Welcome to the world of buzzwords. Popular, catchy phrases that might still retain some of their original meaning when applied in the right context, but which over time have simply become the trend.<\/p>\n
Buzzwords are mostly used to impress people or to obfuscate when there isn\u2019t much to say and, yet, a lot must be said. These words often originate in jargon or acronyms. Some words that we can immediately think of include next-gen, snowflake, deep dive, gig, stratcom or wheelhouse. Nodding your head as you read the collection?<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s dive deep into this concept and understand where it all began.<\/p>\n
Meaning: what\u2019s in a word?<\/strong><\/p>\n The Concise Oxford English Dictionary defines a buzzword as \u2018a slogan\u2019, or \u2018a fashionable piece of jargon\u2019.<\/p>\n How do buzzwords originate? They do not simply appear; they are usually created by a group of people to mean something that they understand, or as a way to generate some hype. More often than not, buzzwords are associated with management and are part a of the leadership lexicon, more commonly known as \u2018management speak\u2019.<\/p>\n What this means is when a manager uses a buzzword, most people \u2013 subordinates or peers \u2013 hear just the word and not the meaning. They apply a context to it, further its popularity by using it themselves in a situation they deem similar.<\/p>\n Their history<\/strong><\/p>\n Buzzwords were originally used by business students studying at Harvard. In the early years of buzz-wording (see what we did there?), these words were used by students to help them quickly recall terms of importance.<\/p>\n Here are a few examples:<\/p>\n -If his analysis does not highlight the most important problem, he has \u2018poor focus\u2019.<\/p>\n -If he fails to emphasize important recommendations, he will be accused of \u2018tinkering\u2019.<\/p>\n -If the sequence for the \u2018implementation\u2019 of the recommendation isn\u2019t good, it\u2019s a matter of \u2018poor timing\u2019<\/p>\n -To succeed, a student must \u2018get on top of the problem\u2019.<\/p>\n These terms, and many others, were collated and they soon became popular, and got the moniker \u2018buzzwords\u2019.<\/p>\n Using these terms meant students could speak with authority, and it seemed that using it was often more important than coming up with the answer.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t long before these buzzwords made a strong impact on business culture and today are commonly used in business speak as well.<\/p>\n Present day scenario: what are the suits saying?<\/strong><\/p>\n Buzzwords in business are a way for people to feel like they are all on the \u2018same page\u2019. In fact, many workplaces use specialized jargon that are either particular to their industry or their workplace.<\/p>\n These words are not only a trend, but they are also a \u2018ticket of entry\u2019 for individuals within a successful organization.<\/p>\n LinkedIn publishes an annual list of \u2018buzzwords to avoid\u2019 while creating resumes \u2013 \u2018trite, empty words that sound good to the ear but actually convey almost nothing at all\u2019. Some words in the list are: driven, extensive experience, track record, passionate, responsible motivated, creative, strategic, organizational, and expert. Feel like rewriting that resume, don\u2019t you?<\/p>\n Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n It might appear that buzzwords are almost a \u2018necessary evil\u2019 used by management to inspire their team, but also to stroke their egos. Often these cross over into pop culture and then into everyday life. With so many avenues for becoming \u2018viral\u2019, a buzzword can catch on quickly and be adopted by the entire world rapidly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Welcome to the world of buzzwords. Popular, catchy phrases that might still retain some of their original meaning when applied … Continue reading What\u2019s the Buzzword?<\/span>