BEST IELTS General Reading Test 452

Table of Contents

IELTS GENERAL READING TEST 452 – PASSAGE – 2

IELTS GENERAL READING TEST – 452

READING PASSAGE – 2

Better Project Management

Efficient project management is vital to ensure our business runs smoothly. Good project management will guide the project through a visible set of activities and will keep all parties clear about their goals and responsibilities.

Communication is one of the most important skills project managers can have. Without frequent, open and candid communication about goals, obstacles, workarounds and expectations, projects can more easily fail. Priorities and project plans will change, deadlines will be missed, scope will be expanded, but communication must stay consistent. Project managers must work hard to keep lines of communication open to ensure all project stakeholders have all the key details.

IELTS General Reading Test

Project managers have to be especially skilled at keeping teams and their projects on time and on track. First, create the ‘critical path’, which is the tasks that need to be done and their particular order. These are the places where projects can get behind and where the cumulative effect is not meeting the project target. It’s also important to decide early on the project’s clear end-goal and you must also identify a clear definition of what it looks like to achieve the goal. Defining success metrics means measurable goals and a clear finish line for a team.

A project team runs on a solid foundation of trust, mutual respect and accountability, so it’s very important to make sure you’re fostering an environment where everyone on the team feels heard, their efforts are acknowledged and recognised, and their contributions are valued. Senior executives and customers supporting, and buy-in from other project teams are also critical to the success of projects. This is especially true if things go wrong. And don’t save praise only for the times when things are going well – it’s almost more important to boost morale through recognising hard work and effort when things don’t go as planned – as things don’t often go as planned!

IELTS General Reading Test

One of the most important things a project manager can do is to eliminate obstacles for their teams. That can help keep projects within the agreed-upon framework, make the workflow more efficient and keep everything on schedule. Assign work so it is completed in the most efficient order possible, ensure work that is a predecessor to other work is fully completed before starting another piece, and remove the obstacles that prevent team members from getting their work done.

You also should build in extra time around every deadline within a project, to make sure there’s plenty of time to resolve the inevitable unexpected problems that will arise. Pay attention to time, cost and where you should be, and how that lines up with your deadlines and project objectives.

IELTS General Reading Test

Leadership is about helping your project teams succeed and motivating them to persevere. To be a better project manager, you must be intimately familiar with each team member. Familiarise yourself with the unique talents of each person on his team so you know who would and who wouldn’t be good for particular jobs. By doing so, you can better predict what challenges may arise and how to overcome them.

Finally, take advantage of the technology available to help you do your job effectively. From project tracking software to file-sharing services to team collaboration tools, find the solution that works best for your teams and put it to work for you. You can also adopt protocols to help keep those chronically late team members on track by building in additional time for approvals.

IELTS General Reading Test

Questions 15-20

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the text for each answer.

15. As the ………………… of a project is likely to increase during its course, communication needs to be especially reliable.

16. The ………………… of delays in points of the critical path can cause missed deadlines.

17. Project leaders should give ………………… to their team even when things are going badly.

IELTS General Reading Test

18. Removing …………………so that a team can work well is a key part of a project manager’s job.

19. Exploiting a team’s special ………………… is an important part of the leadership role in a team.

20. Implementing ………………… to ensure that particular team members don’t get too far behind can be a useful thing to do.

IELTS General Reading Test

Read the text below and answer Questions 21-27.

Negotiating with Suppliers

Negotiating the right deal with your suppliers doesn’t necessarily mean getting what you want at the cheapest possible price. You may want to negotiate other factors such as delivery times, payment terms or the quality of the goods. Most business owners would view a good deal as one that meets all their requirements. But there are many other issues to consider, such as whether you want to do business with a particular supplier again. Both sides should conclude a negotiation feeling comfortable and happy with the agreement. Negotiations can be unsuccessful if either side feels forced into a corner.

Before you start negotiating, state the aspects of the deal you’re happy with and the points you want to discuss. Ask the supplier to do the same. Make sure both sides are satisfied with what is being negotiated. Get the supplier to restate any discounts offered and payment terms. Keep these key bits of information to hand. If you have enough bargaining power, insist on using your own terms and conditions of purchase.

IELTS General Reading Test

Do not indicate that there are things you’re prepared to concede or compromise on too early in the negotiations. Try to give the impression you’re approaching the negotiations positively without revealing your position. For important or large purchases suggest setting out the key points of the deal in writing. For example, for the purchase of company cars, these might state your requirements, such as the make, year, model, the interior specification and delivery times. If things are in writing, this can help prevent later conflict.

You also need to be aware of common negotiating tactics. If the other party keeps referring to urgent deadlines or a person they need to confer with, remember they may be using pressure tactics. Use such strategies yourself with caution, as they can be very irritating. Don’t allow pressure to force you into agreeing to a point you’re not happy with. Ask for a break if you need one. Each time you agree to a point, clarify that you’ve understood it correctly and write it down.

IELTS General Reading Test

In some trades, suppliers set artificially high prices that are then permanently discounted. If this scenario applies to your business, then ensure that any concessions the supplier gives are real negotiate discounts that go beyond the standard level.

Some price negotiating techniques will be familiar if you’ve ever bartered at a market. Never accept the first offer – make a low counter-offer in return. The other party is likely to come back with a revised figure. Always ask what else they can include at the given price. If the price is suspiciously low, ask yourself why. Are the goods of sufficiently high quality? Do they really offer value for money? What will the after-sales service be like?

IELTS General Reading Test

You can also try to make the asking price look high by exposing any ongoing costs. Ask about repair costs, consumables and other expenses. If the current state of the supplier’s market means prices are falling, point this out, as their profit margins will be higher and they’ll be able to offer you a better deal.

Use your bargaining power to get a good deal. For example, if you’re a big customer of the supplier, you could ask for bulk discounts. But remember that if you squeeze the price too low – perhaps by threatening to walk away from the negotiations – you may end up getting a poor deal. The supplier may have to cut costs elsewhere, maybe in an area such as customer service, which could prove costly to you in the long run.

Even if you are a supplier’s main customer and enjoy most of the bargaining power, forcing it to meet prices at which it could go out of business won’t protect your reputation as a highly valued customer. The supplier will soon look for other customers and is likely to feel resentful.

IELTS General Reading Test

Questions 21-27

Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer of the text?

In boxes 21 – 27 on your answer sheet write:

YES – if the statement agrees with the writer’s views

NO – if the statement doesn’t agree the writer’s views

NOT GIVEN – if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

IELTS General Reading Test

21. Conducting repeat business is a factor that must be considered when negotiating with a supplier.

22. It’s important for your supplier to realise from the start that you too are willing to make compromises in order to achieve a satisfactory deal.

23. Putting pressure on the person you’re negotiating with by referring to a deadline that you have to keep can always be a useful negotiation tactic.

24. Getting training with price negotiations can be a very important investment.

25. Research the market of your suppliers’ own suppliers to see if prices are falling, as this can make your suppliers’ own costs go down.

26. Ensure that your supplier will buy back unused stock at the price that you paid for it.

27. Put as much pressure on your suppliers as possible, as this will help you achieve your goals.

IELTS General Reading Test

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