Enter the SheSpeaks Useless Jargon Giveaway

   By SheSpeaksTeam  Jan 14, 2015
341

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

 

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thescarlette by thescarlette | FAYETTEVILLE, NC
Jan 20, 2015

"Be your best self."

rilyaily by rilyaily | SACRAMENTO, CA
Jan 20, 2015

Cra cra?! It is what it is

ginamendez01 by ginamendez01 | Oxnard, CA
Jan 20, 2015

The phrase "at the end of the day" is said wayyyy too many times

BronzedSouthernBeauty by BronzedSouthernBeauty | KERSHAW, SC
Jan 20, 2015

Think outside the box

spark5 by spark5 | PITTSBURGH, PA
Jan 20, 2015

Agree with 'outside the box' and also not to let things 'slip through the cracks'....

tristina by tristina | IUKA, MS
Jan 20, 2015

What I'm saying is.....

evenangel by evenangel | LOVES PARK, IL
Jan 20, 2015

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 :-).

luckysista by luckysista | Dallas, TX
Jan 19, 2015

I hate think outside the box too!

jltull by jltull | CONWAY SPGS, KS
Jan 19, 2015

power play

adarst213 by adarst213 | Milwaukee, WI
Jan 19, 2015

"The struggle is real" referring to something not significant at all!

FavoredOne77 by FavoredOne77 | Biloxi, MS
Jan 19, 2015

Turned up.

JosiePosie76 by JosiePosie76 | WICHITA FALLS, TX
Jan 19, 2015

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.

dawn022773 by dawn022773 | Massillon, OH
Jan 19, 2015

Cross-Training

dawn022773 by dawn022773 | Massillon, OH
Jan 19, 2015

Touch Base

GuessWho by GuessWho | PHILADELPHIA, PA
Jan 19, 2015

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.