We are all guilty of using the occasional buzzword in the office, but the truth is using these words too often can have a serious impact on your credibility. They are perceived as annoying and even confusing at times, and busy professionals don’t want to waste their time trying to decipher what you are saying. These terms become overused, outdated, and cliché, which can only be detrimental for you and your business. If you want to make a good impression with your managers, colleagues, and customers, you should avoid this senseless business jargon and make your point in a clear and convincing way. The following are a few business buzzwords that you should definitely leave out of your next business meeting.
Synergy
This word is commonly used to convey elements that work together toward one total purpose. However, most people are left completely confused because they don’t even know what it really means and it has become so overused that it has lost much of its meaning.
Game Changer
This refers to something that can have a significant impact on the company or the industry. The problem is, this word has been used so often that it has lost much of its impact and something that is truly so important should get the much-needed attention.
Deep Dive
This is a term used to describe a meeting or presentation that is focused on a particular area. In reality, it ends up being a cheesy phrase that is used when managers or business professionals need to deflect questions because they don’t have a clear-cut answer.
Wheelhouse
In the business world, this word is used to explain something that falls into a person’s area of expertise. However, it has been around for a while and has become a bit cliché.
Onboarding
This is just a fancy word for describing the process in which new employees will learn the skills needed to do their jobs. Let’s stop using fancy lingo and focus on teaching the employees important skills.
Heavy Lifting
This phrase can be quite annoying because while it obviously describes important tasks, it provides no specifics on the actual work that is needed to get done. It’s a cliché that serves no real purpose.
Paradigm Shift
This is a term used to describe a change in business practice, but it has become so overused and often seems like a method for covering up a mistake with fancy language.
Big Data
This term describes a large volume of data that has the potential to be mined for information. The problem is that this term is too broad to be meaningful and ends up sounding like fancy jargon that is meaningless to those listening to it.
Outside the Box
For years we have been hearing this phrase to reference creative thinking. However, in business most issues require some level of creative thinking so this ends up sounding cliché and totally unnecessary.
There are hundreds of them out there, but buzzwords are terms that become popular for a short period of time and can easily be overused. They can end up making you sound cliché and outdated. Don’t risk annoying your clients by using fancy jargon. Instead, stick straight to the point and avoid using these trendy buzzwords.