“Communication is key” – this phrase is used all the time. But in the corporate world, idioms often sneak into our language without even realizing it, causing confusion and pseudo communication.
In his first team meetings post-college, James Sudakow, management and organizational effectiveness consultant, noticed his colleagues and superiors using cliché words and phrases that he didn’t understand. In time, he learned to adapt to this corporate jargon, but eventually took a stand to end it, putting up a whiteboard full of phrases his colleagues were no longer allowed to use. Finally, they began speaking in plain English to each other. That whiteboard became the premise for his book, “Picking the Low-Hanging Fruit… and Other Stupid Stuff We Say in the Corporate World” (Purple Squirrel Media, February 2016), which aims to help businesses and professionals start speaking plainly and effectively with one another.
“I realized everyone was using the same phrases, but no one was really communicating,” Sudakow says. “I wrote this book to not only gently poke fun at myself and my colleagues, but to make a statement about corporate communication at large as well.”
When writing “Picking the Low-Hanging Fruit,” Sudakow realized there was a core group of phrases that seemed to be used across all industries, and pinpointed seven to avoid in order to improve communication:
1. Think outside the box. This expression typically means coming up with new and innovative ideas. Sudakow encourages people to say that instead and elaborate on it – it’ll go a long way to help with creativity.
2. Touch base. If you don’t work with a baseball team, “touch base” instead refers to getting in contact with someone. Instead, be specific on how you or another team member should contact one another.
3. Hit the ground running. This means expecting a person, team or project to get started quickly. Instead of using this phrase, Sudakow advises professionals be specific in ways they can benefit a project with their ability to start tasks immediately.
4. Critical mass. This phrase is used when referring to a large quantity of resources that will allow required work to be completed effectively. Instead of using this, explain how you can bring these traits to the table in plain English.
5. At the end of the day. Not meaning the actual end of the current day, this refers to the end of a project milestone. Sudakow suggests instead to be specific about deadlines so there is no confusion and team members can work confidently toward a goal.
6. Dead on. Despite the word “dead” being in the expression, being dead on is actually a good thing – it means to be exactly right. Consider instead using “exactly right” for an honest tone which is more clear.
7. I’ll ping you. Similar to “touch base,” it is more beneficial for everyone at work to be more transparent and professional in terms of how each party is going to contact each other, Sudakow says.
James Sudakow serves as the principal of CH Consulting, Inc., a boutique management and organizational effectiveness consulting practice he founded in 2010. He specializes in helping companies manage organizational transformation, create talent management strategies and programs that maximize employee capabilities and improve business performance.
