I came across a pretty hilarious article on Forbes when brainstorming ideas for my column this morning. It's about business jargon and how useless most of it is.
Now, I'm the first to be skeptical of buying into culture, jargon is a defining component of culture, so I have always been the last to use an organization's jargon when I've been a part of it, but even I find that some of the assertions the author makes are a little absurd. You can find the article here.
Now I'm going to reach out to all of you, exceed expectations in writing this article, and shoot the wind about how I feel about jargon. Was that good enough?
Original Post Continued At Bottom
what’s the Point Of Finance Business Jargon
Business jargon can be useful when used correctly as an effective means of getting your point across but unfortunately, it’s often used as fillers or ‘fluff’ making it meaningless.
Market Fundamentals shared this great image of common business jargon.
User @johndoe89 shares a list of amusing jargon:
- Leverage (the most abused noun turned verb turned everything in finance)
- Cross sell opportunities
- Maximizing Shareholder Value
- Synergies
- Ducks in a row
- Core Competency
- Open the Kimono
- Lots of Moving Parts
- Meritocratic culture
- Scalable
- Robust
- Think Outside The Box
- It Is What It Is
- Ecosystem
- Full-Service
- Entrenched
- Tee-Up
- "Let's talk offline"
- Hard Stop
- Price Point
- Low Hanging Fruit
Check out this article from Forbes.
Looking for guidance in your career?
With a network of more than 200 mentors, WSO’s Mentor Service can help increase your chance of landing a job by over 12x. Our mentors are top employees at the most selective firms. Find your mentor today.
Original Post Continued
The funniest thing about jargon to me is the degree to which _no one_ likes it but everyone buys into it. For instance, I am not a huge fan of the phrase "reach out"...it just sounds bizarre to me. I, like the author of the Forbes article, would much rather say "get in contact with", "contact", "get in touch with", etc. Any sexual connotations aside, reach out is simply a strange way to say that you are talking, or planning on talking, to someone.
However, despite disliking the phrase "reach out", I find myself using it all the time -- during information interviews, when talking to normal people, when giving friends advice about networking, and even in other situations. Honestly, I don't think anyone really _likes_ phrases like reach out...they do make you sound like a bit of a tooligan. But that doesn't matter -- spend a little bit of time in the business world and you'll quickly understand that everyone both uses business jargon and expects the people around them to use it as well.
Jargon has a bit of a cult of personality, despite being an inanimate object. Maybe because I was interested in finance (and wasn't interested in software), I found it easier to stomach the fact that suddenly I was using phrases like "reach out", "execute", "give 110%", among others.
I remember one time I got into contact (note, I did not say "reached out" :) ) with someone at a local startup that I was interested in learning more about. Their PR person was about my age - 23 - and a recent college graduate. In her e-mail response to me, she thanked me two or three times for "reaching out", and upon meeting her, I was interested to learn that she did not have a business degree and didn't see herself in a business role whatsoever after graduation. She was clearly not your prototypical business person, but she had, in a short period of time, totally bought into the jargon associated with business professions.
What do you guys think about jargon? Absurd, a necessary evil...perhaps an unnecessary evil? And what do you make of some of the jargon the Forbes article brings to light...a lot of these words I didn't even realize were "business jargon" per se.
Agreed, I can't stand it. My firm uses the phrase 'tag-up' for meetings, and when I hear the phrase 'lets tag-up later' I immediately want to vomit.
Leverage (the most abused noun turned verb turned everything in finance) Cross sell opportunities Maximizing Shareholder Value Synergies ducks in a row Core Competency Open the Kimono Lots of Moving Parts Meritocratic culture Scalable Robust Think Outside the Box It Is What It Is Ecosystem full-service Entrenched Tee-Up "Let's talk offline" Hard Stop Price point Low Hanging Fruit
Check out this article from Forbes- a few of the above are on this list, hilarious: http://www.forbes.com/sites/groupthink/2012/01/26/the-most-annoying-pre…
Ahhhh leverage, that's the first word that comes to mind when somebody mentions jargon and I'm a damn freshman in college. I see that word way too much
How do you feel about business jargon? (Originally Posted: 07/21/2016)
I was listening to Bloomberg's new podcast, Game Plan, and they brought up the topic of business jargon:
Meaningless terms and phrases like synergy, circle back, and touch base that we're all guilty of using.
Personally, I strongly prefer conversational, informal language than office jargon that lacks clarity.
What is your thought?
artifacts
The jargon can be useful for managing up with people who aren't your direct superior (e.g. If your goal is to basically blow off somebody whose technically higher than you in some other group than a jargon filled email can be just the ticket).
At my previous job, one of the desks next to mine was open, and therefore would often be used by some "regional" guy that would come work out of our office 2-3 times a week. No idea what he was hired for, nor do I care to remember his extremely obscure title/job function. If I had a dollar for every time he sat on the phone using the most empty, meaningless, unproductive keywords with people, I would have had enough money to quit on the spot, stand up, ask him straight up something along the lines of "what do you even DO here??"...and then take a steaming dump on his desk - (as would be recommended by a strangely large proportion of the people here on WSO).
Moral of the story: Spend more time doing a productive job than you do on thesaurus.com memorizing words to confuse people into thinking you do.
Muppet.
Your 3 examples are all short hand phrases which have a fairly well understood meeting (at least among those who use them). Maybe less so among people who use them when speaking bullshit.
For example: Me: What's the EBITDA we're financing off? Person: $120m Me: Is that reported? Person: No. $30m is synergies, $20m is pro formas. Me: Sounds like a hard sell. Got a QOE? Person: Yes, but only sell-side. Buy side is due Friday. Me: OK, get across it when it lands and circle back to me on Monday. Then we'll touch base with Sales and see if they can sell this shit.
That's all more time and concept efficient than trying to deploy long-hand language.
EDIT: I'm more annoyed by sales language bullshit. Particularly in TMT deals. Like every fucking company is a "leading" company selling "mission critical" products.
This.
Business jargon, as OP called it, is often effective; however, if you put any of this sales shit in an internal underwriting deck..........
You knocked it out of the park here^^ (cliche)
Let's not forget all the pitches with "disruptive technologies" and "turnkey solutions"
I'm with you there. I feel like every deck I see says "we're the industry leader", then says their industry is something like "gluten free, non-GMO, all-veggie dog treats for Shih Tzus weighing under 10 lbs."
It's like credentials in beauty parade decks.
1 TMT ECM underwriter in 1Q 2016*Know your audience. In language should be different than discussions with people out of that group.
"Circle back" and "touch base" are widely used in several industries, so I don't find those too bothersome. If I hear "open your kimono" one more time though...
I do find it funny when people are oblivious or indifferent to the literal meaning of said jargon. For instance, people don't seem to realize or care just how creepy "opening your kimono" is (and don't get me started on calling a spade a spade)
I find them endlessly obnoxious
We need to reach out and leverage this conversation.
Synergies is not meaningless jargon, it's an everyday essential concept... the other two, ok, "jargon", but they are efficient as SSits pointed out.
Who cares. Don't matter if you're speaking dyslexic Swahili - if you're making money for the desk, you get coffee
I think it's a matter of repetition. If you "touch base" every now and then, it's not a big deal. If you're "touching base" every time you email or meet with someone, that's when it becomes noticeable.
I checked some of the recent emails I sent out and I have successfully not used any bullshit phrases. I type "just" and "wanted to" far too often, however. Need to cut that shit out.
I've made a conscious decision to stop using 'just wanted to', It comes across and weak and can signal that you are uncomfortable making an ask or communicating.
Phrases like synergy, circle back, and touch base don't bother me much. But words like innovate, disrupt, and leverage can be very annoying when they are overused or used improperly, which all too often they are. Around the office we sometimes use cliche business phrases to mock folks who blatantly overuse them.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericjackson/2012/06/19/89-business-cliches-…
Not all of these are completely useless, but many are overused or not used in the right context.
The management presentations are what get me. Last week, this phrase was bundled up with a lot of perspiration, "Our core competency is not to boil the ocean, but rather shifting the ecosystem in our industry-- it's more of a paradigm shift". I saw the VP cringe.
I think management will try to use it as a buffer and help them appear smarter. It often has the reverse effect.
A boutique I used to work at I witnessed:
Senior Associate to intern on his first week on the job: "you got bandwidth?" Intern: "Huh? Excuse me?" Senior Associate: "bandwidth. You got bandwidth?" Intern: "..."
I came over to explain but couldn't help but cringe when I first heard this convo ongoing
Yes I do; my Internet works great!
May be a bit off topic, but if I hear one more "LinkedIn Innovator" use the word "disrupt" I'm gonna throw up.
i was planning a trip to patagonia with my cousin 1.5 years ago and she kept using the word "beta", as in info. "i'll get you the beta asap", "keep me up to date on the beta". she was a tryhard to work in tech at the time, so maybe she was over-compensating. i was like, just f*cking say "info".
there were other words similar to these she was saying but i've blocked them from my memory
Your cousin sounds like a real tool
I'm a big believer in simplifying your writing to maximize clarity. This means using the word 'use' over 'utilize' for instance. Both mean the same thing - one just has more letters and sounds more pompous than the other.
Many great writers also advocate writing like you speak. This is more difficult than it seems though, as it runs counter to what we're taught throughout high school and university.
More than just the jargon, it bothers me when people misuse terms when they apply them to a finance context. E.g. ppl often say "sales trends are accelerating" when what they really mean is that they are "growing". Acceleration has a very precise definition and while sometimes it gets used correctly, more often people completely butcher the meaning. I guess that's just the physics major in me being nitpicky though...
Its like managing group of people which have higher post than you.
I hate "hit the ground running"
Jargon is really annoying but when everyone around you uses it, it's hard not to.
ha, think I just used this the other day...whoops.
Best part of the article, “Aspiring managers would do well to remember that if you can’t express your idea without buzzwords, there may not be an idea there at all.”
i love jargon, i think it is the funniest/douchiest thing in the world. Even though I love it in a facetious way I find myself using it all the time. Some of my favorites include: Closing the loop, moving the needle, sit down on this and many others. Although I know saying all of this makes me sound like a tool I do it all the time because one its hilarious and two I just want to fit in. When everyone at a firm has bought into it, it becomes part of the culture. Everyone uses it and acknowledges its absurdity but it also gives a way to communicate because we all understand it perfectly. I don't think its useless at all, I disagreed with the Forbes article. It has become so ingrained in business that if you don't use it you almost seem like an outsider. I think it's usefulness comes more from the "common language", if you will, that it provides business oriented individual
just my 2 cents
I don't see it as a big deal at all. Some of the more absurd ones I don't use (lion's share, 30,000 ft view), but other pieces of jargon are so common place that they make it easier to communicate.
Reach Out vs Get in contact with Ping vs Instant Message etc...
Everyone in the business understands it and it's usually a shorter way of saying something.
And synergies is jargon?! how else would you describe synergies concisely?
EDIT: Some of the ones in article I've never heard - "Open the Kimono?" - don't think I could hold it in if I heard that
I hate more than anything that when describing something you add "from group X perspective" or "from system Y perspective" etc... I just hate that. Sometimes you sit in a meeting and a person uses "perspective" more than once in a complete thought. It absolutely kills me.
Hahaha, I hate that one too! It's awful.
There's one guy I work with that says "at the end of the day" with such frequency, I am expecting his head to one day explode. Just saying "at the end of the day, at the end of the day, at the end of the day" faster and faster until his head blows up.
totally with you regarding "at the end of the day" haha did we work with the same people or something, because next to "perspective" that was also one of my top most hated, just because it was used with such frequency
Dude, "open the kimono" is absurd. I am going to start using that ALL the time.
A phrase that I really like is 'Shit or get off the pot' but I guess that's not just a business term.
it is what it is..
A lot of the time when you try to explain things in normal English I feel like people think you don't know what youre talking about. I always try to avoid using jargon but it seems like you have to use it if you want to be seen as a professional
I will agree some of of them like "open the kimono" are kind of weird. But seriously, complaining about saying "reaching out" and saying it's BS? It is what it is (yes, this was on purpose). Now I can't think of a better way to say "reach out" than actually saying "reach out." I'd rather say "going forward" than "in the future" or whatever. These phrases come into practice for a reason. They have a specific meaning that everyone can understand without being fucking confused, and using them is usually the most efficient way of conveying your meaning. So no, I like using them, I do use them, and it doesn't make me look like a douche because everyone around me uses them without thinking about it. Embrace it and get used to it. Isn't there something better to complain about?
I like jargon and useless sentences.
"Our competitors forgot that they already tried to make us think about the opportunity we'd rather forget" is my favorite
Try to say that in a meeting and watch everyone "bug" as they try to figure it out.
I never use jargon. I simply refuse to. It makes you sound like a vapid clown.
my hipster-sense is tingling
wake up the monkey and show him the dollar! shave my back and slap my sister! and biscuits and gravy
I don't view "reach out" as jargon. It's a pretty common phrase for anyone these days. To me, it has a more casual connotation than "contact" or "get in touch with" that is entirely appropriate for many situations.
Also the only thing more annoying than jargon, is the people complaining about it. Please merge with this thread or the numerous others; thanks for doing me a solid boss, let's tag up after your balls drop chief.
http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/most-annoying-finance-jargonsphra…
'synergistic' to describe something 30,000 ft view shoot me an email hit the ground running
just typing these out makes me feel like a jackass
home run deep dive rock star in the weeds best of breed ping
it's hard to respect somebody who uses buzzwords. but spend some time in consulting, clients eat that stuff up.
Business jargon is revolting... the reason it sounds so empty is because business is anti-intellectual by it's very nature. In a way, it makes sense.
I'm not a fan of excessive abbreviations either. It reminds me of military / state bureaucracy; Not surprising as many of the ideas of modern management originated in the military.
Whenever i hear someone say "think outside the box" i get the urge to reply "i think about box all the time..."
Sunt aut dolor quasi cupiditate illo exercitationem minima ut. Voluptatem reiciendis qui voluptas sint voluptatibus atque. Itaque itaque ullam magni optio. Quasi autem id nemo eveniet. Ab atque non cum.
Aut rerum cum repellat natus deleniti. Modi animi rerum autem nostrum alias quidem modi. Doloremque nihil sunt maxime tempore est qui.
Nobis est pariatur vitae id. Iste nihil sed corrupti nostrum harum et. In et accusamus omnis aliquid laudantium consequuntur ut.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Non adipisci eligendi asperiores exercitationem blanditiis tenetur molestiae non. Eaque quis corrupti laboriosam totam. Odio est harum error qui amet vel. Dolores quia dolorem assumenda aut minima sit accusamus. Id quia necessitatibus delectus fugiat ratione est non.
Ratione illo quia eaque id ipsum aliquid sit. Omnis voluptas sunt amet. Animi aliquid laborum atque et quia. Nesciunt repellat enim nobis velit repellat quisquam. Rerum neque iusto sed non numquam ut.
Molestiae ut ut error vitae in vel dolor. Totam sit ut praesentium illum voluptas atque qui molestiae. Enim harum doloremque perferendis nobis.
Tempora qui corrupti id qui officia. Assumenda iure explicabo omnis officiis natus. Voluptatibus non ipsa aut voluptas. Ipsa odio aliquam alias animi quidem excepturi.
Ea nihil molestiae qui beatae debitis. Eum adipisci nihil dicta ut optio omnis. Praesentium ullam tempora nobis praesentium totam. Dolore mollitia natus atque voluptatibus quisquam molestiae animi.
Amet expedita voluptates iure voluptates esse officia. Sed non repellendus repellat dolor consequatur dolorem. Enim pariatur nihil soluta voluptas magnam eum. Quasi aut iure minima culpa quasi. Dolorum dolor aspernatur corrupti suscipit aut consequuntur consectetur.
Iste pariatur harum et quae voluptas praesentium id. Molestias voluptatem sit cupiditate dolores aperiam molestias. Laudantium laborum illo aut hic blanditiis quod. Atque accusantium consequuntur odit beatae.
Maiores doloribus quis accusantium incidunt ipsa quis temporibus. Doloribus et illum eum. Laboriosam hic culpa nemo sequi. Animi et illum adipisci accusantium impedit.