The following text is from James Chen's reflection on changes in his workplace mentoring role."Recent organizational restructuring has created new...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is from James Chen's reflection on changes in his workplace mentoring role.
"Recent organizational restructuring has created new challenges for junior employees seeking guidance. As these institutional changes developed, I recognized that my traditional mentoring approaches needed significant modification. When standard feedback sessions proved insufficient for addressing staff concerns about job security, I implemented more flexible meeting formats. During periods of departmental reorganization, I discovered that effective coaching required adapting to rapidly shifting workplace dynamics. Whether helping mentees navigate new reporting relationships or supporting them through role transitions, I continuously adjusted my techniques to maintain meaningful professional guidance."
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
To outline the specific duties involved in workplace mentoring
To describe how Chen modified his mentoring methods due to organizational changes
To explain the typical challenges that workplace mentors face
To compare different approaches to professional development
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Recent organizational restructuring has created new challenges for junior employees seeking guidance." |
|
| "As these institutional changes developed, I recognized that my traditional mentoring approaches needed significant modification." |
|
| "When standard feedback sessions proved insufficient for addressing staff concerns about job security, I implemented more flexible meeting formats." |
|
| "During periods of departmental reorganization, I discovered that effective coaching required adapting to rapidly shifting workplace dynamics." |
|
| "Whether helping mentees navigate new reporting relationships or supporting them through role transitions, I continuously adjusted my techniques to maintain meaningful professional guidance." |
|
Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Chen describes how organizational changes forced him to continuously adapt and modify his traditional mentoring methods to remain effective.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The main purpose of the entire text
What type of answer do we need? A statement that captures what the author's primary goal was in writing this reflection
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The right answer should tell us that Chen is describing how he adapted his mentoring approach because of organizational changes.
To outline the specific duties involved in workplace mentoring
✗ Incorrect
- This suggests the text lists specific mentoring duties.
- The passage focuses on how Chen changed his methods, not outlining duties.
To describe how Chen modified his mentoring methods due to organizational changes
✓ Correct
- Perfectly captures that Chen is describing his modifications to mentoring methods.
- Correctly identifies organizational changes as the cause.
To explain the typical challenges that workplace mentors face
✗ Incorrect
- This would be about general mentoring challenges across all mentors.
- The passage is specifically about Chen's personal experience.
To compare different approaches to professional development
✗ Incorrect
- This suggests comparing different approaches.
- The passage describes one person's adaptation process, not a comparison.