You’ve probably been wondering about that smell in the air these past few years. No, it’s not from Washington or the dairy farm up the road. It’s change. It’s in the air, it’s on the job, it’s everywhere! And it’s coming faster and faster.
In ancient times, like the 50s, change came at a leisurely pace. Guys ran for president every four years and nothing much happened no matter who was in or out. Only a few countries made the news – the Soviet Union, maybe Europe. Occasionally China. The others minded their own business, which we weren’t interested in anyway. None of them changed their names either.
The big event was the debut of the new car models in the U.S. each autumn. (Nobody noticed the Japanese cars then.) Now, all the cars, new or old, look the same while everything else – from geography to business to free-agency sports – is a blur of change.
In those long-ago times, there were blank spots in the calendar to give you a break. Basketball was in the winter; baseball, spring and summer; and football fell in the fall. Rich folks kept golf to themselves, while Canadians horded hockey. If there were any computer changes, the techno-nerds didn’t bother people with them.
Some say the current frenzy of change was caused by people coming down with short attention spans due to TV, MTV, and Cable TV, which Twitter and Instagram have only made worse. Others blame the ozone layer and fast food. A few talk about Area 51 and moonbeams.
Whatever the cause, change seems here to say. “The only constant is change,” business pundits love to say. Actually, jargon and clichés have been a constant just as long or longer – their usage has remained at a steady 50% of business communication for over six generations now. (75% for the military and government.)
So, hang on to your seats, and desensitize your senses. Change and jargon are here to stay.
Good one!
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