How to Be a Team Player — Without Burning Out

Question 1

Bolster

Answer 1

verb
To support, strengthen, or reinforce something
* We launched a new marketing campaign to bolster sales in the second quarter.
* The CEO’s statement helped bolster investor confidence after the earnings report.

Question 2

Get bogged down

Answer 2

phrasal verb
To become stuck or overwhelmed, especially by details or difficulties
* Let’s not get bogged down in minor details—focus on the big picture.
* We were bogged down by approval processes and missed the launch deadline.

Question 3

Bottleneck

Answer 3

noun
A delay that slows down a process or workflow
* Hiring delays became a bottleneck for expanding the sales team.
* The approval process is a major bottleneck that’s slowing product launches.

Question 4

Thorny

Answer 4

adjective
Difficult, sensitive, or complicated to deal with
* The company is facing a thorny issue with its intellectual property rights.
* Negotiating salary terms can be a thorny topic during employee discussions.

Question 5

Jam something
(into something else)

Answer 5

verbal phrase
To try to fit an activity or task into a shorter period of time than is reasonable
* She tried to jam a week’s worth of work into just one day.
* The team is attempting to jam a full project timeline into a much shorter period.

Question 6

(Timeframe) ‘out’

Answer 6

adverb
Referring to a point or period in the future
* The new software update will be released two weeks out.
* The conference is three months out, so we have plenty of time to prepare.

Question 7

Come from a good place

Answer 7

verbal phrase
Something is done with good intentions or kindness, even if the outcome isn’t perfect
* His feedback came from a good place, but it came off too harsh.
* Her concerns came from a good place, but it only caused more stress.

Question 8

Frantic

Answer 8

adjective
Extremely hurried, anxious, or panicked, often because of pressure or stress
* The team was frantic as they tried to meet the client’s last-minute demands.
* We received a frantic call from the customer about the shipping delay.

Question 9

Sentenced (to something)

Answer 9

past particle
To be forced into a situation or condition with no apparent escape
* After the promotion, I felt sentenced to endless meetings and emails.
* After the merger, the employees felt sentenced to a culture of uncertainty and change.

Question 10

A knee-jerk response

Answer 10

noun
An instinctive, automatic reaction, often without thought
* Her knee-jerk response to any change is to resist it.
* The manager’s knee-jerk response was to reject the idea without considering it.

Question 11

Binary

Answer 11

adjective
Involving two parts or choices; based on a system of two
* We need to move beyond a binary view of success and failure in our performance reviews.
* The manager’s binary approach to employee feedback limits creative solutions.

Question 12

Juggle

Answer 12

verb
To deal with multiple tasks or responsibilities at the same time
* She’s been juggling multiple roles since the team downsized.
* It’s hard to juggle work and personal commitments during peak season.

Question 13

Bandwidth

Answer 13

noun
The mental or emotional capacity to handle or deal with tasks, responsibilities, or challenges
* She doesn’t have the bandwidth to manage both work and personal commitments this week.
* I’m already stretched thin and don’t have the bandwidth for additional meetings.

Question 14

Succumb to a temptation

Answer 14

verbal phrase
To give in to a desire or urge, often against better judgment
* He succumbed to the temptation to check his phone during the meeting.
* The team succumbed to the temptation of taking a shortcut, which led to mistakes.

Question 15

Time horizon

Answer 15

noun
The period over which a goal or plan is expected to be achieved
* The project’s time horizon is set for six months.
* Investors should align their strategy with a long-term time horizon.