As the workplace gets more casual, it seems like our language does too. We all end up picking up phrases or business jargon from colleagues and then starts the never-ending cycle of repetition. It got so bad, that we even started implementing a “jargonator” for the worst offenders during meetings. This was simply a bell that we would press when someone, inevitably, used one of the off-limits phrases or words. While we all laughed about it, it was really effective in motivating the team to use straight-forward, concise language and after a few team meetings, we were down to just a few “dings’ per meeting.
To save you the effort of implementing your own jargonator, I’ll share with you the top three things to stop using in your business acumen today:
- “I don’t disagree”. This actually means you agree- so either simply state that you are in agreement, or take the opportunity to understand more if you are hesitant. Saying I agree or “tell me more about…” is much more powerful especially when coming across to direct reports and colleagues.
- “In regards to”. Example: We are gathering the data in regards to your request. We aren’t looking for word count here- take out the excess and just state that we are gathering the data for your request. As much as it may come across as professional, so does being concise.
- “Is the juice worth the squeeze?”. What you are really asking here is this worth my time? So don’t sugar coat it- be direct and either ask “ what’s in it for me?” Or “help me understand what we will gain from doing X?” This will ultimately get you the information you need.
Likely there is a whole slew of jargon unique to your company. What will you stop saying today?
