Why the whole haunting multiplied by zero? 

BY SOLOMON GEBRE-MEDHIN 

• One sentence of the manager multiplies all claps by zero

What I found the easiest thing to anticipate and of course to win even in betting is the abundance of enthusiastic claps in almost all of the meetings on various issues. One can easily put themselves into a game saying that there would be warm clapping in every pause of the meetings; either when a speaker appears or disappears, or when a speaker begins or ends, or when every sentence of that particular 'orator' ends in period or so.

Let us take a couple of minutes to see how the meeting and the clapping are entwined these days. However, in this particular piece, we would observe how the latter served as a mere company of the former. The following is a little bit modification of a real meeting that took place in an organization that I prefer to keep the name undisclosed.

Directing to my point, there was a meeting and it was under way. The management of that organization called the meeting to discuss and respond to the complaints of employees who sue the organization for its impotence in the fight against the rent seeking mentality observed in the management village. One thing to note here, the how the members make it the dialogue on the venue, by the way have you ever heard of any organization or company complaining about its workers? I doubt even the existence of such organization for it is usually heard the outcry of employers be it may in governmental or non-governmental organizations.

In any case, as the meeting was under way, there came a time for the angry employers to take the floor and utter their cries from the bottom of their hearts. One of them said, “Here in our organization, we (naming his department) are severely oppressed. We are not being treated in such a proper manner that we should be treated. Our complains are not heard, our efforts are not applauded. However, the management is right by our nose to take any 'disciplinary' measures for a silly reason such as not bowing for the boss while greeting.” Now this gentleman is in an extraordinary emotional status seeming to say more although he promised to cut his speech in short so as to show respect to the respected management and to save their golden time.

So he kept on speaking, promotion is very rare to us despite the convenient credentials we have. The salary scale of our organization unlike its peers is very low and therefore it fails to safeguard us from the challenge posed upon us by the ever increasing prices of goods and commodities including the house rent prices. There bursts a warm clapping and sighs of support from every corner of the hall. And now, this gentleman felt sure that right after his majestic speech, the manager would say 'I quit my job for I am not capable of being a leader of such an organization. Yes that is what the clap signaled to this man. In fact, any one who attended the meeting in that hall in that particular moment would not be wrong to think of seeing new faces in the administration offices the next day.

Inspired by the first speaker and the hot clap that signaled support to his speech, a lady stood up to share hear hearts. One must be wise like few to realize how some situations make gender balance even for speaking in such occasions, and some even would dare to say that it indicated there exhibited a real democracy in that organization as gender equality was settled.

Introducing the department where she is from, the lady looked courageous to rain the storms of her complaints on the management. Indulging herself in the activity of checking the position of the mike and herself, she started saying that the organization is purchasing spare parts and stationery and other writing related materials from unauthorized company in a very expensive price. She said, “We are, I think the only organization in the country collecting rubbish for nothing nor for preserving goods of the past.” as she expected, a laughter and a clap flooded after her last word.

As the rain continues to fall from her mouth, the lady stepped to another chapter of her speech that forced the audience to blood-red their hands as they clapped. Here is what she said, “Employment here in our organization is done based on bloodline. You can find number of idles here hired not because they suit the position they are assigned to but only because they have been privileged to have blood connect to one another. And as a result, some of us are suggesting this organization to be renamed Mr. X and his family's plc.” Well, I do not think that there would be any other such ironic expression that would force meeting participants to surrender for clapping, applaud and laughter. Some even wanted to rise from their seat but I think they immediately ignored their motives of doing so may be because they knew that all these laughter and claps do nothing to change the mismanagement of their organization.

I learnt later after almost a couple of months from the so called historic meeting, the organization rather got standing, stagnant and continued the usual maladministration. And the claps that could be heard miles away from the meeting place did not bring any change, but a zero value investment of power by the clappers. One sentence from the general manager multiplies all the utterances and the claps by zero; he said, “Everything that has been said so far emanates from lack of proper information about the fundamental democratic and transparent activities that this management is doing.”

And as for the organization afterwards, it continued with its dark side bureaucracy and malpractices as nothing had happened and as no one ever questioned it too. In parallel, as for the employers, they kept on working but cursing the management as they did before the meeting that was full of clapping which did nothing at all.