YEP!
And it’s not just corporate jargon that’s got me down most…it’s the fact that communicators are some of the worst offenders. And worse yet: the other day during a workshop on improving two-way communication between managers and employees, I challenged some of my colleagues to go a week without using acronyms or jargon and people wanted to know WHY!?!
Is it not obvious?
I guess not. So here are just a few (cuz I could go on, and on, and on, and on, and on….) of my reasons for abolishing jargon and acronyms:
1. They lead to confusion. People often cite efficiency as a reason for relying on tired corporate axioms and TLAs (three letter acronyms…oh yeah…it even has its own meta-acronym), but there are many acronyms that have dual, triple, quadruple…meanings. So while you think MLB means moveable lane barrier in the transportation biz, if you’re in medicine, you might mistake the person’s meaning because you know it to mean microlaryngotracheobronchoscopy…CLEARLY. Confusion ensues.
2. They are tired. Cliches. (I’m referring to the jargon here.) Stop with the enabling synergy, leveraging ecosystems, blah, blah, blah!
3. What does enabling synergy even really mean? I often find jargon so ambiguous…be clear about what you mean, don’t just rely on silly buzz words to make it through a meeting. Put your thoughts together and be meaningful.
That’s it for now. I’m sure others can add their least favourite office speak. Have at it!
