By the way

If I’m accused of being old-fashioned or if people call me a fuddy-duddy, so be it.

It’s all about plain, simple good manners or “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.

Over the past few years I have had the privilege of attending countless meetings, talks and seminars. They all follow the same pattern, really. A speaker stands in front of an assembly of people and delivers his or her talk, conveying knowledge, useful information and, yes, sometimes it does get a bit boring when speakers repeat themselves over and over again. True to Murphy’s Law, the latter usually talk the longest. An alert chairman will inevitably catch the speaker’s eye and bring relief by politely tapping a wrist to show that their time is up.

What I find particularly disturbing is that often, a few members of the audience tend to engage in pockets of whispered and sometimes even raucous mini-conversations while the speaker is doing his bit.

There used to be a time when this behaviour was regarded as being plain rude and bad-mannered. Er… please … I’m speaking now… thank you!

I find myself clinging to this seemingly old-fashioned way of seeing things and have often wondered why these people have forgotten the good manners they were hopefully taught as children. Hey… shhh!

More often than not, these “confidential conversations” will take place at a crucial time during the speaker’s address and drown out important facts such as statistics, names or dates, making it difficult for those who are following the talk with interest to hear. You there … please be quiet …!

I recently attended an event where the main speaker was attempting to deliver a note of thanks towards the end of the proceedings and he had to reprimand a group of “buzzers” at least three or four times within a very short time. The conversation they were having had nothing whatsoever to do with the topic, nor was it relevant to the occasion. It was simple banter and one-upmanship between grown men and a display of bad manners.

One would think that those who attend meetings, talks and seminars are either identified as being responsible by their employers and sent there to gain knowledge, or are employers themselves with subordinates who are expected to respect them and follow a good example. You there at the back… shut-up!

I believe good manners are still appropriate in today’s ultra-modern times and show and command respect. Come to think of it, the best manners are often displayed in silence. Thank you.