When I joined the Navy in 1983, I didn’t realize I’d also be learning a new language.
First, I thought I knew a lot of profanity. My knowledge paled in comparison to the salty old chiefs who served as our company commanders in boot camp. I heard every word in the book and many I’d never heard before. Some of these old guys could teach a course in The Proper Grammatical Use of Profanity. Their spoken English was poor, but expletives used as proper parts of speech was amazing.
Secondly though, I discovered the Navy had its own words for things. The floors and ceilings were the deck and the overhead. The walls were the bulkhead. The drinking fountain was the scuttlebutt, a word also used for gossip. Geedunk was junk food, candy, gum, etc. And of course, the bathroom was the head, while the commode and urinals had their own names that I won’t repeat here. Time was measured on a 24-hour clock. 7PM was 1900.
When I got out of the Navy, I had to relearn some of my language as corporate America also had its own lingo. I learned that leave was PTO. You didn’t go to Sick Call; you called your doctor and made an appointment. It took a while to even revert to standard measurements of time.
And then I noticed there were some corporate buzzwords and phrases that people threw around somewhat haphazardly. You’ve heard them, haven’t you?
- FYI
- At the end of the day
- Win-win
- Touch base, and
- Think outside the box
- Ping you
- Hop on a call
- Circle back
- Boots on the ground
- Synergy
- Put a pin in it
- Reinvent the wheel
- Level set
- Pushback
- Hit it out of the park
Just like Navy lingo, they make us feel part of a community. We share a common language. A common experience.
And, in many cases, they mask or highlight our dysfunction.
Rather than speaking those corporate words, what if we learned to communicate more clearly? What if we used REAL words, rather than those buzzwords to directly address issues rather than bury them in bureaucracy? What if we communicated directly, without masking our real thoughts through jargon?
Our new series will explore some of these buzzwords and hopefully I can help establish new, healthy applications for these.
It’s ok to talk the talk, but if you can’t walk the walk, you’re risking your reputation.
What are some of the buzzwords you most detest?