MR. RAMIREZ: Come in, Arnold. Have a seat.
6 ^1 a0 U( E$ J& V ARNOLD: Good morning.
$ i. \( T: s* _( a" X MR. RAMIREZ: Would you like something to drink?/ g: _; E1 ]+ o4 }9 k1 D
ARNOLD: No, thank you. I just had two cups of coffee at my desk.
* n8 l2 v; Z/ b* S) ~ MR. RAMIREZ: So, you're a serious coffee drinker.2 p& R9 M. `; g+ _1 B
ARNOLD: Yes, it keeps me going. Sometimes I think I'm addicted.* w. d1 w8 Y' p! t
MR. RAMIREZ: Well, coffee isn't such a bad thing.
p2 F& j% W" ]0 Q- z* E% S Everyone has to have something.
/ c3 M) P: I+ t9 C3 |. }1 o For me, it's cigars. Are you a cigar smoker?
2 X, i$ ~ S* {2 W6 f ARNOLD: No, I've tried them. But I’m not really a smoker.3 L* P+ d* i2 Z0 q$ o# |
MR. RAMIREZ: Well, what would you like to talk to me about?
: P# K8 A" [0 v; x" v ARNOLD: I wanted to set up this meeting with you to discuss a little proposal.
# o4 T' i5 [& d4 F1 v( X4 H* M MR. RAMIREZ: I'm glad when people have new ideas around here. Tell me about it.8 X+ v" r! u5 _0 L! f
ARNOLD: It is about the staff meetings.
h; ^7 K- C% F8 V You know how we have a staff meeting every Tuesday.
* Z9 U$ ~$ l' z: u MR. RAMIREZ: Yes.
2 |. l! H+ {' h# D* Z* ~* A ARNOLD: Well, I have been thinking about it.% a6 Y9 W) N/ f# Y4 \) K
And I believe we could do things more efficiently here.
; P4 t* H' |, `* [$ T* U$ F) n1 j MR. RAMIREZ: What do you suggest?( D% J4 j9 D6 u7 H
ARNOLD: The way it is now, the staff from all four branches get together once a week.( B7 I5 _1 C' ~! z4 n( a3 b
We meet for one hour. But I think a lot of time is wasted in transportation.
" K, f5 S3 e1 h1 N% {, Q8 i5 \2 K MR. RAMIREZ: You mean because people have to go across town to get here.1 `0 y; s: D$ K7 b8 u, \5 V# `
ARNOLD: Yes. Some people spend half of the morning on the road.
4 C* h8 ]6 z: Z8 L# W5 {/ a MR. RAMIREZ: That's true. But our staff meetings are very important, Arnold.
5 ]( {+ @4 f- |/ `! B4 w I don't know how we can function without them.
4 Q6 S7 g, e3 }. N& f3 y0 @ ARNOLD: I think they are important too.
+ q# M8 z: m+ I9 h That's why I want people to have a better attitude about them.
\# P) A/ C" H$ J MR. RAMIREZ: I know a lot of people think the meetings aren't too useful.
" H6 v9 Q. P8 h' F' _ I'm aware of that.
4 B6 S% t" M/ ~9 s3 o ARNOLD: Here's what I propose.2 K) _, o) X3 _. m
I think we should meet once every two weeks, but meet for ninety minutes or more.
$ _/ l; m; B F4 P' I/ G MR. RAMIREZ: Well.
- D H( i) Y& g- j/ \& G, P ARNOLD: I also think the meetings should be more focused.
1 i( r* A7 `/ e6 ]6 J. B And I would be willing to take responsibility for that." |# q. [$ a$ F4 d. d6 F
MR. RAMIREZ: You mean you want to run the meetings?
4 R% T$ W j. W6 E ARNOLD: No, not really run them. But I could help organize them.7 B6 e# w5 g- W& {1 V5 H
I could discuss meeting topics with you, and then prepare a schedule for each meeting.) p4 I7 O3 q; _5 ?
I could then send an e-mail to all the staff to explain the coming meeting.- _( _$ L5 R! }
This way the meetings would become more focused, and people would prepare better.& ~1 O! B6 n# M& u. r
MR. RAMIREZ: Hmm. But we would meet every two weeks.2 _+ v" \9 Y0 ]% Z2 O
ARNOLD: I really think it would work.
& [7 W& b5 b( `: g/ z, M The meetings could be longer, and better organized.
# g8 B+ P# J1 v7 U: g b1 i9 s% W MR. RAMIREZ: I am not against the idea, Arnold.
9 `* s* H$ L9 | It may really be more efficient, as you say. I'll tell you what we can do.: Q4 v5 r. r' n. i: H9 H+ K
Why don't we try your proposal for a month, and see how it works.- ?! U4 Z. \5 l( L; L
ARNOLD: Excellent. I would be happy to get started on it.
1 J! o( \* g% n F! ^ MR. RAMIREZ: I will call the managers.
- R0 g* |; J" B% i+ T Then tomorrow I'll tell you when we can schedule our first meeting in this “new style.”
$ D3 D% W. S2 J! O 仑米先生:进来,阿诺。请坐。* K/ R6 Q: X9 k: k# [# R9 g
阿诺:早安。
3 b- C2 l. \" p& n 仑米先生:你要喝点什么吗?# w+ _4 m( C1 u8 y4 U
阿诺:不了,谢谢你。我才喝了两杯咖啡。
* C ^' N- q/ o% ^( y7 B 仑米先生:所以,你是一个严重的咖啡爱好者。
. s/ Z. i! _4 {+ D& p0 g8 z$ h 阿诺:是的,它让我持续前进。有时候我认为我有点上瘾。0 g# s( l6 Z7 W8 C
仑米先生:嗯,咖啡也不是一个坏事情。1 F! S7 W' _* o9 u9 X
每个人都要有所喜好。
9 W$ u) |" X& \+ f 像我,就是雪茄。你抽雪茄吗?2 w5 J! y! s: H
阿诺:不,我尝试过。但我并不是一个吸烟爱好者。! @" L6 C% y9 b% M
仑米先生:嗯,你想跟我说些什么呢?- z) C& ]/ N# h! V$ S: y* O/ T
阿诺:我想借着这个会谈跟你讨论一个提案。
* u1 l$ H% X5 ^5 n0 ?$ ?% X 仑米先生:我很高兴这里能有人提些新计划,告诉我是什么。
$ r, h- g( ^6 y 阿诺:是有关公司重要干部的会议。0 i- ?& }0 s. [! G t! J. [" a
你知道我们每个星期二的干部会议。: f7 n w3 z( w( N& ^9 a
仑米先生:是的。/ o* E% b: w" @8 h9 p* k; J
阿诺:嗯,我一直在想。5 M. \% B% O/ x$ y1 c$ o c/ `0 ]
我相信我们可以做得更有效率些。, U; @, |8 Q. {7 P9 w
仑米先生:那你的建议是?
: o. s5 Q. H. S) R 阿诺:现在的方法是,四个分公司的干部每一周都会来这里一次。: m( i; K+ M0 z9 l K* Q4 w; [
我们开会一小时,但我认为绝大部份的时间都浪费在交通上。# L# P/ {6 t% A4 P7 R' u) L
仑米先生:你的意思是因为大家都要横越整个城市到这儿。
( e/ s/ Q0 u7 X1 B& i 阿诺:是的,有些人花了一个早上在路程上。7 a! x$ C6 l4 u2 y5 M
仑米先生:没有错。但我们干部的会议是很重要的,阿诺。% f* a5 J3 r4 D5 K1 t+ U
我不知道没有他们我们如何能运作。
8 ~' W$ n9 Q/ Y6 e 阿诺:我也认为他们很重要。
& |$ ]: m* \/ y* j4 t. M 那就是为什么我要大家对会谈能有更好的态度。
1 ^% e9 Z) z# W& \! b7 B. J p 仑米先生:我知道有一些人认为会谈并没有太大的用处。3 t5 G/ p+ @* S5 J% u9 Q! O0 J6 l
我知道这个的。
* W+ _3 ~3 f3 V1 p 阿诺:这是我的建议。 |