Business people usually have to structure their lives along the second pattern whether they like it or not. Statistics have shown that a major cause of stress in the business world is the individual´s inability to cope with the sheer quantity of conflicting demands on his or her attention.
Of course, some cultures tend to deal with such non-sequential activity better than others. In
Sometimes people who only do one thing at a time can even manage to insult people used to doing several. A Malaysian salesman recounts how we returned to his European base to find his boss on the phone. The boss gave him a short wave, turned away and continued his conversation. Only after he had completed his call did he get up and greet the salesman. The Malaysian was terribly offended. To his way of thinking, someone not greeting him immediately, even while still on the phone, was a major affront. The very idea of postponing emotions until other business was finished showed great insincerity.
Later, his boss told him how pleased he was with his work abroad, and offered to buy him lunch the following day. “Too late!” said the Malaysian, “I will have found another job by then.”
Abroad = v zahraničí, v cizině
Affront = urážka
Amazement = úžas, ohromení, překvapení, div, pobavení, obveselení
Base = základna
Be supposed to = být předpokládáno, že, předpokládat
Circumstance = okolnost, náhoda, osud, událost, situace
Claim = tvrdit, požadovat, uplatňovat, žádat, domáhat se, vymáhat
Cope with = poradit si, zvládat
Deal with = zabývat se, zacházet s, jednat s
Demand = požadavek, žádost
Distraction = rozptýlení, rozrušení, zmatek, kratochvíle, šílenství, neshoda
Inability = neschopnost
Insincerity = faleš, pokrytectví, neupřímnost
Insult = urazit
Juggle = šachovat, provádět
Manage to = podařit se, zvládnout, dokázat
Offended = uražený
Pattern = vzorec
Postpone = odložit, odsunout
Recount = obšírně vyprávět, podrobně popisovat, líčit, vypravovat
Sheer = naprostý, pouhý, prudký
Sloppiness = nedbalost
Task = úkol, povinnost, úloha, práce, dílo, problém
Tend to = směřovat, inklinovat k
Turn away = odvrátit se, otočit se
Wave = mávat, pokdynout
Whether - or = ať - či