Lost in the Corporate Jungle: Why We Keep Using Jargon That Nobody Understands

How many times have you opened an email and immediately regretted it?

What you read: “Let’s circle back on our key learnings to use our synergies and drive impactful solutions.”

Its translation: “Let’s talk about what we learned and figure out what to do next.”

Corporate jargon is everywhere. Meetings, emails, job descriptions — it’s the workplace version of seasoning that someone went overboard with.

And somehow, even though everyone secretly hates it, we keep using it.

The Great Illusion of Corporate Speak

Jargon often parades around in a power suit, pretending to be sophisticated.

Phrases like “streamlining core competencies” and “unlocking new efficiencies” sound important, but let’s be honest — half the time, they mean absolutely nothing (Katsnelson, 2021).

They’re the office equivalent of empty calories: they fill space but provide zero value. And they waste everyone’s time.

Employees — especially those in international teams — spend valuable minutes decoding emails that could have been written by an actual human.

According to the Plain Language Association International (PLAIN), companies that ditch the fluff see a 36% jump in productivity and 22% fewer misunderstandings (PLAIN, 2020).

Because when people actually understand what’s being said, they can get things done.

Why Jargon Makes Writing Worse

At some point, we collectively decided that plain English wasn’t fancy enough for business.

But the thing is, research from Harvard Business Review shows that people who communicate clearly are seen as smarter, more competent, and — shockingly — more likable than those who drown their messages in buzzwords (Koehn, 2019).

Consider this gem: “boil the ocean.” To the average person, that sounds like a supervillain’s plan to wipe out humanity. But in the corporate world?

It just means “trying to do something impossible.” Now imagine being a non-native speaker and hearing that in a meeting.

Are we launching a climate attack, or do we just need to scale back our expectations?

A Simple Guide to Talking Like a Normal Person

If you want to make life easier for everyone (and sound like someone who knows what they’re talking about), try this:

• Say what you actually mean. Instead of “Let’s drill down into this issue,” try “Let’s analyze this problem.”

• Be specific. “We’ll touch base soon” is meaningless. “I’ll call you tomorrow at 10 AM” is not.

• Cut the nonsense. If a phrase would make no sense outside of a boardroom, it’s probably unnecessary.

The Hidden Toll of Jargon

Corporate lingo can mess with people’s confidence.

Second-language speakers often feel pressured to sound “professional,” which apparently means using as many vague, bloated phrases as possible.

A study by García (2021) found that 65% of non-native English speakers in corporate jobs feel anxious about not using jargon correctly.

Nothing like a little workplace stress to really boost morale.

But when businesses make clarity the standard, people actually speak up.

Ideas flow, meetings suck less, and nobody has to sit through another “deep dive” into a topic that could have been a bullet point.

Corporate jargon is the office equivalent of wearing sunglasses indoors — no one is impressed, and it makes everything harder than it needs to be.

If you want people to listen, keep it simple. Next time you’re tempted to “circle back,” just say what you mean.

Your colleagues will thank you.

Sources

• García, M. (2021). The emotional impact of corporate jargon on second-language learners. Journal of Workplace Communication, 45(3), 123–135.

• Jones, P., & Lee, H. (2019). Barriers to effective communication in multinational corporations. International Business Review, 28(4), 567–579.

• Katsnelson, A. (2021). The corporate jargon trap: How buzzwords hurt workplace communication. Business Language Review, 15(2), 45–61.

• Koehn, N. (2019). The power of clear communication in leadership. Harvard Business Review.

• PLAIN. (2020). How plain language improves productivity. Plain Language Association International Report.