Overused Corporate Jargon

I honestly cannot remember the last time I heard someone say “think outside the box” in a professional setting. That tired old phrase long ago left the lexicon of most people in my orbit as a recruiter working with finance & accounting execs.

Yet, Fast Company still includes “outside the box” in its swift takedown of business jargon, along with “disrupt,” “empower,” “circle back,” “move the needle” and other extremely overused (and under-clear) phrases.

Platform Executive listed the 120 most annoying business phrases & buzzwords of 2022. PE listed these 120 terms and their relative explanation. There are some real beauties in there. Here are just a few:

• Baked In – Finance people love this. Nobody else does
• Growth Hacker – In simple terms, this person knows absolutely nothing about anything. A digital grifter.
• Lean In – Unapologetic 2.0
• Right? – Extraordinarily annoying and patronizing remark made to the recipient

What about your company or work group? What jargon do you need to collectively retire this year?
#overusedjargon #businesstalk #teamcommunication