Back in 1990, I assisted in a post-mortem dental exam while working at Naval Hospital Long Beach. I’ll spare you the details, but I had never seen anything like it. When I asked the pathologist who was helping us what the worst thing he’d ever seen, he quickly answered,
“Jonestown, Guyana. 1978. That was the worst thing I’ve ever seen.”
He went on to describe identifying the bodies of the nearly 900 men, women, and children of the People’s Temple after their mass suicide at the urging of their leader Jim Jones. A few days earlier, Jones instructed some of his members to assassinate Congressman Leo Ryan and members of his entourage and a few defecting members of the Temple. Now, facing the consequences of this action, Jones instructs followers to mix Flavor Aid (later misidentified as Kool-Aid) with potassium cyanide and distribute it.
I still remember hearing about this on the news as an 8th grader, wondering why someone would do that. How could a person be so enamored with a leader that they would blindly obey despite the absurdity? I wasn’t the only one asking the question. As time went on, a new phrase became common:
Drinking the Kool-Aid. Going all-in on something despite any logical reason to do so.
I’m one of a dwindling number of people old enough to remember Jonestown happening in 1978 and still functioning in the work world. Each time I hear someone use that phrase, I always wonder if they know its origins.
And maybe that’s another form of drinking the Kool-Aid. Using your buzzwords inappropriately or without knowing their origins. Not to mention they may have meanings that are no longer appropriate relevant or appropriate.
While on active duty, I became familiar with the phrase good enough for government work. What it meant was that it was half-assed and yet nobody would care.
But later I discovered that before WWII, good enough for government work meant that it was held to the highest standards. It HAD to be good enough for the government to approve it.
And while you’re at it, consider maybe YOU can create the next great buzzword. In our workshops we use the AC/DC song title Highway to Hell to describe how we often judge people without really knowing the facts. Our cohorts often speak of having a “highway to hell” moment. When WE say it, we know the context.
But if they use it at the office, it might cause a very different reaction.
So this week, the buzzword is just about the use of buzzwords, but I hope it gives you something to think about as you find better ways to get your voice and message heard.