Long before overused business clichés become the subjects of vitriolic blog posts with headlines telling us they “need to die,” they are “scream-inducing” and to “never” use them, they were uttered in offices because they were memorable and interesting. Then, they too, became too much of a good thing and lost their impact. Favored phrases change over time, and if you don’t drop some of the tired business clichés I list below quickly and adopt phrases that are more meaningful for people in modern work environments, your words will be lost on your colleagues and employees because they’ll be too busy rolling their eyes.
When you are compelled to accept “it is what it is,” “work smarter, not harder” and more, by all means keep your trap shut and don’t SAY it. Just act. Or embrace some of the alt phrases from my list below that are currently in favor with millennials.
It is what it is
Is that the best you can do? Don’t hide behind a cliché. Try to make the best of a situation and find a better solution for whatever “it” is. The first step is to be clear about what “it” even is.
Alt approach: Take action rather than express a meaningless cliché.
Work smarter, not harder
While the intent of this phrase is good, helping people enhance the way they work, for many reasons it feels like an underhanded and not very specific way of saying their current way of working is lacking.
Alt approach: Help people actually work smart and talk about specific tactics, not vague clichés.
Game changer
Many corporate catchphrases like this one were pulled from sports, but I sure wish they would have stayed there. This phrase is so overused it is employed to describe ANY change when it should be reserved for only significant, ground-breaking developments.
Alt approach: State what the developments and changes are and explain how they will improve business.
Giving 110%
While to some this phrase is mathematically impossible, I like to think of how we could use that extra 10% in a different way. Why waste effort by going to 110% when all that’s really required is 100%?
Alt approach: Use up that extra 10% effort on a different project or objective and stop saying you’re giving 110%.
Low-hanging fruit
Our focus should be those tasks that propel our business forward—the ones that have the biggest impact even if they are harder—not the ones that are easy to accomplish. To focus on low-hanging fruit misses the point. Although they might be quick, they might not be significant enough for you to spend any time on.
Alt approach: Forget the low-hanging fruit. Focus on actions that make the biggest difference.
Let’s take this offline
When I hear this one, I always want more specifics. Who, what, where and when is this “offline” happening? It’s slightly dismissive of the topic when it’s not accompanied by the specifics of how the discussion will proceed after it’s taken “offline.”
Alt approach: Drop this cliché in favor of calling out the who, what, where and when the conversation will continue.
Drop the ball
We’re in business not playing a sport or fetch like a dog. When it comes to making a mistake, the most important topic to discuss is how to avoid it in the future or what action is being taken to rectify the problem.
Alt approach: Use your words to describe what transpired. “I didn’t hit my sales goal, because I’m struggling to win bids due to a new competitor.”
I don’t have the bandwidth
I think I can safely say that most people who use this phrase aren’t referring to “the transmissions capacity of an electronics communications device.”
Alt approach: Select descriptive words that explain why you aren’t able to help out—as that’s what’s you’re really trying to say when you express, “I don’t have the bandwidth.”
Rightsizing
Human beings are impacted by a company’s decision to “rightsize”—a term used to describe the elimination of positions and a reduction of the workforce. This feels “not right” to those people who are losing their positions.
Alt approach: Explain the organizational changes being implemented.
What are phrases that we could use instead?
Many of the favored phrases of millennials, the largest segment of the workforce, may not seem to be work appropriate because they tend to rely heavily on acronyms and abbreviations that are easy to text. So, although it remains to be seen if they will be widely adopted, here are a few that I think show promise and their meanings:
Savage: With a bit of ferociousness implied, calling something out as savage means it’s really cool.
Salty: If a millennial describes you as salty, it means you seem grumpy or agitated.
W (pronounced “dub”) or L: In business, as in life, there are wins and losses. This is how millennials refer to them.
Narrative: This phrase became popular when Taylor Swift tweeted in 2016 and said, “I would very much like to be excluded from this narrative.” So, it’s now used to describe things you’d prefer not to be a part of.
Aesthetic: The new “vibe.”
What did I miss? What business clichés are driving you crazy and what new phrases do you predict will be the next phrases to catch on in business?
