Getting used to a new office means learning how to communicate. You sometimes have to learn your company’s jargon to do that well. At Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Zachary Brown, an assistant professor who researches jargon, says people use it for communication, to show off, fun, belonging, to befuddle/intimidate/exclude, and to legitimize themselves.
Although we’re guilty of using office buzzwords in meetings to get our points across, hearing them can secretly irk everyone. CV Maker hired pollsters to ask more than 4,500 people what they considered the most annoying corporate buzzword:
Image Credit: Pexels/RF._.studio
- Synergy
- Outside the box
- Take ownership
- Value-added
- Circle back
- Reach out
- Going forward
- Proactive
- Takeaway
- Make it happen
Jargon becomes annoying when it is overused. Jargony phrases can be off-putting – and why. Career experts share their pet peeves about jargon.
It’s Hard To Parse Acronyms
If everyone knows their acronyms, they are fine. However, they can be frustrating if they don’t make sense to everyone. It’s dangerous to assume your colleague understands. Employees have a hard time understanding jargon, unlike many other business buzzwords
Non-Native Speakers Can Miss Idioms
Today, most people do not view a complete meal as something relevant to their lives. Some off-putting phrases come from older generations, such as “soup and nuts” and “nuts and bolts.” Among the phrases used are “move the needle,” “out of pocket,” “piggyback,” and “low-hanging fruit.”
Image Credit: Pexels/Tima Miroshnichenko
Jargon Related To Sports Can Discriminate
Career coach Angela Karachristos finds it annoying and exclusionary. To indicate the impact of unfamiliar sports jargon, call it out.
How to Use Jargon Thoughtfully
- The higher the status of a professional, the more jargon they will use
- If you think you’re being evaluated, use jargon
- The best of both worlds: fit in while over-explaining
- Rephrasing jargon terms in cliché-filled office cultures
- It shows warmth and competence