Leverage, cherry pick and helicopter view – these are just a selection of phrases that drive me crazy in the workplace although, to be fair they’re not used too frequently at Skout HQ – thank goodness. My view is, if you wouldn’t use them when you’re speaking at home or to your friends, why would you use them at work?
There are loads more too that really make me snigger whenever I hear them, so it was with interest that I read an article on the top ten words to avoid when writing a press release and why.
- Solutions – A very overused word, especially in the technology PR sector, and one I’m guilty over using far too many times!
- Synergy – A word often used to describe the coming together of two organisations. As I’ve already said, if it’s not a word you’d use at home – why use it?
- Cutting edge – Eek! Guilty again and how many companies can really claim such a lofty position.
- Value-add – This should be a given no? So why the need to mention it?
- Outside the box – What’s actually wrong with the inside of the box and where are all these boxes?
- Industry leading – If everyone is leading, who’s the real leader and who judges who the leader actually is?
- Innovative – Again, a lofty claim and few innovators are truly innovative.
- Disruptive – Ok, name five disruptive products released in the last year. What were they and how did they disrupt? No? Enough said!
- World class – Doesn’t actually mean anything and again who’s measuring?
- Revolutionary – Alongside innovative and disruptive, chances are your new product or service isn’t truly revolutionary.
This list could go on and on – but I’ll certainly think twice before I sneak one of these into a client’s news story in the future.
