Middle managers be warned, a new study has announced the 50 most annoying phrases heard in UK offices.
Phrases like ‘No ‘I’ in team’, ‘to ‘ping’ an email’ and ‘singing from the same hymn sheet’ are among the most irritating work related soundbites heard around the office.
A study conducted by office experts Londonoffices.com asked workers to name the most annoying phrases that they and their colleagues overuse at work.
‘Thinking outside the box, ‘ASAP’ and ‘win-win’ were among the most popular clichéd sayings to regularly appear.
Other pieces of office jargon that really grind an employee’s gears include ‘results driven’, ‘low hanging fruit’ and ‘streamline’.
One staff member who took part in the study said: “I’m the type of person who loathes the amount of jargon used around the office, but somehow I just can’t seem to get through the day without joining in.
“Often the amount of irritating jargon I use goes up during important presentations and meetings. As soon as my mouth opens I just can’t seem to hold back on clichéd phrases, and I always find myself thinking about how much of an idiot I must sound like.”
A female manager added: “It’s always men that come up with these pointless sayings, you hardly ever hear a woman come up with these completely random pieces of jargon.
“I overhear colleagues using some of these phrases because they think it makes them sound clever and important, but mostly they haven’t got a clue what they’re on about.”
A spokesperson for Londonoffices.com commented: “There’s so much overuse of clichéd jargon and management speak used around offices now that it’s almost beyond parody, ‘circle back’ is one which particularly yanks my chain.
“If used sparingly these phrases can help articulate what you’re saying, but constant overuse can leave you sounding as though you’ve stolen your speech from David Brent.”
The top 50 in no particular order
- Blue-sky thinking
- Idea shower
- To ‘action’ a project
- Going forward
- Brainstorm
- Getting the ball rolling
- Drill down
- Out of the loop
- Thinking outside the box
- Touch base
- Singing from the same hymn-sheet
- Circle back
- Strategic fit
- Bottom line
- Low hanging fruit
- Win-win
- Play hardball
- Best practice
- On my radar
- Bench mark
- Value added
- To run an idea up the flagpole
- Results driven
- Revert
- Game-plan
- Hit the ground running
- Customer centric
- No ‘i’ in team
- Back to the drawing-board
- Re-inventing the wheel
- Dot the ‘i’s and cross the ‘t’s
- Action plan
- Bells and whistles
- Moving the goalposts
- Back of the net
- On the same page
- Open door policy
- To ‘ping’ an email
- To kick a project into the long grass
- Joined up thinking
- Pick up and run with it
- Streamline
- Close of play
- To take an idea or project ‘off piste’
- Level playing field
- Quick win
- In the driving seat
- No brainer
- To ‘park’ a project
- ASAP
Source: Londonoffices.com