Business Clichés to Strike From Your Office Vocab
12.05.12
Tired of the same ol’ business speak? So is everyone else in your office. A Yahoo.com article recently highlighted the top 10 phrases/words that should be stricken from your business vocab. Thanks to Mix1051.com for posting, because I was about to reach out in order to circle back on something you might have been able to leverage … but never mind.
According to staffing firm Accountemps’ survey of executives, here are the most over-used office clichés:
- Leverage. Deployment of an insufficient amount of something to do that which was previously done with much more. Example: “After the layoffs, we can leverage our staff of three to cover the entire Eastern seaboard.”
- Reach out. Deliver the bad news. Example: “Reach out to the customers with a letter announcing that their interest rate just doubled.”
- It is what it is. Get used to it. Example: “Your administrative assistant doesn’t know how to answer the phone. It is what it is.”
- Viral. So prevalent that you want to be sick when you hear about it. Example: “Twitter has gone viral.”
- Game changer. A catalyst that will transform a frog into a prince or vice-versa. Example: “Getting indicted for fraud was a game changer for Bernie Madoff.”
- Disconnect. A situation in which you wanted jelly, but someone gave you peanut butter. Example: “There is a disconnect between what the consumer wants and what we intend to provide.”
- Value-add. A gain, usually financial. Example: “She refuses to donate to charity unless she sees some value-add, say, eternal salvation.”
- Circle back. See you again and again and again whether or not you want to be seen. Example: “I’m having cocktails with Mervin, but I will circle back around midnight to see if you’ve finished the report” or “The stalker abided by the court’s restraining order but then circled back to hang out by my garbage can.”
- Socialize. Jam the idea down their throats. Example: “We need to socialize to our patients our practice of closing the doctor’s office every day for two hours at lunch.” In other words, “Call 911.”
- Cutting edge. So modern, it’s to die for. Example: “Sleeperama’s cutting-edge mattress will take the country by storm.’”
Summer Walker gave us a friendly reminder of tired phrases in June. Have those stuck with you? Do you think these will?
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