Plain English
Corporate jargon is going into Room 101. The reason is that I just sat through a meeting while a senior businessman tried to explain a point with an endless string of acronyms and jargon. There were more integrated solutions, efficiencies, learnings and synergies amongst the pipelines, reaching out, and keeping everyone in the loop than you could shake a stick at.
On the way out of the meeting I got into conversation with Mr CorpSpeak about his kids. He was telling me how frustrated he was about his teenage son’s use of text-speak. It was very nearly a LOL moment had my self-control not been equal to my incredulity. I imagine his pep talk went something like this:
“Junior, let’s touch base, we need some face time. Huddle please. Your mother and I have been taking a helicopter view of the way you’re connecting with your stakeholders, and we’re in alignment that you should dial down the use of LOL, L8R and Gr8. I don’t have a magic bullet for how you do this but please try to think outside the box and de-integrate these words from your vocabulary.”
Text-speak is by no means the only assault taking place on the English language. Too many people in suits seem to believe corporate communications requires the use of corporate jargon, which is a threat that is just as pervasive, and to my mind significantly more annoying, particularly when dealing with the media.
Time and time again journalists will tell you they want to hear from experts who can explain things to readers and viewers in plain, accessible language. Unfortunately, all-too-often the message doesn’t get through.