Banish meaningless jargon (24.03.2009)

Sean Mills, senior client partner at CHPD, deals with HR departments every day, so believes he has a good insight into the jargon of the industry.

Sean: The jargon and HR phrases that I find particularly irritating include:

• utilising (instead of using)
• applying resources (instead of putting people in place)
• solutionising (instead of almost anything else!)
• disintermediation (instead of cutting out the middle-man)

I would even prefer it if more people followed Virgin’s lead and called HR directors, people directors.

I also have to declare a particular hatred for the word learnings. There is no such thing. If you have to, say learning.

What kind of people use jargon?

I tend to find that the more academic the individual, the more likely they are to use jargon. The worst culprits seem to be people who have been to business school, or maybe would like people to think they’ve been to business school. I have to say that consultants can also be among the worse offenders.

In essence, this kind of jargon makes people feel as if they are part of an exclusive group. It’s a shield or form of protection for them. For many people they believe this kind of talk makes them sound more knowledgeable.

What problems are caused by the use of meaningless jargon?

The biggest danger of jargon is miscommunication. If not everyone is absolutely clear of the exact meaning of a particular phrase or word, then there is a real danger of misunderstanding. At times like these, of economic uncertainty, it’s never been more important for communication to be clear. When you use jargon, you run the risk that at least some of your audience don’t understand what you’re talking about.