We continue to analyse with interest some more elements from the modern day manager's vocabulary. Some day these words will, hopefully, stand for what the manager uttering them really means. Until then, here goes:

Approved, subject to: A wonderful, two-sided, Janus-like approach that conveys a ‘Yes' while actually meaning ‘No'. Something akin to a coin that never lets you win a toss. The sting is always buried in the ‘subject to…' part of the statement. The conditions will be so onerous that it is far wiser to accept the inevitable and give up whatever one wishes to do.

Transparency: Transparency is graphic user interface that lulls one into believing that what one sees at the front end is fairness and equity, even as opacity and vested interests rule the back end.

Delegation: A fine principle, which, in its pristine form, empowers people by setting them goals, defining boundaries, and then letting them get on with it. In real life, this stands for the big bosses making it look as though a person is free to do whatever is needed to get a job done. What's left out is this: ‘As long as it is done, the way the boss wants it!' Something akin to Henry Ford's dictum that allowed the customer to have a car painted any colour that he wanted — so long as it was black.

Consensus-based decision making: This too is not what one thinks it is. It is a sophisticated, evolved and thoroughly democratic two-way process, where those in power listen to inputs from the others and then do exactly as they wish — creating the illusion of a participatory democracy.

(To be continued)

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