A person’s way of speaking changes depending on the situation or with whom they are speaking. It is natural, because it would be weird to talk with your friends the same way you talk with a teacher or a professor and vice versa.
Because of that, certain speech patterns may form with their own lexicon and syntax. Like there are phrases that people always use in written speech, for example, emails, there are also spoken phrases that are used in certain contexts, like the workplace.
The workplace is a formal environment and to create it, there are certain words or phrases that management or HR like to use, but they don’t come across as they are intended. This is evident from a thread on Reddit that user Spec1alistInFailure started by asking “What corporate buzzwords/phrases make your skin crawl?” in which people listed things their colleagues say that they can’t stand.
Which phrases do you agree are the most annoying? Are there any others that you think people should stop saying? Let us know in the comments!
More info: Reddit
#1 Girl Boss
Girl boss. I’m a woman who has to work for a living, not a girl boss. Also not a girl. I’m an adult.
Image credits: JillianWho
The thread got 17.7k upvotes and nearly 9k people had something to say. While some redditors were sharing the words and phrases that they often hear that they are sick of hearing, others just joined the rage and let out their frustrations.
It is quite evident that people are seriously fed up with those phrases, but Bored Panda wanted to explore the topic even more and got in touch with Boniwe Dunster, an HR specialist and director and founder of Blue Eagle Human Capital Practice.
#2 A Dynamic And Enthusiastic Team Player Who Is Confident And Adaptable
“We are looking for a dynamic and enthusiastic team player who is confident and adaptable. Responsibilities include supporting senior leadership and taking responsibility for duties and workloads as assigned. You’ll be a member of an exciting and fast paced team working in a challenging environment.”YES BUT WHAT DO I DO?
Image credits: Electronic_Rub9385
#3 "Resource" As A Synonym For "Person"
"Resource" as a synonym for "person"
Image credits: ViridianKumquat
She explained to us why people could dislike such language coming from colleagues or management: “Employees don’t like corporate jargon or buzzwords because it often makes them feel inferior or out of place, especially if they are not part of the circle who abuses these words. Sometimes if one does not use such words, they are deemed not to be smart enough and that cannot be a measure of intelligence or performance standards. Some phrases are often complex and industry-specific, so if one is new in the industry or profession they will struggle to adjust.”
#4 Corporate Culture And Core Values
"Corporate Culture" and "Core Values"Just, stop.
Image credits: zesty_returns
#5 In The Trenches
“In the trenches”. I find it very distasteful. I am sitting in an air-conditioned office FFS. I could not be further from the horrors of trench warfare.
Image credits: mattimeo_
#6 Fast Paced Environment
llcucf80 said:Fast paced environment
Darwinian_10 added:
Aka: you'll be doing the work of two or three, but only getting paid for one (barely).
Source: I worked in a "fast paced environment" for nearly five years. I had a nervous breakdown and panic attacks, and am now on anti-anxiety medication.
Image credits: Darwinian_10
Also, it might be that employees feel the ingenuity that comes with those phrases, as Boniwe Duster reveals that managers or HR specialists don’t always mean what they say, “they mostly use them to sound smart in meetings in front of juniors or show their peers or seniors that they are part of the circle. You’d find someone abusing the phrase 'high performance' but you'll hardly see people being taken to task for poor results or held accountable for delivery, which is a contradiction.”
#7 Record Profits But No Raises Will Be Given
I will strangle the life out of the next person who says "record profits", especially when followed with "but no raises will be given".
Image credits: Badjib
#8 Team Player
team player pisses me offJust because i don't want to stay here longer than my scheduled shift doesn't mean I'm not a "team player" it means I want to go the f**k home as I've been working hard all f*****g day already
Image credits: JoeDoherty_Music
#9 We’re A Family Here
We’re a family here
Image credits: morphinemso4
What is more, people who use that jargon that employees don’t like hearing most probably know how that way of speaking is perceived, but continue using it anyway. There could be several reasons for that and HR professional Boniwe Duster mentions that people might “use them to sound smart and as a way to create a distinction between the old and new entrants in the profession/market, sometimes people continue to use them because they do not know any better; they have been groomed and mentored under such environments.”
#10 We Work Hard But We Play Hard
VictorBlimpmuscle said:“We work hard but we play hard.”
You hear that, and it’s time to nope right the f**k out of there.
all_hornets_must_die responded:
My team at my last job was like this. By work hard they meant working late nights and weekends for months.
By play hard they meant my boss throws a “get together” that gets out of control where him and his daughter are having a fight in the yard and people are throwing up from too much alcohol
Image credits: all_hornets_must_die
#11 Wear Many Hats
“Wear many hats”Aka do your job and other people’s jobs as well
Image credits: throwaway28236
#12 Engagement
Engagement. If you pay me enough, treat me with respect, and don’t make the job worse than it has to be, I’ll be engaged. All others ways to get employees “engaged” are bs.
Image credits: Surviving2
We know how employees don’t want to be talked to, but it is possible to be professional and seem smart by using regular human language. Boniwe Duster would like to advise managers, other HR specialists and corporate representatives “to be considerate of others' backgrounds in the work environment, be more inclusive in their engagements and create openness and psychological safety.“
#13 Collaboration
Collaboration. This is the main reason they're pushing return to office. We need to collaborate with our peers! Think of the brainstorming you'll do next to the elevators and water fountain!In reality we'll be having team meetings at our desks via teams while I do glorified data entry. We don't collaborate at all.
Image credits: lil_adk_bird
#14 We're Looking For Rockstars
Rockstaras in "we're looking for rockstars" in a workplace that is as far removed from guitars, moshpits, and headbanging as possible.
Image credits: PM_ME_FOODIE_SPOTS
#15 All Of The Agile Lingo
As a programmer, all of the Agile lingo. F**k your scrums, scrum scrums, scrum masters, stand ups, and sprints.
Image credits: reason2listen
#16 Rightsizing
"Rightsizing" It means they're going to fire a bunch of people and dump all that extra work on those who remain.
Image credits: Coogles
#17 Structural Changes
We're going through some structural changes, but you have nothing to worry about
Image credits: advocate1552
#18 Circling Back
Circling back
Image credits: rusinga_island
#19 Calling The Service You Sell A "Solution"
Calling the service you sell a “Solution“
Image credits: Alpine_Life
#20 Empowerment Or Transparency
Mingismungis said:Empowerment or transparency
Companies don't know what these words mean.
shutterspeak answered:
Empowered = you actually have no additional power, you just shoulder more blame when things go wrong.
Transparent = you tell me everything and I'll tell you what I need you to know.
Image credits: Mingismungis
#21 In These Unprecedented Times
In these unprecedented times
Image credits: NFRNL13
#22 Low Hanging Fruit
Touch/touching base and low hanging fruit.
Image credits: MoonlitStar
#23 I’ll Give You Back (X) Minutes Of Your Day
“I’ll give you back (x) minutes of your day.” after ending a meeting early.
Image credits: jenksy
#24 Let's Park This For Now
"let's park this for now" is a synonym for "I won't ever talk about this again"
Image credits: MajTroubles
#25 Leveraging Diversity
i-need-blinker-fluid said:Leveraging diversity.
2PlasticLobsters added:
A lot of the time it's tokenism. We hired a black guy, & promoted a woman. And I'm pretty sure someone here is gay. Yay, we're diverse!
Image credits: 2PlasticLobsters
#26 Sustainability
Using “sustainability” like it is some newfound concept. Bonus points for using it incorrectly.
Image credits: FYLBingB0ng
#27 Guest Instead Of Customer
Guest instead of customer. Like no, they aren’t wanted here. Buy your s**t and get out.#28 Let’s Take This Offline
I hate “let’s take this offline” the most bc it’s always a manager saying it and it just means stfu and idc
Image credits: invisigothh
#29 Taking Ownership
Instead of doing your job, you’re “taking ownership” of a task.#30 Competitive Salary
"competitive salary"#31 Playing Devil’s Advocate
I personally hate people who claim they’re playing devil’s advocate because they’re usually using that phrase incorrectly in an attempt to sound smarter than they actually are, and are just trying to hide the fact that they weren’t paying attention or don’t understand what’s being discussed.“Okay so I’m gonna play devil’s advocate here but why can’t we install this motor on this piece of machinery?”
Because this motor’s specification does not meet the required output of the machine, meaning it’ll be running the conveyor way too slow.
“Okay okay, I gotcha. But again, playing devil’s advocate here, why would that be a problem?”
Bruh.
#32 Synergy
Synergy
Image credits: gackarack
#33 Please Do The Needful
Please do the needful
Image credits: Fruit_Cake8463
#34 Piggyback
Piggyback…as in “Great point, Fred. I’d like to piggy back on what you said with some more irrelevant information.”
Image credits: Specialist-End6262
#35 Scalable
Scalable.Using “Ask” as a noun.
Image credits: Actuaryba
#36 I'd Like To Thank Employee X For Championing This Challenge!
"I'd like to thank Employee X for championing this challenge!""Make sure you capture all potential revenue streams" (Dude, this is a body shop...)
Let's step back and take a high level overview of these documents.
#37 Please Advise
Please advise.Emails that just say “Thank you.”
#38 My Office Has An Open Door Policy
My office has an open door policy...
Image credits: Brix106
#39 Discuss The State Of Play
The other day instead of telling me that we would see where we were at at the end of the day, my husband said we would discuss the state of play. I haven’t let him live it down since. What a weirdo.
Image credits: coarsing_batch
#40 Pivot
The word “pivot” and the phrase “I’m aligned with that”
Image credits: Howdysf
#41 Let’s Put A Pin In That
Let’s put a pin in that and come back to it later
Image credits: Mediumofmediocrity
#42 Were Not Saving Lives
"Were not saving lives" yet they make the issues pressing enough as if thats exactly what they think were doing
Image credits: RunIttUpp
#43 We Are Seeking Accountancy Rockstars
“We are seeking accountancy rockstars…”Referring to people as rockstars is in the same vein as ‘superheroes’. I can’t stand either of the terms.
Image credits: limegreenbunny
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