There are many words and phrases we hear during daily business meetings that we hear repeatedly. A recent Reddit post sought to learn the most annoying business words and phrases.
Table of Contents
Outside the Box
Thinking outside the box means thinking differently or thinking harder. Don’t go on the typical path. Redditors commented though, that in corporate lingo, this never actually means “creative ideas.” It usually just means “rephrase the same” stuff and do “unpaid overtime.”
It’s Like Herding Cats
Few people have to herd cats, but the implication is that trying to get everyone aligned and going in the same strategic direction is tough.
You Need to Be Results-Oriented
Every action has a reaction, and every decision has an outcome, but for some reason, corporate managers and leaders want to remind everyone of that in corporate lingo.
Move the Needle
A project needs to be large enough to make a difference.
We’re Looking To Hire Ninjas, Gurus, and Rockstars
Just be good at your job and that’s all we can ask for.
“In an Effort to Streamline the Process”
Simplifying things is always good, but “streamlining the process” has definitely become overused.
Big Picture
As opposed to a small picture, take a step back and understand the overall goal, strategy, vision, etc.
See the Forest for the Trees
It’s really just a way of saying to see the big picture. When you look at a forest, do you see the forest as a whole, or do you only see the individual trees?
30,000 Foot View
Yet another way to say see the “big picture.”
Synergy
And synergize! Find the ways 1+1=3.
Let’s Touch Base Offline
Considering that remote work is all online these days, this phrase hasn’t aged well. But even before 2020, when it meant talking about something after a meeting, it really was just another way of saying “you’re wasting time in this meeting. Let’s move on.”
Thought Leader
Someone in the Reddit thread said that “thought leader” sounded like something out of sci-fi. It just means someone influential who shares their thoughts.
Missed Opportunities
Another way of saying a leader regrets not picking a more profitable decision that would have gotten them a promotion.
Let’s Circle Back
When you’re in a meeting and someone wants to talk about something again, they’ll say “let’s circle back.” Sometimes it’s a way for someone who likes to talk to have the spotlight back on them.
I Don’t Have the Bandwidth Right Now
Although it sounds like you have slow internet, this is a common excuse for not being able to do work. It is a corporate-appropriate way of saying “No” and not getting fired.
We’re Under-Resourced Right Now
Another way for a manager of a team to also say “No” to new projects.
Ideation
One poster said this is just another way to say “write on a whiteboard.”
Leverage
While a lever may be a marvelous simple machine, the word “leverage” has become overused in corporate.
Low Hanging Fruit
Low-hanging fruit is basically doing the simplest things that will drive the largest impact, the Pareto principle. However, one commentor asked, “What about high standing vegetables?”
Please Provide Some Color on That
This phrase should be removed from corporate lingo in this day and age since it’s just another word for “elaborate.”
Stay In Your Swim Lane
People don’t like when you start doing their work, so they might say, “stay in your swim lane” even if they are doing a poor job.
Siloed
This has nothing to do with farming. When teams don’t talk to each other, they become “siloed” and work slows down.
Cross-Functional
When teams aren’t “siloed” they work together or “cross-functionally.”
Half-Baked Idea
A great way to gently say, “spend more time thinking about that” or “that’s a dumb idea.”
Best Practices
Even if it “contradicts common sense, but someone wrote something saying we have to do it this way.”
Value-Added
It means, “that’s not what we’re paying you for.”
Let’s Stick a Pin in It
It’s not important right now so we’ll talk about it later.
Institutional Knowledge
When a team or team member has been around a long time, they know a lot about how the company and teamwork so losing them means you’ll lose all of the “institutional knowledge” that they have gained.
That’s Above My Paygrade
Basically another way of saying “I don’t feel comfortable making that decision” or “I’ll get fired if I make that decision.”
Teach Them to Fish
Pulled straight from a Chinese proverb and alluded to in the Bible, the implication is that you teach someone how to do something instead of doing it for them.
This post was inspired by this thread.
Featured Photo by Olivier Le Moal on Shutterstock
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