I e-mailed a corporate speechwriter the other day and got back an auto-reply: "On deadline. With anything urgent, be sure to call me at ."
My first reaction was: YEAH BOY! Speechwriters in general are anxious to prove they're the same as all the other people in the organizationcommunicators are businesspeople, too!that they usually dissociate themselves with journalistic terms like "deadline."
And for good reason in some cases: Saying you're "on deadline" can mystify people who don't know anything about journalism cause resentment in others who would have you know they have deadlines, too and generate unwanted pity from some who may have something to gain from pegging you as an ink-stained wretch.
Still, I like the speechwriter's chutzpah and I say, if it works, do it. I'm going to start doing it myself.
But an "On Deadline" e-mail message isn't enough.
I'm thinking of getting a hat printed up.
Comments (4)
How about a big T-shirt, Generic style, i.e. black with white lettering. (My theory is that white on black would create a larger dark mass, thus being more off-putting when someone considered approaching you on your 18th trip to the coffee room in 2 hours ... )
Posted by DeAnna | August 15, 2005 5:02 PM
Posted on August 15, 2005 17:02
What about a sandwich board? I know: Too hard to sit down in.
Posted by David Murray | August 16, 2005 10:09 AM
Posted on August 16, 2005 10:09
Other ways to get the "I'm on deadine" message across:
1. Heavy sighs as if you just don't have the TIME FOR THIS RIGHT NOW!
2. Mumbling Tourettes-style. Keep people downright afraid of interrupting you.
3. When someone appears at my door I simply yell, "I can't work like this!"
My co-workers like it most when I simply shut my door.
Posted by Eileen | August 16, 2005 10:29 AM
Posted on August 16, 2005 10:29
"I can't work like this!" I'll have to file that one away for the future...
The term around here is "I'm crashing." (Wild animal crashing around in the underbrush maybe?)
Posted by Jennifer | August 17, 2005 9:58 AM
Posted on August 17, 2005 09:58