A person’s way of speaking changes depending on the situation or with whom they are speaking. It is natural, because it would be weird to talk with your friends the same way you talk with a teacher or a professor and vice versa.
Because of that, certain speech patterns may form with their own lexicon and syntax. Like there are phrases that people always use in written speech, for example, emails, there are also spoken phrases that are used in certain contexts, like the workplace.
The workplace is a formal environment and to create it, there are certain words or phrases that management or HR like to use, but they don’t come across as they are intended. This is evident from a thread on Reddit that user Spec1alistInFailure started by asking “What corporate buzzwords/phrases make your skin crawl?” in which people listed things their colleagues say that they can’t stand.
Which phrases do you agree are the most annoying? Are there any others that you think people should stop saying? Let us know in the comments!
More info: Reddit
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Girl boss. I’m a woman who has to work for a living, not a girl boss. Also not a girl. I’m an adult.
The thread got 17.7k upvotes and nearly 9k people had something to say. While some redditors were sharing the words and phrases that they often hear that they are sick of hearing, others just joined the rage and let out their frustrations.
It is quite evident that people are seriously fed up with those phrases, but Bored Panda wanted to explore the topic even more and got in touch with Boniwe Dunster, an HR specialist and director and founder of Blue Eagle Human Capital Practice.
“We are looking for a dynamic and enthusiastic team player who is confident and adaptable. Responsibilities include supporting senior leadership and taking responsibility for duties and workloads as assigned. You’ll be a member of an exciting and fast paced team working in a challenging environment.”
YES BUT WHAT DO I DO?
You will do literally everything, and just likely be paid minimum wage.
“In the trenches”. I find it very distasteful. I am sitting in an air-conditioned office FFS. I could not be further from the horrors of trench warfare.
She explained to us why people could dislike such language coming from colleagues or management: “Employees don’t like corporate jargon or buzzwords because it often makes them feel inferior or out of place, especially if they are not part of the circle who abuses these words. Sometimes if one does not use such words, they are deemed not to be smart enough and that cannot be a measure of intelligence or performance standards. Some phrases are often complex and industry-specific, so if one is new in the industry or profession they will struggle to adjust.”
We also got in touch with Lexy Boahene, the HR specialist of LX HR Solutions and she had a similar opinion, "Some of those phrases are ambiguous, provide an unrealistic view or approach and some phrases are condescending."
team player pisses me off
Just because i don't want to stay here longer than my scheduled shift doesn't mean I'm not a "team player" it means I want to go the f**k home as I've been working hard all f*****g day already
That’s exactly right. Just because you are not willing to overexert yourself, doesn’t mean you are not “a team player”. Work bosses really need to normalise rest, I don’t even care, we are all human beings and deserve days to replenish ourselves.
Also, it might be that employees feel the ingenuity that comes with those phrases, as Boniwe Duster reveals that managers or HR specialists don’t always mean what they say, “they mostly use them to sound smart in meetings in front of juniors or show their peers or seniors that they are part of the circle. You’d find someone abusing the phrase 'high performance' but you'll hardly see people being taken to task for poor results or held accountable for delivery, which is a contradiction.”
Lexy Boahene says has a slightly different view, "We mean them because that's what we came to inherent at the company or that's what we have inherited in other companies we've worked in and therefore using them. However, we ourselves don't necessarily believe in them."
llcucf80 said:
Fast paced environment
Darwinian_10 added:
Aka: you'll be doing the work of two or three, but only getting paid for one (barely).
Source: I worked in a "fast paced environment" for nearly five years. I had a nervous breakdown and panic attacks, and am now on anti-anxiety medication.
“Fast paced environment” more commonly known as: “tiring, sad, overwhelming, anxiety inducing environment” sad but true
I will strangle the life out of the next person who says "record profits", especially when followed with "but no raises will be given".
My previous company like... We made 21 million profit last year, but you missed the target by 600k so no bonus. Meanwhile the CEO flies himself into work in his helicopter...
We’re a family here
Yeah a family…..with an addict of a mother, alcoholic dad, maniac brother and perfectionist sister. Harmony amiright? Lol
What is more, people who use that jargon that employees don’t like hearing most probably know how that way of speaking is perceived, but continue using it anyway. There could be several reasons for that and HR professional Boniwe Duster mentions that people might “use them to sound smart and as a way to create a distinction between the old and new entrants in the profession/market, sometimes people continue to use them because they do not know any better; they have been groomed and mentored under such environments.”
The other HR specialist, Lexy Boahene thinks that thinking that everyone hates such phrases is an assumption and it is not always known that employees don't like hearing such jargon if it's not said explicitly, but if that comes up, the person using it should try talking in a different way.
“Wear many hats”
Aka do your job and other people’s jobs as well
If you're in a startup, it means do all the jobs because they can't hire anyone else
VictorBlimpmuscle said:
“We work hard but we play hard.”
You hear that, and it’s time to nope right the f**k out of there.
all_hornets_must_die responded:
My team at my last job was like this. By work hard they meant working late nights and weekends for months.
By play hard they meant my boss throws a “get together” that gets out of control where him and his daughter are having a fight in the yard and people are throwing up from too much alcohol
Engagement. If you pay me enough, treat me with respect, and don’t make the job worse than it has to be, I’ll be engaged. All others ways to get employees “engaged” are bs.
We know how employees don’t want to be talked to, but it is possible to be professional and seem smart by using regular human language. Boniwe Duster would like to advise managers, other HR specialists and corporate representatives “to be considerate of others' backgrounds in the work environment, be more inclusive in their engagements and create openness and psychological safety.“
Collaboration. This is the main reason they're pushing return to office. We need to collaborate with our peers! Think of the brainstorming you'll do next to the elevators and water fountain!
In reality we'll be having team meetings at our desks via teams while I do glorified data entry. We don't collaborate at all.
So honest question here, is collaborating at work the same as it is in highschool? 5 people supposed to do the work together and in reality there is only 1 or 2 people who actually get it done? Or is it a group effort?
Mingismungis said:
Empowerment or transparency
Companies don't know what these words mean.
shutterspeak answered:
Empowered = you actually have no additional power, you just shoulder more blame when things go wrong.
Transparent = you tell me everything and I'll tell you what I need you to know.
"Rightsizing" It means they're going to fire a bunch of people and dump all that extra work on those who remain.
As a programmer, all of the Agile lingo. F**k your scrums, scrum scrums, scrum masters, stand ups, and sprints.
Rockstar
as in "we're looking for rockstars" in a workplace that is as far removed from guitars, moshpits, and headbanging as possible.
Well, if it means Im allowed to drink on the job, throw tantrums and trash the office without consequence...it doesn't sound that bad.
In these unprecedented times
“I’ll give you back (x) minutes of your day.” after ending a meeting early.
We're going through some structural changes, but you have nothing to worry about
Piggyback…as in “Great point, Fred. I’d like to piggy back on what you said with some more irrelevant information.”
I hate “let’s take this offline” the most bc it’s always a manager saying it and it just means stfu and idc
And it also keeps you from saving e mails and having documentation of what the boss said.
Guest instead of customer. Like no, they aren’t wanted here. Buy your s**t and get out.
"let's park this for now" is a synonym for "I won't ever talk about this again"
When I say that, I’m really saying “no one wants to spend half an hour listening to you drone on about something only you and one other person care about. Let’s go back to the agenda so the other ten of us can get through this meeting and back to our lives.”
Synergy
It's a travesty against the brilliant Buckminster Fuller, the way this word gets abused now.
i-need-blinker-fluid said:
Leveraging diversity.
2PlasticLobsters added:
A lot of the time it's tokenism. We hired a black guy, & promoted a woman. And I'm pretty sure someone here is gay. Yay, we're diverse!
Touch/touching base and low hanging fruit.
I personally hate people who claim they’re playing devil’s advocate because they’re usually using that phrase incorrectly in an attempt to sound smarter than they actually are, and are just trying to hide the fact that they weren’t paying attention or don’t understand what’s being discussed.
“Okay so I’m gonna play devil’s advocate here but why can’t we install this motor on this piece of machinery?”
Because this motor’s specification does not meet the required output of the machine, meaning it’ll be running the conveyor way too slow.
“Okay okay, I gotcha. But again, playing devil’s advocate here, why would that be a problem?”
Bruh.
I don't know, I kind of get this one. Sometimes you want to know the exact shape of a problem to see if there might be a different solution.
Using “sustainability” like it is some newfound concept. Bonus points for using it incorrectly.
This is funny to me because in the Early Childhood Education field it actually does do what it says.
"Were not saving lives" yet they make the issues pressing enough as if thats exactly what they think were doing
Instead of doing your job, you’re “taking ownership” of a task.
Please do the needful
The other day instead of telling me that we would see where we were at at the end of the day, my husband said we would discuss the state of play. I haven’t let him live it down since. What a weirdo.
"I'd like to thank Employee X for championing this challenge!"
"Make sure you capture all potential revenue streams" (Dude, this is a body shop...)
Let's step back and take a high level overview of these documents.
When managers "champion" things, it means they could have suggested something trivial or stupid and time-wasting, or said "me too" on it without even knowing what it was...but they "leverage" their "championing" of the stupid idea into something to plug into their bonus statements. Did they accomplish anything? Is anything better? Those are questions that their bosses should be asking, but no...literally writing an email saying they supported something or suggested something is in itself the selling point for that manager's bonus.
“We are seeking accountancy rockstars…”
Referring to people as rockstars is in the same vein as ‘superheroes’. I can’t stand either of the terms.
It’s not a corporate saying but I roll my eyes every freaking time someone starts a presentation with a quote. Quotes are a dime a dozen and I can find one that literally says anything. It just seems like a really basic, uninspired way to start a meeting. And the higher and more out of touch the management, the more likely they are to start with a quote.
I used to ask what things meant in meetings, especially if it was the latest management buzzword.
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Also when they don't give you the tools to do your job, say they're going to get said tools, and then punish you for not being able to do said job properly before giving you the new tools.
Oh man, I can't believe "sunsetting" isn't in here! If I hear my boss tell us about how some process or application will be sunsetted.... AARRGGGH
This just almost triggered me. STG. If I hear one more time about sunsetting a certain program in gonna sunset someone's face.
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"Can I ask you a quick question." Quick questions do not usually have quick answers.
My response to "Can I ask you a quick question?" is: "Does that one count?" Esp if it's someone I'm not familiar with, I get a good read on them by how quickly they can process and respond.
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I hate all office-speak. I hate that people are perverting language to gloss over real issues. "It's not a problem, it's an OPPORTUNITY." I have been calling b******t on this stuff in the workplace for years (when I was actually an office worker). Maybe because of my autism, but I just get extra blunt and will dead-eye somebody and say, "What does that actually mean in regular English?"
This has the same energy as asking a bully to explain when they try to brush off a hateful comment as a joke and I love it.
Load More Replies...
Team effort, hey team!, my team and I.... we're not a damn sports team.
Upselling I find it offensive for the employee to be threatened into begging and manipulation tactics or they'll be fired and I find it offensive they think customers are this stupid. It's greedy and a disgusting practice since most times it's also a lie ie: asking for a donation to a charity. We all know that most of that "charity" money is pocketed by the ceo. Walgreens and acme are the biggest thieves. They try to. make you feel guilty for saying no too. Feel so bad for retail workers. They aren't looked at as human by their employers and a lot of customers.
Lots of BS here. I'm a "boss" of a large group. I'd like to think I'm a pretty darn approachable guy. I believe 100% that my staff should be treated respectfully and given the tools and liberty to do their jobs in a proper way. I treat them like humans, not "resources". But I have caught myself using some of the phrases. What the hell is wrong with "teamwork"? Not asking you do other peoples jobs or stay a million hours after your shift...just asking you to help out when someone needs or asks. This isn't slave driving, it's being a cool person. Open door policy? Yeah I spend a ton of time in my office because my job requires it. And I've said to my staff that I have an open door policy. Would you rather "bosses" say they have a closed door policy and not give 2 s***s about your concerns? Yeah there's a ton of these phrases that I would never use that kinda make me sick too. But end of day, most "bosses" care big time about people. I know I do.
Look, a man is insulted that he doesn't meet the generics about toxic American work culture
Load More Replies... A recorded hack reactor lesson tells students that working in dev is akin to being in the "special forces." The same lecturer admits in the same video that his first job was in coding and he's never served in the military. We were also repeatedly told "we're a family", a sentiment they immediately forgot when half the class lost power and internet due to Ida and they decided they had the "critical mass" to drop us and proceed with the rest. Thanks, fam!
That sounds like a family to me... A dysfunctional one, but still
Load More Replies... Good thing that outside the business world, like in academia, govt. or non-profits, there's no jargon or phrases that get used again and again.
Not necessarily a corporate phrase, but, you're hearing it in commercials more: any version of "you got this." What do I got? It crops up on shows like Survivor, The Amazing Race, and others, and has me yelling "shut up" at the TV.
I once asked in a meeting whether abbotiors counted as steakholders.
"Time frame." As in, we should have that in the April time frame. Or that should come online in the fall time frame. Totally useless and redundant.
How is "competitive wage" not on here? AKA we don't want to pay you more than anyone else will.....ever.
"Perfect" as a response to any question "no problem" instead of you're welcome
It’s not a corporate saying but I roll my eyes every freaking time someone starts a presentation with a quote. Quotes are a dime a dozen and I can find one that literally says anything. It just seems like a really basic, uninspired way to start a meeting. And the higher and more out of touch the management, the more likely they are to start with a quote.
I used to ask what things meant in meetings, especially if it was the latest management buzzword.
Load More Replies... Also when they don't give you the tools to do your job, say they're going to get said tools, and then punish you for not being able to do said job properly before giving you the new tools.
Oh man, I can't believe "sunsetting" isn't in here! If I hear my boss tell us about how some process or application will be sunsetted.... AARRGGGH
This just almost triggered me. STG. If I hear one more time about sunsetting a certain program in gonna sunset someone's face.
Load More Replies... "Can I ask you a quick question." Quick questions do not usually have quick answers.
My response to "Can I ask you a quick question?" is: "Does that one count?" Esp if it's someone I'm not familiar with, I get a good read on them by how quickly they can process and respond.
Load More Replies... I hate all office-speak. I hate that people are perverting language to gloss over real issues. "It's not a problem, it's an OPPORTUNITY." I have been calling b******t on this stuff in the workplace for years (when I was actually an office worker). Maybe because of my autism, but I just get extra blunt and will dead-eye somebody and say, "What does that actually mean in regular English?"
This has the same energy as asking a bully to explain when they try to brush off a hateful comment as a joke and I love it.
Load More Replies... Team effort, hey team!, my team and I.... we're not a damn sports team.
Upselling I find it offensive for the employee to be threatened into begging and manipulation tactics or they'll be fired and I find it offensive they think customers are this stupid. It's greedy and a disgusting practice since most times it's also a lie ie: asking for a donation to a charity. We all know that most of that "charity" money is pocketed by the ceo. Walgreens and acme are the biggest thieves. They try to. make you feel guilty for saying no too. Feel so bad for retail workers. They aren't looked at as human by their employers and a lot of customers.
Lots of BS here. I'm a "boss" of a large group. I'd like to think I'm a pretty darn approachable guy. I believe 100% that my staff should be treated respectfully and given the tools and liberty to do their jobs in a proper way. I treat them like humans, not "resources". But I have caught myself using some of the phrases. What the hell is wrong with "teamwork"? Not asking you do other peoples jobs or stay a million hours after your shift...just asking you to help out when someone needs or asks. This isn't slave driving, it's being a cool person. Open door policy? Yeah I spend a ton of time in my office because my job requires it. And I've said to my staff that I have an open door policy. Would you rather "bosses" say they have a closed door policy and not give 2 s***s about your concerns? Yeah there's a ton of these phrases that I would never use that kinda make me sick too. But end of day, most "bosses" care big time about people. I know I do.
Look, a man is insulted that he doesn't meet the generics about toxic American work culture
Load More Replies... A recorded hack reactor lesson tells students that working in dev is akin to being in the "special forces." The same lecturer admits in the same video that his first job was in coding and he's never served in the military. We were also repeatedly told "we're a family", a sentiment they immediately forgot when half the class lost power and internet due to Ida and they decided they had the "critical mass" to drop us and proceed with the rest. Thanks, fam!
That sounds like a family to me... A dysfunctional one, but still
Load More Replies... Good thing that outside the business world, like in academia, govt. or non-profits, there's no jargon or phrases that get used again and again.
Not necessarily a corporate phrase, but, you're hearing it in commercials more: any version of "you got this." What do I got? It crops up on shows like Survivor, The Amazing Race, and others, and has me yelling "shut up" at the TV.
I once asked in a meeting whether abbotiors counted as steakholders.
"Time frame." As in, we should have that in the April time frame. Or that should come online in the fall time frame. Totally useless and redundant.
How is "competitive wage" not on here? AKA we don't want to pay you more than anyone else will.....ever.
"Perfect" as a response to any question "no problem" instead of you're welcome
