Lesson Y - (1408-1451)
import* reject kid boot parade
achieve enforce suppress starve
congratulate muscle resource attach
item involve riot embassy boss
advertisement celebrate define drain
laboratory drug exit adult
finance independent potato raid
scare demonstrate execute inspect
pregnant invest brake invade
automatic congress clash percent
target away
Business words: efficiency, yield, certification, embarrass, exceed, talent, radio, sandwich, render, sketches, remote
THE NEW MANAGER
Over the next year, Tim's team executed both inspections and deliveries better and better. They achieved efficiencies that made money for the company with higher and higher yields.
"Another great quarter," Jerry said to Tim, as they had lunch together from their brown paper sacks. "We're exceeding our target goals by a huge percentage."
"Congratulations," said Tim.
"I should congratulate you," said Jerry. "It was your team that began lowering rejects. After that everyone's mind got pregnant with the idea, and they got really involved. You are my best supervisor by a long way."
"It was just a matter of using the resources my boss gave me," said Tim.
"Yeah, but along the way you also got your high school certification at night. That's worth a celebration, I'd say. You were just a kid when you started working with me. Now you've imported some good talented, people and have them producing great results. But that makes other companies try to hire them. We don't want them to exit for other places so we have to pay them more and give them work they love doing."
Tim was a little embarrassed and tried to change the subject. "So it looks like there will be more Navy contracts?"
"Absolutely." said Jerry. "It looks like they've got new Navy contracts through Congress. And that's an item I need to talk with you about."
"Ok," said Tim, eating a potato and trying to suppress his curiosity.
"Well, it's this way," Jerry began. "With these big Navy contracts, the finance guys are getting a lot of people who want to invest in us. We could get a lot bigger if we can demonstrate how to make this operation more automatic."
"Sounds pretty complex." said Tim.
"Really, it's just the inspection and delivery of independent parts, the way your team has been doing."
"So, what's the difference now?" asked Tim.
"Well, if we don't want to scare away the investors, we need to define some new muscle for their investment, something they've never seen before. They're going to parade in here looking for what's great about us."
"What's great is that we make money, isn't it?" asked Tim, not wanting to clash with Jerry.
"Well, you are talking too much like an adult." Jerry explained. "Sure, we make money. But a lot of people make good money. Investors are also looking to put their money in boot makers, and secret radios for drug enforcement raids, and securities systems so embassies don't get invaded."
"I think I see what you mean," said Tim. "We've got to attach something cool, something that is a big advertisement for us that they can see easily."
"You've got it," said Jerry. "These guys are starving for something cool that makes money and has talent that doesn't get drained off by competitors. I think you could develop something like that, if you wanted to be a manager."
"A manager?" Tim was shocked. "I just got to be a supervisor a year ago?"
"Well, that's the deal. I've already cleared it… So there will be a riot around here if we put the brakes on it now."
Tim smiled. "I don't want to cause a riot. So how do we automate?"
Jerry started to draw with a pencil on his lunch bag. "We need belts to deliver the parts, and they will switch like trains for different jobs. So you remember how you put those cameras in to give advance notice to the machinists? Do you think your inspectors could do it by camera, before the belts switched for new deliveries?
Tim stared at the paper bag with pencil drawings on it. "Yeah, if we had more computer training and a way to make markings on the parts remotely…"
"Yes," said Jerry to his new manager as they leaned over their sandwiches to render the new system with pencil sketches on the brown lunch bags. "Yes, this is going to be very, very cool."
Another Story? More Ready-to-Use?
achieve -- to succeed
(to Story)
adult -- one who is of legal age
(to Story)
advertisement -- to give public notice ( press, radio, TV, web, roadside )
(to Story)
attach -- to join one thing to another by some means
(to Story)
automatic -- acting or operating by itself
(to Story)
away -- at a distance from a given place or position
(to Story)
boot -- shoe that covers the whole foot and lower leg
(to Story)
boss -- a person who exercises control over employees
(to Story)
brake -- a device for slowing or stopping motion
(to Story)
celebrate -- to observe an event with ceremonies
(to Story)
certification -- demonstrating the
truth of a document or the skill of a performance
(to Story)
clash -- make or cause to make a loud sound
(to Story)
congratulate -- to express pleasure at someone’s success
(to Story)
congress -- a meeting of representatives
(to Story)
define -- to tell the main quality of, to explain what it is
(to Story)
demonstrate -- to establish that something is correct or true
(to Story)
drain -- a pipe for carrying water or other liquid. to
make something empty
(to Story)
drug -- a medicine (to Story)
efficiency -- avoiding wasted time and
effort (to Story)
embassy -- a diplomatic building in a foreign country
(to Story)
embarrass -- act in an irresponsible
way that makes people feel uncomfortable (to Story)
enforce -- to make sure the law is observed
(to Story)
exceed -- to go further than something
else (to Story)
execute -- to carry out, to perform; to kill someone
(to Story)
exit -- the act of going out (to Story)
finance -- the management of money, or
v. finance: to manage money.
(to Story)
import* -- to bring in from a foreign country
n. import - the product brought in (to Story)
independent -- free from any control
(to Story)
inspect -- to look over carefully
(to Story)
invade -- to enter by force in order to get by fighting
(to Story)
invest -- to buy something that is expected to produce a profit
(to Story)
involve -- to carry out an activity; be involved in it as a member of a team
(to Story)
item -- a single unit (to Story)
kid -- a child (to Story)
laboratory -- a place for scientific research or equipment
(to Story)
muscle -- body parts that produce movement
(to Story)
parade -- a group moving along in an orderly way
(to Story)
percent -- the one hundredth part of something
(to Story)
potato -- eaten as cooked vegetable
(to Story)
pregnant -- carrying a developing baby
(to Story)
radio -- a device for communication (to Story)
raid -- a surprise attack
(to Story)
render -- bring into existence
(to Story)
reject --
v. to refuse to take, n. reject - something that has been
refused
(to Story)
remote -- at some distance (to Story)
resource -- any supply that will meet a need
(to Story)
riot -- a wild, violent public action (to Story)
sandwich -- a meal preparation with
bread on the bottom and often the top (to Story)
scare -- to frighten
(to Story)
sketch - early stage of drawing
(to Story)
starve -- to die because of hunger
(to Story)
suppress -- to hold back, to take out
(to Story)
talent -- ability or skill
(to Story)
target -- a mark for shooting; also a purpose or goal to
aim for (to Story)
yield -- give or supply: also n. give in to
(to Story)