INTHEBLACK September 2026 - Flipbook - Page 52
easier, but it can also increase
social bonding and help reinforce
a shared identity among members of an
organisation,” he continues. “Jargon only really
becomes a problem when it is used excessively,
or incorrectly and performatively.”
THE MISUSE OF JARGON
While appropriately used jargon improves
the clarity and speed of communication,
buzzword-heavy corporate speak is generally
used to impress, evade or persuade.
Littrell says many people rely on corporate
speak to impress others as they seek to climb
the corporate ladder.
“In that sense, it can function as a false signal
of knowledge, competence, status or authority,
which are arguably the most important social
currencies that matter for hiring, promotion
and workplace influence,” he explains. “It also
has other strategic uses such as deflecting
blame or distracting stakeholders from negative
information, like when a company or executive
uses vague, convoluted language to divert
attention from layoffs, missed targets or other
bad news.”
READ
an article on
workplace slang
UPSKILL
with CPA Australia’s
Communication
Essentials online
short course
It can be difficult for employees to distinguish
between genuine and misleading uses of
corporate jargon. In some cases, jargon “serves
as a built-in layer of camouflage for people who
want to strategically manipulate others with
their words”, Littrell says.
Andreea Calude, a linguist at The University
of Waikato in New Zealand, describes jargon
as “in-group speak”. She says that while it
can signify knowledge and group membership,
it is sometimes used to gatekeep and uphold
rigid hierarchies.
“Problems can arise when people do not
understand a phrase or concept, but they do
not feel like they can ask what the term means
because then they mark themselves as not
being part of the group. As a result, they
might be excluded or looked down upon.”
READ
MISLEADING LANGUAGE
an article about
business buzzwords
Confusing corporate speak comes with a cost.
Some workplace language that sounds smart and
52 INTHEBLACK September 2026
strategic on a superficial level can be what Littrell
describes as “functionally misleading”, where it
misdirects the audience regardless of the
speaker’s intentions.
“It can distort whether the audience clearly
and accurately understands the goals, feedback
or decisions that are communicated to them,”
he says. “This can not only impair employee
performance and career advancement but
potentially lead to reputational and financial
costs for organisations as well.”
A good example of the disruptive effect
corporate speak can have in the workplace
can be seen in performance reviews.
“Those types of conversations are usually
difficult on both sides of the table,” Littrell
says. “Supervisors often lean on confusing,
jargon-heavy language and evasion to navigate
the emotionally uncomfortable parts of those
conversations, and employees will often use
persuasion to defend themselves.”
As a result, he says, “the employee
often leaves confused and fundamentally
misunderstanding what they have done
well and what they need to improve, and
the supervisor leaves with the mistaken
belief that the session was informative
and productive”.
PLAIN LANGUAGE IS KEY
Professionals should make communicating
with clarity the norm, Littrell advises.
Leaders can start by modelling the use of
plain language. “They should normalise clearly
defining terms, focus on shorter sentences and
resist using ambiguous buzzwords,” he says.
Culture is another crucial component.
Littrell says corporate speak tends to thrive
in environments that reinforce sounding
smart over making meaningful contributions.
“Besides encouraging people to ask
more questions,” he says, “companies could
incorporate these standards into performance
reviews by explicitly crediting employees for
things like communicating clearly and plainly,
flagging empty claims and turning ambiguity
into actionable plans.” ■
