Insider’s guide to corporate jargon

If you’ve had a job at any point, then corporate jargon is a given. It comes with the territory. But while it’s good to sound knowledgeable in your industry, overdoing the corporate speak can actually work against you. Considering that roughly 22 million Americans now work from home, using business jargon in mediums like email, chat and text just muddies the waters. And it definitely doesn’t qualify as good phone etiquette.

According to a report by LinkedIn and Duolingo, 46 percent—nearly half of the workers polled said they would reduce or eliminate corporate jargon altogether if they could. By comparison, 60 percent of those surveyed say they had to figure out business jargon on their own, which causes stress, slows productivity and leaves people feeling left out of discussions.

Another consideration: if you work with and communicate with people outside of the U.S., your business jargon might vary significantly from theirs, giving rise to confusion and missed professional communication opportunities. For example, one of the most common corporate jargon phrases in the U.S. is “ducks in a row.” It’s also one of the most confusing to those working in the U.K.

On the flip side, we’re not sure about you, but we didn’t know the meaning of “arvo”—a bit of lingo used in Australia (see the definition below). Additionally, we only have a vague idea of what “singing from the same hymn sheet” means, which is often used by those in the U.K.

To help you conquer corporate jargon like the examples mentioned above, tone it down a bit, and speak in more understandable terms at work, we’ve compiled a list of some common and not-so-common business jargon examples. We’ve paired them with simple phrases to use instead to help clear up business communications issues. Take a look.

Above my pay grade

Definition: Something outside of the scope of your responsibilities that needs to be addressed by someone at a higher level

Example: That question is above my pay grade.

Alternative: Beyond my responsibilities

Action items (actionable items)

Definition: A list of tasks to do, usually in a set amount of time

Example: Make sure you write down your action items after this meeting.

Alternative: To-do list or task list

Arvo

Definition: Australian slang for afternoon

Example: Let’s meet tomorrow arvo to discuss the new marketing budget.

Alternative: Afternoon

Bandwidth

Definition: The ability, time and resources available to take on a new task or project

Example: Do you have the bandwidth to write a blog post?

Alternative: Availability

Best practice

Definition: A proven method, or industry standard, for completing a task or getting the desired results

Example: Thanking customers with a personal note is a best practice for getting repeat business.

Alternative: An authenticated best way

Boil the ocean

Definition: To waste a lot of time on an impossible project or task

Example: Don’t boil the ocean making sales calls to ancient leads. Send an email instead.

Alternative: Waste time

Break down the silos

Definition: Working to limit or remove barriers between teams or departments to improve efficiency and processes

Example: We need to work together to break down the silos that are slowing innovation.

Alternative: Keep all teams informed, remove roadblocks or collaborate with affected departments

BYOD

Definition: The acronym for Bring Your Own Device

Example: Please BYOD to the meeting.

Alternative: Bring your laptop, tablet or smartphone

Churn rate

Definition: The rate of people (employees or customers) leaving a company during a specific time period

Example: The fourth quarter employee churn rate was higher than the third quarter.

Alternative: Turnover, employee loss, customers who canceled service

Close the loop

Definition: Refers to following up on or completing a project

Example: Can you close the loop on the employee survey by sending an email with the results?

Alternative: Follow up, get the needed information, complete the task

Core competency

Definition: A defined level of capability in a specific area of business or an individual’s key strengths

Example: Please be sure you meet the three core competencies to apply for the position.

Alternative: Main skills

Deep dive

Definition: To thoroughly analyze a business problem through research, investigations and discussions

Example: Let’s take a deep dive into our sales numbers for the fiscal year.

Alternative: Analyze

Deliverables

Definition: Products or output expected at the completion of a project or task

Example: Let’s review the project’s timeline and who is responsible for each of the deliverables.

Alternative: Outcomes, solutions, results, products

Ducks in a row

Definition: To be organized and well-prepared

Example: They should have had their ducks in a row before meeting with the board.

Alternative: Prepare

Hard stop

Definition: A non-negotiable ending time for a meeting, call, discussion or trade closing

Example: I have a hard stop at 3 p.m. because of a dental appointment

Alternative: Definite ending time

Let’s take this offline

Definition: The suggestion to continue the discussion in private

Example: Thank you for your input. Let’s take this offline for now.

Alternative: Let’s discuss it later

Mission critical

Definition: Tasks, strategies and individual work that are critical to achieving the goal

Example: Meeting the deadline is mission critical to the campaign launch.

Alternative: Important, crucial

Move the needle

Definition: Making progress toward the ultimate goal

Example: Let’s create a marketing strategy to move the needle.

Alternative: Be effective

One-on-one

Definition: A business meeting between two people, such as a manager and an employee, to check in and discuss projects and issues

Example: Let’s discuss that in our next one-on-one.

Alternative: Private meeting

Out of pocket

Definitions: Not available for work, or a cost that isn’t covered by your business or insurance

Examples: I’m traveling tomorrow and will be out of pocket. All food and beverages were out of pocket.

Alternatives: Unreachable/not reimbursed

Pain point

Definition: Problems and issues that have a significant effect on personnel or a business meeting its goals

Example: We can eliminate customer communication pain points by using our new CRM.

Alternative: Challenge

Paradigm shift

Definition: A significant change in a long-held business concept or practice

Example: Brick-and-mortar stores were the retail trend, but the paradigm shift has been toward e-commerce.

Alternative: Change in thinking

Pivot

Definition: To make a change in the direction of the business when your current practices aren’t meeting goals

Example: We must pivot to VoIP phones from landlines before they become extinct.

Alternative: Change direction

Put a pin in it

Definition: To set a topic aside with the intention to come back to discuss it later

Example: Let’s put a pin in this idea until we have more details.

Alternative: Let’s talk about it later or pause

Reinvent the wheel

Definition: To waste time creating processes and procedures when proven solutions already exist

Example: Let’s not reinvent the wheel with a different CRM platform. Instead, let’s encourage staff to do a better job of documenting call notes in the CRM application we already have.

Alternative: Waste time

Sidebar

Definition: An off-topic discussion that usually occurs during a meeting

Example: Sorry for that sidebar. Where were we?

Alternative: Unrelated conversation

Singing from the same hymn sheet

Definition: When two teams, departments or company leaders are in agreement and present a united front in public

Example: The marketing team is singing from the same hymn sheet as the sales department.

Alternative: On the same page, agree with

Synergy

Definition: The power to achieve better results by working collectively as a group than by working separately

Example: When we have company synergy, we meet our goals faster.

Alternative: Work together

Table this

Definition: To pause a discussion with the understanding that you may or may not return to it later

Example: I like that idea, but let’s table this and see how this process plays out first.

Alternative: Pause

Think outside the box

Definition: To brainstorm and consider ideas and options that are unconventional

Example: Our marketing director is known for thinking outside the box.

Alternative: Creative thinking

Traction

Definition: Interest or support for something to become successful

Example: The idea to bundle phone and internet services quickly gained traction with our customers.

Alternative: Success

Voluntold

Definition: To be volunteered for a task or position without the option to say no

Example: She was voluntold to run the next board meeting.

Alternative: Assigned

Wheelhouse

Definition: Area of expertise

Example: Writing and analyzing marketing reports is within her wheelhouse.

Alternative: Capability, field of expertise

Whiteboarding

Definition: A way to brainstorm visually on a physical or virtual whiteboard where everyone can see it and contribute

Example: Ooma includes virtual whiteboarding solutions for teams in its Ooma Office Pro Plus plan.

Alternative: Brainstorming

For more help

Finding clear and concise corporate phrases to use instead of corporate lingo will go a long way in making your business a more inclusive space. To learn more, check out our posts with tips for workplace communication and understanding telecom jargon.