Touching Base on Annoying Corporate Jargon

As we started working on our annual Writing & Storytelling issue of Strategies & Tactics, I thought about the words and phrases we use daily in business. Some are helpful shortcuts, and others have overstayed their welcome.

A recent survey by researchers at Notta, an AI transcription tool company, prompted my thinking. Notta analyzed more than 5,000 Reddit comments to rank the office buzzwords that employees find most annoying. 

Do you have the bandwidth to hear the results? Or shall I back-burner them for another time? OK, OK!

Per Notta, “circle back” is the corporate buzz phrase that annoys employees the most, but there are many others. According to the study, the 10 most annoying corporate jargon words and phrases for all employees also include “synergy,” “lean in,” “touch base,” “agile,” “bandwidth,” “leverage,” “reach out,” “low-hanging fruit” and “take this offline.” 

“This study exposes a disconnect between corporate language and effective communication,” said Kiyoto Tamura, Notta’s chief operating officer, in announcing the results.  

Researchers found that far from being clever, the most irritating buzz phrases are ambiguous.

“Employees are frustrated with unclear directives and a lack of actionable communication in their work environment,” Tamura said. 

With more people working remotely or in hybrid settings, vague communication undermines team cohesion and efficiency, he said.  

I asked my fellow LinkedIn connections for a communications-related focus on jargon. My query: For 2025 (and beyond), what business jargon do you think we should leave behind? Is it a buzzword that’s lost its meaning? A phrase that causes more confusion than clarity?

Responses included:

“There are so many: ‘circle back,’ ‘put a pin in it,’ ‘win-win,’ ‘think outside the box’ and ‘level set.’” — Philip Tate, APR, Fellow PRSA

“We should retire ‘brainstorming session.’ The truth is that most people go into those meetings thinking their thoughts will be heard and considered. The reality is these meetings are usually not well planned, are mostly performative (as ultimate decisions are mainly made at the top without the people who do the work) and almost never do people involved know what happened to their ideas post. Not only are they confusing, but they are also becoming meetings of resentment at many institutions!” — Kerry O’Grady, Ed.D.

“How about ‘thought leader?’ It’s now synonymous with ‘keep scrolling.’” — Mark Armstrong

“‘Fake news’ has been politicized to the point of becoming worthless. Prefer ‘inaccurate’ or ‘lie.’ — Ron Culp, Fellow PRSA

“Where to begin: ‘boil the ocean,’ ‘blue-sky thinking.’ And no, you are not a ‘ninja’ unless you are actually a ninja. Also, anything ‘bro,’ including ‘crypto-bro,’ ‘marketing-bro,’ etc.” — Bob Ross

“How about ‘take it offline.’ This is used constantly to mean, ‘Let’s defer that to a different time’ but, in my experience, these later conversations are rarely offline, just in different virtual settings. If you’d like to discuss…” — Rod Granger

“‘Absolutely.’ ‘Totally.’ ‘I hear you.’ ‘Slew of...’” — Andrew Bowen, APR

“‘Disrupt.’ ‘Reaching out.’ ‘Game-changer.” — Karen Naumann, M.A., APR

“‘More broadly.’ It’s an empty phrase — what does it actually mean?” — Jennifer Gwaltney 

Few which are very "subjective" to everyone in their own capacity, however used a lot in meetings while trying to achieve "objective" business results are:
• Low-hanging fruit
• Bandwidth
• Leverage
• Move the Needle
• Think Outside the Box
• On the Same Page — Priyanka Sethi Bohra

"Ladder up, level set, full-funnel solutions, another bite at the apple, a non-starter." — Paul Griffo
 
At the end of the day. Needless to say (don't say it if it's needless to say!) Reach out. — Henry Stimpson, APR, MS

"Authentic, 'we have excellent customer service,' excited to announce ..."  — Susan Young

"'Fake News' has been politicized to the point of becoming worthless. Prefer 'inaccurate' or 'lie.'" — Ron Culp, Fellow PRSA

"Absolutely." "Totally." "I hear you." "Slew of..." — Andrew Bowen, APR

"Time to retire 'laser focus.'" — Christopher Florentz, MA

"The term 'level setting' confuses me. It's supposed to mean establish a common understanding. I always envision two people using a level to hang a picture. That usually results in an argument, which seems the opposite of common understanding." — Sally (Gilpin) Ridenour, APR, Fellow PRSA
 
"'Spin' — it has had negative connotations for quite some time in business. It has come to suggest a misrepresentation of your narrative and initiative. Comms and PR professionals should stop using the term (and the practice) and ensure their organizations are 'spin-free' zones to protect and enhance organizational (and personal) reputations. Instead, Comms and PR professionals (and leaders of all types) should use and leverage 'positioning' and key messaging strategies and tactics to effectively tell their stories. Words matter…and so does telling the truth, and doing what you say." — Fred Ramos