Brainstorming is politically offensive

NEXT TIME the management drags you into one of those god awful 'brainstorming' meetings, you can refuse on the grounds that they are politically incorrect and banned by Irish civil servants.

Unfortunately, the method which aims to generate ideas among staff, is considered OK. But Ireland's Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) in Belfast have to use another word to describe them.

Apparently brainstorming is considered offensive to people with brain disorders such as epilepsy as well those with brain tumours or brain injuries.

A spokeswoman told the Observer that the DETI does not use the term brainstorming on its training courses on the grounds that it may be deemed pejorative.

The Campaign for Plain English, which does not really stand for a lot of marketing or management buzzwords, has said that the decision had 'reached the point of real ridicule'.

Spokesman John Wild wondered if some people haven't got anything better to do with their time.

He said that while certain terms that should be deemed out of bounds, sometimes things go too far. He was certain that those who dreamt this up were not suffering from any brain disease or injury, but were the types of people who wanted to find offence everywhere.

The word that DETI officials will use instead of Brainstorming will be ‘thought-showers', which might be offensive to the terminally smelly, or those who are in a coma, but at least they are not golden. µ

L'INQ
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