1 . People duck responsibility for reasons ranging from simple laziness or a fear of failure, through to a sense of feeling frightened by the scale of a problem or a situation. Whatever the reason, if people fail to take responsibility, they’ll fail in their jobs, they’ll fail their teams, and they’ll fail to grow as individuals. All of this makes it important to address the issue.
Signs of not being responsible
There are several signs to watch out for. These include:
Lacking interest in their work, and in the well-being of the team
Blaming others for mistakes and failures
Missing deadlines
Avoiding challenging tasks and projects, and not taking risks
Regularly complaining about unfair treatment by team leaders and members and engaging in self-pity
Avoiding being dependent on others for work, advice and instructions
Lacking trust in team members and leaders
Ways to encourage responsibility
Start by talking
Your first step is to talk to the individuals concerned. Are there circumstances that are contributing to the situation, or problems that you can deal with?
Communicate roles, responsibilities and objectives
Your people need to know clearly what their roles and responsibilities are. Ensure that you have an up-to-date job description for each team member, and be as detailed as possible about every responsibility that they have.
Re-engage people
Your people will be more engaged if their work is supported with their values. Talk to them to find out what they are. Then, illustrate how their daily tasks and responsibilities go with those values.
Give plenty of praise
Finally, be sure to give your people plenty of praise when they do take responsibility. And help them improve by providing them with regular, effective and fair feedback.
1. What will happen if John fails to take responsibility?| A．He can complete his jobs. |
| B．His teams may suffer. |
| C．His growth will continue. |
| D．He will lose his life. |
| A．“It’s not my fault.” |
| B．“I’ll have it completed tomorrow.” |
| C．“It’s tough, but I can manage it.” |
| D．“I need resources to solve the problem. ” |
| A．Let him know their specific tasks. |
| B．Get them to find out the values of work. |
| C．Praise them for their good jobs. |
| D．Have a chat with him to find out problems. |
2 . A merchant wanted to purchase a good-looking camel in the market and after spotting one began to bargain for it with the seller! There was a long bargain between the merchant and the camel seller, and finally the merchant bought the camel and took it home!
On reaching home, the merchant called his servant to take out the camel’s saddle. Under the saddle, the servant found a small velvet bag which upon opening revealed him to be full of precious diamonds! The servant shouted, “Boss, you bought a camel, but look what came with it for free!”
The Merchant was also surprised when he saw diamonds in his servant’s hands which were shining and twinkling even more in the sunlight! The Merchant said: “I have bought a camel and not the diamonds, I should return it immediately!”
The servant was thinking in his mind “How stupid my boss is! Nobody will know who the owner is!”
However, the merchant did not listen to him and immediately reached the market and returned the velvet bag to the shopkeeper.
The camel seller was very happy and said, “I had forgotten that I had hidden my precious diamonds under the saddle. Now you choose any one diamond!”
The Merchant said, “I have paid the right price for the camel, so I do not need any gift and prizes!”
The more the merchant was refusing, the more the camel seller was insisting. Finally, the merchant smiled and said: “In fact, when I decided to bring back the bag, I had already kept two of the most precious diamonds with me!”
After this declaration, the camel seller was infuriated and he quickly emptied the bag and began to count his diamond! But after he counted with a heavy sigh of relief, he said “These are all my diamonds, so what were the two most precious ones that you kept?”
The Merchant said: “My honesty and my self-respect.”
1. If the servant had bought the camel, what would he have done?| A．Giving them to his master. |
| B．Returning the diamonds. |
| C．Pocketing the diamonds. |
| D．Dividing them with his boss. |
| A．He thought he should reward him. |
| B．He regretted he had bargained with him. |
| C．He knew the he had made a big mistake. |
| D．He volunteered to lower the price. |
| A．Content. | B．Funny. | C．Angry. | D．Happy. |
3 . Mental Health Apps
Although most mental health doctors probably wouldn’t advise people to spend more time with their cellphones, there are some apps that can turn screen time into time well-spent. These apps provide tools for people looking to improve their lives.
Stop, Breathe & ThinkThis app was created to teach meditation (冥想). Developed for adults, teens and kids, it is perfect when you’re troubled by emotions like anxiety, stress, sadness or anger. It guides you through the practice of stopping, calming your mind and body through breathing and then taking part in short meditation.
Cost: $9. 99 per month. Download here for Apple or Android.
Breatbe2RelaxBreathe2Relax teaches “belly breathing”, a technique that encourages full oxygen exchange, lowers the heart rate and helps reduce stress. This type of breathing can help people who are experiencing fear, anxiety or anger. The app features videos, reading materials and ways for users to track their progress.
Cost: Free. Download here for Apple or Android.
ProductiveProductive is a simple app that helps you set goals and track your progress. It offers users help in breaking negative habits and forming healthier habits. Users can specify what time of day they want to begin an activity, for how long, and how often, and the app shows users their successful periods, sends them motivating reminders and records their growth.
Cost: Free. Download here for Apple or Android.
INSCAPERegardless of where you are, with INSCAPE, you can focus on the areas that you’re looking to improve. Depending on whether you’d like to sleep better, or be more efficient at work, INSCAPE will suggest a practice that will be most beneficial to your goals, including breathing exercises, meditation and more.
Cost: $12. 99 per month.
Download here for Apple. Come here for Android.
1. What do the first two apps have in common?| A．They can keep people calm. | B．They are intended for adults. |
| C．They cost their users nothing. | D．They record the users’ progress. |
| A．Productive. | B．INSCAPE. |
| C．Breathe2Relax. | D．Stop, Breathe&Think |
| A．It provides more activities. | B．It has no time or space limitation. |
| C．It Is only available to Apple users. | D．It works depending on one’s particular needs. |
4 . National Geographic Explorer Malaika Vaz knew from early on that she was destined for adventure. “I was someone who spent a lot of time outdoors,” Vaz says. Among her childhood experiences, she recalls expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic, climbing mountains, scuba diving, and windsurfing.
“In my late teens,” Vaz says, “I began to feel like adventure didn’t really mean anything if there wasn’t an intent to protect the natural spaces we were exploring in.” She began to seek an outlet that would both satisfy her desire for adventure and allow her to support the protection of the species and ecosystems.
Vaz had an interest in the medium of film, and decided to pursue a career in wildlife filmmaking. Today Vaz wears many hats in the filmmaking world, as a documentary director, producer, writer, and presenter.
After falling in love with mantas off the coast of her home, she discovered they were being hunted illegally and she dressed herself as a seafood trader to get as close as possible to the issue. She traced traffickers back to many parts of the world to figure out why mantas were being killed. She shares the challenges of going undercover to produce Peng Yu Sai, her Green Oscar-nominated film on the matter.
The subjects that grab her attention, Vaz admits, cover a wide range. And while she’s been asked to define her focus, she prefers variety, and argues that issues she pinpoints are more interrelated than they may appear.
Her work doesn’t stop at recording important stories-she’s also on top of follow-through, ensuring the message is heard. Vaz and her team work with scientists and policy makers to amplify the message of the films they work on.
From Vaz’s perspective, real improvement in the way the planet is cared for lies in the capable hands of many from various backgrounds. “The truth is that we don’t need ten really passionate, committed environmentalists. We need one hundred or one million people who can do a little bit in that field and change things within their ability.”
1. Which of the following helped Vaz combine adventure with nature protection?| A．Wildlife film-making. | B．Free lifestyle. |
| C．Childhood experience. | D．Outdoor activities. |
| A．Vaz’s home on the coast. | B．Vaz’s experience of mountain climbing. |
| C．The history of Green Oscar. | D．The illegal hunting of mantas. |
| A．The backgrounds of policy makers. | B．The influence of films. |
| C．The guidance from environmentalists. | D．The combined efforts of people. |
| A．Enthusiastic but careless. | B．Adventurous and insightful. |
| C．Knowledgeable but proud. | D．Humorous and patient. |
