HUMAN TALENT
MOTIVATING
1. Look at the words below. Discuss which ideas you think are most motivating for office staff.
(Observa las palabras de abajo. Discute cuales ideas usted piensa que son más motivadoras
para el equipo de la oficina)
the sound of old-fashioned typewriters clear desks pleasant-smelling offices
in-office doctors treadmill desks free food arcade machines
slides instead of stairs
2. Match the underlined words to their definitions. (Relacione las palabrar subrayadas con sus
definiciones)
manager’s compliment was very sincere. It was
1. When I saw my childhood home, I was full of clear that he wasn’t pretending.
nostalgia. a. a collection of people’s opinions
2. According to the survey, workers are more b. a day when you are not working on a normal
stressed than in the past working day or situations in the past
3. They regularly perfume the office to get rid of c. a short sleep
unwanted smells. d. a small amount of food eaten between meals
4. Joe is not at work today. He has a day off. e. a strong feeling of desire for things, people
5. Living 5 minutes from my work is very f. genuine, honest
convenient. g. give a pleasant smell to something
6. After jogging in the park for an hour, I decided h. located where there is easy access to a place
to take a 30-minute nap.
7. It was time for lunch, but Mike wasn’t hungry
because he’d just eaten a snack. 8.The
3. You are going to read an article about how modern companies are motivating their staff.
Answer the questions below with the ideas from Exercise 1. (Usted leerá un articulo sobre
cómo las compañias modernas están motivando a su personal. Responda las preguntas de
abajo con las ideas del ejercicio 1)
1. Which idea does The Times newspaper use to motivate staff?
R/ the time used the noise of the old typewriters
2. Which idea does Tatler use to increase productivity?
R/ tattler uses the clear desk
3. What do companies need Aroma Co for?
R/ the companies use aroma co to stimulate the workforce and reduce stress levels.
4, Which device motivates staff and also has health benefits?
R/ the device that motivates staff is the tape desk
4. What does Google offer to motivate staff?
R/ google is offering slides, arcades, arcade machines and endless free snacks
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Bosses are inventing surprising ways of making us work
harder.
The special devices that companies use to motivate staff
Adapted from The Independent, by Gillian Orr, 27 August 2014
Journalists at the UK’s ‘The Times’ newspaper received a surprise this week when the noise of old-fashioned typewriters
1.
was heard in the newspaper’s new offices. But it’s not just nostalgia that has inspired this. It is suggested that the extra
noise will increase energy levels and help reporters to meet deadlines.
2. We shouldn’t be surprised. Offices these days are filled with little devices designed to motivate staff. Another
publication, Tatler, operates a clear-desk policy. Sure, it may look pleasing, but according to a survey by the National
Association of Professional Organisers, having more space on desks can also increase productivity by up to 30 percent.
3. And if an office has a very pleasant smell, then it’s very possible that it’s there on purpose. Companies such as Aroma
Co regularly perfume offices in order to stimulate the workforce. And the sweet smell of success? Lavender will relax
employees, lower stress levels, and reduce absenteeism.
4. In-office doctors are certainly convenient and they have also reduced the number of staff members who take days off.
5. Treadmill desks are becoming more popular. They offer lots of health benefits and also boost job performance,
according to the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management. But after all that walking, workers are
certainly going to want to lie down. However, research suggests that bosses should encourage them to rest. Although it
might seem like a bad idea, a short nap is an excellent way to motivate employees.
6. Silicon Valley is leading the workplace revolution. With their slides, games rooms, arcade machines, and endless free
snacks (especially at Google), their workplaces look like adult theme parks.
7. But is it all just a way to attract the best applicants and make sure workers rarely leave the office? Or do these machines
and devices actually increase productivity?
8. Alison Price, a psychologist and author, believes that workers who enjoy their office environment are likely to work
harder. "It’s positive psychology. There is a lot of evidence that happy employees are more productive," Price says. "They
are also more creative, generate more sales, and are less likely to take time off."
9. Of course, the tech industry has plenty of cash to spend on these things. Smaller companies should just remember that,
according to Price, a sincere "good job" from the boss is certain to boost an employee’s productivity.
4. What are the benefits of the ideas and devices mentioned in the article? Complete the phrases
below with the infinitive form of verbs from the text: (¿Cuáles son los beneficios de las ideas y
estrategias en el artículo? Complete las frases de abajo con el verbo del texto:)
1. increase energy levels (P1)
2. ________ deadlines (P1)
3. ________ staff (P2)
4. _________ stress levels (P3)
5. __________ absenteeism (P3)
6. __________ job performance (P5)
7. __________ the best applicants (P7)
8. __________ more sales (P8)
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5. Find a word or phrase in the text which means: (Encuentre una palabra o frase en el texto el
cual signifique:)
1. nice (adjective, P2) _____________
2. intentionally (phrase, P3) _____________
3. give someone support or confidence (verb, P5) _____________
4. a lot of, having no limit (adjective, P6) _____________
5. people who apply for a job (plural noun, P7) _____________
6. stop working temporarily because of some reason, e.g. illness (phrase, P8) _____________
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