Your team isn’t distracted. They’re just constantly being interrupted.
Read the article:
and choose the best answer.
1. According to the author, what is one of the biggest problems affecting team performance today?
a) A lack of communication between managers and employees
b) Too much communication and the expectation of instant responses
c) A lack of transparency in hybrid workplaces
d) Employees using too many different communication tools
2. What does “hyper-responsiveness” mean in the article?
a) Communicating with colleagues in a very detailed way
b) Communicating with people outside your team
c) Responding only to the most important messages
d) Being expected to respond to messages almost immediately
3. What happens when employees constantly interrupt their work to respond to messages?
a) They become more creative.
b) They make faster and better decisions.
c) They sacrifice deep thinking for speed.
d) They become more engaged with their colleagues.
4. What does the author mean by “the illusion of productivity”?
a) People look busy and responsive, but may actually be getting less important work done.
b) Employees pretend to be working when they are actually taking breaks.
c) Managers believe that productivity is impossible in remote work.
d) People work longer hours but achieve better results.
5. Why does the author recommend protecting “deep work”?
a) It gives employees more opportunities to communicate.
b) It allows employees to focus without constant interruptions.
c) It makes meetings shorter.
d) It helps managers monitor their teams more closely.
Key: 1.b); 2d); 3c); 4a); 5b)
Glossary
- to preach – to tell people what they should believe or do, especially when the speaker talks about the same idea repeatedly
- to be in the loop – to have the latest information about something
- shallow – not deep; (here) involving little serious thought or analysis
- drain – something that takes away a lot of your energy and makes you tired
- cautionary – intended to warn people about a possible problem or danger
- stellar – extremely good; excellent
- on edge – nervous, worried or unable to relax
- metric – a standard or measurement used to assess or judge something
- liability – something or someone that creates a problem, risk or disadvantage
Practice makes perfect
Complete the sentences with the words from the article.
burden • buried • boundaries • distracted • on edge • uninterrupted
1. After several difficult meetings, I was feeling quite __________ and found it difficult to concentrate.
2. Important tasks often get __________ under dozens of small requests and emails.
3. Employees need __________ blocks of time if they are expected to work on complex problems.
4. Constant notifications can leave people feeling mentally __________.
5. Setting clear __________ can help employees disconnect from work after hours.
6. Too many meetings and messages can __________ employees with unnecessary communication.
Key: 1. on edge ; 2. buried; 3. uninterrupted; 4. distracted; 5. boundaries; 6. burden
Now complete the sentences with your own ideas…
- In my workplace, employees are expected to ……………………………………….. .
- Managers shouldn’t expect employees to ………………………………………………. .
- If a message is genuinely urgent, I think people should ………………………. .
- Employees don’t have to …………………………………………………………………………. .
- One communication habit companies should introduce is …………………. .
Watch and Revise!
Why Too Much Communication is Hurting Your Team
https://www.cloud.worldwideschool.pl/index.php/s/tpXiz6N9pJJprSs
(7651)
