Comments on: The Dictionary of Corporate Bullshit http://www.simonstapleton.com/wordpress/2009/10/20/the-dictionary-of-corporate-bullshit/?&owa_medium=feed&owa_sid= I Help You Become a Higher Performer, Get Promoted, and Better Paid Sat, 28 Jan 2012 01:37:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: simonstapleton http://www.simonstapleton.com/wordpress/2009/10/20/the-dictionary-of-corporate-bullshit/comment-page-1/#comment-1318 simonstapleton Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:11:32 +0000 http://www.SimonStapleton.com/wordpress/?p=2324#comment-1318 Hi Dave! - it's a crutch that works, I think, whilst we lack confidence. 'Bullshit' gives us some comfort (although temporary) that we're one of the crowd and can speak the lingo, right? Once our personal confidence grows to the point where we don't need the crutch, we can throw it away, and speak plain language knowing that we can always fall back on the jargon if the situation demands it in order to bring clarity to the folks who can understand it. Ultimately, business value is created with business people - where the revenue manifests - and these guys couldn't really care about how much we know, just what we can deliver! You must see this happen all the time in your business. Hi Dave! – it’s a crutch that works, I think, whilst we lack confidence. ‘Bullshit’ gives us some comfort (although temporary) that we’re one of the crowd and can speak the lingo, right? Once our personal confidence grows to the point where we don’t need the crutch, we can throw it away, and speak plain language knowing that we can always fall back on the jargon if the situation demands it in order to bring clarity to the folks who can understand it.

Ultimately, business value is created with business people – where the revenue manifests – and these guys couldn’t really care about how much we know, just what we can deliver! You must see this happen all the time in your business.

]]> By: simonstapleton http://www.simonstapleton.com/wordpress/2009/10/20/the-dictionary-of-corporate-bullshit/comment-page-1/#comment-1317 simonstapleton Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:07:12 +0000 http://www.SimonStapleton.com/wordpress/?p=2324#comment-1317 @Asif - great observation. It's possibly a question of experience and maturity. I remember back when I was a junior IT professional and it seemed that the more jargon you knew, the better you were at your job. This still happens today. Perhaps it's a healthy thing in one way as folks at this stage tend to strive to build up their knowledge and the context it fits in. It's only when there is confidence that knowledge creates business value does the language change! @Asif – great observation. It’s possibly a question of experience and maturity. I remember back when I was a junior IT professional and it seemed that the more jargon you knew, the better you were at your job. This still happens today. Perhaps it’s a healthy thing in one way as folks at this stage tend to strive to build up their knowledge and the context it fits in. It’s only when there is confidence that knowledge creates business value does the language change!

]]> By: Asif Shah http://www.simonstapleton.com/wordpress/2009/10/20/the-dictionary-of-corporate-bullshit/comment-page-1/#comment-1315 Asif Shah Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:04:47 +0000 http://www.SimonStapleton.com/wordpress/?p=2324#comment-1315 I agree with your statement on personal brand Dave. I would like to be known as someone who can speak to all levels of people in the organisation able to get the message across clear and unambiguous. I am in IT, and I've noticed that the most successful IT people are able to describe often complicated subjects in simple terms by using examples and analogies and definitely without jargon. Whereas the peeps who use jargon are viewed by non-IT people as the geeks and basement-dwellers. I agree with your statement on personal brand Dave. I would like to be known as someone who can speak to all levels of people in the organisation able to get the message across clear and unambiguous.

I am in IT, and I’ve noticed that the most successful IT people are able to describe often complicated subjects in simple terms by using examples and analogies and definitely without jargon. Whereas the peeps who use jargon are viewed by non-IT people as the geeks and basement-dwellers.

]]> By: Dave Crain http://www.simonstapleton.com/wordpress/2009/10/20/the-dictionary-of-corporate-bullshit/comment-page-1/#comment-1314 Dave Crain Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:48:59 +0000 http://www.SimonStapleton.com/wordpress/?p=2324#comment-1314 Hi Simon - sorry I've been out of the loop. The summer got very busy both personally and professionally and both took much of my bandwidth. I'm actually looking forward to the winter to catch my breath. I couldn't help by comment on this post. I think you are spot on with this one. While certain "bullshit" words can function as a sort of shorthand to create a shared understanding, I think by and large both consultants and employees rely on jargon and consultant-speak way too much. It's a kind of crutch we use instead of expressing ourselves in plain english (or german, or french, or ...) I think the opportunity hear for all of us is to stand out from the crowd by speaking plainly yet intelligently about the matter at hand. Not only will you probably be seen as having a stronger grasp of the issues, but I think you stand a real chance of bolstering your, dare I use the term, personal brand. In other words - you will stand out from the crowd in a positive way. In a complicated world, any effort to simplify for those around us is appreciated. Hi Simon – sorry I’ve been out of the loop. The summer got very busy both personally and professionally and both took much of my bandwidth. I’m actually looking forward to the winter to catch my breath.

I couldn’t help by comment on this post. I think you are spot on with this one. While certain “bullshit” words can function as a sort of shorthand to create a shared understanding, I think by and large both consultants and employees rely on jargon and consultant-speak way too much. It’s a kind of crutch we use instead of expressing ourselves in plain english (or german, or french, or …)

I think the opportunity hear for all of us is to stand out from the crowd by speaking plainly yet intelligently about the matter at hand. Not only will you probably be seen as having a stronger grasp of the issues, but I think you stand a real chance of bolstering your, dare I use the term, personal brand. In other words – you will stand out from the crowd in a positive way.

In a complicated world, any effort to simplify for those around us is appreciated.

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