Silly Business Buzz Words
Seth Godin called them tribes. Most of us are members of
official and unofficial clubs. The people within the club share common
interests or common characteristics.
Have you noticed that every club creates its own code words?
Perhaps the “secret” code words help strengthen the appearance of a common
bond. Sometimes the code is an acronym. Often it’s an overused cliché.
The unofficial club or tribe of business has more than its
share of silly phrases and terms. Business seems to borrow many phrases from
warfare and sports.
- Hit a home run
- The whole nine yards
- Dive right in
- Make a big splash
- Raise the bar
Recently I’ve heard the phrase “let’s circle back on that”.
It sounds silly. I think they meant, “let’s discuss this later”.
"Impactful" is just dumb. It makes me think of a meter crater. "Think outside the box" is overdone and an example of not being creative. "Driving the bus" drives me crazy.
Often those silly buzz words are repeated by staff as they
mimic the boss.
And it looks like business schools are indoctrinating
business graduates with those annoying terms during their education. And to
think that it’s called higher learning.
Check this post to check your own language before your next
meeting, presentation, interview or phone call.
The Silliest Buzzwords You’ll Encounter in B-School
After reading the list start noting the dumb phrases you hear or
use. I dare you.
By the way, it's probably a good idea not to point out to the boss how silly he or she sounds.
The Silliest Buzzwords You’ll Encounter in B-School
George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker
Listen to Business in Motion audio PodCasts On iTunes Business in Motion on Facebook
