Bosses Who Use These 11 Corporate Phrases Annoy Pretty Much Everyone Who Works For Them
Daria Voronchuk | Shutterstock Jargon refers to corporate phrases that are specific to a particular industry, anyone who’s worked in the corporate world can rattle off a list of words and phrases they hear constantly that annoy pretty much everyone. Corporate phrases can be useful shorthand in the right setting, but can be more than annoying in many others.
Not only do certain terms and phrases grate on people's nerves when used time and again, many bosses don't realize some of the subtext implied with them.
Bosses who use these 11 corporate phrases annoy pretty much everyone who works for them
1. 'Low-hanging fruit'
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Bosses who use the corporate phrase "low-hanging fruit" are referring to simple tasks or easy wins. In literal terms, the fruit that hangs lowest on a tree is the easiest for someone to pick. In corporate jargon, it means your boss wants you to focus on outcomes that are easy to achieve, and will bring quick success to your team.
However, this line is used so often that it's become easy to poke fun at, making it low-hanging fruit itself. Good bosses should avoid using this phrase, or at least cut back. It's not clear or specific enough to be an effective direction. As researcher and leadership expert Brené Brown says, "Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind."
2. 'Boil the ocean'
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This phrase might seem confusing at first, especially if it's used without context or explanation. "Boiling the ocean" refers to a task or project that's a really huge waste of time.
Taken literally, boiling the ocean is impossible; it takes an astronomical amount of time and effort, more than it's worth. It would take an eternity to collect water from the sea and boil the salt away.
The phrase can refer to projects that are too challenging or overly ambitious, and therefore would never get finished. And, according to David Benjamin and David Komlos, entrepreneurs and authors of Cracking Complexity: The Breakthrough Formula for Solving Just About Anything Fast, using the phrase can actually undermine your team's success.
"It's critical to boil the ocean," the two say, for a few reasons: "You can't limit your focus to only a few critical areas... You can't make progress on parts in isolation... You can't pick a scope in advance and shut down anyone who strays from scope."
3. 'More than one way to skin a cat'
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The phrase, "More than one way to skin a cat," is a visceral and vaguely grotesque way to say that there are multiple ways of doing something or various approaches to one particular problem. It dates all the way back to the 17th Century (and feels like it!).
Bosses who use this corporate phrase risk annoying their employees, and may even creep out younger staffers who aren't as familiar with it. The imagery itself is enough reason for bosses to stop using the phrase, especially if they want to avoid completely grossing out their employees in meetings! Instead, bosses can be more transparent and use direct phrases to effectively lead their teams.
4. 'Blue sky thinking'
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"Blue sky thinking" is another way to say "thinking outside the box." It can also mean that the sky's the limit when it comes to coming up with new ideas, meaning that there's no conceivable limit to what makes an idea a possible win.
When you're in a meeting and your boss tells you they want "blue sky thinking," they mean that they want you to throw out any thought you have, no matter how outlandish or random it may be. Oftentimes, new or innovative solutions come from this type of no-limits brainstorming, but employees will likely benefit from less clichéd instructions.
5. 'Circling back'
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"Circling back" is a highly overused phrase and concept in the corporate world, so much so that it's the joke at the center of memes and trending videos for years on end. When your boss says they want to "circle back," it means they want to continue the conversation at a later point in time, but it's often maligned because it has an implied tone of condescension.
This phrase can sometimes be used as a way to avoid discussing certain topics, pushing the conversation to an unspecified time that might never come. It's best for bosses to address an employee's concerns, rather than attempting to change the course of the conversation and potentially never return to resolving the issue.
6. 'Building the plane while flying it'
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Bosses use this phrase when there's no set process in place for a project, so everyone's figuring it out as they go. Once again, this corporate phrase annoys pretty much everyone because it can come off as bland and lazy.
This jargon also fails to address any problems with the situation they're referring to. For example, when bosses ask employees to "build the plane while flying it" and treat that as a directive, they neglect to put a plan into action. It's not clear enough, thus they aren't ensuring their employees are being productive and accomplishing their tasks on time.
This concept tends to fit into the idea of "high risk, high reward," in that working on something without safeguards is a dangerous endeavor, yet it could pay off in the end.
7. 'I'll give you some time back'
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This is something bosses say when a meeting ends early, so employees ostensibly get a few extra minutes to themselves before their next meeting starts. A boss might say that they'll "give you some time back" to grab a bite to eat or use the bathroom.
So, what's the problem? Going to the bathroom and grabbing a bite to eat are both basic needs that workers are entitled to do anyway.
Giving time back might seem like a playful, joking phrase, but really, it reinforces how little time employees have throughout the day to complete their work. Generally, everyone is working at maximum capacity, and a few extra minutes almost never means you get to go do something fun. Sadly, not many bosses understand this.
8. 'Put a pin in it'
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"Putting a pin in something" means holding off on making any more decisions about a certain project or scenario. Another overused phrase that encapsulates the same message is "Park it here for now," which means making a full stop.
But when bosses use this phrase, it can make their employees feel unappreciated, or as if their needs don't matter. It's a good idea for true leaders to hear their workers' input, as it could lead to great ideas down the road.
9. 'Opening a can of worms'
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This corporate phrase utilizes a gross visual to get across the idea that whatever issue is being raised is only going to lead to bigger problems.
Conceivably, opening a can of worms is a bad idea because they start crawling out and you'll struggle to get one worm in without the other worms crawling out. Then you're just sitting there with a handful of worms, which leads to the bigger problem of what you're supposed to do with all those worms.
Actually, putting it that way, it's sort of delightful. But it's the context that matters most.
When bosses use phrases like "can of worms" and the similar "Pandora's box" discourage their employees from sharing their ideas, or worse, leave their issues unaddressed, it can stifle productivity and can make people feel unappreciated. A good boss will "open a can of worms" if it means putting their employees first.
10. 'Wearing many hats'
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This is a glossy corporate phrase often used to tell an employee that they're going to end up doing their job and take on extra responsibilities, without extra pay or a title bump. Calling it a "many hats" situation minimizes the increased effort required to switch focus and often teams.
Trying to put a positive spin on being overworked creatively makes it seem like doing extra work is a positive, normalized thing on the job, instead of a red flag that your boss is taking advantage of you.
See, corporate jargon often functions like a kind of code: If you get it, you get it. Yet basing the exclusivity of the corporate club off of overused phrases might make some employees wonder if the club is worth being a part of at all.
11. 'Flywheel'
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This entry on the list of corporate phrases bosses use that annoy pretty much everyone is dedicated to more than just "flywheel" (originally from the term "flywheel effect"), it's also about other words and phrases used by bosses that don't make a lot of sense outside of the office. Other examples: bellweather, synergy, tent pole, drill-down, and many more.
Part of the problem with these terms is that they're often used in place of explaining what a boss actually wants from their employees or as a substitute for explaining a plan or situation. This can prevent employees who haven't spent a lot of time around this boss (or in corporate settings) from understanding a situation or problem and hold them back from success.
Instead, decisive and inspiring bosses use language that is helpful and specific. They choose words that avoid excluding people who come from different backgrounds, and explain things thoroughly when needed.
Most importantly, they keep an eye on how their staff reacts when they use specific terms and phrases. Even the most well-disguised annoyance can be seen in people's eyes or body language, and bosses should notice and adapt in order to keep employees engaged.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers social issues, pop culture analysis and all things to do with the entertainment industry.
