Let's move on to some more toxic buzzwords. Today's selection is drive.
My goodness, business drives a great deal today. In 15 minutes of Web browsing in only one industry, I learned that Allstate drives sustained shareholder value, Nationwide drives down the cost of healthcare, and Farmers drives innovation. In another quarter-hour of looking at advertising sites, I found that McCann Worldgroup drives demand, while Interpublic Group's diversity "ignites the creativity that drives results." And Wilen Group is driven by its innovative Founder (their capitalization, not mine).
It seems that drive has become a true buzzword, and as buzz waxes, meaning wanes. With just a little thought, we can come up with substitutions that work and aren't burdened by the self-consciousness of corporate gobbledygook. We can strive to build shareholder value, reduce the cost of healthcare, or foster innovation. We can increase demand, give clients the results they want, and be inspired by an innovative founder. Eliminating what I call flabspeak will bring about greater understanding. And isn't that the point of communicating?
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
Top Buzzwords and Why to Avoid Them, Part I
I'm not against jargon. If you're writing for a company magazine or speaking to a group of like-minded folks who know your industry, jargon is a useful tool. So this post isn't about that. This post, and several to follow, will deal with specific buzzwords--business words that are overused and rarely examined for meaning.
Those who have followed these posts know that my least favorite buzzword is solution, especially when, God help us, it's used as a verb, e.g., "We'll solution marketing's ideas this afternoon." What's the point of a solution if a problem hasn't been articulated? And if you look closely at Web sites, you'll see that solution is often simply a substitute for program, product, or service--all perfectly lovely words that tell the customer something about what the company does.
Right up there with solution is the word leverage. It's almost as overused and just as nonsensical. Leverage, in the context we hear it today, comes to us from the world of finance. Investorwords.com defines it as "the degree to which one is using borrowed money." It became a very popular term during the Go-Go '80s. Everyone was buying companies with OPM (other people's money), using the assets of one company to purchase another, and dancing in the streets. Greed was good. Well, look where that got us. But I digress.
Today, business literature and Web sites leverage everything, e.g., "We leverage our core competencies, business synergies, and human capital to bring you best-of-breed service." I'll bet if you asked the perpetrator of that sentence what he or she meant by leverage, you'd be greeted by a great big silence.
As far as I can tease out from the Web sites where this word appears on page after page, companies are trying to tell you that they have a lot of different kinds of skills and they'll take full advantage of them to give you great service. Leverage has nothing to do it. It's just a buzzword that's run amok.
As I said in Talking Your Way to the Top: Business English That Works, buzzwords are not just meaningless; they can be dangerous. I believe most people use them because they think it makes them sound like the big guys. They become too lazy to dig out a thesaurus and look for an apt synonym for the phrase du jour.
But in the worst case, buzzwords can be employed to shade the truth, to make the picture look rosier than it is. By saying nothing and using a lot of words to do it, companies can sometimes hide the facts. Today, that's shortsighted. Customers are looking for the greatest possible clarity before they plunk down their hard-earned dough. They're fed up with lack of meaning. Show them you care by giving them what they want: direct, simple communication. It will pay off.
Those who have followed these posts know that my least favorite buzzword is solution, especially when, God help us, it's used as a verb, e.g., "We'll solution marketing's ideas this afternoon." What's the point of a solution if a problem hasn't been articulated? And if you look closely at Web sites, you'll see that solution is often simply a substitute for program, product, or service--all perfectly lovely words that tell the customer something about what the company does.
Right up there with solution is the word leverage. It's almost as overused and just as nonsensical. Leverage, in the context we hear it today, comes to us from the world of finance. Investorwords.com defines it as "the degree to which one is using borrowed money." It became a very popular term during the Go-Go '80s. Everyone was buying companies with OPM (other people's money), using the assets of one company to purchase another, and dancing in the streets. Greed was good. Well, look where that got us. But I digress.
Today, business literature and Web sites leverage everything, e.g., "We leverage our core competencies, business synergies, and human capital to bring you best-of-breed service." I'll bet if you asked the perpetrator of that sentence what he or she meant by leverage, you'd be greeted by a great big silence.
As far as I can tease out from the Web sites where this word appears on page after page, companies are trying to tell you that they have a lot of different kinds of skills and they'll take full advantage of them to give you great service. Leverage has nothing to do it. It's just a buzzword that's run amok.
As I said in Talking Your Way to the Top: Business English That Works, buzzwords are not just meaningless; they can be dangerous. I believe most people use them because they think it makes them sound like the big guys. They become too lazy to dig out a thesaurus and look for an apt synonym for the phrase du jour.
But in the worst case, buzzwords can be employed to shade the truth, to make the picture look rosier than it is. By saying nothing and using a lot of words to do it, companies can sometimes hide the facts. Today, that's shortsighted. Customers are looking for the greatest possible clarity before they plunk down their hard-earned dough. They're fed up with lack of meaning. Show them you care by giving them what they want: direct, simple communication. It will pay off.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
The 10 most ridiculous things people say at funerals
This blog usually deals with writing, but occasionally veers off into the realm of the spoken word. This is one of those times.
Our family recently has suffered the loss of some close friends, and I continue to be astonished at what people dream up to say to grieving spouses and families. I know that most people simply don't know what to say, so they say what pops into their heads at the moment, and sometimes it's anything but comforting. Here are some sentences to avoid.
"You'll remarry before you know it." (Could be, but it is okay if I bury my husband before I start dating?)
"You wouldn't want her to suffer any more." (Of course not, but I wanted her cured, not dead.)
"He's better off. " (Maybe, but I'm not.)
"Don't be sad." (Don't be silly. I am sad, and I will be sad for quite a while. If you can't deal with that, go away.)
"At least it was quick." (A little too quick for me, thanks. I would have liked to say goodbye.)
"You're so strong. If anyone can get through this, you can." (Well, I guess I shouldn't ask you for help, then.)
"What will I ever do without her?" (If you find an answer to that one, let me know. I've been asking myself the same question.)
"It was God's will." (So God wants my family to suffer?)
"Everything happens for a reason." (Please explain the reason. Right now. I haven't figured it out yet.)
"God never gives us more than we can handle." (Want to bet?)
If you want to be helpful, say you're sorry for the loss of their loved one. Say you'll be praying for the family. Say you'll miss him. Say she was a wonderful friend. Say you'll take the children for the afternoon. Those always work, and they can't be misinterpreted.
Our family recently has suffered the loss of some close friends, and I continue to be astonished at what people dream up to say to grieving spouses and families. I know that most people simply don't know what to say, so they say what pops into their heads at the moment, and sometimes it's anything but comforting. Here are some sentences to avoid.
"You'll remarry before you know it." (Could be, but it is okay if I bury my husband before I start dating?)
"You wouldn't want her to suffer any more." (Of course not, but I wanted her cured, not dead.)
"He's better off. " (Maybe, but I'm not.)
"Don't be sad." (Don't be silly. I am sad, and I will be sad for quite a while. If you can't deal with that, go away.)
"At least it was quick." (A little too quick for me, thanks. I would have liked to say goodbye.)
"You're so strong. If anyone can get through this, you can." (Well, I guess I shouldn't ask you for help, then.)
"What will I ever do without her?" (If you find an answer to that one, let me know. I've been asking myself the same question.)
"It was God's will." (So God wants my family to suffer?)
"Everything happens for a reason." (Please explain the reason. Right now. I haven't figured it out yet.)
"God never gives us more than we can handle." (Want to bet?)
If you want to be helpful, say you're sorry for the loss of their loved one. Say you'll be praying for the family. Say you'll miss him. Say she was a wonderful friend. Say you'll take the children for the afternoon. Those always work, and they can't be misinterpreted.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Speaking Engagement Coming Up
I'll be speaking at the monthly meeting of the Central Ohio Fiction Writers on 18 April 2009 at 2-4 pm. The topic is one of my favorites: Time Management for Real Writers. I try to make it fun, with some interactive elements. I always have a good time, and the audiences seem to get something from it, too. I'm not sure where this particular meeting will be held. They're usually in area libraries, but I don't know which one yet. When I know, you'll know, and if you're a member or guest, I'm looking forward to meeting you there.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
The fifth commandment
Can you say the words fourth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth? Of course you can. But you may stumble over the word fifth. If this word is an issue for you, you have lots of company. Newscasters, business executives, and salespeople are among those I've heard mispronounce it in just the last few weeks.
The key to pronouncing fifth correctly is to sound every letter in the word. If you don't pronounce the second f, the word comes out fith, which is wrong; if you neglect the full th sound, you get fift, which isn't right either. So just say fif, and then add th, and you'll be on the side of the angels. And you'll sound smart when you talk about that famous Beethoven symphony.
The key to pronouncing fifth correctly is to sound every letter in the word. If you don't pronounce the second f, the word comes out fith, which is wrong; if you neglect the full th sound, you get fift, which isn't right either. So just say fif, and then add th, and you'll be on the side of the angels. And you'll sound smart when you talk about that famous Beethoven symphony.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Another spineless euphemism
In my book Talking Your Way to the Top, I feature several pages of euphemisms I consider linguistically dishonest, such as calling a body bag a transfer tube or referring to dead civilians as collateral damage. I just read a new one this morning in The New York Times. It's yet one more way to refer to firing people. "We're going to rebalance our organization." So go ahead and add "rebalance" to all the other words we now use to mean getting rid of employees: adjust the workforce, dehire, deselect, reduce in force, reduce the census, downsize, outplace, rightsize, terminate, shorten the path to profitability--and don't forget involuntary employee attrition and negative employee retention.
Each of them means you're out of a job, and each one is a crock of unadulterated buzzspeak cooked up to evade the truth and avoid the responsibility. Where is George Carlin when we need him?
Each of them means you're out of a job, and each one is a crock of unadulterated buzzspeak cooked up to evade the truth and avoid the responsibility. Where is George Carlin when we need him?
Friday, February 6, 2009
Sometimes a great oops just lands in your lap
Working away today when I came across this terrific sentence: "The college is in a small town, complete with tree-lined streets where students can pursue their studies." Oh, my! Isn't it dangerous what with all that pesky oncoming traffic? How can they possibly study while they're dodging all those Hondas and SUVs?
This particular example came from a very respected Web site, which just goes to show that even the best can forget to proofread for meaning as well as grammar, usage, and punctuation. Misplaced modifiers get you every time.
This particular example came from a very respected Web site, which just goes to show that even the best can forget to proofread for meaning as well as grammar, usage, and punctuation. Misplaced modifiers get you every time.
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