Institution of Civil Engineers | Trustee's view
Do you know what I mean?
In the same week that Raac became part of the public’s vocabulary, we also had a UK minister, apparently unaware the camera was still rolling after an interview, ask exasperatedly: “Does anyone ever say: ‘you know what, you’ve done a [expletive deleted] good job, because everyone else has sat on their arse and done nothing?’ No signs of that, no?”
LIZ WAUGH
Cue horror at such an outburst and some unparliamentary language. Perhaps there was also some relief that Raac was taking second place to swearwords. And while the pressures of government, crumbling schools and other public buildings are manifestly a challenge, getting the right tone, right language at just the right time can be an art form in itself.
A recent ICE communications committee meeting considered feedback on an ICE website blog called: “5 ways civil engineering has saved lives”. For some it’s an instantly appealing read – part of the listicle (list plus article) common culture. It is relevant and maybe a gentle dig at the medical profession, emergency services and others who think lifesaving is exclusively their domain.
Conversely, considerable dismay was expressed that engineers might lower themselves to such depths with this populist approach. The language was unbecoming and frankly We. Could. Do. Better…
Meanwhile, others are embracing Chat GPT with abandon. While the content can seem plausible, is it actually meaningful? A colleague asked it to write him a speech. Many were impressed but a few of us demurred. When one really, really listened, the artificial intelligence version complete with platitudes, simplifications and general regurgitation said little. However, delivered with confidence, it seemed not to matter.
Working with engineers, there is a certain satisfaction to be gained from the definite nature of the work – calculations, predictions and decisions are for the most part, black and white. Designs can be replicated with certainty, approaches are defined by professional, qualified engineers. But language – and importantly understanding – is a much more nuanced affair.
“Getting the right tone, right language at just the right time can be an art form in itselfSimply setting out the benefits of a project or expecting everyone to have broadly the same understanding is a fallacy. Ask High Speed 2 Ltd – the environmental messages have been crushed under the vast weight of economic and social critique. As a global organisation, it came as some surprise when an international member expressed huge reservations about the use of the phrase “climate change emergency”, when Trustees had been debating the potential use of “crisis” instead.
So, this is a plea, really. To give some thought to the different ways we learn, absorb and appreciate information. That language matters. Information is imparted in lots of ways, but keeping it simple and checking how it’s landing makes engineering accessible to many more people. And that’s what we all want, at the end of the day, isn’t it? To be understood?
- Liz Waugh is ICE Trustee for communications