Small firms resist buzzwords
Staff in small businesses are far less likely to use business jargon than larger rivals, a survey by MWB Business Exchange suggests.
The poll found that 25% of staff in small firms admitted to using phrases such as "singing from the same hymn sheet", "in the loop" or "blue-sky thinking" compared to 98% in large organisations.
More than a third (38%) of workers said they used such buzzwords at least every other day, with younger staff more likely to employ such language than older workers.
"Using jargon in the office has got completely out of hand," said John Spencer, chief executive of MWB Business Exchange.
"A lot of the time it comes down to laziness, as buzzwords are used to save time instead of thinking about the most appropriate phrase.
"More needs to be done to stamp it out, as in these uncertain times business leaders need to make sure they are understood."
The most irritating phrase was voted as "think outside the box" and employees in sales and marketing were seen as the biggest culprits for such language.
Post Date: October 15th, 2008