The corporate world is different from the real world. People think in different terms and deal with different concepts. So it’s not surprising that businesses use a different language. Here are 10 phrases you’ll commonly hear used – remember them and your career is assured.

Going Forward

 

Of all of the phrases that are pointless, meaningless and overused, “going forward” really is the highest ranker. Initially, it came in as a substitute for “in the future,” referring to plans to progress projects, etc. Of course, it’s not really about going forward in any sense other than chronologically, because much corporate activity is about dressing up the same carp to look different. Never mind the fact it still exudes the same aroma of fish. Why “going forward” has gained such popularity is beyond me. Why not say “in the future” which has the same number of syllables, or something meaningful dependent on the context its being used? Time was when context mattered. But going forward has gone viral. It’s become the “erm” of the corporate world. It’s a phrase, a sentence and a full stop in itself. “We’ll book a telecon to discuss it going forward.” “Yeah, book me in on my diary going forward.” As such, it’s become a cliché. More than that, its ubiquitous use has stripped it of any meaning.
Having heard the phrase used in interviews on the news recently, it appears that “going forward” has actually seeped into the real world.

Reinventing the Wheel

Reinventing the wheel is something that no sensible person would attempt. And most corporate bods are sensible enough to realise this. And not reinventing the wheel is something you’ll find managers bragging about. It’s a new approach, but they’re not trying to reinvent the wheel. Having said that….

Avoid Fillers

 

People pause and hesitate in conversation all the time. Sometimes it’s because they’re struggling for the right word. Sometimes it’s simply out of habit. In linguistics, vocalised hesitations are referred to as “fillers.” According to Michael Larcombe writing in New Scientist in 1995, “silence is often construed as a signal that the current speaker is ready to give up his or her turn. So, if we wish to continue our speaking turn, we often need to fill the silences with a sound to show that we intend to carry on speaking.” But there probably aren’t many linguistic experts in the corporate world, which is why when call centre staff are trained, they are instructed to avoid “foghorning.” This is presumably because protracted “eeeeer” sounds are a little like foghorns. Ok. But it’s also perhaps unsurprising that speakers of different languages use different sounds as fillers, which renders the term meaningless when used in training notes for staff in call centres based in India. Imperialism – or unfathomable ignorance – remains rife.