We are drawing in business jargon, clichés and buzzwords. In marketing materials, PowerPoint presentations and in day to day conversations, they are so pervasive that we no longer notice them. We have become so numb that we don’t care about their meaning and what impression they create.
We are so used to some clichés and meaningless phrases that we use them as obligatory business terms and as pseudo-technical specifications. I find this phenomenon most common among small early-stage companies whose marketing materials is often a great example of keyword stuffing.
Here are a few examples.
It’s in our DNA. If we follow the physiological metaphor to its core, in using this phrase, you are saying that your company’s appearance, culture and behavior are deeply imprinted and will not change any time soon, unless the company can mutate very quickly. In nature, viruses and primitive organisms like bacteria can mutate and adapt rapidly to changing conditions. But complex organisms take forever to mutate, as do large organizations. And those that don’t, often disappear.
What you are trying to say is that you have strong principles and values. However, while you are committed to these principles, you also want your audience to know that the company is agile enough to respond to market conditions and customer needs.
Thematically close to DNA is Best of breed. What does this mean? Are we talking about the Westminster Kennel Club?
Core competencies. Articulating your company’s core competencies are essential. Your customers want to know what your company is good at and the technologies and business process knowledge and experience you bring. But this does not mean an exhaustive list of obscure IT acronyms, esoteric programming languages, and arcane standards. You will not win a project just because you have more Python programmers than your competitor. You will win when you
Built from the ground up for [fill in the blank] is another well-meaning phrase that fails to explain the value to the customer. Users are not likely to know (or care) what reference architecture was used to develop the software and in what language.
But, if by designing the software using best practices and tools, you can deliver a software product that is more reliable, or easy to scale, you have created value that customers care about.
It’s a journey is a nice Zen-inspired saying, but what does it actually mean? I find that project leaders often use it as a way to explain why they will not commit to a schedule or business results. Yes, projects that involve business transformation are difficult to forecast. But without meaningful business-oriented milestones, your senior management may not be inclined to join you or the journey and will look for a more reliable ride.