关于剑桥商务英语的《阅读》题

The Stars of the Future

A Existing management research does not tell usmuch about how to find and develop high-flyers,those people who have the potential to reach thetop of an organisation. As a result, organisations areleft to formulate their own systems. A moreeffective overall policy for developing future leadersis needed, which is why the London Business Schoolhas launched the Tomorrows Leaders ResearchGroup (TLRG). The group contains representativesfrom 20 firms, and meets regularly to discuss theleadership development of the organisations high-flyers.

B TLRG recognises just how significant line managers are in the process of leadershipdevelopment. Unfortunately, with todays flat organisations, where managers have functionalas well as managerial responsibilities, people development all too often falls victim to heavyworkloads. One manager in the research group was unconvinced by the logic of sending hisbest people away on development courses, only to see them poached by another departmentor, worse still, another firm. This fear of losing high-flyers runs deep in the organisations thatmake up the research group.

C TLRG argues that the task of management is not necessarily about employee retention,but about creating attraction centres. We must help line managers to realise that if theircompanies are known as ones that develop their people, they will have a greater appeal tohigh-flyers, said one advisor. Furthermore, selecting people for, say, a leadership developmentprogramme is a sign of commitment from management to an individual. Loyalty can then bemore easily demanded in return.

D TLRG has concluded that a companys HR specialists need to take action and engagewith line managers individually about their role in the development of high-flyers. Indeed, inorder to benefit fully from training high-flyers as the senior managers of the future, firmsmust actually address the development of all managers who will be supporting the out this, managers will not be in a position to give appropriate advice. And wheneventually the high-flyers do move on, new ones will be needed to replace them. The nextchallenge will be to find a new generation of high-flyers.