Free Yourself from Buzzwords and Jargon by Beth Kuchar

September 05, 2012

Our goal is to harness thought leadership-centric networking to hack crowdfunded innovative turnkey solutions which aid in the execution of lean pivots that enable appified SAAS to engage use of social synergies for a best-in-class responsive solution design.  Got it?  Of course you don’t!  None of that made any sense whatsoever. But I’m sure if you’ve been to enough meetings, it sounds dreadfully familiar.

Whether you call it buzzwords, tech-speak, or jargon, it’s one of my biggest pet peeves.  People who bandy about the big words tend to come off like pompous know-it-alls – or worse, like poor, clueless fools who are trying to sound smart.  So before you “take it offline” next time you discuss your “core competency” to create a “game-changing” new “paradigm shift”, check out these three simple tips to make sure you are actually communicating and not just trying to puff yourself up with jargon.

1. Think about your audience.

Are you talking to a room full of n00bs?  Or will your current conversation partners understand your geeky references to the Browncoats? Think about who you are talking to, and how comfortable they might be with whatever topic you are discussing.  If you’re talking about technical or industry concepts that likely won’t be familiar to them, lose the jargon and find words that everyone can understand.  Sure, sometimes it can be harder to use simple terms to explain your point; try to imagine how you would communicate your point to a family member or friend outside the office.  You wouldn’t ask your spouse for buy-in on your plan to optimize the weekend enjoyment with an outside-the box plan to go waterskiing, now would you?

2. Are you straying outside your realm?

Watch out if you find yourself falling back into the protective embrace of buzzwords when the conversation around you starts to go over your head.  All of us are probably guilty of dipping into the jargon jar now and then just to fit in and sound like we know what we’re talking about; it’s human nature to want to be part of the tribe, and you might feel like you need to speak the same language to fit in.  Don’t do it!  Not only are you missing out on the true information, you run the risk of someone calling your bluff.  How embarrassing.  You’ll gain much more respect if you simply ask for clarification when someone says something that you don’t understand.  No games, and no misunderstandings.

3. Can you convey the info without using jargon?

Think about what you are really trying to say.  What is your main point?  Just say it.  It’s OK to simply ask for a team member to help you finish the project instead of requesting additional resources to move ahead on completion of the deliverables.  If you find that you are using jargon to make your job or your contributions sound more grandiose, stop right there.  Hiding behind big words will do nothing for your confidence.  So take a deep breath and believe in what you have to add.

There you have it: three straightforward tips.  I know it might sound simple, but trust me, I know it’s not easy.  Saying buh-bye to jargon is difficult, and ridding your daily work conversations of the fluff, when everyone else around you uses buzzwords freely, can take quite a bit of practice.  But just imagine – with a little practice and a heavy dose of self-awareness, you could eventually be known as the straight-shooter that cuts to the chase and gets the job done!  We’ll tackle overused expressions another time…

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