Is it ever ok to use jargon?

Jargon is unacceptable. Isn’t it?

Tell me this then, do you think there is ever a case for a certain level of business-speak in your communications?

I would genuinely like to know the answer. In journalism we were always taught to strip out anything that obscured the message, so interviewees referring to the governments RPIXY scheme would be challenged and asked to explain what they meant. But at the same time we had our own jargon with RJs and SBJs and DOGs   (Regional journalists, Senior broadcast journalists and digitally originated graphics) A great favourite in broadcasting at the moment is UGC – user-generated content and I have even heard social media types using that one, so you don’t have to be in the board room wearing a suit to be guilty.  In fact any plumber or electrician will reel off an entire dictionary of twobefour type slang.

A certain amount of shorthand can create an easy bond between equals and saves time when everyone knows what you mean.

So, if you are a business to business organisation – can your communications bear some jargon? KPIs and SLEs for example. Does it make you sound more professional – does spelling them out make you sound infantile? 

While you are pondering this, have a look at these posts from my back catalogue;  Top 10 jargon howlers  and Jargon to make you smile

Jargon to make you smile.

We were talking last time about jargon and the way it clutters up your writing, getting in the way of the message. But sometimes jargon is just very very funny.

I have to confess a weakness for daft language, although you do have to be careful. People might just take you seriously. Here’s my top ten :

1. Multi-slacking. Multi-skilling and multi- tasking’s lazy brother.
2. Wet signature. Strangely off-putting way of referring to a hand fashioned signature.
3. Strategic staircase. A plan for the future as opposed to some  fortuitously placed steps.
4. Alpha geek. Head of tech support.
5. Blame Storm. Trying to work out who’s going to get it.
6. Power Loser. The person chosen in number 5.
7. Idea hamster. Person least likely to be fired in a blame storm due to their constant stream of ideas.
8. Long pole item. Pivotal, like the pole in an old-fashioned tent.
9. Glasgow salad. Chips (one for UK readers I think.)
10. Going postal. Losing it big style.

Once again many thanks to  www.rhymer.net and http://www.johnsmurf.com of MBA Jargonwatch  for some of their ideas.

Top ten jargon howlers

I had other plans today but feel compelled instead to talk about jargon. I read a blog post yesterday from the Performancing website www.performancing.com entitled ‘Improve your blog’s brand by creating new jargon’

Yaro Starak argues that by creating new jargon for your niche you ‘ build(s) the perception that we are experts who know what we’re talking about.’

I think that is a really risky strategy:

• Firstly because according to the dictionary, jargon is not only words pertaining to a specific job or profession but can also be ‘unintelligible or meaningless talk or writing; gibberish.
• Secondly because you have to have a great deal of authority and charisma to get your followers to adopt a new piece of language. Seth Godin can get away with ‘purple cow’ because he is Seth Godin.

At best jargon just gets in the way of what you are trying to say, at worst it makes you look as if you are trying too hard. In certain professions some jargon is simply shorthand. My husband told me he had recently received an e-mail saying, ‘If you do this, the dog will obscure the slate.’ That’s TV for you I’m afraid !

Some jargon makes me laugh and next time I am going to give you those as a top 10, but for now here are the ones I really hate.

1. Fit for purpose. Pejorative. Ubiquitous sound-bite phrase used to describe any government department/ or indeed anything that no longer functions as hoped.

2. Going forward. What’s wrong with in the future ?

3. Core competencies. What we do well ?

4. Woffice. An ill-conceived BBC idea of an individual  mini office that was wired for new technology.

5. Me plc. That’s just bad.

6. Facetime. Meeting ?

7. Leverage. Borrowed from finance and used just about everywhere.

8. Incentivize like Monetize. They are just made–up words.

9. Drill down. A cliché often applied to websites and the information found there.

10. ‘Own’ as in we must own the argument.

Many thanks to http://www.rhymer.net and http://www.johnsmurf.com for some of their jargon ideas.