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Corporate lingo3/1/2023 ![]() When it comes to workplace communications, there’s almost always room for improvement. To learn whether your communications are clear, ask a new employee or another neutral audience to review your past communications and give you feedback about whether they can understand what you meant to say. However, all employees do want to be treated as respected partners who are capable of understanding complexities. No reasonable employee expects a leader to have all the answers. ![]() It builds trust with employees when you share corporate realities in understandable language. Straightforward answers build credibility and help employees better understand what is going on in the company. Be thoughtful, direct and avoid euphemisms, sugar coating and jargon. Even if the situation is convoluted, try to find a way to explain it as clearly as possible. Being impersonal, too wordy or delivering unclear information are the most common mistakes managers fall into in their official communications.Įspecially when delivering bad news, it is best to explain the rationale behind the decision. Why good communication countsĪs a company leader, it’s your job to motivate and inspire. Yet what really hurts the company is detached, emotionally flat and vague messaging. In some instances, there’s a false perception that business jargon protects the company from legal issues. Other times, force of habit leads many managers to fall back on the same familiar, but ambiguous, words rather than explore new ways of explaining things. However, studies prove that more complicated sentences and obscure words actually hinder communication rather than enhance it. Sometimes managers want to look smarter or hide insecurity by using bigger words. While it may be tempting to obfuscate, you’re better off explaining that tough challenges may take a long time to fully understand and even longer to fix. Often, business jargon creeps in when company leaders feel uncomfortable admitting they don’t have immediate answers to an issue. Why do so many companies use corporate speak when the downside is obvious? “Why” remains a vital element of any clear communication. John will help transition his team over the next four weeks.”īoth messages convey that John is leaving but the second one explains why. Part of that reorganization means that the position of Vice President of Paradigms position is being phased out. ![]() “As you are aware, we reorganized several departments to improve efficiency. In plain language, the same message might say: To that end, John will transition out of the company over the next few weeks.” “Over the past several months, there has been a lot of work in rethinking our organization and what capabilities are needed to help lead us through a cultural transformation. ![]() In traditional business jargon, your email might sound like this: Even if the situation is convoluted, find a way to explain as clearly as possible what is happening and why.Īn example of a difficult topic that leaders must communicate would be when a key employee leaves the company. Unsurprisingly, people tend to believe more information when it is explained clearly and simply. It also makes the writer or speaker sound like they are evading facts. The problem with business jargonīasically, corporate speak prevents clarity and creates misalignment between what company leaders intend to communicate and what employees perceive. It’s often meaningless, uninspiring and unmemorable. And therein lies the problem with business jargon. This sentence could apply to a product launch, reorganization of the company, a hiring spree or a round of layoffs. “We’ve taken a solution-focused approach, dominated by our corporate values, to create a paradigm shift in the industry.” How do you feel when you read the following sentence? You’re a business leader, which means you’re probably smart, accomplished, experienced and fairly well educated.
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