Corpspeak! 2

[eyeswideclosed]

My company never used it much before but lately I'm hearing "going forward" a lot, this could lead to worse things, like "win-win" or (horrors) "talking points", it's a slippery slope! Like drugs! I must kill it now before it gets bigger! Then we are all doomed! Doomed I say!!

 

[eyeswideclosed]

Well it's corpspeakISH, or corpspeak LITE, but as I said before it'a a slippery slope from there to full-blown "synergism", "core competencies", and "key enablers"...one must remain vigilant is all I'm saying, easier to kill it now than when it's out of control.

 

[gbaughma]

TheManiac:

I don't know... I think this thread is the epitome of what this forum is about. As IT professionals, we're often subjected to corpspeak from PHB's, and it's important that we understand what they're saying. Unfortunately, I've played Buzzword Bingo enough with my bosses, that I do understand what they're talking about.

I'm on the "Leadership Team" here at work, which puts me squarely in middle-management. The funny part is, I've been "redirected" for using too much geekspeak when talking to people... "You have to bring it back down to their level, Greg...." which is fine... my vocabulary is 20+ years of computer terminology... and I occasionally forget that talking about IP Packet Corruption and the multiple-redundancy of RAID arrays tends to make normal people's brains melt and send them screaming.

I've gotten to the point with our Executive Director (my direct supervisor) that I say "You want the technical answer, or just 'I can fix it, it's going to cost $500'". 9/10 of the time, he just wants the price, and to know he'll get his e-mail by tomorrow.

Overall, they have no clue what I do on a day-to-day basis (including my 10-minute sabatticals on TT... <LOL>)

BUT, the reality of it is, if you're going to survive in the corporate world, and be successful at it, you have to be able to walk the walk and talk the talk. That, unfortunately, includes the ability to see through corpspeak, and even speak a little yourself. Being able to recite the company's mission, vision, and values. Stuff like that.

If you're the super-geek, your skills in computers won't do you much good if you can't have a social conversation and explain things in simple terms. You'll end up with a corporate middle-man over you, who acts as an interface between the higher-ups and you "quirky IT geeks". They act as a translator. And you know what they're saying to their bosses when you explain about needing a Terabyte RAID array (or other techno-speak?)... they're going to THEIR bosses, the ones who write the checks, and saying "We can fix it... it'll cost $5000...."



Just my 2¢

"In order to start solving a problem, one must first identify its owner." --Me
--Greg

 

[Stella740pl]

EWC,
easier to kill it now than when it's out of control.

May I take it as "I can't make it any simpler than it is now, and don't accept the challenge to translate it into plain English"?

 

[eyeswideclosed]

Oh, the transalation, ok something like "let's make sure we're all communicating enough so they know we know what we're doing". The original version was not too awfully bad, but it leans in that direction, gotta watch that!

 

[Stella740pl]

Greg,

You seem to equate the corpspeak to the technospeak?
They do understand the former, they don't understand the latter.

Sometimes "You have to bring it back down to their level" mean "Please translate it from technospeak to corpspeak for them". They are not little kids, after all.

 

[sbudzynski]

not making some kiddy text message out of it.

Sorry, I was trying to take a serious level 10 forum back to a comfortable level of 7, but I see we're going to operate around 12 so that's where I make my exit...

----------

Steve Budzynski


"So, pass another round around for the kids. Who have nothing left to lose and for those souls old and sold out by the soles of my shoes"

 

[Stella740pl]

eyeswideclosed,

"let's make sure we're all communicating enough so they know we know what we're doing".

"Communicating enough"? You mean, a lot? It doesn't seem to be what the original said.
And who are "they" that should know what we/you are doing?
Can you put it into a complete and proper forum description?
Not 'ok something like...'

Let's see then if CajunCenturion would like your plain English description better than his own. ;-)

 

[eyeswideclosed]

Gbaughma I see your point but in my case I simply refuse to use it, even when I'm in a meeting with the politicos I make a concerted effort to just talk normally, when they say going forward I say ok from now on...etc. And corpspeak is completely unrelated to techspeak, I know no programmers who use it, I would feel foolish and other programmers would think I lost my mind.

 

[eyeswideclosed]

Stella, I think I'm so gung-ho against corpspeak I've degraded even my own "normal" english as a defense mechanism, I use swear words, use "gonna" and "I dunno", "ok man let's just friggin' do it that way then!", etc., to combat it, people probably think I'm a caveman!

 

[AngelB]

The one that really irritates me is 'blue-sky thinking'. What on earth is that all about? Does it have any real meaning that anyone knows about?


Geraint

The lights are on but nobody's home, my elevator doesn't go to the top. I'm not playing with a full deck, I've lost my marbles. Barenaked Ladies - Crazy

 

[Scott24x7]

I'm sorry... but when exactly did the phrase "communicate effectively" become corp-speak? For that matter, when did the word "corp-speak" become a word??? I think it was invented by EWC, who seems to delight in taking any stance contrary to what whatever the last person said... not a very mature approach, and to date, I'd have to say I've seen lots of people (self included) see things from EWC's point of view, but not once has there been an effort to see things from anyone else's point of view.

Hence, leading me to my conclusion. At this stage, I will make this my exit from this discussion, which has reached a point of ridiculousness that I chose no longer to participate in.


Best Regards,
Scott

&quot;Everything should be made as simple as possible, and no simpler.&quot;

 

[gbaughma]

You seem to equate the corpspeak to the technospeak?
They do understand the former, they don't understand the latter.

That's not exactly what I was saying... I wasn't saying there was a correlation between techspeak and corpspeak... what I was trying to point out is that if an IT professional wants to move up, instead of being stuck at a level, they need the "Soft skills" to move into management. Otherwise, they're stereotyped as "computer geeks", and some middle-management person will always have to manage them, because the middle-management "speaks both languages".

I've spoken in several threads about IT professionals needing "soft skills". Management skills. I'm not saying that they have to become PHB's. I'm stating that managing people, interacting with customers, being able to talk to the CEO/CFO/etc. is about the only way that IT folks will move up the corporate ladder.

Look at the IT supervisors. VP's of IT. They have the understanding of the technical issues (although not always the technical SKILLS to solve those issues themselves, although I've met some who could....), but they also have the soft skills. The people skills. They're able to write and justify their budget requests to a board of directors. They're able to solve inter-personal skills among their staff and peers.

Even though I consider myself a "well-rounded" individual; I have computer skills, but also I can do carpentry (I just remodeled my kitchen), I enjoy camping, took wilderness survival, I'm a musician.... I'm still considered a "geek" by a lot of people. It's a stereotype. It's waning, yes, but the stereotype is still there... and the corporate higher-ups with the MBA's and Human Resources stuff don't UNDERSTAND... they just remember the geeks in college... the ones having all-night gaming parties, etc. That's the stereotype we're trying to break, and the only way to break those stereotypes and to move UPWARDS in our IT careers is to foster those soft skills, those people skills, and demonstrate them.



Just my 2¢

"In order to start solving a problem, one must first identify its owner." --Me
--Greg

 

[eyeswideclosed]

There are other points of view?? wow...
No I don't delight in that Scott, I'm just babbling here anyway, it doesn't matter, I need to get some work done anyway, er, "utilize my core competencies to bring about a fast track deliverable to our key client partners"...or something like that..

 

[Stella740pl]

EWC,

I think I'm so gung-ho against corpspeak I've degraded even my own "normal" english as a defense mechanism...

OK, got you. You lost me here.
I am not a fan of "shifted paradigm", but if this is the choice, "corpspeak" vs. "degraded language", I would choose the former any time. Especially now when I see that most of what you call "corpspeak" is really just normal educated English.

 

[eyeswideclosed]

Stella, yeah, god I worked in one shop where we all swore like drunken sailors, but we got the job done, and everybody left us alone! Even here they like my results but keep me in the basement...hmmmm...now you've got me thinking!

 

[CajunCenturion]

==> let's make sure we're all communicating enough so they know we know what we're doing

I think that translations is lacking in several areas.

Most importantly, I think is mis-states the purpose of communication. I don't think the purpose of communication is to ensure "they know we know what we're doing". I think the purpose of communication is to ensure "they know what we're trying to both say and imply, as well as provide some hope of getting some desired response". That means that I don't have the luxury of saying things the way I want to say them, but rather, to be effective, I need to say things in words and phrases that my listener will understand, appreciate, respect, and which will hopefully, ellicit a positive response.

Right out of the gates, you'll lose respect in varying degrees for improper spelling, capitalization, and grammar. You lose understanding if you lack clarity, use the wrong words, or otherwise be ambiguous.

To communicate effectively, you have to know your audience, and the language that your audience expects.

--------------
Good Luck
To get the most from your Tek-Tips experience, please read FAQ181-2886
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[eyeswideclosed]

Cajun, I understand your points, I'm just 100% geard towards writing quality software, all else is secondary to me, my social skills are definitely lacking! Typical geek I suppose..

 

[CajunCenturion]

But you also have a good point. It would not be effective to use corp-speak to programmers when you're hashing out requirements. You'd be sneerd by the mechanics if you used techno-speak in the shop.

As I said, "To communicate effectively, you have to know your audience, and the language that your audience expects."
That's not going to be the same language in all cases.

All that being said, I have a real problem, issue, question about something in your original post.

What to you mean by, "it's a slippery slope!"?

--------------
Good Luck
To get the most from your Tek-Tips experience, please read FAQ181-2886
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[Stella740pl]

Hm.
So, you mean, instead of coming to this forum to gain some communication skills, you come to declare a war on them and proclaim your social-skills-lacking way as the norm?

Interesting position.

 

[eyeswideclosed]

Cajun: by slippery slope I mean if it gets in your co a little bit it can snowball, usually the first term is "going forward", be vigilant!
Stella: exactly! I seek to transform corpspeak to cavespeak! cavespeak good!