Nearly
two thirds of company directors are irritated when people use jargon or buzz
words in business conversations, a survey reveals.
Research
by the Aziz Corporation finds that the worst offender was “lets touch base”, which
annoys 28 per cent of directors, followed by “no brainer”, regarded as irksome
by 19 per cent.
Other
irritating phrases include “synergy” (16 per cent), “outside the box” (14 per
cent), “lets take this off line” and “playing hardball” (both 6 per cent).
Khalid
Aziz, chairman of the Aziz Corporation, commented: “All of us are guilty of
using the occasional buzzword, cliché, slogan or acronym. They are harmless in
small doses but when they become commonplace and define our vocabulary that
should be a cause to worry.”
By
Ben Willmott