Dangers of suggesting changes

A cancelled excursion…

Kazuko: I thought you were going to Nikko to see the fall foliage this weekend.

Hiroshi: That was the plan but I made a silly suggestion at the meeting on Thursday.

Kazuko: You were called out?

Hiroshi: I said why don’t we digitize the new product questionnaire and make it online to save meeting time and paper. The chairman said it was a great idea.

Kazuko: You must have got kudos for that? Save resources, shorten meetings? What’s silly about that?

Hiroshi: But then he said, “With your IT experience, you’re the best for the job. Let’s have this ready by next week.” Well, you know how long it takes to get the bugs out of a new piece of software. There went the weekend trip.

Kazuko: I see. No Nikko. No leaves.

________

Voice-over

An idea can be given to someone else to suggest. The trick is to get them to be grateful to you for the kudos, while not minding the extra work.

Overtalking

Chance meeting crossing a street…

.

William: Professor Goldman. I say, Professor Goldman!

.

Prof. Goldman: (under his breath): Discovered! William, didn’t realize it was you. How you doing?

.

William: OK. OK, I guess. Well, maybe not OK. Just been to my GP and he said I have this cancer. HUGE, he said. HUGE.

.

Prof. Goldman: Oh, so sorry. Where?

.

William: In here. What you call it? Easy way. O solo mio.

.

Prof. Goldman: Oesophagus?

.

William: That’s it. I googled it but the computer broke.

.

Prof. Goldman: There are computers in the city library.

.

William: It’s closed. The virus.

.

Prof. Goldman: Sorry. Of course. Look, try the National Cancer Hospital. Central Station.

.

William: They’re good?

.

Prof. Goldman: They’re a research hospital, have the latest equipment, good doctors.

.

William: You’re a life saver.

.

Prof. Goldman: You’ll need a referral from your GP.

___________

Voice-over

A conversation edited down from 30 minutes. William is an overtalker as Professor Goldman well knows. Overtalking is often due to anxiety or being overactive. Enter into labyrinthine anecdotes. Sometimes mix words up. The speaker is often not aware of their problem, although William was self-monitoring. “I’m probably talking too much,” and “Thanks for listening, most people are just in a hurry to leave.” But sometimes they need to be listened to, especially if there’s something you can help them with.

...

Pork cutlet sandwich meeting

Not pork cutlet
sandwiches!

Dissatisfaction inducing a dinner denunciation…

Vera: Aaargh! This meeting started at two, now the agenda has run past seven! You would think that everyone would want it to end it quickly and not argue.

Vega: Often as not, some get tediously bloody-minded and argue just for the sake of it. It's as if the longer the meeting runs, the more acrimonious it gets and the slower it goes. And then they give us pork cutlet sandwiches.

Vera: No gourmet dishes tonight!

Vega: How about samosas?

Vera: That would be better than stale sandwiches! Fit the bill, fill a space!

Vega: Go down a treat!

_________

Voice-over

A conversation with three part rhythms:

“The longer the meeting, the greater the frustration, the slower it goes.”

A cascade of intensifying causes and effects.

“Fit the bill, fill a space, go down a treat.”

A sequence of actions and results.

Some internal rhyming and alliteration are also evident.

...

Cat Meeting Agenda

Cat Meeting Agenda

1. Fish

2. More Fish

3. Extreme Fish with Cream

_______________

Voice-over

Cat meetings share characteristics of academic faculty meetings (in agenda topics and personalities of participants).
...