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Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Readers respond with their own buzzwords

Reader reaction to my column last week on buzzwords was swift, insightful and, often, very funny.

No one sought to defend the use of corporate-speak that obscures clarity. In fact, several who work in corporate communications indicated that they’d be sending my diatribe to others in their organizations, hoping that the prime offenders would see the error of their phrases.

One reader said “corporate communications” itself is a misnomer: “Most companies seem determined not to communicate anything at all.”

All offered jargon that annoyed them, including “leverage,” “win-win,” “deep dive,” “best practices” and “core competencies.”

A couple of people objected to the long-running de-personnel-ization of the workforce by using words such as “human capital” and “human resources.” One noted the Lake Wobegon effect of stretching the word “talent” to cover everyone pulling a paycheck.

“Think outside the box” was universally reviled. One poster on the PhillyInc blog wondered if there really were anyone left inside the box at this point.

Even as some callers commiserated with me, we agreed that buzzwords, like cockroaches, can never be stamped out.

Two days after I ranted about the use of the word “solutions,” I received a PR pitch about Campbell’s Chunky soups that described the Camden food producer’s consumer research into what men are “currently seeking in food solutions.”

I just lost my appetite.

Lots of losses

Capmark Financial Group Inc., which may sell its commercial mortgage business to a joint venture that involves billionaire Warren Buffett, is a mess.

Last week, Capmark said its second-quarter net loss was $1.6 billion compared with net income of $11.5 million for the same quarter in 2008. In the first quarter, it lost $782 million.

The company said it may have to file for bankruptcy to reorganize its finances. Plus, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. intends to put restrictions on its Capmark Bank.

GMAC L.L.C. sold a controlling interest in Capmark to a group of private-equity firms, including Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., in 2006.
Posted by Mike Armstrong @ 5:34 AM  Permalink | File Under: Management, workplace | 1 comment
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About Mike Armstrong
Mike Armstrong, a business editor and writer for nearly two decades, is the Inquirer's business columnist and PhillyInc blog editor. Contact Mike via e-mail or at 215-854-2980
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