How prevalent is the use of buzzwords in your organization?
Our reader poll today asks: How prevalent is the use of buzzwords in your organization?
– Extremely — it seems like everything we say is a buzzword: 25.69%
– Very — buzzwords creep into normal conversations: 40.39%
– Somewhat — the occasional buzzword gets thrown around: 27.06%
– Not at all — we rarely use buzzwords: 6.86%
Words with no meaning. Sure, buzzwords sound great but they get in the way of communicating clearly. At worst, using buzzwords makes you sound silly or arrogant. If you want to get your point across, speak simply and directly. Leave no room for interpretation. There are some horrible phrases we tend to use and the worst of those buzzwords can make us sound ridiculous. Find better alternatives. Your team will appreciate it and you’ll make a much better impression upon those around you.
Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below!
– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC
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These results were originally a SmartPulse poll in SmartBrief on Leadership which tracks feedback from more than 190,000 business leaders. Get smarter on leadership and sign up for the SmartBrief on Leadership e-newsletter.
Only somewhat ironic in that “thoughtleader” was one of Forbes.com’s sweet 16 in their annual Jargon Madness.
We’ve had the name for well over a decade. Joel Kurtzman invented the term in 1994 as a the theme for a series of interviews he conducted as editor in chief of Strategy + Business magazine. We modified that definition upon our formation in 2004 and have used it since. Not our fault folks have abused it since then…