Never use these terms in the same sentence

  • By Mike Benbow / Herald Writer
  • Sunday, January 9, 2005 9:00pm
  • Business

I attend a meeting each day where, among other things, we talk about what we’re going to stick in the ear.

This is much less threatening to people when they know that in this case, “the ear” is the upper left corner of the front page, a space where we put a few words to refer to a story somewhere inside.

Newspapers are as bad as any business when it comes to jargon. I mention this as an acknowledgement that journalists really have no right to poke fun at other jargon-filled professions or businesses.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

But I’m going to do it anyway, with help from Accountemps, a staffing agency that provides accounting professionals to businesses around the globe.

It recently polled 150 senior executives from large companies about what they found as the most annoying terms and phrases in the workplace.

They include:

Thinking outside the box. It wasn’t too many years ago that KIRO-TV did this with its evening newscasts – prompting everyone to stop watching them. When everyone else is still in the box, that is probably a better way to think. Right now, KOMO-TV has its anchors out of the box on its 11 p.m. newscasts, but since it never described the move as outside the box, people actually watch them.

Paradigm. This $10 word for a commonly accepted concept is often used with the word shift, as in making a paradigm shift. This loosely translates to thinking out of the box, which we now know is good to do as long as you don’t actually tell people you’re doing it.

Redeployed people. I’ve never actually used this term myself, but I think it relates to forcing people who are really good at something to do something they hate or don’t know anything about.

Win-win. We’ve all heard this tired phase about how something worked well for both sides involved. Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps, suggests we dump it and just explain why something was successful for everyone.

Core competency. This term is generally used by companies that have expanded into new ventures and failed miserably. Instead of admitting they’ve screwed up and have to start laying off hundreds of people to save the company, they usually talk about returning to what they’ve done fairly well in the past, their core competency.

Customer-centric. As in, we’re going to stop treating people like dirt and try to figure out what they need rather than just forcing them to buy what we have.

At the end of the day. When all is said and done, at the end of the project, etc. Not to be confused with “back in the day,” which is also pretty offensive.

Hopefully, we’ll say goodbye to all these tired terms in 2005.

But wait, there are some new ones coming online.

Here, according to Accountemps, is a list of business buzzwords that will likely hang around for a while.

Water cooler games. Co-worker discussions.

Critical path. The right steps to take.

Bandwidth. The amount of time and resources needed for a project.

Download. Assess the facts of a particular situation.

Brain dump. Sharing all the needed information when handing a project over to the a successor.

Now that we’ve all gotten on the same page, I’m going to pick some low-hanging fruit until it’s time to write next week’s column, which will not be about synergy, metrics or anything involving words like value-added or Generation X.

MIke Benbow: 425-339-3459; benbow@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Business

Nichole Webber: Drawing up plays for athletes and politics

The communications director for the city of Everett believes leadership is rooted in honesty, integrity and selfless commitment to others.

2025 Emerging Leader DeLon Lewis (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
DeLon Lewis: Helping students succeed

Program specialist for Everett Community College believes leadership is about building bridges.

2025 Emerging Leader Natalie Given (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Natalie Given: Building trust and communicating concerns

Everett Police Department’s Public Information Officer builds relationship and better communication.

2025 Emerging Leader Scott Hulme (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Scott Hulme: Standing up for downtown

Business development manager for the Downtown Everett Association brings property owners, tenants and city leaders together.

2025 Emerging Leader Anthony Hawley (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Anthony Hawley: Creating friendships and filling pantries

Since 2021, Hawley has increased donations to Lake Stevens Community Food Bank through fundraising and building donor relationships.

2025 Emerging Leader Rick Flores (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Rick Flores: Learning lessons from marching band

Directs the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement program at WSU Everett helps underrepresented students with tutoring, specialized courses, mentorship and support networks.

2025 Emerging Leader Melinda Cervantes (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Melinda Cervantes: Making sure every voice is heard

Prolific volunteer facilitates connections between Spanish-speaking public representatives and community members.

2025 Emerging Leader Megan Kemmett (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Megan Kemmett: Seeking solutions to any problem or obstacle

Executive director of Snohomish Community Food Bank overcomes obstacles to keep people fed.

2025 Emerging Leader Kellie Lewis (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Kellie Lewis: Bringing community helpers together

Edmonds Food Bank’s marketing and communications director fosters connections to help others.

2025 Emerging Leader Christina Strand (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Christina Strand: Helping people on the move

Community engagement specialist believes biking, walking and public transit can have a positive impact.

Samantha Love: Creating a community

The autism testing specialist works with families, schools and community organizations to break barriers, end waiting lists and provide services.

(Image from Pexels.com)
The real estate pros you need to know: Top 3 realtors in Snohomish County

Buying or selling? These experts make the process a breeze!

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.