English for personal assistants - part 44

16 Influencing strategies and tactics KEY Task 1 a. judiciously b. getting someone on board c. beware d. threatening e. intimidating f. misleading g. obnoxious h. moans i. sits on their hands j. puts their heads above the parapet Task 2 Suggested answers 1. Good evening, this is ....... . I am just calling to say that my room is very noisy. We’ve always been very happy with your service and have used your hotel on countless occasions so I’d really appreciate it if you could sort this out. I’m sure you’ll be able to deal with this. Thank you. 2. To: Subject: Hans Brown Monday’s presentation Dear Mr Brown I see from your email that you need some work done on your presentation for Monday. I don’t know if you remember but you agreed last week that I could have a half-day off so I could go away this weekend. As you know, according to company policy, all employees are entitled to the occasional afternoon off if they arrange it with their superiors beforehand. However, I do realise that your presentation is of high priority so what I suggest is that I will come in extra early on Monday morning and do the necessary work to it so that you will have it in time for your meeting. I hope this solution is acceptable to you. Best regards 3. “Hi Jenny, I just got your voicemail. I’m really sorry but it’s the close of business here now so I won’t be able to do anything tonight as I’m just on my way home. What I suggest is that you email the managers concerned today to save time. I’ll follow it up with another email when we know when the meeting has been 216 Influencing strategies and tactics KEY rescheduled to. We’re all part of the same team so I think it makes sense if we share the work. Hope this suits you and will be in touch tomorrow.” KEY TO MBTI TYPES Sensing Types ISTJ ISFJ Quiet, serious, earn success by thoroughness Quiet, friendly, responsible, and and dependability. Practical, matter-of-fact, conscientious. Committed and steady in realistic, and responsible. Decide logically meeting their obligations. Thorough, what should be done and work toward it painstaking, and accurate. Loyal, considerate, steadily, regardless of distractions. Take notice and remember specifics about people pleasure in making everything orderly and organized – their work, their home, their life. Value traditions and loyalty: ISTP Tolerant and flexible, quiet observers until a problem appears, then act quickly to find who are important to them, concerned with how others feel. Strive to create an orderly and harmonious environment at work and at home. ISFP Quiet, friendly, sensitive, and kind. Enjoy the present moment, what’s going on around workable solutions. Analyze what makes them. Like to have their own space and to things work and readily get through large amounts of data to isolate the core of practical problems. Interested in cause and effect, organize facts using logical principles, value efficiency: work within their own time frame. Loyal and committed to their values and to people who are important to them. Dislike disagreements and conflicts, do not force their opinions or values on others. Influencing strategies and tactics KEY 217 Sensing Types ESTP Flexible and tolerant, they take a pragmatic ESFP Outgoing, friendly, and accepting. Exuberant approach focused on immediate results. lovers of life, people, and material comforts. Theories and conceptual explanations bore them – they want to act energetically to solve the problem. Focus on the here-and-now, spontaneous, enjoy each moment that they can be active with others. Enjoy material comforts and style. Learn best by doing. ESTJ Enjoy working with others to make things happen. Bring common sense and a realistic approach to their work, and make work fun. Flexible and spontaneous, adapt readily to new people and environments. Learn best by trying a new skill with other people. ESFJ Practical, realistic, matter-of-fact. Decisive, Warm-hearted, conscientious, and quickly move to implement decisions. cooperative. Want harmony in their Organize projects and people to get things done, focus on getting results in the most efficient way possible. Take care of routine details. Have a clear set of logical standards, systematically follow them and want other to also. Forceful in implementing their plans. environment, work with determination to establish it. Like to work with others to complete tasks accurately and on time. Loyal, follow through even in small matters. Notice what others need in their day-by-day lives and try to provide it. Want to be appreciated for who they are and for what they contribute. Intuitive Types INFJ INTJ Seek meaning and connection in ideas, Have original minds and great drive for relationships, and material possessions. Want to understand what motivates people and are implementing their ideas and achieving their goals. Quickly see patterns in external events insightful about others. Conscientious and and develop long-range explanatory committed to their firm values. Develop a perspectives. When committed, organize a job clear vision about how best to serve the and carry it through. Skeptical and common good. Organized and decisive in independent, have high standards of implementing their vision. competence and performance – for INFP Idealistic, loyal to their values and to people who are important to them. Want an external life that is congruent with their values. Curious, quick to see possibilities, can be catalysts for implementing ideas. Seek to understand people and to help them fulfill themselves and others. INTP Seek to develop logical explanations for everything that interests them. Theoretical and abstract, interested more in ideas than in social interaction. Quiet, contained, flexible, and adaptable. Have unusual ability to focus in depth to solve problems in their area of their potential. Adaptable, flexible, and interest. Skeptical, sometimes critical, always accepting unless a value is threatened. analytical. 218 Influencing strategies and tactics KEY Intuitive Types ENFP ENTP Warmly enthusiastic and imaginative. See life Quick, ingenious, stimulating, alert, and as full of possibilities. Make connections between events and information very quickly, outspoken. Resourceful in solving new and challenging problems. Adept at generating and confidently proceed based on the conceptual possibilities and then analyzing patterns they see. Want a lot of affirmation from others, and readily give appreciation and support. Spontaneous and flexible, often rely on their ability to improvise and their verbal fluency. ENFJ them strategically. Good at reading other people. Bored by routine, will seldom do the same thing the same way, apt to turn to one new interest after another. ENTJ Warm, empathetic, responsive, and Frank, decisive, assume leadership readily. responsible. Highly attuned to the emotions, Quickly see illogical and inefficient needs, and motivations of others. Find procedures and policies, develop and potential in everyone, want to help others implement comprehensive systems to solve fulfill their potential. May act as catalysts for organizational problems. Enjoy long-term individual and group growth. Loyal, planning and goal setting. Usually well responsive to praise and criticism. Sociable, facilitate others in a group, and provide inspiring leadership. informed, well read, enjoy expanding their knowledge and passing it on to others. Forceful in presenting their ideas. Task 3 Suggested answers a. set up teams; create a good social environment; encourage them to participate actively in e.g., problem solving/brainstorming; use their natural presentation/ interactive skill; don’t ask them to work alone on projects b. don’t expect them to participate a lot in meetings; give them tasks they can do on their own especially those requiring concentration; avoid interrupting them if possible; be a good listener c. be specific and factual; outline plans in a logical fashion; provide fact-based support for your recommendations/suggestions d. use their creative ability and original approach; don’t overload them with detail; ask them to think out of the box e. be well organized and to the point; support your recommendations/conclusions with data; be logical and objective; use their eye for detail to check analyses/ proposals f. use their interpersonal skill for team building; ask them for their opinions on how decisions will impact people; be responsive to their highly developed interactive skills g. be organised/efficient/structured; don’t be late; don’t make last-minute changes if at all possible h. don’t give them tight deadlines; be flexible and adaptable; be process-focused 17 Dealing with difficult people KEY Task 1 1. balmy 2. drizzle 3. nuked 4. wriggling 5. dread 6. nippy 7. notch Task 2 Suggested answers hate; dislike; trying to make ... something it’s not; miserable; freezing; nuked; wriggling with salmonella; covered in a thin film of ash; fills me with the same sort of horror and dread; flesh is starting to melt ... frozen solid; ridiculous; you won’t be eaten by a mosquito; you won’t die of food poisoning; you’ll annoy ... a hot tin umbrella. Task 3 The bulldozer The bulldozer loves arguing and won’t shut (1) up until they’ve had their say – so, let them run (2) out of steam. Obviously, if they are taking too much airtime, then butt (3) in any way you can and don’t worry too much (4) about being overly polite. But whatever you do, don’t argue (5) with them or disagree overtly (6) with them. Maintain eye contact and state your opinions assertively. Keep the floor and don’t let them drown you (7) out as they often tend to have very loud voices – (8) above all, don’t let things descend (9) into an undignified slanging match however tempted you might feel. The sniper The sniper can be downright mean and sarcastic yet often think they are being witty. This is the worst kind (10) of humour as it’s always (11) at the expense (12) of someone else. Their favourite trick is to put others down (13) in public and they absolutely thrive (14) on taking a potshot (15) at every opportunity. To counter a sniper, you could paraphrase what they’ve said and ask them how and why their contribution is relevant (16) to the discussion (17) at/in hand as very often their comments are totally irrelevant and they’re just doing what they’re experts (18) at – sniping (19) for the sake (20) of it! If their comments are (21) on/about the matter ... - tailieumienphi.vn