--- title: "7 Worst Business Buzzwords of 2015" url: https://burnaze.com/article/d5eab540-38b1-444a-a85a-5843c413a519 source: "1851 Franchise" original_url: https://1851franchise.com/7-worst-business-buzzwords-of-2015-3659 category: "General" published: 2016-02-22T19:14:00.000Z modified: 2026-11-01T04:13:50.234Z image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/33d1aa4648231a48a05f1f64aa9181793604160219090013.png --- # 7 Worst Business Buzzwords of 2015 **TL;DR:** The article discusses various business buzzwords considered meaningless or annoying jargon, listing examples such as 'let's take this offline' and 'I don't have the bandwidth'. These phrases are often used in place of clear and direct communication, and can come across as insincere or overly dramatic. *originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2016-02-22. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/7-worst-business-buzzwords-of-2015-3659).* ## Story The next time you feel the need to reach out, shift a paradigm, leverage a best practice or take a 360 approach, by all means, do it. Just don’t *say* you’re going to do it—because those words are nothing but meaningless business jargon. The problem is, we’re all guilty of using them. It’s annoying gobbledygook, and somehow these empty phrases have mesmerized the rank and file around the globe. At *1851 Franchise*, we’ve heard (and used) our fair share of buzzwords. So in a concerted effort to admit our faults and learn from our mistakes, here are some of our office’s worst offenders. **Let’s Take This Offline** In a world where we’re always communicating through our iPhones, tablets and computers, where does this magical place even exist? Are we talking penning your next big business request with ink and paper and sending it out to your colleague via snail mail or a carrier pigeon? Because, let’s be honest, that’s truly taking things offline. But that’s probably not it. Chances are it means this: “Let’s discuss this at a later time.” Or, in other words: “Let’s not air our dirty laundry in front of a group.” Next time, be clear about your intended action. Instead, simply ask to continue the discussion during a break, or over lunch. **I Don’t Have the Bandwidth** It started out strictly as a tech word, but it’s now replaced “capacity” in just about every scenario. If an employee doesn’t have time for something, they might say: “I don’t have the bandwidth right now.” It’s even crept into the HR lexicon: “Does he have the bandwidth to do this job?” We’re not living in The Matrix quite yet—so maybe we can describe our lives in human terms for just a bit longer? **He/She is a Total Rock Star!** This probably means that you kicked ass and saved the day at your job. It could also mean that you’re a creative and inspiring employee. But let’s be honest, if that employee was truly a Rock Star, they’d be showing up late to the office, drinking excessively, and flipping the middle finger. We might be going out on a limb here, but that doesn’t sound like the kind of behavior that’s conducive to a high-performing professional office, right? Instead of using euphemisms for success, try highlighting the specific strengths of each employee. Chances are, they’ll feel seen and appreciated. **Let’s Hit the Ground Running** This just sounds bad for your knees, and that type of team-wide injury can really impact workflow and dramatically increase your company’s healthcare premiums (has the Internet created a sarcasm font yet?). The point here is that you’re trying to instill a sense of urgency. But maybe try personalizing the conversation by discussing the list of activities that will prepare each team-member to be successful right from the start. **Bleeding Edge** You’ve developed technology so new and cool that it makes you want to evoke sword-smithery, huh? Really, what they’re trying to say is that a company has created something that it’s leading the leading-edge. It’s the hipster before the hipster became cool. It’s an idea so new and revolutionary, that you’ve probably never even heard of it before. Instead of describing your new idea or product with a phrase that sounds like a bad horror movie title, why not just tell it like it is? Let everyone else make that determination for themselves. **Authentic** If you have to tell people that your brand is authentic, chances are it isn’t. Why? Because it’s a word that’s being overused, and it’s being used incorrectly. When it became common knowledge that Millennials loved to buy from companies who are authentic, marketers hurried to throw that word—and other thesaurus favorites—into their literature and advertising. Bam. Authenticity taken care of, right? The problem is, you can’t tell someone that you’re authentic any more than you can tell someone you’re trustworthy. You have to prove your authenticity. And you have earn your title. From there, who you are will speak for itself. **Let’s Get the Ball Rolling** This one has been around forever—and it just won’t go away. When in your life have you ever done anything of consequence that was even remotely related to rolling a ball? Let’s all do each other a favor and start being more direct. Try saying this instead: “Let’s do this.” ## Entities - 1851 Franchise (publication) - General (sector) - communication (topic) - Matrix (company) - business jargon (topic) - meaningless phrases (topic) --- Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/7-worst-business-buzzwords-of-2015-3659). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/d5eab540-38b1-444a-a85a-5843c413a519).