Cutting through the noise: The collective ick of business speak
The word business has changed meaning over time. First describing the state of being busy, then the act of dealing with matters, and now the pursuit of trade and commerce.
In all of these definitions, we can find a common thread: getting things done.
You might assume that getting things done would call for plain speaking. Direct, clear, efficient communication. The shortest distance between thought and action.
So why is so much business speak shrouded in metaphor, simile, hyperbole and just plain nonsense?
It’s an odd dichotomy, isn’t it? We all hate the kind of business speak that leans on jargonisms and hollow phrases. We know it’s complete BS. And yet perhaps, like me, you find yourself falling into the trap of using it anyway.
“Let’s circle back to this later.” “Keep me in the loop.” I make myself cringe.
