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内容：Nicole Lee 编辑：Allina Zhang
Wechat ID: NativeStudy / Weibo: http://weibo.com/u/3476904471
Part I: Speaker
Background Music Might Stifle Creativity Christopher Intagliata | Mar 4, 2019
Let's play a word game. What word can be put in front of the words "stick," "maker," and "point" to make three new compound words? Again…stick, maker, and point. Ready for the answer? "Match. So that would then combine to make the words matchstick, matchmaker, and match point." Emma Threadgold, a cognitive psychologist at the University of Central Lancashire in England. And the point of tasks like these, she says, is to measure creativity. (If you didn't get it right away, don't worry, neither did I.)
Maybe you had music playing as you thought about the words. And, of course, many listen to music while they work. So Threadgold and her colleagues recently used such word puzzles to investigate whether listening to music affects creativity.
They asked volunteers to solve 19 puzzles, while listening to either a foreign-language tune <Spanish version of "King of Wishful Thinking," by Go West>; an instrumental version of the same song <instrumental of "King of Wishful Thinking">; a familiar English-language tune <Pharrell's "Happy">; or silence.
The results? In every case, volunteers listening to music solved fewer puzzles than their counterparts in total quiet. Suggesting that background music does not really aid this kind of creative task. Maybe because these puzzles require some sort of mental speech rehearsal—trying out different word combos using your inner voice.
"And therefore they're more susceptible to changing state sounds such as music, in comparison to steady state sounds such as library noise."
And in fact, the researchers tested library noise too, <library noise> and the sounds of typing and rustling papers. None of those noises impaired volunteers' performance at all, compared to the silent control group. The results are in the Journal of Applied Cognitive Psychology. [Emma Threadgold, Background music stints creativity: Evidence from compound remote associate tasks]
Still, if you do insist on listening to music while working, you might try something a little more low-key than Lady Gaga, says Threadgold's colleague John Marsh: "So if you have a sound with a lot of changing state information in it, changes in pitch or in timbre, that's more disruptive than a sound with fewer of those changes. If you compared a modern pop song with some classical music you'd expect less disruption from that classical music."
Even better, though, would be the sound of silence. <Simon and Garfunkel's "Sound of Silence" clip briefly then stops> As in, actual silence. —Christopher Intagliata
Source: Scientific American https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/background-music-might-stifle-creativity/
[Rephrase 1, 2’50’’]
Part II: Speed
Staying on track isn't easy Wayne Turmel | Feb 28, 2019
[Time 2] "Everyone rowing in the same direction". "Singing from the same hymnal" "All on the same page". There is no shortage of clichés about the importance of keeping your team focused on a common goal. Why? Well, because that's the single most important factor in keeping your team productive. No big surprise there.
The surprising thing about this is not its importance. If you stop to think about it, the goal explains everything about a team: What's the work it's supposed to be doing? Why was the team assembled? How can you tell good work (it meets the metrics, moves the project forward and accomplishes its mission) from less good work (it doesn't do the things we just mentioned)?
What's surprising is how often teams lose sight of those goals. There are plenty of reasons, and maybe understanding some of the most common will help you and your team reassess where you are headed.
You get so focused on the tasks, the "why" slips away. Even good, focused teams (maybe especially focused teams) get so caught up in the assigned tasks, that those tasks become their main focus.
This can result in not paying attention to how the task fits into the big scheme of things. A really common example is to be so concerned about perfect execution that you ignore the needs of other stakeholders in the process. Does it have to be perfect? Are you holding other people up? Is this task even necessary any more? [248 words]
[Time 3] Your "real job" gets in the way. A common problem for many teams is that they are made up of people from different departments, disciplines or groups. There's the project or team you're part of, and then there's your "real job" with your "real boss" (the one who writes your performance review and can give or withhold your raise). When priorities conflict, trouble arises.
People are focused on their needs or their group. This is not as selfish as it sounds. It would make sense that an accountant would look at things from "an accounting standpoint". An engineer will look at things more logically, and a salesperson will be more focused on how easy it will be to sell something.
That's great, except when those higher callings conflict. The team needs to be in agreement on the "why" of the project or work as much as on the "what" to avoid conflict that can derail the team.
So how can you help your team stay focused? There is one very simple way. Say it all the time. I know teams that open every meeting by revisiting the purpose of the project and what it's supposed to do. This not only keeps people accountable but empowers the group to challenge work, tasks, and assignments. Does what I'm doing get us closer to that goal? If we spend the resources there, how will that impact our ability to do what we're supposed to be doing?
Asking - and answering - those questions is the best way to ensure people know what page they're supposed to be on and can help each other stay there. [273 words]
Source: Management-isssues https://www.management-issues.com/connected/6529/staying-on-track-isnt-easy/
Walmart Chief Responds To Furor Over Treatment Of Greeters With Disabilities ALINA SELYUKH | Mar 1, 2019
[Time 4] Editor's note: If you're a Walmart greeter — or know someone who is — and would like to share your story with NPR, please reach out to us at tech@npr.org. Walmart's U.S. CEO Greg Foran is telling all store managers that they should make "every effort" to provide new job options for greeters with disabilities. Many of these front-door workers remain in limbo as the company plans to eliminate its trademark greeter position in about 1,000 stores in the coming months.
The letter from the CEO to managers follows widespread outrage from workers, disability rights advocates, and shoppers at Walmart's plan to phase out its "people greeters." NPR reported on Monday that Walmart, the country's largest private employer, is changing requirements for front-door jobs in a way that appears to disproportionately affect workers with disabilities.
Just last week, greeters across the country were told their jobs were going away on April 25 or 26, to be replaced with "customer hosts," more focused on security and helping shoppers. The host job description demands that workers be able to lift 25 pounds, collect carts and stand for long periods of time, among other things — tasks that can be difficult or even impossible for many current greeters with disabilities.
Walmart has since said it would extend the deadline for greeters with disabilities but did not specify for how long. Walmart also has not commented to NPR about a lawsuit and complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission — filed in four states by five greeters who have disabilities and say they lost their jobs after requirements changed.
"Because not all disabilities are the same, each case requires a thoughtful solution. For that reason, we are looking into each one on an individual basis with the goal of offering appropriate accommodations that will enable these associates to continue in other roles with their store," Foran wrote in a letter to store managers late Thursday. [316 words]
[Time 5] "Let me be clear: If any associate in this unique situation wants to continue working at Walmart, we should make every effort to make that happen," Foran said. Walmart's policy is just the latest wave in a strategy that was first announced in 2016. It has already affected about 1,000 stores, though a dozen current and former greeters who spoke to NPR have not seen any formal document explaining the policy's details and its rollout. (Note: Walmart is one of NPR's financial supporters.)
"On the one hand it is a good sign that [Walmart is] putting out a letter recommitting their desire to be a good workplace for people with disabilities," said Katie Eyer, professor of anti-discrimination law at Rutgers. "But it certainly doesn't make any commitment that they are guaranteeing that there will be another position available" for all greeters affected by the change in job requirements.
In his letter, Foran describes the new customer host positions as requiring skills like "handling customer refunds, scanning receipts, and checking shopping carts." However, the current and former workers told NPR the greeter position typically already includes these tasks. Some of the greeters, whose stories garnered nationwide attention, have now accepted new positions. Adam Catlin, a longtime greeter in Pennsylvania who has cerebral palsy, will transition into a different position on April 27, according to a Facebook post by his mother on Friday. Walmart said on Thursday that another longtime greeter in North Carolina, Jay Melton, will now work as a self-checkout host.
Confusion and anxiety continue to reign in many other cases. Some greeters told NPR that this policy also affects many elderly workers, who haven't received as much attention.
Four workers in four other states told NPR on Thursday and Friday that they've received no new offers from Walmart management. In fact, they said they've learned of all updates — including the deadline extension — from the media.
One greeter and families of three workers described the chaos and anxiety that have consumed their lives following announcements by management that greeter jobs are going away.
"Absolutely heartbreaking," was how Nathan Joerndt put it. He has a developmental disorder called Williams syndrome, which affects his depth perception, among other things. At 35, he has been a greeter in Illinois for 18 years. [379 words]
[Time 6] Joerndt's sunny demeanor has changed in the past week, said his mother, Vickie Fogarty. In recent months, she said, his hours have been cut — another common complaint NPR has heard from other greeters with disabilities. Now Joerndt is working just one day a week and wondering what he did wrong to be losing his job. He said the work has meant "just everything" to him.
Fogarty said the past week has been "like trying to juggle chainsaws." She and Joerndt are hoping for a meeting to discuss his options next week.
"Part of me is afraid that ... they're going through the motions to appease people now, but eventually, down the road, the results will be the same," Fogarty said. "I don't want to get Nathan's hopes up and in six months, they're going to do this all over again."
In South Carolina, the family of Simon Cantrell has not received any new updates about his job. Cantrell, 21, has autism and his father said he has been told he wouldn't qualify for the customer-host position, but they are hopeful for another job.
"I felt kind of disappointed about how they're going to get rid of greeters," Cantrell said. "I know people are very proud of me and how hard I work, but I just don't understand why they just want to get rid of greeters."
The Americans With Disabilities Act does not preclude companies from changing their job descriptions and requirements as they see fit for their business goals. But the law does require companies to find "reasonable accommodations" for workers with disabilities facing changing job demands, as long as the worker can perform the "essential functions" of the job.
And so Walmart has an obligation under the ADA to transfer its existing greeters with disabilities to other jobs for which they're qualified, if they're unable to perform the job with the new requirements, said University of Michigan law professor Samuel Bagenstos.
"I read [the CEO letter] very much like a sop," Bagenstos said, "both to public relations and the law." [342 words]
Source: NPR https://www.npr.org/2019/03/01/699303419/walmart-chief-responds-to-furor-over-treatment-of-greeters-with-disabilities
Part III: Obstacle
Stressed at Work? Mentoring a Colleague Could Help Michael Gill & Thomas Roulet | Mar 1, 2019
[Paraphrase 7] Decades of research has demonstrated how junior employees benefit from being mentored. Guidance from senior colleagues has also been shown to enhance mentees’ job performance and satisfaction. We know far less, however, about how mentoring might benefit mentors themselves.
We were interested in understanding how mentoring might help mentors who work in stressful occupations. Prior research has suggested that mentoring can improve the emotional health of mentees when a close, trusting relationship is established. We wondered if mentors would receive the same mental health benefits from the relationship. Mental health is a serious and growing concern within occupations that play important social roles, such as medical professionals, firefighters, and police officers. And because policing is one of the most stressful occupations, with high levels of mental health and wellbeing difficulties, we conducted a longitudinal study of a formal mentoring program in an English police force.
The mentoring program was rolled out in 2013 in one of the police forces in England and Wales. It was designed to support the development of junior officers by giving them a way to discuss aspirations and concerns and receive guidance. Our study involved two parts. First, we conducted a field experiment: we compared the mental health of a treatment set of 17 mentor-mentee pairs that went through the mentoring program to a control group of 18 pairs of senior and junior officers that did not participate in the program. Second, we interviewed both the mentees and their mentors separately — 18 participants with 35 formal interviews in total. We asked mentors and mentees about their stress levels, what they liked about their job, how they coped with stress, and whether their mentoring relationship helped them with this.
Our experiment results showed that people who served as mentors experienced lower levels of anxiety, and described their job as more meaningful than those who did not mentor. We learned from our interviews that mentoring afforded senior officers, as well as junior officers, a venue for discussing and reflecting on concerns. Mentors heard their mentees’ accounts of anxiety and realized these feelings — which they also shared — were commonplace. By acknowledging that these anxieties were common, both mentees and mentors grew more comfortable in discussing them and in sharing different coping mechanisms. Mentors often found their interactions with junior colleagues therapeutic.
Many mentors we interviewed also said they found mentoring enhanced the meaningfulness of their work. Senior officers described feeling separated from the daily policing work of junior colleagues. They talked about how long-term project management and meetings often prevented them from doing what they described as “real policing.” This meant that they were less able to see their impact on people’s lives. But they could witness more direct and immediate results by helping the junior officers they mentored. For instance, one senior officer stated “Doing this lets you do something important for someone and see the results fairly quickly. You are helping them. They don’t always listen, but it is satisfying. More than a lot of what I have to do these days.” Another mentor noted how they were able to help their mentee navigate the process of taking on a new role and was able to see them thrive. This achievement helped him to realize how important his daily tasks were and how they could make a difference.
Why does mentoring have this impact on mentors? We believe it offers a way to receive support that is often lacking. Despite the pressures that come with their roles — including abuse, difficult decision making, and the risk of death — police officers tend not to seek support from other officers, including more senior colleagues. This is to avoid the negative stigma associated with mental health disorders. Mentoring thereby offered a way to build trust within a relationship that laid a foundation for open and honest communication of sensitive topics.
While our study relied on a small sample size and more work should be done on this subject, we believe that mentoring has the potential to support the mental health of mentors in other settings. Although the experience of being a police officer is distinct from many settings, the stigma surrounding mental health pervades many workplaces. There is also substantial evidence of effective mentoring generating trust between mentors and mentees, which supports the disclosure of personal information. As such, formal mentoring programs provide an opportunity to encourage the discussion of difficult and sensitive topics, which often remain undisclosed, and thereby normalize difficult experiences of stress and anxiety.
Of course, mentoring is an investment and the benefits are not always immediate. Work commitments can get in the way and prevent regular meetings, leaving some mentors and mentees unable to establish a personal connection, thus limiting the effect of mentoring on mental health. The mentors in our study said that the positive effect on anxiety, and the meaningfulness of their work, was reinforced as mentoring unfolded over time, through regular meetings with their mentees. As trust grew between them, so did the opportunities for shared aspirations. By devising career and personal plans together and reviewing how they unfolded, the mentors and mentees’ interactions became increasingly valuable.
So if mentoring is to help mentors, organizations need to account for the resources allocated to mentoring and allow flexibility for those mentoring relationships to grow. Those that commit to mentoring might be surprised by the multidimensional benefits this practice brings. [893 words]
Source: HBR https://hbr.org/2019/03/stressed-at-work-mentoring-a-colleague-could-help?ab=hero-main | 
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发表于 2019-3-5 22:47:13
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