GAFFES AND THE WORLD ORDER (13-Mar-2021)

World today is more digital than ever before, a ‘x-times’ factor exaggerated by the pandemic.  The universe of typos and auto-corrects and the ensuing embarrassment must be borne with our heads held high, but then with our tails between our legs! 

Political gaffes are dime a dozen, and the media feasts on them.  English for many of the non-English speaking countries is an official language, including here in India.  “Engleesh is a punny language; I can talk engleesh, I can walk engleesh” is AB’s famous dialogue from the movie Namak Halaal delivered in his own inimitable style, sums up the scenario.

IT companies have invested heavily in training their employees.  Soft skills training is perched at the top of the corporate training list as a much sought-after initiative.  The emphasis in this area was the consequence of a rude awakening that jolted this industry which predominantly had focused on technical coding skills.  Many a new entity mushroomed to cater to this demand.  Good communication skills in both verbal and written contexts are extremely critical to maintain a congenial business climate given that export revenue is the primary segment.  Companies have little wherewithal for distorted messages and its detrimental impact on the health of a business relationship.  Emails form the edifice since its akin to an arrow launched from the bow by an archer; not so a telephonic conversation where one can refute what was said (or not said).

“Bare with me” – the beginning of her first sentence of an email shot off from our female colleague in our project team.  No one read the email any further, with both male and female colleagues marked.  Her male colleagues, including yours truly on the distribution list and seated near her, managed to hide the snigger. Some of the other female colleagues remained in blissful state of near stupor!  The silence was spooky!

Gaffes introduced with lesser or wrong understanding of spoken or written English is hilarious.  My male team member was probably way too excited, let’s say in a state of ecstasy, when he wrote me an email.  He had been married for a little over a year and the young couple were expecting.  Apparently, he had been blessed with a baby and he wanted the entire world to know.  From his hometown he released his milestone email; truly a ‘milestone’ one for the content read “My wife was delivered.”  I quickly shot off a congratulatory note but couldn’t resist to add “lucky you; less lucky individuals go through a roller-coaster ride of search, engagement, and a ritual in the presence of family and friends!”

Emails have rendered modern offices paperless.  A ‘go ahead’ or ‘ok’ or ‘yes approved’ by the manager via email is kosher for the employee’s ask or request.  My team member had sought an email permission to go home since he was unwell, and the reason marked ‘pain all over the body.’  Did he try to emphasize the intensity of the pain accentuated by a terrible feeling or was it a typical body pain before the onset of fever or something else, we never learnt?!  There was no hesitation in my approval since I feared that his pain would undergo ‘osmosis’ to enter my body through the electronic media!

AB pulled it off remarkably well in the movie, but the same cannot be said of the common man in a common situation who commits an uncommon mistake!  Order, order please for an equilibrium world order devoid of gaffes!