Using English at Work：46 Meeting with the Boss(5)

It's nice to hear someone praise us, because it lets us know that our hard work has been noticed and is being appreciated.

It's always a good idea to praise employees when they do something very well.

In fact, there's some research to suggest that praising employees will give you better performance than criticizing¹ employees.

After my boss praises me for my hard work, he encourages me to keep my head down and to keep plugging away.

There are a couple of interesting expressions there.

First, "to keep your head down" means to concentrate on what you are doing, not saying or doing things that will draw attention from other people or create problems.

To keep your head down means to be working seriously and hard.

If you're at the office and other people are fighting about something that doesn't involve you,

you might decide to keep your head down and continue working so that you don't get involved in the argument.

To keep your head down means to be focused on your work.

If your wife is having a bad day, it might be good idea to keep your head down.

I know it is, if that happens to me; that's just a little advice!

"To keep plugging away" means to continue working very hard at something.

For example, if you're learning² how to cook, but you're having problems making good dishes, you decide to keep trying,

however, you keep plugging away in order to become a better cook.

My boss wants me to keep my head down and to keep plugging away - keep working hard until I get my promotion³.

I'm so surprised by all of this that I don't know what to say.

I've never thought of myself as a corporate⁴ climber.

A "corporate climber" is a person who wants to move up within a company or organization,

getting better jobs, better pay, perhaps more power and responsibilities.

A corporate climber is usually someone who is very ambitious⁵, someone who is very focused on their work.

I've never thought of myself as one of these corporate climbers.

I don't think that my work is a standout from my coworkers' work.

1 criticizing   

v.评论，批评( criticize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He committed the cardinal sin of criticizing his teammates. 他犯了指责队友的大错。
• She's always criticizing her husband for being sloppy. 她总是指责她的丈夫做事马虎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

3 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

4 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

5 ambitious   

adj.有雄心的，劲头十足的，有野心的

参考例句：

• One may be poor but never ceases to be ambitious.人穷志不穷。
• He is an ambitious young man full of enthusiasm and vitality.他是个充满热情与活力的有远大抱负的青年。