What Keeps Financial Executives Up At Night?

Survey Reveals Most Annoying Workplace Terms & Phrases

A survey conducted by an independent research firm and developed by Accountemps, the world’s largest specialized staffing service for temporary accounting, finance, and bookkeeping professionals revealed the following responses to the question, “What is the most annoying or overused phrase or buzzword in the workplace today?”

• At the end of the day • Solution • Thinking outside the box • Synergy • Paradigm • Metrics • Take it off-line • Redeployed people • On the runway • Win-win • Value-added • Get on the same page • Customer centric • Generation X • Accountability management • Core competency • Alignment • Incremental •

Buzzwords and industry jargon are a form of shorthand used by people within a particular company or profession, but they can be confusing or even seem exclusionary to individuals outside of that field. And when these words are overused, they can lose their impact altogether.

While part of the motivation to use buzzwords can be attributed to a desire to demonstrate your expertise, it can often backfire. Other people must understand them if you hope to communicate your point effectively. For instance, instead of saying a project was a win-win, explain why it was successful.