A Periodic Compendium of Financial Services Marketing Information
“Corporate Speak” Words to Ban
There are words that have become almost cult like in their corporate usage. Below are a number of cliches in current usage. The question is: would our businesses come to a screeching halt if these words and phrases were banned?
Think outside the box
Touch base
Fully engaged
Drill down
Synergy
Too much on my plate
Take this to the next level
People manager
Reach out to them
Take this offline
Is the solution scalable
Let’s not reinvent the wheel
Taking ownership
Thrown under the bus
Value added
Takeaway
Net-net
At the end of the day
Metrics
Going forward
Incentivize
Ramp-up
Re-image
Headcount
Sniff test
On the same page
Proactive approach
Critical resource
Repurposed
Skill set
Best of breed
Bandwidth
Dialogue
Low-hanging fruit
Current status
Win/win
Laser focus
Lessons learned
Yes, English is a living language and, as such, it is subject to its own evolution. As business adopts clichés they begin a life of their own and new clichés ultimately take their place. However, the most efficient words or phrases find a way to survive. In the last analysis, direct and straight-forward “business speak” is an eloquent luxury that is practiced by only a few.