Deliverable, actionable, synergy, moving forward, touching base, outside the box, pain point, leverage…You’d be hard-pressed to go a single day without hearing one of these terms around your office.
Corporate speak or corporate jargon has long been criticised for its over engineering of plain, everyday English. On the surface, it’s easy to poke fun at this evolving glossary of business sayings. Like a few of us at Synq, you may even have been involved in a bit of Buzzword Bingo during your time.
But before we put that in our wheelhouse and dive into some ideation, we might consider this: if corporate speak was so annoying and unnecessary, why do we continue to use these sayings?
Sounding Legitimate & Credible
They way in which we talk and write is essential in creating a sense of belonging. So while some of us may cringe when we ourselves use corporate speak, we’re actually signalling that we’re part of the tribe. We’re equals and share a similar day-to-day existence. Like platitudes, we would recognise their absence far more than their appearance. In short, they need to be said.
It’s Misleading & Confusing
Really? As an example, if ‘moving forward’ is really just the same as saying ‘in the future’, then how come we use the former more? There’s a subtle difference: moving forward conveys a partnership and momentum. In the future is far from certain and washes our hands of responsibility.
Incidentally, KPIs has taken many hits over the years, but none have proven fatal. What once felt like a slimy managerial saying remains as pervasive as ever.
It Used to be so Much Simpler!
Oh yeah, when? Some people love harking back to the days when people just said what they saw – nothing fancy, no need to show off, just plain as day descriptions. Ah right, when was that exactly? Like most nostalgic romps they’re nothing but myths. Language has always reflected what we find important in a given time and is incredibly adaptable to any situation.
Granted there are those excruciating times when you’re in the midst of a “corporate speak off”, with combatants floundering under their own lack of expertise. Not only has meaning been outsourced but they’re likely skirting around a truth no one wants to admit (ie. “Why the hell did we launch this start-up!?”)
Last year HubSpot took aim at 50 of the most annoying corporate jargon phrases. I struggle to see how “move the goal post”, “get the ball rolling”, “low hanging fruit” and “back to the drawing board” are not perfect expressions for their situations. We all get what they mean, so stop pretending!
Corporate speak is the necessary oil to a smooth running business machine and as a copywriter I too use these phrases from time-to-time. Yes, they shouldn’t be used at the expense of clarity and concision, but I can’t imagine a world without them.