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Should we allow jargon in our business communications? Not on my watch!

November 17, 2017Lori Rohrbach

In the late 1990s, when my job as a business newswire reporter required me to listen in and report on quarterly and annual corporate earnings calls, my colleagues – all of us young and irreverent – laughed about creating a bingo game for the trendy corporate phrases and buzzwords we heard on each and every call; none of which made it into our subsequent coverage.

At the time, we were hearing phrases like: “bandwidth,” the “burning platform,” “synergies,” “economies of scale,” and, of course, the use of “table” as a verb. Many of them are still around, along with other upstarts like: “deep dive,” “get behind that” and, of course, “disruptor.”

This is not an indictment from someone who’s “holier-than-thou.” Hang around people in business long enough and we’re all guilty, especially for those of us who’ve stuck around long enough to “drink the Kool-Aid.” Instead, it’s a gentle reminder that those of us who are responsible for communicating our organization’s achievements and intentions should aim to be as clear as possible. Meaning that we need to “pushback” to our leaders that instead of “leveraging” the trendiest terms to sound as though we’re all members of the same club, we should strive for clarity.

We have an obligation to “pivot” and help our leaders speak – and communicate business goals – in the simplest, most jargon-free way possible. We want our words to be easily understandable to a range of audiences, — most importantly, our employees, customers, shareholders and partners.

That doesn’t mean some of that bizspeak vernacular won’t sneak into our conversation – it probably will. But just as we only say “For Realz” while driving our kids to the mall, we should equally limit our business jargon: it shouldn’t end up in our speeches, presentations, internal articles, press releases, brochures or other prepared communication.

Because “at the end of the day” if what we’ve managed to say doesn’t explain clearly what we have done or plan to do, and we don’t “drill down” to the actual hard – or “granular” details, we risk a credibility challenge. We risk sounding like we either don’t understand our business or the situation at hand, we risk turning people off or having them tune out and worse: we risk conveying the impression that we are avoiding telling people what they want or need to know.

And that’s certainly not “where we want to be” when we communicate about our business.

 

Author: Kristina Schurr

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Eight Work-From-Home Etiquette Tips

Eight Work-From-Home Etiquette Tips

 

Whether telecommuting is old hat or something you’ve been forced into as part of the COVID-19 shutdown, here are a few tips to make the experience run smoothly for both employers and employees.

 

Managing expectations

Successful work-from-home strategies always begin with clearly communicated expectations. Make sure your employees have any necessary equipment, tools and resources.  Will they need to track their time? Participate in regularly scheduled meetings? Be available at certain times of day? For employees, know what you’re accountable for and clearly communicate any challenges you’re having.

 

Constant communication

Keep the lines of communication open and be accessible. Check in with employees regularly through apps like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts and Skype, or even an old-fashioned email or phone call. Be genuinely interested in how they’re doing but don’t overdo it. Foster a feeling of trust by not micromanaging.

 

Nine to five…ish

While having a daily schedule is ideal, it may not always be practical right now. Make sure your people know when you need them to be available and try to offer flexibility at other times. They may be juggling school schedules as well as work schedules and working at “off-shift” times may be necessary. Be mindful of employees in different time zones as well.

 

For employees, try to work when you’re at your best, and not when you’re exhausted by kindergarten playtime and fourth grade math. Make sure people know if you will be unavailable at certain times.

 

Taking a break

Getting up and moving clears the head and helps with creativity and problem-solving. Whether it’s a walk around the block or a break for lunch, make time to get away from your desk throughout the day.

 

Signing off

Working from home does not mean being available 24/7. Set an actual end to the workday if possible. Don’t send and respond to messages at all hours. Sign out of messaging apps and close work programs. Understand and respect these boundaries.

 

Location, location, location

When setting up a home office, think about where you will have the fewest distractions – for yourself and for those who may be seeing you and your background on a video conferencing platform. Try to avoid busy spots that may include semi-clad people walking behind you, barking dogs and kids vying for your attention.

 

Conferencing and calls

Be clear about whether you expect people to turn on their cameras during meetings. If so, be clear about how they should be dressed. During calls, mute your phone when you’re not talking to avoid background noise. Headphones can also help with call quality. When speaking, pause frequently so others can participate in the conversation.

 

Social engagement

It’s ok for managers and employees to have some down time together, which may help ward off feelings of isolation. Keep up your normal level of interaction, perhaps with a virtual coffee break or happy hour. Managers should set the tone for how casual to be. Let employees choose what they would like to share, and never pry into areas that were off-limits before.

 

 

Author: Erin Alderfer

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