• the first real challenge

Listen, as often as is necessary,
then do exercises below –
use paper and pencil,
write down your answers

Exercise 1 – true or false

1. Lina believed that trust could be built without patience.
2. Two employees argued about their duties during a busy weekend.
3. Lina changed the work plan after finding the cause of the problem.
4. Lina found her new job easier than she had expected.
5. Lina asked the employees to tell her earlier when they noticed problems.
6. Every employee agreed with Lina’s decisions.
7. Several guests were waiting at the front desk during the argument.
8. Lina listened to each employee separately before making her decision.
9. The problem was caused by one employee who was lazy and unwilling to help.
10. Lina became a front desk supervisor several years after starting her career.
11. Lina refused to explain her decisions to the team.
12. The duties had not been shared equally.
13. Lina thought a good leader always needed to know every answer immediately.
14. Lina wanted to solve the problem quickly but knew that a quick decision might be unfair.
15. Both employees were satisfied with their work duties.
16. Lina checked the work plans to understand the problem.
17. Her team began to respect her more because she tried to treat everyone fairly.
18. The argument began because guests complained about their rooms.
19. Lina had to organise work shifts and check daily tasks.
20. Lina made her decision without listening to the workers.
21. Lina learned that asking questions could help solve problems.
22. Lina was responsible only for her own work.
23. Lina understood that trust took time to build.
24. The two employees immediately accepted each other’s opinions.
25. Lina became a stronger leader by dealing with challenges one at a time.

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Exercise 2 – multiple choice

1. What did Lina discover about her new job?

• A. It was easier than expected.
• B. It was more difficult than expected.
• C. It was shorter than expected.

2. What did Lina have to organise?

• A. Guest holidays
• B. Hotel building work
• C. Work shifts

3. Why did the two employees argue?

• A. They disagreed about their duties.
• B. They wanted to change hotels.
• C. They had lost their work plans.

4. What was happening while Lina dealt with the argument?

• A. The hotel was closing.
• B. Several guests were waiting.
• C. The front desk was empty.

5. How did Lina speak to the two workers?

• A. She spoke to them separately.
• B. She sent them home.
• C. She asked the guests to speak to them.

6. What did Lina check?

• A. Guest reviews
• B. The hotel menu
• C. Work plans

7. What was the real problem?

• A. One worker refused to work.
• B. The duties were shared unfairly.
• C. The guests had complained about the rooms.

8. What did Lina do after checking the work plans?

• A. She changed the work plan.
• B. She ignored the argument.
• C. She dismissed both employees.

9. What did Lina ask the employees to do?

• A. Work fewer hours
• B. Avoid difficult tasks
• C. Report problems earlier

10. What did Lina learn about leadership?

• A. Leaders should never ask questions.
• B. Listening can help solve problems.
• C. Every problem needs an immediate decision.

11. Why did Lina avoid making a quick decision?

• A. She wanted to treat both workers fairly.
• B. She did not know their names.
• C. She wanted the guests to decide.

12. What was NOT the cause of the argument?

• A. Unequal duties
• B. An unfair work plan
• C. A guest complaint about a room

13. What did Lina explain to her team?

• A. Her decision
• B. The hotel prices
• C. The guests‘ travel plans

14. Why did the team begin to respect Lina more?

• A. She gave everyone less work.
• B. She always agreed with everyone.
• C. She tried to treat everyone fairly.

15. What did Lina understand about trust?

• A. It is not important for leaders.
• B. It takes time to build.
• C. It comes after one decision.

16. Which qualities helped Lina become a stronger leader?

• A. Patience and honesty
• B. Speed and silence
• C. Anger and fear

17. What was Lina responsible for as a supervisor?

• A. Only her own tasks
• B. Managing every hotel in the city
• C. Helping her team do their jobs well

18. How did the two employees feel about their workload?

• A. They were both completely satisfied.
• B. They had different opinions about it.
• C. They both wanted to leave the hotel.

19. What helped Lina understand the real problem?

• A. Listening to both workers and checking the plans
• B. Choosing one worker immediately
• C. Asking guests to solve the argument

20. How was Lina changing?

• A. She was avoiding responsibility.
• B. She was becoming less patient.
• C. She was becoming a stronger leader.

_______________________________

Exercise 3 – cause and effect, match

Causes

1. Lina became a front desk supervisor.
2. Two employees argued about their duties.
3. Several guests were waiting at the front desk.
4. Lina wanted to make a fair decision.
5. Lina spoke to each worker separately.
6. Lina checked the work plans.
7. The duties had not been shared equally.
8. Lina changed the work plan.
9. Lina explained her decision to the team.
10. Lina asked employees to report problems earlier.
11. Lina listened carefully and asked questions.
12. Lina tried to treat everyone fairly.
13. Lina understood that trust took time to build.
14. Lina learned from difficult situations at work.

Effects

A. Her team began to respect her more.

B. She found the reason for the problem.

C. She became a stronger leader.

D. She had to organise work and support her team.

E. She wanted to solve the problem quickly.

F. She could listen to both workers.

G. The employees could tell her about problems sooner.

H. The work plan needed to change.

I. She learned to understand problems before solving them.

J. The team could understand her decision.

K. The employees were unhappy about their workload.

L. She knew that good relationships needed time.

M. She avoided making an unfair decision too quickly.

N. The work was shared more fairly.

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Exercise 1 – answer key

1F, 2T, 3T, 4F, 5T, 6F, 7T, 8T, 9F, 10T,
11F, 12T, 13F, 14T, 15F, 16T, 17T, 18F, 19T,
20F, 21T, 22F, 23T, 24F, 25T

________________________________

Exercise 2- answer key

1B, 2C, 3A, 4B, 5A, 6C, 7B, 8A, 9C, 10B,
11A, 12C, 13A, 14C, 15B, 16A, 17C, 18B, 19A, 20C

_______________________________

Exercise 3- answer key

1D, 2K, 3E, 4M, 5F, 6B, 7H, 8N,
9J, 10G, 11I, 12A, 13L, 14C

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Several years after starting her career, Lina became a front desk supervisor. She was proud of her progress, but she soon discovered that her new job was more difficult than she had expected.

As a supervisor, Lina had to organise work shifts, check daily tasks, and support her team. She also had to handle complaints and explain decisions that some employees did not like. She was now responsible for helping others do their jobs well.

One busy weekend, two employees argued about their duties. One worker believed that he always had more work than his colleague. The other felt that he was doing his fair share. Both were unhappy, and neither wanted to accept the other’s opinion.
Lina was under pressure because several guests were waiting at the front desk. She wanted to solve the problem quickly, but she knew that a quick decision might be unfair. Instead, she spoke to each worker separately and listened carefully to both sides.
Then she checked their work plans. She discovered that the duties had not been shared equally. The problem was not that one employee was lazy or unwilling to help. The way the work had been organised was unfair.
Lina changed the work plan and explained her decision to the team. She also asked the employees to tell her earlier when they noticed problems.

The experience taught Lina an important lesson about leadership. A good leader did not need to know every answer immediately. Sometimes, the best solution came from listening, asking questions, and understanding the real cause of a problem.
Not everyone agreed with Lina’s decisions, but her team began to respect her more. They saw that she tried to treat everyone fairly.
Lina understood that trust took time to build. It required patience, honesty, and the courage to make difficult decisions. She was becoming a stronger leader, one challenge at a time.

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Remember how babies
learn a language:

Babies learn a language by listening.
They use their ears to hear sounds.
Their brain remembers these sounds.
Babies connect sounds with people and things.
They listen to their parents.
Then they copy the sounds they hear. They imitate words.
Slowly, babies learn to speak.

So,
LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN………………

SMFrockZ@gmx.at