Thursday, October 4, 2012

I'm a thousand miles from nowhere (Dwight Yoakam)

The Lead Adviser chaps and chapettes I worked with in the Middle East gave me a book as a going away present. Talk Normal by Tim Phillips is subtitled 'stop the business speak, jargon and waffle'.

Waiting on Waiheke Island in Auckland for the China adventure to begin has given me a chance to catch up on my reading.

My friends weren't taking the piss, but giving me a book they knew I'd agree with.

Sure enough the stance taken by Phillips is to rid the world of weasel words that get in the way of mass communication. For instance - problems are no longer called that, they are issues, challenges or (even worse) opportunities.

My time as an education consultant exposed me to a different level of jargon and weasel words. I got heartily sick of hearing that I worked in a challenging environment!

I read Tim's chapter on 'How HR ruined your life' with a smile on my face.

He's right - HR is full of fake-happy gibberish. From personnel managers to talent co-ordinators in under three moves! When applying for a job we must be onboard with being passionate role players.and so on into oblivion.

I wish I could say that the aviation world was any better than education but, if anything, it's worse. How will I cope?

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