Mindshare Monthly: Corporate Buzzwords, Jargon & Lingo

Welcome one and all to another Mindshare Monthly, where we ask our coworking community a question and then share the answers. We invited our members to have some fun with corporate buzzwords– a hot topic for sure! A poll conducted by Preply found that 70% of respondents use business jargon and 75% think that doing so makes you look professional. So we wanted to know: What’s the lingo that you can’t live without? What jargon are you constantly “circling back” to? In this article we share a list of the most popular answers, plus some terms that are brand new to us. Keep reading below to check it out! 

Buzzwords We Can’t Live Without (Even if We’d Like To!)

“Circle back”

Circle back means, quite simply, to come back to something; usually a discussion or a particular topic of discussion. It’s not clear when and where this expression first emerged, but we can assume it has to do with the returning to a certain point, the way you would if you drew a circle. What is clear is that it’s a divisive one! CNBC included it in a list of jargon that everyone should stop using. In the Preply poll we mentioned earlier, it was both the sixth most used and third most annoying bit of corporate jargon. Is it the best of the bunch or the worst of the worst? We’ll have to think about it, but we’ll be sure to circle back to you on that!

A clear favorite, “circle back” was suggested by members at our Dundas St, University Ave, Adelaide St, Richmond St, Wellington St, and Sheppard Ave location.

“Touch Base”

According to MIT, this term originates from the world of baseball, where players would make contact with a base to score a point. In the office, touching base means communicating with someone, usually in a brief way and about a particular topic. There’s a bit of a sweet spot for using this one though… You probably shouldn’t say you’ll touch base on a project later if the deadline is imminent. You also shouldn’t say you’ll touch base if you need to discuss a complex or urgent matter. But if the matter only requires a short conversation that can safely wait to be had, this may just be the right term. In place of ‘touch base’ you could also say  ‘check in,’ ‘follow up,’ or ‘reconnect’– but we can’t guarantee you’ll score any points for doing so! 

“Touch base” was suggested by members at our Richmond St, Temperance St, Adelaide St, and Wellington St locations.

“As per my last email”

We saw a few variations here: “As per”, “as mentioned” or “as discussed” in “my previous email” or “our last call”. If there’s one thing we learned from this one, it’s that you can never be too clear. A quick search for any variation of this phrase will bring up debate, thought pieces, and even memes. Some believe this phrase is emotionally loaded. Language Tool, for example, suggests using alternate phrases to avoid seeming passive aggressive. It all depends on who’s receiving your email. Still, you may want to skip on this one in favour of something less contentious– even if it feels like you’re per-petually following up.

“Per my last email” was suggested by members at our Richmond St, Wellington St, Temperance St, and University Ave locations.

Buzzwords That Were New to Us

“Boiling the ocean”

Language Humanities says it may date back to the first World War, or even the days of Mark Twain. In simple terms, it means doing something impossible, or to quote Asana’s office jargon cheat-sheet, to “make harder than it needs to be.” You might use this in response to a suggestion that adds extra steps to a task or project. You might also decline to “boil the ocean” in response to a proposal that’s too complex to be practical. Overall, this expression is subject to less debate than some of the other’s on this list. However, that doesn’t mean it’s always the best term to use. After all, some people may not be familiar, so be sure to apply it with care. If anything, start small; working it into every conversation is probably about as easy as boiling the ocean!

“Boiling the ocean” was suggested by members at our King St and Adelaide St locations.

“Run it up the flagpole”

Most sources say the original idiom, “Run it up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes,” emerged in the American advertising industry on Madison Avenue in the 1960s. When it was shortened to the five word phrase we know today is unclear. Regardless, it usually refers to testing an idea to see how it will be received by a wider audience. If you’re not sure whether an idea will be as good in practice as it is on paper, you might suggest a test. That seems reasonable enough, but despite its logical meaning, this expression has still caught some flack. In December 2023, London news site CityAM called it the worst corporate jargon of the week. So you might be wondering how we determine whether this one is a fun favorite or an overused annoyance. The answer? We’ll run it up the flagpole and let you know!

“Run it up the flagpole” was suggested by a member at our Wellington St location.

“Whiteboarding”

This is not so much jargon as a name for a certain activity, which you can probably guess. Are you thinking that a whiteboard might be involved? Then you would be right! “Whiteboarding” refers to brainstorming, usually with a group utilizing a writing surface. Whether you’re using a whiteboard, blackboard, poster board, easel pad or digital equivalent like Jamboard or Microsoft Whiteboard, it counts. Moreover, you might call it “brainstorming”, “workshopping” or something else, and you wouldn’t be wrong! No matter what you call it, it’s a widely used and highly effective method for exchanging and building on ideas. Hubspot offers some helpful tips and tricks to incorporate whiteboarding into your next meeting. Hopefully you’ll find those helpful, but if not you can always come up with your own. Just grab a whiteboard and start making your list!

“Whiteboarding” was suggested by a member at our 2 Sheppard Ave E location

Keep the Conversation Going with Workhaus

We hope you’ve had some fun and maybe even learned a few new words! To see all of the answers that the community shared, keep an eye on the community boards at all Workhaus locations, and to read and respond to our latest question just swing by the front desk.