Unit 14

Word

Definition

Example

acceptable 

good enough to be used for a particular purpose or to be considered satisfactory

I'm afraid that wouldn't be acceptable.

administrative task 

duties are the tasks and activities that are part of the daily operations of a business

I spend so much time doing administrative tasks that I never have enough time for other work.

agenda 

a list of problems or subjects that a government, organization etc is planning to deal with

Certain people talk too much in meetings, even about subjects that aren't on the agenda.

ahead of time 

earlier than the time when something happens, should be done etc

Things went very well for the first two months. We even thought we could deliver ahead of time.

all the time 

continuously or very often

They're looking for new people all the time.

allow time 

the amount of time an employee is permitted to spend per work cycle for attending to personal needs

We need to allow time to finish the project to a high standard.

arrive late 

to get to the place you are going to late

There's always one person who arrives late, and everything has to be repeated.

as soon as possible 

as soon, quickly etc as you can

It's difficult to give you an answer today, but I'll do it as soon as possible.

by 

before or not later than a particular time

I will send you the report by the end of the week.

have enough time 

as many or as much time as is needed or wanted

I don't have enough time to get everything done.

immediately 

without delay

If you don't reply immediately, they call your office number.

in time 

not late; punctual

It was really difficult to get the job done in time.

interruption 

the action of interrupting or being interrupted

I have a lot of interruptions at work.

manage time 

planning and exercising conscious control of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity

How well do you manage your time?

meet deadlines

to finish something at the time it is meant to be finished

I have to meet deadlines in my job.

multitask 

to do several things at the same time

We have all learnt to multitask because we feel we don't have enough time to get everything done.

on time 

at the correct time or the time that was arranged

When I have important work to do, I finish it on time.

pace of life

used to refer to the speed at which changes and events occur

The pace of life there is too stressful. Everybody's always running, running, running.

plan your schedule 

to plan what someone is going to do and when they are going to do it

Every Monday morning, I always plan my schedule for the week ahead.

punctual 

arriving, happening, or being done at exactly the time that has been arranged

It's important to be punctual and turn up on time.

right away 

without delay or hesitation

They need the quotation as soon as possible, so I'll start working on it right away.

run out of time 

to use all of something and not have any more left

We always run out of time before covering everything on the agenda.

save time 

to use less time so that you do not waste any

You can save time by allowing us to organize everything for you.

slow somebody down 

to become slower or to make something slower

It really slows you down when your phone rings every 15 or 20 minutes.

spend time 

to use time doing a particular thing or pass time in a particular place

54% of workers spend time reading email while on the phone.

stressful 

a job, experience, or situation that is stressful makes you worry a lot

I find the pace of life in London too stressful.

take a long time 

referring to duration of some event

I know reports take a long time to do, but I never allow time for them.

the last minute 

the latest possible time before an event

I always leave paperwork until the last minute.

time management 

the activity or skill of controlling the way you spend your time in order to work as effectively as possible

It's important to have good time management to do the job efficiently.

to-do list 

a list of jobs you have to do

Making a to-do list helps me to plan my week.

urgent 

very important and needing to be dealt with immediately

There isn't much time – it's quite an urgent deadline.

waste time 

when time is not used in a way that is effective, useful, or sensible

If there's no agenda for your meeting, you waste a lot of time.

within

before a certain period of time has passed

If you can't finish the report by Friday can you do it within a week?

work-life balance

the ability to give a sensible amount of time and effort to your work and to your life outside work, for example to your family or to other interests

Do you have a good work-life balance?