Practical Grammar and Vocabulary in the Workplace. Пособие по бизнес-английскому. Larisa Lubimova
средства
You should allocate tasks among members of the group.
24. To terminate – to (cause something to) end or stop
Завершать, увольнять
He was terminated within several weeks of starting.
Quiz: Do you have leadership skills?
1.One of your staff often arrives late for work. He’s a good worker – efficient, brilliant and original – but arriving late means that he often misses the beginning of team meetings, or other people have to answer his calls. Do you…
a) write him a letter threatening him with dismissal if he doesn’t improve?
b) have an informal private chat with him where you suggest he pulls his socks up?
c) make sarcastic comments about his poor time-keeping in front of the team?
d) ignore the problem – he’s a good worker after all?
2.There’s a member of your staff you just don’t like. She often openly disagrees with your decisions, and you’re sure she criticises you constantly behind your back. Do you…
a) put up with her because she’s been in the department for 20 years?
b) transfer her to another department where someone else will have the pleasure of her company?
c) increase her workload in the hope that she will leave?
d) have a personal interview with her where you talk over the problems between you?
3.A new recruit to your department is not learning the job as quickly as you had hoped, and you consider him to be a weak link in your team.Do you…
a) tell him he is not up to scratch and threaten him with the sack?
b) tell him your opinion and offer him further training?
c) pretend there’s no problem —if you take action against this person, it may upset other members of your team?
d) offer him a transfer to another department where he may be more at home?
4. You’ve noticed signs of stress in your team: people are irritable, complaining of headaches, taking sick leave. Do you..
a) offer to give them a pay rise?
b) take on more staff to ease their workloads?
c) try to do more of their work yourself?
d) carry on as if the situation was normal?
5.Your division boss has asked you and your team to take on an extra project. You’re already working flat out on the current project. Do you…
a) explain the situation and ask for another solution?
b) accept the extra work because you’re afraid of saying «no»?
c) accept the extra work because you’re ambitious and it could eventually mean promotion?
d) tell your boss he must be joking – your people are under enough pressure as it is?
6.Your team is doing extremely well – you’re exceeding all your targets and easily meeting all your deadlines. You divisional boss recently called you in to congratulate you. Do you..
a) take all the kudos – after all you’re the leader?
b) pass on the praise to your team and suggest they be paid a bonus?
c) ask your boss to set even higher targets?
d) hold a team party to celebrate?
7) An important customer has complained that one of your staff was very rude to him. Do you…
a) confront her during a team meeting and then reprimand her in front of her peers?
b) fire her on the spot?
c) ask her for her version of events and take it from there?
d) stand by your subordinate and tell the customer he was wrong?
8.You’ve noticed that two of your team are getting more than friendly. You imagine that there’s an office romance under way. Do you..
a) turn a blind eye?
b) get involved in the office gossip to find out what’s happening?
c) tell them to put an end to it?
d) keep an eye on the situation in case it has an effect on team efficiency?
9.Your division manager has told you that your team’s performance is not up to scratch. Do you…
a) blame the team?
b) blade outside circumstances which are beyond your control?
c) take the blame yourself?
d) tell her it’s her fault for not giving you the necessary resources?
10.One of your staff tells you he doesn’t find his job sufficiently challenging. Do you…
a) offer him more responsibility and empowerment in his current job?
b) promote him to a position of greater responsibility?
c) tell him it’s time he was moving on?
d) tell him he should be happy he’s got a job at all?
As soon as you have finished doing the test, you can check the answers with explanations in the keys
Vocabulary exercises
1. Put a missing word in a gap
1. Behave like a mature man and don’t… outside circumstances
2. I can’t stand visiting such offices because of their… tape
3. Guess what! He …me with a dismissal!
4. We need to consolidate our efforts in this cut-throat ….
5. We regret to tell you that your work is not… to scratch
6. I suggested sharing responsibilities on this project to …. deadlines
7. If I were you I wouldn’t… all the kudos for this teamwork
8. No sooner had they received a meagre pay rise than their… was increased drastically
9. He is said to have been …. redundant during the lockdown
10. let’s admit that you are a weak… in our team
11. Were I you, I would never turn a… eye to such rude manners.
12. During that endless lockdown quite a few workers were laid….
13. You are always wandering off the… whenever I want to talk to you about our budget.
14. The regime became too… and was overthrown by a military coup.
15. You should …. tasks among members of the group.
2. Choose the correct option
1. She persuaded us to ….. things by the book
a) make b) get c) do d) perform
2.