Don’t you wish people in your office would just say what they mean? Well, you’re not alone. According to recent research by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), two thirds of workers hear regular jargon type phrases being bandied about the office, and a quarter of them consider it to be a “pointless irritation”.
No doubt your own boss or colleague has their own little nuances that make you gnash your teeth, but according to the ILM survey, the three most hated and overused phrases are:
“Let’s touch base”
“Going forward” and
“Thinking outside of the box”
If you know you’re guilty of using these phrases yourself, you really have to think what it is you are trying to say, and why you feel the need to say it in this way.
Top 10 most hated phrases
Here are the top 10 most hated phrases as discovered by ILM in their office worker survey, as well as suggestions for what could be a better way of saying things.
“Reach out”
Are you really willing to stretch to touch that person? Why not just walk around the desk and do it then? If you’re talking to someone outside of the office, are they expecting you to tap them on the shoulder any minute?
Try instead: Call me, email me, meet up
“Touch base”
Sorry, whose base are we touching? I wasn’t aware there was even a game of baseball going on. Maybe you mean you want to touch the bottom of something? Gosh I hope you aren’t being inappropriate.
Try instead: Contact me, talk to me
“It’s on my radar”
What you are trying to say here is that actually you’ve forgotten all about it, but as that person has reminded you, you will now do something about it. Maybe. Or maybe you’ll just forget about it again.
Try instead: I’m aware of that
“Flag up”
You want to let someone know about something, but why do you need to involve a flag. Let’s be honest, you don’t even own a flag.
Try instead: Make you aware of…
“Low hanging fruit”
Also associated with the term ‘cherry-picking’, low hanging fruit refers to easy to achieve goals. Unfortunately it all still means work, and there will be no apples in the office since ILM found that 63% of workers find food and plates on co-workers desks a major irritation.
Try instead: Things we can achieve easily
“It’s a no brainer”
When you’re trying to say something was a good idea, insinuating that a person with no brain could have thought it up is nothing short of offensive to the recipient.
Try instead: That’s a good idea
“Best practice”
A phrase that seems to have found its way into all manner of documents, strategies, case studies and our managers mouths, but is it really necessary?
Try instead: A good way to do it
“Close of play”
An infuriating phrase at the best of times. Surely you mean ‘by the end of the day’, because I can’t see anyone playing here.
Try instead: By the end of the day
“Going forward”
A close down phrase used by managers who have run out of things to say and wish to change the subject. Can also be heard in the alternative format of ‘moving on’.
Try instead: Lets change the subject – honesty really does pay!
“Thinking outside of the box”
Are you? That’s fascinating. I never knew you usually used a box to do your thinking in. Tell you what, I’ll go grab one from the stock room just for you. I’ll even help seal it up… with duct tape.
Try instead: Finding a different way to do this
Call it what you will, management speak, office jargon and general fuzzy corporate communications heard in workplaces all over the country is demoralising and frustrating for the people you are working with. Using this type of unnecessary and fluffy language only smacks of insecurity in the workplace and a need to define your role by becoming ‘one of them’.
Before you know it these abhorrent phrases will start to wheedle their way into your emails and even published documents, making you look a bit of a prat for all time. Old habits are hard to break, but break them you will, and you’ll find relationships at work will improve beyond measure.
About the author
Laura Cox writes on behalf of Longleat Corporate.
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