ESL Podcast 732 - Preferring Different Work Styles
to work out - to be successful; to be effective; to be the way people hope or expected it would be
Ahmed tried to become a rock musician, but when that didn't work out, he went back to school.
work style - the way one completes projects, working alone or with others, accepting or rejecting feedback, finishing work early or waiting until the last minute, and more
The interviewers asked Hilda a lot of questions about her work style, because they wanted to know whether she would be able to work with the rest of the team.
to clash - for two things to not match or not go well together; for two things to be very different so that their combination is bad or ineffective
The heavy metal music in his headphones clashed with the peaceful, natural setting of the garden.
to butt heads at every turn - to often disagree; to fight frequently
Antonio and his roommate have been butting heads at every turn, so he's finally looking for his own apartment.
to partner up - to put people in groups of two for a particular purpose; to pair up
Have you ever thought about partnering up with Kyoko to start a new business?
to complement - to be a good match for someone or something; to go well with someone or something else
This lamp would complement the décor in your living room.
strength - something that one does very well; something that one is especially good at; a strong skill or ability
Shawn's greatest strength is his creativity.
collaborative - doing things as part of a team; working well with other people
Are most inventions the result of a collaborative process, or the work of a single inventor?
to talk things out - to explore one's ideas by talking about them with another person, usually so that things become clearer and one can decide what to do
When Charlotte has trouble making a decision, she usually talks things out with her brother.
to go solo - to do something by oneself, without involving other people
Do you want help shopping for a new suit?
No, thanks. I'm going to go solo this time.
to consult (someone) - to ask for someone's opinion before doing something or making a decision
I can't believe you bought a new car without consulting your wife first!
autonomy - independence; the ability to do things without involving other people or asking for their opinion or permission
This company is known for giving its employees the autonomy they need to solve customers' problems as quickly as possible.
the sum is greater than the parts - a phrase used to mean that people who work together are able to accomplish much more than those people could accomplish by working alone
Our company relies on teamwork, because we all know that the sum is greater than the parts.
to pool - to share or combine; to use two or more things together or at the same time
If we pool our money, we'll be able to rent a nice home on the beach.
to team up - to pair up; to begin working with another person when only two people will be involved
Do you want to team up and work on this report together?
overrated - valued higher than the actual value of something; not as good or impressive as something is generally thought to be
Jim believes that honesty is overrated and that telling the truth brings nothing but trouble.