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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Lesson 21
Should People Be Promoted according to Ability?
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Flattering the Boss Gets You Everywhere
In the world of work, flattery will get you everywhere.
Employees who flatter their bosses tend to receive better
evaluations and move more easily up the corporate1 ladder-whether they deserve to or not--said Gerald Ferris, management professor at Texas A and M University.
"Based on what we have found, it looks to be the case that political skills are highly reinforced out there in the work place. It is the politically astute3 that are more often promoted," Ferris said in an interview.
His conclusions are based on surveys of employees and supervisors4 takeri as part of his research into political behaviour in the office.
"People tend to believe that flattery is just too transparent5 to be effective, but we have found that is not necessarily true. We have found a strong correlation6 between this type of behaviour and good evaluations," Ferris said.
The reasons that flattery works are many, Ferris said, but most apparently7 have to do either with the boss's ego8, or insecurity, or both.
Some supervisors enjoy having their egos9 boosted by complimentary10 employees, while others simply need the reinforcement of consent, he said.
"What we have found is that often bosses are new or unsure of themselves and need a lot of social reinforcement for their decisions. They might look at flattery as a sign that they are right, " Ferris said.
The reasons employees flatter bosses vary, too, Ferris said. Ambition - the desire to move up the corporate ladder --is often behind the compiiments, he said.
Also, many workers use flattery to obscure their laziness or incompetence11.
"We did find a big gap between some of the people doing this manipulation and those that did not. Many of these people (fla.ttering the boss) were not the high performers. They were doing it to cover up their shortcomings," he said.
But if flatterers are not always top workers, they frequently are what social scientists call "high self-monitors", Ferris said.
"Those are people who are highly attuned12 to and aware of their surroundings and know what to do to get a favourable13 response," he said.
Fellow employees are not blind to what their colleagues are doing, Ferr'ss said. But, while they may disapprove14, they usually do not tell the boss for fear of appearing jealous, he said.
Flattery works best when the employee is saying something he or she really means, Ferris said. But sincere or not, it should be done in moderation.
"If you overdo15 it or if you are not sincere and the boss catches on, it can mean trouble, " he said. "You have to be subtle and not take it too far. "
One way employees can avoid appearing too flattering is to occasionally disagree with the boss on minor16 points, he said. In that way, the employee avoids being viewed as a "yes-man".
II. Read
Read the following passages. Underline the important viewpoints while reading.
1. People Should Be Rewarded according to Ability,
Not according to Age and Experienc
Young men and women today are finding it more and more necessary to protest against what is known as the "Establishment": that is, the people who wield17 power in our society. Clashes with the authorities are reported almost daily in the press. The tension that exists between old and young could certainly be lessened18 if some of the most obvious causes were removed. In particular, the Establishment should adopt different attitudes to work and the rewards it brings. Today's young people are ambitious.
Many are equipped with a good education and are understandably impatient to succeed as quickly as possible. They want to be able to have their share of the good things in life while they are still young enough to enjoy them. The Establishment, however, has traditionaly believed that people should be rewarded according to iheir age and experience. Ability counts for less. As the Establishment controls the purse-strings, its views are inevitably19 imposed on society. Employers pay the smallest sum consistent with keeping you in a job. You join the hierarchy20 and take your place in the queue. If you are young, you go to the very end of the queue and stay there no matter how brilliant you are.
What you know is much less important than whom you know and how old you are. If you are able, youf abilities will be acknowledged and rewarded in due course, that is, after twentj?or thirty years have passed. By that time you will be considered old enough to join the Establishment and you will be expected to adopt its ideals. God help you if you don't.
There seems to be a gigantic conspiracy21 against young people. While on the one hand society provides them with better educational facilities, on the other it does its best to exclude them from the jobs that really matter. There are exceptions, of course. Some young people do manage to break through the barrier despite the restrictions22, but the great majority have to wait patiently for years before they can really give full rein2 to their abilities. This means that, in most fields, the views of young people are never heard because there is no one to represent them. All important decisions about how society is to be run are made by people who are too old to remember what it was like to be young.
Resentment23 is the cause of a great deal of bitterness. The young resent the old because they feel deprived of the good things life has to offer. The old resent the young because they are afraid of losing what they have. A man of fifty or so might say, "Why should a young rascal24 straight out of school earn more than I do?" But if the young rascal is more able, more determined25, harder-working than his middle-aged26 critic, why shoutdn't he? Employers should recognize ability and reward it justly. This would remove one of the biggest causes of friction27 between old and young and ultimatley it would lead to a better society.
2. Officialdom
Ancient Chinese reformers advocated selecting aiI talented people to be officiais regardiess of their #amily backgrounds. This practice is stiil significant, for it opposed appointing people by favouritism.
But it is improper28 for us to think that the talented can only become officials, otherwise they are stifled29.
In the course of the current reform, China needs talented personnel in all trades. It is justifiable30 that talented personnei bring their ability into full play by becoming leaders.
But the point is who can be considered talented? Some see the holders31 of senior professional titles are talented: some think of those who have college diplomas as taltented; some say that they are those who have made inventions or outstanding contributions to society.
There would not be enough vacancies32 if all of these people were to become officials.
It is unnecessary for all the talented to elbow their way into officialdom. They can strive to become experts in philosophy, science, literatore, art, history and education. There is never a limit to the number of experts in these fields.
Albert Einstein was once invited by Israei to become its president. It was eonsidered a matter of course for Einstein to accept the invitation. But Einstein refused it bluntly and continued his physics study.
I do not mean that talented people should not become officials at aII. But what I want to specify33 is that different people have different strengths, and that not everyone is capable of becoming an official. If people without leadership capacity are chosen as officials, they can only bungle34 things.
Before Hou Yuzhu and Zheng Meizhu, two aces35 af the Chinese National Women's Volleyball Team, retired36, they were asked by reporters if the government would assign them jobs in a leading body, just as it had done for some of their former teammates.
Hou and Zheng, who shared the credit for the team becoming world champions, responded that they did not want to become officials, and that they wanted to study the knowledge and skills needed in society to keep abreast37 of its development.
Their decision may be of some help to us.
3. You Can Get Promoted Half a Grade if You Are
Willing to Say:"Yes Sir, No Sir!"
An unhappy victim of the consumer society is Mr.Batia, a fifty-two-year-old Indian journalist working in broadcasting. For him, however, the misery38. is caused less by the nature of his work than by the competitive atmosphere which surrounds it.
Mr. Batia: " I' m not interested in my job. I'm not being treated properly and there are many injustices39. I just do honest work, but I do as little as I can. The atmosphere is very polluted. You can get promoted half a grade if you're willing to say: 'Yes sir, no sir!' I've been there twenty-three years, and I hate the whole mentality40 of the place. They treat me like a colonial. Tbey think I live in the colonies, but I've done things in jurnalism that have never been done before. I have a colleague who is half a grade up and when the boss is away he's supposed to officiate. I've had rows with him: I have a hot temper. I said to him: 'Lood, don't you try to boss me or one of us will end up on the floor. I've met good Englishmen and bad Englishmen, and you' re the worst Englishman I've ever met.'
"I'm honest and outspoken41 and people don't like me. Nobody likes me. If.you are a crook42 you can get on well."
收听单词发音 |
1
corporate
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| adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的 | |
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rein
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| n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治 | |
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astute
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| adj.机敏的，精明的 | |
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supervisors
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| n.监督者，管理者( supervisor的名词复数 ) | |
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transparent
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| adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的 | |
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correlation
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| n.相互关系，相关，关连 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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ego
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| n.自我，自己，自尊 | |
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egos
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| 自我，自尊，自负( ego的名词复数 ) | |
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complimentary
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| adj.赠送的，免费的，赞美的，恭维的 | |
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incompetence
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| n.不胜任，不称职 | |
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attuned
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| v.使协调( attune的过去式和过去分词 )；调音 | |
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favourable
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| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
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disapprove
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| v.不赞成，不同意，不批准 | |
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overdo
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| vt.把...做得过头，演得过火 | |
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minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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wield
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| vt.行使，运用，支配；挥，使用(武器等) | |
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lessened
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| 减少的，减弱的 | |
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inevitably
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| adv.不可避免地；必然发生地 | |
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hierarchy
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| n.等级制度；统治集团，领导层 | |
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conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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restrictions
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| 约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则） | |
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resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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middle-aged
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| adj.中年的 | |
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friction
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| n.摩擦，摩擦力 | |
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improper
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| adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的 | |
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stifled
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| （使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵 | |
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justifiable
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| adj.有理由的，无可非议的 | |
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holders
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| 支持物( holder的名词复数 )； 持有者； （支票等）持有人； 支托（或握持）…之物 | |
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vacancies
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| n.空房间( vacancy的名词复数 )；空虚；空白；空缺 | |
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specify
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| vt.指定，详细说明 | |
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bungle
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| v.搞糟；n.拙劣的工作 | |
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aces
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| abbr.adjustable convertible-rate equity security (units) 可调节的股本证券兑换率；aircraft ejection seat 飞机弹射座椅；automatic control evaluation simulator 自动控制评估模拟器n.擅长…的人( ace的名词复数 )；精于…的人；（ 网球 ）（对手接不到发球的）发球得分；爱司球 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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abreast
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| adv.并排地；跟上(时代)的步伐，与…并进地 | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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injustices
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| 不公平( injustice的名词复数 )； 非正义； 待…不公正； 冤枉 | |
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mentality
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| n.心理，思想，脑力 | |
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outspoken
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| adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的 | |
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crook
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| v.使弯曲；n.小偷，骗子，贼；弯曲(处) | |
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