MR. RAMIREZ: Come in, Arnold. Have a seat.
% w4 S$ \# z) Q! r( Z0 F ARNOLD: Good morning.
& w9 M0 T; S( q% F* Q$ u) k MR. RAMIREZ: Would you like something to drink?7 p F& I0 c* N" x% i4 |
ARNOLD: No, thank you. I just had two cups of coffee at my desk.
( J1 z2 E& Y, m3 j* p" Z+ C MR. RAMIREZ: So, you're a serious coffee drinker.
/ |* x8 @( } F0 h6 s, ~" T: M, u ARNOLD: Yes, it keeps me going. Sometimes I think I'm addicted.0 F8 A( ~* N8 D: Q' M, S
MR. RAMIREZ: Well, coffee isn't such a bad thing.
8 u+ [. _3 B V, x+ N) e2 ~, M Everyone has to have something.
# z+ h! G! h( w8 T# s8 T' V For me, it's cigars. Are you a cigar smoker?* R2 m! ^* S1 G3 A
ARNOLD: No, I've tried them. But I’m not really a smoker.8 }9 g' F, r! l( F* S) X
MR. RAMIREZ: Well, what would you like to talk to me about?5 \1 s4 S6 r5 t8 U- ^, k
ARNOLD: I wanted to set up this meeting with you to discuss a little proposal.
4 D1 ?+ h; U% [/ A2 r MR. RAMIREZ: I'm glad when people have new ideas around here. Tell me about it.. ^( i! V7 \/ r8 d. R. f
ARNOLD: It is about the staff meetings.
0 l# }. W( N' j You know how we have a staff meeting every Tuesday." W7 S/ |+ @ M
MR. RAMIREZ: Yes.
( ^+ U8 M3 i- u6 d9 C ARNOLD: Well, I have been thinking about it.0 r; O* @: ]% M1 G4 L! D! o1 s @
And I believe we could do things more efficiently here.
% p4 j& A3 p0 L+ U! Y/ x MR. RAMIREZ: What do you suggest?
3 o. K, }, |" N: |2 W/ A$ p7 R9 x ARNOLD: The way it is now, the staff from all four branches get together once a week. j5 K, D1 K/ @ \0 V
We meet for one hour. But I think a lot of time is wasted in transportation.+ s" s! N$ P @( h! g, X
MR. RAMIREZ: You mean because people have to go across town to get here.
8 [2 {# N; D& u6 N: m7 s ARNOLD: Yes. Some people spend half of the morning on the road.
1 B& R& z) T6 x0 w- r MR. RAMIREZ: That's true. But our staff meetings are very important, Arnold., E, B" z4 }5 H& D% `
I don't know how we can function without them.
8 W! A: X3 m( w/ n F ARNOLD: I think they are important too.& v; F+ |6 F/ @- \: h
That's why I want people to have a better attitude about them." z7 M. ~* D6 f) G+ B0 A8 |' P
MR. RAMIREZ: I know a lot of people think the meetings aren't too useful.( l+ z+ e& M/ y( F% Q# c. x
I'm aware of that.( i2 ?. z2 S0 r7 b$ `9 c
ARNOLD: Here's what I propose.
2 R/ [; v- r: c P1 B& H6 C I think we should meet once every two weeks, but meet for ninety minutes or more.
2 j) J' P+ G7 @* a MR. RAMIREZ: Well.
; I; ^) \ S( F- c ARNOLD: I also think the meetings should be more focused.$ |9 R# {+ p* O& a
And I would be willing to take responsibility for that.
+ G# x; z6 D3 [" Y7 W MR. RAMIREZ: You mean you want to run the meetings?
9 w0 _* o7 t" T ARNOLD: No, not really run them. But I could help organize them.
; ?+ S, x: l/ w3 e( k I could discuss meeting topics with you, and then prepare a schedule for each meeting.
/ H" @- y8 s! P' A8 v- m4 P* F I could then send an e-mail to all the staff to explain the coming meeting.
* Y5 ?* u" o) N- h. B* H' ^ This way the meetings would become more focused, and people would prepare better.- a+ r% n4 E( H3 [
MR. RAMIREZ: Hmm. But we would meet every two weeks.' a. X1 b! O1 Z- O8 S9 ?7 L
ARNOLD: I really think it would work.- b& z8 q; b! f' F. m
The meetings could be longer, and better organized.
& N; I% R' o$ k u5 H2 } MR. RAMIREZ: I am not against the idea, Arnold.
$ R9 l6 z: X" Y8 W! {% b! R It may really be more efficient, as you say. I'll tell you what we can do.! n, O n( y0 A p& z0 `
Why don't we try your proposal for a month, and see how it works.# |- n w4 R: Y7 M
ARNOLD: Excellent. I would be happy to get started on it.
" V% s/ o8 F w2 W MR. RAMIREZ: I will call the managers.
8 M5 _; l; g" b% P1 F Then tomorrow I'll tell you when we can schedule our first meeting in this “new style.”5 i9 H$ a7 a! M
仑米先生:进来,阿诺。请坐。9 s5 A% e J! x1 c @0 b# L
阿诺:早安。
7 C) u' v1 U: D/ p5 [& ^ 仑米先生:你要喝点什么吗?
9 d4 s" _. F4 x' `% Z 阿诺:不了,谢谢你。我才喝了两杯咖啡。( ?9 x& t2 y9 @( L0 n
仑米先生:所以,你是一个严重的咖啡爱好者。
& ~: c; w. _9 x/ F( u. r8 w4 L 阿诺:是的,它让我持续前进。有时候我认为我有点上瘾。0 G t+ {1 Z8 U: p+ E0 h4 w, Q
仑米先生:嗯,咖啡也不是一个坏事情。 Y* Z- Y! |; d, z. s! s: C
每个人都要有所喜好。
( W4 i( P0 f+ n 像我,就是雪茄。你抽雪茄吗?7 q+ ~ ?; m3 v2 c$ A) V+ D# R' b1 h1 ^
阿诺:不,我尝试过。但我并不是一个吸烟爱好者。6 s4 k/ ~" w# |$ c$ ]( o0 i4 u1 c
仑米先生:嗯,你想跟我说些什么呢?
- \+ j/ C/ M% W) w+ X T% |, \0 b 阿诺:我想借着这个会谈跟你讨论一个提案。# {) l* Y& a2 I, |4 F8 S& c
仑米先生:我很高兴这里能有人提些新计划,告诉我是什么。
% D8 R& C* Z# k9 J 阿诺:是有关公司重要干部的会议。8 n8 d9 r$ |$ |7 p4 j6 B
你知道我们每个星期二的干部会议。6 Y5 |! p4 J7 s
仑米先生:是的。* D! H/ @/ L' O! C6 Q7 u7 @
阿诺:嗯,我一直在想。
& g- o; C) p7 I) N a( p 我相信我们可以做得更有效率些。
5 S! G- W! n0 t* E( r l 仑米先生:那你的建议是?
* q( ^! Z9 k1 ?( q0 K2 P% z* \ 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。
# y( o" h2 N9 o) ~& J. x. X9 S 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。
* W$ A0 q1 B; N1 Z8 ?" C 仑米先生:你的意思是因为大家都要横越整个城市到这儿。& Z6 ~' s; E5 f- e1 k; s
阿诺:是的,有些人花了一个早上在路程上。! a1 p& D7 C# b3 V) n: r( A' i
仑米先生:没有错。但我们干部的会议是很重要的,阿诺。
7 N: \ Y) R% }, P) o 我不知道没有他们我们如何能运作。" a; o9 b9 @; @. L2 R- _
阿诺:我也认为他们很重要。3 Z% s7 \ `) Y' {+ I3 t
那就是为什么我要大家对会谈能有更好的态度。
4 d/ ]( g! v/ G1 } 仑米先生:我知道有一些人认为会谈并没有太大的用处。! P( N: c3 W1 X# O' e: u
我知道这个的。' x* } d1 w; N o; a
阿诺:这是我的建议。 |