Jargon is the language of a particular industry, and anyone who has ever worked in the corporate world can rattle off a list of words and expressions they hear all the time.
While a long-time employee at that workplace is likely to understand what is being said, new employees may be more confused.
Here are 10 corporate jargon expressions that good bosses should stop using at work
1. “Low hanging fruit”
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The phrase “low-hanging fruit” refers to simple tasks or easy wins. Literally, the fruit hanging lowest on the tree is the easiest for someone to pick. In corporate jargon, this means that your boss wants you to focus on results that are easy to achieve and will bring quick success to your team.
However, this phrase is used so often that it is easy to make fun of, making it an easy target. Good bosses should avoid using this phrase.
2. “Boil the ocean”
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This phrase may seem confusing at first, but its meaning is quite simple. “Boiling the sea” refers to a task or project that is a huge waste of time.
Literally speaking, it is impossible to boil the sea. It takes an astronomical amount of time and effort, more than it is worth. It would take an eternity to get water out of the sea and boil the salt out.
The phrase can refer to projects that are too demanding or ambitious and will never be completed. And according to David Benjamin and David Komlos, entrepreneurs and authors of Cracking Complexity: The Breakthrough Formula for Solving Just About Anything Fast, using the phrase is bad advice because the opposite is actually true.
“It’s crucial to boil the sea,” they say, for several reasons: “You can’t limit your focus to just a few critical areas. You can’t make progress in individual parts in isolation. You can’t set a scope in advance and shut down anyone who deviates from the scope.”
3. “There are many ways to skin a cat”
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The phrase “There is more than one way to skin a cat” is an emotive and slightly grotesque way of saying that there are multiple ways of doing something or different approaches to a particular problem.
The imagery alone is reason enough for bosses to stop using the phrase, especially if they want to avoid completely disgusting their employees in meetings! Instead, bosses can be more transparent and use direct phrases to lead their teams effectively.
4. “Blue Sky Thinking”
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Blue sky thinking is another way of thinking “outside the box”. It can also mean that there are no limits to the imagination when it comes to coming up with new ideas, i.e. that there is no imaginable limit to what makes an idea a potential success.
If you’re in a meeting and your boss tells you he wants “out-of-the-box thinking,” what he means is that you should put every thought you have on paper, no matter how outlandish or random. Often times, new or innovative solutions emerge from this kind of no-holds-barred brainstorming, but bosses could find a less clichéd way to ask for it.
5. “Back in the circle”
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“Back to the topic” is a much overused phrase and term in the corporate world, and its meaning is simple. When your boss says he wants to “get back to the topic,” it means he wants to continue the conversation at a later time.
This phrase is sometimes used to avoid discussing certain topics and postpone the conversation to an unspecified time that may never come. It is better for managers to address an employee’s concerns than to try to change the course of the conversation and possibly never return to resolving the issue.
6. “Build the airplane and fly it at the same time”
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Bosses use this phrase when there is no set process for a project and everyone figures it out as they go along. When bosses fail to put a plan into action, they fail to ensure that their employees are productive and complete their tasks on time, essentially setting them up for failure.
This concept is more in line with the idea of “high risk, high reward” because working on something without taking safety precautions is a dangerous endeavor, but it could still pay off in the end.
7. “I’ll give you some time back”
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This is something bosses say when a meeting ends early so employees can supposedly have a few extra minutes to themselves before the next meeting starts. A boss might say they’re “giving you some time back” to get something to eat or go to the bathroom, both of which are basic needs that employees shouldn’t be pressured to meet.
“Give time back” may sound like a jokey phrase, but in reality it highlights how little time employees have for themselves throughout the day. And it draws attention to the larger problem of bosses overworking their employees, which is a surefire way to lose an employee.
8. “Put a pin in it”
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To “draw a line under it” means to wait to make any further decisions on a particular project or scenario. Another overused expression that conveys the same message is “park it here for now,” which means to draw a line under it.
When bosses use this phrase, it can make their employees feel unappreciated or that their needs don’t matter. It’s a good idea for real leaders to listen to their employees’ opinions, as this can lead to great ideas later on.
9. “Opening a Pandora’s box”
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This sentence uses a crude image to convey the idea that the problem being addressed will only lead to bigger problems. Conceivably, opening a Pandora’s box is not a good idea because then you’re just left with a handful of worms, which leads to the bigger problem of what to do with all those worms.
However, when bosses discourage their employees from voicing their ideas – or, worse, leave their problems unaddressed – it can lead to a toxic work environment. A good boss will open a “bottomless pit” when it comes to putting their employees first.
10. “Wearing many hats”
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This is a classy way to tell an employee that they will be doing their job and taking on additional responsibility without being paid more or given a higher title. It’s a creative way to make it seem like working overtime is a positive, normal thing about the job, rather than a warning sign that your boss is taking advantage of you.
Company jargon often functions as a kind of code: if you understand it, you understand it. But if the exclusivity of the company club is based on hackneyed phrases, some employees may wonder if it’s even worth being a member of the club.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango’s news and entertainment team. She covers social issues, pop culture analysis, and all things related to the entertainment industry.
