As the Olympics 2012 curtain closes, the culmination
of silver, bronze or gold for the blood, sweat and tears poured into athletic preparation
was truly a sight to savor by spectators worldwide. Glued to the tube so not to miss Michael
Phelps’ epic medal splash or Jamaica’s Usain ‘Lightening’ Bolt’s record runs, thoughts
of a Writing Olympics flashed during commercial breaks. Seriously, had an
event of this nature been held today, Generation Text would’ve returned to US
soil bling-less.
Truth be told, scholastic accounts about communication
skill erosion in this day and age are infamous. You may recall a WSJ report
detailing the inability of MBA students to craft effective emails: “Employers and writing coaches say
business-school graduates tend to ramble, use pretentious vocabulary or pen
too-casual emails.”
Did undergraduate
study fail to prepare them adequately or was preparation written off in favor
of fractured textsations (conversations via text)?
According to Sharon Washington, executive director of the National
Writing Project in Berkeley, Calif., “U.S. high schools and undergraduate
programs have de-emphasized writing instruction.” Washington finds comfort in
the fact that texting is writing but that’s a product of thought I prefer to
leave on the shelf.
While it’s one thing to peruse these articles, being
the recipient of overly casual communication in a business setting offers proof
positive. Imagine the horror on my face
when I received this iPhone-transmitted email from a vendor I contacted to
resolve an issue: ‘Uh, s-faced @ HH.TTL.’ Happy hour? Seemingly, the beverage
of preference had drained all professional accountability. It would’ve been more palatable had she said “If
not urgent, may I get back with you tomorrow?” OMG, TMI, and I believe that’s
what Generation Text calls DT – drunk texting.
Following a round of interviews, one candidate closed
his follow-up email with “TU for taking time to discuss the position with me.” Yes,
I’m well aware of what TU means and unlike Generation Text, my main information
resource isn’t Wikipedia. Still, in a professional environment, the casual tone
doesn’t exactly convey gold-medal best.
Unmistakably, what Phelps and Bolt accomplished in
London required tunnel-vision commitment. By the same token, communication is a
skill to be mastered since it starts the success engine. Matching the message
with the audience and recognizing when casual and professional language usage
is appropriate is a must. Technology might’ve initiated Generation Text’s rocky
start but it’s never too late for a strong finish.
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