Business Jargon

You could say that every occupation has its own language– its own shorthand, or jargon. The business world is no exception. But now, Forbes is stepping in, calling for “a stop to the nonsense.”
He’s hoping they’re not beating around the bush.

2246558373_4bf0167cd8Courtesy: thinkpanama

Jargon-flourishing business people create a mysterious veil around themselves, hiding behind the lingo they know so well while using it as a social tool. Not only does “talking the talk” show that you’re a member of the group, it also helps people avoid nailing down their thoughts in more concrete terms. They may sound smart because they know the accepted vocabulary, but if you listen to what they mean, rather than what they say, chances are you’ll walk away confused.

So what are some of most annoying terms? Here are a few, courtesy of yahoo.com.

Drill down— Something the higher-ups say when they want to take a close look at something.

Hard stop-– The exec is really serious about hitting this deadline, or they just want to make it sound important. Maybe something really needs to get done, or maybe they want to make their 4pm tee time.

Synergize– aka “Cooperate.” It joined the jargon pool after Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People was published. Synergizing is number 6 on the list. Also, note that spell check does not recognize this term.

To read the full list, go here.

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