Work Smarter, Not Harder (4)
SUMMARY
Collins describes how she plans her day each morning. And Grace and Ueda talk about the importance of taking breaks. Ueda says a former boss used to recommend an at least fifteen-minute break every 90 minutes as that was the average limit of a person's concentration. Grace says she likes to take a stroll in a nearby park.
VIGNETTE
Steve Lyons: Here at A&A, we've become more aware of how much time can be wasted in long and often unnecessary meetings. They're more structured now, with set agendas. And they're shorter, I'm happy to say.
Alyce Collins: That's a very good point. I try to structure and plan my working day as soon as I sit down at my desk each morning. I make a to-do list of tasks for the day ahead. That makes real difference in terms of using my time effectively.
Lidia Grace: This may sound paradoxical, but for me, a key part of working smart is taking breaks ― and knowing when to take them. No matter how busy or important you think you are, it's a good idea to take a breather and clear your mind every so often.
Ueda Shota: I completely agree. My former boss in Japan was a very forward-looking manager. He said that on average, our brains are able to remain focused for only 90 minutes at a time. Then you needed at least 15 minutes of rest.
Lidia Grace: When the weather is nice, I like to step out and take a short stroll around the park near here. I try not think about work. The funny thing is that new ideas or solutions to problems that I've been wrestling with often come to me during my leisurely walks.
Steve Lyons: Some companies actively encourage workers to take a little siesta after lunch.
WORDS AND PHRASES
structured 構造化された/組織化された
The A&A meetings now have a clear format and schedule. You could say things like "Even her weekends are very structured. She exercises on every Saturday morning, then answers email for an hour, then goes grocery shopping". And Collins uses structure as a verb in the next paragraph. My mornings", for example, are structured around my daughter's school schedule. Get her up at 7:45, leave the house by 8:45 etc.
structuredの反対は:
unstructured 決まった形のない/組織だっていない
to-do list やるべきことのリスト
Collins says, "I make a to-do list of tasks for the day ahead". This expression is pretty self-explanatory. It's a list of things that we need to do. You could say "My to-do list for this week includes buying a new suit and cleaning my kitchen". Or "Oh, that's right. I need to make a copy of my house key. I'll put that on my to-do list for next week".
thing to doのlistということ
paradoxical 矛盾した/逆説的な
A contradiction. Two things that contradict each other. You might say, "Ah! It's paradoxical. Jenny is so disorganized, but she never forgets an appointment".
take a break 休憩する/休みをとる
Stop doing something for a while; rest from it. Such as "I'm really hungry. I think I'll take a break and get some lunch". Or "She took a break from freelance work for a while".
take a breather 一息つく/一休みする
Take a short break or rest from something. Like we're posing to catch our breath, "Phew", you know. Imagine a meeting has gone on for more than an hour. The head of the meeting might say "Okay, let's take a breather. We'll start again in ten minutes".
clear one's mind 雑念を払う/頭をスッキリさせる
"Clear one's head" would also work here. You're mentally resetting, you're sort of refreshing and starting over. Personally cleaning the house helps clear my mind especially scrubbing the bath tab for some reason".
every so often 時々/時折
forward-looking 先見の明のある/前向きの考え方の
Ueda says, "My former boss in Japan was a very forward-looking manager".
on average おおむね/概して/平均して
remain focused 集中し続ける/焦点を当てたままでいる
step out 短時間外へ出る/席を外す
Grace is talking about leaving of a building, you know, going out to a park. But this also can be just leaving a room, for example. It's leaving some area; leaving some space. For example, "I stepped out to let them speak in private". So I left a room, say, to let other people speak privately.
take a short stroll ちょっと散歩する
A stroll is a leisurely walk usually without a specific purpose, you know, and done for pleasure. "They strolled around shops after lunch". Or "Let's take a stroll on the beach before breakfast".
wrestle with ～に取り組む/～と格闘する
Tackle some problems; grapple with it in an attempt to solve it; figure out what to do like a wrestler battling their opponent trying to win. Police could be wrestling with a surge in crime. Or "The Company is wrestling with production costs trying to bring them down". And you can also use "wrestle with" about an internal dilemma. Like "He is wrestling with his conscience". Or "He is wrestling with himself over whether to leave the company".
grapple with 〔問題・課題など〕に取り組む［立ち向かう］ - 英辞郎 on the WEB
wrestle with one's conscience 良心と葛藤する - 英辞郎 on the WEB
siesta シエスタ/昼寝(スペイン語)
An afternoon nap or rest. "I had a two-hour siesta on Sunday afternoon", you could say, "It was very refreshing".
day ahead その日/その先
Collins says, "I make a to-do list of tasks for the day ahead". For the day that is to come. And you can use this with many different expressions: week ahead; year ahead.
WORD WATCH
set agenda 決められたアジェンダ/議題
:「set は「決められた」の意。set menuと言えば「決められたメニュー/定食」のこと。set formula は「お決まりのやり方」「決まり文句」、show up for work at a set time は「所定の［指定された］時間に出社する」という意味である。agenda(議題､議案､協議事項)はもともとラテン語の agendum の複数形だが、現代の英語では agendum はあまり使われず、agenda は通常単数形として扱われる。その複数形は agendas となるのが一般的。「最初の議題」は、the first item on the agenda と言う
SAY WHAT YOU MEAN
ahead
This vignette uses ahead to refer to a period of time in front of us. Such as "The weather will be very hot in the week ahead".
breather
Another ways to say take a short break, take a rest is take a breather. As in "Let's take a breather for ten minutes and get a coffee".
leisurely くつろいだ/ゆっくりしたペースの
The adjective leisurely means relaxed, slow paced. For example, "I spent a leisurely day at home reading books".
QUOTE UNQUOTE
The secret of success is constancy to purpose. - Benjamin Disraeli (British Prime Minister and novelist)
Work Smarter, Not Harder (5)
SUMMARY
Lyons cites research on a certain activity that refreshes the mind. And Ueda relates an important lesson he was taught by a former boss. Grace recommends thinking carefully before offering to help other people with their work. And Lyons and Collins support reading to stimulate the brain.
VIGNETTE
Steve Lyons: There are many studies that show taking a 20-minute nap in the afternoon can increase your productivity. It recharges, refreshes and re-energizes the body and the brain. That's why we've added sleep pods to our work spaces.
Alyce Collins: That was a great idea.
Ueda Shota: Another valuable lesson my old boss in Japan taught me was when and how to say "no". That can be very difficult in a hierarchical society like Japan, but my boss was very firm on that point.
Lidia Grace: That's a very useful insight. I've seen lots of people fritter away their time and lose sight of their priorities because they can't turn anyone down when they ask them for help. If it doesn't relate directly to what you're working on, you really need to think twice. There are only so many hours in the day.
Steve Lyons: I find that reading books is a good way of instilling and reinforcing mental discipline. At the risk of sounding pretentious, that enriches me intellectually, and helps me to work smarter.
Alyce Collins: That makes perfect sense to me. I try to read as much as I can. I try to stick with solid stuff like literary classics and thought-provoking non-fiction. Reading keeps the old noggin in good shape ― which is what you need to work smart, after all.
[NOTES]
lose sight of 〔見えにくくなって〕～を見失う - 英辞郎 on the WEBより
only so many 限られた［少しの］数の - 英辞郎 on the WEB
WORDS AND PHRASES
sleep pod スリープポッド/仮眠スペース
This is a sleep space; a contained sleep space, usually looks like a capsule. You know, all those tiny little spaceships you see in science fiction movies. In the movies you'd hear them talk about "escape pods" and such. I wish I had a sleep pod on the train to work. I'd pay extra for that.
sleeping pod とも言う /pod 豆のさや /企業によってはenergy pod とよぶところもある
hierarchical society 階層社会
Ueda says, "That can be very difficult in a hierarchical society like Japan".
firm on that point その点に関しては毅然とした
He was unyielding on that point, he said; this is the way it must be or the way it must be done. We also say "firm about", like "He is very firm about punctuality. He insists everyone be on time". Or my parents were firm about good manners ― you know, always saying "please" and "thank you".
insight 見識/洞察/知見
fritter away ～を少しずつ浪費する
think twice よく考える
Consider very carefully before doing something; reconsider whether doing something is really a good idea. We also say "don't think twice about", which means do something without hesitation. Like "He didn't think twice about admitting his mistake. He just did it right away".
「よく考える」という意味のイディオム。「考え直す」という意味ではない。
on second thought 考え直してみると
don't think twice 躊躇なく～をする/二度と考えない
instill 植え付ける/染み込ませる
Lyons says, "Reading books is a good way of instilling and reinforcing mental discipline."
reinforce 強化する/促進する
mental discipline 自制心
at the risk of ～を承知のうえで/～を覚悟のうえで
pretentious 偉そうな/尊大な
A pretentious person acts arrogantly superior to others. There's a conscious attitude of "I'm so special"; "I'm so great". You could also say things are pretentious. A product name might be pretentious, or an ad campaign.
enrich 豊かにする/強化する
stick with ～にこだわる/～を手放さない
literary classic 古典的な文学作品
A classic of literature like "The Tale of Genji" or "Jane Eyre". And if we say someone is a literary person, then they're very interested in literature. They know a lot about it.
日本語では「クラッシク音楽」、英語ではclassical music
thought-provoking 深く考えさせられる/示唆に富む
Here provoke means give rise to; induce. As far as I know, "thought" is the only word we use in this hyphenated style. When we use provoke alone, it can mean stir anger or resentment. "Vivien was very rude but she was provoked". We also have the noun "provocation", which means incitement; something that provokes or stimulates some feeling or behavior. He gets angry at the least provocation. You know at just a little incitement he gets angry.
incitement 刺激、鼓舞、扇動、誘因、動機 - 英辞郎 on the WEB
ハイフンを入れてthought-provokingだと「深く考えさせられる/示唆に富む」。
provokeだけだと別の意味になる /be provoked 怒らせる/憤慨させる
keep the old noggin in good shape 自分の頭脳を良好に保つ
My dictionary dates the word noggin to 16th century. But it says the origins are unknown. And it means head; brain. You could say, "That door is pretty low. Don't bang your noggin on it". Or "These brain teasers are good for the old noggin".
brain teaser 〔パズル・クイズなどの〕頭の体操、難問 - 英辞郎 on the WEB
nogginはbrainという意味。 /Use your noggin. 頭を使いなさい
turn down 拒否する
Grace says she's seen lots of people waste their time because they can't turn anyone down when they ask them for help. To turn down is to refuse an offer; refuse a request. You could turn down a job offer, or turn down a request to translate something.
WORD WATCH
recharges, refreshes and re-energizes 英気を養って、気分をすっきりさせ、活力を回復させる
:「r から始まる3つ, 初等教育(basic education program）において強調される3つの Rは、reading,'riting and' rithmetic(reading, writing and arithmetic）で、sustainability(資源を枯渇させない開発の持続可能性）の分野においては、reduce、reuse、recycle である」http://gogakuru.com/english/phrase/105838
SAY WHAT YOU MEAN
fritter
If we waste something bit by bit, we fritter that thing away. For example, "He has frittered away his inheritance on cars and designers clothes".
bit by bit 少しずつ、ぼちぼち、次第に、小出しに、段々に- 英辞郎 on the WEB
inheritance 相続、相続財産［物件］- 英辞郎 on the WEBより
instill
Implanting a certain feeling or quality on someone is to instill that feeling or quality. Things like "He has instilled his love of baseball on his son from a young age".
enrich
The verb enrich means to make more meaningful or fulfilling. As in "Travel is a great way to enrich our lives".
QUOTE UNQUOTE
If you do not think about your future, you cannot have one. - John Galsworthy (English novelist and dramatist)
Work Smarter, Not Harder (6)
TALK THE TALK
Satoshi Sugita: Our current vignette begins with Ueda Shota describing how Japanese workplaces are changing. Specifically companies are taking steps to actively discourage excessive overtime. Have you ever worked at a place that demanded too much overtime, Heather?
Heather Howard: No. I've been in Japan about 26 years now since autumn 1992. And I've been very fortunate in that respect. I did work at one company that had an intensive busy season ― for a few months each year. But that was unavoidable. It was related to the end of each fiscal year. We had to put in pretty long hours during that period but not during the other month. And my other jobs have all been very good about overtime. I've certainly worked late at different times but never because I was forced to. In fact I even had one boss who ordered me to go home. I think I mentioned this a few years ago but I was pushing myself pretty hard on a certain project at the time. As I was staying late yet another night, my boss came to my desk and said, "Heather, I'm not suggesting you go home, I'm telling you". What's been your experience, Mr. Sugita?
put in long hours 長時間費やす - 英辞郎on the WEBより
push oneself hard 懸命に努力する［自分を駆り立てる］、かなり無理をする - 英辞郎on the WEB
yet another さらにもう一つの、なお一層の - 英辞郎on the WEB
Satoshi Sugita: I'm amazed frankly that the workplace culture in Japan is changing so radically. It used to be considered a real virtue, as sign of a dedicated corporate warrior, to work incredibly long hours. For about eight to ten years in my earlier career, for instance, I used to get to work at 5 in the morning. I even had a packed suits case in my office ready to travel anywhere in the world at a moment's notice. Now it's considered almost anti-social to keep such a lifestyle.
at a moment's notice 直ちに、即座に - 英辞郎on the WEB
Heather Howard: True. These days, people would probably be expressing concern telling you, "Slow down! Life's too short" etc.
Satoshi Sugita: The vignette goes on to talk about ways of working smarter including taking breaks at regular intervals during the day to recharge.
Heather Howard: I like to take short walks too though I generally stay inside my building. Sometimes I go to the convenience store in the building for a drink, or to the book store to browse through the magazines. Other times I stay at my desk and just read a non-work-related book for five or ten minutes ― of course not every company allows that. Sometimes I take a nap during lunch if I'm especially tired. We have relaxation rooms at the company with reclining chairs and individual cubicles, though I found those in the coffee lounge works too. What do you recommend, Mr. Sugita, about organization?
Satoshi Sugita: I had a boss once who used the one-touch approach when dealing with e-mails, letters and internal requests and messages. He would examine each thing once, and then follow the "do, delegate, delete or file principal". He wasn't very good at the "delegating" option. He hoarded a lot of work and just wouldn't let go of it. He was pretty good at what he did, but he didn't give his subordinates a chance to grow and shine. But he was excellent with filing. He used to say if you don't find the information in 3 minutes, it might as well not exist. I learned a lot from him about filing. That's another way to work smart.
hoard 貯蔵する、ため込む、買いだめする - 英辞郎on the WEBより
Heather Howard: And it makes such a psychological difference, I've found. Not too long ago, I bought some organizational items for my purse, for example, to keep my cards, money etc. in neater and order. Being able to reach into my purse and immediately find what I'm looking for and to see everything so neat and tidy makes me feel much more focused and in control.
LISTENING CHALLENGE
CHALLENGE 1: Listen to man talking about office environments. What does he suggest?
A. be aware of innovations in office design.
B. allocate sufficient funds to office renovation.
C. solicit employee input frequently.
Okay, let's go.
A lot of people say they don't like being at work. That's understandable and in some cases unavoidable. But sometimes there are simple solutions that can make a world difference in how employees feel their workplace. One suggestion is to create an open floor plan. Japanese offices have employed open floor plans for decades and renowned for their efficiency. Another suggestion is to decorate: colorful curtains, tasteful artwork or even plants can help an office seem more homey. Finally, however, the key to upgrade offices is to know your employees. To be aware their taste and preferences, and especially ask as often as possible what make them happier.
The answer is C. solicit employee input frequently.
CHALLENGE 2: What conference days do they choose?
A. Thursday, Friday, Saturday.
B. Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
C. Saturday, Sunday, Monday.
Okay? Let's listen.
Woman: We're going to need to make a reservation at the downtown convention center over this year's conference.
Man: Yes, definitely. So which three day do you think are best?
Woman: It would be good to include both Saturday and Sunday.
Man: In the past we've started on Friday afternoon, but in fact a lot of people can't make it even by late afternoon. I'd like as many people there as possible.
Woman: Well, why don't we start a day later than usual?
Man: I was thinking the same thing.
The answer is C. Saturday, Sunday, Monday.
AS THEY SAY一を聞いて十を知る。とても賢く、理解がはやいことの形容で、一部分を聞いて万事が分かる、/A word is enough to the wise. 賢者には一言で足る
頭の良い人には、ヒントだけを与えれば十分である。くどくどと説明する必要はない、という意味のことわざ
ただ単にA word to the wise.ともいう。