The Hindu (Kolkata)

She is a gogetter when it comes to work

You seem to be dragging your feet when it comes to making difficult choices for the team

- S. Upendran

“I heard there are several vacancies in your company. Are you applying for any of them?”

“I already have. So has Sujatha.”

“I hope the two of you haven’t applied for the same post. Sujatha is a real gogetter. You don’t stand a chance…”

“Gogetter? Is a gogetter someone who gets things?”

“A gogetter is an ambitious individual who is determined to be successful. This rather enterprisi­ng individual, in order to achieve his goals, takes matters into his own hands, instead of waiting for things to happen.”

“In other words, a gogetter takes the initiative. Acts before others do.”

“Sometimes, very aggressive­ly. This individual is full of energy, exudes a great deal of confidence, and is good at dealing with problems.”

“Sujatha, as you rightly pointed out, is a gogetter.”

“Are the two of you competing for the same job? If so, what…”

“As far as I know, up to date, she hasn’t applied for the posts that I have.”

“You don’t say ‘up to date’ when you mean ‘till now’. It’s better to say, ‘to date’. To date, Sujatha hasn’t applied for any of the posts I have’.”

“To date, there has been no news about the missing plane.”

“That’s a good example. There are many people who prefer to use ‘until now’ instead of ‘to date’. For example, ‘Until now, we haven’t received any complaints from our customers’.”

“How about this example? To date, we haven’t had any problem with the car.”

“That’s a good example. I’m happy that you and Sujatha haven’t applied for the same post.”

“So am I! I would have had no chance against her.”

“So, how are things, otherwise? Have you finally managed to get some time off in order to visit your parents? ”

“I know. But things have been crazy at work. Will talk to my boss this week…”

“That’s what you said last week. It seems to me you’re not keen on making a trip to Chennai. You’ve been dragging your feet quite a bit. I don’t understand…”

“Dragging my feet? What are you talking about? I never walk slowly…”

“You always walk briskly. That’s true! When you accuse someone of ‘dragging their feet’ regarding something, what you’re saying is that they’re deliberate­ly delaying doing things in order to…”

“Let me guess! They’re slowing things down because they really don’t want to do it. They’re very reluctant.”

“Excellent! That’s one of the meanings of the informal expression ‘drag one’s feet’. Several big companies have been dragging their feet over the issue of promoting women to senior positions.”

upendranky­e@gmail.com

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