Whenever I’m interviewing a new business, I try to translate corporate lingo into language non-business people understand. Some musician might want to start a company or have an idea, after all, and he or she likely has no idea what “implementing strategic solutions” means. Nor do I, for that matter.
The local satire blog Tobacco Avenue shows how ridiculous corporate-speak sounds in normal settings in a very funny post.
Sometimes when I do interviews, business owners think I’m watering down what they do by asking them to rephrase an answer. And then when I write the piece, sometimes they’re disappointed when I don’t describe their product or services in the exact manner that they do. But I can’t write accurately about what I don’t understand.
So like most business publications, including Business Week and the Wall Street Journal, BizSense prefers not to use words like “turn-key solutions.” Or really every and any word involving solutions. Same for “value-added.” Or “synergy.” That’s not to say we shy away from economic words with specific definitions, like “economies of scale.” But if I use that one I try to define soon thereafter.
Some of the brightest in business, including Jack Welch, say it’s best to avoid corporate mumbo-jumbo at all times. Then again, that might just be a verbal synergistic solution to bring about a targeted alignment of core competencies.
For another fun read, click here.
Or watch a funny video about some of these words.
Whenever I’m interviewing a new business, I try to translate corporate lingo into language non-business people understand. Some musician might want to start a company or have an idea, after all, and he or she likely has no idea what “implementing strategic solutions” means. Nor do I, for that matter.
The local satire blog Tobacco Avenue shows how ridiculous corporate-speak sounds in normal settings in a very funny post.
Sometimes when I do interviews, business owners think I’m watering down what they do by asking them to rephrase an answer. And then when I write the piece, sometimes they’re disappointed when I don’t describe their product or services in the exact manner that they do. But I can’t write accurately about what I don’t understand.
So like most business publications, including Business Week and the Wall Street Journal, BizSense prefers not to use words like “turn-key solutions.” Or really every and any word involving solutions. Same for “value-added.” Or “synergy.” That’s not to say we shy away from economic words with specific definitions, like “economies of scale.” But if I use that one I try to define soon thereafter.
Some of the brightest in business, including Jack Welch, say it’s best to avoid corporate mumbo-jumbo at all times. Then again, that might just be a verbal synergistic solution to bring about a targeted alignment of core competencies.
For another fun read, click here.
Or watch a funny video about some of these words.