If you work in the business world, you've probably heard quite a lot of business jargon. Even if you find these vague and often meaningless buzzwords to be less than helpful, you might find yourself saying or writing them. Do you want to learn how to "just say no" to business buzzwords and jargon? Discover some of the most overused culprits, and find words and phrases to use instead.
Examples of Overused Business Buzzwords
In the world of business, people often use fancy, fluffy buzzwords instead of terms that clearly convey the meaning they are trying to communicate. People who overuse corporate buzzwords are often misunderstood. They can also come across as arrogant or pedantic. The next time you find yourself preparing to utter a buzzword, stop and think about what you really mean, and choose a more precise term.
| Overused Buzzword | What it Generally Means | What to Use Instead |
| ballpark | an approximation of something | estimate |
| bandwidth | room in one's schedule to work on something | capacity; time |
| contrarian | a team member who disagrees with the majority | dissenter; one who disagrees |
| deliverable | what will be produced as a result of work | finished product |
| dialogue | a two-way exchange of information | conversation; discussion |
| disambiguate | to remove ambiguity | clarify |
| disruptor | something that changes the market | innovation |
| ecosystem | a specific group, such as a company or work unit | organization; team |
| empower | to assign responsibility to someone | make responsible for; entrust |
| epic | something exciting or much better than expected | amazing; impressive |
| execute | to do something | do, perform |
| evangelist | one who spreads the word in a positive way | vocal supporter |
| frictionless | something that doesn't meet resistance | smooth |
| guru | someone who has a high level of skill or expertise | expert |
| ideation | to come up with ideas | brainstorm |
| leverage | to use something to one's advantage | build upon; use |
| ninja | one who has a high level of skill or expertise | expert |
| optimize | to improve to peak function | perfect |
| pivot | to change focus on one thing to something else | change |
| punt | try something and see how it works out | take a chance |
| robust | a reliable product with a lot of features | solid |
| scalability | can easily be expanded or reduced | adaptable to needs |
| seamless | something that worked easily as it should | smooth; problem-free |
| stopgap | temporary measure while waiting for a solution | temporary measure |
| summit | a gathering of decision-makers or team members | meeting |
| tailwind | momentum likely to lead to business growth | favorable business environment |
| triage | decide what should have the highest priority | prioritize |
| unpack | go over what happened | examine |
| wordsmith | to improve how something is phrased | edit |
| on my radar | knowing something needs to be done | aware of |
Examples of Overused Business Jargon Phrases
Workplace jargon isn't limited to single-word terms. The business world is full of multi-word buzzword phrases that are overused just as often as their one-term counterparts. It's best to avoid fuzzy phrases that don't reflect positively on your communication skills, or accurately convey your meaning. Replace them with words or phrases that leave little to no room for misinterpretation.
| Overused Jargon Phrase | What it Generally Means | What to Use Instead |
| all-hands meeting | a meeting that all employees are expected to attend | company meeting |
| back burner | wait to do something later rather than starting right away | put on hold; delay |
| back of the envelope | an educated guess at what something might cost | rough estimate |
| best of breed | best of its kind or type | best; top |
| bleeding edge | first of its kind; latest approach | innovative; fresh |
| boil the ocean | spending time trying to do something impossible | waste of time |
| business landscape | external factors that impact the business | business environment |
| drill down | to seek more information; to review the details | learn more; explore |
| gain traction | to attract a following or build a customer base | to achieve success |
| herding cats | getting people with different priorities to act together | leading; organizing |
| human capital | the people who work for an organization | employees |
| low-hanging fruit | business opportunities that are easily within reach | easiest opportunities |
| make hay | to accomplish a lot within a limited timeframe | maximize efficiency |
| pain point | an aspect of a project that poses a challenge | difficulty |
| paradigm shift | previous assumptions are no longer valid | fundamental change |
| raise the bar | seek to achieve a higher standard | improve |
| secret sauce | what sets a company apart from its competitors | business strategy |
| take offline | discuss individually rather than in a group setting | discuss privately |
| tee up | getting prepared to launch an idea or product | prepare to begin |
| touch base | to follow up with a discussion or to provide an update | talk, check-in |
| war room | the place plans are made or work is done | conference room |
| white paper | a report that provides authoritative information | report; article |
Just Say No to Business Jargon and Buzzwords
Business jargon may be more than just annoying. Using jargon makes it difficult for colleagues to communicate effectively with each other or with clients. After all, clarity is essential for effective communication. When buzzwords and jargon become part of the conversation, the result is anything but clear.
