Is It Urgent?
(Naomi Caine, business writer, takes a critical look at the cult of urgency)
The business community is an avid follower* of the cult of urgency. The cult of urgency might be good news for the communications industries, but is it good news for companies and their costs?
1. Modern technology
Modern technology allows even the smallest company to communicate with the speed that was impossible 25 years ago. A fax in the office, rather like a video in the home, is now a necessity not a luxury. And electronic and voice mail are increasingly the norm. But technology is misused* for two reasons. One, it is often easier to send a message by electronic mail than by post. Two, without proper training*, staff may only feel comfortable with one communication system. So, you may ask your secretary to send a message urgently because you do not have the time to sit down and compose a letter. He or she may choose a more expensive form of distribution because of ignorance.
Notes:
1. avid follower — страстный последователь
2. misuse (v) = use wrongly
3. proper training — правильное, надлежащее обучение
4. contrary to... = opposite to
5. deadline — крайний срок
Define urgency
Company directors need to start defining urgency. According to Royal Mail, when asked to send something urgently, two thirds of companies head for* the fax machine. Yet 61 percent define urgent as delivery by noon the next day.
Royal Mail delivers nine out of ten First class letters the next working day.
Special delivery and registered letters* are guaranteed to arrive by 12.30 p.m. the following working day. If a First class stamp costs £0,25 and a five-page, long distance fax sent at peak time costs £1.50 and it is obvious to make some savings.
So, a company must select a suitable distribution method, according to cost and other criteria such as durability and presentation. A letter, for example, has a longer "shelf life" than an electronic message and a corporate brochure is smarter than a fax.
Nowadays, it is difficult not to be mesmerised* by the modern cult of urgency. But in the interests of cost savings — and possibly our health — we should stop asking how we can communicate faster and start to question whether we can communicate better.
Notes:
1. recipient = one who receives
2. sender = one who sends
3. draw a blank = be unsuccessful in a search, inquiry, etc.
4. head for (v) — move towards
5. registered letters — заказные письма
6. mesmerise — гипнотизировать, зачаровывать
Text 4.
Some Communication Options
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