Breaking the jargon barrier: why clear communication matters in business
From corporate buzzwords to text-speak: the invasion of jargon is making business communication increasingly impenetrable. As someone who receives dozens of communications every day, Pat Crawford wants to encourage less jargon, slang, journalese, computerese, bureaucratese and clichés. Here’s why that matters and how to fix it.
Every industry has a unique lexicon that involves words and phrases that baffle outsiders. Language evolves, some words are ‘on trend’ (itself, a much-overused phrase), we’re challenged by vast numbers of acronyms, slang and abbreviations. Don’t let’s forget that texting has a language of its own that, unfortunately, has been adopted across society: ATM, WFH, TTYL, EOD translates as: At the moment, Working from home, Talk to you later, End of the day.
The jargon explosion
Some abbreviations we’ve used for years, a few even in formal communications, and they would leave huge gaps if they disappeared. Where would we be without RSVP, ASAP, FYI, N/A, TBA, IRL, RIP, AKA, DIY, IOU, T&C? But do any scuba-diving enthusiasts ever refer to Self-Contained Under Water Breathing Apparatus? How many people are aware that laser is the acronym of Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation?
Taser is surely the most unusual, it is derived from Thomas A. Swift’s Electric Rifle. How come? Jack Cover, a researcher for NASA, created a gun that would stun and incapacitate with a non-fatal electric shock; he believed the device would be especially useful in aeroplane hijackings where a normal gun couldn’t be used. Jack was a fan of the sci-fi books written by Victor Appleton featuring the character Tom Swift who carried an electric gun, hence Jack named his creation Taser.
WD-40, essential to those handy people who carry out ‘repairs’, their toolbox will always contain WD-40, but few people have the vaguest idea where and how it was developed and how it got its name. Well, way back in 1953 a team at the Rocket Chemical Company in San Diego researched and developed a new solvent that would prevent rust and remove grease. Water playing a big part in the formation of rust, the scientists needed to find a way of displacing it, but discovering a formula was tough. Attempt after attempt failed, but they didn’t give up. Reaching experiment number 40, they finally succeeded and named their invention Water Displacement 40 – WD-40.
Corporate speak: the worst offender
Corporate business is responsible for numerous outlandish phrases. Trying to do something that is seriously difficult or well-nigh impossibly hard may require the executive to ‘boil the ocean’. Brainstorm, a term in use for aeons, has been joined by ‘idea shower’. Businesses no longer lack capacity, they don’t have the bandwidth! Do you get tired of hearing that someone is taking the journey: are you sure your personal digital journey is up-to-date? Does your store provide customers with a happy shopping journey? Do you target the low hanging fruit to grow your client base? Do you know what big data is? Do you make use of swot analysis, after all, every business needs to know its Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT).
Words losing their meaning
Are there some words and phrases you find irritating? Words that have been sullied by abuse and/or overuse? These might include unique (even worse, very unique) words to describe something that is multiplied many times over and therefore far from unique. Iconic should refer to something that is distinguished, but common usage has trivialised it and it’s now often applied to something very ordinary. Unprecedented should mean something that is completely new and has never happened before, instead it’s being used to describe something that has happened time and again. Likewise, state of the art and cutting edge are frequently used to describe something that’s been around a very, very long time.
Are you tired of people being empowered to do something very ordinary? A lot of people are genuinely passionate about their business, sadly it is a description that is diminished by indiscriminate use.
How many advertisements refer to a product providing a solution indicating that it’s something new on the market whereas it’s been around a very long time. Then there is exclusive when it’s just about everywhere. Other over-used or misused words: inspiring, inspirational, majestic, charismatic, enterprising. Abused words: seamless, innovative, original, guru, superstar, legendary, renowned. What about like? Beloved by teenagers, they have difficulty completing a sentence without referencing ‘like’ and it increasingly appears in their school essays. But don’t upset anyone otherwise you might find yourself ghosted meaning communications will cease, probably without warning!
Gen Z slang in professional settings
A few years back an impossibly difficult client may have been described as ‘delusional’, now she is simply delulu. If you are still describing something that is exceptionally good as awesome, update to bussin – but quickly before that term too becomes obsolete! More and more people are taking a Hush-trip meaning they take an overseas holiday while believed to be WFH. Startling numbers of businesses are affected by Coffee-badging – the practice that involves employees passing through the office turnstile or equivalent to trigger their attendance and then grabbing a quick (free) coffee before beating a hasty exit.
Avoid slop, the low-quality data generally attributed to A.I. but consider the health benefits of zebra-drinking, it involves alternating alcoholic drinks with soft drinks! Retailers, have you curated your stock? Is the menu at your favourite restaurant curated? Maybe you prefer to stick to managing your stock and selecting the menu?
The equestrian example
Reflect on the number of words and terms used in equestrianism that have a completely different meaning elsewhere: aids, bit, hands, points, weave, frog, action, cannon, box, arena, feather, dock, bridle, cast, coach, marking, shy, topline, diagonal and of course, AI meaning artificial insemination never to be confused with artificial intelligence. There are dozens more terms and jargon to confuse the non-equestrian, but at the same time there are hundreds of common phrases connected to horses that are in general use: driving hell for leather; straight from the horse’s mouth; eating like a horse; working like a horse; horseplay; flogging a dead horse; falling at the final hurdle. What would we do without them?
Expert perspectives
Mark Lumsdon-Taylor, a partner and head of sustainability at MHA MacIntyre Hudson, points out that words are often used to confuse or disguise a situation. “The ten-year-old daughter of a friend of mine was desperate for a pony. With the help of her riding instructor, the family went to see various ponies, one of which the vendor assured them ‘had twenty-seven years’ experience’. What a clever description! Examining the pony’s teeth, the riding instructor assessed his age to be thirty-plus! This story ended happily because they found a nine-year-old outgrown Welsh pony that is proving to be a perfect schoolmaster.”
Duncan Cochrane-Dyet, partner at MHA, comments, “Financial services and accountancy are notorious for jargon that is inexplicable to everyone outside the profession and it’s not surprising that people working in the industry are perceived as ‘grey’. We have a rule at MHA, everything must be explained in simple terms and we constantly remind clients to ask for help if there is anything they don’t understand or if they need more information. It’s important that common accounting terms are understood by everyone in a business and this should include the difference between gross profit and nett profit, what is meant by assets, liabilities and equity, how to take an inventory and why it’s important to be accurate, how to improve cashflow and why it is sometimes beneficial for a business to consider diversifying.”
Why clarity matters
We’ve all seen an advertisement or read a press report that confuses rather than informs. Sometimes jargon is perceived as a quick way of communicating but if it causes the reader to switch off completely or if it fails to get the message over, then it’s useless. It’s easy for businesses to slip into use of sector words and phrases that will act as a deterrent to new clients by making them feel like outsiders. Obviously that isn’t what the copywriter intended, nevertheless it’s something to think about. Messages, including advertisements, should be clear, easy to read and memorable. Jargon-heavy messages are tedious, boring, often incomprehensible and generally forgettable!