It was 15 years
ago that I first heard an expression that struck me as almost uncommonly rude.
Little did I know how commonly rude it would become.
I was sitting in
a conference room in a northern suburb of Chicago, called in as a consultant to
help plan a company conference that management hoped would be a game changer.
My role at the planning meeting was to listen closely, take notes, and gather
information for what would be several speeches at the meeting.
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| Denise Riley |
About 10 people
were helping plan the conference, and clustered around a table. They were
talking about each day’s agenda, outside speakers, and the reasons why this
conference was so important. After the executive with the highest title talked
about what his hopes for the meeting were, one manager expressed her own hopes,
beginning her words with “And the other thing is.”
That expression
did two things. First, it dampened any other opinions. She was implying there
were only two things here – the boss’s thoughts and her own. Second, it told me
that she hadn’t really been listening, only looking for the opportunity to
express her own opinion.
It’s unfortunate
that it became a common expression used in general conversation.
British poet Denise Riley examines the idea of communication in
her latest collection of 45 poems, Say
Something Back.
To continue
reading, please see my post today at Tweetspeak
Poetry.
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