What are the corporate buzzwords that cause the most cringes in the office or perhaps, more recently, via Zoom or Slack?
Maybe your boss likes to ‘touch base’ with you, or he’s constantly ensuring the team ‘gets their ducks in a row.’
Well, if you’ve ever felt yourself cringe on the receiving end of one of these water cooler cliches, here’s your chance to feel less alone.
The latest Get Response survey polled 1000 US office workers on the office jargon that really grates.
Office Jargon to Make you Cringe
Annoying Corporate Jargon to Avoid
Well, it turns out ‘synergy’ is the all time least popular phrase in the office!
Meaning ‘the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects’ it basically translates as cooperation or teamwork.
If there’s one word you need to erase from your personal business dictionary, this is it!
Why Do we Use Buzzwords Anyway?
People use buzzwords partly to convey that they’re part of a social group, says socio-linguist Robert Leonard.
Our affinity for them therefore us underpinned by a basic human desire for acceptance.
That could make all of us cut the offender a little slack next time we’re told to touch base for some blue sky thinking…