You’re Speaking English But I Can’t Understand You
Marc Rosenberg, CPA
When it comes to the language of business, sometimes I wish subtitles were available. It’s like watching one of my favorite British TV series. The actors on Downton Abbey, Sherlock and Foyle’s War are speaking English, but I need subtitles to understand their accents.
I admit to a certain resistance to using “new school” terms for which there were perfectly understandable words in the past. Here are some favorites:
- Transparency has replaced openness and honesty
- Onboarding instead of orientation
- Core competency is the new basic skill
- Bandwidth used to be capacity
- Value proposition was once features and benefits
One explanation for this phenomenon borrows from the main theme of Malcolm Gladwell’s magnificent Tipping Point. Said Gladwell:
The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea or trend crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic, so too can a small push cause a fashion trend.
People smarter than I am started using these new terms and they caught on, to the point where not using them exposes you as being out of touch. As the Chicago Tribune’s Rex Huppke says: “The war against workplace buzzwords is a lonely one.”
Huppke’s April 17 column in the Tribune discussed talent management consultant and “fellow buzzword loather” James Sudakow’s new book—Picking the Low-Hanging Fruit and Other Stupid Stuff We Say in the Corporate World. I just ordered a copy. Huppke described the book as “a dictionary of dippy corporate slang that explains strange phrases like ‘increase the footprint’ which means increase market share. The book appropriately skewers the use of a language in ways that few of us actually understand.”
Huppke interviewed Sudakow, who explained that this sort of language allows people to look like they’re part of a special group that knows what it all means, and is particularly prevalent among consultants.
“They’re brought in as experts on stuff and if they have their own language, that makes them seem like they’re even greater experts. But it doesn’t. It’s the opposite. It’s like their credibility actually goes down because people wonder, ‘Why can’t you just use normal words?’”
“Alas,” concludes Huppke. “Sudakow said he tried fighting the good fight but it didn’t help. So he did the next best thing. He joined them.”
Why do people feel the need to reinvent words? If any readers wish to opine on this, please comment!
5 Comments
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Hasn’t the “tipping point” nearly already been replaced by the “10th Monkey” concept?
Katrine – knowing your sharp wit, you have deliberately baited me, and I have bitten. Please, if you will, explain “The 10th Monkey concept?”
Perfect! I’ve felt this for years now. I’m buying the book and will be gifting it to some abusers I frequently cross paths with.
I couldn’t agree more! I’m not sure if they are trying to make people feel stupid – like using a dictionary. Some of the words haven’t made it there yet.
What an honor to receive a comment from the esteemed author of the book I mentioned in my blog. I am lobbying for use of more normal English. I suspect that you are experiencing the same reactions that I have been getting. People look at me weird and say “what’s the big deal” or “the new words are more clear” or the old words are so ‘old school.” In particular, my own wife and daughter told me they are sick of me bringing up the subject. But I pledge to continue the noble fight. What’s the big deal? I’ll tell you what’s the big deal. If people don’t understand what you are saying because you use “cool” new jargon words, THAT’S the big deal. Thanks again Mr. Sudakow!