三、Reading Comprehension (20 分)
Managing a problem
From: Jo Backhouse
To: Karl Anderson
Date: 17 October
Subject: Support for Judy
Dear Karl, I received a call from Judy a couple of days ago to discuss some
of the issues that she was having and I thought I’d give you a heads-up on
what was said, seeing that you are Judy’s project team leader. Judy really
enjoys working with you and the team and finds the project very interesting,
but I think she’s feeling a bit lost and struggling to see the big picture. It
seems that she’s been given a fair amount of autonomy to carry out the tasks
that you’ve given her, and of course this level of delegation is not uncommon
in your branch. But I believe in her Tokyo office, she is used to a bit more
managerial direction and guidance and so is finding this international project
quite daunting. When I asked her about meeting her deadlines, she
mentioned that due to the recent changes to the project timeline, her
goalposts have been moved, and she doesn’t seem to really understand why
this has happened. Bearing in mind that she’s also facing simultaneous
deadlines from her department in Tokyo, we can presume that she might be
feeling a bit stretched. Looking ahead, I was wondering if we could make it
easier for Judy by offering her more direction when setting her tasks, at least
until she learns the ropes and gets used to working unsupervised. I think
she’d also appreciate you giving her a clearer idea on how her role in the
team fits into the overview of things. Do you think you could maybe outline
the group and individual targets at your next team meeting and that way,
everyone not only gets a reminder of the end goal, but each team member,
including Judy, might have a more holistic view of the whole project? I was
also thinking it might help to touch base with her every so often to make sure
that she’s up to date with any changes to the overall plan of attack. In the
meantime, I’ll write to her manager in the Tokyo office and see how aware
they are of the deadlines you’ve given her, and if they could in some way
review her responsibilities and co-ordinate her tasks so that she doesn’t
constantly feel pulled in both directions. Judy is an extremely conscientious
worker and is eager to contribute positively to the team. Personally, I think
she is someone with high potential and will be an asset to our international
projects if properly mentored. I’m keen to know your thoughts on the matter
and am open to any suggestions on how we could better support Judy so that
she has a more smooth-sailing experience on the team.
Best regards,
Jo Backhouse
Head of Department International Projects
1. Why is Jo writing to Karl?
(A) To suggest that his management style is not suitable for the current
members of his team
(B) To let him know about the issues his team member is facing and help
him manage them
(C) To tell him how to solve his problems
(D) To ask him to take it easy on Judy and not give her too much work