I work with putting words to rest. Buzzwords and commonly-used terms are often used by persons who like to use them because:
a. Their peers use them
b. They want people to believe that they are down with the kids
Both of those—including all other potential—reasons are wrong.
Here's a rule that should be adhered to:
Clichés should be avoided like the plague.
Buzzwords and clichés in-text lower readability, and, when used in spoken presentations, make people stop listening; this is the opposite of what you want to achieve for you.
These words and phrases are often used without proper context.
Here are some words and terms which should all be shunned:
cadence
There is nothing wrong in using the word as intended, but it is often used where 'interval' or 'period' should be used.
The term, used erroneously, means different things to different speakers (and audiences). One thing to note here is that the word is more commonly used the higher one goes in a corporate hierarchy.
refresher
This word has been around since the 15th century. There's nothing wrong with using old-school words, but using it as though you're a suave dad at a high-school reunion where you're trying to look cool, is.
low-hanging fruit
Metaphors exist for a good reason: a good metaphor both illuminates the gist of something and engages the mind by allowing an audience to take heed in a different way.
Clichés work another way: if you use a stale word or term the same way that a million other speakers have, often in different and erroneous ways, audiences will disengage with your content or altogether stop listening.
This is why language naturally varies: beware of what you write or you will be its subject, not the other way around.
'Low-hanging fruit' often means 'something that is easily attained'. You'd be surprised at the number of people who believe it means 'something which quickly grows'.
deliver
Did you know 'deliver' can both mean 'to pass on' and 'produce'?
Many believe that 'deliver' means 'to finish'; it does, too, but the intent of the word is entirely dependent on its context.
Companies which use 'We deliver' as a sort of catch-all phrase deserve ruin.
kudos
The word is almost always used correctly. Why, then, should it be avoided?
If the word is used, for example, by a CEO who says 'Kudos to you' without context, it is just as lazily used as the term 'My door is always open'.
If you want to give praise, remember the words of Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band: express yourself.
financials
Merriam-Webster defines the word as 'financial statistics'.
People—many ones who work in Finance departments—use this word sloppily; consider what statistics means, how 'financials' can be misinterpreted in a variety of ways, and, finally, conclude not to use 'financials'.
traction
Note the differences between 'traction', 'motion', and 'force', and realise that context is not only key but essential.
milestone
This word is a turn-off. Note how seldom it is used to mean 'a significant point in development'—(my italicisation)—which is its definition.
evolve
Note how this word means the same as emit.
Context, context, context.
transformation
Unless you are denoting what you are stating when using this word, I advise you to keep the film Red Dragon in mind; in it, a character is obsessed with a painting by William Blake and wants to become it. If he had become it, he would truly have transformed.
William Blake (British, 1757–1827) The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed in Sun (Rev. 12: 1–4), ca. 1803–1805 – Brooklyn Museum
It is not often that the word transformation is used with the meaning that it carries; if you speak about how you have 'transformed company synergies' when what you truly have done is to 'simplify how employees get paid', you should rethink unless you want to look like Francis Dolarhyde.
pivot
Most people who use this word should use 'move' instead.
storm (v.)
From Merriam-Webster:
Definition of storm (Entry 2 of 2)
intransitive verb
1 a: to blow with violence
b: to rain, hail, snow, or sleet vigorously
2: to attack by storm
stormed ashore at zero hour3: to be in or to exhibit a violent passion : RAGE
storming at the unusual delay4: to rush about or move impetuously, violently, or angrily
n.d. “Definition Of STORM.” Accessed February 17, 2020a. https://web.archive.org/web/20200217094301/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/storm.
the mob stormed through the streets
Seldom does a company need to use this word; reserve it for acts of passion and seem an individual or prepare to be considered vulgar.
velocity
This word should—in a work environment—only be used when you describe how you want to act. Use it for the present only if you are acutely aware that you may seem like somebody who stops everybody in their path to say 'I'm breathing' to them as if that's not as obvious as snow.
The word is—in business—a cliché that is mainly used by people who engage in sports, e.g. 'Her Formula One car has adequate velocity to win the race', which is silly and jingoistic.
In the 1992 documentary about Noam Chomsky, Manufacturing Consent, the linguist-cum-political activist articulates precisely what makes competitive sports so creepy.
n.d. “Sports! Or, Training In Irrational Jingoism? — Contrary Blog.” Accessed February 17, 2020c. https://web.archive.org/web/20200217095708/http://blog.contrarymagazine.com/2014/02/sports-or-training-in-irrational-jingoism/.
“Take sports,” Chomsky says, “another crucial example of the indoctrination system, in my view. For one thing, it offers people something to pay attention to that’s of no importance. That keeps them from worrying about things that matter to their lives that they might have some idea of doing something about.”
grooming
I've lately heard this word far more often than I wish I had. Its current popular use—for describing persons like Michael Jackson—affects how it is used professionally.
drive
At your very least, please consider 'impetus'.
This film comes to mind.
PS. When somebody says 'What is driving you?' I wonder why that person thinks somebody other than yourself is behind the wheel.
muscle
As in 'we have to show muscle'.
It doesn't really mean something.
PS. Ask yourself: why not show mind-power instead?
great
Most people who use this word are lazy.
Consider its many meanings and how many persons will be put to sleep by your use of it.
Also consider banishing words such as 'fantastic' and 'awesome'.
Also consider this monologue by Louis CK:
Anyway, I was listening to the two guys, and one of them used a word that really pissed me off because it was how he used it. He used the word “hilarious.” That’s one of those words that we use- that we don’t care what it means. We go right for the top shelf with our words now. We don’t think about how we talk.
Louis CK, 2010. Hilarious.
We just say the- Right to the fucking just- “Dude, it was amazing. It was amazing. ”
Really? You were amazed? You were amazed by a basket of chicken wings? Really? Amazing.
What are you gonna- What are you gonna do with the rest of your life now? What if something really happens to you? What if Jesus comes down from the sky and makes love to you all night long, and leaves the new, living lord in your belly? What are you gonna call that?
You used “amazing” on a basket of chicken wings. You’ve limited yourself verbally to a shit life.
delta
If you've not defined what 'delta' means in your world you should consider coming back to Earth or why you will lose your audience completely.
manageability
An astonishing number of persons don't seem to know that this has to do with being capable of being managed.
baseline
If this word were an animal I'd send it to hospital.
Some persons use this without context or exactness, much like they should use an axe to trim their own fingernails.
align
This is currently a very popular word among people who are high up in a corporate hierarchy.
It is also incompletely used when one does not define what it means, beyond 'get in line', which is its definition.
Describe why something should be aligned and people will follow your train of thought. Don't, and people will either fall off it or quickly exit at their own behest.
sidecar
Some use this word as a verb.
Some people also take selfies and die as a result.
impact (v.)
The art of neology is old.
The art of verbifying nouns is old (to marketing people).
To turn nouns into verbs is often due to marketing or some other branch of work which can turn sanity into something different.
I approve of being curt, but terms such as 'Card me' should never replace 'Please charge the bill to my credit card'; you may end up with receiving a business card instead.
I prefer the use of emojis as body language to verbifying.
call to action
This term—like many others that are used by people who seemingly enjoy buzzwords—means nothing on its own; it rarely means something in the context of business, as it is always trumped by good-to-use words, e.g. 'quickly' or 'immediately'.
Posted from my blog with SteemPress : https://niklasblog.com/?p=24137