Jargon In The Workplace Does Not Make You Look Smarter

Jargon words are technical terms or expressions specific to a particular field or industry. These terms are often created to describe unique concepts or processes unrelated to everyday language. For example, in the medical field, terms such as "myocardial infarction" (heart attack) or "pulmonary embolism" (blood clot in the lung) are commonly used by healthcare professionals but may not be easily understood by the general public. Jargon words have two features: a) they are terms that the recipients do not understand, and b) the terms sound impenetrable by non-specialists.[1]

When we inundate our speech or writing with abundant convoluted terminology and unknown acronyms, we risk alienating our audience and hindering adequate comprehension. Utilizing an obscure lexicon may create a sense of exclusivity, inadvertently excluding those unfamiliar with such abstruse terms. Excessive reliance on jargon can lead to elitism and intellectual snobbery within professional circles. Individuals excessively employ complex terminology in meetings or presentations to assert dominance or superiority over others unfamiliar with such verbose language. According to the research, jargon serves as a "trophy" or a "branded watch" some use in the workplace to show off among their colleagues.[2]

David Cameron, the British Prime Minister, introduced 2015 a "Clarity Award" for ministers. He wrote to the ministers, "Ministers need clarity too. We're surrounded by complex issues on which we must make important decisions. Civil servants may know them inside out, but ministers can't know everything in detail. So we rely on you to cut through the complexity and cut out the jargon. Please be brief and use straightforward language."[3]

Some industry leaders, such as Elon Musk, expressed to his staff at SpaceX how annoying and disruptive the use of jargon is in the workplace. Musk was more rigid than David Cameron; Musk threatened that any use of jargon would result in drastic action from his side. In an email, Musk wrote

"There is a creeping tendency to use made up acronyms at SpaceX. Excessive use of made up acronyms is a significant impediment to communication… No one can actually remember all these acronyms and people don't want to seem dumb in a meeting, so they just sit there in ignorance. This is particularly tough on new employees. That needs to stop immediately or I will take drastic action – I have given enough warning over the years… If there is an existing acronym that cannot reasonably be justified, it should be eliminated, as I have requested in the past."[4]

In the workplace, you will come across the following vague terms/ words:

Stomach: those who use this word mean to "accept" or "tolerate." Example: we can stomach the risk. It is used by people who want to project their importance and their possession of vocabulary and terms not available to others. Example for clearer communication: We moved on with the project because we accepted the risk.

Touch base: used by to mean "communicate." Example: let us touch base tomorrow

Example for clearer communication: let us have a dialogue tomorrow

Bandwidth: This is one of the most elusive and often deceptive jargon used in the workplace because it can be interpreted in many ways. When a manager refuses to accept a responsibility under his department with the excuse of not having a bandwidth, it carries various meanings. For instance, it can mean he and his team do not have the required skills to take on the additional task/ project. It can also mean they have the competence and skills but do not have the required number of staff for the job. It can also mean they have skills, competencies, and the required number of resources but do not have the time to finish the existing projects, let alone accept the additional task. It can also mean he does not want to take on the additional task simply because he does not want to. So, which one is which? 

It would be so much simpler and clearer to say:

My team and I cannot accept this additional task because we do not have the required skills to implement it. Or:

My team and I do not have the required number of human capital to take on the additional responsibility.

On my radar: This slick term does not say much to the line managers. When we say " on my radar, " it could be interpreted in multiple ways. It could mean that we are aware of it. But the recipient or the audience might be interested in an answer more than the awareness. The CEO might be interested in the project's status, obstacles, accomplishments, etc.

Example of more precise communication: I am aware of the issue; I put an action plan, which I am implementing with a target completion date. So far, there are no obstacles to meeting the plan.

Low-hanging fruit: users of this jargon in the workplace mean "easy." Example: this phase of the project is a low-hanging fruit for us

People who use this jargon think they are telling listeners that they mean the "project is easy/ attainable." However, many interpretations of this sentence render the communication ineffective as it leads the listeners to think and try to decipher what this low-hanging means. For instance, my neighbor has palm trees at the entrance of his villa, which have low-hanging dates on them. They are physically easy for me to grab, but is that morally easy? Legally easy?

Over engineer: users of this jargon mean "making it difficult: Let us not overengineer it.

Clear communication: let us not make it difficult.

It is difficult to provide an exhaustive list of workplace jargon, but I hope you understood the jest.

Jargon does not make us look smart. It makes us look arrogant, show-off, and ineffective communicators. Let us have simpler and clutter-free communication.

[1] Brown, Z. C., Anicich, E. M., & Galinsky, A. D. (2020, November). Compensatory conspicuous communication: Low status increases jargon use. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 161, 274–290. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2020.07.001

[2] C. Brown, & D. Galinsky. (2021, March 19). Does Your Office Have a Jargon Problem? Harvard Business Review.

[3] Mp, R. H. D. C. (2015, July 16). The Prime Minister introduces a Civil Service Award for clarity. Civil Service. https://civilservice.blog.gov.uk/2015/07/16/the-prime-ministers-award-for-clarity/

[4] Rear, J. (2018, April 24). Elon Musk hates office jargon and you should too. Verdict. https://www.verdict.co.uk/jargon-business-workplace-musk/