[originaltext]W: How do you like being self-employed?M: There are obvious bene

W: How do you like being self-employed?
M: There are obvious benefits, though I don’t seem to have the freedom I anticipated as I just don’t seem able to decline work offers. And working alone, there have been times when I’ve found that money alone provides insufficient motivation. Have you experienced the same since you began working for yourself?
W: Sometimes, yes. Unlike the rest of the workforce who have managers to prompt motivation whenever they’re feeling lazy or bored, we self-employed workers perform our jobs without a manager to lift our spirits. There’s no one around to offer praise or initiate collaboration, no one to make greater use of our interests and talents.
M: That’s a fact. Not every manager behaves with such awareness and care, of course. And certainly not all managers have a clue how to motivate people. Still, having a manager nearby at least indicates there’s an opportunity they’ll be decent enough to look out for you when your energy and focus begin to deplete.
W: The motivator I value most is autonomy. I’ve learned not to sacrifice my prized autonomy by working all hours of the day and by saying yes to every client request.
M: Yes. I need to remind myself that I selected this lifestyle for the independence. I don’t miss aspects of permanent full-time employment I disliked, such as the office politics, job insecurity, inflexible hours and so on. I wouldn’t mind a bit more in the form of praise though, praise which is on the record.
W: That’ll come with time. Relatedness is inevitably cultivated via human interaction. Engaging with clients, getting written testimony and recommendations, staying in contact with clients afterwards, these are things you’ll find will come in due course and provide you with motivation.
M: You’re right. That’s an area I do need to put some more effort into- building closer relationships with those who engage my services and skills.
Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
5. What does the man say about his life of being self-employed?
6. What does the man say about managers?
7. What do both speakers value most about self-employment?
8. On what point does the man agree with the woman?