Plotting the Course  做好工作计划

Mike Talbot has been working at Hurley Technologies for a year. He started as a technical writer, helping draft instruction manuals for Hurley products. Recently, however, Mike's boss left the company. Mike was promoted to fill her position: Supervisor, Support Publications. Mike now finds himself responsible for a team of writers and artists with a very demanding production schedule. Mike is a good writer, but this doesn't automatically make him a good supervisor. He has a lot to learn about organizing people and projects. As a result, Mike's first week in the new position has been very frustrating. On Friday evening he discusses the situation with his wife, Edith.
麦克‧泰柏已经在贺立科技公司服务一年了，他刚开始是负责专门技术的写作工作，帮忙起草贺立公司的产品使用手册。然而，麦克的主管最近离职了，麦克被晋升上来填补她的职位，成了出版部门的主管。麦克现在发现自己要负责管理一组写作人员和美工人员，而且完稿日程非常紧迫。麦克擅长写作，可是这并不表示他就是一位优秀的主管，他需要学习很多有关组织人员与计划的事。结果，麦克就任新职的第一个星期使他大受挫折。星期五晚上他和太太爱蒂丝讨论了这个状况。

Edith: You look a little upset, Mike. Is everything OK?
Mike: Not really, Edith. This week has been really rough.
Edith: How so?
Mike: Well, I've been running in six different directions, but I'm not getting anywhere. The minute I sit down to work on something, the phone rings and someone asks me to do something else. I feel like a rabbit, hopping from project to project all day.
Edith: Why don't you talk to your manager about it? He should be able to help.
Mike: He's been away on business all week. I'll try to see him first thing Monday.
*爱蒂丝：你看起来有点烦燥，麦克，一切都还好吗？
*麦　克：不怎么好，爱蒂丝，这个星期真的很难捱。
*爱蒂丝：为什么会这样呢？
*麦　克：嗯，我老是天南地北瞎忙一阵，可是却一事无成。我一坐下来做点什么事，电话就响了，就有人要我做别的事。我觉得自己好像一只兔子，整天在不同的计划之间跳来跳去。
*爱蒂丝：你为什么不跟你的经理谈一谈呢？他应该可以帮助你的。
*麦　克：他整个星期都出差去了，我星期一第一件事会试着去找他谈谈。
【Word Bank】
technical(adj) 技术上的；有关专门技术的
demanding(adj) 苛求的；要求过分的

On Monday morning, Mike meets with Ed Currey, Customer Support Manager.
星期一早上，麦克和客户服务部的经理艾德‧科里见面。
Mr. Currey: How's it going, Mike?
Mike: Not very well. The first week has been a disaster.
Mr. Currey: What's the problem?
Mike: It basically boils down to organization; there doesn't seem to be much. I know that my team has a lot of work to do. But I don't know what needs to be done first, or what steps to take to do it.
Mr. Currey: That's my fault, Mike. I should have clued you in about these things before you took over as supervisor. And my being away during your first week sure didn't help.
*科里先生：麦克，你做得怎样？
*麦　　克：不太好，第一个星期实在很糟。
*科里先生：是什么问题呢？
*麦　　克：基本上就是组织的问题，好像没什么条理。我知道我这一组有很多工作要做，可是我不知道那些事应该先做，或者应该采取什么步骤来进行。
*科里先生：这是我的错，麦克。我应该在你接手当主管之前教你这些事的，而且你就任新职的第一个星期我都不在，当然更帮不上忙了。
【Word Bank】
boil down to something (v phr) 重点在于某事
clue someone in (v phr) 提供某人最新的信息或现况

Mr. Currey: First, you need to plot out goals and objectives for your team. Then for yourself. Finally, you should meet with each of your team members and help them to plan their own.
Mike: Right. Uh, what's the difference between goals and objectives?
Mr. Currey: Goals are the broad results that you want to achieve, the "destination" of your work.
Mike: And objectives?
Mr. Currey: Objectives are the smaller steps that take you toward your goals, a "road map" to guide you to your destination. Without a destination and a map to reach it, you won't get too far.
Mike: As I'm discovering.
*科里先生：首先，你需要为你的小组定出长程目标和短程目标，然后再定你自己的。最后，你应该和你的每一个组员面谈，帮助他们做自己的计划。
*麦　　克：是的，嗯，目标和步骤目标有什么不同呢？
*科里先生：长程目标是你想要完成的主要结果，是你的工作想要达到的目的。
*麦　　克：那短程目标呢？
*科里先生：短程目标是比较小的步骤，用来带领你达到长程目标，就像一张道路地图，指引你到达目的地。如果没有目的地和一张指引你到达的地图，你是走不了多远的。
*麦　　克：就跟我现在所发现的情况一样。
Mike and Mr. Currey spent the next hour discussing "the big picture." They first made a list of all the goals Mike's team needed to achieve. Then they discussed the time frame for each project.
接下来的一个小时，麦克和科里先生一起讨论重点事项。他们先列出麦克的小组需要达成的所有目标，然后讨论每一项计划所需的时间。
【Word Bank】
objective (n) 明确的目标
broad (adj) 主要的；大略的
achieve (v) 完成；达成
time frame (n phr) 某个特定长度的时段

Mr. Currey: OK. Now that we have a list of goals, we need to prioritize them.
Mike: Prioritize?
Mr. Currey: Yes. That means to arrange them according to their importance. High-priority goals are the ones you need to achieve first or pay the most attention to.
Mike: How do I decide that?
Mr. Currey: You don't. At least, not all by yourself. Your team's priorities should follow the company's priorities. I can tell you what those are.
*科里先生：好了，我们既然列出了这些目标，就需要定出它们的优先次序。
*麦　　克：定优先次序？
*科里先生：是的，就是根据它们的重要性来安排。优先次序大的目标你需要先完成，或者放最多的注意力在这些事上。
*麦　　克：我怎么决定优先次序呢？
*科里先生：你不需要决定，至少不是由你一个人来决定。你们这一组工作的优先次序应该要按照公司的优先次序来定，我会告诉你公司的优先次序是那些。
【Word Bank】
prioritize (v) 定优先次序

(a little while later)
Mike: This is beginning to look good. We've got a list of goals set out in order of priority and a schedule of completion dates. I finally know where I'm going!
Mr. Currey: Yes. But do you know how to get there?
Mike: Hmm. Not yet. I still need to set objectives-the smaller steps necessary to achieve the goals.
Mr. Currey: Right. You can work with your team members on those.
Mike: OK.
Mr. Currey: Let's meet again next month to look over your plans. We may need to add new goals, adjust your schedule, or revise your priorities.
Mike: Sure, Mr. Currey. Thanks for your help!
（稍后）
*麦　　克：现在开始有点象样了。我们已经有一份定好优先次序的目标表，以及完成日期的时间表。我终于知道自己的工作目标是什么了。
*科里先生：很好，可是你知道如何达到目标吗？
*麦　　克：嗯，还不知道。我仍然需要定短程目标，就是达到目标所需要的小步骤。
*科里先生：没错，你可以和你的组员一起讨论这些步骤。
*麦　　克：好的。
*科里先生：我们下个月再来看一遍你的计划，我们可能需要加入新的目标、调整时间表、或者更改你的优先次序。
*麦　　克：是的，科里先生，谢谢你的帮忙！
【Word Bank】
revise (v) 更改；改变

The origin of article: Studio Classroom

资料来源: 空中英语教室