MR. RAMIREZ: Come in, Arnold. Have a seat.* E* ]2 _& y% [# p6 i, N
ARNOLD: Good morning.
" h: H- X" [2 p2 y3 s% {8 l MR. RAMIREZ: Would you like something to drink?
, u7 i# Y; \/ V; c3 p# n& [ ARNOLD: No, thank you. I just had two cups of coffee at my desk.
/ Z* y2 U! F3 C* m" P. M MR. RAMIREZ: So, you're a serious coffee drinker.
' g% B' k& f& u% t0 Q; Z' n ARNOLD: Yes, it keeps me going. Sometimes I think I'm addicted.1 y7 e3 S# W" h4 @7 J6 f, L( X
MR. RAMIREZ: Well, coffee isn't such a bad thing.; Z# F, N; Q. V0 _3 T$ k/ G' f
Everyone has to have something.
$ C; A9 p4 v) m" v* c! z# O( G" b, M For me, it's cigars. Are you a cigar smoker?
* {5 R m/ U8 S3 v ARNOLD: No, I've tried them. But I’m not really a smoker.
* R, o: }0 C4 ^0 M1 a MR. RAMIREZ: Well, what would you like to talk to me about?
, e! `& W1 u! K0 F& I ARNOLD: I wanted to set up this meeting with you to discuss a little proposal.
7 O( z- S$ S' ^) J' f o/ o MR. RAMIREZ: I'm glad when people have new ideas around here. Tell me about it.3 b2 Z5 |: x- X! _4 d
ARNOLD: It is about the staff meetings.
( C4 X* S) @ X! G8 Q1 g1 t You know how we have a staff meeting every Tuesday.
9 o3 C. W1 L: v8 T! ]& C MR. RAMIREZ: Yes.
# X C0 x4 I% l ARNOLD: Well, I have been thinking about it.
8 [/ b5 [2 ?0 N5 A6 g0 n, J And I believe we could do things more efficiently here.
7 `; [: _ |' c+ H+ E4 p9 ^ MR. RAMIREZ: What do you suggest?
3 E% {5 j- k" u3 e ARNOLD: The way it is now, the staff from all four branches get together once a week.# b Q% D3 d0 S% @ P. i6 S
We meet for one hour. But I think a lot of time is wasted in transportation.& b' Y& M$ q/ @
MR. RAMIREZ: You mean because people have to go across town to get here.
- [- B# o7 V- k \ ARNOLD: Yes. Some people spend half of the morning on the road.3 o8 g5 ^# u. [
MR. RAMIREZ: That's true. But our staff meetings are very important, Arnold.
$ D$ e O! I! i I don't know how we can function without them.
, G7 i( v& X% L% ]( T8 c7 [ ARNOLD: I think they are important too.
4 }6 [- s7 y0 C" g# D2 A That's why I want people to have a better attitude about them.
0 t7 X5 L3 p' L. N$ [8 ?, L MR. RAMIREZ: I know a lot of people think the meetings aren't too useful.- \0 ?$ S8 Z# m0 m, T @
I'm aware of that.
6 i: f. \5 B ?: \1 x$ L* x ARNOLD: Here's what I propose.! b8 N. S" m6 a- O; v
I think we should meet once every two weeks, but meet for ninety minutes or more.
) U7 o4 D/ |" G5 M8 T7 b8 w MR. RAMIREZ: Well.% g7 ?- f. @0 I; J( Y0 I {
ARNOLD: I also think the meetings should be more focused.6 ?- w# b$ O: E
And I would be willing to take responsibility for that.+ G# `3 e& \2 C
MR. RAMIREZ: You mean you want to run the meetings?
Y# k5 D3 E* ?) b: Y ARNOLD: No, not really run them. But I could help organize them.6 F( n* s1 q( z& s
I could discuss meeting topics with you, and then prepare a schedule for each meeting.
6 \0 n' h+ i: z& S6 h/ S, n I could then send an e-mail to all the staff to explain the coming meeting.
6 x* A8 a! B _! E This way the meetings would become more focused, and people would prepare better.
I; s2 k: Q2 B/ \1 L. ]& w5 a MR. RAMIREZ: Hmm. But we would meet every two weeks.
: w7 L9 g# f( S% t ARNOLD: I really think it would work.8 ?( \% O2 ]) D1 x
The meetings could be longer, and better organized.
- S0 f1 k( Z+ S MR. RAMIREZ: I am not against the idea, Arnold.
- j8 _% `; C# o2 }6 N: N! b It may really be more efficient, as you say. I'll tell you what we can do.* b1 L, B& ?# _# p9 F. z
Why don't we try your proposal for a month, and see how it works.
2 K* ]: z+ c% C2 j ARNOLD: Excellent. I would be happy to get started on it.
) r) L J- a; ^6 B+ {/ s MR. RAMIREZ: I will call the managers.( }) W* V% w/ c. o$ x' Z! M! o
Then tomorrow I'll tell you when we can schedule our first meeting in this “new style.”$ ?, n; Q( D0 e, {
仑米先生:进来,阿诺。请坐。
J) O7 f/ F* @ 阿诺:早安。
& O: G& v1 F6 v$ E! Y! M! t! B 仑米先生:你要喝点什么吗?/ S5 d4 v8 M {- B3 Q
阿诺:不了,谢谢你。我才喝了两杯咖啡。) z* X$ v4 A% Q/ U( N! N
仑米先生:所以,你是一个严重的咖啡爱好者。
4 I y7 T$ k7 Z& i- z% t 阿诺:是的,它让我持续前进。有时候我认为我有点上瘾。
9 [; t4 X4 ?9 Z 仑米先生:嗯,咖啡也不是一个坏事情。2 X- E1 m" y u) c7 O
每个人都要有所喜好。
9 Z3 a' f5 b4 z2 }, P' G 像我,就是雪茄。你抽雪茄吗?
. {& K6 H+ E. l" Z- |. p& } 阿诺:不,我尝试过。但我并不是一个吸烟爱好者。9 }' k0 O/ u% v9 D6 f
仑米先生:嗯,你想跟我说些什么呢?
3 D* {) }( }" b l! S+ ?' b 阿诺:我想借着这个会谈跟你讨论一个提案。2 Z4 s5 V7 s. n/ h1 q. z
仑米先生:我很高兴这里能有人提些新计划,告诉我是什么。
- g) J6 k0 J; ^7 F- b 阿诺:是有关公司重要干部的会议。
. ]' ~4 ~* {- ? 你知道我们每个星期二的干部会议。
! h1 J* e6 C9 V9 M 仑米先生:是的。
) j6 ^* b) k0 R6 t4 E$ y 阿诺:嗯,我一直在想。4 I; }* W; C' ~, w; v# g9 ?' v+ c
我相信我们可以做得更有效率些。
+ L& e0 X7 r' `' _' U: A& u7 P! _ 仑米先生:那你的建议是?; W: n! q9 }# {% i- g, S7 B
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。
, ` L/ r- r9 g1 G! ^- h" D. 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。- y. c$ M- \( 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。* G* n; j/ H1 u8 J
阿诺:是的,有些人花了一个早上在路程上。
" U4 P, k7 ?, M 仑米先生:没有错。但我们干部的会议是很重要的,阿诺。
, ?, g" _. E- ? f 我不知道没有他们我们如何能运作。4 J2 J" _+ g" X- i* T# T7 v+ K+ y
阿诺:我也认为他们很重要。5 ^: g1 D- T6 x% d" X* Y
那就是为什么我要大家对会谈能有更好的态度。; h, `. r7 y$ i, o, k
仑米先生:我知道有一些人认为会谈并没有太大的用处。% M' e6 m& `& T% T# ?/ G
我知道这个的。
. k" W2 y( N/ ~5 M 阿诺:这是我的建议。 |