Jargon refers to language that’s specific to a particular industry. And anyone who’s worked in the corporate world can rattle off a list of words and phrases they hear constantly.
While a longstanding employee in that workplace likely understands what’s being said, new hires might be more confused.
Here are 10 corporate jargon phrases good bosses should stop using at work
1. ‘Low-hanging fruit’
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The phrase “low-hanging fruit” refers to simple tasks or easy wins. In literal terms, the fruit that hangs lowest on a tree is the easiest for someone to pick. In corporate jargon, it means your boss wants you to focus on outcomes that are easy to achieve, and will bring quick success to your team.
However, this line is used so often that it’s become easy to poke fun at, making it low-hanging fruit itself. Good bosses should avoid using this phrase.
2. ‘Boil the ocean’
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This phrase might seem confusing at first, yet its meaning is fairly-straightforward. “Boiling the ocean” refers to a task or project that’s a really huge waste of time.
Taken literally, boiling the ocean is impossible; it takes an astronomical amount of time and effort, more than it’s worth. It would take an eternity to collect water from the sea and boil the salt away.
The phrase can refer to projects that are too challenging or overly ambitious, and therefore would never get finished. And, according to David Benjamin and David Komlos, entrepreneurs and authors of “Cracking Complexity: The Breakthrough Formula for Solving Just About Anything Fast,” using the phrase is bad advice, because the opposite is actually true.
“It’s critical to boil the ocean,” the two say, for a few reasons: “You can’t limit your focus to only a few critical areas… You can’t make progress on parts in isolation… You can’t pick a scope in advance and shut down anyone who strays from scope.”
3. ‘More than one way to skin a cat’
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The phrase, “More than one way to skin a cat,” is a visceral and vaguely grotesque way to say that there are multiple ways of doing something or various approaches to one particular problem.
The imagery itself is enough reason for bosses to stop using the phrase, especially if they want to avoid completely grossing out their employees in meetings! Instead, bosses can be more transparent and use direct phrases to effectively lead their teams.
4. ‘Blue sky thinking’
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“Blue sky thinking” is another way to say “thinking outside the box.” It can also mean that the sky’s the limit when it comes to coming up with new ideas, meaning that there’s no conceivable limit to what makes an idea a possible win.
When you’re in a meeting and your boss tells you they want “blue sky thinking,” they mean that they want you to throw out any thought you have, no matter how outlandish or random it may be. Oftentimes, new or innovative solutions come from this type of no-limits brainstorming, but bosses could find a less cliché way of asking for that.
5. ‘Circling back’
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“Circling back” is a highly overused phrase and concept in the corporate world, and its meaning is simple. When your boss says they want to “circle back,” it means they want to continue the conversation at a later point in time.
This phrase can sometimes be used as a way to avoid discussing certain topics, pushing the conversation to an unspecified time that might never come. It’s best for bosses to address an employee’s concerns, rather than attempting to change the course of the conversation and potentially never return to resolving the issue.
6. ‘Building the plane while flying it’
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Bosses use this phrase when there’s no set process in place for a project, so everyone’s figuring it out as they go. When bosses neglect to put a plan into action, they aren’t ensuring their employees are being productive and accomplishing their tasks on time, essentially setting them up for failure.
This concept tends to fit into the idea of “high risk, high reward,” in that working on something without safeguards is a dangerous endeavor, yet it could pay off in the end.
7. ‘I’ll give you some time back’
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This is something bosses say when a meeting ends early, so employees ostensibly get a few extra minutes to themselves before their next meeting starts. A boss might say that they’ll “give you some time back” to grab a bite to eat or use the bathroom, both of which are basic needs that workers shouldn’t be under pressure to complete.
Giving time back might seem like a playful, joking phrase, but really, it reinforces how little time employees have to themselves throughout the day. And it calls attention to the larger issue of bosses who overwork their employees, which is a surefire way to lose a worker.
8. ‘Put a pin in it’
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“Putting a pin in something” means holding off on making any more decisions about a certain project or scenario. Another overused phrase that encapsulates the same message is “Park it here for now,” which means making a full stop.
But when bosses use this phrase, it can make their employees feel unappreciated, or as if their needs don’t matter. It’s a good idea for true leaders to hear their workers’ input, as it could lead to great ideas down the road.
9. ‘Opening a can of worms’
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This phrase utilizes a gross visual to get across the idea that whatever issue is being raised is only going to lead to bigger problems. Conceivably, opening a can of worms is a bad idea, because then you’re just sitting there with a handful of worms, which leads to the bigger problem of what you’re supposed to do with all those worms.
But when bosses discourage their employees from sharing their ideas – or worse, leave their issues unaddressed – it can create a toxic working environment. A good boss will “open a can of worms” if it means putting their employees first.
10. ‘Wearing many hats’
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This is a glossy way of telling an employee that they’re going to end up doing their job and take on extra responsibilities, without extra pay or a title bump. It creatively makes it seem like doing extra work is a positive, normalized thing on the job, instead of a red-flag that your boss is taking advantage of you.
Corporate jargon often functions like a kind of code: If you get it, you get it. Yet basing the exclusivity of the corporate club off of overused phrases might make some employees wonder if the club is worth being a part of at all.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango’s news and entertainment team. She covers social issues, pop culture analysis and all things to do with the entertainment industry.
