Enlightening

October 21, 2024

Dear Leaders,

As the days grow shorter and the daylight less, we turn to that which lights up the dark, and like those lights, proper use of language can either enlighten us or blind us to that which we need to see.? Leaders who overuse jargon, office-speak, and what I call buzzwords in attempts to add emphasis, gain attention, or appear professional. About two years ago, I provided a list of words and terms so badly used and overused, they go beyond not having meaning and venture into absurdity, and it’s time to update the list.

Some new additions:

Superpower – If everyone had a superpower, Marvel and DC movies and comics would be irrelevant.? The truth is that most are mere mortals who can do some things well but aren’t spectacular.? They might have unrealized talent, so let’s call it that.?

Hack – So many hacks, so few systems.? The overuse is sickening to the point of making the reader start to hack.

Secret sauce – It just doesn’t exist, for there are no magic elixirs, and that stuff on a Big Mac is thousand island dressing.

Magic – Save it for Harry Potter, for while something might be spectacular on the job, there was no sleight of hand, just great work.? ??

Still in (over)use:

Pivot – Still too prevalent here and in professional lexicon.? We do so much pivoting on LinkedIn, I get dizzy spells.? ??

Broken:?So overused, you wonder if anything is working.?If I were to use it, I would say that use of the word broken is broken.

Robust:?A qualifier that makes everything nothing, for all that which you do should be done enthusiastically and with purpose.

Dynamic:?Same problem, if everything is dynamic, nothing is.

Epic:?A routine or unimpressive event does not become something bigger by adding this word.

Amazing:?One of the most over-used modifiers, and a frequent point of offense on LinkedIn, for like the others, if everyone is amazing, then what you call amazing is just average.

Kudos:?I never liked this one, for it sounds like a pat on the head and detracts from the intended recognition or accolades.

Stakeholder:?In government service, we had so many of these, there wasn’t anyone who wasn’t one.? Being part of something doesn’t make one a stakeholder.?

Evergreen:?Just because something will be with us for a long time, don’t make up a word for it.

Granular:?If your subject is not salt, sugar, or sand, why are you using this word? ?Fine detail is exactly that.

Gaslighting:?Although this one is derived from an excellent classic film noir, there is so much gaslighting going on here, and in speeches by one of the presidential candidates, I fear my computer will spontaneously combust if there is a spark.

Quiet:? Quiet quitting, quiet hiring, quiet firing, that’s all way too loud.? ?

Hall of shame:

Synergy:?A zombie buzzword that was so overused, resume coaches tell people to avoid it, yet it refuses to know that it’s dead.

Gravitas:?A word that has thankfully faded from view, for it is the realm of a select few, as if everyone has it, no one does.

Unicorn:?OK for use by girls under 10, but absurd for business use. ?If it’s truly unique or one-of-a-kind, call it that.

English is the most descriptive of all languages and minimizing the richness thereof through the use of silly slogans and buzzwords only detracts from your message.?As leaders, the use of plain language with a rich vocabulary will take your message from routine to profound, with the impact to make your point and leave a lasting impression.?Say what you mean and mean what you say.

Sincerely,

Tim