Study the following
definitions and examples.
1. adjacent adj., next to
a. My office is
adjacent to the receptionist area on the third floor.
b. The office
manager found it very efficient to have the copier adjacent to the mail room.
2. collaboration n., the act of
working with someone
a. The manager had
never seen such effective collaboration between two groups.
b. We believe that
it was our collaboration that enabled us to achieve such favorable results.
3. concentrate v., to focus; to
think about
a. In his quiet,
corner office, the manager could finally concentrate and finish his work.
b. We should
concentrate our efforts on the last quarter of the year.
4. conducive adj., contributing
to; leading to
a. The new office
arrangement is much more conducive to work than the dark, depressing space the
company had before.
b. Arranging
chairs so that participants can see each other easily is conducive to open
communication.
5. disruption n., interruption;
disturbance
a. If there are no
disruptions, the office renovations will be finished this week.
b. The strike
caused a disruption in production at the factory.
6. hamper v., to impede or
interfere
a. When the weight
of the freezing rain broke the telephone lines, the telemarketers' jobs were
seriously hampered.
b. The lack of
supplies hampered our ability to finish on schedule.
7. Inconsiderately
adv., rudely; impolitely
a. The manager
inconsiderately scheduled the meeting for late Friday afternoon.
b. Mr. Peterson
inconsiderately disrupted the meeting by asking a lot of irrelevant questions.
8. lobby n., an anteroom, foyer,
or waiting room
a. The salesperson
waited in the busy lobby for the buyer to see him.
b. The reception
area was moved from the lobby of the building to the third floor.
9. move up v., to advance,
improve position
a. As the employee
moved up the corporate ladder, she never forgot where she started.
b. In order to move
up in the company, employees had to demonstrate their loyalty.
10. open to adj., receptive to;
vulnerable
a. What I valued
most in my previous supervisor was that she was always open to ideas and
suggestions.
b. Since the junior
executive was still on probation, he was open to much scrutiny and criticism.
11. opt v., to choose, to decide
on
a. The operations
manager opted for the less expensive office design.
b. If Mary opts to
join that department, you will be working together.
12. scrutiny n., close, careful
examination
a. After a great
deal of scrutiny, the manager decided that the employee's work had improved
considerably.
b. Jim left his old job because he
found it difficult to work under the close scrutiny of his boss.