Listening cảm 12

Right. I’ve now almost succeeded in finalising plans for our tour, so I’ll bring you up to date with what I know. As you know, we’re flying first to Munich, on Monday the 4th.

The flight is at 11.30, so it’s too early to have lunch at the airport. I suggest we meet there for coffee at 10, which should give us plenty of time for breakfast before we leave home.

When we arrive in Munich, we’ll be met at the airport by Claus Bauer. Claus works for a tour operator, and he’ll look after us for the time we’ll be in Germany. He’s already liaised with the managers of the theatres we’re going to visit, and he’s also arranged for an officer of the National Theatre in Munich to show us round the theatre one afternoon during our stay.

Now last time we discussed this trip, I didn’t have the precise cost for hotel rooms, but now I have. The normal rate at the hotel where we’re staying is 150 euros a night for a double room. I’d hoped to get that down to 120 euros, but in fact I’ve been able to negotiate a rate of 110. That’ll be reflected in the final payment which you’ll need to make by the end of this week.

On Tuesday, the day after our arrival, I had hoped we could sit in on a rehearsal at one of the theatres, but unfortunately that’s proved very difficult to arrange, so instead we’ll have a coach trip to one of the amazing castles in the mountains south of Munich.

On Tuesday evening, we’ll all have dinner together in a restaurant near our hotel. From talking to you all about your preferences, it was clear that a typical local restaurant would be too meat-oriented for some of you.

Some of you suggested an Italian restaurant, but I must confess that I decided to book a Lebanese one, as we have plenty of opportunities to go to an Italian restaurant at home.

On Wednesday afternoon, the director of the play we’re going to see that evening will talk to us at the theatre. She’ll describe the whole process of producing a play, including how she chose the actors, and, as the play we’re going to see is a modern one, how she worked with the playwright.

Right. Now I’d just like to make a few points about the plays we’re going to see, partly because it might influence your choice of clothes to take with you!

The play we’re seeing on Wednesday evening is a modern one, and we’re going to the premiere, so it’ll be quite a dressy occasion, though of course you don’t have to dress formally. I gather it’s rather a multimedia production, with amazing lighting effects and a soundtrack of electronic music, though unfortunately the playwright is ill and is unlikely to be able to attend.

On Thursday we’re seeing a play that was first performed last year, when it was commissioned to mark a hundred years since the birth in the town of a well-known scientist. We’re going to see a revival of that production, which aroused a lot of interest.

Friday’s play will really make you think hard about what clothes to pack, as it’ll be in the garden of a palace. It’s a beautiful setting, but I’d better warn you, there won’t be much protection from the wind.

On Saturday, we’re going by coach to a theatre in another town, not far from Munich. This will be the opening of a drama festival, and the mayor and all the other dignitaries of the town will be attending. After the performance, the mayor is hosting a reception for all the audience, and there’ll be a band playing traditional music of the region.

And after having a day off on Sunday, our final play is on Monday, and it’s in the stunning setting of the old Town Hall, which dates back to the 14th century. The performance marks the fifty years that the lead actor has been on stage, and the play is the one where he made his first professional appearance, all those years ago.

And the day after that, we’ll be flying back home. Now have you got any questions before I …

Over the years, attitudes towards workers have changed considerably. After all, there was a time when workers had no rights at all, and laboured in appalling conditions. Conditions have improved a lot, but conflict in the workplace is still common. And human resources managers nowadays need to be able to deal with it when necessary.

What is conflict in the workplace? Definitions vary, but I’m taking it to refer to a whole range of behaviours that the victim finds unacceptable, from minor, harmless arguments to – at the opposite extreme – physical violence.

Much of this is covered by the term bullying, by which I mean one or more people behaving abusively or aggressively against another who is in a weaker position. Although all behaviour like this is a form of conflict, not all conflict can be described in these terms.

As with all human behaviour, there are numerous reasons for it. But often it’s caused by someone who feels the need to show their superiority over someone else, in order to feel that they aren’t at the lowest level in a hierarchy or a group of people.

In some cases one person simply dislikes the other, on the basis that the personality of one is in some way incompatible with that of the other person. A general habit of optimism in one person could make them intolerant of a colleague who’s constantly pessimistic – not that that justifies treating them badly, of course.

Some conflicts arise when people are more interested in promoting themselves and their team than in the company as a whole. These conflicts are called ‘structural’, and could come about, for example, when a sales team believe they are the only people in the business who do any useful work, and look down on behind-the-scenes administrators.

Conflict obviously affects the individuals concerned – the situation is likely to be very stressful for victims, resulting in their absence from work, possibly for months. For the company, if no effort is made to deal with conflict, it can spiral out of control, and even lead to the breakdown of the business.

Some interesting work with chief executives – CEOs – has uncovered some of the reasons why they may treat colleagues badly. Many CEOs combine two opposing characteristics: confidence – that is, the belief that they’re capable of great achievements – with a high level of anxiety, a fear of missing targets, whether set by themselves or by the directors of the company. This combination can make them respond badly to anyone who questions their decisions.

In a high pressure work environment, such characteristics become problematic. And it’s particularly difficult to tackle the situation where colleagues, managers and board members are all trying to achieve their own visions. When they can’t agree on strategic issues and on where they see the business going, there are real problems.

For managers at lower levels within the organisation, it might seem that an autocratic form of management – where the chief executive gives orders and everyone else has to obey – would see more conflict than others. Interestingly, though, a company with a more democratic business model, can suffer more, when uncertainly about who to report to leads to conflicting demands.

Now I’ll say a little about dealing with the type of conflict that has harmful effects. Of course the ideal is to prevent it arising in the first place. A good manager, at any level, will make efforts to earn the respect of the people they work with, particularly those who report to them. That will involve politeness in all communications, and treating them as equals who happen to have a different role within the organisation.

Sometimes, of course, conflict does occur, and can get out of hand. In such cases the human resources department often gets involved. However, if one of the parties in a conflict sees human resources as simply a mouthpiece for the chief executive, then an external mediator might be able to help

By talking to both sides, and trying to find the truth of what’s been happening, they can build a clear picture of the situation, and give feedback that both sides will accept, precisely because they’re independent.