Language as an Obstacle

Each of us has a variety of ways of speaking and writing depending on circumstances. The thank-you note you send to your aunt for your birthday gift will be very different in style from a thank-you note after a job interview with the vice president of the company you want to work for. 

When you’re writing, it’s important to consider your audience’s understanding compared to your own. For example, if you’re writing a newsletter for customers, you would use different language than you would if you were writing a product status update to the engineers who initially created the product.

As you write, keep your eye out for these common language challenges:

• Clichés
• Jargon
• Slang
• Euphemisms
• Doublespeak

cliché

A cliché is an overused expression or phrase that has been overused so that it has become unoriginal and commonplace.

Clichés that we use in everyday conversation (green with envy, face the music, add insult to injury, etc.) can make your writing sound boring or unfocused. 

Avoiding Clichés

With Cliché

When I started thinking about getting a new job, I was completely clueless. I knew I wanted to do something really cool, but I was lost about what might fit the bill.

Revised Without Cliché

When I started thinking about getting a new job, I was overwhelmed by my options. While I knew I wanted to do something interesting, I was uncertain of what that might be.

Avoid	Try This Instead	Why
Please resolve this ASAP.	Please resolve this by March 30.	ASAP is not a time we each understand the same way. You might be thinking you will get a callback tomorrow. I might be thinking the task will take a few days so responding within a week is sufficient.
Thanks for your help. Now just kick it through the goalposts.	Thanks for your help. Now you just need to finish submitting the paperwork to complete the transaction.	“Kick it through the goalposts” is a common saying but it is a sports reference that many may not understand. It is not clear what step must be taken next.

jargon

Jargon is specialized terminology used by a particular profession, group, or activity and is often difficult for outsiders to understand.

Since these terms are used within an activity, group, or profession, they’re typically not well understood outside that context. Within the context of a specific group, jargon may help members of the group refer to very specialized concepts, but those outside the group may find the jargon incomprehensible or may not understand the intended meaning.

For example, social media marketers may use terms such as search engine optimization, conversion rate, and user-generated content. Other social media marketers will understand those terms in the context of social media, but to those who don’t work in that field, those terms may have different meanings or make no sense.

Always keep your audience in mind. If you are addressing only members of a specialized field, using field-specific jargon will signal to your audience that you are also a member of the field and may allow you to talk in more detail or about specific concepts. However, if you are speaking to a broader group with no specialized knowledge, using jargon will only alienate or confuse your audience. If some technical terms are absolutely necessary when speaking to an audience, be sure to explain each term and its context.

If you are writing a department-wide memo, it would be acceptable to use terms specific to your company or department. If you are writing a newsletter for customers, however, it would be better to avoid jargon and use more generally recognized language.

Avoid	Try This Instead	Why
The project will require significant bandwidth.	The project will need a lot of time and resources.	In business, “bandwidth” often refers to the capacity or resources available to tackle a project. This term could be misinterpreted to apply only to internet or network capacity, not human or organizational resources.
ATM will work well in this situation.	Asynchronous Transfer Mode will work well in this situation.	If the receiver is not from the technical side of communications, someone might have been thinking about a bank machine.

slang

Slang consists of informal, often novel words and phrases used within a specific social group, culture, or context.

Avoid slang or idiomatic expressions in formal business writing or academic writing. Slang and idiomatic expressions make your writing sound informal and can make you sound less credible. They can also make it harder for non-native English speakers to understand you.

Avoid	Try This Instead
That laptop was all jacked up.	That laptop doesn’t work. The screen stays dark after you turn it on.
They were ready to drop after all that overtime last weekend.	They were exhausted after working overtime last weekend.

However, there are occasions when slang and idiomatic expressions may be appropriate, depending on who your audience is. If you are writing informally or humorously, slang and idiomatic language may help you better express yourself.

If you are going to use slang, however, make sure that you’re using it correctly. Customers who are “native speakers” of slang (i.e., people who are a part of the demographic you may be targeting by using slang) can very easily spot a marketing professional who doesn’t understand the correct usage of a slang term or use of the term has fallen out of favor and is old news.

euphemisms

Euphemisms are words or phrases used to talk about unpleasant or taboo topics in a way that is perceived as less offensive or more agreeable.

For example, instead of saying that you are leaving a meeting to urinate, you might say that you are “going to the restroom.” If you are talking about a coworker who just got fired, you might say that the person was “let go.”

Doublespeak is a more deliberate form of euphemism that disguises the meaning of words so that the idea the words represent seems less unpleasant. Doublespeak language is usually used in bureaucracies and politics and should be avoided whenever possible.

In business writing, you should avoid using doublespeak. Your purpose should not be to hide meaning but to communicate clearly.

Avoid	Try This Instead
The company is implementing a rightsizing initiative.	The company is laying off employees.
We will implement revenue-enhancing measures for this product line.	We will increase the price for this product line.