Getting things done:
Management is often about getting people to do things effectively and on time. Direct orderscan demotivate subordinates as they give them no choice but to do as they are told. A softer approach is to focus on the positive outcome of an employee completing a task:
It would be a great help if youcould get the report done by Friday.
By phrasing instructions asquestions, an employee feels respected and involved in the decision-making process.
Would you mind working late nextweek?
Task 1:
Listen to three short dialogues.Which of the following expressions do the speakers use?
Task 2:
Read the instructions below. Howwould you rephrase them to make them softer? Practice with your partner.
1 Get it done by Friday.
2 Tell her to come and see me.
3 Mail it to my home address.
4 Don’t waste your time on that.
5 Enter all that on the database.
Task 3:
Look at the following situations.Imagine that you are the person’s manager.
How would you approach thesesituations? What would you say to the person in each case?
Case 1:
Bill Jarvis is a young engineer who hasonly been with your organization for four months. He has an independent approach to doing his work. You asked him to hand in a report three days ago. He has not responded to the several emails you sent him to remind him.
Case 2:
Janet Feynman is a young junior managerin your department. She gets on with most people in the ofce. However, she has recently hadsome conflict with Katia, one of her colleagues. A new project has come up and you need Janet to work on it with Katia.
