Reading: Managing change

B

Jack Welch's attitude is that change is an opportunity. It can represent a challenge and it can also represent a danger, but it is essentially an opportunity.

C

1 quotation 3 2 quotation 5 3 quotation 4

4 quotation 2 5 quotation 1

D

DO

Bring people into the change process.

Start with reality.

Get all the facts out.

Give people the rationale for change.

See change as an opportunity.

Energise and invigorate others.

Stimulate and relish change.

Think in terms of fundamental change.

DON'T

see change as a threat.

let bureaucracy beat you.

be frightened or paralysed by change.

think in incremental terms.

E

Possible answers:

1 renewing itself, leaving the past behind, adapting to change

2 the change process

3 winning and losing, threat, opportunity

4 gradual change, transformation, gone through, big bold changes

5 energise, invigorate, stimulate

6 incremental terms, fundamental change

F

1 rationale 2 threat 3 bold 4 relish

Listening: Resistance to change

Part 1

B 11.1

uncertainty, fear, lack of trust, lack of control

Part 2

C 11.2

Possible answers:

Situation - client company, number of years ago, cost reductions and new marketing strategy necessary

Chief Executive - new to board, published new targets within three weeks, informed everyone

Communication - Chief Executive's message communicated clearly to all concerned widely from the beginning, face-to-face communications and weekly letter giving progress update

Difficult decisions - employee cuts

D

1 significantly 2 volume 3 lead 4 vision

5 segment 6 margins

Language review: Reporting

A

1 I'm looking forward to the changes.

2 When will the report be published?

3 Nobody ever tells me anything.

4 Many staff have taken time off work.

5 Can (Could) we bring forward the next round of changes?

6 We need to (must) recognise that resistance to change is natural.

7 The changes don't affect the shop floor workers, but they have to know what's going on.

B

Klaus said he didn't understand why this was happening. Joel added that he was very worried about the future. Lisa complained that she felt out of control of the situation and Maria wondered what was going to happen to her. Diego emphasised that the new system would bring many benefits and was good for all the staff. Lydia complained that nobody had asked her what she thought. Rosa asked whether they would have any training on the new computers. Claudia added that she didn't trust the decision makers, but Ludmilla said that she welcomed the changes. She emphasised that they would improve the company a great deal. John complained that they had introduced the changes too soon and said that this had surprised everybody.

Skills: Meetings

B

Possible answers:

Good meetings - clear objectives; participants well prepared; constructive discussions; all points on the agenda covered; clear action points agreed; meeting starts punctually and runs to time

Bad meetings - the chairperson talked too much; discussion dominated by few participants; participants talk among themselves; participants unprepared; discussion deviates from the agenda; discussion gets heated and personal; meeting goes on far too long

C

1 chair 2 participants 3 attend 4 agenda 5 item

6 any other business (AOB) 7 propose 8 second

9 vote 10 minutes 11 send your apologies 12 action points

D 11.3

Our main purpose will be to explore your views.

I really can't agree with you there.

Stefan, what do you think?

I agree with Max.

Let Stefan finish please, Max.

I really think we need a report.

Would you prepare a short report please?

Can you explain it a bit more clearly?

E

F

UNIT 12 Strategy

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 1362