As we move forward, let’s stop saying “going forward”

IT IS completely unnecessary, largely overworked, exceptionally annoying and mostly meaningless expression that has shot to prominence during the COVID-19 era: “going forward”.

Once quarantined to the office, “going forward” (or its twin “moving forward”) has infected the public arena.

The medical professional speaks about “a plan to ease social distancing measures going forward” as the politician in a TV interview explains that “along with other COIVD-19 work it will help us to progress going forward” while the economist predicts “going forward unemployment rates are anticipated to treble”.  

The chief executive will offer up that “post-COVID-19 we are planning a new future for the company going forward”, the sporting legend tweets “going forward the pandemic has taught us many lessons that we can use to improve our lives” and the newsreader spruiks “we are likely to see greater precautions taken going forward”.

In the short time that COVID-19 has ruled our lives, “going forward” has touched our prominent leaders in the same way as past insufferable pieces of babble speak such as “thinking outside the box”, “let’s park that” and “we must circle back”.

Its unfettered rise to fame has happened despite the availability of a plethora of perfectly punchy alternatives, including “from now on”, “beginning today”, “advancing”, “improving”, “progressing” and so on.

Ok, it’s a tempting phrase to use and it might signal forthcoming grand plans. 

But many people simply despise the term, not least because of its past use by business leaders who wanted to bury unmitigated disasters that had taken place on their watch and divert attention to a more positive future.

In most instances, the expression is also redundant.

When the banker tells us “the impact of COVID-19 has the potential to restrain economic growth going forward”, the last words can be deleted.

When our boss informs us that “going forward, the plan will be to cut costs and save jobs” you must ask how a plan can be anything but about the future.

But that is not the only issue with this much-maligned maxim.

It conveys that we are on a purposeful path to a brighter future by providing a sense of action, purpose and direction, which will appeal to many.   

Yet “going forward” is ambiguous in relation to specific actions, timelines and accountability. You could easily substitute the words “I don’t know”, “I don’t have a clue” or “I have not thought that far ahead”.

As we move forward, let’s agree to not use the term “going forward” on a go-forward basis.

A failure to do so will be a backward step.

It will also signal to an audience that, on hearing the words “going forward”, they can switch off knowing full well they won’t miss a thing.   

Professor Gary Martin is chief executive officer at the Australian Institute of Management WA