[originaltext] M: How are you enjoying your new job? W: So far, so good.

M: How are you enjoying your new job?
    W: So far, so good. I don’t miss having managers who deliver blunt, harsh feedback in the name of efficiency.
    M: From the way you described your last company, no wonder they had a problem with high staff turnover.
    W: Yeah. I couldn’t wait to get out of there once my contract expired. The problem with a company culture that prizes directness above all else is that it creates a toxic culture of brilliant jerks that drives people out and erodes itself from within.
    M: My company’s managers tend to be accommodating and kind, overlooking mistakes or issues so as not to hurt feelings. Issues often get ignored there until they build up and reach a crisis point.
    W: That’s not surprising. My new company seems to employ a feedback policy that combines compassion and directness. Employees have the power to speak up, give feedback, disagree and discuss problems in real time. It seems to help us to course correct, improve and meet challenges while also building teams that collaborate and care for one another.
    M: But that would be based on an atmosphere of mutual trust, wouldn’t it? Otherwise, people might interpret feedback as some kind of personal attack.
    W: True. Without an atmosphere of trust, feedback can create stress and self-doubt. But I think when we get feedback from someone we trust, we understand that the feedback isn’t some kind of personal attack. It’s actually a kind of support because it’s offered in the spirit of helping us improve. I think sometimes people need to shift their mindsets around how they receive feedback.
    M: Yes. Constructive feedback, after all, is how we learn and grow.  It’s the basis for healthy parenting, lasting friendships, career development, and so much more. If we shelter our children, friends and colleagues from information that might enrich and enhance their lives, we are not being caring. We’re actually doing harm to them.
    W: That’s exactly right.
    Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
    1.How does the woman describe her previous company’s culture?
    2. What does the man say about his company’s managers?
    3. What does the woman say the employees in her new company can do?
    4. What does the man say about constructive feedback?