We’re all familiar with them, even if we don’t work in a traditional corporate office space: those phrases, sayings and acronyms that are ubiquitous in the office — even if the people using them wouldn’t dream of uttering them in normal life.
The culprits range from the fairly benign — “we need to get on the same page†— to the downright inscrutable — “open the kimono.â€
The spread of corporate speak, or garbage language as author Anna WienerOpens a new window has coined it, has yet again become the subject of scrutiny,Opens a new window especially in the tech world. Start-ups, especially those devoted to tech, have developed a new generation of buzzwords and phrases that get thrown around the office in an attempt to boost morale or create the feelingOpens a new window of camaraderie.
In fact, the English language is perfectly equipped to accommodate whatever message you’re trying to communicate without the need to resort to vague or in-vogue expressions. If anything, using corporate speak can become a real problem, glossing over issues or avoiding points of disagreement.
In short, consider the core reasons to abandon corporate speak — or whatever you want to call it — as quickly as possible:
It’s a waste of time
When people employ indirect speech instead of using plain words and direct language, they run the risk of serious miscommunication. Sure, giving people the wrong impression is a problem. But more frequently, other people simply don’t understand what an individual is trying to say. How many times have people sat in meetings wondering what’s really going on and when they can get back to work?
Communication is part of work. Speaking plainly will make that clear by increasing the odds that a conversation is constructive.
It erodes trust
A recent article about corporate speak cited the example of Away luggage company’s chief executive telling the customer service team that they could no longer request paid time off or a work-from-home option. In an email announcing the policy shift, the manager put the change in bizarre terms. “I hope everyone in this group appreciates the thoughtfulness I’ve put into creating this career development opportunity,†she wrote.
To term a punitive change as an opportunity is not only disingenuous, it veers dangerously close to gaslighting. Toxicity in the workplaceOpens a new window is a surefire way to rupture trust and undercut creativity. Just be honest.
It creates communication blocks
Even if all the members of one team have a good sense of the common language, that can quickly get lost when cross-team or even cross-company collaboration is needed. When people in one background start talking to people from another background, relying on corporate speak to communicate can leave people feeling lost.
That’s why some people call corporate speak jargon, a first cousin to the specialized language employed in field such as medicine (a first cousin because corporate speak is less a specialized vocabulary than an indirect way of saying something that already has a plain-English equivalent).
The problem is that once people start relying on corporate speak, it can be tough to revert back to plain English. Avoid that, and the potential for people to be unpleasantly surprised at directness, by ensuring corporate speak isn’t a part of your company’s culture.