Why Corporate Buzzwords Are a Bad Idea

Throughout your workday, you may come across corporate buzzwords. These words can occasionally come off as fake or unoriginal, and they can sometimes confuse others.

Corporate Buzzwords: What is it?

Corporate buzzwords are prevalent in a wide range of workplace settings. A startup employee might mention wishing to "synergise," for instance, or a corporate boss might ask to "circle back" with one of their team members regarding a specific "deliverable."

Some people begin to incorporate these expressions into their vocabulary in university, while others learn them at work. Due to its emphasis on cliches and supposedly pretentious language, this style of speaking can attract criticism.

Why You Should Not Use Corporate Buzzwords

Coworkers who speak in a more relaxed, natural language may become irritated by corporate buzzwords. Here are three reasons to avoid using these kinds of expressions:

Corporate buzzwords are vague. It could be difficult for people to understand when you use this jargon rather than plainly stating your intent or opinion. Clear communication is crucial in business, yet corporate jargon is vague. Be functional rather than fancy when utilising English in a professional context.
Corporate buzzwords are inauthentic. Corporate speech can make business leaders seem snobbish to their workers. Those who want to speak in the same manner at work as they would in any other setting of their lives may find themselves appearing robotic or snobbish. Going for a more authentic and approachable vocabulary might make people feel more comfortable and at home in the office.
Corporate buzzwords are unoriginal. Almost every term used in business lingo is a cliché. They are overused and unpleasant to others since people prefer to use them frequently when they do. These types of jargon keep you from discussing specific issues in detail. Instead of relying on generic, unoriginal language, think creatively and tailor your vocabulary to your colleagues' needs.

10 Corporate Buzzwords and Phrases

The pool of expressions and cliches that corporate buzzwords draws from appears endless. These are the ten corporate buzzwords and phrases:

Synergy: Businesses are able to run because of "synergy," which is the cooperative action of many different moving elements. But think of this phrase: "Let us synergise our ideation and workflow." Consider whether using the words "let us work together" would be more appropriate in place of this word.
Circle back: A person may request to "circle back" on what they are saying to another during a meeting. It is a business-speak way of requesting permission to discuss something later. Either approach is adequate for making the argument. The terms "reach out" and "touch base" are interchangeable. However, some may find it pretentious.
Bandwidth: When someone asks you if you have the time to complete a task at work, they refer to your "bandwidth." There is no reason to switch out one word for another. Using plain English rather than corporate buzzwords could come across more plainly.
Deep dive: When someone uses the term "deep dive," they probably mean to examine a specific topic further. Another corporate idiom that means the same thing is "drill down." For instance, "Let us take a deep dive on what makes our training programme effective". It is one example of corporate buzzwords that you might include or exclude from your lexicon.
Bleeding edge: When someone uses the term "bleeding edge" to describe technological advancements in the corporate world, it may sound overly grandiose and graphic.
Core competency: A person or organisation's intrinsic skills and talents are considered core competencies in the business world. For instance, you would state, "Connecting people with each other is one of our core competencies", rather than "We excel at connecting people with each other." Although neither is inaccurate, the latter is more accurate and sensible.
Buy-in: When you ask for someone's "buy-in," you request their agreement or support for your decision or recommendation. You may also ask for someone's "value-add" to suggest they contribute to your app, project, or another business venture. Consider whether you can express your meaning with a simpler word in either situation.
Deliverables: Whether you work from home or in a standard office setting, your employer may occasionally request "deliverables" from you. This is a sophisticated way of saying that you must finish one of your tasks or projects. A critical lesson from this example of corporate buzzwords is that there is typically a shorter way to explain what is being said.
Thought leader: When someone refers to themselves as a "thought leader," it is more likely that they are trying to boost their ego than that they have a genuine vision. Allow others to refer to you in this way; using the term for yourself could appear arrogant and unhelpful.
Game changer: New procedures, products, or services are occasionally referred to in the business world as "game changers" or "paradigm shifts." Given the high bar they set, these expressions may seem exaggerated. Overstatement is more difficult to overcome than understatement as a general communication trick. Instead of coming across as arrogant and falling short, you come across as modest and more impressive.

Source: Masterclass