Could you interface with that team on its ad campaign that’s gone viral, and then circle back with me? If we can leverage similar assets, we’ll have a game changer.

Buzzwords and industry jargon are a form of shorthand used by people within a particular company or profession. I’m sure all of us have heard some of these buzzwords in the office a few too many times. Accountemps, a finance staffing firm, conducted a research study on 150 senior executives from business, marketing and accounting to uncover the ten most annoying words and phrases. Take a look at the buzzwords that made the top ten…

1. Leverage: “We should leverage our investment in IT infrastructure across multiple business units to drive profits.”
2. Reach Out: “Jim decided to reach out to this underutilized demographic.”
3. It is what it is: “The server is down, and clients are irate.  It is what it is.”
4. Viral: “Our training video has gone viral.”
5. Game-Changer: “The switch from LAN to WiFi was a game changer for our productivity.”
6. Disconnect: “There is a disconnect between our customers’ wants and their page views.”
7. Value-add: “Where’s the value-add in this increase in spending?”
8. Circle back: “I have to go, but I will circle back with the client later.”
9. Interface: “My job requires me to interface with all levels of the firm.”
10. Cutting Edge: “Our cutting edge technology gives us a competitive advantage.”

GUIDELINES FOR USAGE – If you must use these annoying and overused buzzwords then use them accurately. Here are three guidelines you should follow…
1. Use Buzzwords properly. – Make communication easy. Do not use these words if they are going to complicate the message you are trying to convey.
2. Consider your audience. – Be sure that what you are saying makes sense to you and your audience.
3. Check your own understanding. – Research words that you don’t know before you use them. Some words have more than one meaning. So be sure that everyone knows what you mean when using these words.

As society and pop culture evolve, new lingo is born. Here are some new popular buzzwords:

• Watercooler Games: coworker discussions
• Smell Test: determining the potential success of a product
• Critical Path: determining the appropriate steps to take
• Low-Hanging Fruit: easy opportunities for new business
• Bandwidth: the amount of time and resources needed for a project
• Download: assess the facts of a particular situation
• Brain Dump: providing all of the information; typically given when someone is handing over an initiative or preparing a successor