Raise the bar on workplace communication

Giving 110%, or rather mentioning it, runs the risk of annoying colleagues, according to a survey of 1,000 workers that found half of them regard such cliche business jargon as “annoying” or “really annoying.” 

According to the survey by career website Resumebuilder.com, 38% of employees feel pressured to use such language “to fit in or appear competent,” and 41% report “excessive use of business jargon leaves them feeling left out and disengaged.”

In a rundown of the top 20 offending phrases — starting with “giving 110%” — “I’ll ping you,” “think outside the box” and “reinvent the wheel” were among the “low hanging fruit,” which also made the list.  

The most common party that uses workplace jargon is upper management, according to 33% of those surveyed.