Euphemism

" A euphemism is a substitution of an agreeable or less offensive expression in place of one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant to the listeneror in the case of doublespeak, to make it less troublesome for the speaker."



A colleague of mine whom I’ve known for the past 5 years told me I need to develop this skill if I ever hope to be promoted.
I am known for being blunt. That and not being a part of office politics- two things I’ve prided myself in my professional life. I say it like it is. If it is good, I will be the first person to tell you it’s excellent and yet again when it’s bad I will be the first person to dump it. I really don’t see any logic in praising a bad product. If the product is good, even if it’s done by my worst enemy I will appreciate it.
So yesterday I and my friend were talking and we were discussing a very senior manager who is quite loud and blunt and not liked by the majority. Yes, he is good technically, but his tongue is quite sharp! And to be compared to him was OUCH!!! I have never looked for popularity. I frankly don’t care whether you like me or not. But I do care that you find me rude. Or that you think I’m arrogant. Coz I’m not.
I do try to be diplomatic; it’s not something that comes out easily I have to really work at it. Think before I speak. In my previous company, this was not a problem because you were solely judged based on your work. When there are only 5 members in your team and if you do the work in half the time who cares for diplomacy!!!
But here it is a different story. It’s a huge organization and to get promoted you have to depend not only on your technical skills, but also on your networking skills. Yes, I’m poor at that also. I am friendly, talk to people I like and ignore the rest! I will not smile at a manager whom I do not respect and grovel at his feet. I will not do that. So what are the pitfalls? I am seen as somebody who is not approachable. As somebody who is very arrogant. Can I change? I intend to try. As a step, I will count to ten before I give an opinion at any team meeting. Try to tone down my speech. The groveling part cannot be done and will not be done. The rest I will try!
What is the purpose of this post? I really do not know. It’s an attempt to be more truthful about my feelings. I may appear to be an extrovert, but there are a lot of things bottled up inside which I think needs to be taken out, aired and then thrown away. The trouble with me is storing all these petty petty things and creating a dump pile inside. It’s a small attempt to take a look at me inside and first try to change myself instead of finding fault with others.
Pray for me.