Business jargon and clichés can make you sound flippant and annoying at best, or confusing and uncreative at worst. This article looks at the worst offenders.

From the article

Overused buzzwords and phrases used to feel fresh but they long ago lost their creativity and impact. If you’re in a meeting and someone says to “think outside the box,” does it really make you stop thinking inside the box? No. No it does not.

If someone asks you to break down the silos, do you grab a sledgehammer and run to the nearest farm? Or ask someone what a silo is? A better option is to ask your co-workers to talk to other departments and share information.

Or if you’re asked to grab the low-hanging fruit, do you look for the closest apple tree? What if you live in the city? How about just asking people to target the closest goals first?

Whatever you do, do not ask your colleagues to drink the Kool-Aid. This is a mostly forgotten reference to the tragic 1978 Jonestown suicides. If you want people to support your ideas, ask for that.