Ever get tired of being asked to “give 110%” of yourself? As if you could self-clone on the spot, or instantaneously multiply, in order to ‘better- support’ team needs?
How do you feel when advised not to “open the kimono” (this can sometimes happen when the 'idea hamsters' on the 'bleeding-edge' that you work with - haven't finished their testing yet). If your answer is "ready to take action" - then you may want to enter our Useless Jargon Giveaway where you might be randomly chosen to win a $50 Visa Gift Card* for submitting a workplace catchphrase that you think should be removed from the vocabulary.
Here’s the situation: Since 1976, Michigan’s Lake Superior State University has been doing great work polling and raising awareness about words that ought to be outright banned from everyday language use. Prior winners include:
Teachable moment | Intellectually bankrupt | Boneless wings |
Amazing | Win the future | Thank you in advance |
Refudiate | A-ha moment | Man up |
Game changer | Perfect Storm | Shovel-ready |
Staycation | Man cave | Under the bus |
Awesome | Talking Points | Friend-raising |
Junk Science | It is what it is | Pwn |
Curate | Cra-Cra | Hacks |
and even though you may still be receiving emails every day that use the word "amazing" three or more times to describe things that, well, aren't - it's reassuring to know that there are entities out there keeping track of this stuff.
But what about the parade of meaningless business expressions that are impossible for the average al desko luncher to avoid hearing in the workplace? Terms like core competencies, buy-in, empowerment, taking it to the next level and learnings (that most cringeworthy of the verbs-turned-noun, do you agree?) can now be submitted for inclusion in our directory of the most cloying words in memospeak!
TO ENTER, simply tell us in the comments below - which business jargon word or phrase you’d like to never hear again, and you’ll be automatically entered to win a $50 Visa Gift Card!
Good luck everybody! Oh, and we promise, if you win we will not be 'reaching-out' to you. Instead, we will contact you via email. ;)
*Open now through January 27, 2015 to US residents 18 years or older.
Congratulations to Lucky Winner! tsmith4
"Be your best self."
Cra cra?! It is what it is
The phrase "at the end of the day" is said wayyyy too many times
Think outside the box
Agree with 'outside the box' and also not to let things 'slip through the cracks'....
What I'm saying is.....
Here are some of my favorites. IT: The Cloud SaaS (software as a service) Management: "a seat at the table? ?organizational alignment" ?balanced scorecard? "value-add" "Big Data" "Open Innovation" "Total Quality Management" HR: "employee engagement" -- that term is about as appealing as group work in high school "learning organization" It's funny, really, how being a SAHM changes your perspective on things :-).
I hate think outside the box too!
power play
"The struggle is real" referring to something not significant at all!
Turned up.
I was once in a meeting where they told us "TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX". We came up with 14 HUGE money saving solutions for our workplace... Only to be told that that they were "too much outside the box". Literally that's what they told us.
Cross-Training
Touch Base
I keep hearing the term "Mitch" and I think it needs to seriously go by the wayside. It seems to be the new phrase of the year, but enough with it already.