Needless jargon in the
workplace baffles and alienates your employees, according to a new
study. It even makes some employees think you're trying to hide
something. A survey of Scottish workers found that more than half were
fed up with bosses using management jargon. Two-thirds preferred no
jargon at all.
I often rant about the importance of clear, simple language in your
company's marketing materials. But it's noteworthy to discover that
business jargon is often just as confusing to your own employees!
The survey, by the UK firm Investors in People, confirms what most of us
already know. Phrases like "low hanging fruit," "blue-sky thinking" and
"brain dump" confuse and annoy workers. They frequently don't have a
clue what you mean -- but being human, they don't want to risk looking
stupid by asking. Instead, they sit there quietly, feeling stupid and
inadequate. That's bad for morale, bad for productivity. And it widens
the divide between management and staff, the survey suggests.
"Bosses need to lead by
example, ditch needless jargon and concentrate on communicating
clearly with their employees," concluded the study.
As a professional writer,
let me offer one partial solution: The first time you use any expression
that might be confusing to your audience, explain what it means. For
example:
"This month the sale
team will go after the low-hanging fruit -- you know, the easiest
targets."
"We need you to really push the envelope, to go beyond our usual
limits."
See how subtle that can
be? You don't have to beat your team over the head to explain what you
mean. In fact, it defeats the whole purpose. But it's important to
realize that not everyone instantly understands phrases that might seem
like second nature to you.
Here's a great way to define something that may be unfamiliar: Use the
phrase "As you know." This gives your listeners credit for knowing
something that, in reality, they may not actually understand:
"As you know, revenues
are the total of all sales... "
"As you know, blue-sky thinking may not have a practical application
yet, but it's still important to consider all the possibilities."
"Using management jargon
doesn't make you a good manager," said Peter Russian, chief executive of
Investors in People/ Scotland. "The most effective bosses recognize that
one of the keys to engaging, motivating and enthusing people is to
communicate in a way which everyone can easily understand."
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