Trey Northrup, Leader, LIXIL Americas.
Have you ever been in a presentation where you heard enough acronyms to recite the alphabet twice? Only for them to be paired with obscure verbs that cause eyes to glaze over and phones to appear in hands?
“Parking lot the AOP discussion.”
“Whiteboard the FY initiatives and map them against KPIs.”
It’s a miracle anyone knows what anyone is talking about. And yet, strangely, we all do.
When did we start replacing normal conversation with corporate speak? When did “change” turn into “paradigm shift?” When did “teamwork” turn into “synergy?” Why did we stop talking to each other like people? When did we start hiding the message instead of telling people like it is?
I think it’s about time we change our tune. Because when we bury the message, people get left behind. When we can’t explain a concept clearly, the message falls flat. Corporate speak is the enemy of clarity, and it puts an added burden on the listener.
Corporate speak is, at best, a shortcut and, at worst, a way to deflect. It enables us to hide the gaps in our own knowledge. It’s how we cover up things that we’re afraid to let others in on.
As leaders, it’s on us to recognize how much corporate speak negatively affects our messages. Now is the time to be genuine and admit what we know and don’t know. We must be transparent. Here are a few ways to do that.
Get Rid Of The Jargon
Acronyms, abbreviations and nicknames may be a shortcut for you, but not for your audience. You may have sat with a project or initiative for weeks or months, but not everyone else has the same subject matter expertise.
Make sure your message reaches everybody in the room, not just a select few in the know. The goal is for everyone to understand and know what they need to do, so give people the time and space to absorb the material. You never know who might end up contributing something impactful, even if it takes some time to get there.
Take Employees On Your Journey
Do your colleagues really know you? Or do they know the talking head at the quarterly town hall?
If you want to establish genuine trust, you have to take that first step. Tell your story and speak to your people like people. If you can’t speak plainly to your organization, they may just think you’re hiding something.
Instead, tell your story and relate to them directly. Give them the opportunity to personally connect with you. When I first came to my organization, I held monthly meetings that anyone could sign up for to get the chance to talk about any topic people wanted to talk about. Establishing that direct connection gave people the chance to meet the real me.
Demonstrate The Impact
The impact of our work must take precedence over process. When you make the “why” of your business a priority, you strip down the façade and clearly demonstrate the importance of your work.
Far too often, leaders seize the chance to showcase their intellect and validate their position, yet the genuine measure of leadership lies in the capacity to effortlessly connect with their people and guide them through the collective journey.
When your aim is seeking connection instead of validation, you discover that you don’t need unnecessary filler to communicate your message effectively. In fact, corporate jargon doesn’t enhance your image; it only waters down your message. Demonstrating the tangible impact of your products or services with authenticity is more than sufficient.
Start With Tools, Finish With People
AI has been a game changer for so many who have difficulty with the written word, but no matter how useful its suggestions are, it still doesn’t convey the human element of communication.
You can certainly use AI to generate ideas, but at the end of the day, the message has to be yours. Whether the audience is internal or external, they want to hear what you have to say, not what AI thinks you should say.
When your AI tool gives you an email draft, social post, or any output that’s supposed to be written by you, be sure to carefully review it and edit it so that it’s in your voice and conveys your thoughts.
It all starts with you: How you speak to your people matters just as much as anything else in the business. People crave authentic connections, and they can tell when your words are true. You simply can’t achieve that level of connection by resorting to corporate jargon.
So, next time you write something, next time you’re giving a presentation, ask yourself this: Is what I’m saying really genuine or just noise?
Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
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