Q2e

SE Listening & Speaking 4: Audio Script Unit 1

Unit 1: Business Felix: Well, sometimes leaders are kind of

isolated because everyone is looking to them to
The Q Classroom
make the decisions, but at the same time
Activity B, page 3
everyone wants the decisions to go their own
Teacher: Today we are beginning Unit One.
way. That’s a difficult position to be in. I would
Every unit in Q starts with a question. As we go
say that being a leader is very difficult in some
through the unit, we will continue to discuss
ways, so you have to have a strong character.
this question. Our answers may change as we

explore the topic. The question for Unit 1 is:
LISTENING 1: Best of Both Worlds?
“What makes a good leader?” Think about
Activity A, Activity D, pages 6–7
some people in leadership positions, like
Speaker: When Ginny Pitcher needed to hire a
executives of large corporations, or captains of
director of business development at her
sports teams. What kinds of positive or negative
Westborough, Massachusetts marketing firm,
qualities do they have? What do you think,
she turned to her closest friend, Kate Massey.
Marcus?
Massey and Pitcher had talked money before,
Marcus: I think when some people are bad
during the years they were roommates. Still,
leaders, they feel that they are better than
this is business. It brought up issues like
others, or that they don’t have to follow the
negotiating salary and professional success,
rules the way other people do.
things most people want to keep separate from
Teacher: What do you think, Yuna? What do
their friendships. Not to mention that Pitcher
you think is a good quality for a leader to have?
would be Massey’s boss. “I didn’t jump on it
Yuna: I think people should be more
immediately,” says Massey. “I thought about it
responsible when they become leaders.
for a while.”
Teacher: You mean responsible for other
It’s been a year, and both women say their
people?
friendship is as strong as ever. Even better,
Yuna: Yes, they have to understand that their
they’re both making money and succeeding
decisions affect a lot of people.
professionally. That’s likely because they
Teacher: How about you, Sophy? What do you
handled it like experts from the beginning. They
think makes a good leader?
acknowledged there would be a change in their
Sophy: Well, I agree with Yuna that a good
friendship and discussed potential challenges.
leader understands the effects of their decisions
Anything personal stays outside the office.
on everyone, but it isn’t easy to make everyone
Massey doesn’t take criticism personally.
happy. Bad leaders think that they should be
Pitcher treats Massey no differently than she
making all of the decisions, or they don’t really
does her other employees. Pitcher and Massey
need to consider how other people think or
exemplify the best aspects of working with
feel.
friends.
Teacher: Felix? What’s your opinion? We’ve
“One of the tricky things when you interview
heard that good leaders should have a strong
someone is figuring out if their personality will
sense of responsibility, but that reaching the
fit with the culture of the office,” says Pitcher, a
best decision for everyone isn’t easy. What do
co-founder of Kel & Partners. “When you know
you think?
someone like I know Kate, you know the answer
already.”

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Q2e SE Listening & Speaking 4: Audio Script Unit 1

Knowing someone will fit in doesn’t alleviate Gena Cox, who runs the leadership coaching
other problems. Carly Drum had hired four firm Human Capital Resource Center, suggests
trusted friends to work at her family’s executive saying something like this: “I still want us to be
search firm in Manhattan, Drum Associates. friends. Can you support me and know that
One of them had great potential but was what happens at work doesn’t have anything to
bringing her personal problems to the office. It do with you or our relationship?” As for the
was affecting her work. “I knew going in that subordinate, he or she needs to understand
addressing it was going to be one of the more that the boss can’t show any favoritism.
challenging things in my career,” says Drum, the That’s precisely what Tory Delany had to deal
firm’s managing director. “She expected me to with as she rose up the ranks at a restaurant
be sensitive to her personal issues because company in Manhattan. She started as a coat
we’re friends. While I am, there has to be a line checker at Maggie’s Place in midtown and, after
drawn when you’re running a business. Even as a series of promotions, eventually became
soft as I tried to put it, her initial reaction was general manager. “The staff becomes close-knit
she was offended.” Two days later the because it’s a small restaurant. Most of our
employee came in and apologized to Drum. family is very far away,” says Delany. “The
They openly discussed the matter and owners have five places, so we all always knew
developed a plan of action so she could there was a chance for promotion for everyone
separate work from business. While it was from within.”
tough, that challenge was a good managerial She says the key to successfully managing
experience for Drum. She learned that before friends is developing rules and boundaries and
hiring a friend you must outline for him or her enforcing them. For example, an employee who
exactly what an average day will be like. Part of came in late was spoken to. If the employee
that discussion should include the type of was late again, he or she got a warning. The
interaction you will have with each other and third time resulted in suspension. Delany
the fact that in a workplace it’s all business. attributes her success to that uniformity.
“Stuff that you do outside of the office together “If there’s no structure, your whole team falls
cannot be brought into the office,” says Drum. apart,” she says.
Managing friends isn’t always a choice. She must be doing something right. She’s a co-
Employees who get promoted may find owner of a restaurant with the owners of
themselves suddenly in charge of friends. The Maggie’s Place.
same rules for success apply. First, the new
manager should be the one to tell the staff LISTENING SKILL: Listening for main ideas
about the change, particularly if he or she will Activity B, page 11
be in charge of friends. Speaker: What do you need to start a new
From there, it’s important to acknowledge that business and make it succeed? Many people
things will change. Explain that it’s not because would answer that what you need is a great
the relationship isn’t important or because you idea. Others would say money. Of course,
want to end your personal relationship. Rather, money and ideas are important. Unfortunately,
you now have a hand in the professional lives of when people think about starting a new
a group of people. business, they often ignore the single most
important factor in the success of any company:

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Q2e SE Listening & Speaking 4: Audio Script Unit 1

people. Only people can make those great ideas exclusively to leadership development and
happen. So, in order to start a successful research worldwide. Information available at
business, you need to start with the right www.ccl.org. Today’s topic: myths of effective
people. But how do you identify the right leadership.
people? That seems like a difficult question to There’s a difference between leadership and
answer because every business is different. power. Successful executives know that
Nevertheless, if you want to build a good team, difference and lead their teams more effectively
there are some characteristics of the right because of it. Unfortunately, many executives
people, no matter the business. We’re going to on the rise in an organization forget the
focus on some of those characteristics and how leadership skills and contacts that put their
to identify people who have what it takes to careers on track in the first place.
help make a new business a success. A study by the Center for Creative Leadership
First of all, your new business will need people shows that as executives advance in a company,
who understand your vision and share your they begin to blur the lines between leadership,
commitment to it. In other words, you need to power, and influence. They see themselves as
build a team that truly understands what your more intelligent and capable than those around
goals for the business are. them in the organization. They see people who
Your new business will also need people who agree with them as more capable, intelligent,
are creative, independent thinkers. You can’t and ethical than those who might disagree.
build a successful business based on your ideas The result? Executives get affirmation from a
alone. You want your business to be a place small, expected group, which inflates their idea
where people learn from each other and inspire of how powerful and influential they are
each other to do their best work. among the people who work with them. Their
Lastly, your new business will need people who influence becomes constricted, and their
are willing to work hard. You need to find leadership erodes. Some people overtly use
people who are ready to put in the long hours power to accomplish their goals, says CCL’s Pete
and all the hard work it takes to build a Hammett, who is also the author of
successful business. “Unbalanced Influence.” He says others
No, starting a new business is not easy. Perhaps become used to having tools of power, such as
you’ve got a good business idea. Perhaps you the ability to dictate and set agendas.
have the money you need. But that’s not Over time, that access to power distorts an
enough to guarantee success. It’s the people executive’s influence in the organization. They
you hire that matter most. Remember that if may have the title and power, but their
you’re going to find success, you need people disenfranchised team members won’t see them
who are creative, hardworking, and committed as an effective leader.
to seeing your dream become reality. Those with different opinions choose to remain
silent. Or they leave. With them, they take away
LISTENING 2: Myths of Effective Leadership a whole range of ideas.
Activity A, C, pages 12–13 CCL and Hammett recommend that executives
Speaker: Podcasts from the Leading Effectively calibrate their spheres of influence and see
series are provided by the Center for Creative whether their team members perceive them as
Leadership, an educational institution dedicated leaders or merely as suits with powerful titles.

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Q2e SE Listening & Speaking 4: Audio Script Unit 1

Here are three ways to proceed: 5. The members of Emily’s group are
Number 1: Find and listen to other voices. A experienced and talented. Besides, they exhibit
leader should keep in touch with new ideas and great teamwork.
fresh perspectives. If all you’re hearing is one Activity B, page 17
voice, then invite others to the conversation. 1. Managing friends isn’t always a choice.
And let them know Employees who get promoted may find
you really want to hear them. themselves suddenly in charge of friends.
Number 2: Find a sparring partner. Find 2. Part of that discussion should include the
someone who’s comfortable and capable of type of interaction you will have with each
taking an opposing point of view. That doesn’t other and the fact that in a workplace it’s all
mean you should seek out every malcontent in business. “Stuff that you do outside of the
an operation. It means you should find office together cannot be brought into the
someone who is intelligent, thoughtful, and office,” says Drum.
open to tackling a discussion from an opposing 3. She says the key to successfully managing
view. Don’t be seen as a leader who refuses to friends is developing rules and boundaries and
listen to different ideas. Or, worse, one who enforcing them. For example, an employee who
penalizes people for suggesting them. came in late was spoken to. If the employee
Number 3: Leadership can be cultivated, but was late again, he or she got a warning.
only in a self-aware person. Sign up for a 4. Find someone who’s comfortable and
leadership program. Get some feedback that capable of taking an opposing point of view.
assesses your leadership style. Make a point to Don’t be seen as a leader who refuses to listen
hold a mirror up to your conversations and to different ideas.
interactions within your organization. Only by 5. They may have the title and power, but their
seeing yourself through others’ eyes can you go team members won’t see them as an effective
from someone who holds power to someone leader. CCL and Hammett recommend that
who leads. executives see whether their team members
perceive them as leaders or merely as suits with
VOCABULARY SKILL: Understanding meaning powerful titles.
from context
Activity A, page 17 PRONUNCIATION: Syllable Stress
1. The job didn’t pay very well, but I loved the Example 1, 2, page 19
office and my coworkers. neGOtiate
It was a great environment to work in. Activity A, B, page 20
2. It’s impossible to function well when you 1. excerpt
don’t get along with your co-workers. I can’t 2. aspect
work in a situation like that. 3. enforce
3. I’m sure you can resolve the conflict with 4. effective
your co-worker if you listen to each other’s 5. leadership
opinions. 6. acknowledge
4. James has great aptitude, but he needs more 7. perspective
training. In a year or so, he’ll probably be our 8. opposing
best programmer. 9. promotion

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Q2e SE Listening & Speaking 4: Audio Script Unit 1

10. interaction

SPEAKING SKILL: Checking for understanding
Activity A, B, page 20
Manager: OK guys, this project is huge, and it’s
going to be challenging. Here’s what I need all
of you to do. First of all, we all have to put in
extra hours. That means long days for the next
few weeks.
It also means that we need to pull together and
work extra hard as a team. That means all of us.
Do you know what I mean?
Staff: Yeah / Sure / Yes.
Manager: OK. It also means that you need to
drop all your other projects for now. Please
focus on this project. It is our top priority.
Does everyone understand?
Staff member: You mean stop working on every
other project?
Manager: That’s right. This account demands all
our attention right now. Richard, please call the
office in Tokyo, and let them know that we
need all the information they have on this
client. And we need the information by Monday
at the latest. Are you following me?
Richard: Yep. Call Tokyo, get information on the
client, tell them we need it by Monday.
Manager: Monday at the latest. Great! As for
the rest of us, we’ll be meeting again today at
3:00. Before that, read over the project
description. If you have any questions, please
bring them to the meeting. Got it? OK, let’s get
to work!

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