Have a look at the sentences below. Do you think the business jargon used in each is useful, or do you think its sole purpose is to confuse the uninitiated?

“This project is not for the fainthearted –  we need a rock star to manage it.”

“His email didn’t offer me anything actionable.”

“We’re solutioneering the data collection issue before we re-launch the software.”

“We need alignment if we’re to get to the top, guys.”

“How about we touch base this Tuesday after the 10 a.m. meeting?”

“Massage the data until we get something we can work with.”

“Architect a new marketing plan before June 6.”

“What’s the ball park for this project and when do you expect to complete it?”

(definitions at the end of the post)

Architect as a verb, massage as a way of describing a simple process of cleaning and editing data . . . most of these business-world words are pretentiously and intentionally ambiguous.

What’s more, you hear them everywhere. They first appear in meeting rooms and start getting used around the office, then PR experts join the chorus, at which point the media picks them up. Before you know it they go viral.

If you find yourself in a meeting where phrases like “blue sky thinking” and “circle the wagons” are used without explanation, you might find yourself at a loss. “What are these people talking about?” you ask yourself. “What could ‘blue sky thinking’ mean when everyone knows that the sky is blue?”

Why business jargon is useful

Business words do have their usefulness, and they exist for a reason; they are condensed concepts that allow people to instantly and easily communicate complex thoughts and ideas in a few words instead of several minutes of talking.

Think of the phrase “level set.” It means agreeing on what the expectations on a project or proposal will be, as in the sentence, “You’ll need to level set with the IT department to ensure the mobile app is localized without any mistakes.”

Here, “level set” describes a key process where two departments need to work hand in hand in order for a product to be prepared for a new audience in a way that no errors or discrepancies exist and that the end result is in line with the goals set and the expectations of everyone involved.  That was 51 words to describe what the phrase itself communications in only 2 words, which illustrates that many business buzzwords are essential for brevity and effortless, misunderstanding-free communication.

Why not all business jargon is useful

But then on the other hand, you will also hear phrases like, “Lay the foundation for groundwork,” which is simply a pompous way of saying “prepare.”

Saying this phrase instead of using the simplest way to communicate your meaning to someone makes no sense. That’s why many well-known and overused business buzzwords should be expelled from your vocabulary.

Of course you can “liaise” with Daniel from the Payroll department, but you could also simply talk, meet or discuss things with him.

“The long pole in the tent” is a way of saying the most difficult part of a situation or project, so why not call it that?

Business lingo ultimately fits under two categories: the useful and necessary category, and the pretentious, complicating one.

It’s not hard to distinguish which words belong to which group. If a word or phrase effectively describes a complex concept in a word or two, keep using it. For instance, the internet-driven use of the word “cloud” is a perfect example. It’s a concept that describes a technological innovation where data, services, and other information and processes are stored and accessed remotely. Consider using the word’s definition (all 16 words, or more) each time you needed to talk about the “cloud.” Not very time-efficient, right?

Top ten words and phrases you should never use again. Ever.

1) Parking Lot (v.) To discuss a matter later.
2) Impactful (adj.) A made-up word to describe something that’s effective, important, or successful.
3) Architect (v.) To plan or design a strategy.
4) Barrier to Entry (phrase) An obstacle or deterring factor preventing action.
5) Componentize (v.) Separate or break into its constituent parts or new elements.
6) Decision (v.) Why use decision as a noun when decide already exists?
7) Eyeballs (n.) Refers to viewers, readers, or an audience receiving a product or service.
8) Knowledge Acquisition (phrase) Just a fancy way of saying “learning the facts of a matter.”
9) Point Person (n.) The person delegated as the contact to address your questions to.
10) Passionista (n.) A person overly passionate or enthusiastic about something.

Using these and many other business buzzwords don’t make you sound knowledgeable, and are more likely to confuse your audience and interlocutors. Unfortunately, in many areas of the business world, using jargon like this is almost an obsession.

Truly, the only purpose these overused business buzzwords serve is to try to impress people, confuse the listener to hide the speaker’s own confusion, or to embarrass the outsiders in a group who don’t know the secret passwords. Instead of using the noun leverage as a verb, why not use an easy to understand, equally descriptive, and to-the-point word, like control, manipulate, or take advantage of?

Word definitions:

Rock Star (n.) A person with the precise set of skills essential for a project at hand.

Actionable (adj.) Specific or doable.

Solutioneer (v.) Think or brainstorm for solutions to a problem.

Alignment (n.) Agreement

Touch Base (v.) To talk with, discuss, or have a meeting.

Massage (v.) To edit or clean information in order to get tangible data out of it.

Architect (v.) To design, plan, or organize.

Ballpark (n.) A rough (and probably inaccurate) estimation.

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