THIS WEEK I attended a press conference. There were media folks and corporate-types. During the Q&A, post the panel discussion, we heard a lot of clichéd questions being asked by the press. In turn the corporate-types gave diplomatic answers. Post the event there was mingling and a buffet of greasy delicacies.
I tried having some conversations but all I got were pre-scripted responses from the corporate-types. And many of the media people seemed to have no opinion whatsoever. What did you think of this? “Er…it was great/nice/fabulous/wonderful”.
At first I thought,” I’m in a room full of frauds, fakers, people with no mind of their own.” But then I realised that that’s probably not true at all. Everyone has an opinion. Everyone is probably real. But I think they have forgotten these two aspects of their personality and as a result have become somewhat brain dead, when it comes to the job.
Everyone seems to be playing a role. The journos need a sound byte and the corporate-types need a give a squeaky clean answer, which borders on the sterile. One corporate communication lady randomly walked up to me and said, ”I think I have seen you before”. She made small talk for a while, while I racked my brain for something to say, and by the by, noticed that she was very bony. Our conversation went nowhere, because she came across as compulsive networker who kept making small talk. Ultimately she said, rather abruptly,” Okay bye!”.
I did meet one ‘real’ person. She spoke her mind and reacted a little more genuinely. I felt relieved.
