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Jargon Busting
Communicating without creating barriers
“Look at these sales figures! – You
know Sam, you can’t put lipstick on a pig. If we continue
this strategic partnering paradigm we might as well be
milking a mouse. We’ve got to cut bait and return to our
archetype of using customer-oriented discretionary values to
make product reengineering decisions.”
If your head is spinning after reading that, you’re not
alone. The culprit is jargon: The use of specialized terms,
idioms, expressions, acronyms and abbreviations that are
understandable to only a select group of people.
Jargon – the specialized language of a group of people – has
its place in the workplace. It can provide useful shorthand
to get across specific meaning quickly.
But jargon becomes a problem when it stops people understanding
your message. When you start using jargon (perhaps unintentionally)
with audiences it is not intended for, people will find you very
difficult to understand.
Even within the group the jargon's meant for, meanings evolve
and newcomers misunderstand. And soon jargon can create barriers
within groups too.
In the comments above, made to Sam by his colleague, there are
seven instances of business jargon and idioms. You may be familiar
with some of the words or phrases, but do you know what the
speaker really means? Probably not. That is the problem with
jargon. It diminishes the effectiveness of the communication.
It would be much easier for Sam, and anyone else listening, if
the speaker simply said:
“Look at these sales figures! – They don’t look good. The new
partnering arrangement is not working. We need to go back to deciding
on product improvements based on customer feedback.”
When jargon creeps in
Every profession, organization and specialized group has some
unique vocabulary that can speed communication between group members.
This is okay, provided that the meaning is totally clear to everyone
who needs to understand. (Sometimes it’s even a benefit that others
outside the group do not understand. For example, patients may
sometimes be better off not knowing some of the jargon used between
doctors.)
Jargon is not effective however if your intended audience doesn’t
understand it. Some people use jargon unintentionally when it’s
out of place to do so. Others use it to look more knowledgeable.
Sometimes people replace perfectly acceptable
and understandable words with fancy, specialized jargon,
seeking to impress their audience. These specialist words
seem to hold some magical power that can make the speaker
feel more intelligent or more knowledgeable. Unfortunately,
the impression he or she gives may be a negative one, rather
than the one intended.
Whatever the reason you use jargon, if it’s out of place
and the audience misunderstands, it can create a two-fold
problem. Whilst you fail to convey information to them,
you may also succeed in conveying a more subtle, negative
message: That you have given little thought to your audience;
and perhaps that you are insincere and not to be trusted.
Worse, you may never know that your audience
has not understood – people often don’t say anything if
they mistrust you, or if they fear of looking unintelligent
themselves.
Jargon traps
Here are some common uses of jargon. Which ones do you use?
- Communicating with others in your field/group
It's okay, within reason, to use jargon for this, but be sure
that everyone really does understand. Use jargon when it helps
convey specialist information, and avoid it at other times.
- Unthinking
People often use jargon simply because they are not thinking
– it becomes a (bad) habit. Jargon that’s appropriate within
you team or specialist group is often unintelligible to outsiders,
such as your customers or members of your family.
- Trying to impress
Jargon rarely impresses intelligent people. You are more likely
to create the impression of “trying to impress” than “being
impressive”. Others may see it as insincere or irritating.
- Distracting from facts or knowledge
Some people drop into jargon when they want hide the truth,
lessen the magnitude of something, or make it sound more impressive.
This is best avoided as it’s sure to be spotted. Experienced
businesspeople may reject jargon-ridden communication for this
very reason.
- Distracting from lack of knowledge
Sometimes it’s unintentional but when you’re unsure or under
pressure, you might give a jargon-filled answer rather than
a straight one. Again, it’s best to avoid this as it gives a
bad impression.
- Trying to fit
Using the same language as others is natural when your trying
to build rapport, so jargon may have a place here. But beware!
Only use jargon that you fully understand, and that you know
is understood by everyone in your audience (not just the ones
you want to impress.)
Jargon busting
The first step to avoiding unnecessary jargon is to be aware
of when you use it. Check through the jargon traps above. Do you
tend to fall into any of these? And if so, when?
Perhaps it’s when you are in a particular type of meeting, when
you're under pressure, or when you are talking with a particular
person or group. Perhaps you use company jargon when talking to
people outside your organization.
Once you have identified when you tend to use jargon, think about
the things you actually say. A good way to do this is to look
back at letters, emails, or speeches you have written; or think
back to a specific conversation you have had; or even ask someone
you know to comment. What specialist words, phrases, expressions,
acronyms and abbreviations do you commonly use? Are they necessary
and understandable to your intended audience?
The final step is to think about alternatives to the unnecessary
jargon you use: Ask yourself what you could say differently to
make things clearer. For questions you frequently answer with
jargon, practice alternative answers that are as simple and clear
as possible.
Key Points
When it comes to communicating effectively, jargon often gets
in the way. It creates barriers that stop people understanding
you clearly and completely.
By learning to use simple, everyday language instead, your communication
will be more effective and more thoughtful towards your audience.
The simple rule is: It is always better to be clear than to be
brief or ‘clever’.
By communicating without jargon, not only will you be
better understood, you will come across as more sincere, trustworthy
and in tune with your audience.
Spread the Word:
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