for many you folks out there you work for small businesses, large corporations or nonprofits (like me). There's a culture in the work place where the words you say can make or break you. It seems after a conference, training or meeting people come away with, what I like to call, 'buzzness' words. Buzz words used to impress business-type folks.
Below are a few examples... mind you I work for a nonprofit so I know some words, but i'm sure many you out there know way more than I do. If you just pay attention in a meeting you'll hear your colleagues, especially those that like to hear themselves talk, share those lovely 'buzzness' words. Or, perhaps you can actually read work related emails for once and pick-up on that work lingo/jargon/buzz words! Better yet, just watch The Apprentice they are all about those words.
'Buzzness' words
1. synergy (or synergize) - so dumb! what does it really mean? "we need to create some synergy around this [whatever]... " so over that word!
2. seamless (e.g. "we want to make this a 'seamless' transition... ") what? are we a tailor or seamstress now? okay then, i'm going to knit this project, so no worries.
3. organic - maybe this is a Colorado thing?
4. expedite - yup, totally over it!
5. disseminate - so yeah, again, done with this one! e.g. we need to disseminate this information...
6. critical - really? how critical is it?
7. strategic - i'm sooo guilty of using this one!
8. leverage - again, guilty!
9. implement - oh geez, super guilty here!
10. integrated - well, crap! i LOVE that one, but i'll have to let this word go, just like the rest of them!
I could go on and on, but I won't; please feel free to list your 'buzzness' words on the comment section. It's okay to admit that you use these words, too. Like me, I know firsthand how using 'buzzness' words make you actually sound like you know what the heck you're talking about it. Seriously, I do.
I challenge you guys to go through a meeting, presentation, etc and not use a 'buzzness' word.
Below are a few examples... mind you I work for a nonprofit so I know some words, but i'm sure many you out there know way more than I do. If you just pay attention in a meeting you'll hear your colleagues, especially those that like to hear themselves talk, share those lovely 'buzzness' words. Or, perhaps you can actually read work related emails for once and pick-up on that work lingo/jargon/buzz words! Better yet, just watch The Apprentice they are all about those words.
'Buzzness' words
1. synergy (or synergize) - so dumb! what does it really mean? "we need to create some synergy around this [whatever]... " so over that word!
2. seamless (e.g. "we want to make this a 'seamless' transition... ") what? are we a tailor or seamstress now? okay then, i'm going to knit this project, so no worries.
3. organic - maybe this is a Colorado thing?
4. expedite - yup, totally over it!
5. disseminate - so yeah, again, done with this one! e.g. we need to disseminate this information...
6. critical - really? how critical is it?
7. strategic - i'm sooo guilty of using this one!
8. leverage - again, guilty!
9. implement - oh geez, super guilty here!
10. integrated - well, crap! i LOVE that one, but i'll have to let this word go, just like the rest of them!
I could go on and on, but I won't; please feel free to list your 'buzzness' words on the comment section. It's okay to admit that you use these words, too. Like me, I know firsthand how using 'buzzness' words make you actually sound like you know what the heck you're talking about it. Seriously, I do.
I challenge you guys to go through a meeting, presentation, etc and not use a 'buzzness' word.
7 comments:
Paradigm. I was more of a late-90's word, but I still hear it all the time.
i use paradigm change and realm a lot.
ah yes, paradigm shift was big at my last company. my favorite is bandwidth, as in "do you have the bandwidth to take on this project?"
I much prefer bandwidth to headspace (which is what was used at company I worked for in the dot com bubble days), since I work in the tech field, not the mechanical field. We use other fun techie words like ping, ack and nack in relation to communication.
My boss is constantly misusing/overusing buzzwords. Much like Calvin (of & Hobbes), I believe he's adopted the philosophy of using language as an impediment to communication.
i have always loved saying, "it is my professional opinion that . . . "
some other therapeutic "buzzness words" . . .
"needs" . . . what are YOUR needs?
"vibe" . . . real professional
"around" . . . what are your feelings around that?
My personal pet peeve is "Lowest hanging fruit" used in the sense of the easiest/most obvious way to go. As in, "what are the lowest hanging fruits that we can go after first?" Are we in a freakin' vineyard?!?!
lindsey db - lowest hanging fruit? where are you from anyways? Here we use words like "community" "holistic" and our favorite..."hood".
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