Many people working in large companies speak business-buzzwords as a second language. Business language is full of pretty meaningless words. I Don’t Understand What Anyone Is Saying Anymore article tells that the language of internet business models has made the problem even worse. There are several strains of this epidemic: We have forgotten how to use the real names of real things, acronymitis, and Meaningless Expressions (like “Our goal is to exceed the customer’s expectation”). This would all be funny if it weren’t true. Observe it, deconstruct it, and appreciate just how ridiculous most business conversation has become.
Check out this brilliant Web Economy Bullshit Generator page. It generates random bullshit text based on the often used words in business language. And most of the material it generates look something you would expect from IT executives and their speechwriters (those are randomly generated with Web Economy Bullshit Generator):
“scale viral web services”
“integrate holistic mindshare”
“transform back-end solutions”
“incentivize revolutionary portals”
“synergize out-of-the-box platforms”
“enhance world-class schemas”
“aggregate revolutionary paradigms”
“enable cross-media relationships”
How to talk like a CIO article tries to tell how do CIOs talk, and what do they talk about, and why they do it like they do it. It sometimes makes sense to analyze the speaking and comportment styles of the people who’ve already climbed the corporate ladder if you want to do the same.
The Most Annoying, Pretentious And Useless Business Jargon article tells that the stupid business talk is longer solely the province of consultants, investors and business-school types, this annoying gobbledygook has mesmerized the rank and file around the globe. The next time you feel the need to reach out, touch base, shift a paradigm, leverage a best practice or join a tiger team, by all means do it. Just don’t say you’re doing it. If you have to ask why, chances are you’ve fallen under the poisonous spell of business jargon. Jargon masks real meaning. The Most Annoying, Pretentious And Useless Business Jargon article has a cache of expressions to assiduously avoid (if you look out you will see those used way too many times in business documents and press releases).
Is Innovation the Most Abused Word In Business? article tells that most of what is called innovation today is mere distraction, according to a paper by economist Robert Gordon. Innovation is the most abused word in tech. The iPad is about as innovative as the toaster. You can still read books without an iPad, and you can still toast bread without a toaster. True innovation radically alters the way we interact with the world. But in tech, every little thing is called “innovative.” If you were to believe business grads then “innovation” includes their “ideas” along the lines of “a website like *only better*” or “that thing which everyone is already doing but which I think is my neat new idea” Whether or not the word “innovation” has become the most abused word in the business context, that remains to be seen. “Innovation” itself has already been abused by the patent trolls.
Using stories to catch ‘smart-talk’ article tells that smart-talk is information without understanding, theory without practice – ‘all mouth and no trousers’, as the old aphorism puts it. It’s all too common amongst would-be ‘experts’ – and likewise amongst ‘rising stars’ in management and elsewhere. He looks the part; he knows all the right buzzwords; he can quote chapter-and-verse from all the best-known pundits and practitioners. But is it all just empty ‘smart-talk’? Even if unintentional on their part, people who indulge in smart-talk can be genuinely dangerous. They’ll seem plausible enough at first, but in reality they’ll often know just enough to get everyone into real trouble, but not enough to get out of it again. Smart-talk is the bane of most business – and probably of most communities too. So what can we do to catch it?
2,604 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nykyajan työelämä on myrkkyä aivoille – nauraminen on tehokas vastalääke kuormittavuudelle
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-10688740
Kiire, hälinä, keskeytykset ja multitasking kuormittavat aivoja. Yhä useampi kärsii keskittymishäiriöistä.
Koodarit heräsivät aivojen työkuormaan: “Avotoimiston hälyisyys on salakavala aika- ja energiasyöppö”
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-10687078
Hämeen ammattikorkeakoulu on ottanut aivojen ergonomian tämän vuoden teemaksi. Väsyneet aivot tuottavat huonosti.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://blog.dropbox.com/topics/work-culture/science-tells-us-rest-is-vital–so-why-do-we-glorify-sleep-depri?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mek-content-cpc&utm_content=sleep-deprivation
Tomi Engdahl says:
15 Key Product Management Metrics and KPIs
https://www.altexsoft.com/blog/business/15-key-product-management-metrics-and-kpis/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tell us who designed your startup’s brand
https://techcrunch.com/2019/03/25/tell-us-who-designed-your-startups-brand/
finding the right brand designer is hard. Depending on your budget, industry and scope, brand designer and brand agency services can vary widely. It’s a niche community, and brand designers who thrive in chaotic, fast-paced startup environments are rare.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tässä 5 varoitusmerkkiä yrityksen ketteryyden puutteesta – “Varoitusmerkkinä on avonainen läppäri”
https://www.tekniikkatalous.fi/tyoelama/tassa-5-varoitusmerkkia-yrityksen-ketteryyden-puutteesta-varoitusmerkkina-on-avonainen-lappari-6762553?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paidsocial&utm_campaign=TT_FB_NA_04
Tomi Engdahl says:
Report: Why productivity is no longer enough
The productivity myth: How modern companies are getting work wrong
https://blog.dropbox.com/topics/work-culture/productivity-myth-getting-work-wrong?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mek-content-cpc&utm_content=work-wrong
When did we all get so obsessed with productivity? We see a daily deluge of ads about getting more work done. Software companies say their tools will help customers work faster. We go to workshops and seminars to increase our efficiency. But is relentlessly pursuing productivity actually good for business? And is it really how people want to work?
Tomi Engdahl says:
3 great tips for managing, motivating and empowering IT teams
https://blog.oneio.cloud/3-great-tips-for-managing-motivating-and-empowering-it-teams?utm_campaign=Ongoing-ONEiO-ReTA-Traffic&utm_medium=paid&utm_source=facebook&hsa_acc=46212948&hsa_ad=6120925640586&hsa_src=%5BSITE_SOURCE_NAME%5D&hsa_net=facebook&hsa_cam=6111918789186&hsa_grp=6120925641586&hsa_ver=3
Tomi Engdahl says:
HOW TO ACE THE CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE IN RECRUITING
https://talented.fi/blog/how-to-ace-the-candidate-experience/
HOW TRANSPARENT AND FAST IS YOUR RECRUITMENT PROCESS?
TESTING TECH SKILLS
HOW ABOUT CULTURAL FIT?
WHY SHOULD I TAKE CARE OF THE CANDIDATES I DON’T HIRE?
HOW TO ACE THE CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE
TAGS: candidate experience, culture fit, it recruitment, recruitment process, rejection, tech skills, technical evaluation
Tomi Engdahl says:
How do you hire a great growth marketer?
https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/19/how-do-you-hire-a-great-growth-marketer/?tpcc=ECFB2019
This post covers two key areas:
How I find growth candidates.
How I identify which candidates are legitimately talented.
How do I attract candidates?
To get potential founders interested in the day-to-day of your marketing role, offer them both breadth and autonomy:
Let them be involved in many things.
Let them be fully in charge of a few things.
Remember, recreate the experience of being a founder.
Further, vet their enthusiasm for your product, market and its product-channel fit:
Product and market: Do their interests line up with how your product impacts its users? For example, do they care more about connecting people through social networks, or about solving productivity problems through SaaS? And which does your product line up with?
Product-channel fit: Are they excited to run the acquisition channels that typically succeed in your market?
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Eurozone Slowdown Is Worse Than The Global One
https://www.dlacalle.com/en/the-eurozone-slowdown-is-worse-than-the-global-one/
Tomi Engdahl says:
If China thinks it’s overtaking the US any time soon, here’s a wake-up call
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3006892/if-china-thinks-its-overtaking-us-any-time-soon-heres-wake-call
There’s no guarantee that China’s economy will surpass America’s – and even if there was, it wouldn’t mean much
Tomi Engdahl says:
7 steps to building an engineering competency matrix
https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/15/7-steps-to-building-an-engineering-competency-matrix/?tpcc=ECFB2019
Every engineer deserves a clear growth path so they can understand, plan, and execute on meaningful career growth. Providing a framework for this growth (we call ours a competency matrix; it’s also known as a career ladder, or professional development ladder) is important work, and the responsibility of any organization that wants to nurture and grow its employees.
Step 1: Make this someone’s top priority
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hacking impact and growth for the greater good
https://mehackit.org/blog/2019/4/3/hacking-impact-for-the-greater-good
There has been a lot of buzz about growth hacking in startup scene for quite a long time.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://blog.netprofile.fi/sxsw-b2b-brandistrategian-ytimessa-oli-tuote-nyt-siella-ovat-tunteet-ja-ihmiset
Tomi Engdahl says:
Work Culture
The Working World: Why workers in Germany feel pulled between perfection and productivity
https://blog.dropbox.com/topics/work-culture/germany-perfectionism-versus-productivity?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mek-content-cpc&utm_content=germany
When you live a country that’s renowned for its work ethic and respected for its productivity, how do you deal with the pressure to live up to extremely high standards?
Tomi Engdahl says:
Knowledge Work Performance Measurement in the New Ways of Working Context
https://tutcris.tut.fi/portal/en/publications/knowledge-work-performance-measurement-in-the-new-ways-of-working-context%2831cee488-a157-4f72-a532-0cbe804910ac%29.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Näin möhlit SAFe-muutoksen
https://www.nitor.com/fi/uutiset-ja-blogi/nain-mohlit-safe-muutoksen
Haluatko tietää, kuinka ketterän muutoksen saa kangistettua? Lean-Agile päävalmentajamme Maarit neuvoo kieli poskessa, kuinka saat tuhottua SAFe-projektin jos toisenkin.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Profit, short term thinking, incompetence. This triplet is so common that seems to be part of a major study that lots of execs have properly mastered.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The cognitive biases that prevent us from doing great work
https://blog.dropbox.com/topics/work-culture/cognitive-biases?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mek-content-cpc&utm_content=biases
On March 2, 1959, a group of Australians gathered to celebrate a groundbreaking ceremony at Bennelong Point in central Sydney, unknowingly watching the start of one of the most disastrous construction projects in human history.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How These Leading Companies Are Redefining The Workplace To Retain Talent
https://www.forbes.com/sites/gradsoflife/2019/05/01/how-these-leading-companies-are-redefining-the-workplace-to-retain-talent/#235035575083
These days it’s hard to miss articles about the future of work – whether it’s the gig economy or the debate about robots replacing humans, there’s no doubt that the nature of work is changing. We don’t know yet the full impact these changes will have on the workforce, but what we do know is that right now companies need to look at ways to redefine the workplace experience for their employees. And we don’t mean with perks like game rooms and unlimited snacks and on-site massages.
With over 6 million entry-level jobs going unfilled, companies around the United States are beginning to explore creating shared value by rewiring their approaches to talent acquisition, retention and advancement, particularly for those populations who have historically faced barriers to employment. Voluntary, entry-level turnover alone costs industries from retail to food service to banking billions of dollars each year.
Tomi Engdahl says:
5 tips for IT pros who want a side hustle
https://enterprisersproject.com/article/2019/1/5-tips-it-pros-who-want-side-hustle?sc_cid=7016000000127ECAAY
A side hustle could give you extra cash – and maybe even updated tech skills. Here’s how to avoid pitfalls and get the most from a side gig
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sprint Review – Pakollinen paha ja pelkkä demo?
https://contribyte.fi/2019/04/29/sprint-review-pakollinen-paha-ja-pelkka-demo/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://rakettitiede.com/blogi/ostaisitko-laakaripalveluja-samalla-tavalla-kuin-atkta
Tomi Engdahl says:
‘Universal Basic Income Doesn’t Work’
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/19/05/06/2110257/universal-basic-income-doesnt-work?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Slashdot%2Fslashdot%2Fto+%28%28Title%29Slashdot+%28rdf%29%29
An anonymous reader shares an opinion piece from The Guardian, written by analyst, writer and head of social policy for the New Economics Foundation, Anna Coote:
A study published this week sheds doubt on ambitious claims made for universal basic income (UBI), the scheme that would give everyone regular, unconditional cash payments that are enough to live on. Its advocates claim it would help to reduce poverty, narrow inequalities and tackle the effects of automation on jobs and income.
http://www.world-psi.org/sites/default/files/documents/research/en_ubi_full_report_2019.pdf
Tomi Engdahl says:
Together we can change the rules to make the economy work for everyone.
https://neweconomics.org/
There has never been a greater need for a new economy. The New Economics Foundation exists to make it happen.
We work with people igniting change from below and we combine this with rigorous research to fight for change at the top.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft wants you to work less
https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/06/microsoft-wants-you-to-work-less/?tpcc=ECFB2019
Microsoft today announced updates to its MyAnalytics platform and a new Outlook feature that are meant to help you work less, find more time to focus on the work that actually matters and, by extension, get more downtime.
“Our customers often tell us they spend all day in meetings with little time to focus on pressing tasks and projects,” Microsoft communications chief Frank X. Shaw also noted in a press briefing ahead of today’s announcement.
To combat this, the company today launched a few new features that will let you set up regular “focus time.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Is Conference Room Air Making You Dumber?
https://science.slashdot.org/story/19/05/07/207229/is-conference-room-air-making-you-dumber?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Slashdot%2Fslashdot%2Fto+%28%28Title%29Slashdot+%28rdf%29%29
At least eight studies in the last seven years have looked at what happens specifically in a room accumulating carbon dioxide, a main ingredient in our exhalations. While the results are inconsistent, they are also intriguing. They suggest that while the kinds of air pollution known to cause cancer and asthma remain much more pressing as public health concerns, there may also be pollutants whose most detrimental effects are on the mind, rather than the body.
Is Conference Room Air Making You Dumber?
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/06/health/conference-room-air.html
A small body of evidence suggests that when it comes to decision making, indoor air may matter more than we have realized.
You’re holed up with colleagues in a meeting room for two hours, hashing out a plan. Risks are weighed, decisions are made. Then, as you emerge, you realize it was much, much warmer and stuffier in there than in the rest of the office.
Small rooms can build up heat and carbon dioxide from our breath — as well as other substances — to an extent that might surprise you. And as it happens, a small body of evidence suggests that when it comes to decision making, indoor air may matter more than we have realized.
At least eight studies in the last seven years have looked at what happens specifically in a room accumulating carbon dioxide, a main ingredient in our exhalations. While the results are inconsistent, they are also intriguing.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Management phrases that make people crazy
https://enterprisersproject.com/article/2019/1/management-phrases-make-people-crazy
Are your words getting under your team members’ skin? Check yourself against these phrases – and consider some alternatives
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to work a room: No-fail networking tips
Ähttps://enterprisersproject.com/article/2019/4/networking-how-work-room
Feel a bit of dread at networking events? These tips and mental tricks will help you work a room like a pro
Before going into one-on-one interactions at a networking event, she says, you can consider:
What you want to stop doing in your career because it’s no longer working for you
What you want to start doing because it plays to your strengths
What skills you want to continue developing
“Research event organizers, panel members, speakers, etc., on LinkedIn and become familiar with their work and background,” says Ellis. “This makes approaching them much easier because you already have things to talk about with them.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Work Culture
Prehistoric communication still rules the office, but it doesn’t have to
https://blog.dropbox.com/topics/work-culture/prehistoric-communication
A hyperactive, highline workflow worked for our prehistoric ancestors because their interactions were constrained by technology—or, more precisely, the lack of it.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Report: Rethinking the way we work
Survey: How modern teams actually want to work
By Ben Taylor
Published on March 27, 2019
https://blog.dropbox.com/topics/work-culture/how-modern-teams-want-to-work
Is pursuing productivity at all costs really better for business? Is it actually what people want?
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_jargon
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://contently.com/2017/11/28/marketing-speak-chart/amp/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tekoälyssä ja digitalisaatiossa on sittenkin kyse ihmisistä – Tulevaisuuden työelämä vaatii uusia taitoja
https://www.yrittajat.fi/uutiset/608284-tekoalyssa-ja-digitalisaatiossa-sittenkin-kyse-ihmisista-tulevaisuuden-tyoelama
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://blog.dropbox.com/topics/work-culture/prehistoric-communication
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to be yourself while job hunting: 9 unspoken rules
https://enterprisersproject.com/article/2019/6/job-hunt-how-be-yourself
Job seekers have to walk a fine line between sharing and oversharing. Here’s how to stay professional while letting your personality shine
Tomi Engdahl says:
Emotional intelligence: How to work with people you don’t like
https://enterprisersproject.com/article/2019/6/emotional-intelligence-difficult-coworkers
You don’t have to like the people you work with, but you do have to work with them. Here are 9 tips to flip your perspective and improve the relationship
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google spent 10 years researching what makes the ‘perfect’ manager — here at the top 10 traits they found
https://www.businessinsider.com/the-best-bosses-do-these-things-according-to-google-2019-6?utm_content=buffer6cc2f&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer-bi&r=US&IR=T
If you have great managers and team leads, not only will you get the best out of your people, but they’ll also be more likely to stick around.
Technical skill mattered much less than you might guess; emotional intelligence was more important.
According to Google, here are 10 behaviors a good manager should display.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Yrityksen kansainvälistyminen – tarinankerrontaa glokaaleilla markkinoilla
https://www.redland.fi/yrityksen-kansainvalistyminen-glokaaleilla-markkinoilla
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tech Salaries: Silicon Valley Still Tops but Other Regions Come on Strong
https://spectrum.ieee.org/view-from-the-valley/at-work/tech-careers/tech-salaries-silicon-valley-still-tops-but-other-regions-come-on-strong
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Digital World Requires New Skills Also from Bosses – Should a Director Know How to Code?
https://www.aaltoee.com/aalto-leaders-insight/2019/the-digital-world-requires-new-skills-also-from-bosses-should-a-director-know-how-to-code
When management fails to understand new technologies and the principles of data analytics, business opportunities will be lost. “A good director is a magician and bridge builder versed in the language of the data team and business alike”, says researcher Jukka Luoma from Aalto University
Tomi Engdahl says:
How Successful People Write Emails To Get What They Want (That’ll Help You Achieve Your Goals)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/averyblank/2018/01/02/how-successful-people-write-emails-to-get-what-they-want-thatll-help-you-achieve-your-goals/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mentally Strong People: The 13 Things They Avoid
https://www.forbes.com/sites/cherylsnappconner/2013/11/18/mentally-strong-people-the-13-things-they-avoid/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why Great Employees Quit — Instead Of Admitting They’re Unhappy
https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizryan/2018/05/14/why-great-employees-quit-instead-of-admitting-theyre-unhappy/
Tomi Engdahl says:
10 Troubling Habits Of Chronically Unhappy People
https://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2016/07/26/10-troubling-habits-of-chronically-unhappy-people/
Tomi Engdahl says:
10 Things To Never Apologize For Again
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicahagy/2016/06/28/10-things-to-never-apologize-for-again/
Tomi Engdahl says:
How To Be A Hardworking Employee Without Sacrificing Your Personal Life
https://www.forbes.com/sites/dailymuse/2017/11/13/how-to-be-a-hardworking-employee-without-sacrificing-your-personal-life/
Tomi Engdahl says:
5 Things Your LinkedIn Profile Reveals About You That You Don’t Want It To
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathycaprino/2018/01/13/5-things-your-linkedin-profile-reveals-about-you-that-you-dont-want-it-to/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://techcrunch.com/2019/06/24/the-next-service-marketplace-wave-vertical-market-networks/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://blog.kauppalehti.fi/menestyksen-tekijoita/mita-opimme-kahvikapinasta-it-kehittyy-harppauksin-ihminen-ei