05100014

what makes smb tick – чем кто-либо “дышит” / живет embark on smth – предпринимать что-либо

fix the ways in which you're contributing to the problem – разбе-

ритесь в том, не усугубляете ли вы проблему сами

a silver lining (compare 'Every cloud has a silver lining') – нет худа без добра

prod smb into smth – побуждать кого-либо к чему-либо rise to challenge – одолеть трудности, оказаться на высоте set priorities – устанавливать приоритеты

stand smb in good stead – оказаться полезными кому-либо, сослужить службу

higher-ups – те, кто стоит выше по служебной лестнице who stick it out – стоять до конца

READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1.The words “compensate for” in “If the boss attempts to compensate for his outburst by overreacting and trying to 'make nice' the next day, says Grothe, he or she feels guilty about yesterday's bad behavior” (paragraph 10) mean:

a) make up for, b) deny,

c) point to, d) emphasize.

2.The word “circumvent” in “If your boss is nervous about a particular project, offer regular reports. By keeping the perfectionist posted, you might circumvent constant supervision” (paragraph 27) means

a) cause, b) avoid,

c) welcome, d) sell.

3.Which sentence best expresses the central idea of the selec-

tion?

a. Human interaction is extremely complicated.

b. Bosses are often poor at their jobs because they don't know how to motivate people.

c.Methods are available to deal with different kinds of difficult

bosses.

d.Most bullies will back down when they meet someone who stands up to them.

4. Which sentence best expresses the main idea of paragraph 21?

a.A secretary endangered a client's tax write-offs.

b.No one supervised the company's support staff.

c.The jellyfish boss created problems by refusing to take charge.

d.A secretary who ignores assignments should be scolded.

5. Which sentence best expresses the main idea of paragraph 38?

a.Dealing with a boss with high standards made Harry Levinson a better psychologist.

b.Harry Levinson was nearly overwhelmed by his boss's high standards.

c.When he was a young psychologist, Harry Levinson almost quit.

d.Karl Menninger diagnosed patients very well and set high standards for his staff.

6. According to the article, most bosses have been promoted to management because:

a) they are better educated than their co-workers;

b) they have close personal relationships with their supervisors; c) they are good at motivating other workers;

d) they excelled at jobs they held earlier.

7. The new account manager at an advertising firm dealt with his bullying boss by:

a) making the boss see he was really trying to do a good job;

b) taking the boss to lunch and talking honestly about the situa-

tion;

c) shouting back at the boss when the boss raised his voice;

d) going over the boss's head and complaining to the company president.

8. We can infer that workaholic bosses:

a) want their employees to be workaholics too;

b) are the worst of all the categories described in the essay; c) are quite rare;

d) always become angry when asked to discuss their problem openly.

9.We can infer that Nancy Ahlrichs's perfectionist manager at the newspaper:

a) thought that Nancy was trying to steal his job; b) was only teasing Nancy with his questions;

c) was not able to relax and trust employees who had proven themselves;

d) wanted Nancy to quit her job.

10.The author suggests that most employees with bad bosses: a) should quit their jobs;

b) are better off learning to cope with the bad boss than quitting; c) deserve the bad treatment they receive;

d) would prefer to work for a perfectionist boss than a jellyfish boss.

T E X T 6

John Condon

A New York bookdealer said he had never seen anything like the surge of interest American readers have recently shown for books on Japanese management… Many have argued that Americans have much to learn form the Japanese, while others have raised acubts about transferring methods from one culture to another. In this writer’s opinion, the most remarkable fact about the Japan boom in the U.S. is that for the first time Americans have considered the possibility of learning from another culture in areas where Americans had thought they excelled. In that regard Japan deserves special credit, for this might lead to a greater openness and curiosity and learning across other cultural boundaries that rarely occur in the U.S.

1.Why do you think Americans have recently become fascinated by Japan?

2.Why does the author feel that this interest is positive? Do you agree?

A.Japanese Style in Decision-Making

1.To talk about problem-solving or decision-making within a national environment means examining many complex cultural forces. It means trying to measure the impact of these forces on contemporary life, and also coming to grips with changes now taking place.

2.It also means using dangerous comparisons – and the need to translate certain fundamental concepts which resist translation and comparisons.

3.For example, the concept of vocational or professional identity differs markedly between the United States and Japan.

4.In the West, the emphasis is on what a man, or woman does for a living. Here in the U.S., if you ask children what their fathers do, they will say “My daddy drives a truck” or “My daddy is a stock broker” or “My daddy is an engineer”.

5.But in Japan, the child will tell you “My daddy works for Mitsubishi” or “My daddy works for Nomura Securities” or for “Hitachi”. But you will have no idea whether the father is president of Hitachi or a chauffeur at Hitachi.

6.In Japan, the most important thing is what organization you work for. This becomes very significant when you try to analyze the direction-taking or decisionmaking process. At the least, it explains the greater job stability in Japan, in contrast to the great job mobility in America.

7.While we differ in many ways, such differences are neither superior nor inferior to each other. A particular pattern of management behavior develops from a complexity of unique cultural factors – and will only work within a given culture.

8.Let me try to describe three or four characteristics of the Japanese environment that in some way affect decision-making or directiontaking and problem-solving. These characteristics are interrelated.

9.First, in any approach to a problem and in any negotiations in Japan, there is the “you to you” approach, as distinguished from the Western “I to you” approach.

10.The difference is this: in “I to you”, both sides present their arguments forthrightly from their own point of view – they state what they want and what they expect to get. Thus, a confrontation situation is set up, and Westerners are very adroit in dealing with this.

11.The “you to you” approach practiced in Japan is based on each side – automatically and often unconsciously – trying to understand the other person’s point of view, and for the purpose of the discussion actually declaring this understanding. Thus, the direction of the meeting is a mutual attempt at minimizing confrontation and achieving harmony.

12.A second characteristics is based on “consensus opinion” and “bottom-up direction”. In Japan great consideration is given to and reliance placed on the thoughts and opinions of everyone at all levels. This is true of corporate enterprises and Government agencies.

13.To understand this, it is important to realize that Japan is a very densely populated homogeneous country. Moreover, the people are aware and are articulate. Literacy is almost 100 percent. Problems are shared. In Japan there is a drive for the group – whether it is family, company, or Government – to act as a unit.

14.Tremendous weight is given to the achievement of solidarity and unanimity. Unilateral decision-making or direction-taking is generally avoided, or where it does occur for very practical urgent reasons, it usually happens along with a sounding out of all concerned.

15.This brings us to the second part of this characteristic. When I use the term “bottom-up”, I am referring to a style of management – perhaps what you would call keeping your finger on the pulse of the public, or the labor force, or other audiences.

16.The difference is that in Japan we record the pulse and it has real meaning, and it influences the direction finally taken at the top regarding a specific important issue. In other words, Western style deci- sion-making proceeds predominantly from top management and often does not consult middle management or the worker while in Japan, direction can be formulated at the lowest levels, travel upward through an organization and have an impact on the eventual decision. This is “bot- tom-up.”

17.There is also a characteristics style of communications in Japan that is different from the Western way.

18.The Japanese business person works to achieve harmony, even if the deal falls through, and will spend whatever time is necessary to determine a “you to you” approach, communicating personal views only indirectly and with great sensitivity.

19.This places time in a different perspective. In Japan the Western deadline approach is secondary to a thorough job. Japanese are thorough in their meetings as well as their production. Thus Americans are often exasperated by the seemingly endless sequences of meetings in many Japanese businesses.

20.But where the American is pressing for a specific decision, the Japanese is trying to formulate a rather broad direction.

21.On the other hand, once agreement is established, it is the Japanese who sometimes wonder at the leisurely pace of execution of Westerners. The Japanese are eager for execution and Westerners, perhaps, like to take the time for in-depth planning.

22.Now, while Japan’s industry and technology are highly developed, they have not replaced the fundamental force of human energy and motivation. By that I mean that the Japanese take great pride in doing a job well and getting it done no matter how much time is required.

23.There is dedication and sense of responsibility which have not been replaced by the machine age. Perhaps we are not so sophisticated yet.

24.In my field – finance and securities – I am often asked by Westerners how Nomura Securities has managed to escape the paper logjam that American brokerage firms have faced. We, too have had that problem.

25.The Tokyo Stock Exchange often has a turnover of between 200 or 300 million shares a day. This volume is many times more than that of the New York Stock Exchange. How can we possibly handle this load?

26.First, we have very advanced computerization. Second, and most important, the personnel responsible for processing all these transactions stay and stay till all hours until the job is done. And their families understand that this is something that they must do, for the survival and progress of the company and for their own mutual security as well.

27.Perhaps in 20 years – or sooner – they will be more Westernized and insist on going home at five o’clock. But today, still, most insist on staying untill the job is done. There is concern for quality.

28.This willingness to pitch in is an important aspect of Japanese problem-solving, and you find it at every leval.

29.Some years ago, the Matsushita company was having a very bad time. Among the many measures taken, Mr. Matsushita, the founder and then chairman, became the manager of the sales department.

30.Also, when we at Nomura converted to computers about five years ago, the new system eliminated the jobs of 700 bookkeepers and accountants who were using abacuses. We got rid of the abacuses but we did not get rid of the people. We converted our bookkeepers and accountants to securities sales people and some of these today are our leading sales people.

31. Where there is willingness and intelligence, there is a place within the company to try and to succeed. In Japan, a person’s capabilities are not forced into an inflexible specialty. And we feel the company owes a worker something for loyalty and commitment.

This article is adapted from a speech by Mr. Terasawa, president of Nomura Securities International, Inc., before the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco.

B.Happy Customers Matter of Honor among Japanese

1.In an age when personal service as a significant aspect of merchandising is dying out in the United States, Japan clings tenaciously to it.

2.Service is viewed by people in Japan not as a luxury, but as an essential ingredient for the success of individual companies and the Japanese economy as a whole.

3.Americans who move to Japan never get used to the range of services and courtesies taken for granted here. To those old enough to remember how things – used to be at home, life can bring on twinges of nostalgia.

4.Supermarket check-out counters have two or three people ringing up and bagging groceries. Some stores deliver, with each bag arriving neatly stapled closed. Dry ice is incerted alongside the frozen foods to ensure that they don’t spoil on the way.

5.Television shops normally send a technician to install and finetune a newly purchased set. The technical will rush back if anything goes wrong. Car salespeople are known to bring new models around to customers’ homes for test drives and loaners are available for people whose cars are in fir repairs.

6.There are no limits to what is home-delivered-video movies, dry cleaning, health foods, rented tailcoats (this last one requires two visits from the sales staff first for a fitting, second for delivery of the altered and freshly pressed garment). Office deliveries are common too, especially of lunch.

7.Japanese barbers often give back messages as part of an ordinary haircut. If they remove a customer’s eyeglasses, they may polish the lenses before returning them. Self-service gasoline has yet to make its appearance here in any significant way. At the minimum, attendants

fill the tank and wipe the windshield. They often empty ashtrays and stop traffic to let the motorist back on the road.

8.Department stores seem to have twice, it not three times the floor staff of American ones. Many stores wrap everything they sell. Upscale customers don’t have to come in at all – the goods are taken to their homes for display and selection.

9.Feudal Japan evolved tight rituals of personal service. Many survive in the traditional inus called ryokan. Proprietors now when guests arrive and straighten the shoes they step out of. Welcoming tea and elaborate meals are brought to the rooms. Bedding is laid out and cleared away in the morning. On departure, the bows may be held until a guest’s car is out of sight.

10.But even in modern business, the culture’s attention to detail and doing things the “correct” way fit well into the service mentality. While Americans may find it demeaning to fuss over a customer, Japanese worry – with reason – that their shop will be laughed at if they don’t.

11.Perhaps the darkest spot on personal service in Japan is how remarkably impersonal it can be. Everyone is treated exactly alike. Employee’s greetings and directions, in fact, are often memorized from a company manual. After a month’s stay in a hotel, guests may find the staff still has no idea who they are.

12.Still, the Japanese view service as the glue that holds commercial relationships together if the correct personal contact and followup come with the first sale, a second is sure to come. Market share and loyal customers are the first goal, not short-term profit. Service may cost but it helps ensure these more important objectives.

13.While Americans in need of something think of stores, Japanese often think of dealers, individuals who supply and advise over the years on product lines like sake, clothing and electronic equipment.

14.Memories of service may help a company weather hard times. If a computer firm drops behind in product quality or price, its customers will not abandon it en masse. They would feel treacherous doing so. After all, didn’t the company send a dozen times to answer questions on that little desk-top model? Expand that to national scale and you have a more stable, predictable economy and job market in the Japanese view.

15.Japanese officials often say one reason why many American companies do poorly in Japan is because people can’t believe they will give good service. Even if an American machine tope a Japanese one in price and quality, the buyer will be suspicious. Will I have to phone Houston every time something goes wrong? He may wonder.

16.Service is plugged as being “free”, but of course, is not. Each woman who wraps and each man who lugs groceries is part of why prices are so high in Japan. They are also part of why unemployment is so law. Some economists, in fact view some of these jobs as disguised welfare programs, financed through high prices rather than taxes.

17.Invariably, as Japan internationalizes, some firms are opting to follow the foreign pattern and cut service to lower prices. Supermarkets and chain stores have gained ground. Department stores have done away with the woman who once bowed to every customer who stepped onto an escalator. Some shops now have a tape machine, not a person, saying “irashaimase” or welcome, at the door.

18.Proliferation of American fast-food is another sign of these times. mcDonald’s now has 173 outlets in Japan. But characteristically, cleanliness and employee courtesy seem to be generally higher than in the United States.

19.The Japanese over the years have borrowed heavily in commercial ideas from the United States but generally look elsewhere concerning service. There are exceptions, however, such as American-style home-delivery pizza. In the last two years, motorbikes darting around with pizza have been growing in numbers on Tokyo streets. Delivery in 30 minutes is guaranteed. Or the customer gets about $5 back.

T E X T 7

Should You Be in Business for Yourself?

If you keep asking that question then try this quiz feature – to help you arrive at the answer.

By Peter Lohr

When financial problems plagued the family farm in Loomis, Neb., Betty Isaacson faced two options: either augment the family’s income with an outside job or try to sell the wood-and-fabric decorations she often made at home for friends. Without hesitating, she chose the

latter. In four years, her one-women operation has grown into a booming business called Betsy’s Bobbins Inc., which employs 25 people.

Although it meant giving up a weekly paycheck and regular hours, Bob Satter quit as manager of a Connecticut retail store to turn his photography hobby into a business. “Because I had a wife and two young children to support,” he says, “most people thought I was crazy.” But 12-hour days and seven-day weeks paid off. Twenty years later, he’s far ahead of where he would have been as a hired hand: he shares a large, modern studio with another photographer; he’s put both sons through first-rate colleges; he owns a 30-foot sailboat; he’s saved enough for a comfortable future – and he enjoys his work.

What ties these two examples together is more than luck, persistence and staggeringly hard work. Both Satter and Isaacson share qualities and backgrounds that, experts tell us, characterize most successful entrepreneurs. “While you can learn entrepreneurial skills,” says John R. Braun, psychology professor and testing expert at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut, “people who start out with special attributes have an advantage.”

Today, increasing numbers of Americans are opening their own businesses. Last year more than 230,000 new companies were launched. But the risks are great. In 1988 half of all the companies that failed in the United States were five years old or less.

Could you make it as an entrepreneur? There is no sure way of predicting – no matter what traits you possess. Nevertheless, a test designed by the Milwaukee-based Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co., working with Braun, can provide important indicators.

“We’re interested in identifying potential entrepreneurs because all the agents who sell our insurance are self-employed,” explains Donald J. Schuenke, the company’s chief executive officer.

The Northwestern Mutual test is based on 60 questions that were asked of 30 successful entrepreneurs and an equal number of successful executives who work as employees. The entrepreneurs included men and women who’d started unique franchising operations, retail chains and manufacturing companies. The employees ranged from bankbranch managers to chief officers of multinational corporations.

“What we were looking for,” says Braun, “were significant differences between the two groups.” And while the answers to many

questions showed little disparity – both groups almost unanimously said they were “persistent”, “competitive” and “willing to work eight hours a day” – in at least 22 questions the responses differed dramatically.

To get a rough idea of your Entrepreneurial Quotient (E.Q.), simply answer yes or no to the following questions, tallying your score as you go. While this is not the complete test, it will at least provide some critical signposts on the road toward a decision.

1. Are you a first-generation American?

In the Northwestern Mutual survey, 50 percent of the entrepreneurs listed themselves as first-generation Americans, while only 23 percent of the employees had a similar background. Score plus 1 if your answer was yes and minus 1 for no.

2. Were you an honors student?

Surprisingly, few entrepreneurs rated themselves as “top achieves” in school, whereas almost two-thirds of the corporate executives did. Other studies reveal the same pattern. Score minus 4 for yes, plus 4 for no.

3.Did you enjoy group functions in school – clubs, team sports, even double dates?

If you did not relish group activities, don’t worry. As students, 67 percent of the entrepreneurs said they were enthusiastic group participants, compared with 92 percent of the nonentrepreneurs. Score minus 1 for yes, plus 1 for no.

4.As a youngster, did you prefer to be alone frequently?

If you answered yes, you’re in good company. In their earlier years, 39 percent of the entrepreneurs often preferred to be alone; about 85 percent of the nonentrepreneurs, however, frequently sought company. Score plus 1 for yes, minus 1 for no.

5.As a child, did you have a paper route, a lemonade stand or some other small enterprise?

Running a business as a child is a strong prediction of success. Nearly 80 percent of the entrepreneurs had some sort of business as a youngster. That compares with 31 percent for the nonentrepreneurs. Add 2 for yes; subtract 2 for no.

6.Were you a stubborn child?

Tenacity and perseverance are hallmarks of most successful entrepreneurs. “These qualities translate into a determination to do things

one’s own way,” explains Braun. In the survey, almost three times as many entrepreneurs admitted to childhood stubbornness as did nonentrepreneurs. Add 1 if you were a stubborn child; if not, subtract 1.

7.Were you a cautious youngster, the last in the neighborhood to try diving off the high board?

If, as a child, you were reluctant to take risks, this may be a serious handicap when embarking on a new business. Nine of ten entrepreneurs regarded themselves as “daring” youngsters, while only 15 percent of the employees did. Score minus 4 for yes, plus 4 for no. If you were a particularly daring child, add another 4 points.

8.Do you worry about what others think of you?

“Entrepreneurs often speak of having the faith to pursue different paths despite the opinions of others,” says Northwestern Mutual’s Schuenke. Fifty percent of the entrepreneurs did not worry about what others think of them, but only eight percent of nonentrepreneurs felt that way.

In an earlier study at Babson College, 90 percent of 56 entrepreneurs expressed a far greater need for independence than did nonentrepreneurs. Subtract 1, if opinions of others matter a lot of you; if not, add 1.

9. Are you in a rut, tired of the same routine day in and day out? Boredom often helps to spark an enterprise. Sixty-one percent of

the entrepreneurs who responded to Northwestern Mutual’s questionnaire cited a “desire for change” as a factor in starting their own business. A study of 21 successful entrepreneurs at Babson found that in many cases “frustration is a prime motivation for an entrepreneurial career.” If altering your routine is an important motivator for you, add 2; if not, subtract 2.

10.Would you be willing to dip deeply into your “nest egg” – and possibly lose all you invested – to go it alone?

Most successful entrepreneurs – 94 percent in the survey – will tell you they would use a big chunk of their savings to start a business. Only about half of the nonentrepreneurs said they would take the same risk. If yes, add 2; if not, subtract 2.

11.If your new business should fail, would you get to work immediately on another?

Ninety-four percent of successful entrepreneurs replied yes. Only eight percent of the employees did. “The most effective entrepreneurs

do not become discouraged by a setback,” Jeffry A. Timmons writes in The Entrepreneurial Mind. “They see opportunity where others mostly see obstacles.” If you fit that description, add 4; if not, subtract 4.

12. Are you an optimist?

A positive attitude is important for the entrepreneur. “At least a half-dozen people warned me that the economy was bad and the competition too tough for starting my photography business,” recalls Bob Satter. “But I was convinced I could make a go of it – and did.” If you consider yourself an optimist, add 2; if not, subtract 2.

Now look at your final score. If you tallied roughly plus 20 or more, that suggests you have everything going for you. A score of zero to plus 19 isn’t as promising, but still points toward a strong head start.

If you scored between zero and minus 10, your chance of making it in your own business is probably marginal. Finally, an E.Q. below minus 11 is a clear signal that your talents may lie elsewhere. So, if you aren’t in business for yourself rejoice! If you are , and have made it a rousing success in spite of your score, remember: entrepreneurs don’t always do well on tests!

SOME QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1.Do you agree with your results? Do you think you can work for yourselves? Can you give your reasons for or against it

2.Do you agree with the very idea of such kind of test? or maybe it’s useless?

T E X T 8

Are you an Entrepreneur?

Here's how to tell if you've got what it takes. Victor Kiam Condensedfrom “Going For It! How To Succeed As An Entrepreneur”.

When I was eight, the streetcar named Desire ran only four blocks from my home in New Orleans. But the Sound of eager Desire racing through the night did not inspire me – as it did Tennessee Williams – to spin a passionate taie. Instead, it invited the entrepreneurial muse to whisper the suggestions that guided me to the path l'm still traveling.

That summer I noticed that people getting off the streetcar at the end of the day looked as if they would pass out if they had to go another

step without a cool drink. I didn't realize it then, but I had responded to the first precept of an entrepreneur: I had recognized a need.

My grandfather staked me to five dollars to buy 100 bottles of Coke. But before I could take my first step into the world of high finance, I had to set a priée for my goods. With naive boldness, I settled on a markup of 100 percent!

Business was brisk the first day and got better as thé week progressed. You would have thought I was a pint-size John D. Rockefeller. My grandfather was of that opinion. So you can imagine his shock when, having sold my entire stock, I had only four dollars to show for my efforts.

Few of my customers could afford to pay ten cents for a bottle of soda. Many couldn't even afford the nickel I needed to break even. It was so hot that I couldn't bear to let anyone go away empty-handed, so I trampled my bottom line by giving away my merchandise. My first business was.a financial failure, but it sure built up a lot of good will.

Entrepreneurs can be found everywhere – from fellows with outdoor lunch wagons to people within the corporate mainstream. Their common bond is that they are risk takers, willing to roll thé dice with their money or put their reputations on the line in support of an idea or a project. They're following their own visions, and hâve decided to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve success.

In 1968, after 18 years at Lever Brothers and Playtex, I left my job. I had long thought of doing something on my own, but it was talking with friends and attending a seminar on entrepreneurship that gave me the push I needed. I bought into the Benrus Corporation. Then in 1979 I acquired the Remington Company.

Thirty-five years of experience has given me a good idea of the entrepreneur's profile. To find out if you have the right stuff, ask yourself:

1. Do I have enough self-confidence? Before the startof the 1985 baseball season, Pete Rose was asked how many times at bat it would take to get thé 95 hits lie needed to break Ту Cobb's record. Rose responded, “Ninety-five. I expect to get a hit every time up.”

You must believe in yourself. In a corporation, you want thé people working under you to follow your lead; you want your superiors to respect your judgment. If you're running yotir own business, you want

investors to place their money and trust behind you. You want your clients to catch your enthusiasm and to believe in your product or service. How can you inspire them if you don't believe in yourself?

If you lack self-confidence, find some. Lack of confidence isn't a disease, it's a symptom. Self-perceived negatives can rob you of a healthy ego.

Every six months, to deal with mine, I do a personal balance sheet. I make a list of my pluses and my minuses. For example, I was once a procrastinator. Confronting tins in black and white helped me to overcome it. I started making it a point to tackle distasteful jobs first. In a short time, procrastination disappeared from my list of minuses. Facing my negatives, I developed a more positive sense of myself. There is nothing on ту list I can't overcome if I make the effort. Try a balance sheet of your own.

2.Do I have confidence in ту venture? l've been asked, “When you make an investment, are you backing the idea or the people behind it?” Both. No entrepreneur is a miracle worker. You can labor 16 hours a day, seven days a week, but if your product is lousy, you've wasted your time.

A friend of mine is a terrifie shoe salesman. When management of the business changed, the quality of the stock dropped-off. A customer complained that the expensive shoe she was about to buy was too snug. Не offered to stretch it. “I gripped the shoe and pulled,” he told me. “It tore in half. What had been a finely crafted shoe was now a piece of junk. I told the customer the truth, then I resigned.”

The lesson is simple: You can't sell anything you wouldn't buy.

3.Am I willing to make sacrifices? Body builders hâve a saying, “No pain, no gain.” It should be the credo of every entrepreneur. Forget the clock. Nine-to-five doesn't exist.

Saturday became part of mу regular work schedule as a young salesman. And when a snowstorm hit mу region, it was an opportunity, not an obstacle. The idea that mу rivals would be hiding from the elements gave me the impetus to push mу product. Its amazing how receptive a buyer could be when the snow was waist-deep and I was the only friendly face he'd seen all day.

If you're opening your own business, you'll lose the security of paycheck and the company benefits you take for granted. And there will be other changes in your life-style. You might not get home for dinner;

relaxing weekends may be few and far between. I've even seen entrepreneurs whose marriages fell apart because they forgot about their spouses. That's one sacrifice I don't recommend!

4.Do I recognize opportunity? This is a key. Get used to examining all angles of a proposition. Ask, “How can this work for me?”

I learned this the hard way. When I was with Playtex I met an inventer who showed me two pieces of nylon fabric and demostrated how they adhered without hooks, zippers or snaps. All I could think about was the lack of applicability for our brassiere business.

That product was Velcro. And not a day goes by when I don't see it used somewhere.

5.Am I decisive? You'd better be. As an entrepreneur, you're on your own. And you're going to encounter situations where time isn't on your side. At Lever Brothers we were launching a new product, an improved wrinkle cream. We planned a major promotion in Ohio stores, with a famous makeup man flying in from New York to apply thé gook. But he suddenly became ill and couldn't come.

What do I do now? I thought. So I spent thé next 24 hours in a crash course in makeup, using a secretary as a guinea pig. Poor woman. I practiced until her face was raw.

My moment of truth came with ту first customer, the wife of a store president. 1 applied the product and she left without comment. Two days later she came back. lier husband had liked the results so much that she wanted more. Developing a quick, positive response to adversity had saved an important promotion campaign.

6.Am I willing to lead by example? You can't ask your troops to give their ail if your idea of a rough day is two hours in the office and six on the golf course. I never ask an employee to do something l'm not willing to do, and I work even harder than they do.

By now you should have some idea if you have what it takes to, be an entrepreneur. So I’11 mention some of the rewards for your sacrifices. You'll find satisfaction in creating something out of nothing. You'll gain a positive sense of self. And of course, there are financial rewards.

But it's not easy. Are You An Entrepreneur?

QU. Do you have what it takes to be an Entrepreneur? to start your own business?

SUPPLEMENTARY ACTIVITY

(If you have any practice of working for any firm or company – this task is for you.)

A New Era in Corporate Culture

For some companies, taking very good care of their employees is good for the bottom line.

By Sue Mellen

In the corporate world of the 80's it was all pin-striped suits, but- toned-down collars and shiny mahogany desks. But all too many businesses discovered all too quickly that the shine was just a thin patina. All the polish in the world did nothing to save bottom lines that just got duller and dingier all the time.

Fast forward to today.

“When you look at the 80s, you see that there was all this economic excess. People were driven by monetary gain. Then, when we went into the slump, people began to look at priorities, at what really drives success. And do you know what? It's really personal satisfaction. People who have happy and supportive lives – both at home and at work are more productive. In the 80s everyone expected you to sacrifice your personal life, your family for your work. Now it's frowned upon if you do sacrifice a personal and family life,” comments Carol Vallone, president and CEO of Universal Learning Technology (ULT) in Peabody.

The company, which builds Web-based and interactive training and learning applications, is one of many in the area and industry working to build a culture that is fun, flexible and people-centered. For example.

That ability to work as a team can be critical, she notes, when the crunch is on~a nearly permanent condition in fast-growingtechnology companies like ULT. Founded in 1996, the private, venture-backed company counted five employees last fall. It now has 30 and Vallone expects to hit the 100 mark in a few months. But rather than inducing her to pull in the corporate reins, the growth-related pressure has prompted her to insist that employees take time out every day to recharge. Of course, there is one hard and fast company rule.

“I always say, don't ever miss one of your kids' important events. That's something you might really regret and that's sure to impact on your work life. I'm verybigon parents being present for their children,” she says.

And it is not just employees' children that fall under Vallone's protective gaze. It's vital, she says, that spouses “understand and tolerate” the oft enormous demands of the super-charged marketplace. Toward that end, the company produces and distributes a family newsletter to inform the folks at home about corporate goings-on.

“We ask a lot of our people and of their families. If we're asking someone to get on a plane on a Sunday night, it really helps if a spouse understands why,” she says. In keeping with Vallone's casual management style, every day is casual dress day and the ULT space is designed to allow room for individual expression.

“People in high tech often make use of their offices as inventive environments, sometimes working 12 or 15 hours a day. At the height of a project, they may be virtually living at work. So they need the freedom to set up their own environments. That can be hard for a designer when you're sliooting for a clean, crisp look, but you have to build in the room for that individuality,” comments Ed Halsted of the Halsted Design Group in Manchester. Halsted created the design for the ULT space.

Vallone says she likes to show her appreciation to employees who are putting in these kinds of mind-numbing hours. Sometimes she does that with traditional means; restaurant gift certificates, for example. But then there's the non-traditional approach.

“We were at a conference and my sales manager had been going non-stop. So I sent a massage therapist up to his room to help him relax,” Vallone recalls.

At the Cambridge-based Web design firm TVisions, relaxation is serious business; a component of corporate identity, really. Like ULT the five-year-old firm – which started with two employees and now houses 115-is growing exponentially.

“As engineers, we wanted to face the challenges of new technologies and to solve problems that might help a lot of people. As we've grown, that attitude has remained part of us. We want to give people the opportunity to work on interesting projects. And the extracurricular

stuff is the same; we want to give people opportunities that are fun and exciting,” says Tom Little, company co-founder and executive vice president.

So, on any given lunch hour, you may find ballroom dancers twirling about, musicians tuning up their instruments or cardplayers in an ongoing Hearts tournament poring over their hands. Little says that the card tournament-currently in its eighth week-shows the important role a fun group activity can play in the larger scheme of things.

“People get a chance to know one another outside of their usual work situations. So when they're working together, they feel more connected, more like a team,” he adds.

Outside the workplace, TVisions employees get together for softball and soccer games and rock-climbing expeditions. And once a year, the company foots the bill for an employee/family getaway. “It is money well-spent,” says Little. “Thanks to a highly selective recruiting process, we have very talented people with whom we want to build long-term relationships. Our goal is to provide a rich environment and try to nurture our employees' skills all along the way,” he says.

And if you're talking growth, Lycos – the Waltham-based Web chieftain-stands near the top of the heap. The company now employs 430 with another 780 comprising acquired companies. But a “start-up mentality” still pervades the workplace, says Gretchen McAuliffe, director of human resources.

"In the beginning, it was almost familial. We've always had an extremely casual atmosphere. That helps when you're working really hard,” she says.

But, when the workday is over, Lycos folks don't have to drive to their local health clubs to work off all that stress. There's a gym on-site. Or, if group activities are more their thing, they can sign up for lunchhour Tae Kwon Do or kick-boxing lessons.

“Of course we've always had Ping-Pong and foosball tables in the cafeteria. They get a lot of use,” McAuliffe says.

“And for the ultimate, tangible expression of the/non-traditional Lycos culture, employees can have their cars “Lycos-ized” to sport the Lycos logo. That might mean either a complete paint job or simply a few strategically-placed magnets”, McAuliffe explains.

The road signs are clear: corporate culture is driving clear out of uptight, traditional territory. The road ahead is designed to give hardworking employees a smooth, satisfying and – above all – balanced ride.

“Think about it. Have you ever heard an older person say, 'I wish I'd spent more time at work? I haven't,” concludes ULT's Vallone.

COMPREHENSION OUESTIONS

1.According to the article, what really drives success?

2.What were employees expected to sacrifice in the 80s?

3.What is the one hard and fast company rule at Universal Learning Technology (ULT)?

4.At ULT, which days of the week are casual dress days?

5.What does the co-founder and executive vice-president of the Web design firm TVisions want to give his employees?

6.What kind of mentality still pervades Lyс.

DISCUSSION OUESTIONS

1.Describe the corporate world in Russia in the early 1990s. How is it different now? Why?

2.Was there a lot of economic excess in Russia in the mid1990s? Were people just driven by monetary gain then? Why?

After the economic crisis, did people begin to look more at what really drives success? Why or why not?

3.What is the prevailing attitude at your company? Why? Are people expected to sacrifice their personal lives for work?

4.Is your company working to build a corporate culture that is fun, flexible and people-centered (like at ULT)? How? If it is not, should it? How? What kind of corporate culture is your company currently trying to build?

5.Does your company encourage you to never miss one of your kids' important events? Is your company big on parents being present for their children? How?

6.Does your company give you and your colleagues a lot of freedom to set up your own environment? Why and how?