Section 2. Skills focus. 1. Read the text. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of strict written dress codes from the point of view of the company and the employee.

1. Read the text. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of strict written dress codes from the point of view of the company and the employee.

It is said the president of IBM once went to visit a client. As he was travelling up in the lift he noticed that the other occupant was a man whose appearance left a lot to be desired. His clothes were hideous: a collection of violent colors and busy patterns.

After he had concluded his business with the client, he mentioned the man in the lift. “I’m surprised you let your employees come to work dressed like that.” The client smiled. “I know the man,” he said, “He’s not one of my employees: he is one of your engineers. He came to service the computer.”

From that day on IBM had one of the strictest dress codes in American corporate life: dark suit, black socks, white shirt, sober ties. Managers who had been seen wearing a coloured shirt would sometimes come to work to find half a dozen brand new white shirts sitting on the desk, still wrapped in cellophane. There would be no accompanying note; none was necessary.

2. Read the text and answer the questions.

What You See Is Not Necessary What You Get.

The clothing we wear at work shapes other people’s expectance of us. Feelings about people’s competence, intelligence, attitudes, trustworthiness, and many other aspects of their personalities are conveyed by the colors, styles, and fit of their attire. Although some organizations such as Levi Strauss & Co. have adopted casual dress code, other encourage more conservative dress. Susan Bixter, well-known image consultant, says traditional business dress is generally classic and conservative and changes little from year to year. In a conservative business setting, men and women should avoid clothing that is more appropriate for leisure activities.

Some companies, such as the National Car Rental Company and the Century 21 Real Estate Corporation chain, encourage their employees to wear specially designed uniforms, called “career wear”, to ensure that the employees will convey the “right” message and instill confidence in their customers.

Just how important is the “right look”, and how does what people wear influence our expectations of them? Imagine that you have just checked into a hospital to be operated on the next day. When you get to your room, you are told that the following people will be coming to speak with the next several hours:

• The surgeon who will do the operation
• A nurse
• The secretary for the department of surgery
• A representative of the company that supplies televisions to the hospital rooms
• A technician who does laboratory tests
• A hospital business manager
• The dietitian

You have never met any of these people before and do not know what to expect. The only thing you do know is that they are all women.

About half an hour after your arrival, a woman appears at your door dressed in a straight, red wool skirt, a pink-and-white striped polyester blouse with a bow at the neck, and red medium-high-heel shoes that match the skirt. She is wearing round gold earrings, a gold chain necklace, a gold wedding band, and a white hospital laboratory coat. She is carrying a clipboard.

Questions:

1. Which of seven people listed do you think is standing at your door? Why?
2. If the woman were not wearing a white hospital laboratory coat, how might your perception of her differ? Why?
3. If you find out that she is the surgeon who will be operating on you in the morning, but you initially thought she was someone different, how confident would you feel in her ability as a surgeon? Why?

Exercise 3. Read and translate the text.

When two people meet, their potential for building a relationship can be affected by many factors. Within a few moments, one person or the other may feel threatened, offended, or bored. Roger Ailes, communication adviser to three presidents and consultant to numerous Fortune 500 executives, say people begin forming an opinion of us in a matter of seconds. He believes that most people assess the other very quickly and then settle on a general perception of that individual. Ailes says it is very difficult for us to reverse that first impression.

Дата добавления: 2015-10-02