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Published On: Jul 23, 2004 09:21 PM
Total entries in this category:
Published On: Jul 23, 2004 09:21 PM
"Leverage" - I hate this word
Color me unimpressed. If you
use this word in a conversation with me I'm going to think,
"bullshit!"
Yes, I work for a corporation with a few thousand
employees but never has anything so grated on my nerves as the word "leverage".
Like a broken record playing on a top 40 radio station, this word has been
repeated so much and used in so many contexts the past few weeks that I'm about
ready to scream!
If a person needs to convey a certain mood or feeling then he should draw upon every linguistic talent he has. But many writers are so blinded by their language skills that they pay more attention to them rather than their own message. And the purpose of language is to convey a message, right? The message may be a political rant or an emotional saga, but in the end it's the payload of language.
College has two avenues for studies in the English language. The first avenue aligns with the English major who endeavors to write long lengthy prose. The second avenue — my avenue — aligns with the Journalism major who is taught to write clearly and concisely. Cut the bullshit. Nothing but the facts, ma'am.
My journalism college coursework has tainted my feelings toward communication. No doubt about it. I like a mixture of short and long sentences, short and long paragraphs and especially paragraph hooks that link one thought to the next through the entire piece of writing. In elementary school we were taught that a "good" paragraph is at least seven sentences long, that we should look up new words in our Thesaurus to improve our writing and we should give three examples when when stating a point. (Anyone catch that last one?) And who actually listened to this? Apparently corporate management.
Today I read an email from our IS department about "managed print services". The first paragraph stated, "
In an effort to leverage efficient business processes, [we] will be providing a print service that will increase productivity, provide a faster, reliable and standardized printing environment and help lower our SG&A." Leverage efficient business practices? What does that mean? Where's the efficient business practice in that sentence? For all the time we spend reading, re-reading and then deciphering quips such as this couldn't we stick with plain straight forward phrases and actually get more work done?
"Leverage efficient business practices" screams one word to me and for good reason. Phrases like this have foreshadowed the collapse of corporations such as Enron. Deloitte & Touche actually created software called Bullfighter™ to scan digital data and rank it's level of bullshit phrasing. Interestingly, Deloitte found that "straightforward communications can be linked to financial performance".
I work with some very energetic and intelligent folks but I can't stand it when they manage to incorporate "leverage" into their conversation to make their comments sound "actionable". I actually like that word. It tells me "able to take action" whereas leverage says "teeter-totter" or gives me the impression of Wylie Coyote trying to get a rock to start rolling downhill. Hmm. I can only imagine large corporations leveraging their efficient business practices downhill.
If a person needs to convey a certain mood or feeling then he should draw upon every linguistic talent he has. But many writers are so blinded by their language skills that they pay more attention to them rather than their own message. And the purpose of language is to convey a message, right? The message may be a political rant or an emotional saga, but in the end it's the payload of language.
College has two avenues for studies in the English language. The first avenue aligns with the English major who endeavors to write long lengthy prose. The second avenue — my avenue — aligns with the Journalism major who is taught to write clearly and concisely. Cut the bullshit. Nothing but the facts, ma'am.
My journalism college coursework has tainted my feelings toward communication. No doubt about it. I like a mixture of short and long sentences, short and long paragraphs and especially paragraph hooks that link one thought to the next through the entire piece of writing. In elementary school we were taught that a "good" paragraph is at least seven sentences long, that we should look up new words in our Thesaurus to improve our writing and we should give three examples when when stating a point. (Anyone catch that last one?) And who actually listened to this? Apparently corporate management.
Today I read an email from our IS department about "managed print services". The first paragraph stated, "
In an effort to leverage efficient business processes, [we] will be providing a print service that will increase productivity, provide a faster, reliable and standardized printing environment and help lower our SG&A." Leverage efficient business practices? What does that mean? Where's the efficient business practice in that sentence? For all the time we spend reading, re-reading and then deciphering quips such as this couldn't we stick with plain straight forward phrases and actually get more work done?
"Leverage efficient business practices" screams one word to me and for good reason. Phrases like this have foreshadowed the collapse of corporations such as Enron. Deloitte & Touche actually created software called Bullfighter™ to scan digital data and rank it's level of bullshit phrasing. Interestingly, Deloitte found that "straightforward communications can be linked to financial performance".
I work with some very energetic and intelligent folks but I can't stand it when they manage to incorporate "leverage" into their conversation to make their comments sound "actionable". I actually like that word. It tells me "able to take action" whereas leverage says "teeter-totter" or gives me the impression of Wylie Coyote trying to get a rock to start rolling downhill. Hmm. I can only imagine large corporations leveraging their efficient business practices downhill.
Posted: Mon - April 19, 2004 at 11:34 PM