Since many people started working from home and meeting virtually, the use of corporate jargon has become more apparent and awkward.

Isolated from the people we work with in the office, the importance of clear communication is becoming all the more evident. While business lingo will probably never completely disappear, here are a few virtual meeting catchphrases we need to retire.

Pivot

Over the past two years, we have witnessed the pandemic disrupt most business plans. Since people constantly deviated from their goals, pivot became a popular buzzword. 

Let's face it, you've probably broken into a cold sweat or rolled your eyes when management talked about pivoting. The term often invokes confusion and stress because of its ambiguity. A pivot signifies oncoming change, but often the speaker does not clarify the nature of the change. And that's why this phrase needs to be retired – people should just drive straight into what the pivot entails!

Low Hanging Fruit

The phrase low hanging fruit isn't something you would associate with a work zoom meeting. It conjures the mental image of fruit picking on a sunny day. But alas, it has become one of the corporate world's favorite catchphrases. The term low hanging fruit is used to mean something easy but still worth doing. 

The phrase earns a spot on this list of shame because it doesn't really add value to the conversation. An easier and more straightforward way of communicating your idea would be simply saying that something is "easy but definitely worth it".

Circling Back

If someone says that they will circle back to a point you made, there is a huge chance that they are lying. Do not expect any circling or backing. 

The phrase "circle back" conveys a promise to revisit a particular decision or topic at a future date. It's also a popular catchphrase that people use when rejecting a point without getting confrontation.

While this is not always the case, and some people fulfill their promise to revisit the idea, an overwhelming majority do not. That is why the phrase has come to have a negative connotation. The phrase "circling back" needs to be retired and replaced with more honest communication and feedback to co-workers.

Bandwidth

Once upon a time, the word bandwidth meant was primarily used to mean the frequencies in a given band. It was mostly used in the context of transmitting signals, but this definition has been overtaken in popularity. People usually use this phrase in online meetings to mean they do not have enough time or resources to deal with a request.

While the phrase in itself isn't bad, it's off-putting how often some people use it to avoid being direct. "I don't have the bandwidth" is used as the safe and inoffensive way of saying, "I don't have the time to fulfill your request".

Bandwidth might be more comfortable for some people. However, it's still another catchphrase that people use instead of direct communication, so it needs to go.

Piggybacking

No brainstorming session is complete without someone saying the word "piggybacking". The first person to ever use it probably came off as amusing. They probably got a chuckle or two. But it has become so overused that it has lost its charm.

There are so many ways to put your point across without traumatizing your co-workers with the mental image of you literally piggybacking the person whose idea you are expanding on. Instead, try to use phrases like, "I would like to add on/follow up on Anne's idea."

Take This Offline

The phrase 'take this offline' leaves more questions than answers. What exactly does taking it offline mean in the context of a virtual meeting, especially now when many people are working remotely?

Most times, the term is used to mean the topic should be discussed outside of the group topic – which, to be fair, is a nice gesture of respecting the time of the other people in the meeting. But it's still very ironic, given that the follow-up meeting will probably also happen online.

High-Level Overview

The phrase probably baffled you the first time you heard it, and it's completely understandable. High-level overview is one of those phrases whose meaning you cannot quickly infer from the context. It's a wordy way of asking for a brief summary of key takeaways of a project without details.

This phrase earns its place on this list of shame because of its wordiness. It needs to be retired in favor of something straightforward and direct to the point, like simply asking for a brief summary instead of requesting a high-level overview.

Touching Base

A list of corporate phrases that need to be retired is not complete without this fan favorite. To many people, especially Americans, the phrase brings up the image of baseball in which a runner must make contact with corner bases before being put out.

In its more corporate use, the phrase touching bases means making or renewing contact with someone. Like most phrases in this list, 'touching base' is criticized for being indirect. It sticks to the corporate jargon theme of overcomplicating communication.

Let's retire the phrase touching base and instead be straightforward and say something like, "I will call/email you".

Final Thoughts

People use business jargon because it's fast, convenient, and often an old habit, but it often hinders communication. Words like 'high-level overview' often sound ludicrous, adding little value to the conversation. On the contrary, they obscure the clarity of what you are trying to communicate, and they sometimes alienate people. A survey found that 27% of workers stop paying attention when the speaker shifts to jargon, and 60% said they don't know what most jargon means.

As we continue to hold our meetings online, we must have more integrity in our language. We also need to be more mindful of how we communicate without co-workers, teams, and the rest of the community.

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