Double-talk is language comprised of real and invented elements. It appears knowledgeable but is, in fact, meaningless. Much management lingo falls into this category. Here is a list of the true meaning of 11 management buzzwords and buzz phrases.
- actionable (adjective): Any task delegated to someone else.
- adhocracy (noun): Any organisational unit not designed by you.
- administrivia (noun): A management task imposed on you.
- alignment (noun): You agreeing with me.
- alliance (noun): Working together under your direction.
- analysis (noun): Research that supports your viewpoint.
- ballpark (noun or adjective): Close enough to be acceptable to you.
- benchmark (noun): The quality standard that you can get away with.
- best practice (noun phrase): The quality standard you refer to when you’ve been caught out merely benchmarking.
- big picture (noun phrase): A useful distraction is the data doesn’t support your vision.
- BS (noun phrase; initialism): Bloated Syntax; doubletalk; CEO-talk; MBA-speak; spin; and at least one other that I momentarily forget.
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