Deein’ the Business: Anither Language

Some years ago, we developed process mapping software which allowed customisation of terminology in printed and published output. I issued a press release in the local newspaper in Doric and, as a result of press coverage at the time, I was asked to write Dee the Business, a tongue in cheek explanation of business concepts and IT terms – also in Doric. See below for more, and the Download/Links.

A Serious Purpose
Managers can take themselves too seriously, and sometimes fail to make themselves clear to others. This can be demotivating, even dangerous, depending on the process in question. Our ‘translation’ may just possibly help to make some of the concepts more understandable. ‘Inaboot-comers‘ unfamiliar with the Doric language needn’t worry – we include a plain English translation.
A few extracts…
Quality: Fit wye a thingie’s fit for fit it’s supposed tae fit
Business risk: Onythin that can mak an erse o fit ye’re tryin tae dee
Project Completion Checklist: Ticketyboo tick list
A typical North East greeting (Doric emoticon):

Eye aye.

? Fit like?

As a result of the book, I was asked to produce a Doric version of the Lord’s Prayer – see Download/Links. The book was a tongue in cheek explanation of business concepts and IT terms in Doric, the dialect of the North East of Scotland.  It is now out of print, but these pages contain further excerpts from the book. They may just possibly help to make the concepts more understandable.

“… the IT error message haikus alone make the book worth reading.”  (Scottish Business Insider magazine)

NOTE: Japanese-style Haiku poetry has strict construction rules. Each poem has only 17 syllables and 3 lines: 5 syllables in the first, 7 in the second, 5 in the third. “Haikus are used to communicate a timeless message often achieving a wistful, yearning and powerful insight through extreme brevity – the essence of Zen”.