BLASÉ BUSINESS BUZZWORDS!

Manilka Ediriweera cautions against using clichéd corporate catchphrases

Love or hate it, it’s very possible that you have heard business buzzwords being constantly used in the corporate environment. There’s no escaping this jargon that permeates the workplace, regardless of the industry or sector – because it has become a shibboleth.

However, a lot of it is ballyhoo that’s overused to express something that can be communicated more concisely. Though business jargon has become commonplace, this doesn’t mean it is effective. So if it isn’t effective, why is it popular?

It could be that employees feel pressured to use such corporate lingo to try and fit in with the team, appear more competent or sound very professional. Or they may be simply repeating something a senior leader said. However, it’s quite possible that your coworkers may consider you rather annoying or feel you’re confusing them with your business jargon.

More people are becoming fed up with business buzzwords and dislike hearing them. It could be that they are tired of hearing these trite phrases, or find the jargon distasteful or demeaning. Or think they are overused and clichéd, and elicit an eye roll every time they’re uttered.

That’s why language, and the manner in which you use your vocabulary, is crucial and deci­sive. It’s not only the words you speak that have an impact. Because everything from power dynamics to implication affects how something you say is perceived.

Effective communication is hard enough. And using jargon can defeat any effort you’ve taken to communicate successfully. Mishandling your language skills can undermine your credibility, make you sound like a mouthpiece and nothing more, and be disliked by others.

So here’s a list of 10 business buzzwords that has been compiled for you to avoid and stop using. Alternatives have been suggested for each catchphrase buzzword.

PIGGYBACK This is used when someone wants to add to another person’s ideas. It doesn’t sound professional and appears to have found its way into the corporate world from the playground.

An alternative: Follow up on his or her idea.

110 PERCENT While it’s used to encourage another, this phrase could have the opposite effect on the person concerned. The listener may find it particularly grating – because it sounds as he or she isn’t working hard enough.

Alternatives: Let’s do our best… or do your best.

SYNERGY This is one of the most overused business buzzwords of all time. It sounds cool and professional – so kudos for that. However, it has been used so much that the meaning is now lost on people with many needing to learn what it means.

Alternatives: Collaboration or cooperation.

BANDWIDTH Umm, are you referring to my internet usage? Not really! But bandwidth is a professional sounding way of talking about one’s capacity, time or willingness to take up something. While it sounds polite, it’s less assertive and appears to be a way of tiptoeing around the whole ordeal.

Alternatives: I’m not available or I don’t have the time or capacity.

PIVOT In the corporate world, it’s a way of signalling oncoming change or a fundamental shift in direction. But what it does is leave the listener in a state of ambiguity and uncertainty.

Alternatives: Adopting a new strategy or a change in direction.

OUTSIDE THE BOX How many times have you heard this phrase? It’s overused so much that it has now become a throwaway term. Plus, it offers little insight into what is expected or which actions should be taken.

Alternatives: Be creative… or consider nontraditional solutions.

BEST PRACTICE A clinical and measured way of talking about the smartest or most effective thing to do…

An alternative: What has been proven to work.

ROCKET SCIENCE When people say ‘it’s not rocket science,’ this means that a team or individual is struggling with a task that’s considered much easier than it seems.

An alternative: Since this phrase sounds demeaning and insulting, it’s best to avoid it altogether.

TOUCH BASE Originating from baseball, it refers to a meeting or contacting someone about something specific. Sports related jargon such as this can be confusing to those unfamiliar with the sport.

Alternatives: Let’s communicate or let’s talk.

CIRCLE BACK Circling back is a promise to revisit a particular topic or decision later, though often not living up to it. Simply said, it’s a catchphrase used when someone doesn’t like a specific idea they’ve heard and won’t want to say it directly.

An alternative: Let’s revisit this later.

As much as business buzzwords are normalised in the corporate world, they make it challenging to communicate effectively and don’t add much to a conversation. So remember: most of the time, simple language remains the best there is. So buzz off with buzzwords – before you are told to buzz off!