[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/12\/20\/2016-buzzwords-business\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/12\/20\/2016-buzzwords-business\/","headline":"Year in review: My favorite words and phrases from 2016 and what they mean","name":"Year in review: My favorite words and phrases from 2016 and what they mean","description":"Find out what buzzwords jumped the business shark in 2016. You might see some you recognize \u2013 much to your chagrin. ","datePublished":"2016-12-20","dateModified":"2022-12-03","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/jamie-anderson\/#Person","name":"Jamie Anderson","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/jamie-anderson\/","identifier":119,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/249ae804963762332acd20e644bfe865782bee3d64ee223d5dd6a28e548b47b5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/249ae804963762332acd20e644bfe865782bee3d64ee223d5dd6a28e548b47b5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Future of Commerce","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","width":172,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/thumbnail-29589728da8d3d042f0b166268c5eb4f.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/thumbnail-29589728da8d3d042f0b166268c5eb4f.jpeg","height":377,"width":1203},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/12\/20\/2016-buzzwords-business\/","video":{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=cnQEo4bazIo#VideoObject","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=cnQEo4bazIo","name":"Die Hard (1988) - Happy Trails, Hans Scene (5\/5) | Movieclips","description":"Die Hard movie clips: http:\/\/j.mp\/1SsFrX8\nBUY THE MOVIE:\nFandangoNOW - https:\/\/www.fandangonow.com\/details\/movie\/die-hard-1988\/1MVec0e1c5939c4534ec5ca1f8482c12a84?cmp=Movieclips_YT_Description\niTunes - http:\/\/apple.co\/1cu5Fse\nGoogle Play - http:\/\/bit.ly\/1GSvTkS\nAmazon - http:\/\/amzn.to\/1SR5LLO\nFox Movies - http:\/\/fox.co\/2zLPgPO\nDon't miss the HOTTEST NEW TRAILERS: http:\/\/bit.ly\/1u2y6pr\n\nCLIP DESCRIPTION:\nMcClane (Bruce Willis) has one final showdown with Hans (Alan Rickman) sending Hans out the window and to his death below.\n\nFILM DESCRIPTION:\nIt's Christmas time in L.A., and there's an employee party in progress on the 30th floor of the Nakatomi Corporation building. The revelry comes to a violent end when the partygoers are taken hostage by a group of terrorists headed by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), who plan to steal the 600 million dollars locked in Nakatomi's high-tech safe. In truth, Gruber and his henchmen are only pretending to be politically motivated to throw the authorities off track; also in truth, Gruber has no intention of allowing anyone to get out of the building alive. Meanwhile, New York cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) has come to L.A. to visit his estranged wife, Holly (Bonnie Bedelia), who happens to be one of the hostages. Disregarding the orders of the authorities surrounding the building, McClane, who fears nothing (except heights), takes on the villains, armed with one handgun and plenty of chutzpah. Until Die Hard came along, Bruce Willis was merely that wisecracking guy on Moonlighting. After the film's profits started rolling in, Willis found himself one of the highest-paid and most sought-after leading men in Hollywood.\n\nCREDITS:\nTM & \u00a9 Fox (1988)\nCourtesy of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation\nCast: Alan Rickman, Paul Gleason, Bonnie Bedelia\nDirector: John McTiernan\nProducers: Lawrence Gordon, Beau Marks, Joel Silver, Charles Gordon\nScreenwriters: Roderick Thorp, Jeb Stuart, Steven E. de Souza\n\nWHO ARE WE?\nThe MOVIECLIPS channel is the largest collection of licensed movie clips on the web. Here you will find unforgettable moments, scenes and lines from all your favorite films. Made by movie fans, for movie fans.\n\nSUBSCRIBE TO OUR MOVIE CHANNELS:\nMOVIECLIPS: http:\/\/bit.ly\/1u2yaWd\nComingSoon: http:\/\/bit.ly\/1DVpgtR\nIndie & Film Festivals: http:\/\/bit.ly\/1wbkfYg\nHero Central: http:\/\/bit.ly\/1AMUZwv\nExtras: http:\/\/bit.ly\/1u431fr\nClassic Trailers: http:\/\/bit.ly\/1u43jDe\nPop-Up Trailers: http:\/\/bit.ly\/1z7EtZR\nMovie News: http:\/\/bit.ly\/1C3Ncd2\nMovie Games: http:\/\/bit.ly\/1ygDV13\nFandango: http:\/\/bit.ly\/1Bl79ye\nFandango FrontRunners: http:\/\/bit.ly\/1CggQfC\n\nHIT US UP:\nFacebook: http:\/\/on.fb.me\/1y8M8ax\nTwitter: http:\/\/bit.ly\/1ghOWmt\nPinterest: http:\/\/bit.ly\/14wL9De\nTumblr: http:\/\/bit.ly\/1vUwhH7","thumbnailUrl":["https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/cnQEo4bazIo\/default.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/cnQEo4bazIo\/mqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/cnQEo4bazIo\/hqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/cnQEo4bazIo\/sddefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/cnQEo4bazIo\/maxresdefault.jpg"],"uploadDate":"2015-06-18T23:51:47+00:00","duration":"PT2M11S","embedUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cnQEo4bazIo","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC3gNmTGu-TTbFPpfSs5kNkg#Organization","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC3gNmTGu-TTbFPpfSs5kNkg","name":"Movieclips","description":"Now with TV clips! Rotten Tomatoes MOVIECLIPS is the largest collection of movie clips on the web. We\u2019ve curated the best moments, scenes, and lines from all your favorite films to share, discuss, and relive. We celebrate all movies from all eras and genres whether they are Fresh or Rotten, blockbusters or indies. Welcome home, movie lovers!  \n\nWe invite you to join the conversation on YouTube or leave a review on RottenTomatoes.com, but please read our Community Guidelines so that the discussion can be useful and enjoyable for everyone. http:\/\/editorial.rottentomatoes.com\/otg-article\/community-code-of-conduct\/ \n","logo":{"url":"https:\/\/yt3.ggpht.com\/1uIk9g0sODh4NzeUK86fyEa67EUfZLNDa3FRLfSV0JzvmWrFSZeQVlGQmOnDEcjMZoGFb8MqVQ=s800-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj","width":800,"height":800,"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=cnQEo4bazIo#VideoObject_publisher_logo_ImageObject"}},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=cnQEo4bazIo#VideoObject_potentialAction","target":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=cnQEo4bazIo&t={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"},"interactionStatistic":[[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=cnQEo4bazIo#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_WatchAction","interactionType":{"@type":"WatchAction"},"userInteractionCount":2681506}],{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=cnQEo4bazIo#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_LikeAction","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":15111}]},"about":[{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/customer-experience\/employee-engagement\/","name":"Employee Engagement","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Employee_engagement","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q14937678"]},"Employee Experience & Engagement",{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/purpose\/","name":"Purpose","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purpose"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/purpose\/purpose-general\/","name":"Purpose","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purpose"]},"Real Talk: Mental Health, Well-Being, and Laughter"],"wordCount":902,"keywords":["Employee Experience"],"articleBody":"Has business jargon jumped the shark? At the tail end of a year in which gifs have joined \u2018lol\u2019 and \u2018rofl\u2019 in work emails and I\u2019ve realised that the guy with the weird punctuation was actually trying to send me smiley faces all along, I\u2019d like us all to commit to an actual #squadgoal: that of finally starting to say what we actually mean FTW.With politics going the way of far, far too many of my most cherished music and sports icons this year, there has been plenty to discuss. And as the last all-hands calls go to the great web-ex in the sky, I\u2019ve been reflecting not just on what was said, but how we did it \u2013 and the language we used to get it done.I closed 2015 with my top buzzwords NOT to use in 2016.This time around I\u2019d like to end with a look at some of my favourites from the last twelve months, old favorites and a few new ones \u2013 and what I\u2019ve now learned they mean. Enjoy \u2013 and do please add your own. I\u2019ll leave it to you which ones we consign to the bin and never speak again.      Per my last email: Corporate speak decoded                Align with this content to derive the optimal synergies needed to get through your day. This is not outside your scope of work, and you DO have the bandwidth for it.      Action:\u00a0This just means \u201cdo.”Align:\u00a0As in, \u201cLet\u2019s get aligned on that!\u201d This is an interesting one. On the surface it seems a rather benign request for collaboration but the subtext can range anywhere from just that, all the way through to “I just need you to do what I say.” See: Stakeholders.Ask:\u00a0The ask is what you have to do. ASAP or by EOP.Buddy:\u00a0The use of this actually means \u201cI like you, you are my friend.”Comfort break:\u00a0There\u2019s no need to append \u201ccomfort\u201d to anything. All you\u2019re doing is telling us your back teeth are floating, and no one needs to know that. Ever. Just \u201cbreak\u201d will do.Empower:\u00a0You\u2019re on your own. As in: \u201cYou are empowered to make this happen.\u201dFace palm: See \u201chead desk,” below.Friend:\u00a0As in, \u201cListen my Friend.” Do not confuse with the word \u201cbuddy.” When used in conversation is means: \u201cWhat I am about to say is very serious because you\u2019ve used all your lives up.\u201d It doesn\u2019t mean pal, buddy or even mate\u2026and it certainly doesn\u2019t mean friend.Fully scalable:\u00a0Zero resource (yet).Head desk:\u00a0See \u201cface palm,” above.Interlock:\u00a0For interlock, see align.Let\u2019s take this offline:\u00a0Similar to \u201cput a pin in it\u201d except it will lead to a stern one-to-one conversation where you will be told quite directly never to mention this again.Leverage:\u00a0When did we stop just saying \u201cuse\u201d? Do the extra two syllables make it more clever? If you leverage this word more it will make you sound far cleverer.Mate:\u00a0English for \u201cPal.”Metflix and chill:\u00a0A happy (but all too rare) combination of actual \u201cme time\u201d without family. The first night of any business trip, to stay in one\u2019s hotel room with eight hours of boxed sets to catch up on, a couple of glasses of sauvignon blanc and a great excuse not to have to do the kids\u2019 homework for them.Move the needle:\u00a0Please will someone else do something. \u201cWe really need to move the needle on sales\u201d translates as: \u201cI have nothing to add in terms of vision or ideas to push this initiative forward, but I want to show assertiveness through a positive, vapid statement.\u201d Also, needles are sharp. If you\u2019re not careful you\u2019ll prick your finger \u2013 and you\u2019re no sleeping beauty, mate.Off grid:\u00a0Leave me alone.On-demand:\u00a0We like the idea but we can\u2019t afford it.Pal:\u00a0Glaswegian for \u201cMate.”Paradigm shift:\u00a0Change of mind. But now we\u2019re acting like we meant to do it all along.Peel the onion:\u00a0I still don\u2019t know what this means.Pivot:\u00a0An entirely useless word. Sometimes used to describe a sudden change in the perspective\/demand of a key stakeholder. For example: \u201cThat was a truly disruptive pivot\u201d really means \u201cwhat the blazes is that idiot smoking?\u201dPut a pin in that: \u00a0Manager-speak for, “Never mention this to me again. Ever.”Reach out:\u00a0Somehow sending someone an email now constitutes reaching out, though it conjures a somewhat desperate image. I can\u2019t read \u201cThank you for reaching out\u201d on an email without pulling a face a bit like Alan Rickman contemplating Bruce Willis at the end of Die Hard.Stakeholders:\u00a0Loosely translated as people who can fire you if you disagree with them. Often used with \u201calign,” as in: \u201cWe must align with our key stakeholders.” You will continue to hear this until long after you hoped to have become one.Take this offline:\u00a0It\u2019s too boring to go into now. Let\u2019s do it later when we don\u2019t have to inflict a full explanation on the other stakeholdersWorkshop:\u00a0As in \u201csounds great, let\u2019s workshop that.” Translates as: \u201cNice idea. Other people will do it better.\u201d  Tariffs. Supply chains.Customer expectations. C-suite expectations. Everything you need for retail success, none of the fluff.Download the market analysis\u00a0HERE."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2016","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"12","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/\/12\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"20","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/\/12\/\/20\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Year in review: My favorite words and phrases from 2016 and what they mean","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/12\/20\/2016-buzzwords-business\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]