TroublewithTeamwork
MaryOwenexaminestheroleandefficiencyofteams
Recruiterssaythatcandidateswhocangiveexamplesofworktheyhavedoneasmembersofasuccessfulteamareinasstrongapositionasthosewhocanpointtosignificantindividualachievement.Indeed,toomuchofthelattermaysuggestthatthepersonconcernedisnota'teamplayer'-oneofthemoreseriousfailingsinthebookofmanagement.
Theimportanceofbeingateamplayerisasideeffectoftheincreasinginteractionacrossdepartmentsandfunctionaldivides.Insteadofpushingreports,paperworkanddecisionsaroundtheorganisation,'teamsprovideadynamicmeetingplacewhereideascanbesharedandexpertisemorecarefullytargetedatimportantbusinessissues,'saysSteveGardner,inhisbookKeyManagementConcepts.Headds,'Globalisationhasaddedafurtherdimensiontoteamwork.Multinationalteamsnowstudypolicydecisionsinthelightoftheirimpactonthelocalmarket.'
Butisteamworkingbeingoverdone?'Somemanagersareonasmanyassevenoreightdifferentteams',saysDrCathyBandy,apsychologistwhorecentlyranaconferenceonthesubject.'Theytakeupsomuchtimethatmanagerscan'tgetonwithcoretasks.'Formingteamsandhavingmeetingshas,shesays,becomeanendinitself,almostregardlessofpurpose.Thereisalsothedangerofanunhealthydesiretokeeptheteamgoingaftertheworkhasbeendone.'Peoplefeeltheneedtobelong,andteammembershipcanprovideakindofpsychologicalsupport.'
Theideabehindteamworkingisthat,whentherightgroupofpeopleisbroughttogether,a'force'developswhichisgreaterthanthesumoftheirindividualtalents.Thisisoftentrueinsport,wheregoodplayerscanreachunexpectedheightsasmembersofaninternationalteam.However,fewbusinesssituationshaveasclearasetofobjectives,orasclearcriteriaofsuccessorfailure,aswinningamatch.
'Inbusiness,everyoneneedstobeclearaboutwhatthechallengeisandwhetherateamistherightwayofapproachingit',saysSteveGardner.'Unfortunately,peoplefocusinsteadonwhothemembersoftheteamshouldbeandwhatrolestheyaretoplay'DrBandyagrees.'Thereisalwaysadangerthatteamscanturnintocommittees,'shesays.'Inalotofsituations,oneortwoindividualswouldbemuchmoreeffective.'
Sowhatmakesasuccessfulteam?Therearesomegeneralqualitiesthathavebeenidentified.SteveGardnerrecommendsthatineveryteamthereshouldbesomeonewhoisgoodatresearchingideasandanotherwhoisgoodatshootingdownimpracticalones.Thereshouldbethosewhocanresolvethetensionsthatnaturallyoccurinateamandotherswhoarefocusedongettingthejobdone.Also,providingaclearandachievabletargetattheoutsetisthebestwayofensuringthattheteamwillmoveontogreaterthings.
13、Whatpointdoesthewritermakeaboutteamworkingatthebeginningofthearticle?
AItisthemostsuccessfulformofmanagement.
BIthaschangedtherecruitmentprocedureincompanies.
CWell-runteamsstillallowindividualstodemonstratetheirtalents.
DBeingateamplayerisnowconsideredanessentialmanagementskill.
14、Accordingtothearticle,teamworkdevelopedwithincompaniesasaresponseto
Amodernofficedesign.
Bchangingworkpractices.
Careductioninadministrativetasks.
Nowadaysitismoreconvenientandeasierforpeopletotraveltoothercountries.Doyouthinkthepositiveeffectsexceedthenegativeeffects?
Thepurposeofyourresumeisto_____enoughinterestinyoutohaveanemployercontactyouforaninterview.
- A.assemble
- B.generate
- C.yield
- D.gather
The coat was far too big—it ____ (整个包起来) him.
Roy:______It'sgettinglate.
Ellen:Mustyougosoon?
- A.Oh,it'salreadyteno'clock.
- B.It'sraining.
- C.It'sdarkoutside.
- D.ShallIstayhereabitlonger?
Mrs.Londonhas____thatsheisunabletogetajob.
- A.suchsmalleducation
- B.solittleeducation
- C.asuchlittleeducation
- D.asosmalleducation