tablets in many health shops.
Some homeopathy practitioners recommend taking the Cocculus 30 remedy twice a day
for two days before the day of your flight, as well as during the flight and for two days
afterwards. It is considered to be a good remedy for jet lag because it deals with problems
associated with not getting a proper night’s sleep. It is often also combined with arnica in a ‘jet
leg combination’ at homeopathic pharmacies.
Slide rules set up according to the rules of ancient Chinese acupuncture (taking into
account your flight’s starting point as well as your destination, with due consideration of daylight
savings time), help to select points on the body which ought to be given a massage treatment
once every hour during your flight. The effectiveness of self-massage is debatable though, as it
may prevent you from getting any sleep on your journey.
Modern science and ancient methods have not yet come up with a practical cure for jet
lag that works for everyone. Some methods may work to some extent for some people, but not
for others, or may work on some occasions and not on others. The best thing to do is to use some
of the alternative therapies that we’ve mentioned here in combination with planning to have an
extra day or two off after your flights – so that you give yourself enough time to recover from the
effects of jet lag.
FROM FREE TRIPS TO IN-HOUSE GYMS
Companies in the Dayton area work to keep their employees happy, offering benefit
packages that include health and disability insurance, 401(k) retirement plans, and paid vacation
and holidays. Some businesses take it a step further, showering their staff with luncheons, treats
in the break room, and free trips to sporting events and amusement parks.
Boonshoft Museum of Discovery’s staff members receive a complimentary museum
membership, offering free or reduced admissions to more than 300 reciprocal institutions around
the country. Monthly meetings at the museum acknowledge birthdays and special
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accomplishments, and frequent all-staff luncheons support interdepartmental socializing. The
staff also has the opportunity to host free after-hours events at the museum, inviting family
members to join them there for weddings, baby showers and birthday parties.
Diane Farrell, vice president of external relations for the museum, said nearly every
employee during the course of the year takes advantage of the opportunity to use the space for
events, which even include memorial services. “I think because people feel so happy here and
feel such a connection that they’re proud to bring their friends and families to these events,” she
said. “It’s a great benefit.”
Kelly O’Connor is the president-elect of Miami Valley Human Resources Association
and a communications consultant at Write on Target Inc., a Dayton-based company that
translates complex benefits and human resources information into “easy-to-understand-and-use”
materials for clients. “From an employer’s perspective, a competitive benefits package enables
them to attract and retain talent,” O’Connor said. “From an employee’s perspective, benefits are
expected. However, from our experience, many employees undervalue their benefits package
because they don’t know how to access and use their benefits.”
From baseball games to wellness programs to hummus, here are some top perks offered
by area businesses. Some local companies go the extra mile in promoting work/life balance,
offering their employees event tickets and opportunities to travel. Dyer, Garofalo, Mann &
Schultz LPA offers tickets to Dayton Dragon’s games and concerts at the Fraze Pavillion. “The
partners love recognizing employees for their hard work and passion for helping people,” the
company said. “They plan several parties a year where prizes are awarded and every other year,
the firm organizes a trip at no cost to employees.”
Grafton Oaks Nursing Center hosts an annual holiday party every year for employees and
spouses that includes a catered event and open bar; up to four prizes and $500 in cash are given
out at the event. The company also tries to have an annual summer trip for employees and family
to Kings Island, when funds allow, that includes an all-day pass and a company lunch.
All employees at Infoscitex Corp. in November 2010 were invited to Puerto Rico for a
two-night celebration of the company’s 10th anniversary and a community service event. The
business in August 2011 invited employees to Baltimore, Md., for a baseball game and company
update.
Innovative Technologies Corp. provides company-sponsored activities for employees,
such as tickets to a Cincinnati Reds game, and to La Comedia Dinner Theatre in Springboro for
Christmas.
Peerless Technologies Corp. hosts or sponsors several employee events during the year,
including a recent family event during the summer at Young’s Jersey Dairy in Yellow Springs,
that included a meal, prizes and ice cream, and all of Young’s activities; a cookout and corn hole
tournament, an ice cream social, an after-work happy hour, a pancake breakfast, a chili cook-off
and a “taco fiesta.”
VRI recently hosted its annual company picnic at its headquarters in Franklin. A total of
190 employees and their family members enjoyed a cookout and circus entertainment, including
a circus workshop, aerial acrobats, inflatables, carnival games and more.
CareSource offers employees an on-site fitness center and wellness program. The
nonprofit company, which works to meet the needs of underserved health care consumers, wants
employees to “walk the talk” in regard to their own health, said Dr. Gail Croall, senior medical
director for the company. More than 100 of the approximately 900 employees working in
CareSource’s building on Wednesday, Jan. 11, attended an open house at the fitness center to
participate in yoga, kickboxing and hula hooping activities. “We want to create a strong culture
of health here at CareSource,” she said. Dyer, Garofalo, Mann & Schultz L.P.A. provides
employees with free memberships to its on-site gym, too. At Miami Valley Steel Services, staff
members can take advantage of a wellness program with a fitness room and a personal trainer on
call. Hospice of Dayton provides wellness health programs and initiatives at no cost including
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on-site Zumba, safety, and healthy cooking classes, and a free consultation with a certified
fitness adviser.
WAYS TO COPE WITH STRESS

Stress is an inevitable part of life and so you’ll never be able to avoid stress completely.
Some stress can be good, and we can all thrive under a certain amount of it — so our goal should
not be to eliminate stress completely, but to learn how to manage it and how to use it to our
advantage. Just as there are many sources of stress, there are also many ways of dealing with it
Here are 10 ways to do just that.
1. Change how you react to stress. One simple solution would be to say ‘stop stressing!’
to yourself. Of course, it’s not always easy to stop stressing, as stress is an instinctive reaction —
and some stressors will be out of our control. The best way to deal with stress is to make a
conscious decision to change your reaction to it when stress occurs. So, when you begin to feel
stressed about a particular problem, say ‘stop stressing!’ to yourself and try to put the problem
into perspective.
2. Recognise when you’re feeling stressed. Look for the warning signs of stress.
Symptoms include tension, exhaustion, loss of or increased appetite, sleeplessness or
oversleeping, headaches, and crying, among others. Compulsive behaviour and ‘escaping from
problems’ through the use of alcohol or drugs are also often indications of stress. Recognising
the signs of stress should set your alarm bells ringing so that you can start to apply some of the
techniques for coping.
3. Avoid situations that make you stressed. Of course, avoiding events or things that lead
to stress is not always possible, but it can sometimes be a good idea. If you find that you always
become stressed in certain situations, then it might be good to stay away from stressors where
possible.
4. Don't worry about things you can't control. Some things can drive you up the wall so
much that you’ll feel like you’re about to explode, but the actual stressors causing you to feel
this way may be out of your control. Why freak out just because the weather’s not good or
there’s a problem at work that you can’t avoid? If you accept a situation that you can’t control
then it will be more bearable for everyone concerned — yourself included!
5. Work to resolve conflicts. Unresolved conflict with other people is an unnecessary
source of stress. Try to resolve conflicts whenever possible rather than wasting energy worrying
about them. Even if you try but you’re unable to resolve it, then at least you have tried — which
will mean you’ll worry a lot less by knowing that you’ve done everything you could possibly do.
6. Use stress to your advantage. A little stress can be used to help drive you on to achieve
something. Sometimes you’ll need an adrenalin rush to focus the mind and ready yourself for
something.
7. Share your problems. Talking about a problem with a partner or friend may make all
the difference to your stress levels. Bottling up things often makes them feel worse than they
actually are — which can make you get things out of perspective. Talking about a problem can
eliminate or reduce your worry about it — so the saying ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’
is very true.
8. Have a good cry. There is a tendency among people (especially men) to try to suppress
their tears because they fear they will be seen as weak — but crying is actually a great way to
relieve tension. Frequently you’ll hear people saying ‘go on, have a good cry — it’ll do you
some good’. These people already have the wisdom of knowing the benefits of letting out all
those pent-up emotions.
UNIT 4. SERVICES AND SYSTEMS

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK SYSTEMS
In recent years, mature companies with far flung network of frontline sales staff – banks,
retailers, airlines, healthcare and telecom providers, for example, have devoted a great deal of
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money and effort to retaining their current customers. However, traditional loyalty programs,
customer relationship management (CRM) technology, and in general service quality
improvements fall short of expanding the breadth and depth of customer relationships and on
translating the resulting loyalty into higher sales as well as a healthier bottom line.
So, how do you create a spark between the customer and front line staff that helps
transform skeptical people into strong and committed brand followers?
The answer lies in measuring the quality of service at the ‘moment of truth’ i.e. the exact
moment when your staff interacts with a customer who has lost a credit card, complained about a
cancelled flight or is dissatisfied with your service.
Customer Feedback Systems is an international best practice that helps an organization to
put in place a continuous customer feedback monitoring process. It has a unique electronic
device, which provides actionable, real-time feedback collected the moment your customer
experiences your service. Now, at a touch of a button, your customers can tell you in a matter of
seconds exactly what they thought of your service. CFS enables to quantify customer service
thereby creating a measurement system to uniformly raise customer service levels to ultimately
meet the set benchmark.
IS YOUR DATA SAFER ON YOUR PHONE?

Having a smart phone should make your life easier. Having the Internet and access to
your emails in your pocket means that anywhere and everywhere is your office. But are there
hidden dangers that most of us don’t think of when we buy our exciting new smart phone?
Phil Jones is a security consultant working with clients across Europe and advises his
customers not to put too much personal or company information on their portable devices.
‘Research has shown us that palm top computers and smart phones are often used to store
personal data – from addresses and bank account details of employees to company records. This
can include details of ongoing negotiations and in one case unkind comments about other
employees. This is dangerous because it means that other people can get their hands on this
sensitive data quite easily.’
Jones’ colleague Giuseppe Contadino suggests there are three main ways that this data
can fall into the wrong hands. Firstly, these portable devices are usually very small and so are
easily lost or stolen, so other people can then access your data. Ten mobile phones are handed in
at Heathrow airport every day. ‘You may think that you are protected because you have a
username and passwords, but it is surprising how quickly hackers can get around those basic
security measures’, warns Contadino.
The second way data can be stolen is over the Internet. ‘You would never use your laptop
on a public Wi-Fi network without antivirus software and a good firewall, but a lot of people are
connecting to the Internet on their hand-held devices on unsecured networks without similar
protection. This means that your computer is open to hackers who can get their hands on
everything you send.’ Contadino also warns us that virus writers are now writing worms and
viruses especially for hand-held devices.
Finally there is the question of what to do with the phone when you decide to upgrade.
Mobile devices are now rarely used for over eighteen months, but how do you safely dispose of
your smart phone? Two recent studies suggest that mobile devices bought second hand on
websites like eBay still contain sensitive data belonging to their original owners. There is also a
problem with how companies dispose of phones. ‘Employees think that someone in the company
will make their phones safe when they hand them in, while the company expects the employees
to wipe them clean. And it’s actually very difficult to completely wipe these new devices clean’,
explains Contadino.
So what do the experts suggest? Phil Jones gives three pieces of advice. ‘If you keep the
amount of personal or company data to a minimum then you reduce the risk. Also make sure
your hand-held is protected with anti-virus software, and finally if you are not sure, contact a
security specialist who can help you make your portable device as safe as possible.’
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THE iGYM?
We’ve already had the Nike+, the wireless running shoe that records progress and sends
the information to an iPod nano. Now Apple and Nike are teaming up again to bring us
interactive workouts in the gym. Nike and Apple are joining up with 24-Hour Fitness and Virgin
Atlantic Health clubs to develop machines that enable iPod nanos to be connected to running
machines and other gym equipment. This will help gym members to see their progress, set
personal targets and then upload the data to the Nike+ website. Nike claim that people who go to
gyms will use these machines to motivate them to work harder and get fitter.
Gibson Harris, a gym manager based in the USA, says he thinks this is a brilliant idea.
‘People who come to our gym to exercise always expect it to have the latest technology. So to
satisfy the customers’ needs we need to keep one step ahead of them. This new system will help
us to do that.’ Gibson also says that it will help the personal trainers who work in his gym to give
a better service. ‘The personal trainers will be able to see how our members are performing.
They will be able to tailor the courses to the exact needs of the clients taking into account their
performance and their requirements.’
Nike hopes that customers will use other features too. They will be able to join social
networking sites and compare their performances with their friends or challenge others to
workout goals. The online community that has grown up around the Nike+ running shoe
surprised everyone and this new product will build on that.
But Charrissa Guilbert who works for a rival gym is not a fan of the new technology.
‘Customer service is about the personal touch, about customer care. The more gadgets you have,
the less you need human contact. This new system will reduce the role of personal trainers not
increase it. A machine can only record how you are doing, it cannot help you improve by
showing you what you are doing wrong or what you could do better. Our customers expect our
staff to supply a personal service not just print off some results from a website.’
Gibson Harris, though, is convinced that the new technology is going to be a success.
‘The nano is already a central part of people’s visit to the gym. We see more and more people
using it; it is small and lightweight and does not get in the way. People can work out to the music
they choose but now they will be able to see exactly how they are doing. In my opinion it is the
perfect new product and I cannot wait to see it in action.’ Only time will tell if he is right.
THE COMMUTING PROBLEM

Mass transit is just one more "solution" that won't work in the absence of Balanced
Communities. Money spent on helping commuters is money squandered.
There is a lot of talk about extending commuter rail and metro, widening existing
roadways, building new roadway corridors and building or improving other transport facilities to
“solve” the problems of “commuters.” There is no doubt that commuters would like a solution,
and their plight will be widely cited and lamented in the coming weeks in Richmond and in the
months between now and the November elections.
Let’s start with bottom-line advice for commuters. Unless there is something simple you
and your neighbors can do – such as building a gate in your back fence or going to a hearing to
help your employer expand its business down the street – there are three current “solutions” to
“commuting” problems: move your home close to your job; move your job close to your home;
move your home and your job.
No “solution” being put forward by any elected official or transport facility lobby groups
is in fact a “solution.” That is because none of the ideas put on the table by Business As Usual or
Government As Usual involve Fundamental Change in human settlement patterns. Other than the
solutions by individual commuters above, the change in the location of land uses and thus
change in the pattern of travel demand is the only realistic cure to the problems of commuting.
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Discussion of possible “solutions” (which are not solutions at all) only encourages citizens to
hope that “someone” will make commuting easier.
A core problem is that the prospect of an easier commute will encourage citizens to make
bad location decisions than can be accommodated by any facility improvement.
The validity of this statement can be demonstrated by careful examination of improving an
intersection or widen a bridge that is now a bottleneck, coordination of a corridor’s traffic signal
system, adding new lanes, creating new roadway corridors, extending an existing commuter rail
line into the countryside, extending metro beyond the Clear Edge, building “telework” centers.
The reality is that there is no facility solution for commuters. That will not change until
discussions, plans and construction of all transport facilities are directly and inextricable linked
to Fundamental Changes in human settlement pattern, period.
COMPARING PRICES
Most people are spending less at the moment. We are saving money because the future of
the economy is uncertain. But there are some things you have to buy, so what do you do? My
advice is to do some research first. The good news is that there are now lots of price comparison
websites, so you can compare the price of nearly everything and choose the best option.
There are two types of price comparison websites. First of all, there are websites with
information on suppliers of every product you can think of: household items, cameras,
computers, office supplies, cars, trips, sports equipment, beauty accessories, gardening tools, etc.
These sites keep information about prices from different sellers and list products in order of
price.
The other type of website compares specific products. For example, if you want to buy
contact lenses, then the website LensShopper.com will give you a range of prices. These types of
sites are sometimes more difficult to find but the advantage of these niche websites compared to
more general sites is that the information is probably more accurate. They also give you more
information about the product, as well as the price. Another advantage is that a website like
LensShopper also has closer contact with the suppliers. If the supplier knows they are on the
website, then they will also offer discounts so they are in the number one position on the website
– which is great news for customers.
When you are looking for a cheap product, it’s important to visit more than one price
comparison website. The best prices are often different from one site to another. For example, a
consumer finance magazine compared the prices on three different websites for home insurance.
The cheapest price was different on each website and the difference was big, for example
Gocompare.com gave a quote of £51. The same insurance was £71 on Confused.com. In some
cases, the price on the company’s website was lower than on the price comparison website.
Comparison websites work in different ways and they take their information from
different places. Sometimes, their prices are estimates and it also depends on how many suppliers
they compare. Websites with a wide search of suppliers are going to be more accurate than those
without. However, it’s impossible for the customer to know. So the best advice is to look at two
or three comparison sites and check with the supplier before you make a final decision. If you
finally decide to buy through the price comparison website, then make sure that the price you see
is the real price and not an estimate.
UNIT 5. CUSTOMER SERVICE

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK
The biggest obstacle to knowing what customers really think about us? Fear. We fear
they'll tell us our product or service stinks, that we're horrible people and we should never have
set foot on earth. Yet most companies never hear that type of painful feedback. Our research
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finds that companies with strong word of mouth and customer devotion behave like high-
performance athletes when it comes to focusing on customer feedback. In effect, they are
feedback machines. Customer feedback drives their marketing strategies, product development
and service expectations.
Toy retailer Build-A-Bear Workshop sends out weekly surveys to its database of six
million customers asking them to rate their recent store experience, including the cleanliness of
the bathrooms! Company founder Maxine Clark attributes her company's success-it has grown to
113 stores in five years doing $200 million in revenue-to its intense focus on gathering customer
feedback.
The opposite approach to proactively gathering customer feedback-waiting for it arrive
on its own-is fraught with peril. Research firm TARP has found that for every person who
complains, there are 26 who do not. That means if you have 1,000 customers and 100 of them
complain, another 260 may have quietly dumped you, never to call again. To know what
customers are thinking, we must ask.
Companies that operate as feedback machines-using a plus-delta model of understanding
what customers love (the plus) and what they would improve (the delta) – make improvements to
their operations quickly and efficiently.
Overcome the fear of customer feedback and make a bold move toward creating
volunteer referrals with these tips, the 10 Golden Rules of Customer Plus-Delta:
1. Believe that customers possess good ideas. How often does someone in your
organization respond to an innovative idea by saying, "Our customers don't want that." But you
already have had customers indicate otherwise. Asking customers to participate in your problem-
solving and idea generation is an act of courage, not of weakness.
2. Gather customer feedback at every opportunity. Every customer interaction is an
opportunity for feedback. Avoid the trap of "we don't want to bother our customers." If are
customers are busy, they will politely decline.
3. Focus on continual improvement. As Peter Drucker once said, a business has two
purposes: marketing and innovation. Enlist the aid of your highly affiliated, most passionate
customers to help you improve an aspect of your business every week so that it builds monthly
momentum. Word will spread quickly when a company's quality starts improving, especially if
you thank specific customers for their assistance.
4. Actively solicit good and bad feedback. The first part is relatively easy. The second
question is usually the source of feedback fear. Finesse the situation by asking "what is the one
thing you would change or improve about your experience with us or our product?"
5. Don't spend vast sums of money doing it. Multiple-page customer surveys that take six
months and cost the equivalent of two salaries may impress the CEO and board of directors, but
they may be outdated by the time the data arrives. Short, fast surveys deliver better response
rates and allow you to react rapidly to issues raised. Solve one or two problems at a time, not
everything at once. Tell your customers how their feedback directly contributed to your changes.
6. Seek real-time feedback. Kimpton Boutique hotels CEO Tom LaTour says he has three
duties every day: review revenue targets, manage people, call 8-10 customers. With his customer
plus-delta on his daily schedule, he's not the last to hear about problems. Often, he's the first.
Obviously, he has the cachet to resolve issues quickly. When the CEO of a company has resolved
your complaint, word spreads fast.
7. Make it easy for customers to provide feedback. Companies as feedback machines
employ multiple input points: in person, email, Web sites, point-of-purchase cards or receipts,
conferences and the telephone. After all, being a feedback machine is about making it easy-for
the customer-to provide feedback, not what's convenient for you.
8. Leverage technology to aid your efforts. Online survey tools makes it very easy to
gather feedback via the Web. They are typically fast, efficient, and inexpensive. They
automatically tabulate data and don't require a techie to launch. Your data is virtually complete
within 48 hours of sending customers a link to the survey.
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9. Share customer feedback throughout the organization. Responsibility for customer
feedback extends beyond the marketing department. Accordingly, ensure that everyone in the
company knows what customers are thinking by sharing customer feedback; product and service
decisions will be better informed as a result.
10. Use feedback to make changes quickly. You can't move a mountain in a day, but you
can make it easier to climb by clearing a path. Customers who evangelize their friends and
colleagues love a responsive organization, especially ones that keep them in the loop of how
their feedback was used (or wasn't).
CUSTOMER FEEDBACK TECHNIQUES

The more information you have from your customers, the better. When you have
accurate, balanced and worthwhile information from your customers, you put yourself ahead of
your competition in the marketing stakes. Here are six ways to get feedback so you know what
customers think of your business.
1. Ask Them. The simplest way to find out what people want from your service or
product is to ask them. That's what the hairdresser does when he says, "How would you like your
hair, sir?". The trouble is, most service-providers assume they know what people want. When
hotel customers are asked what they want for their breakfast and then the waiting and catering
staff are asked what they think the customer wants, the answers are invariably different. Always
ask and act on the answers.
2. Be Your Own Customer. One of the most obvious but underused ways to find out what
your customers experience when they use your service is to be a customer yourself. You can do
this by walking the customer journey one step at a time and seeing things through your
customer's eyes. You can even act as one of a special group of customers - such as a person in a
wheelchair, or someone whose first language is not English - and see how you're treated.
3. Focus Groups. Focus groups are representatives of customers whose job is to provide
you with information on their needs and preferences. When Selfridges Food Hall in London's
West End used a focus group to review their customer needs, they discovered that they had three
different types of customer: locals who wanted personal attention; after-work shoppers who
wanted convenience; and tourists who wanted something special.
4. Questionnaires and Surveys. Getting customers to put their thoughts in writing on a
questionnaire or survey is one of the most well-established feedback techniques. That's because,
when well-conducted, it works. When Volkswagen designed the new Bug, they sent their
existing customers a detailed survey saying, "We want you! Your ideas, preferences, and
constructive contributions will be evaluated and fed into the development process. So tell us
about your impressions and ideas for the new Beetle. We'll do our best!" The result? Air-
conditioning as standard and optional lighters and ashtrays. Who would have guessed?
5. Usage Statistics. The most important current information on whether your customers
are satisfied with your service or not is whether they continue to buy from you or use you.
However, while information on sales may be an accurate indicator of how well you are doing at
present, it is no guarantee that you are delivering the product or service that the customer really
wants. It may be that you are at present the only supplier in the market, or that you are the
cheapest or the most convenient.
6. Your Front-Line Staff. Your front-line staff are the most resourceful and reliable, as
well as the least costly, of your customer feedback sources. Front-line staff should be encouraged
to build strong relationships with customers so that they feel free to share how they feel about the
service. It is then for front-line staff to feed back important information for improving customer
care and for managers to make use of what they tell them. There is also a value in looking after
front-line staff. The supermarket chain, Sainsbury's, discovered a direct connection between
customer satisfaction levels and front-line staff satisfaction levels. Each year it carries out
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customer surveys and staff surveys. Those stores where customer satisfaction is high are
invariably the same stores where staff satisfaction is high.
You may deliver the best service in the world. But if it is not what people want, you're
wasting your time. Implement one, two, three or all of the above techniques, and your service
and product will improve overnight.
7 RULES FOR GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE

Good customer service is all about bringing customers back. And about sending them
away happy - happy enough to pass positive feedback about your business along to others, who
may then try the product or service you offer for themselves and in their turn become repeat
customers. The essence of good customer service is forming a relationship with customers – a
relationship that that individual customer feels that he would like to pursue.
How do you go about forming such a relationship? By remembering the one true secret of
good customer service and acting accordingly; "You will be judged by what you do, not what
you say." If you truly want to have good customer service, all you have to do is ensure that your
business consistently does these things:
1) Answer your phone. Get call forwarding. Or an answering service. Hire staff if you
need to. But make sure that someone is picking up the phone when someone calls your business.
2) Don't make promises unless you will keep them. Reliability is one of the keys to any
good relationship, and good customer service is no exception. If you say, “Your new bedroom
furniture will be delivered on Tuesday”, make sure it is delivered on Tuesday. Otherwise, don't
say it. The same rule applies to client appointments, deadlines, etc. Think before you give any
promise - because nothing annoys customers more than a broken one.
3) Listen to your customers. Is there anything more exasperating than telling someone
what you want or what your problem is and then discovering that that person hasn't been paying
attention and needs to have it explained again? Let your customer talk and show him that you are
listening by making the appropriate responses, such as suggesting how to solve the problem.
4) Deal with complaints. No one likes hearing complaints, and many of us have
developed a reflex shrug, saying, "You can't please all the people all the time". Maybe not, but if
you give the complaint your attention, you may be able to please this one person this one time -
and position your business to reap the benefits of good customer service.
5) Train your staff to be always helpful, courteous, and knowledgeable. Do it yourself or
hire someone to train them. Talk to them about good customer service and what it is regularly.
6) Take the extra step. For instance, if someone walks into your store and asks you to help them
find something, don't just say, "It's in Aisle 3". Lead the customer to the item. Better yet, wait
and see if he has questions about it, or further needs. Whatever the extra step may be, if you want
to provide good customer service, take it.
7) Throw in something extra. Whether it's a coupon for a future discount, additional
information on how to use the product, or a genuine smile, people love to get more than they
thought they were getting.
If you apply these simple rules consistently, your business will become known for its
good customer service. And the best part? The irony of good customer service is that over time it
will bring in more new customers than promotions and price slashing ever did!
10 CUSTOMER SERVICE TIPS

The People aspect of business is really what it is all about. Think of customers as
individuals. Once we think that way, we realize our business is our customer, not our product or
services. Putting all the focus on the merchandise in our store, or the services our corporation
offers, leaves out the most important component: each individual customer. Keeping those
individual customers in mind, here are some easy customer service tips to keep them coming
back!
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1. Remember there is no way that the quality of customer service can exceed the quality
of the people who provide it. Think you can get by paying the lowest wage, giving the fewest of
benefits, doing the least training for your employees? It will show. Companies don't help
customers... people do.
2. Realize that your people will treat your customer the way they are treated. Employees
take their cue from management. Do you greet your employees enthusiastically each day; are
you polite in your dealings with them; do you try to accommodate their requests; do you listen to
them when they speak? Consistent rude customer service is a reflection not as much on the
employee as on management.
3. Do you know who your customers are? If a regular customer came in to your facility,
would you recognize them? Could you call them by name? All of us like to feel important;
calling someone by name is a simple way to do it and lets them know you value them as
customers.
4. Do your customers know who you are? If they see you, would they recognize you?
Could they call you by name? A visible management is an asset. At the Piccadilly Cafeteria
chain, the pictures of the manager and the assistant manager are posted on a wall at the food
selection line and it is a policy that the manager’s office is placed only a few feet from the
cashier's stand at the end of that line, in full view of the customers, and with the door kept open.
The manager is easily accessible and there is no doubt about "who's in charge here". You have
only to ask to get a manager at your table to talk with you.
5. If a customer makes a request for something special, do everything you can to say yes.
The fact that a customer cared enough to ask is all you need to know in trying to accommodate
her. It may be an exception from your customer service policy, but (if it isn’t illegal) try to do it.
Remember you are just making one exception for one customer, not making new policy.
6. Are your customer service associates properly trained in how to handle a customer
complaint or an irate person? Give them guidelines for what to say and do in every conceivable
case. People on the frontline of a situation play the most critical role in your customer’s
experience. Make sure they know what to do and say to make that customer’s experience a
positive, pleasant one.
7. Want to know what your customers think of your company? Ask them! Compose a
"How're We Doing?" card and leave it at the exit or register stand, or include it in their next
statement. Keep it short and simple. Ask things like: what it is they like; what they don’t like;
what they would change; what you could do better; about their latest experience there, etc. To
ensure the customer sends it in, have it pre-stamped. And if the customer has given their name
and address, be sure to acknowledge receipt of the card.
Remember that the big money isn’t as much in winning customers as in keeping
customers. Each individual customer’s perception of your company will determine how well you
do this and that perception will depend on the level of customer service you provide.
THE 5 TYPES OF CUSTOMERS

In the retail industry, it seems as though we are constantly faced with the issue of trying
to find new customers. Most of us are obsessed with making sure our advertising, displays, and
pricing all “scream out” to attract new customers. This focus on pursuing new customers is
certainly prudent and necessary, but, at the same time, it can wind up hurting us. Therefore, our
focus really should be on the 20 percent of our clients who currently are our best customers.
In retail, this idea of focusing on the best current customers should be seen as an on-
going opportunity. To better understand the rationale behind this theory and to face the challenge
of building customer loyalty, we need to break down shoppers into five main types:
Loyal Customers: They represent no more than 20 percent of our customer base, but
make up more than 50 percent of our sales. Naturally, we need to be communicating with these
customers on a regular basis by telephone, mail, email, etc. These people are the ones who can
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and should influence our buying and merchandising decisions. Nothing will make a Loyal
Customer feel better than soliciting their input and showing them how much you value it. In my
mind, you can never do enough for them. Many times, the more you do for them, the more they
will recommend you to others.
Discount Customers: They shop our stores frequently, but make their decisions based on
the size of our markdowns. This category helps ensure your inventory is turning over and, as a
result, it is a key contributor to cash flow. This same group, however, can often wind up costing
you money because they are more inclined to return product.
Impulse Customers: They do not have buying a particular item at the top of their “To Do”
list, but come into the store on a whim. They will purchase what seems good at the time. Clearly,
this is the segment of our clientele that we all like to serve. There is nothing more exciting than
assisting an Impulse shopper and having them respond favorably to our recommendations.
Need-Based Customers: They have a specific intention to buy a particular type of item.
People in this category are driven by a specific need. When they enter the store, they will look to
see if they can have that need filled quickly. If not, they will leave right away. They buy for a
variety of reasons such as a specific occasion, a specific need, or an absolute price point. As
difficult as it can be to satisfy these people, they can also become Loyal Customers if they are
well taken care of.
Wandering Customers: They have no specific need or desire in mind when they come
into the store. Rather, they want a sense of experience and/or community. For many stores, this is
the largest segment in terms of traffic, while, at the same time, they make up the smallest
percentage of sales. There is not a whole lot you can do about this group because the number of
Wanderers you have is driven more by your store location than anything else.
If we are serious about growing our business, we need to focus our effort on the loyal
customers, and merchandise our store to leverage the impulse shoppers. The other three types of
customers do represent a segment of our business, but they can also cause us to misdirect our
resources if we put too much emphasis on them.
UNIT 6. TRAVELLING FOR BUSINESS

CULTURAL AWARENESS WHEN YOU TRAVEL
Most travellers have a story about travel to another country and the problems of cultural
differences. Perhaps they arrived late for a meal or they ate too early. Maybe they did something
at the dinner table that is rude or they chose the wrong topics of conversation. These stories are
often funny but rarely serious. When two people with experience of travel meet, they usually
expect cultural differences – after all, that’s what makes travel interesting. But the visitor with a
good cultural understanding will communicate more effectively and be welcome back. Here is a
summary of the key areas to consider.
When you first meet, it’s important to talk about ‘safe’ subjects. In all parts of the world,
your journey and the weather are likely to be good opening topics. Also, asking about the
country you are in and places to visit are good ways to develop a conversation. However,
opinions are different when someone introduces the topic of family or free-time interests. Not
everyone likes to talk about personal things in the workplace. The golden rule here is to begin
with the safe topics and
build the relationship before you move on to subjects like the economy or politics.
The gestures we make in our own countries do not always ‘translate’. When you shake
your head from side to side in India, it can mean ‘Yes’, not ‘No’. But hands can cause bigger
problems than heads. For example, putting your hands on your hips in parts of Southeast Asia
might suggest you feel angry or aggressive towards them – definitely don’t use it with a police
officer or government official! Finally, there are your feet. Don’t show the bottom of your shoes
in many countries and you might need to take them off when entering someone’s house – or you
might need to keep them on!
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Polite travellers are welcome all over the world and people will invite you into their
house. In many cultures, this offer of hospitality is very serious. If you refuse an offer of food,
help, or even a gift sometimes, it can be very rude. At a meal, it could be polite to finish
everything or polite to leave a little. In general, guests who try anything put in front of them
(even the strangest-looking food) will be welcome back in all cultures.
If you are abroad with a close friend or your wife or husband, find out what is acceptable
when you are in public. Holding hands is probably safe, but kissing in public might not be.
Alternatively, you might be surprised by how much people in some cultures show their affection.
The rules of punctuality really are very different, even within continents such as Europe.
It’s hard to generalize about regions. For example, people often say South American countries
are relaxed about being on time, but in Chile it is important to be punctual. There is a simple
guideline to follow: If you arrive early or on time, your host might be surprised, but not think it’s
rude. If you or someone else arrives late, then perhaps that’s your custom or their custom (or
maybe they just couldn’t find a taxi!). In other words, accept and learn from cultural differences.
LEARN WHILE YOU TRAVEL

How do you spend your time while you commute to work? Do you read a book? Check
your emails? Think about what’s for dinner? Now commuters in Israel are learning about Albert
Einstein and other university subjects as they travel to work.
A passenger is buying her ticket at Modi’in station. As the man in the ticket office gives
her the ticket, she asks for the carriage with the lecture. The man in the ticket office isn’t
surprised by the question. She quickly walks to platform ten and gets on the eight o’clock train
with the crowds of other commuters. They are all taking the train to Tel Aviv Central station, but
this morning some
of them are also going to learn about the life of Einstein.
As the train leaves the station and reaches one hundred kilometers per hour, Professor
Hanoch Gutfreund begins a lecture in a carriage of office workers who, this morning, are also
students. It’s the idea of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Twice a month, passengers can
listen to university lectures on a range of subjects. It’s free for anyone with a train ticket, but
there are only sixty seats and carriage three is always full. All the lectures are about science. For
example,
this month there are going to be lectures on the environment and how the brain works.
The journey from Modi’in to Tel Aviv takes twenty-five minutes and it isn’t easy to give
the lecture in this time. The train stops at different stations and passengers get on and get off the
train. At one point, a ticket collector comes through the carriage and checks tickets. At the station
for the airport, two young people with surfboards and backpacks leave the carriage. They are
going to catch a light to the Philippines for a surfing holiday. One of them says: ‘I never
expected this on the train. It’s interesting, but I have to get off.’ As the train finally arrives at Tel
Aviv Central, Professor Gutfreund finishes. There’s no time for questions.
As passengers leave most of them are positive about the experience: ‘It’s a great idea,’
says one man. ‘Every morning I go to work by train and so next time I hope there’s another
lecture.’ Rina Levy, a 72-year-old, caught the Modi’in train especially to hear the lecture. ‘I
really enjoyed it,’ she said. ‘I attend university lectures a lot, but this was really different. I’ll
come again, and bring lots of people.’ Only one passenger – a student going to university for the
day – was less positive: ‘I don’t know if it’s the best way to learn.’
But, in general, Professor Gutfreund says the response to the lectures is always good.
Recently, one lady didn’t get off at her station because she did not want to miss the end of the
talk. Unfortunately these student-commuters aren’t going to receive a qualification for attending
the lectures, but at least the journey feels shorter!
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HOW TO AVOID LAST-MINUTE TRAVEL DISASTERS
Active travel offers a great way of discovering the world, stimulating both the mind and
the body. However, when planning any trip, it’s vital you’re fully-prepared for any last-minute
hiccups that could easily derail an otherwise perfect experience. Whether you’re a veteran
adventure traveller or simply heading away for a weekend city break, coming up with a detailed
travel itinerary can take some time. However, once you’ve listed all the sights you want to see
and worked out exactly where you’ll be staying, it’s equally important that you prepare for some
of the last-minute slip-ups that could really ruin all your hard work.
Key advice for stress-free travel:
Know what time your flights are – It may sound like the most obvious travel advice in the
world, but it’s amazing how many people don’t actually bother to check the exact departure
times of their flights. Don’t base your airport travel plans on hazy recollections. Instead, make
sure you keep your flight tickets in a safe and easily accessible place so you know what time to
reach the airport for. On a similar note, make sure you get to the airport in good time, leaving
plenty of allowance for possible check-in delays or long queues going through customs. Creating
some breathing space is the ideal way to start your break stress free.
Book an airport transfer in advance – Once you’ve sorted out the exact time of your flight
departure, make sure you also have a definite plan on how you’re actually going to get to the
airport. If you’re lucky enough to have a friend or family member who can drive you then that’s
fine. But if you’re going to rely on an airport transfer, make sure you book a cab well in advance
of your flight day, preferably from a firm you trust. Just to be doubly safe, give them a ring the
day before you’re due to travel, just to be certain they’ve remembered your request.
Change your currency before you fly – There’s nothing worse than hopping onto your
plane abroad and then realising that, in your big rush to get away to the sun, you haven’t actually
bothered to change your cash into foreign currency. So make sure you’re money-wise by
changing your money, in advance, at any well-known bureau de change. Don’t put it off until the
airport or you’ll end up suffering from extortionate commission fees.
Be polite at customs – With the continued war on terror, customs checks are often
decidedly po-faced affairs these days, with ashen-faced bruisers checking bags and passports
with extreme diligence. It might be tempting to try and rush through customs to get to the duty-
free shops on the other side, or even treat the whole process as a bit of a joke. A word of advice:
don’t! Approach customs checks with the seriousness they demand. Be polite with customs
officers, follow their rules and you’ll be en route to your destination in no time.
Ensuring you have a stress-free trip abroad really doesn’t require too much effort or
detailed planning. In fact, as long as you stick to some common sense principles, you’ll be well-
organised for a healthy and happy time away. So be travel-savvy and leave behind the potential
pitfalls of foreign trips!
HOW TO MAKE BUSINESS TRAVEL MANAGEABLE?

If you are excited about business travel, thinking it's a free ticket to see the world, you
should stop reading now. But if you are having trouble maintaining your personal life in the face
of tons of travel, these tips from a cynical traveler will make life easier for you.
1. Stick with your priorities. When people travel to another city, why do they throw out
their to do list for sightseeing in random museums? If you have on your top three things you
want in life: go to the gym, stay in touch with friends, read a book a week, then sightseeing is not
on the list. You don't need to do it when you travel. You need to stick to your priorities. If
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sightseeing is on your priority list, then get a new job, because you have no control over where
you sightsee if you have a job with a lot of travel.
2. Eat really well. First of all, you're not paying for your own food, so you should eat
really good, healthy food, which is always more expensive than junk food. Second, if you have a
rule for yourself that you always eat well when you travel, then you will actually be healthier
from traveling. Most people eat crap when they travel because they are tired and they feel like
the calories don't count because they are across state lines. That attitude will make you burn out
faster. I can't find a link but I'm sure there's a study to support the hypothesis that you deal with
the stress of travel more effectively without McDonald's.
3. Think of balance in terms of weeks, not days. I know I want to spend time with the
kids, be around for dinner invitations, and tooth-fairy moments. I used to worry about this every
day. If I didn't have breakfast with the kids, then I had to have dinner. Now I think in terms of
weeks. If I was gone all week, I take off a day from work to have extra time for my personal life.
If you are good at your job, and you travel a lot, no one counts how many days you take off.
4. Get elite status. Somewhere. Anywhere. When everyone is staying overnight at
O'Hare, the people who are platinum are getting rebooked first. When you are waiting on the
tarmac for an hour at LaGuardia because air traffic control cannot remember how many planes
are in the air (which, really, is like, every day) if you get upgraded to first class, you're drinking
free wine and eating firm grapes while you are a prisoner of the airport. To get elite status, it
means that every time your company wants to save $50 to put you on another airline, you have to
say no. If my company will save more than $300, I'll travel on an airline that I am not platinum
on. Make sure your company knows you're doing them a favor.
The bottom line is that you need to respect your life. Your life cannot be on hold while
you travel. The values you have—be spiritual, be frugal, be healthy—have to prevail during your
travel. This is not vacation travel. This is not a vacation from your life. Business travel is your
life.
TOP TIPS TO REDUCE YOUR FEAR OF FLYING

To some people, the fear of flying is quite real and results in them missing out on some
great personal and professional opportunities. Alternatively, they end up going on flights having
to grin and bear it, during what to them is an incredibly uncomfortable and stressful experience.
Well, the fear of flying is quite an irrational one – you’ve statistically got more chance of
being killed crossing the street! A fear may have developed from a bad experience – for example
having been on a rough flight, or seeing a news report of a plane hijacking or crash.
To some, the fear of flying may be an uncomfortable feeling that they’re able to hide,
whereas others may be more vocal about it or even show signs of stress such as sweating and
trembling – or even be so terrified that they stay completely grounded all the time. So how can
you overcome this?
1. Prepare well in advance for your flight. Being well-prepared for your flight can help to
reduce the onset of your fear of flying. By making a checklist of all the important things that you
need to take and then packing well in advance, you can avoid rushing unnecessarily – which will
help to minimise your anxieties before the flight.
2. Get to the airport early. Setting off early will also prevent any unnecessary stress. Aim
to get to the airport more than two hours before your flight, so that you won’t stress out too much
if an unexpected delay comes up on your way to the airport. Arriving early will also give you
time to find out exactly when and where to check in before your flight, and allow you to relax by
visiting the airport shops or café.
3. Eat well before the flight. Before a long flight, ensure you have a decent meal. Your
level of blood sugar can drop over the course of a long flight – especially at times of anxiety or
stress, when your body will burn off more blood sugar than when you’re in a relaxed state. Also,
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don’t drink too much, as the atmosphere in the cabin is pressurised so the alcohol will affect you
more than usual and could exaggerate your fears.
4. Learn to relax. Trying to relax on a flight will help to reduce your levels of stress. Try
some deep breathing exercises and wear loose-fitting clothing. You could even consider taking
an inflatable pillow with you for added comfort. Giving yourself some distractions will also help
– so take some headphones, which will help to block out aircraft noises and allow your mind to
wander, or try talking to other people around you.
5. Think positive thoughts. Think about your reason for travelling, so that you keep in
mind the worthwhile goal at the end of your flight. Also, keep in mind that flying is around 10
times safer than climbing up the stairs at home and 21 times safer than driving – plus it’s
estimated that you would have to take a flight every day for 30,000 years before you are likely to
be in a fatal air crash! Remember these figures during your flight and you will feel a lot safer and
more relaxed.
UNIT 7. WORKING TOGETHER

WORKING IN TEAMS
When you watch sports like football or basketball it’s obvious that team work is
important. Players need to work together on and off the field or court. But how important is
teamwork in sports with famous individuals? For example, what about the tennis player, Roger
Federer? When he wins another championship, we don’t think about his ‘team’. We think about
his genius on the court.
Another sport with brilliant individuals is Formula 1. It’s the biggest motor sport in the
world with the biggest names – drivers like Michael Schumacher or Lewis Hamilton. Lewis
Hamilton is the youngest driver to become the Formula 1 world champion. His photograph is
often on the front and back pages of newspapers and magazines. Many companies also want the
face of Lewis next to their products. He earns millions in sponsorship deals. But in the interviews
after his winning races, Lewis always thanks his team at the racetrack and at the factory.
That’s because at McLaren – the team he drives for – there are 1,115 people working
with him. They are spread over three factories and before every race, they work towards making
him number one again. McLaren’s mission is the same now as it was when it began in 1966: ‘To
win races and world championships’. Success starts at the factory with everyone working on
different components. The factory in the United Kingdom is called the Technology Centre and
covers 57,000 m2. There are design studios, laboratories, research and testing facilities,
electronics development, machine shops, and prototyping and production facilities. Every time
there is a new component for
the car, there is a test stage. The results and feedback go back to each section of the factory.
Sometimes they have to completely rebuild a component and start again.
When Lewis describes the reason for his team’s success, he uses a word that you often
hear inside successful Formula 1 teams – communication. Even when the driver is at the race
track, he can call and teleconference with the factory. He tells them what he needs and he has to
be very direct. As a young driver Lewis admits that at first it was difficult to give feedback. He
didn’t always have the confidence or experience, but teams don’t work without feedback.
His team is also part of something more complicated than just designing, building, and
racing cars. The Formula 1 business includes logistics, marketing and PR, and the financial
management of hundreds of millions of dollars. The McLaren group has a catering division, it
owns a race track, and it runs an e-commerce business. So, nowadays, when we talk about
McLaren as a team, what we really mean is McLaren as a business. A very successful one,
because it’s never about the individual but always about the team.
BUILD YOUR MANAGEMENT TEAM

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In the early days of running your own business, it's natural to try to do as much as
possible yourself. It's the most cost-effective, comfortable, sensible way to do things in the
beginning. But as your enterprise grows, you'll find yourself stretched thinner and thinner.
Eventually, you'll find you just can't continue to oversee operations and sales, accounting and
marketing and hope to continue to grow your business.
When you reach this point, it's time to think about bringing other high-level managers on
board to help you out. You need to build a senior team that's able to manage all the critical areas
of your business to take it to the next level. Building your team demands matching jobs to
people's strengths. That means giving people responsibilities according to skill level, not based
on how close a friend they are, or how closely related they are to you, or whether you just like
their sunny personality. That includes you as well. Don't give yourself an impressive title and job
unless you're right for the job.
When it comes time to hire an executive team, you'll need to find people to fill the
following roles:
 Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The CEO is the boss of everyone and is responsible for
everything. They determine the company's strategy. They hire and build the senior team.
They make the final call on how resources get allocated. The CEO's skills must include
strategic thinking, the ability to rise above the daily details and decide where the industry
and business are headed. They must then be able to decide the company's best route for
navigating the future market conditions, predict the future and control the budget.
 Chief Operating Officer (COO). A COO handles a company's complex operational
details. The company's COO insures the business can deliver day after day. He figures out
just what needs to be measured so he can tell if things are going well. Then his team
creates the systems to track the measurements and takes action when the company isn't
delivering.
 President. No one knows just what a president does. Some say a president oversees staff
functions – human resources, finance and strategy – while the COO oversees daily
operations. Others think that the president is a synonym for COO, especially in smaller
companies. Yet sometimes, the president fills gaps left by the COO and CEO.
 Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Your CFO handles the money. They create budgets and
financing strategies. They figure out if it's better for your business to lease or buy. Then
they build the control systems that monitor your company's financial health. Believe me,
you'll know when you need a CFO. Do you lie awake at night dreaming about numbers?
No? Then you need to bring someone on board who does.
 Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). The CMO owns the marketing strategy – and that often
includes the sales strategy – and oversees its implementation. The CMO will know your
industry inside out and helps you position your product, differentiate it from your
competitors' products, enlist distributors, and make sure customers want your product.
 Chief Technology Officer (CTO). A CTO should keep up with technology trends,
integrate those trends into the company's strategy, and make sure the company keeps
current when it's necessary. They should not be buying new toys and state-of-the-art
technology just because it's the latest, greatest thing out there.
5 KEY TRAITS OF GREAT LEADERS
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As an entrepreneur with employees, one of your primary goals is most likely to attract
and keep motivated workers. So let's explore the five key traits that will help you become the
kind of leader people love working for.
1. You must have a vision. As a leader, you have to learn to communicate your vision or
the vision of your company to the people you want to follow you. As you work, your company's
vision should be in your mind every day, and you should reevaluate it occasionally so that it
stays current with the changing times in which we live. And remember, your staff needs to be
just as involved as you in keeping it up to date if you truly want them to buy in on the vision. Be
sure to keep your key players involved.
2. You must have passion. Your employees want passion; in fact, they'll go to the ends of earth
because of it, live and die for it. To build an extraordinary management team, you've got to light
the "fire in their bellies," to get them to feel passion about the company and connect to the
leader's vision. Passion is such a key part of being a great leader that if you don't have it, you
simply can't be a great leader.
3. You must learn to be a great decision maker. How are major decisions made in your
company? What is your process for making them? For instance, do you talk to your management
team and create a list of pros and cons to help you make the best decision? Maybe you conduct a
cost analysis. Or do you create a timeline for the implementation strategy, process and timing?
4. You must be a team builder. To become a great leader, you must develop a great team
or, one might say, a well-oiled machine. You can start by handing off responsibility to your team
and letting your team to run with it. Don't breathe down their necks and don't micromanage, but
make yourself available if questions or problems come up. When projects aren't on track or your
team is falling behind on deadline, it serves no one if you start pointing fingers. This is when you
need to rise to the occasion and inspire confidence in your employees, to let them know you
support them and ready to help. Be ready to alter plans and make new ones. Don't forget to use
humor to keep your team's spirits up during a crisis.
5. You must have character. Without character, all the other "keys" are for naught. That's because
your innate character strengths and limitations play a critical role in your leadership style. All
great leaders have taken steps to learn about their individual personality and what part it plays in
their leadership style.
If you feel the traits don't match who you think you are, then look a little deeper and be
honest with yourself. Sometimes our first response is defensive. You might want to assess
yourself with a different type of profile and then compare the results. In learning to be a great
leader, the first step is to be open to feedback about yourself as a leader and separate it from you
the person. If you can apply the five keys to great leadership, you'll be well on your way to
becoming a great leader surrounded by great employees.
IT’S NOT ABOUT THE MONEY!

What motivates you to go to work? Is it money? Surveys carried out over the years seem
to constantly suggest that people want more from their work than just their salary. Motivated
workers equal happy workers which leads to better productivity. So, both employers and
employees need to discover what really motivates people in the workplace.
Let’s start with the issue of money – is it the most important factor? Many people these
days think that it is not. Bob Nelson, in his Workforce article, ‘The Ten Ironies of Motivation’,
claims that good pay ‘is important, but most employees consider it a right—an exchange for the
work one does.’ Nelson and others argue that employers are slow to understand this, and the
difference between what employers think motivates their staff and what actually does, is huge.
So if money is not the main motivator, then what is?
Research suggests that the biggest factor in job motivation is recognition. Employees like
to have their efforts recognized and rewarded. They want to be treated like human beings and
receive
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acknowledgement that they have achieved something special or made a significant contribution.
Mai Hui, a human resources specialist, provides interesting evidence to support this. One of the
most demotivating factors claims Hui is when employers don’t deal with non-performing
members of staff. According to Hui over 50% of respondents in a recent survey said they would
like to see their non-performing colleagues fired. This might seem surprising but, as Hui says
‘employees feel it is not fair if less-dedicated members of staff are rewarded in the same way as
their better-performing colleagues. In the end everyone will be brought down to the lower level.’
Recognition is not the only factor. Giving employees some responsibility is also an
important motivating tool. Hui argues that giving employees control of their work will help to
keep them motivated. Employees should be part of the decision-making process or at the very
least be kept up to date with decisions and developments in their department and – importantly
how those decisions were reached. Good lines of communication throughout the company are
crucial for a happy working environment, claims Carwyn Williams, a US-based HR consultant.
In a recent happiness survey poor communication was the number-one cause of unhappiness in
work, while ideas being ignored also reached the top ten. Therefore, as Williams argues, it is
essential for employees to feel they have the ability to affect decisions.
Employers also have to recognize that professional development is part and parcel of
employee motivation. Williams argues that traditionally, companies have been worried about
providing education and training to their staff because they feel that by developing your
employees’ marketable skills you are risking losing those employees to your competitors. But
Williams claims
that the evidence suggests this is not in fact the case. Employees who are offered inservice
training are often more loyal to the company as it makes them realize that their company values
them. The opportunity for self-improvement, growth and development can energize the
workforce and it reduces anxiety created by uncertainties in the job market.
Ultimately there is no magic motivation formula but Nelson warns that employers often
only deal with motivation once it has become a problem. ‘Managers are often too busy focusing
on what’s urgent and forget about regularly motivating and recognizing employees,’ he writes.
However, he also points out that it takes less effort to keep the workforce motivated than it does
to recreate motivation after it is lost. His final piece of advice is simply to treat the employees
like they are your greatest assets and then you will see the benefits.
WORKING TOGETHER
Effective communication is an essential part of a smoothly running business organisation.
Communication involves the transmission of information from a source (or a number of sources)
to receivers. The information is communicated in the form of a message. In the modern
organisation there will be multi-channel flows of communication. For example a customer may
request a new part from a supplier, with information on how to use that part in a piece of
equipment. The supplier will then communicate with the customer setting out instructions for
using the part, as well as sending a delivery note, invoice, and further sales literature.
Increasingly these interactions will be carried out by electronic media such as through a sales
website, e-mail communications and other means.
The effectiveness of communications depends on:
1.The clarity of the message.
2.The quality of the medium used to transmit the message. The medium is the means
of communicating e.g. e-mail, telephone, letter, etc.
3.Any distracting 'noise' that prevent the message from effectively getting through. For
example, if the recipient receives lots of e-mail messages, they may fail to give proper
attention to the sender's message.
3.The ability of the receiver to decode the message. For example, they may not be able
to understand the instructions given.
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There are two main forms of business communication: internal communication
(communication within the business) and external communication (communication outside the
business).
Typical forms of internal communication include:
 Electronic mail. This has rapidly become the most common form of written
communication within an organisation.
 Company websites. A website will typically involve a portal or section dedicated to
internal communication with and between employees.
 Company databases. In most large organisations including banks like Abbey, employees
will be able to access a number of company databases e.g. to access details of customers
accounts when dealing directly with customers.
 Face-to-face interactions. Dealing directly with other employees in an organisation is a
regular occurrence and provides an excellent way for sharing ideas and for working co-
operatively
 Meetings can either be of a formal or informal nature. In manufacturing companies like
Nissan teams of employees regularly meet to discuss issues about quality.
 Phone communications are another important form of oral communication with most
large companies having a low cost internal telephone system.
 An internal memo (memorandum) is a short brief message to another member of the
same organisation. Typically memos today are sent by e-mail.
 Staff magazines, notices and posters on staff notice boards provide other means of
internal communications. Typical forms of external communication include:
 Written communication in the form of letters, and advertising material such as leaflets,
brochures, posters, etc.
Oral communication in the form of phone calls, and direct face to face interactions. Oral
communication is very important in service industries and staff in organisation like banks,
insurance companies etc are specially trained for such work. Oral communication through call
centers is particularly important as a poorly trained operator may lose a business millions of
pounds worth of sales or custom. Online communications - have become particularly important
with the development of e-commerce. Most large companies have commercial websites enabling
customers to buy online.
UNIT 8. DECISIONS
FIVE TIPS FOR MAKING BETTER DECISIONS
Being able to pull the trigger is one of the benefits of being your own boss, but some
entrepreneurs are still gun shy. Making a decision is one of the most powerful acts for inspiring
confidence in leaders and managers. Yet many bosses are squeamish about it.
Some decide not to decide, while others simply procrastinate. Either way, it’s typically a
cop-out -- and doesn’t exactly encourage inspiration in the ranks.
To avoid pining over what to do and what to skip, it can help to learn how to make better
decisions. You’ll be viewed as a better leader and get better results overall. Here are five tips for
making quicker, more calculated decisions:
1. Stop seeking perfection. Many great leaders would prefer a project or report be
delivered only 80% complete a few hours early than 100% complete five minutes late. Moral of
the story: Don’t wait for everything to be perfect. Instead of seeking the impossible, efficient
decision makers tend to leap without all the answers and trust that they’ll be able to build their
wings on the way down.
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2. Be independent. Good decision makers are “collaboratively independent.” They tend to
surround themselves with the best and brightest and ask pointed questions. For instance, in a
discussion with subject-matter experts, they don’t ask: “What should I do?” Rather, their query
is: “What’s your thinking on this?” Waiting for committees or an expansive chain of command to
make decisions could take longer. Get your information from credible sources and then act,
swiftly.
3. Turn your brain off. Insight comes when you least expect it. Similar to suddenly
remembering the name of an actor that you think you'd just plumb forgotten. The same happens
when you’re trying to make a decision. By simply turning your mind off for a while or even
switching to a different dilemma, you’ll give your brain the opportunity to scan its data bank for
information that is already stored and waiting to be retrieved.
4. Don’t problem solve, decide. A decision can solve a problem, but not every problem can be
solved by making a decision. Instead, decision making often relies more on intuition than
analysis. Deciding between vendors, for instance, requires examining historical data, references
and prices. But the tipping point often rests with your gut. Which feels like the right choice?
5. Admit your mistakes. If your feelings steered you wrong, correct the error and fess up.
Even making the wrong decision will garner more respect and loyalty when you admit you’ve
made a mistake and resolve it than if you are habitually indecisive.
ORGANIZING TEAM DECISION-MAKING

While many of the decisions we make on a daily basis are quite simple, some are not.
These decisions may involve assimilating a huge amount of information, exploring many
different ideas, and drawing on many strands of experience. And the consequences of the right or
wrong decision may be profound for the team and the organization. So, should leaders be
decisive, think the issues through on their own, and take firm action? In some cases, no.
There's a limit to how much information any one individual can process, and a limit on
how many perspectives one person can see. Many decisions need full group participation to
explore the situation, provide input, and make a final choice. As you've probably seen, groups
can often make better decisions than any one person operating on his or her own. This is one of
the main reasons that good companies have boards, to which important decisions are taken.
What's more, many decisions need "buy-in" from the people affected by them if they're to
be implemented successfully, and it's hard to get this buy-in if people haven't been involved in
the decision-making process.
The problem is that when you bring other people into the decision-making process, you
need to approach decisions differently. These approaches vary, depending on a number of
different factors, including: the type of decision, the time and resources available, the nature of
the task being worked on, the environment the group wants to create, the amount of buy-in
needed.
Understanding why and how best to organize decisions for your team is an important
skill. We'll show you some key tools that you can use when you want to involve your whole team
in the decision-making process.
TRUSTING YOUR INTUITION

Excellent leaders often say that they go with their gut to make decisions. They are able to
trust themselves and their expertise and not get stuck in the cycle of over-thinking. The more you
know about a subject, the more reliable your intuition will be. Make yourself an expert in your
field and your intuition will be your best guide.
You may have heard intuition described as a nagging little voice inside you. It typically
speaks softly rather than screaming out at you. Unfortunately in our non-stop, busy, technology-
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filled worlds, it can be easy to not hear our intuition. It is always speaking, but we are often not
listening.
Improve your skills of listening to your intuition by building some form of meditative
practice into your daily life. It doesn’t have to be actual meditation; it can be a few moments of
reflection, a warm bath, a walk with your dog, and so on. We are typically so bombarded with
information all day (television, radio, Internet, cell phone) that we miss out on opportunities to
notice ourselves thinking and feeling. To hear your intuition you must have some time when
you’re a human being, not a human doing. Build periods of quiet into your life and you will be
surprised at what you hear.
Great decision making takes practice. These steps can help you:
 Decide whether to take action quickly or gather additional information. If you decide to
gather additional information, create parameters to determine what information is
essential and when to cease your information-gathering process.
 Be aware of the emotions that come up as you proceed with your decision. Accept the
emotions and allow them to guide you without controlling you.
 Recognize the uncertainty elements in the situation and decide how much of the
uncertainty needs resolution. Know that most situations cannot be calculated with
complete certainty and, even though it may be uncomfortable, it is often necessary to
accept the uncertainty and proceed.
 Allow yourself to hear your intuition. Do not over-think important decisions because you
may talk yourself into something that goes against your instincts and experience.
 Seek out opportunities to thoughtfully and proactively make challenging decisions.
Recognize that even “negative” outcomes may be better than you expect, and gain
confidence in your ability to make great decisions.
Be a leader in your personal life and career by committing to make difficult decisions in a
timely manner. The best way you can inspire others to change is by making changes yourself.
Practice this process and become a confident leader of yourself and others. Just think of all of the
time and energy you will save in the process, and how great you will feel as you remain calm,
trust yourself, and make great decisions.
ARE YOU A GOOD DECISION MAKER?

Decisions, decisions, decisions. It seems like every time we turn around, we have to
make more decisions. The question is, "Are you a good decision maker?" If you aren't (or don't
think you are), there is no need to worry. Decision-making is a skill that can be learned by
anyone. Although some people may find this particular skill easier than others, everyone applies
a similar process.
There are two basic kinds of decisions: those that are arrived at using a specific process
and those that just happen. Although both kinds of decisions contain opportunities and learning
experiences, there are definite advantages to using a specific process to make a decision. The
most obvious advantage is the reduced level of stress you will experience.
Wise decisions are decisions that are made using a definite process. They are based on
the values and perceptions of the decision-maker and include carefully considered alternatives
and options along with periodic reassessments of the decision and its effects.
This process can be applied to any situation where you need to make an important
decision. If you follow these basic steps, you will find yourself making wiser decisions, both in
your professional as well as your personal life.
 Define, as specifically as possible, what the decision is that needs to be made. Is this
really your decision or someone else's? Do you really need to make a decision? When
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does the decision need to be made? Why is this decision important to you? Who will be
affected by this decision? What values does this decision involve for you?
 Write down as many alternatives as you can think of. Brainstorm as many different
alternatives as you can imagine.
 Think where you could find more information about possible alternatives. If you only
come up with a few alternatives, you may want to get more information. Additional
information generally leads to more alternatives. Places where you can look for the
information you need include friends, family, clergy, co-workers, state and federal
agencies, professional organizations, online services, newspapers, magazines, books, and
so on.
 Check out your alternatives. Once you have a list of alternatives, use the same sources of
information to find out more about the specifics of each option.
 Sort through all of your alternatives. Now that you have your list of alternatives, it is time
to begin evaluating them to see which one works for you.
 Visualize the outcomes of each alternative.
 Do a reality check. Which of your remaining alternatives are most likely to happen?
Cross off those alternatives that most likely will not happen to you.
 Review your remaining alternatives and decide which ones feel most comfortable to you.
These are your wise decisions. If you are very happy about a decision, but are not as
comfortable with its possible outcome, this is a clue that this is not a wise decision for
you. On the other hand, you may dislike an alternative, but be very excited about the
possible outcome. This decision would probably not be wise for you either. If you feel
you can live with both the alternative as well as the possible outcome, this is the wise
decision you should follow.
DECISIONS, DECISIONS
Making the right decisions is the key to success in business. There are the day-to-day
decisions that need to be resolved quickly. Next, there are the medium-term tactical decisions
that will govern the weeks and months ahead. This could be the organization and execution of
the launch of a marketing campaign for a new product. Finally, there are the long-term strategic
decisions where managers have to think about the longer-term future of their business. This
could be how to position itself in the market place, which products and services to develop, etc.
It could also involve deciding whether to merge with or acquire a competitor, enter into a new
and unknown market, or indeed to withdraw from a sector of activity. A number of tools are
available to help people come to the right decision.
Some business thinkers believe in a rational framework for decision-making. The
Kepner-Tregoe model which works on the basis of if you choose something you, by definition,
reject something else. A decision statement is formulated that states what decision needs to be
made. Then it uses a system where lists of ‘musts’ and ‘wants’ are drawn up and given a
numerical value and a weighting. Only the ones with the highest results are taken into
consideration in the next round of decision-making. In their turn, alternatives are generated and
evaluated. If an alternative cannot satisfy the ‘musts’ then it is eliminated from further
consideration. Its strongly logical approach is the opposite of managerial ‘hunch’ or ‘gut feeling’.
The danger is that the decision-maker can be drowned in a sea of data and that it can lead to
‘paralysis by analysis’. A wide-ranging international survey by Reuters discovered that over four
managers in ten felt that the decision-making process was too slow because of this.
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Two tools that may help planners with the broader picture are the Boston Matrix and
SWOT analysis. Originally devised by the Boston Consulting Group, the Boston Matrix
separates products into cash cows, problem children, rising stars, and dogs. The cash cows are
highly profitable, well-established products that generate important income for the business.
Stars are the new products that have yet to reach maturity, but that are nevertheless gaining
market share. Problem children have a big question mark hovering over them. They are new
projects that could either prove themselves or simply fail to take off. Dogs are products that are
near the end of their life cycle. They have probably gone too far to be re-launched and are either
divested or allowed to fade away. This simple technique allows firms to see at a glance the range
and health of their product portfolio. Although arguments can arise about which part of the
matrix the product falls into, it is a useful planning tool for deciding what to do next and what
investment decisions to make.
SWOT analysis is a technique that evaluates the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and
threats an organization faces in its broader business environment. Strengths and weaknesses say
what the firm is good or bad at, while opportunities ask managers to think about where the
company should be going next. Threats, of course, looks at the dangers posed by competition,
both domestic and foreign, changes in technology, or fashion that could affect the firm.
In situations when new and creative solutions to problems are needed, organizations may
brainstorm. Brainstorming consists of people throwing out ideas more or less spontaneously
without any comment or evaluation/criticism by other members of the group. Hierarchies are
temporarily forgotten and at the initial stage, all ideas are equal whether they come from a
subordinate or a senior member of the group. This system allows for all members to contribute
freely and encourages creativity as one idea feeds into another.
UNIT 9. INNOVATIONS
KNOW YOUR RETURN ON INNOVATION
Eight months ago, employees at Handango had tons of concepts and plans but only few
completed projects. "Very little was actually getting out to the consumer," says Bill Stone, 40,
CEO of the 9-year-old Irving, Texas, company that provides content for wireless devices. "We
suffered from too many ideas."
Welcome to 21st century innovation, where companies aren't lacking for ideas but are
having trouble turning these ideas into profits. Only 43 percent of 332 executives in a recent
Boston Consulting Group survey said that their companies track innovation as rigorously as their
core business operations and business processes. "But what's interesting is that 3 out of 4 said
'We should,'" says James P. Andrew, a senior partner at The Boston Consulting Group and co-
author of Payback: Reaping the Rewards of Innovation. "So there's an acknowledgement out
there that we need to be doing a better job of more rigorously managing innovation."
So how exactly are companies measuring innovation? The three most popular metrics are:
1) customer satisfaction, 2) percentage of sales from new products and services, and 3) overall
revenue growth. The problem is that these metrics may not tell the whole story. A different
BCG/BusinessWeek survey, released in August, of nearly 3,000 executives found that only 43
percent were happy with the returns on their innovation spending and fewer executives wanted to
increase spending on innovation.
Company leaders are searching for the one innovation measurement that will tell them
everything, but Mark Johnson, co-founder and chairman of innovation strategy consulting firm
Innosight and co-author of The Innovator's Guide to Growth: Putting Disruptive Innovation to
Work, thinks businesses tend to break down when they obsess over a single metric. "So many
companies will say, 'Well, what are the gross margins?' and they'll be laser-focused on the gross
margins and everything else becomes secondary," he says. "They'll be focused on too short a list
of metrics."
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Stone has come to rely on two metrics. First, he looks at Handango's return on investment
for future product development. Second, he compares the company's "business as usual" scenario
to the potential revenue from new projects. Ideas that make it past the brainstorming and
prototyping stages are managed to meet small milestones that keep everyone motivated and
deliverables on track. "What I see in the innovation process is that people lose interest in the
execution," says Stone, who projects sales of more than $1 million this year. "You have to have
milestones and celebrate them."
Measuring decision-making speed, how much time employees spend on innovation and
the time it takes to reach project checkpoints can be easy ways for small firms to see how they're
doing. Trying too hard to measure everything, however, gets in the way of innovation. "If you
have 20 innovation metrics, you have none; nobody is actively tracking 20 things in their brain,"
says Tom Kelley, general manager of industrial design and human factors firm Ideo and co-
author of The Art of Innovation. "You want the kinds of things that everybody in the company
can hold in their brain when they show up for work in the morning." BCG's surveys have found
that most companies follow no more than five innovation metrics.
Stone wishes a single number could tell him everything about Handango's innovation
efforts, but measuring the right things is most important. "We'll pick two or three metrics that
make sense," he says. "They've got good strategic fit with what we're trying to do. We'll look at
it, make a decision and go."
INNOVATORS KEEP ON TRYING AND DON’T STOP AT THE FIRST IDEA

When looking to create a truly novel idea, quantity is the key. Real innovation is the
result of creating and considering many ideas, not just one and certainly not just the first one.
Stated simply, innovation comes as a result of finding “many ways to skin a cat.”
This old and familiar saying offers a folksy, but useful remedy for those organizations
wanting to drive innovation. But why is this old piece of wisdom so relevant today? Because the
blindingly fast pace of business forces rapid decision-making and reduces the time to derive
multiple ideas or solutions to a problem. Organizations too often charge forward with the first
idea and leaders fear looking indecisive if they take the time to create a number of options or
deliberate over choices. Ever wonder where bad ideas come from? They are usually the first and
only one their parent organization came up with.
It’s no wonder organizations feel starved for truly new, useful and sustainable ideas. They
are on a diet of fast-food. Moving fast may offer a short-term fix, but it won’t result in
meaningful, long-term innovation. Filling up on innovation requires taking the time to push
beyond the first or only idea, creating lots of options and deliberating for a reasonable amount of
time over the best in show.
Developing and exploring options is a habit worth forming. Yes, it takes more time and
resources to develop options and consider them. But consider the cost of inventing new ideas
which are only “me too’s” or complete failures.
The practice of creating and evaluating numerous ideas:
• Forces you to think beyond the obvious. Those first ideas or solutions are referred to in the
innovation business as “low hanging fruit.” They are the easy ideas, the ones which have been
hanging around in the collective minds of your organization for some time. It’s not that they’re
bad, it’s just that they aren’t truly new. If they are top-of-mind in your organization, they are
probably the same in the minds of your competitors and customers. Moving forward with the
low hanging fruit will not astonish your competition or delight your customers. You run the risk
of creating the expected instead of being rewarded for creating the unexpected.
• Leverages the asset of the team around you. Organizations are an ideal environment for
creating options. Option generation requires many minds working together. One person starts
with an idea, others build on that idea and others are stimulated to think of options to the first
idea. A group effort works to improve ideas and create other ideas as well.
121
• Provides alternatives should the idea you choose to move forward with doesn’t work out. The
idea you choose to move forward with may not make it through the development process.
Feasibility, market research results or funding issues may stop it somewhere along the way.
However, if you’ve created some options from the start, you now have other ideas from which to
choose. You can go back to the original field of choices and evaluate an alternative. The time you
invested at the start will once again yield its reward: choice.
GREEN INNOVATIONS REVOLUTIONIZE CONSTRUCTION

A Green Economic Revolution is under way, led by entrepreneurs with green ideas for re-
engineering the home construction industry. The pace of this revolution is exceeding all
expectations as consumers search for ways to reduce their costs while helping fight global
warming.
A Bay Area company demonstrates how the building industry can be a leader in
sustainability. They 're discussing new ways of designing buildings and locating them. These
new buildings are using new products that place less stress on the environment. These buildings
are designed to use little or no utility-supplied energy, a benefit that's gaining tremendous
traction among consumers with the seemingly daily price increases in coal, oil and natural gas.
Deva Rajan is a successful "green" builder and founder of Canyon Construction, a
California-based contracting company in the Bay Area that builds and remodels homes and
offices using green methods. "When you build beautiful things, people take care of them. And
durability is a cornerstone of sustainability," Rajan says. "I really admire Deva's strength of
purpose in helping turn this Titanic-like building industry toward sustainability," Canyon
Construction President Chris Avant says. "In no small part due to Deva's efforts, California
pioneered legislation focusing upon building standards that increased energy efficiency in 1978.
Since then we have learned a lot and the codes have been upgraded three times, but we are still a
long way from truly having building codes and community planning that have sustainability as
their cornerstone," Avant says.
Avant should know. He just moved into a new corporate headquarters certified by
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). LEED provides third-party
certification for buildings to meet the highest standards for energy efficiency and environmental
responsibility. The LEED program is helping the industry adopt where we design, locate, build
and retrofit buildings to achieve sustainability in our work and lifestyles.
Canyon Construction's headquarters provides an example of sustainability and pioneers
the next generation of energy technology. The roof consists of solar panels that look like high-
quality roof shingles and produce nearly 100 percent of the building's electricity supply.
Lowering the need for electricity and natural gas is the building's heating and cooling system that
uses the earth's constant temperature to warm or cool the building.
It was also built with recycled materials whenever possible. Ninety percent of the
decorative steel and 35 percent of the structural steel was sourced from recycled steel. The wood
in its ceiling, trellis and balconies is 100 percent salvaged redwood. The lobby floor is 100
percent salvaged Sierra White granite. And 100 percent of the water used for irrigation comes
from a 15,000-gallon rainwater catch storage system.
So how soon can a construction entrepreneur expect to get a strong customer base that
wants to buy green products and services? Canyon Construction's business is growing right now
from leads generated by sustainability projects it completed five years ago, Avant says.
"It isn't a question any longer of whether you brand yourself as a 'green contractor' or a 'quality
contractor,'" Rajan says. "The two are now merging into being the same thing." And those who
"get it" will be harvesting sales leadership positioning in a $350 billion annual revenue industry.
122
NEW INNOVATORS CAN LEARN PLENTY FROM THE ARTIST COMMUNITY
As creativity is a key component of innovation, would-be innovators can learn a great
deal by studying the skills of an artist. One of the hallmarks of an artist is a keen ability to
properly and efficiently utilize resources to create art.
Take a sculptor for example. The sculptor utilizes clay or stone and sculpting tools in an
efficient manner in order to create their work of art. The artist knows how much clay to use,
when to add clay and what tool to use at just the right time. The result is an innovation in the
form of a work of art.
If the innovator is to learn from the sculptor’s example, then consideration must be given
to the resources required to bring a desired innovation to life. In thinking about the resources
needed for innovation in the framework of an artist’s approach, the following should be
considered:
• Determine how big of an idea you need: Just as the sculptor considers how big his sculpture is
going to be and gathers his resources accordingly, so must the innovator. If the idea is big, then
the quantity of resources must be up to the task. To put this in practical terms, a big idea will
require a great many human, financial and time resources. However, not all innovations are the
“big idea.” An improvement or useful modification is a smaller idea and therefore requires fewer
resources. The key lesson is to match the amount of resources with the size of the idea. Big ideas
usually don’t succeed with limited resources and small ideas can prove to be a tremendous waste
if they are over-resourced. Deciding how big of an idea you need is the first step toward proper
resourcing.
• Determine the tools you will need: A sculptor decides what tools he will need in order to craft
his artwork. An innovator must also determine the tools to craft his new idea. In terms of
innovation, the tools are likely to be the human resources. Considering the skill sets needed
given the type of idea you’re sculpting is important. Equally important is deciding from where
the human resources will come. Do you have the people with the skills within your department
or within your organization? If not, you will need to look for people and skills outside your
organization and consider contributions which can be made by resources such as suppliers,
consultants and contract workers.
• Decide if you are designing for a museum or for commercial purposes: An artist knows if he is
creating art in the hopes of someday exhibiting it in a museum or if he is creating a piece to be
sold to a buyer. The two purposes can be very different. The first is to please the observer and
perhaps garner esteem for the artist. The second is to create revenue and profit. Typically,
innovation is designed to be the later. What this means to the artist-cum-innovator is that an idea
which won’t sell is a waste of resources. It is misuse of expensive clay and tools, a waste of
human, financial and time resources. The lesson is to know your buyer — what they want, how
big of a sculpture they need and how much they will pay for it.
THE INNOVATION PROCESS

Innovation is not a brilliant idea; innovation is a process. A brilliant idea becomes an
innovation when it is turned into a product or system that produces significantly improved
results. There are four steps in the innovation process:
Creating: Everything starts with an idea, and there is no question that every organization
needs new ideas to remain competitive and to deal with a rapidly changing world. The people
who are most talented at coming up with ideas don't have to work at it; they see possibilities
everywhere. They don't see things as they are but how they could be. Of course, not all of their
ideas are brilliant; some are really off the wall. But that does not deter the Creators. They just
keep seeing those possibilities.
123
Advancing: Many great ideas have died on the vine because they weren't picked up.
Fortunately, some people have a natural talent for recognizing good ideas and running with them.
Advancers are more focused on implementation than on creating ideas, and they also have a
talent for interaction. Because they make things happen, they have developed the ability to sell
others on the idea and get their support for the idea's implementation.
Refining: Before the Advancers charge off and implement the idea, it would make sense
to have a workable plan that it is free of holes. Refiners often play the devil's advocate role,
asking the challenging "what if?" questions. It is important to keep them focused on developing a
plan to make the idea work rather than just focusing on why it won't work. If you can't make it
work, it will become apparent. Refiners' talents for analysis and attention to detail are often
undervalued because they tend to challenge both the Creator and Advancer; but don't implement
a new idea until you have listened to their input.
Executing: One of the primary reasons great ideas fail to create an innovative change is a
lack of follow through. Step-by-step implementation of the plan, ensuring that all team members
follow through on their responsibilities, requires the talents of Executers. They are focused on
the day-to-day realities of what must get done and making sure it does get done. Only when the
Executers have completed their part of the process can the innovation be considered complete-
and a success.
Many organizations fail at innovation because leaders don't understand that innovation is
a four-step process, and the talents required at each step of the process are very different. So
different, in fact, that it is unlikely one individual will be strong on more than one of the four
steps. This means that for innovation to succeed, it needs to be a team-based process. But not all
teams have team members with all of the required talents.
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ФЕДЕРАЛЬНОЕ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОЕ БЮДЖЕТНОЕ

«ПЕНЗЕНСКИЙ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ»

READING AND SUMMARY

PART 2. SUMMARY PRACTICE ……………………………………………………… 86

PART 1. READING PRACTICE

2. Find synonyms for the words below.

3. Find synonyms for the words and phrases below.

4. Answer the questions.

1. Read the text. Which of the following topics does it discuss?

3. Find words from the text for each definition below.

WELCOME TO VIVA BUSINESS NETWORKING

2. Match the words from the text to their definitions.

3. Find synonyms for the words below.

4. Answer the questions.

HOW TO BUILD A BUSINESS NETWORK?

2. Find synonyms for the words and phrases below.

5. Explain the meaning of the following words from the text.

7. Answer the questions.

2. Find synonyms for the words and phrases below.

4. Explain the meaning of the following phrases from the text.

5. Mind the difference! Explain the meaning of the following phrases.

8 RULES OF HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL PROJECT MANAGEMENT

2. Explain the meaning of the following words from the text.

3. Find words and phrases for each definition below.

4. Find synonyms for the words and phrases below.

VOLUNTEERISM IN THE USA

MY PARTICIPATION IN A VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME

2. What do these abbreviations from the text mean?

3. Match the words (1-5) to their definitions.

4. Explain the meaning of the following phrases.

UNIT 3. WORK-LIFE BALANCE

AMERICA CAN LEARN FROM EUROPE ON WORK-LIFE BALANCE

3. Answer the questions.

DON’T LET YOUR BUSINESS RUN OVER YOUR PERSONAL LIFE

7 TIPS TO AVOID BOILING POINT

7. Match the sentence beginnings (1-4) with the endings (a-d).

CREATING WORK-LIFE BALANCE

2. Match words 1-7 to their synonyms a-g.

7. Match the sentence beginnings 1-5 with the endings a-e.

a) freedom in terms of how and where work is done.

3. Complete each gap with the appropriate form of the word.

1. Read the text and match titles 1-5 to paragraphs A-E.

SERVICES YOUR MOBILE PHONE PROVIDES

WHERE TO GET THE WORLD’S BEST SERVICE?

THE COMMUTING PROBLEM

4. Find opposites to the words and phrases below.

6. Answer the questions.

UNIT 5. CUSTOMER SERVICE

DEALING WITH CUSTOMERS OVER THE PHONE

2. Find synonyms for the words and phrases below.

3. Answer the questions.

1. Which of the following topics does the text discuss?

4. Match the words from the text (1-6) to their definitions.

1. … to know as much as possible about the products.

TO USE OR NOT TO USE?

2. Find synonyms for the words and phrases below.

3. Explain the meaning of the following words from the text.

HOW TO PROVIDE EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE

6. Answer the questions.

UNIT 6. TRAVELLING FOR BUSINESS

2. Find synonyms for the words and phrases below.

4. Answer the questions.

5. a) Comment on the statement from the text: